"Mmmmmph!!!!"

Vincent tried to get it out of his mouth, gagging and pushing it with his tongue but the High Priest was using his hand to push the heart forcefully inside his mouth. The priests tightened the chain around his body and he screamed in pain. The heart went down to his throat. His eyes were tearing up. He wanted to shout but his throat felt so full and it hurt. It hurt!!!

"Just swallow it all, Your Highness," Anthony said.

He didn't want to but the disgusting thing went down its throat. He didn't know how. It was so big but it somehow slipped down his throat as thought it adjusted its size to fit inside his body.

As though it wanted to replace his own heart.

Then he screamed.

*

*

*

In the castle's underground dungeon, where criminals have been tortured until they die, a person who should not be there at all was screaming like a wild animal in agonizing pain.

Celestinia looked mildly disturbed from outside the prison bars. As if someone had just toppled over her tea.

"Is this how he should be reacting? Perhaps a sedative might help with the transformation," Celestinia said coolly.

"I advise not to, Your Highness. It has been said in scriptures that the dragon gives a test to the human to see if he is worthy but in this case, we are forcing the Gold Dragon's heart to reside in His Highness. It will naturally reject him because he has not been declared as the heir," Anthony said.

"He is the heir!" Celestinia snapped. "He should be! He's the king's son. We are just doing this to make things right. Now, tell me. How long is he going to be like that?"

Anthony wiped a sweat from his brow. "No one knows, Your Highness. No one has ever attempted to place a dragon's heart inside a man. I daresay it depends entirely on His Highness if he will be able to withstand the dragon's heart."

Celestinia glared at the high priest. She almost called him useless but she held her tongue and turned to leave instead.

"Call for me when it's over," Celestinia said.

"Yes, Your Highness," Anthony said with a bow.

"Even if it doesn't end well. I need to know," Celestinia said and left her son still screaming in pain inside the dungeon.

*

*

*

Vincent was in pain. So much pain he just wanted to die. Someone just end it. Please. To hell with being the rightful heir to the throne.

Someone just end this pain right now! Please!

He was still screaming in pain but he didn't even know that anymore. All he knew was that he was in pain. So much pain. Everything hurt.

Please.

Someone just end it! End me! End this pain! Someone just kill me!

I don't care about the da*n throne!

Just stop this pain!

Get this fu*king heart out of me!

Get it o-

*

*

*

*

*

*

Then a voice like thunder spoke.

"Boy, stop screaming.

You have roused me from my slumber."

*

*

*

Meanwhile, in White Peaks . . .

Sylvia's violet eyes widened. A shiver ran through her body.

No.

It can't be.

He shouldn't be alive.

They made sure of that! But this overwhelming power that she felt, there was no mistaking it. It was him! But how?!

"Lady Sylvia?"

Her thoughts were interrupted and she looked at the young man quietly. Who was this?

Ah. Right. The boy who wanted to get her help to get across the mountain. He was dark skinned and his hair was a mix of dark indigo and blue. He must be from that kingdom full of magic. But he said that he's a merchant. She observed his stance, his amicable smile, and his lack of sleazy aura that most merchants have.

She was sure of it.

This boy was not a merchant.

So, why did he want to cross that mountain? He took the shortcut instead of the usual travel route.

"Um . . . Lady Sylviaaa," Azmir said, trying to get her attention.

She ignored him and directed her gaze at the young man's companion, the one who was just sipping his mug of cocoa looking like he was in deep thought.

He was just thinking of his younger sister as usual but Sylvia didn't know that.

Skin as white as fresh fallen snow, hair as black as a raven's feather, and eyes like autumn. He was not of this world. An adventurer. He must have died and a fickle god had sent him to Feylantis. Most adventurers never left that kingdom because outside that kingdom, there was no magic.

How strange.

What could possibly be their goal in going to Aderlan?

"Lady Sylviaaa," Azmir said, getting tired already for calling her name repeatedly and standing up in front of her.

She turned back her attention to Azmir.

"Sweets," Sylvia said.

"Sweets?" Azmir repeated, his face blank in confusion.

Sylvia nodded and turned her back. The conversation was finished. She had said what was needed.

*

*

*

Azmir was floored. He had never encountered someone who was so difficult to talk to. He went back to the table.

"Sammy, I don't understand. Did she accept to be a guide or not?" Azmir asked.

"What did she say?" Sammy asked raising his bushy eyebrow.

"She said 'sweets.' That's all!" Azmir said.

"Ah, that's the compensation she's asking you, lad," Sammy said.

"I see. Then that's easy," Yuzan said.

"No! It's not! We don't have sweets! It would have been easier if she had asked for gems but no! She had to ask for sweets which we don't have!" Azmir said.

Yuzan sighed.

"You're being too noisy, my blue bird," Yuzan said to Azmir then turned to Sammy. "Is she fond of sweets here in your village?"

"No. She's been coming here for years so she's probably fed up with our sweets. Some travelers have tried that and she just ignored them. You don't really have sweets with you? You must have bought some souvenirs from where you came from," Sammy said.

"We really don't. What should we do? Should we just try to climb the mountain by ourselves? We can't just go back where we came from to buy her sweets," Azmir said.

"I can make them," Yuzan said.

"Eh?! You can?!" Azmir exclaimed.

"Wait here. I'll ask her first if she had ever eaten it before," Yuzan said.

Yuzan got up and walked over to the bar counter where Sylvia was sitting.

"Hey, have you ever eaten mochi ice cream before?" Yuzan asked.

She tilted her head and looked at him quietly with her violent eyes.

Yuzan sighed.

"I can't understand you if you don't talk. Just say yes or no," Yuzan said.

"No," Sylvia said.

"And if I give you that, you'll be our guide?" Yuzan asked.

Sylvia cocked her head to the other side and just stared at him.

Yuzan narrowed his eyes at her.

"The mochi ice cream! It's cold, sweet and squishy! I am sure you are going to like it so I'm asking you if you're agreeing to take us to the mountain?" Yuzan asked.

Azmir looked at them nervously. Yuzan wasn't even trying to be polite. In his surprise, the strange young woman's lips curved into a smile.

Yuzan sighed.

"I see. Of course, you want to taste it first. Fine. But don't ask for seconds!" Yuzan said and walked back to the table where Azmir and Sammy where waiting.

"You understood her?!" Azmir asked in amazement.

"Somehow," Yuzan said then turned to Sammy. "Sammy, tell me if you have these ingredients."

"Yes, Sir!" Sammy said.

"Rice flour, condensed milk or sweetened milk, vanilla, sugar, and starch!" Yuzan said.

"We have but I've never heard of those ingredients being combined together to make sweets," Sammy said.

Yuzan grinned.

"Just get them. I'm going to show her just how delicious Japanese sweets are," Yuzan said.

How strange. Yuzan is fired up, Azmir thought.

"Mir, we still have the fruits we got from the village, right? And those berries you got from the forest," Yuzan said.

"Yes, which one of those do you want?" Azmir asked.

Yuzan smirked.

"All of them. It's going to be a sweets buffet. I'm going to make sure that she takes us to the mountain," Yuzan said.

"Hehh . . . You're full of confidence. Did you always make sweets back in your world?" Azmir asked.

"No," Yuzan said.

"Eh?! Then, how are you so confident?!" Azmir asked.

Yuzan smiled.

"I used to make them years ago for my cute little sister," Yuzan said grinning proudly.

Azmir shot him a worried look.

"Years ago?! Are you sure you still remember how to make them?" Azmir asked.

Yuzan chuckled.

"Just who do you think I am? I remember everything connected to my little sister, " Yuzan said.

Ah . . .

His bad personality was coming out.

Yuzan knew that but he was filled with excitement. He was going to meet his little sister soon. He didn't want to have any more delays. He was going to make that woman eat his sweets and take them to the mountain.

Mia, your Onii-chan is coming to meet you soon. Just bear with it a little longer. We're going to reunite soon.