Episode 112 - Fallen Lights 3 ‘Strength you have to protect’

Last Chapter: Tribal village destroyed. Elder Lin protected the village to the end and fell. A couple found Elder Lin and saved her. Ario dies by an unknown man who later assumed his duty as a knight. News broke to the children and they are ordered to enter the Royal Palace.

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The Royal Palace

Sun was setting as they arrived at the Royal Palace. Red and golden hues reflected the palace ground beautifully but admiring this sight was something that never crossed their minds.

Just then, a high-ranking knight walked over to everyone who stood waiting and greeted them. As the high ranking knight’s eye glanced to Xenperia’s soldiers standing behind Duke Marleigh and Duke Rodriguez, he frowned,

“I ask for Sir’s understanding. Your men may enter the Royal grounds but may not enter the Royal Palace of Zene.” he finished and bowed to convey his apologies.

“....” Eugene glanced at Duke Marleigh quickly. Though Duke Marleigh’s men weren’t allowed inside the Royal Palace last time as well, the situation this time was very different.

Seeing that Duke Marleigh wasn’t particularly reacting to the high-ranking knight’s words, Eugene quickly lowered her eyes.

‘Well… he must have a plan’ she thought quietly.

Ramon glanced around his surroundings and quietly questioned, “We won’t be going back to that pavilion this time?” Seeing that they were heading in the opposite direction of the lake, he couldn’t help but ask.

“Seems so,” Ron nodded.

Surprisingly, the high-ranking knight took everyone to a Palace located on land. The Palace was a guest palace and was close to the Head Palace, where the King of Zene resides.

The high-ranking knight came to a stop in front of the palace and gestured with his hands for everyone to head-on, “The palace servants will take you from here. Please have a good rest.” he said and bowed.

Aernest and Eugene watched as the high-ranking knight half-walked, half-ran to the direction they came from as if he was in a hurry to head out. Without having to further think, the two knew instinctively that the knight was going to the capital city to control the fire and save the citizens.

“This way, please. Sir trainees too.” a palace servant guided and brought everyone to their rooms. Unlike the pavilion that had 5 rooms, the guest palace has over 100 rooms so everyone got their rooms.

Just… no one except Duke Marleigh and Duke Rodriguez ended up sleeping alone in their room.

Euria still ended up in Eugene’s room. Aeselak in Aedelak’s room. Aernest in Ramon’s room. Ron in Louis' room. Arie, Aren, Argen in a room together, and Con and Dea sharing a room.

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Eugene’s room…

“.....” Eugene stared at her room in speechlessness. The luxury room she was given was covered in gold, diamond, and shiny gems.

Sparkly diamonds were etched into every little detail of the walls, furniture, and ceiling. Everywhere she looked, she was blinded by the sparkly light known as money.

Though the guest palace wasn’t as grand as Xenperia’s Imperial Palace, the palace was still made and covered with money. No matter where Eugene went, the two palaces are still a spectacle of social status and entitlement sat upon the fingers of the Royals. This fact was very clear to see.

Eugene rubbed her palms together as she stared at a diamond as big as her fists clenched in front of her. ‘Are diamonds clear common rocks to Royals? Polish any rock and here it is, shiny diamonds you can use to paint the walls?’ she thought quietly thinking to maybe….

*cough* *cough*

Her eyebrows twitched and she stepped back, ‘Who am I? Am I someone who has never seen diamonds? Am I someone who has never been proposed to with a diamond ring?’ she scoffed at herself. ‘Didn’t that ring cost half a billion something dollars?’ she puffed her cheeks as she turned away from the big diamond in front of her.

‘So why… why do I feel like tweezing that piece of the diamond out?!’ she blinked rapidly and wanted to slap herself at such thoughts.

As she shook her head to get rid of such cowardly and despicable but tempting thoughts, she found herself jolting back from surprise when she saw Euria sitting quietly on top of the wide bed.

‘Was she here this whole time?!’ she blinked and stared at Euria in shock. However, Euria remained silent and continued staring at a wall.

“.....” Eugene stared at Euria in silence for a while, before deciding to walk over to her. Slowly, she climbed on top of the bed and sat next to Euria.

“.....”

“....”

Eugene scratched her head in awkwardness before deciding to break the silence as the oldest person in the room.

“What’s… what’s wrong?” She asked with a soft voice. Euria was not acting like Euria and she was getting slightly nervous seeing Euria not talk in over 5 minutes.

Euria gave Eugene a light smile before shaking her head.

Eugene’s eyes widened as she stared at Euria in horror, ‘Look! Even her smile is weird!’

Blinking to recover her speechlessness, Eugene decided to continue to act like an older mature adult by initiating another round of conversation,

“You’ve been out of it since coming here huh?”

“.....”

Seeing that even round two had failed, Eugene sighed softly as she looked up towards the drawing on the ceiling.

“I’ve been out of it too, you know.. ” she confessed.

Euria blinked slowly, “...SIster too?” she asked with a soft voice.

“Hn.” Eugene nodded. “Every day feels.. so slow and opposite of what I had expected before coming here…” she laughed lightly in sarcasm.

“...Sister did look excited before coming here...” Euria mumbled softly.

Eugene laughed again, “The excitement has completely died today.”

“....”

Euria stared at Eugene briefing before looking down at her palms. The two remained silent, each in their world, each in their ripple of emotions. Quarter minutes passed by before Euria broke the silence first.

“Sister,” she called out softly but firmly.

“Hm?” Eugene hummed.

Euria pursed her lips and shook her head hard, with great determination. Just that, her determination was too strong, she ended up hitting her hard head against Eugene's innocent head.

Before Eugene realized what had happened, her hands were already clutching her forehead as her eyes started blurring.

It was Euria who screamed out in pain.

“AAH!!!”

Eugene shook her head lightly to refocus and she stared at Euria, flabbergasted. “What's.. What’s wrong with you now?” she asked speechlessly. First Euria was quiet. Now, she wants to hit her?

Euria cried out in pain as she clutched her head tightly, “Sis.. Sister!! Why is your head so hard… It hurts so much!” as she complained, her head ended up squirming on Eugene’s lap.

“.....” Eugene stared at Euria in speechlessness! ‘Aren’t you the one who hit me? Aren’t you the one with a hard head? It’s me who should sound wronged!’ she complained in her head!

‘Don’t you remember cracking that tree with your head yesterday?’ Eugene decided to shut her eyes firmly to hide her eyes that were silently rolling inside her socket.

When Euria got over the pain, she started to giggle, like someone who has a split personality.

“Sister! Sister! Do you miss the times before we started training?” she asked with her cheerful voice.

‘..... what is she talking about now?’ Unable to keep up with Euria’s franticness, Eugene repeated Euria’s question.

“Times before training?”

Euria nodded, “Hn!”

Eugene looked at Euria blankly but decided to respond anyway, “Well… Times before training was alright. Before I realized it, time had passed in a blink of an eye.” she replied with full honesty. Though she didn’t remember what she did daily before she began training, there were a few moments that were etched into her mind.

Like the time Euria stuffed paper down her throat...

“It was alright…” Euria repeated Eugene’s words. “But do you miss it?” she asked again.

“Do I miss it?... No, not really.” Eugene shook her head.

Euria blinked slowly as she stared at Eugene’s eyes that were looking at her own.

“Why not?” in a voice softer than a whisper, Euria asked.

‘Why..?’ Eugene tapped the bed with her finger and hesitated, “Because…”

‘Because I need insurance!’ she thought quietly!

Locking eyes with Euria, Eugene came up with a genius answer on spot and answered with all seriousness! “Because… life’s just starting!”

“Life’s just starting! Every day has become more… more fun! More healthy, and more… meaningful..!” she somehow managed to put every random word together to come up with this genius-like line.

Euria's eyes widened and she chuckled, “Life’s just starting?” she repeated as she broke into sets of giggles.

Eugene took Euria’s reaction the wrong way and thought that Euria took her words as ‘Life wasn’t fun before training’ so she quickly rephrased her words.

“I mean! Life was alright before training! It was fun too! But Euria…”

“We have grown. We already had fun every day, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Right now is the time to be taking up some not-so-fun stuff to make way towards our future. Just like Louis and Ramon did when they turned three. With the basics of training and studying, we can do whatever we want to, and be whatever we want to in life. Take training for example,” Eugene paused,

“With training, you gain strength. The more you train, the more strength you have to protect. For example, if something bad happens one day in the future, you can protect yourself, your mother, your father, Louis, Ramon, Aernest, Aeselak, and Aedelak. You can help them when they’re hurt. You can keep them safe just like how they are keeping you safe now. You can do that, with training, and with studying.”

“Protect?”

Eugene nodded. “You don’t want anyone to be hurt right?”

Euria nodded. She didn’t want anyone to be hurt.

Seeing Euria understand her words, Eugene nodded in excitement!

“Then.. you have to take training seriously!” she thought for a bit longer before adding, “You can take playing seriously as well!” For a second there, she forgot that Euria was just three, and playing should also be prioritized!

Euria’s lips formed a straight line before nodding. Albeit hesitantly.

Just then, Euria abruptly sat up. Surprised, Eugene was about to ask Euria what’s wrong when she, too, became alarmed. Shooting out of bed, she ran towards the door with all her strength but before she was halfway there, her door flung wide open.

“!!” Eugene instinctively jumped back in shock but didn’t take another step backward when she saw who the man was. In a surprise, she could only blink.

“.....”

Euria slid out of bed and walked to Eugene’s side. Seeing the man about to open his mouth, Euria put her index to her mouth and hushed him.

“Shh.”

The man only stood still with panicking eyes as he looked around the room in alarm. The man’s long dark hair that was braided messily to one side yesterday, was now neck short. His white-turned-grey dress too became several shades darker than it was yesterday. Without saying anything, anyone could tell that he went through a lot in the past day.

The only thing that remained the same was his burnt face and white eyes that made him appear blind.

The Nameless Musician.

Seeing his eyes darting left and right as if he was looking for their companions, Eugene reassured him, “No one is here.”

The nameless musician stared at Eugene and Euria in unknown emotions before abruptly kneeling and banging his head on the floor. “Sa..Save me.. Please save me..”