Selke rode his horse as quickly as possible, not slowing down even for a moment. A sense of foreboding had already filled his heart when he heard a shout of outrage from the direction he had traveled opposite to.

Never had he expected Lukariah and Mael to choose the path that led to Vatham, not when no man was allowed to step inside the kingdom. And the ones who did had never stayed alive to see the next day.

A chill went down his spine when he thought about the men who had gone behind Lukariah and Mael. He could envision their fate after getting caught by the monster warrior. Selke now understood the meaning behind the roar he had heard some time ago. It was the incensed cry of a hunter just before he attacked his prey.

Selke looked at the large army behind him. More than half of the Asra had followed him and only a few had taken the path less chosen by men. And that had become the biggest mistake of his life. Now, his men were gone and the two people he so desperately wanted to capture would have escaped.

But Selke did not give up. 'Lukariah might have killed his men. However, that did not mean he had escaped from my clutches.' It was still unclear if Lukariah and the young prince could enter Vatham and Selke hoped for the man to stay stranded in the outskirts of the kingdom until he and his men arrived.

Selke whipped his horse again and rode against the wind on the chilly night. He did not care about the strong winds that slapped his face and stung his eyes. He did not care about the darkness in front of him as well as the monster hunter who by now, had his sword dipped in blood. He did not even care about his men who were struggling to keep up with him.

All Selke had in mind was to capture Mael before he lost him forever.

Selke followed the route that led him to Vatham and as time passed, his sense of premonition only increased. Even though it was dark and the men who had the torches with them were quite a distance behind him, he could still detect blood around him. The air was filled with it and it was impossible to ignore.

Selke's eyes darkened and he whipped his horse harder than ever and the poor animal neighed in pain. But it did not stop and continued to gallop, not knowing where his master wanted to go. However, it suddenly slowed down when it noticed a hindrance in its path and instead of stopping completely, it leaped over the obstruction.

Selke was startled by its actions and he looked down immediately, only for his blood to turn cold when he saw a lump of mass on the ground. He did not have to take a clear look to make out that it was a dead body. And there was not just one but a lot of them around him.

He pulled the reins hard and the horse slowed down before it stopped and Selke got down at once, his eyes wide in shock. Although he had expected this outcome, he was still mortified to see his men now lying dead. By then, most of the men in his army had reached him and he could make out the faces of the now dead men.

Selke walked around, careful not to stain his boots with blood. Although he was stunned by his people's deaths, he did not pity them whatsoever. In his mind, they were brave men and it was their honor to sacrifice their lives for the greater good.

"Come here." He beckoned one of the members of the Asra who had a torch with him and the man obediently followed him even though he was frightened beyond belief. This was not a scene he had ever expected to see. Never.

Selke continued to walk and a frown marred his face when he did not find the man he was looking for.

'Where is Lowe?' He pondered. Everyone who had followed Lowe was in his sight except Lowe himself and Selke's frown deepened when an odd thought entered his mind.

'No, it cannot be.' He tried to shake off his suspicion but could not. It only become stronger than ever and there was no one alive who could prove him otherwise.

Selke was irate. It was impossible for Lowe alone to escape from Lukariah's clutches. The man was a beast when irked and he would not stop until he killed everyone who stood in his way.

'I never knew I had a traitor in my army.' Selke seethed and mounted his horse, ignoring the dead people. Anyway, they were useless to him now. 'Lowe, you dare to betray me. I will show you what will happen to people like you.'

Thoroughly infuriated, Selke rode in the direction of Vatham. So what if the men had chosen this path, it was impossible for them to enter the kingdom. Only one fate waited for them, the fate of death.

But barely had Selke reached a small distance when he stopped again and this time, his shock was more evident than before. The man, who he had thought to have betrayed him, was fidgeting on the ground with a pool of blood around him.

"Lowe." Selke shouted and jumped off his horse, his harsh voice echoing through the place and all the birds that were slumbering for the night flew away in fear. "Lowe wake up." He patted the man's face but all he got in return was a groan.

"Lowe, wake up. Wake up." Again, he patted Lowe's cheeks and waited for him to wake up.

"Lo...Lord Selke?" Lowe's voice was barely audible. "Is it...really you?"

"Yes. I am here. What happened? Where is the young prince? Where is Lukariah?"

"Lukariah....." Lowe, painstakingly, lifted his hand and pointed in the direction of Vatham before he stopped moving. His vacant and lifeless eyes stared into space and Selke gritted his teeth on seeing such a capable man now lying dead in his arms. His previous anger and resentment vanished when he realized that Lowe had not betrayed him.

"Lowe." He sighed and lowered the man's body before he stood up and looked at the kingdom of Vatham.

From where he was, he could faintly see the kingdom and Selke felt an indescribable hatred towards all the people who were residing inside it.

"Lukariah...." He clenched his fists and glared at the kingdom. "Mael, I will not let you go. And Queen Amara, I hope you will not foil my plans. Otherwise...." Selke narrowed his eyes for a moment. "You will have to fight with me for helping my enemy."