The room was silent. The air was still.

“What do we do?” Asked Emilia, putting a palm to her forehead. There was no response. She glanced at the only other person in the room, her dear husband, Veyron Valheart was by the window, cupping his chin whilst deep in thought.

The maid quarters had been a mess. No, that was an understatement. It was an uproar.

Apparently, Lara had lost the ability to use magic after getting sick. They had tested it in the glow stones again and again with the same results. She was also too sick to get up.

No thanks to the rumors, everyone immediately thought the culprit was Lazarus infecting Lara which made them stay clear of her. No one wanted to be in the same room as her. Only one maid was taking care of her now, it was Ayla, Clovis’ new maid.

This has never happened before. Lazarus wasn’t infectious. He’d been sick so many times and everytime Emilia took care of him, nothing bad happened to her. How did this happen? Was the disease dormant until now? This isn’t good.

“This is bad.” Veyron voiced his thoughts. He turned to look at Emilia and said, “Regardless whether it is the truth or not. That blasted rumor will become the truth.”

Emilia knew that. He didn’t need to tell her something so obvious. But-... “What do you think?”

“Me?” Veyron raised a brow challengingly. “Where are you going with this?”

“I just want to know what you think,” Emilia paused for a moment, studying Veyron’s expression before she continued. “Do you think it is a disease from Lazarus?”

Veyron scoffed, “Of course it is. What else could it be? My only problem right now is how not to get it to spread if it is indeed infectious. Not to mention if it hits Reisha, or the both of us. What do you think will happen then?”

Emilia felt a jolt of electricity run through her spine. What if she lost her ability to use magic? What if it happened to Reisha? Her husband? Clovis and Anastasia? Not being able to use magic frightened Emilia. It was even worse than losing her limbs.

“We also have to put a gag order. But unfortunately, that’s already impossible.” Veyron pointed his chin to the number of documents piled into a mountain on Emilia’s desk. Resignation forms, all of them.

This will spread through the nobles. Then the other kingdoms. No one will go near the Twilight Kingdom. That will hurt the merchants in the kingdom as well as the people. The damage would be too much and it made Emilia’s stomach churn just thinking about it.

“What should we do with that boy?”

Hearing Veyron’s words, Emilia’s thousands of thoughts stopped. She looked at him with widened eyes.

“That’s-... w-we don’t know yet if it really is a disease yet.”

“But that’s not how the people see it. And we have no means to determine whether it is false or true. In any case, have the guards call Falon here. We need to discuss what we need to do moving forward.”

Emilia nodded and sent a guard for Falon.

After a while, a knocking could be heard from the door.

“Enter.” Commanded Veyron. A man with purple hair that reached to his shoulder could be seen and he wore a simple blue vest with white undershirt and leathery pants. His golden amber eyes were clear and simple and fitted perfectly with his square framed glasses.

The man bowed, placing a hand on his chest in deference to the royalty, “Your highness.”

“Falon. You may already know of the issue at hand. What can you suggest?”

Falon gave Emilia a quick glance before saying, “This suggestion might not be favorable for everyone.”

Knowing this was aimed at her, Emilia steeled her beating heart and said, “Please, do state what is on your mind.”

“The Prince has infected his maid. The maid might infect the others. That includes the most powerful individuals in the Kingdom, the King and Queen. That said, we must limit contact to the infected two as well as monitor the maids who were close to the infected mai-”

“Lara. Her name is Lara.” Cut-in Emilia sharply.

“Lara. I see. I am grateful for the correction. As I was saying before, we must limit contact with the maids who were close to ‘Lara’ and to the young Prince. At the same time, I advise the rest of the royalty to stay clear from Lazarus or any servants at the moment and hire a few temporary ones to serve you.”

Veyron nodded, “I see. So you intend to keep us from harm's way in case this is truly a disease that robs you of the ability to use magic.”

“Indeed sire. And after we isolate Lara and the young Prince and if no one else gets infected then we can only assume that there is a strong possibility that the young prince may be carrying a new disease that robs you of your ability to harness magic.”

“By isolate you mean..?”

“Yes, Lady Emilia. I mean to lock the young Prince in another room and provide him with the basic necessities and the same with the infe-.. My apology, I meant Lara. To do the same thing with Lara. And the reason why I mention a separate room is because I am aware that there is no bathroom in the young Prince’s personal room.”

Emilia didn’t like the thought of locking Lazarus up but there was no better way. With this, they can at least minimize the damage and just wait and see what the investigation yields.

“Then let us go with that.” Said Veyron, not even thinking twice. Emilia wanted to protest and maybe see if there was a way to ease Lazarus’ restrictions. But for her to ask for that whilst not contributing to anything would be selfish.

Hesitantly, Emilia nodded to Falon’s awaiting gaze.

“However, who will see the operation?” She couldn’t help but ask. Anyone leading this would be bound to become a risk.

“I will.” Falon said, lowering his glasses for a bit just enough for Emilia and Veyron to see his golden amber eyes unobstructed. The dark irises in his eyes suddenly turned to a sharp slit, much like that of a cat when he blinked, and then it turned back the moment he blinked a second time. “A human’s disease won’t affect me. So there is no risk of that.”

“This is merely temporary, correct?” Emilia clarified. She couldn’t bear the thought of Lazarus just being locked up in his room for a lengthy period of time.

Falon looked to the King who was silent before looking back to Emilia.

“Perhaps.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her body was heavy.

Her limbs were weak.

There was a commotion and a mass resignation by the maids. That’s what she heard but now they were asked to occupy a few rooms and were separated.

The door made a clicking sound as it was opened and it clicked a second time the moment it was closed yet again.

Lara forced her eyelids open and glanced at a bespectacled long purple hair man in a blue vest. The royal adviser, Falon Everlast.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked.

It has been a day since she first discovered she could no longer use mana. It became apparent the moment another maid had asked her to heal a wound that she got as she didn’t want it to scar and Lara obliged her. Using magic whilst being sick wasn’t uncommon and she was one of the few who could use healing spells. But the moment she tried, she couldn’t. She was already being propped up by Ayla and could focus on her casting, but she couldn’t.

The other maid had a perplexed expression as she asked, “Is something wrong?”

But Lara just kept on trying as a small but nagging voice in her head kept on telling her, ‘Maybe it was a disease? Maybe I was infected.’

Lara had pushed this voice at the deepest corners of her mind but now it was surfacing and she couldn’t get rid of it. It had been a while and the other maid was growing impatient. It was at this moment that the other maid, who was also Lara’s neighbor and had seen that she hadn’t turned of the glowstones, also asked,

“Can you turn this off?” Having remembered what had happened the day before, the maid asked.

Lara couldn’t. As they watched Lara who was sick and panting whilst trying to cast magic, their eyes slowly grew wider and wider till another maid shouted, “Perhaps it is the disease of the young prince?”

The room became silent. All heads turned in their direction.

Then…

“Oh my god!”

“She’s infected!”

“Are we infected too!?”

The screaming maid Lara’s head throb violently. And the fact that perhaps it truly was a disease now firmly planted on her mind, made her stomach drop.

Then she fainted.

By the time she awoke, she was in this room.

Realizing she hadn’t answered, Lara said quickly, “I’m getting better. How’s the young prince? Who is serving him?”

“I am.” Falon curtly replied which made Lara furrow her brows.

“You? The royal adviser?”

“Indeed. What of it?”

“N-nothing… So how's the young prince?”

“You should worry about yourself. I will worry about the young prince for the time being.”

“Okay…”

Lara once again closed her eyes. She had slept for quite a lot already so she couldn’t sleep once more, it was just that-...

She raised her hand. Maybe…

“F-Ferus indi-..”

“Stop.”

“But I-...” The harrowing sensation she felt in her chest. The thought of never being able to use magic again crossed her mind and she couldn’t help but ask, “W-will I be able to use magic when I recover?”

He stared at her for a moment. She could only wait with baited breath.

“Presumably. But be prepared for the worst.”

Lara felt as if the rug from her feet had been pulled and her heart quickened.

-’No way-... This isn’t happening!’-

“Relax.”

“How can I!?” She spat, clutching the bedsheet. “Can you still be calm if you’d lost the ability to use magic!? Can you!? huff*-...Huff*-...haaa-...”

Falon was silent. Just staring. This further irritated Lara.

“Well!?”

“It is best that you rest.” He said before leaving abruptly, leaving the stunned and desperate Lara by her lonesome.

-’No…no…no…no…no!’-

She never wanted to be in this position. But how could she know that this was going to happen!?

Frustrated. Lara simply clutched the bedsheet, but even then, she couldn’t fully close her fist.

She had hoped that this would go away quickly. But as the day passed, then the next and today, it was still the same. She couldn’t help thinking that this might’ve been permanent.

“I should have listened to the rumors.” She said in a crumbling voice. Her eyes became wet in the corners as she pushed the balling sensation she felt in her throat.

A graduate of a prestigious magic academy. Now manaless.

Lara whimpered. Turning to her side to ease the pain and desperation she felt.

—-------------------------------------------------------

Lazarus was sitting idly in his room. Standing on his door was a man with long purple hair.

“Young Prince,” He said, “You will be coming with me.”

“Wha-? *Cough* Cough*”

“It may seem that this was out of the blue, but it is not. You are aware of the rumors about you, aren’t you?”

Of course he was. He would hear of it sometimes from the conversation of maids when he passed by them and they weren’t aware of him. He was completely aware of it but-

“It’s untrue!”

Falon raised a brow.

“Are you not aware of what happened to Lara?”

“What happened to her?” Lazarus asked, his eyes becoming wider thinking something had happened to Lara.

“She can no longer use magic.”

Lazarus was quiet. He just stood there with his mouth agape, feeling his stomach churning uncomfortably.

“But-..but I don’t have a disease…I-”

“We don’t know that yet. So for now, come. We at least need to keep everybody safe-..from you.”

Falon’s words cut his heart like a rusted knife gouging out his chest.

Was it really true? Was it really his fault? If it was-...

He imagined Lara giving him a scornful gaze and it petrified him.

Feeling helpless he looked to Falon.

“W-where’s mom?”

He scowled. “Do you wish to rob your mother of magic as well?”

“N-no! That was not my intention! It’s just-..”

“Then come.”

Left with no other choice and only hearing the words of the grown man who sounded so commanding and confident, Lazarus simply nodded his head and followed.

Falon whispered something in his breath and a blue transparent spherical encased Lazarus. He thought it was cool for a moment, but the moment Falon began moving and he was mercilessly dragged along by the magic ball, he felt frustration.

They passed along many palace corridors and went to the farthest corner of the palace where only supplies were usually stored. There in the corner, was a wooden door.

When they entered, it was a small room with a simple bed and a small table. Inside, there was also another door and it seemed to connect to a bathroom.

“The old abandoned guest room?”

“Indeed. This place is a bit far considering it’s to prevent any guest from getting near royalty and was most commonly used by the guards or servants of visiting royalties or nobles. Though on the plus side, it has its own bathroom. I will also be personally delivering the food and your water here so do not fret.”

Falon softly gave him a nudge on his back and Lazarus quietly entered the room, and as soon as he did, Falon whispered a few words and a blue film of light engulfed the entrance outside of the door.

Lazarus widened his eyes realizing what it was and protested, “You don’t have to do that! I won’t get out of the room!”

“You may or may not, but just to be sure I have a barrier in place.”

“I don’t need it!”

“You don’t. But we do.” Falon replied curtly, then bowed. “I will be back during your meal times.” before leaving.

Lazarus immediately tried pushing the blue film of light but it was just as hard as pushing a stone wall. “Hnggh!” he pushed with all of his weight, but it was immovable.

*Cough!* *Cough!* Lazarus coughed up a fit after tiring himself.

“I don’t need it…” He repeated while pushing lightly. “I don’t want to hurt anyone… so of course I don’t need it…”