CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: CONFESSION

The Kingdom of Luyas, once overrun by a swarm of Spirits, now stood in the long and arduous process of rebuilding. With help pouring in from across Fulaina, the nation was slowly beginning to rise back onto its feet.

Supplies arrived daily from distant lands. Food, clothing, medicine, and countless other necessities filled the wagons that passed through the city gates. Volunteers followed in their wake, offering their time and labour to help the wounded nation recover. Temporary shelters were raised where schools once stood, and travelling scholars stepped forward to teach the children whose classrooms had been reduced to rubble.

Yet while the Kingdom struggled to heal, another piece of news had shaken the people far more deeply.

The former Lord of Luyas, Ranfel Heartlets, had been captured.

Word quickly spread that the House of Eden had taken him into custody and begun interrogating him regarding his involvement in the Spirit Invasion. The revelation had sent shockwaves through the Kingdom. Within days, Ranfel was stripped of his title and authority, leaving Luyas without a ruler.

Following long deliberation among the remaining members of the House of Eden, a temporary decision had been made. Until the Kingdom stabilized, Luyas would remain under the supervision of Lord Eden and the Master Oracle.

The matter of succession, however, remained uncertain.

Lady Luna had openly admitted she was not ready to bear the burden of ruling. There were still many things she needed to learn, and she had expressed her intention to return to the Knight Academy once the Kingdom had fully recovered.

As for her brother Guy, the one most expected to succeed their father, Luna had explained that he would make his decision himself when the time came. Too much had happened for him to accept such responsibility lightly.

Despite the uncertainty, the people of Luyas had largely welcomed the temporary leadership of Lord Eden and the Master Oracle. Both men commanded immense respect throughout the continent.

But the truth about Ranfel had struck the Kingdom like a blade.

Many felt betrayed. Others were furious. Some went so far as to demand his immediate execution.

To prevent any attempt on the former Lord’s life, Lord Eden ordered that Ranfel be held in complete isolation in a place known as the Royal Prison, located at the eastern side of the castle grounds. The facility was placed under heavy guard by carefully selected members of both the White Wolf Clan and the Black Raven Clan.

The Royal Prison had originally been an abandoned cavern beneath the castle cliffs, later converted into a high-security holding area reserved for members of royal families or high-ranking nobles convicted of grave crimes. Unlike the underground dungeons used for ordinary criminals, the chambers within the Royal Prison resembled modest living quarters enclosed within reinforced stone cages fitted with thick bulletproof glass.

After the invasion, most imprisoned senators and nobles had been released. Only those proven to have betrayed the Kingdom and sided with the Spirit Queen remained behind its walls.

Reaching Ranfel required passing through three separate security doors and two heavily guarded checkpoints. Beyond the final steel gate lay a wide chamber where a single cage occupied nearly half the room.

Inside it rested a middle-aged man wrapped in layers of bandages. He lay against a large bed, eyes closed, his breathing slow and heavy.

The chamber itself was strangely refined. The walls were painted in the soft purple and gold colours of Luyas. A rug covered part of the stone floor, and a wooden wardrobe and study desk stood neatly arranged nearby. The only thing missing was a private bathroom, which remained outside the cell. In place of a window, a reinforced glass panel with narrow air vents allowed fresh air to circulate.

One of the White Wolf guards opened the second security door for the visitor waiting outside. As the man stepped inside, both the White Wolf and Black Raven soldiers saluted.

Lord Eden acknowledged them with a brief nod and walked toward the cage. His eyes moved slowly across the chamber, noting every detail. Satisfied with the conditions, he turned his gaze to the prisoner.

Though the man inside had committed a grave crime, he had once been a respected Lord of Luyas. Allowing him a measure of dignity in captivity had been Lord Eden’s decision. It was the reason Ranfel had been brought here instead of the underground dungeon.

For nearly a minute Lord Eden said nothing. His gaze remained fixed on the unconscious man.

Finally he drew a quiet breath.

“Wake him.”

One of the Black Raven guards unlocked the cage and stepped forward.

While the guard carried out the order, Lord Eden reviewed the thoughts he had spent days assembling.

Only moments earlier he had concluded another discussion with the Master Oracle through their communicator. They had exchanged information regarding the investigation in Aquarius and the new intelligence gathered from trusted sources.

If Lord Eden’s suspicions were correct, the truth behind everything might finally be within reach.

The first Spirit attack. The invasion itself. The disappearance of Baron’s Portal and the strange isolation of the Kingdom of Aquarius. Every piece pointed toward a single connection.

All that remained now was confirmation… and one question.

Why?

Why would a man like Ranfel risk everything he had built? His title. His reputation. His family. What could have driven him to fall so far?

“Sir, he has awakened.”

Lord Eden’s thoughts snapped back to the present.

He nodded. “Thank you. Inform the others that no one is to disturb us until I leave this chamber. Only interrupt if it is an emergency.”

“Yes, Milord.”

The guard saluted.

Lord Eden stepped inside the cage as the heavy door closed behind him.

The man on the bed was now sitting upright, his wrists shackled to a long chain fixed to the floor. His eyes followed Lord Eden with a mixture of hostility and exhaustion.

Neither of them spoke.

After a moment Lord Eden moved to the small table beside the bed where a chair and a cup of freshly brewed coffee had been prepared.

He sat down slowly, ignoring the burning stare fixed on him.

“You are fortunate to still be alive.”

Ranfel’s fingers twitched.

“When they found you, you were barely recognizable. Two bullets lodged dangerously close to your heart. A few inches deeper and you would already be dead, Lord Ranfel.”

Ranfel grunted and tightened his grip on the blanket covering him. He had already caused enough trouble during his transfer from the medical tent. Several soldiers had nearly forced him into restraints after he shouted insults at one particularly intimidating nurse.

Compared to that humiliation, the chains now binding him to the bed almost felt merciful.

“Why did you come here, Lord Eden?” Ranfel asked hoarsely. “To rub salt into my wounds?”

Lord Eden remained silent for a moment before replying.

“Not at all. I simply thought you should know that Lady Luna was the one who treated you.”

Ranfel’s eyes widened.

“Luna? My Luna?”

“Yes. She escaped the castle during the invasion and sought help from the neighbouring kingdoms. Thanks to her courage, aid came to Luyas far sooner than expected.”

Lord Eden chose not to mention how the girl had been discovered half dead beside the river by the Spirit Princess and her companions.

“The young Lady has since joined the medical volunteers.”

Silence lingered between them.

“She is very much like her mother,” Ranfel murmured at last. “Brave. Strong. Yet… always doubting herself.”

Lord Eden’s voice hardened. “Ranfel. For years I remained silent about how you treated your children because I believed it was not my place to interfere. But that ends today.”

Ranfel looked up.

“Your daughter has spent her entire life trying to earn your approval. Not as a noble heir. Not as a knight. Simply as your daughter. And yet you pushed her away at every turn.”

Lord Eden rose from his chair, anger flashing through his usually calm demeanour.

“She carried that burden alone until she finally broke and confided in the one person who never judged her. The Spirit child you kept hidden in your home. Princess Mika.”

The guards outside the chamber exchanged startled glances at the sudden outburst.

Lord Eden drew a slow breath and forced himself to sit again.

Ranfel watched him in stunned silence.

Then Lord Eden bent down and picked up the object he had brought with him.

Ranfel’s gaze followed the movement until the device was placed upon the table.

A voice recorder.

“What is the meaning of this?” Ranfel demanded sharply.

“You already know the crimes you are accused of could lead to your execution,” Lord Eden replied calmly.

He pressed the red button.

“For all your faults, Ranfel, I still believe you are not a cruel man. Which is precisely why none of this makes sense.”

Lord Eden leaned forward slightly.

“You risked everything. Your title. Your reputation. Your family. Tell me why.”

“For the sake of your children… confess.”

Ranfel looked away.

“Why?” he muttered bitterly. “So I may condemn myself even further?”

“No,” Lord Eden said quietly. “Because it is the right thing to do.”

A long silence filled the chamber.

At last Ranfel exhaled heavily and shook his head.

“This… this was never supposed to happen,” he whispered. “None of it was part of the plan.”

Lord Eden leaned forward.

“What plan?”

Ranfel closed his eyes.

“It all began sixteen years ago.”

His voice grew distant.

“With my late wife… Anna.”

****

Sixteen Years Earlier
Kingdom of Luyas

A loud sob broke through the silence of the Master Chamber, echoing down the long marble corridors.

Outside the chamber doors, a group of maids had been waiting anxiously. The moment the cry reached them, several gasped, hands flying to their mouths. The sound carried a grief no one wished to hear.

Moments later the doors swung open.

A middle-aged woman stepped out, her grey hair tied into a long ponytail behind her head. She wore a white physician’s coat and thick spectacles that slid slightly down her nose. In one hand she carried a heavy medical bag.

The midwife.

The maids rushed toward her immediately, surrounding her in a small circle.

“Is everything all right?”

“How is Milady Anna? Is she safe?”

“And the baby? Please tell us the baby is well.”

Behind them the sobbing from inside the chamber grew louder. The physician quietly closed the door, sealing the sound within the room before turning back to the anxious servants.

For a moment she said nothing.

Then she slowly shook her head.

“The strain was too much for Milady Anna’s body… and for the child.”

A collective gasp swept through the maids. Tears welled instantly in several pairs of eyes. Their hearts ached for the couple within the chamber.

Inside the room, a much younger Lord Ranfel Heartlets held his wife tightly in his arms.

Anna trembled against his chest as grief wracked her body. Her sobs came in broken waves while Ranfel whispered gentle words in an effort to soothe her, though his own voice trembled.

They had lost their third child.

It was meant to have been the happiest day of his life.

Only two months earlier, Anna had told him the joyful news that she was expecting again. Ranfel had been so overcome with happiness he nearly leaned out of the castle window to announce it to the entire kingdom. Anna had scolded him afterward for behaving like an excitable child, but he had not cared in the slightest.

He had simply been too happy.

Their two children had shared that joy. Their eldest son, Guy, barely five years old, had already begun asking when the baby would arrive. Their daughter, only two, did not understand the news fully, but she clapped along with her brother’s excitement.

The entire castle had celebrated.

Now the halls were silent with mourning.

News of the miscarriage spread quickly throughout Luyas. Messages of sympathy arrived from leaders across Fulaina, each offering condolences to the House of Heartlets.

That night Ranfel faced an even harder task.

He had to explain to his children why the sibling they had been waiting for would never come home.

The young children struggled to understand. Guy asked many questions, while his sister simply cried without knowing why. Ranfel did what he could to comfort them, wiping away tears and explaining as gently as possible that sometimes loved ones were taken to a better place beyond their reach.

Only after both children had finally fallen asleep did he return to the master chamber.

Anna lay motionless upon the bed, staring at the ceiling.

A tray of untouched food sat beside her.

“My dear,” Ranfel said softly as he approached the bed. “You must eat something.”

He sat beside her and carefully drew her into his arms. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he held her close.

“It is not your fault,” he whispered. “We will endure this together. For now you must regain your strength. I wish to see that beautiful smile of yours again. The one that made me fall in love with you in the first place.”

Anna said nothing.

But Ranfel continued to hold her through the night, kissing her forehead again and again until the last of her tears were spent.

It would take nearly two years before she truly smiled again.

****

A week after the tragedy, Lord Ranfel received a formal invitation.

The message bore the royal seal of the Spirit Kingdom.

King Ferid himself had summoned the leaders of Fulaina to attend a grand gathering in the Spirit World. The celebration marked two occasions: the second birthday of the royal children and the fifth anniversary of the Human–Spirit Peace Treaty.

Under ordinary circumstances Ranfel would have declined immediately. The last thing he desired in his current state was to attend a royal celebration.

Especially one hosted by Spirits.

But as Lord of Luyas, he had responsibilities that could not be ignored.

Fortunately, Lord Andania would also be present, the one ruler across Fulaina whom Ranfel trusted most. Their lands bordered each other, and though Andania’s noble house was relatively young, the man possessed a straightforward nature that made him easy to deal with. In truth, Lord Andania was still inexperienced in politics, which made him easier to influence.

The Spirit Kingdom’s castle was as magnificent as ever.

Its gates stood open to nobles and commoners alike. King Ferid had insisted that the celebration be shared by all citizens, encouraging the Spirit aristocracy to mingle with ordinary people in an effort to bridge the gap between classes.

Ranfel disliked the idea immediately. To him, the notion that social status could be dissolved so easily was naive.

His own great-grandfather had been born a simple blacksmith. Through relentless effort he had entered the Knight Academy, passed its trials with exceptional results, and climbed the ranks until he became a Commander. Eventually he earned the trust of the then Lord of Luyas himself and was granted the honour of marrying the Lord’s daughter.

That was how true success was earned.

Through discipline. Through hard work.

Not through idealistic dreams of equality.

Ranfel was so absorbed in these thoughts that he failed to notice the three figures approaching behind him.

A thick, husky voice broke through his concentration.

“Are you Lord Ranfel Heartlets of Luyas from the Human World?”

Ranfel turned.

Before him stood a small, elderly man dressed in an immaculate white suit. In one hand he held a glass of sparkling wine. Two imposing bodyguards stood silently behind him.

“And you are?” Ranfel asked, raising an eyebrow at the man’s flamboyant appearance.

The old man smiled.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Haemon. Founder of Haemon Enterprises. I am certain you have heard of us.”

Ranfel gave a dry laugh.

“Who has not? The question is why the head of such a wealthy enterprise would wish to speak with me.”

Haemon chuckled softly.

His company was one of the largest technology manufacturers in the Spirit World. Haemon Enterprises produced advanced machinery and devices sought by industries across the continent.

It was also unimaginably rich.

“My condolences, Lord of Luyas,” Haemon said gently. “The loss of a family member is a terrible thing.”

Ranfel inclined his head briefly in acknowledgement. Without replying, he finished the drink in his hand and began to walk away.

Then Haemon spoke again.

“I know how you feel.”

Ranfel stopped.

“Excuse me?” he asked without turning around.

“You see, my lord,” Haemon continued quietly, “I too have lost someone dear to me. My granddaughter.”

Ranfel slowly turned to face him again.

“She left home not long ago,” Haemon said. “With a man far beneath her station.”

Though his voice remained calm, something dark flickered within the old man’s eyes.

Ranfel frowned.

“Mister Haemon, I fail to see why you believe this is appropriate conversation between strangers. We are hardly acquainted, and I would appreciate it if you refrained from speaking to me so casually about personal matters.”

With that he turned and walked away.

Haemon’s bodyguards stepped forward, clearly offended by the Lord’s dismissive departure.

“Shall we remove him, sir?”

Haemon raised a single hand.

“Leave him.”

The men stopped immediately.

Haemon watched Ranfel’s retreating figure disappear into the crowd. For a brief moment his eyes lingered on the nobleman’s rigid posture, the tightness in his shoulders, the barely restrained grief written across his movements.

A man drowning in sorrow.

A man who would one day search for someone to blame.

Haemon’s lips curved faintly.

“Yes,” he murmured. “He will return to me when the time comes.”

From inside his coat he withdrew a worn photograph. The image showed a young woman with striking features and sharp eyes that mirrored his own.

His granddaughter.

Haemon turned the photograph over. Written in elegant cursive were the words:

My beautiful granddaughter, Rezalina.