CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: OMEN

The temperature in Aquarius had dropped sharply by nightfall.

It was unusual even for the northern territories. Aquarius lay within an equatorial climate, where cold winds were rare and snow almost unheard of. Yet the air carried a biting chill that hinted at something harsher approaching.

Two figures ran swiftly through the darkened forest, pushing against the rising wind.

Mika glanced at the man running beside her.

Truthfully, she was still struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Commandant Ren had believed everything she told him. Not only about her journey to Aquarius, but about her identity as the long-lost Spirit Princess.

He had listened without interruption. Without doubt. Without even asking for proof.

The ease of it unsettled her more than disbelief would have.

Eventually, curiosity overcame her and she asked him why.

Ren’s reply had been calm and completely devoid of emotion.

“If you had simply claimed to be the missing Spirit Princess without evidence, I would have dragged you straight to the dungeon regardless of whether it was true or not. But the story you told me… it matches a legend recorded in the old histories of the Great Spirit King. Given that, I have no reason not to believe you.”

After saying that, Ren had quietly released her and pulled her into the shadows before the guards could notice.

From there, the two of them slipped through the castle corridors like fugitives, avoiding patrols and moving from one hidden passage to another until they finally reached the top floor of the castle: Ren’s private chamber.

He had explained his intentions quickly. Even if he believed her, he was still expected to imprison her under the King’s orders.

Unless she agreed to help him.

Once inside his chamber, Ren began packing several supplies for their journey and told her to rest while she still could.

“The moment we leave the castle,” he warned, “you won’t be getting any rest until nightfall.”

Mika had taken his advice.

Despite her training and stamina, sneaking through an entire castle filled with guards was exhausting. She collapsed into a wooden chair, stretching her tired legs.

A moment later something soft struck her face.

Blinking in surprise, Mika caught the heavy wool cloak that had been tossed toward her.

It was a deep red cloak with a simple mantle around the collar.

Ren barely glanced up as he continued packing.

“A storm is coming,” he said. “The weather here has been behaving strangely. By nightfall the temperature will drop even further. With a storm approaching, you’ll want that cloak.”

At first Mika doubted him. The weather had been cold since the previous night, but they were still on dry land. Surely a cloak that thick was unnecessary.

Still, out of courtesy, she wrapped it around herself.

Later, when they stepped beyond the castle walls and into the forest, she silently admitted that Ren had been right.

The sky had shifted from pale winter blue to heavy grey clouds, and the wind carried the bite of a full storm.

***

Ren spotted a small cave to the south and pointed towards it. Without waiting for Mika’s agreement, he quickened his pace and headed straight for the entrance. The Spirit Princess followed closely behind.

They reached the cave safely and stepped inside. Ren immediately pulled out an oil-cloth wrapped map along with a small lighter. Unfolding the map, he pointed to a marked ‘X’.

“That is our destination. It is not far from here, but with this kind of blizzard it will be difficult to move anywhere. I suggest we wait until the weather calms down before continuing. Is that acceptable to you, Your Highness?”

“That’s a good idea.”

Ren rose and moved towards the back of the cave, gathering leftover pieces of dry wood from a corner. Just as he returned with an armful of branches, heavy rain began to pour outside.

“Seriously?” Mika stared towards the entrance in disbelief. “As if the blizzard wasn’t bad enough. Now it’s raining too? Talk about unpredictable weather.”

“Like I said earlier, the weather here is abnormal. One moment it can be scorching hot. The next, heavy rain falls for hours. Sometimes it lasts until the next day, sometimes even longer. A storm often comes before or after.”

Ren placed the wood in a small pile and lit it with the lighter.

The fire caught quickly and began to burn steadily.

Mika moved closer, extending her cold hands towards the warmth. Ren sat beside her on the left, stretching his fingers towards the fire as well.

“It is all because we have angered the Huzzar.”

“The what?”

“The Huzzar. A mystical creature said to protect this kingdom and the lands surrounding it. Some people call it the Guardian of Aquarius.”

Ren opened the heavy backpack he had carried and began removing several items. Two chocolate bars, two bottles of mineral water, and four egg and beef sandwiches wrapped in cloth.

“Eat, Your Highness.”

Mika nodded and accepted one of each. She unwrapped the chocolate first and took a bite.

Her eyes brightened.

“This tastes good!”

Ren chuckled at the sight of her happily savouring the chocolate. Realising he was watching, Mika suddenly grew embarrassed and looked away.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Ren said lightly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just that when I first learned you were the long missing Spirit Princess, I assumed you might be…”

“A spoiled, self-centred princess?” Mika finished for him.

“I was actually going to say restrained,” Ren replied with a smirk as he bit into his sandwich.

After wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he continued.

“In all honesty, I never expected a member of the Spirit Royal Family to be so happy eating commoner’s food.”

He finished the sandwich and took a quick bite of his chocolate bar.

“Out of all the food I’ve eaten at the castle, this will always be my favourite. It’s nothing grand or expensive. But this chocolate reminds me of the orphanage where I grew up back in Islez.”

“I see.”

Mika offered a small smile. The two of them finished their meal in quiet silence.

After a while, Ren broke the silence. He picked up a bottle and took a long drink.

“So the others have absolutely no idea that you have recovered your memories? Even Shinji?”

Mika paused halfway as she reached for her drink. While escaping the castle, she had told Ren everything about her past. Including the fact that her memories had returned.

How they had returned remained a mystery. Slowly, she withdrew her hand from the bottle and stared into the flickering flames.

“No. They don’t know yet. Although Shinji might suspect I’m hiding something. He usually does.”

She remembered the moment at Milla’s mansion when she had almost revealed Shinji’s own secret.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“Liar,” Ren snorted softly as he looked at the young princess pulling her knees closer to her chest to preserve warmth. “Are you afraid of something, Princess?”

“Afraid? Of what?”

“You tell me.”

A long, quiet sigh escaped Mika’s lips.

“They are my friends. I love them and value them more than anything. I would do anything to protect them. And I know they would do the same for me.”

Ren observed her silently. Her breathing had become uneven. Her fingers clutched the thick cloak around her shoulders as if holding onto something fragile.

It reminded him of the Crown Princess whenever she grew nervous.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Mika buried her face against her knees.

“I’m scared,” she admitted softly. “I’m scared that if I tell them my memories have returned, everything will change between us. And I don’t want that.”

She inhaled deeply.

“I know it sounds foolish. People always say nothing will change. But I have to be realistic. Princesses do not mingle freely with commoners. That was the first lesson drilled into me as the future Spirit Queen.”

She lifted her head slightly, tears already forming in her eyes.

“We care for the people. We protect them. But there must always be a line between us and them. That is what they taught me. We must distance ourselves so that they see us as leaders. As royalty. As someone they must respect and look up to.”

Her voice trembled.

“I always hated that.”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but she made no attempt to wipe them away.

“At seven years old I believed I had already fulfilled everything expected of me. So I kept smiling. I told myself that as long as I kept smiling, everything would be fine.”

She laughed bitterly.

“That smile made me blind. Blind to the world around me. Blind to the people beside me. Most of all, blind to my twin brother.”

Her eyes lowered towards the fire.

“I knew Makai was suffering even then. But I ignored it while I ran happily among the people who adored me. I never helped him. I never even tried.”

“That is my greatest regret.”

She wiped at her eyes with trembling fingers.

“Don’t misunderstand. I loved my family. But the castle was never a home.”

She stared into the flames again.

“No matter how hard my father tried, that place always felt like a cage. Like I was a bird trapped behind golden bars. I had everything I needed, yet something inside me kept waiting. Waiting for freedom.”

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips.

“In a strange way, part of me was almost glad when the humans kidnapped me and threw me into this world. What a terrible princess I was.”

Her expression softened.

“It wasn’t until I met Shinji that everything changed.”

A faint light returned to her eyes.

“Shinji showed me what freedom meant. The freedom to choose your own path. To decide what kind of life you want to live instead of following the one chosen for you.”

Her voice grew warmer.

“He showed me what it meant to have a home. A family who worries about you. Who misses you when you’re gone.”

Her smile faded.

“That was when I started thinking about my real family. I wondered if they missed me too…” Her hands tightened around the bottle she held. “When Makai found me shortly after I’d settled a life with the White Wolf Clan, he wanted to bring me back to the castle ― to reclaim my place in the throne… I refused.”

Her voice cracked.

“I begged him to abandon everything and stay with me here. I never even thought about what he had gone through after losing me.”

She lowered her head again.

“When he left that night in rage and told me that if he ever saw me again he would kill me… that was when I realised how selfish I had been.”

Her shoulders trembled. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

“I didn’t even chase after him.”

Ren sat beside her in silence. Slowly, he raised a hand and gently rubbed her back as she cried against her knees.

He understood the feeling all too well.

The feeling of tasting freedom only to be forced back into a cage.

He had lived through something similar once, though in his case the roles had been reversed. After hearing her story, Ren could not blame her for wanting to escape. She had been only a child.

A child destined to become the future queen. The chosen one who would one day bring prosperity not only to the Spirit Kingdom but to the entire Spirit World.

Such burdens were far too heavy for someone so young.

Ren shook his head quietly.

Life could be cruel sometimes.

Without speaking, he continued to pat her back gently, allowing her to release the guilt she had carried for so many years. Beside them, the fire crackled softly as its flames danced against the cave walls.

***

A moment after Mika finished confessing her long-buried secret, she apologised quietly for letting her emotions get the better of her.

Ren merely nodded.

The two resumed their conversation, drifting through various topics as the storm raged outside the cave. Eventually, their discussion returned to the strange legend Ren had mentioned earlier.

The Huzzar.

Curiosity tugged at Mika’s mind, and she finally asked him to explain further.

“As I said earlier, the Huzzar is a mythical creature,” Ren began. “Long before Aquarius existed, this land was known as the Kingdom of Khulai. It was famous for its many legends. One of the oldest stories tells of the Huzzar, the supposed guardian and keeper of the kingdom.”

He tossed another piece of wood into the fire.

“The people here believe that whenever a rare Blood Moon appears, a virgin must be sacrificed to the Huzzar. Otherwise the creature will unleash its wrath upon the kingdom.”

Ren snorted harshly.

“I call it complete nonsense.”

Mika noticed the bitterness in his voice immediately and remained silent, allowing him to continue.

“There is no such thing as the Huzzar. No Blood Moon rituals. No sacrificial nonsense.” Ren clenched his fists. “Yet my uncle actually believes in it. It makes no sense at all.”

His voice grew sharp with anger.

“Why would he believe such a ridiculous superstition? And worse, how could he even consider sacrificing his own daughter because of it?”

Mika’s eyes widened.

“What?”

Ren inhaled slowly and turned his gaze towards the cave entrance where rain continued to pour relentlessly. The storm had intensified, and with the cold wind blowing through the cave mouth they had no choice but to sit closer to the fire.

Mika waited patiently while Ren gathered himself. After a moment he sighed heavily and spoke again, his voice weary.

“I found these letters,” He pulled a brown envelope from his bag and handed it to her. “Stole them from my uncle’s office.”

Mika carefully opened the envelope.

“At first they looked harmless. Just polite greetings from someone who signed their name as ‘H’. I didn’t notice anything unusual at first. But when the second and third letters arrived, my uncle changed completely.”

“Changed?” Mika asked.

“Yes. Something in those letters shook him deeply. He began mumbling to himself and became paranoid about everything. He forbade the Princess from leaving the castle. Hell, she wasn’t even allowed to step outside her own chamber,” Ren scoffed.

“As the weeks passed his behaviour grew worse. Every night he locked himself inside his room and refused to come out regardless of what happened. I tried several times to confront him and ask what was troubling him, but he always told me to mind my own business.”

Ren shook his head.

“That went on for three months. Right up until the first Spirit invasion in Andania.”

Mika gasped softly.

“After the invasion his condition deteriorated even further,” Ren continued. “He became the tyrant you see today. His paranoia grew so severe that he ordered the creation of a massive barrier surrounding the entire kingdom.”

“How did he manage that?” Mika asked.

“No one knows. Not even I knew about it until after it was completed. I couldn’t take it anymore,” Ren said quietly. “One day I went to confront him. But before I entered his chamber, I overheard him speaking to the Princess.”

Ren turned to look at Mika, his eyes burning with anger.

“He was talking about the Blood Moon.”

His voice hardened. “And the offering. He wanted to sacrifice his own daughter.”

“That’s horrible! Why would he even consider something like that?”

“I thought the same thing,” Ren replied. “Which is why I took matters into my own hands. I kidnapped the Crown Princess.”

Mika blinked. “You did what?”

“It was the only option I had in such a short amount of time,” Ren said calmly. “And before you ask, I had the Princess’s consent.”

He leaned back slightly against the cave wall.

“After I hid her somewhere safe, I spread rumours throughout the castle that the Huzzar had chosen the Princess as its sacrificial offering and abducted her. I wanted to see how His Majesty would react.”

“And?”

“He completely lost his mind.”

Ren let out a humourless laugh.

“That was when I suspected someone was manipulating him. Whoever this ‘H’ was.”

He reached into the envelope again and handed Mika a folded letter.

“So I broke into his office and read the letters myself. What I discovered shocked the hell out of me.”

Mika unfolded the paper and read aloud. “Remember what you owe me.”

“It gets better,” Ren said darkly as he passed her another letter.

“You selfish, heartless bastard. You will pay for what you’ve done.”

Letter after letter followed. Each contained only a single line filled with venom and hatred.

Finally Mika unfolded the last letter. Unlike the others, this one was longer.

“I see you still haven’t figured out who I am. Even with so many hints your idiotic head still refuses to remember. Or perhaps you are pretending not to remember. No matter. Your excuses end tonight. When the Blood Moon rises, you will see your precious daughter lying in the garden in a pool of her own blood. Humans are pathetic creatures who know nothing of true grief until they experience it themselves.”

Mika’s eyes widened in shock.

Ren nodded grimly. “Whoever ‘H’ is, they planned to assassinate the Princess. My uncle panicked because he believed the writer had already abducted her.”

“But she’s still safe, right?”

“Of course,” Ren said. “The place I hid her is protected by a magical barrier that only I can access. No one else knows about it.”

Ren sighed.

“I know what I did was wrong. I deceived the King and the entire kingdom. But my duty is to protect the Princess. And that is exactly what I intend to do.”

“I don’t think what you did was wrong,” Mika replied quietly. “However… there is one thing that concerns me.”

“What is it?”

In the blink of an eye Mika moved.

Ren barely had time to react before she slammed him onto the ground. One dagger pressed against his throat while her other hand twisted his arm behind his back in a tight lock.

“You still haven’t answered my earlier question,” Mika said coldly.

Her eyes burned as she glared down at him.

“What happened to the rest of my companions?”

Ren stared at her in stunned disbelief.

It took him a full second to understand what had happened.

“You… Bitch! You tricked me!” he snarled.

He struggled to break free, but Mika shifted her weight, forcing him back down.

She was about to press further when a sudden noise echoed through the cave.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

“What the hell is that?” Ren muttered.

The sound grew louder.

Mika hesitated. Should she keep Ren pinned or investigate the noise?

She opted for the latter and released him.

The instant the pressure lifted, Ren rolled sideways and sprang to his feet, adopting a defensive stance as he glared at her.

Mika barely noticed. She was already searching for the source of the sound.

Then it hit her.

Her wrist. The communication device.

With everything that had happened inside the castle she had completely forgotten about it.

Mika quickly pressed the button.

“Hello? Kazuo? Hello!”

“Mika… can you hear me?”

The voice was familiar, but it was not Kazuo’s.

Mika froze.

“...Yes. I can hear you clearly… Shinji.” Her voice softened.

Ren watched her closely. Moments earlier she had been fierce and unyielding. Now her expression had changed completely.

Warmth filled her eyes.

Relief.

“Wait,” Mika said suddenly. “Shinji, if you’re talking to me now then that means…”

“That’s right,” Shinji replied. “Kazuo managed to free himself from the guards just as Guy and I were escaping the dungeon. He filled us in on everything that happened. Are you alright? We searched the entire dungeon for you. Where are you?”

“I’m fine! I’m glad you’re all safe too. About that…”

Before she could finish speaking, Ren suddenly grabbed her wrist and lifted the device closer to his mouth.

“She’s with me.”

A loud string of curses erupted in the background.

Kazuo.

The swearing abruptly stopped when Shinji barked an order for silence.

After a moment the White Wolf Lord spoke again, his voice cold and controlled.

“So it’s you, Ren.”

A pause.

“I don’t know what you’re planning and frankly I don’t care. But since my apprentice is with you, I have no choice but to trust that you’ll keep her safe until we regroup.”

His voice hardened.

“If even a single hair on her head is harmed, I’ll personally make sure you eat my bullets. Understood?”

A slow smirk spread across Ren’s face.

“Your Lordship has always been so serious,”He leaned slightly closer to the device. “Very well. Since you are asking me for a favour, I will keep her safe.”

His eyes gleamed. “But in return, I want something from you.”

“What is it?” Shinji asked.

Ren’s smile widened.

“Something I’m absolutely certain is the real reason the great Master Oracle Fye sent you here in the first place.”

***

“When is the Blood Moon supposed to appear?”

Rinda’s voice struggled to carry above the roaring wind.

The blizzard had grown even more violent. Temperatures had dropped to near freezing, and the dark sky above was thick with heavy grey clouds threatening more snow.

Rinda pulled her winter coat tighter around her neck and body as she fought against the icy gusts threatening to push her off her feet.

Her teeth chattered.

She muttered a curse under her breath.

“According to Master Oracle Fye, the Blood Moon appears very rarely,” Leo shouted back while battling the wind himself. “Legend says its arrival is always accompanied by disasters throughout the kingdom.”

He scanned the surroundings.

“This blizzard is getting worse. We need to find shelter!”

“Prince!” Leo called again, pointing through the storm. “I see a cave nearby!”

Without hesitation, Makai led them in that direction.

The three of them pushed through the raging wind until they finally reached the cave entrance.

By the time they stepped inside, all three were shivering and desperate for warmth.

Without exchanging many words, they quickly began setting up a small campsite.

Rinda took charge of preparing a simple meal.

Leo ventured briefly back into the storm to gather a few pieces of usable wood he had spotted earlier along the path.

Meanwhile, Makai arranged a makeshift resting area near the fire.

Before long, a small bonfire flickered inside the cave, casting warm light across the stone walls.

The three travellers settled into their sleeping bags near the fire, grateful for the warmth slowly returning to their frozen bodies. Rinda prepared a quick meal of instant vegetable soup using canned supplies. She poured the steaming soup into three empty metal cans she had cleaned earlier during the journey.

They ate quietly.

For a while, the only sounds were the crackling fire and the howling wind outside.

Once the meal was finished, Leo finally broke the silence.

“So,” he said thoughtfully, “what are your thoughts on everything that has happened so far, Prince?”

Makai placed the empty can aside and adjusted his seated position.

Rinda gathered the used cans as she listened.

“So far we know that the Lord of Luyas and the King of Aquarius are both involved in the Spirit invasions,” Makai said calmly. “Our mission is to locate the missing Baron’s Portal somewhere inside the castle.”

“That’s all well and good,” Rinda muttered, “but how exactly are we supposed to find it? And now we have a deadline!”

“Calm down, little lady,” Leo said with a faint smile. “According to the Master Oracle, the Blood Moon will not appear until tomorrow night. That gives us some time.”

He glanced toward Makai. “And let us not forget that the Princess and her companions are on the same mission. If we are fortunate, we might encounter them along the way. Wouldn’t you agree, Prince?”

Makai did not answer immediately. Instead, he stared silently toward the cave entrance where the storm continued to rage.

“We rest tonight,” Makai pulled his sleeping bag closer to the fire.

Rinda was about to do the same when Makai suddenly grabbed the edge of her sleeping bag and dragged it beside him.

“Hey!” she snapped. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Makai shot her an irritated glare.

“What does it look like I’m doing, peasant?”

When Rinda refused to move, the Prince gritted his teeth.

“Whether you like it or not, we are stuck here until morning and I intend to get some sleep. If you do not wish to freeze to death by dawn, I suggest you stop complaining and go to bed.”

“He is right, little lady,” Leo added, gently. “Besides, we will simply be sleeping beside one another. Each in our own sleeping bags.”

Rinda sighed loudly. She frowned deeply as she considered her options:

Sleeping beside the bitter, unpredictable Spirit Prince who might decide to kill her in his sleep…

Or being sandwiched between two fully grown Spirit men.

Neither option seemed particularly appealing.

Watching her dramatic expression, Leo sighed tiredly. Without another word, he stood up and dragged his own sleeping bag across the cave floor.

“If it makes you more comfortable, we can switch places.”

Leo moved her sleeping bag to the other side and placed his own between her and Makai.

Rinda blinked in surprise. She had absolutely no objections to that arrangement. Better the older Spirit than the moody prince. At least Leo seemed unlikely to murder her in her sleep.

Soon Rinda found herself lying inside her sleeping bag, warmth slowly returning to her body. She turned her back toward Leo.

Even though the fire kept them warm, her body remained stiff. Still, the narrow space between the three of them left little room for movement, so she eventually forced herself to relax.

Exhaustion soon took over. Her eyelids grew heavy.

The last thing Rinda heard before drifting into sleep was the soft, steady snoring of the older Spirit beside her.