Chapter 106: Chapter 106

It was nowhere near night time, but Langrion retired to his chambers feigning headache and lack of sleep as his excuses. In truth, he only wanted some time to execute his plan of getting his brother’s help.

It was the god inside of him who gave him that idea of tapping into the power of the shared consciousness with the use of his wedding ring. The Ancient Evil had used that power against him twice today: first to piss him off that he already has Shia within his grasp and second to challenge him. Now, he’ll turn the tables on him, but first, he needed to sleep...

“Close your eyes and concentrate. Train your thoughts to be more aware of your surroundings, but at the same time, you have to be more relaxed... Remember, your goal is to reach your brother’s mind using the ring,” the god inside of him instructed.

Langrion wondered in awe why this particular god was so knowledgeable about this thing and how he was able to come up with this idea. It was as if he had done it before. Did this somehow have something to do with his powers and who he really was? Shia did say that remembering who he was is the key to his freedom, so if this knowledge has got something to do with his identity, it would be beneficial for them.

However, now is not the time to think of these things. Time is of the essence. Shia and Khailis’ safety were on the line. He needed to focus his attention to rescuing them.

He lied down on the bed, closed his eyes, and channelled his consciousness as he slept.

“Good... you’re doing good,” the god inside him said in a soothing, almost hypnotic voice.

“Follow the sound of my voice... You have to travel to your own awareness and follow it,” he said again.

Impressively, the god inside of him was really good at making him feel relaxed and capable of reaching his brother even though he has never done it before.

Langrion started to regulate his breathing. He imagined his muscles relaxing, his tense and sore spots becoming negligible, and his mind travelling towards the person he had not seen for a while but had always loved...

“Let your mind take shape... Imagine him... Imagine that you are looking at the person’s face... Imagine him whom you are seeking...”

Langrion did as he was told. He began to think of his brother when he was ten years old...

“Danry... Can you hear me?”

There was utter silence, but there was an inexplicable easiness in the air. He could feel him. He could feel his twin brother in his younger years stirring inside the deepest corner of someone else’s mind...

“Danry, speak up... Speak to me Danry... It’s me....”

He remembered his older brother who used to berate him whenever he buried his nose in a book. He had missed those times. He had missed how he’d try to annoy him whenever he was silent and still.

This was his time then to do just that to him...

“Danry... I know you can hear me... Speak to me.”

It was a faint sound at first, but the moment that he heard a sob, he knew it was him.

“Langrey... why didn’t you come see me for a long time! Do you know how hard I waited for you? Did you find me that bothersome?” He could hear the bitterness and loneliness in his voice, and Langrion felt a pang of guilt.

He really did avoid Danry but not because he was annoyed, but because he hated himself...

Langrion always felt guilty that his brother had turned out this way – perpetually affected by his mother’s death, unable to move on all from that painful truth that has started because of him...

“I’m sorry... You’re not the bothersome one... It was me,” Langrion whispered. Danry’s crying face looked up to him.

“Why? Why were you bothersome?”

“I... I couldn’t help you... I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Danry.”

“Nonsense... Whatever do you mean, Langrey?” He looked up to Langrion while wiping his face and nose. “You were the only one who had ever helped me... You helped me a lot,” he began to say. “Now, it’s my turn to help you... You need me to find Nana’s granddaughter, right? The pretty lady?”

Langrion’s heart felt renewed with hope. “I do...Actually, she is my wife now, Danry... Will you help me?”

“Of course. I think Danterion will help too, for Fina,” Danry replied.

“Fina? What happened to Fina?”

“She’s carrying a baby, Langrey. Danterion’s baby.”

Langrion’s jaw must have dropped despite his deep slumber. “Danterion’s baby?”

“Uh huh. I’m going to be an uncle soon,” Danry said happily, “but that can’t happen unless the Tainted One vanishes... He wanted Fina to be imprisoned.”

That was the opportunity Langrion was waiting for. Danterion would never sit still for this one.

“If that’s the case, you really must help me Danry, and you must tell Danterion to help me out too,” he said, his conviction resounding more fiercely. “I am going to kill the Tainted One.”

“Then, I’ll help you... I’ll help you, Langrey.”

“Hmm, yes... Then, tell him Danry. Tell Danterion what I plan to do, and when the right time comes, you and Danterion must seize it. Seize control again of your body. Snatch it away from The Tainted One. It is only then can we kill him.”

Danry nodded vigorously towards him.

“There’s also one more thing, you can help me with, Danry... About Shia... Why is the Ancient Evil so cruel to her? Why did he take her? What is he planning?...”

Danry fell silent. Tears seemed to form again at the corner of his eyes.

“The Tainted Evil – he really wanted to kill Nana’s granddaughter... He meant to kill her... He said he wanted her to strip away her body and gain power... I don’t know what that means, Langrey, but I don’t feel good... Maybe she’ll end up like uncle too... I don’t want that...”

“Uncle,” Langrion said, gulping down. “You mean the one who killed him -”

“Yes... It was that scary man, Langry... And I’m sure he will do the same to Shia.”

“I won’t let him. I won’t let him do anything like that at all,” Langrion declared, a painful feeling rising into his chest.

“Then, if you don’t want to, come and get her. I’ll deliver you her ashes by then...”

Another powerful presence overwhelmed Langrey in the place he had chosen to meet his brother, and for the first time, he saw him in his true form.

Dark-hair cascaded in front of his face and was tied in a low ponytail. His eyes were blood red like sapphires, and his face was pale, making his piercing gaze even more pronounced.

It was him – the God of Darkness – the one Danry always called as The Tainted One!

“Finally you’ve shown your blasted face!”

“Finally, you’re revealing your true colors too, conniving wolf! Weren’t you borrowing the strength of another god? After rejecting me, you dare use another borrowed power and insult me like this?”

“Borrowed powers? I’d rather that you take back the power you gave to me and shove it up to your ass!”

“I will then, child! From now on, consider yourself cured from me,” he said, laughing out hysterically at him. “Now, see if that puny god of yours can help you get Freya!”

At that exact moment, a blinding flash of thunder erupted, and Langrion immediately found himself wide awake.

Blast that god! Now, he must make haste if he wanted his Shia, his life and his heart, to remain alive and well until the hour of his coming.

******************

Owning to the lack of light in her room, Shia surmised that it has only been just been several hours since Sirion has visited her in the cell, so it was a surprise when the side door of the prison opened up and in came Sirion, in Danterion’s body, one more time.

“Love, things got out of hand. Let’s go!”

One of the guards proceeded to open up her cell, and he pulled at her arm right after to drag her out.

“Let go,” she protested loudly. She tried to channel her powers to block them, but to her utter surprise and disbelief, it didn’t work.

“I hate to give you the bad news, love, but a goddess with limited powers, like you are right now, has a limit. The fact that you are keeping a huge force field intact underneath the earth is making you weak and therefore utterly useless,” Sirion said coldly.

So he did know she was keeping Khailis and the others shielded underneath the earth! He probably did that to divert her powers elsewhere so that she won’t be able to use it!

“You sly dog!”

“It’s for your own benefit... Now, it’s time that you die, sweetheart!”

Shia understood what he meant. He was pushing for the execution a day earlier, and for the first time, she was feeling deathly afraid.