True gold fears not the test of fire.

– Traditional Chinese Proverb

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Startled, Cithara simply closed her eyes, accepting that it might be the end of her. But then, a familiar voice caught her attention.

'Cithara!'

'Cithara, wake up!'

'Cithara!!!'

She found herself lying on a bed in a place so dissimilar from what she had just seen a while ago.

"Did I..." she spoke, checking her body for any injury, "Did I die?"

Her aunt Aja was there, staring at her as she sat on the chair beside her bed. As she heard those words, she let out a chuckle, uncertain of what her niece just spoke.

"No, you didn't," her aunt grinned, "Why would you ask that silly question?"

"But I was... I was just attacked! They were about to kill me with their swords!" Cithara insisted.

"Oh! Maybe it's just because of that accident that happened about two hecreas (hours) from now," Aja uttered.

"Wait for a second!" Cithara exclaimed as she leaped off her bed. "Are you stating that it was just a dream?"

"Yes, it is," Aja answered. "And from what I heard from my guards, you did that little experiment of yours again!" she added with her eyebrow rising.

"I... I did?" Cithara murmured, trying to dig into the chaotic bubble inside her head to find out the real thing that occurred to her.

After a few minutes of discerning what happened, she finally realized that the bullying had happened while she was gathering gems for her class.

"Where's Evreux and the others?!" she exclaimed, remembering what she dreamt earlier. "Are they alright?"

"They are alright, thankfully," Aja answered without showing her real emotions to Cithara. "The healers just found out that when you broke a gem, it'll release a strong power that can be kept inside a magic container for future use."

"But what happened to us after that?"

"Well, you all felt unconscious, so we brought you here," Aja answered. "You should thank the heavens that Yve found you and reported to us what happened."

"Cleia! Cleia, il live! (Thank goodness! Thank goodness, I'm alive!)," Cithara exclaimed with unexplainable joy inside of her.

"Well, I hope you'll be alright soon because we are heading towards Everdaile," Aja spoke.

"To the Eastern Lands?" Cithara asked out of curiosity. "Are you certain that we are going to the Everdailean Empire? But... for what reason?"

"I just heard that Everdaile will soon have their new Emperor," Aja answered.

"New Emperor? From what tribe?" she asked, "I hope the future Emperor is not related to Mhydrillians?"

"Mhydrillians? No! Why would you ask that?" Aja answered. "The Wizard of the East had chosen the new ruler with the help of the Avallon Tree and the other wizards."

Somehow enlightened by what she heard, Cithara sat down on her bed comfortably as she gazed towards her aunt.

"Cleia! Their new ruler will not start the battle again," she grinned.

"You're right, Cithara! I agree with that!" Aja answered.

For many years that passed, the secret of Cithara's true hierarchy was sealed and buried under Alfira's tomb. For now, only Alvier knows about the young princess's real bloodline. For the old man, it was a secret entrusted to him and a promise that he could never break.

After Alfira's mysterious death, Alvier decided to come back to Everdaile to continue his task as the Wizard of the North. From there, the secret stayed with him, and was just waiting for someone to know someday.

As soon as he arrived, he reported that he had already killed the princess.

"The princess is now dead," Alvier reported.

"What made you think that?" the Emperor's advisor asked.

"It is because," he spoke in a cold tone, "I am the one who killed her."

"And how about Alfira?" the adviser replied with his face hiding amongst the shadows of the castle. "Should I send my men to search for her?"

"What about her? You already received the answer that you are looking for," Freia, one of the Elder Committees, interrupted. "The heiress is already dead."

"Alfira is a powerful creature, Freia. She will not just let her precious child die," the royal advisor replied.

"If Emperor Livian's still alive, will he be happy that her beloved maiden was killed by you?" Freia opposed.

"He's now gone, Freia! He's already dead!" the advisor interrupted.

The Elders remained in silence, unable to comprehend what to say next.

"Alfira's now dead as well," Alvier replied. "He tried to hide her child in my kingdom, Derilla, but I found them there. I tried to negotiate with her but she didn't listen."

"And what happened next?" the advisor asked.

"I attacked them while they were picking herbs in the mountains. My only plan was to kill the princess, but when she intervened, she got blasted by my magic," Alvier explained.

"Did anyone see you do that?" Freia asked.

"No, I will not risk my title for such a thing," he replied.

"Very well, Alvierus," the royal advisor replied with a grin creeping up on his face. "Don't worry, your little secret is safe from ours."

That made the Royal Advisor and the Elder Committee, together with the rulers of the other Immortal Lands, breathed. From that day, they believed that the threat in Enchantria was finally gone.

But there remained some questions that lingered inside their curious minds. Queries like what if they found out that Alvier was lying or if Enchantria would meet its doom because of the princess.

•○GLOSSARY○•

⚔️Cleia!
- Enchantrian word: Thank goodness!

⚔️Cleia! Cleia il live!
- Enchantrian word: Thank goodness! Thank goodness I'm alive!

️⚔️Hecreas
- Enchantrian word: Hours

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