KING'S PALACE

A servant was stationed near the king's throne, nervously awaiting his next task. King Vonner sat upon the ornate seat, absentmindedly nibbling at his nails. Over the past two days, he had remained confined within the palace walls. The news of Mr. Starkridge's demise had left him with a chilling realization: he could be the assassin's next target.

Beside him sat the queen, her silence as profound as ever. The servant struggled to maintain composure, his fingers fidgeting restlessly behind his back. He periodically wiped away beads of sweat, desperate to conceal his escalating fear from the king's attention.

"Tell me the authorities haven't managed to locate that boy yet," he demanded, his voice a mixture of incredulity and anger, punctuated by an unintentional spray of spittle. He made no effort to wipe away the droplet that clung to his chin. The servant found himself momentarily distracted by the anomaly, just as the king continued his tirade.

"Sir, no. They're claiming they're unable to establish contact with him. He's not used any public transportation and isn't registered as an Ithean citizen. They're unable to track his movements," the servant explained.

King Vonner erupted from his throne, smoothing out a crease in his jacket. His trousers had sagged around his knees, revealing pink socks adorned with floral patterns. The servant almost let his guard down, momentarily captivated by the peculiar socks.

The monarch snatched an empty glass from an armrest and hurled it across the chamber. The glass whizzed by the servant's ears so swiftly that he barely flinched, only registering the shock when he heard it shatter behind him.

"Tell that dumb police director that if he doesn't bring me that bastard before dark, I'll have his head!" the king said. As he ascended the stairway to his chambers, he burst out of the room with loud steps.

The queen descended the thrones in style, delicately picking up her lengthy gown. Because the servant saw she was wearing heels and would fall, he ran over to her and grasped her hand, seeking to assist her descent.

She drew her hand back, almost tripping over herself. The servant could see her huge eyes and shrinking pupils through her white veil draped over her face. He observed the black ring around her eyes, as well as the bloated bags underneath them, as she peered at him.

Until he recognized the hand he was reaching for, the servant had no idea what he had done. The queen's wrist was swollen and painful, with red blotches all over her flesh. The servant spotted the bruises on her face after a closer look.

She tried her hardest to conceal them underneath her makeup and veil, but they stood out far too much to be overlooked. Her face was covered in lumps, and a scarlet blotch across her neck indicated that she had been abused by her abusive spouse. The servant was speechless and stood there for a long time, unable to make a decision.

She walked down the stairwell, avoiding eye contact with him. She finally stepped onto the marble floor and made her way to the stairwell. The servants noted the queen's limp and how she favored her right side, occasionally laying her hand on her hip as she walked up the stairs, albeit it was subtle.

SUNSET CITY

The students were roused from slumber by a refreshing morning breeze. Norval consistently proved to be the earliest riser, often up even before the day shift receptionist had arrived for her duties. He encountered the night shift receptionist asleep at her post and jolted her awake with his inquiries about the day's plans for his morning exercise. Shortly thereafter, just as dawn was breaking, Luciana and Jalon stirred from their sleep, well before the night sky had surrendered to the radiant embrace of the rising sun.

Although her room featured a fully functional shower, Luciana opted to forgo it. The weather was bitingly cold, and her body felt tense from the accumulated fatigue of their ongoing journey. She craved the release of her tightened muscles.

Accustomed to submerging herself in chilly baths, the prospect of a luxury rooftop pool in the hotel proved too tempting to resist. Anticipating the pool's invigorating chill, she slipped into her blue and pink swimsuit, draping a robe she discovered in one of her room's drawers over herself.

Passing by Jalon's room, she could still discern the blaring volume of the TV. Jalon was an ardent gamer, so Luciana surmised that he had either been broadcasting his gaming escapades all night or had gone live on his social media account, recounting his trial experiences to his followers.

Given Jalon's nocturnal tendencies, he was likely asleep at that hour. Luciana had no intention of disturbing his rest, though she secretly relished the opportunity to tease him and listen to his eccentric anecdotes.

The elevator ascent to the top floor was blissfully silent, affording Luciana the solitude she craved. Upon reaching the rooftop, an open bar greeted her beside the softly illuminated pool. The area was strewn with haphazardly scattered seats and beach chairs, bearing the remnants of an evidently wild party that the staff had seemingly forgotten to tidy up after.

Luciana untied her robe, feeling the anticipation build within her, and settled into one of the poolside seats. She sucked in her stomach, narrowing her eyes as they fixated on the motionless water before her. The lighting tubes beneath the pool lent the water an otherworldly glow, as though beckoning her into an abyss of blue.

With cautious deliberation, she extended a toe into the water, testing its chill. The response was immediate—an intense shock of freezing cold that sent shivers racing up her spine. Goosebumps erupted across her skin, and she momentarily reconsidered her decision. But then, summoning her resolve, she visualized a push from behind and gave herself a mental pep talk. She propelled herself into the water with an unconventional, ungraceful descent—more akin to a gust-blown bag of potatoes than a graceful diver.

Her entry caused a substantial splash, submerging her and robbing her of breath. Resurfacing, she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with oxygen.As she navigated the frigid water, tremors wracked her body, her teeth chattering from the cold. Yet, gradually, she acclimated, and her muscles adapted to the icy temperature. Seeking respite, she sought refuge in a corner of the pool, leaning against its edge, closing her eyes, and surrendering herself to the sensation.

At intervals, she'd peek her eyes open to gaze at the sky above, obscured by shifting clouds that intermittently masked the stars. A minor inconvenience that she found herself momentarily bothered by before forgetting it altogether as she drifted back into her reverie. This tranquil solitude allowed the coolness of the water to permeate her muscles, untangling knots of tension and alleviating the aches that had accumulated.

There was a door on the other side of the rooftop that led to the stairwell. It swung open and closed on its hinges, eventually crashing into the walls. Luciana, who was calmly swimming her worries away in the pool, was startled by the impact. She took a deep breath and her pupils dilated quickly, indicating that she was very alert.

Her loud heartbeat made ripples in the water beneath her chin, and she felt her limbs tighten. She could hear footsteps arriving soon after. She initially assumed it was the cleaning crew arriving, but quickly realized it was too early for the cleaning crew to report to work.

She rotated her head slowly to see who the stranger was, and she eventually saw him. He was dressed in a robe similar to the one Luciana had discovered in her closet. His long hair was twisted in a bun behind his head, and he had a half-eaten sandwich in his hands. Some hair strands escaped the band's grasp and hung over his face, making it difficult for Luciana to see his face clearly.

He was listening to music and scrolling through his phone on the open bar's countertop while rocking his head back and forth. He ate his sandwich while scrolling through his phone, periodically adjusting the earphones that were stuck in his ears.

"Hey!" Luciana yelled at him, but he remained silent. As he swallowed the meal in his mouth and let out a slight whistle, savoring the music playing in his head, it appeared that he had finally discovered what he was seeking. He let the robe fall to the ground after untying the belt around his waist that held it to his body. Luciana was on the verge of screaming because she suspected he was naked.

She shouted once more at him but he seemed to genuinely not hear her. Thankfully, he was dressed in trunks. Luciana was ready to let out another yell until she finally saw his face. His symmetrical face shone, and he was nothing like the man Luciana had seen earlier on Jalon's phone screen on their trip to Sunset City; he was completely different. The way his prominent jawline shifted from side to side as he nibbled on his sandwich fascinated Luciana.

The light from the pool's water seemed to shine off his silky skin, which was unusually smooth for a man his age. His face was meant to be covered in acne caused by adolescence, but he appeared to be free of scars and imperfections. He wasn't large, and his muscles weren't bulging, but his body was well-defined, and his muscles stood out like they'd been sculpted by a skilled hand using nothing but a chisel.

His eyes connected with Luciana as he began his descent into the water, and they were trapped in a dance of glares as their eyes battled.

"What are you doing?" Luciana inquired. She was taken aback by how high her voice soared.

"Isn't this a public pool?" He dipped in the rest and remarked, "Last time I checked, it was open to everyone."

"Well find another spot to sit in. You are too close to me for my comfort," Luciana said, retracting her arms and wrapping them around her chest.

The man took a few moments to realize what was going on before pulling his leg out of the water and waving his hands as he backed away.

As he retreated, a piece of kale jumped from his sandwich, almost landing in the pool, "Whoa whoa don't get the wrong impression lady!" As he backed away, he remarked, "I'm just here to go for a swim, like you."

Luciana assumed he was returning to where he had come from, but he picked up the robe he had brought and strolled across to the other side of the pool. He laid the robe on another chair and returned to the pool.

After he was fully submerged, he leaned his elbows on the pool's edge and continued to listen to his music, while Luciana remained on the opposite side of the pool, staring at him with a repulsive expression because he had ruined her alone time.

Her eyes were raging and she felt like tilting the entire building so that the man would fall off it. There was no mistaking it, he was Vandrad Stanier, the self-taught Lorth mage from the Sacred Mountains of the South.