Chapter 2: The Seed of Chaos

Wolfram frowned, feeling the cool breeze on his neck. Today was indeed a very peaceful day. Almost too peaceful. The capital was way too quiet. There were hardly any people out, give or take the few merchants on the streets. Quite frankly, the ex-prince didn't like it. Too much silence always led to trouble. He turned to his second in command, Brendan. He was a fair haired Mazoku with violet eyes and impressive fire power. "Take the men with you and observe the outskirts of the capital." Wolfram said in a firm tone. "I will tour around the insides of the city."

"But my lord, it could be dangerous. At least keep some men with you." Brendan said pathetically, and he could tell he had just ignited the spark of Wolfram's temper. He gulped as his commander shot him a thunderous glare.

"Just who do you think you're talking to?" The blonde responded harshly. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself, Brendan." As if to prove his point, Wolfram clutched the hilt of his sword, challenging the soldier to question him again. "Now go."

This time without any protests, the soldier led the men away from his commander and to the outskirts of town. Wolfram huffed and released his sword, his free hand gripping the reins of his stallion as he took off into the city.

Murata sighed tiredly, his hands cupping his face as he sat on the forbidden box known a Hells Fire in Frozen Land. He couldn't stop thinking about his earlier conversation with Yuri. The more he tried to push it to the back of his mind, the more he found himself thinking about it. It is my sincere hope that you choose wisely Shibuya. He thought firmly. Or you can kiss your frail bond with von Bielefeld goodbye forever.

"Well now, you must be in incredibly deep thought if you still haven't noticed my presence." Shinou said with an owlish smirk as he walked into, what was technically, his hall. He could've laughed when he saw his sage jump slightly, sending him a sharp glare. Unaffected, the king smiled and sat on The Ends of the Wind, beside Murata. "Doe's my descendant truly intrigue you that much?" He asked with pure interest, having never seen the sage act like this. Excluding the time they fought the Originators, four thousand years ago.

"It's not like that." Murata answered quickly. Truth be told, when he first met Wolfram, the blonde reawakened old feelings of bitterness within the Great Sage. The ex-prince who was almost identical to Shinou, yet looked exactly like Rufus, brought back an ache of four thousand years past. "Surely, you must know that Shibuya wishes to end his engagement with Wolfram." It was a statement, rather than a question. Murata already knew how nosy the Original King could truly be.

Ulrike chose that moment to enter the Hall of the Great One and gave a small sigh. "Of course he knows. He's been peeking into the penumbra a lot lately." She said as if she were trying to scold the king. However, the blue eyed spirit shot her a serious glance. His playful nature seeming nonexistent. His whole attitude changing as his eyes grew cold.

"I will warn you now, my sage." Shinou started, shooting down any protests Murata could have given. "A darkness approaches and chaos will soon envelop my kingdom. Unfortunately, I fear Wolfram may very well be at the center of this upcoming conflict."

This caught Murata's attention. "Just what was it you saw in the penumbra, Shinou?" He asked sharply. The king made a habit out of hiding things from him. Important things. However, it must've been pretty devastating if it unnerved Shinou that much.

"Ah, ah, ah." The blonde king reprimanded, his mischievous nature returning full blast. "I'm afraid there's no cheating, my sage. You'll just have to figure it out as you go." Shinou let out a breath of relief as Murata glared at him, but dropped the subject. The black haired teen huffed and stood from his position on the box. He walked out of the hall without another word to the Original King. The spirit didn't want to admit that he, himself, wasn't able to receive the entire vision due to an unknown force interfering with his power. He turned to Ulrike who blinked at him and frowned, also leaving the hall. Thus, Shinou's search for entertainment began.

The woman gave a cruel smirk as she hid behind a deserted building within the capital, a black cloak covering her features. Slowly she pulled a masterfully crafted sword out of her cloak and held it in front of her, careful not to make any sounds. She eyed the person ahead of her as a predator would eye its prey. The fool remained unaware of her presence as she pushed her way forward. Finally, she would have her revenge on the aristocratic bastard for her suffering. This, she knew, would be Wolfram von Bielefeld's death day. "Say goodnight, you little brat." And she swung her blade.

Wolfram sighed as he walked through each street of the city, having decided to leave his horse a while ago. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he felt an ominous air that he just couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried. Briefly, he wondered what Yuri was doing at the castle, but cast those thoughts aside. I can't think about him, or I'll lose what little resolve I have left to annul the engagement. So deep in thought, Wolfram didn't hear the approaching footsteps behind him.

"Say goodnight, you little brat." He heard someone say behind him. However, before he could react, he felt the cool metal run across his back. His blue uniform suddenly became a splash of crimson as he fell to the floor. He looked up desperately, searching for his attacker, but found no one. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as the blonde felt himself struggling just to keep his eyes open. The right side of his head was sticky with blood and his hair dyed a red color. This can't be how it ends. I swore that…I'd protect Yuri…He felt his eyes slowly begin to close. Yuri…

That was how Brendan later found his commander, unconscious and drenched in blood. What the Mazoku failed to notice, however, was the single tear that escaped closed emerald eyes.

A/N: Hello again. I hope you enjoyed chapter two. Personally I find this way better than the first chapter. I'm open to suggestions so please hit that review button and tell me what you think. A penumbra, in my story anyway, is the dimension between life an death. Oracle wielders use it to glance into either the past, present, or future.

Also, a special thank you to mofalle for their review. I do agree with you that the previous chapter was a bit short. However, I wanted it to have a kind of prologue feel to it. I hope you continue to read and enjoy