Welcome~

Thank you all so very much for the love and support for the previous chapter. I'm glad it was to your liking. This chapter, things escalate, so I hope I was able to translate the moments perfectly. Some parts do feel off, but it might just be me. I'm tired of rewriting, and this chapter has been long overdue.

So, I shall end this here. Enjoy the chapter!

Secrets Underground

Chapter 22

"I win."

I felt light headed all of a sudden. Cold. Numb. A ringing echoing in my ears that just wouldn't stop. Was this really happening? It was, but I couldn't believe my eyes no matter how hard I stared at the board. My fate was clear before me.

I struggled to breathe carefully, clenching my trembling hands. I didn't even know what to say. I didn't want to even look at him because the thoughts of what might happen next froze me to my seat! Maybe I needed a minute. One minute should be enough to figure out how to save myself, right?

A minute wasn't enough. Not even ten seconds. My eyes shot open and I cried out with surprise when the Prince grabbed me by the collar, and threw me to the ground.

The wind was knocked right out of me. I gasped, struggling to breathe right and sit up only to be kicked back down, a foot pressing hard on my shoulder to keep me there. With no choice I looked up at him through half lidded eyes, only to see a sword pointed at me, no more than a hair width from my neck.

"Please, stop…!" and he nicked my throat with the sharp tip of the sword. I watched him helplessly, unable to comprehend what that expression on his face was. It was sinister, yet filled with mirth. Was he enjoying this? He seemed to be contemplating something, and when he came to a decision, my fear tripled.

He broke out into a wide, childlike smile.

"Let's play again."

The devil. Looking into those glistening eyes, all I could imagine was the devil in a foolproof disguise.

"I had fun."

Truly. For the first time in my life I witnessed something akin to a split personality. My eyes told me that this was a single person, but my mind was suddenly screaming at me, telling me that there was something else within him. Perhaps not the devil really, but it was something hungry. Something dark. Something that should never be touched but somehow escaped every now and again. At that moment I felt it deep within my soul. But I failed to listen to myself.

"How about it?" he pressed, his sword digging into my skin further, and feeling the blood trickle down my neck I had to comply.

I nodded once, and he immediately reattached his sword to his hip and removing his foot from my body. I slowly got up, watching as he ushered me to the table once more, setting the stones back into place. I sat down gingerly on the chair, and flinched once I heard the clatter of the sticks on the table.

We played. Game after game, my losses continued to tally up. No matter how hard I tried, I could not salvage one victory. The Prince was smiling endlessly, not at all bored. Each strategy I put forth he was eager and glad to dismantle it within minutes, and be in the lead once again. Each block I managed to create, he would lead me into a trap on both sides, left to destroy myself.

It went on, him chuckling with amusement as sweat and weariness consumed my body. My mind was weakening, but his seemed to only get stronger. If he was tired, it was impossible to tell. The hours did not appear to bother him.

I was too afraid to even ask when the games would end. He was having fun. Was this what he meant? Was he going to "own" my life by making me play games with him for as long as he wished? I knew his stamina was strong, but this was incredible. I wondered though - with a bit of sarcastic humor unfitting for my situation - if I were to collapse, would he slit my throat and finally call it a night?

I would find out later because just when he was about to secure another win, the doors slammed open without warning, echoing in the dead of the night.

"My Prince!"

The loud voice shouting through the room caught both of our attentions immediately. Looking up instinctively, I saw that the owner of the voice was none other than Priest Set. He was breathing heavily, sweat and dust marring his clothes.

I felt my brows raise slightly upon seeing him, unable to stop myself from wondering about what was wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here. He and the others were supposed to be with the Pharaoh. Then why…

"My Prince! It's urgent. Your Father," and he pursed his lips tightly, regarding me cautiously once I was spotted. The Prince however stood up without hesitation. I glanced up at him impulsively and saw the worry that crossed his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked stiffly, and he walked towards Set.

My eyes flickered to the ground. It was something serious so I didn't want to intrude, but my curiosity nonetheless got the better of me. I watched them and saw as Priest Set whispered something to the Prince. I don't know what he said, but the way the Prince reacted had me holding my breath.

The Prince's form went completely still. He was staring at Set, as if daring him to repeat what he said. But Set's eyes remained on the floor. A moment later the Prince stormed off, leaving Set running behind him.

Even if I didn't hear, I knew. Something must have happened to the Pharaoh.

I remained seated where I was on the stool, my neck twitching to turn around and do something while my mind yelled at me to not move a single muscle in case he were to come back and kill me for moving without permission. My brain was much more powerful, so I stayed where I was, eying the incomplete game of Senet left before me.

My legged bobbed incessantly, my fingers emitting a dull throb at the joints from trying to crack them so much, the dried blood on my neck now pulling at my skin. It was puzzling. What the hell happened to the Pharaoh?

The two of them left only a few minutes ago, but it already felt like an eternity to me. Especially when I couldn't do anything more than wait for him to return. If he even did. So with such uncertainty surrounding me, as any other person would, I began to create the worse possible outcome for myself.

What if Pharaoh Aknamkanon was dead? Now that would cause an uproar, and one that I wouldn't be too surprised about considering the memory I just witnessed a few hours ago. But, something troubling was definitely going on. The tension in the air told me such.

Taking my nails out of my mouth, I took another look through the crack in the door and spotted the guard who promptly appeared to guard the door after the Prince and Priest Set left. Surely he had been told to watch my only exit so that I didn't escape. Priest Set was behind that order no doubt since the Prince clearly forgot about my existence, rushing from the room without giving me a glance. Atleast it meant one person had no intention of forgetting about me – which sounded more alarms in my head once I remembered who that one person was.

The tremor of running footsteps and shouts suddenly caught my attention, and I looked up to see guards rushing by. I couldn't count how many, but the noise forced me to stand in case I too needed to run. From the rumbling it sounded as if the palace was under attack.

I held my breath when orders were shouted, the voices heard clearly.

"I need you downstairs!" one man yelled, and I saw the guard infront of my door stiffen his body and turn to address the newcomer.

"But sir, I was just order to-"

"Don't argue! There's no time. We need you downstairs to get these guests out of here. They're causing nothing but chaos, crowding around the royal family-"

"Sir! Miraj is calling for you!" a third voice cut in hurriedly, and another march of guards plodded down the hall, the slight vibrations slowly dying down as they got farther away.

"Dammit! Of all times! You, go now! Help the others!"

"Y-Yes!"

"And the rest of us, sir?"

"Downstairs. Those patrolling this hall should remain. The royal family is going to be escorted here later."

More footsteps were heard. The guard at my door now gone. The hallway, eerily quiet within seconds.

I waited. Nothing but the slight breeze howling as my company. And as the silence stretched on, I dared myself to take a few steps forward. My fingers grazed against the crease of the door, and as quiet as a mouse I looked outside, peering down the long halls.

They were empty.

I stepped back and let out a shaky exhale, and pondered on my next course of action now that I was miraculously abandoned completely. My first thought was perhaps leaving, but that train of thought was cut short because a moment later another swarm of footsteps paraded down the hall. I scurried away from the door as fast as possible, only to catch sight of multi coloured hair passing by through the tiny opening. I rushed back and poked my head outside, but the Prince had already gone down the hall, the guards following him.

Against my better judgement I ran to follow him. Why? I would never understand. But a cold sweat broke out on my skin as soon as I did, probably an attempt to warn me that I was doing something that I would soon regret. However it was already too late to pay heed to my subconscious. I continued my chase. All I knew was that something hidden deep inside my soul urged me to follow him, and my body was simply reacting to that desire.

The expected regret transformed into one of frustration sooner than I thought. The Prince had vanished once more, disappearing around a bend. Which one? The one I chose to go down was obviously not the correct one.

"Now what," I muttered anxiously as I glanced around, and my nerves tingled as servants regarded me warily as they passed me in the hall.

Logic told me to return to the room and just pretend the whole thing didn't happen. I traced my steps back to as far as I could remember, but that idea was useless since I was so focused on the Prince I paid little mind to my surroundings.

I ended up wandering aimlessly down the hall, scratching my head and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, when a loud familiar voice shouting at me from behind shot goosebumps up my spine.

"You! What are you doing here?!"

I spun around to see the Prince, now alone, storming down the hall, deep red eyes boring into mine with intense rage. A rush of relief flooded through me, but it was promptly stomped on by fear.

"You were to stay in the room!" he hissed, and looking very peeved and frustrated, he grabbed my arm and dragged me off. Probably back to the room.

"I'm sorry, it's just that-"

"Enough! The last thing I need is you out in the halls," and without slowing down he pushed me forward.

He had a strong grip. Pain was shooting up my arm and a throb was starting to happen. There was also numbness again, but I bit my lip and tried not to groan, or yelp, when his nails dug into the flesh. He was furious. Seeing him that way though reassured me that something awful had indeed occurred.

"There you are," a voice cried out, and I came to a stop with a jerk since the Prince froze where he stood after hearing the voice.

I turned around to see the reason, only to widen my eyes with recognition.

It was a woman, one that I could remember quite vividly.

She ran towards us to the best of her ability, hands holding her belly as her white long dress flowed behind her.

"Mother, stop. You shouldn't run in your condition," the Prince said hastily, and it was then when I noticed the tears streaming down her face, her pink irises hazed with tears and worry. That was not the only cause for concern. She was pregnant, and about to be due from her appearance.

"The Pharaoh, did you meet him? How is he?" and questions after questions fell from her mouth as she stopped before her son. "Karim told he fell ill and collapsed all of a sudden. How can that be? I should have known after sensing something. But, now they won't permit me to see him as yet," and she clutched the Prince's face as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"They gave me no access to his room either," the Prince said quietly. "I was made aware of the incident however. Set gave me a report on what transpired."

The Queen- er, or, Royal Consort. That was who this woman was at the end of the day. She nodded and stood, wiping her tears away. She shoved a lock of blond hair behind her ear, hands leaving the Prince's face to drop by her side.

"I understand. I had just hoped…" and she trailed off. Not from having no other words to say, but after her eyes lifted and immediately landed on me.

I almost yelped when those innocent and kind eyes turned into an intense and deadly stare. Yep. They were indeed Mother and Son.

"Who are you?" Her voice went cold, hands clenching tightly as she regarded me with suspicion. "Why are you in the Royal Quarters?"

My eyes grew ten times as wide. I was in the Royal Quarters?! How? Why?! Did the Prince seriously bring me here? I was the person he apparently wanted to destroy, so why would he bring said person straight into the heart of the castle?! No wonder she's mad, and why her guard was down. She surely didn't expect me to be here, and therefore to witness her moment of weakness.

I of course could not find any words to reply with, but after a moment of struggling to find some, the Prince finally stepped in after a moment of tense silence.

"Don't worry, Mother. He's here under my orders," and he held her hand before turning towards me sharply. "Return. Now," he commanded, and I didn't hesitate. I nodded haphazardly and turned in the opposite direction, walking as fast as I could.

"Why did you bring him here?" I heard her hiss at him, but I turned another corner, the answer becoming lost to my ears.

I slowed my steps when I once more realised that I still didn't know which way to go. At this point I immediately gave up. My ear was suddenly aching and I pressed my hand against it, massaging it as I walked. My throat felt hoarse. My eyes were stinging. My body was clearly at the end of its ropes.

It had only been a few hours, but so many things had happened that my mind refused to stop spinning. The memory, surely a premonition of this moment. And then the Prince throughout the game. The first game we played wasn't the only one where I sensed a dark aura. All of the games we played throughout the night. It seemed to envelop the Prince like a heavy blanket, and from the Prince's expressions, he knew it too.

Thankfully I didn't sense it once morning came, but I had to wonder if it was even there at all considering the amount of pain I was now in. I chalked it up to being stress.

"Gaah!" I yelled, and I clutched my temples, rubbing it persistently as pain throbbed dully throughout my head. This wouldn't have been so bad if I had something to eat. I'd even take the crusty bread, anything to soothe this ache that began ever since I arrived in the palace.

I leaned against a wall and tried to weigh my options. Carry on and attempt to find the room? Or sit here and no doubt fall asleep. Sleeping was my first choice, but doing so in halls I'm not supposed to be in wouldn't grant me a peaceful sleep.

I remained braced against the wall, eyes lingering around as I took a few minutes to gather my energy. When the dizziness lessened I continued the stroll, allowing my hands to run across the paint of the murals and to feel the rough texture underneath my fingertips, and to just keep myself standing.

They were all magnificent. If it was an art gallery I would have stared for hours. The very few murals that we did uncover was just the tip of the iceberg once compared to these vast masterpieces. And since this was the Royal Quarters, it was evident that the murals were located here for a more personal level to Egypt. Through my haze of pains I was able to identify some.

There were images portraying the story between Isis and Osiris. Osiris's death by Set. The tale of the Nile River. And some written texts of former Pharaoh's. There was even one that talked about the process of death, and their belief in the afterlife. And speaking of the afterlife…

My hand stopped as I reached a certain mural, the black imagery catching my eye immediately. It was a snake. A long snake that looped several times. Text surrounded this creature while Ra was portrayed overhead in position to conquer and defeat.

This particular mural left me no choice. I had to look longer because right before me was none other than one of my favourite tales. The story of Apep. Apophis, as he is also known as. The Embodiment of Utter Chaos.

As many stories were, there was a battle between light and dark. Good versus evil. And in Egyptian lore, the presence of this leviathan-like creature was absolute. According to the Ancient Egyptians, Apophis always existed.

Long before the beginning of creation, this creature, Apep, existed. He swam in the dark unknown chaos until creation finally came to be - when Atum emerged and the growth of life was introduced. Life, which created the opposite of everything Apep knew. There was now order for chaos. Light to replace the dark. And everything that was unified in the mists of nothingness was separated. And the first sign of this new world that Atum created, was the rise of the sun.

Ra.

It was then when Apophis's anger for being tossed aside found a target. If he could swallow the sun god, he would be able to return the world into darkness once more.

And so Apep laid behind Bakhu, a mountain in the West where Ra would eventually disappear from view. And it was in that moment Apep would rise up and make his attempt to swallow him.

Apophis was most probably the biggest threat for the Ancient Egyptians. The ultimate evil. Even though Ra defeated Apep and always rose the next day, the hearts of the Ancient Egyptians still trembled in their hands. Apep's roar is thought to cause the underworld to quake. And he was associated with many other things. Thunder. Storms. Death. Even the Eclipse.

Whenever the sun was not in sight, the Egyptians feared of Apep, and his possible victory.

Yes. Apep was a force to be reckoned with, and Ra knew this. That was why Ra never faced him alone. To defeat Apep every night the dead whose souls had passed on could be seen fighting with Ra, defending him. One of them was named Set, who was the first to drive Apep away with his club and spear. But, no matter how many times Apep was defeated, he always rose again to attack. He regenerated during the day, and struck at night. It was a never-ending war. And everyone was involved. From the citizens, to the goddesses. Each did their part. Until the end; if it ever came. They fought each time to protect the light from the dark.

I grazed the black ink on the wall, my smile wavering as it brought back memories of my childhood. Grandpa was the one who first told me of the story, and I couldn't help but think of him, wondering how he was doing. I wouldn't be able to know right now, of course, but I couldn't help but wish that he was at my side to guide me.

I've been thrust into my own fight against good over evil alone, and the side to stand on was nothing but a blur.

I clenched my fists, willing my tears back and facing the wall. No matter what I would have to figure something out. Shadi said to let my fate run its course. So all I could do now was hope those words bore fruit.

"Impressive."

I stiffened immediately, spinning around to face whoever stood behind me. I went as still as a statue though upon seeing who it was. It was one of the Priests, and at this moment he was paying me little mind. He too was looking at the mural with remembrance, and all I could do was watch him quietly. He was calm. Completely at ease even though it was obvious he already knew who I was. And there was little I could do at this point.

"You are able to read the hieroglyphs. And so fluently at that," the priest said, and he looked at me calmly.

Was I reading out loud? The thought crossed my mind as I saw his clean shaven head marked with black ink. Scary at first glance, but those kind eyes that were clear of malice put me at uncomfortable ease.

I nodded, and his eyes slipped shut, seemingly confirming it with himself. But once he opened his eyes, discomfort took over me as the man said nothing. All he did was stare at me. Seconds seemed like minutes, until I felt the urge to dash down the hall from the fear of what he may find. His eyes felt as if he was seeing straight into my soul!

"I must apologise," he began suddenly.

I immediately stopped fretting and watched him warily.

"I came to you believing that you were the Prince. But upon hearing your voice and seeing the striking differences, I was mistaken. You are not him. However… your similarities are truly astonishing."

I gulped. What should I say? That I know? That would be too confident of me, and it would surely put me into further trouble. So I stayed quiet, hoping that it would be enough to send him off. And as always, life never worked that way. The Priest stayed, questioning me further with a thoughtful gaze.

"Where are you from?" he asked, and I stumbled for a response.

"I… I originate from Greece, sir. A small village, on the end…" and with no more lies to come up with, my confidence slowly diminished. What did the map of Greece look like again?

"I see," he went on. "Then may I guess that you arrived for the festival?"

As soon as I nodded, quite hesitantly if I may add, his kind eyes was gone and an angry expression appeared. I stiffened, my skin growing cold again when he continued.

"I find your story hard to believe however. I did not see you in the crowds when I entered. Nor did I see you when we departed. And you being here is questionable since not even I was able to detect your presence."

His brows then furrowed, a hint of regret flashing across his face as he studied me.

"Set informed us of a person who bore a conspicuous resemblance to the Prince. I am ashamed to say I thought him mad, especially with his assumptions. But then I learned of your relationship with Mana, our food handlers, and now I see you within the palace itself, the royal quarters of all places. I have no choice but to inquire. What really are you doing here?"

I was grasping at straws - that were now invisible at this point. I always knew I would be interrogated eventually, but I didn't think it would be like this. I expected to be tied up in a prison cell being tortured until I talked after being framed an assassin. Well, there were other scenarios, but being asked about my presence even though I was in a very suspicious situation was the last setting I didn't even bring myself to hope on. As lucky as I was however, I wasn't going to blow it. This was my chance. Someone, a Priest himself, was giving me the opportunity to explain myself. I had to be honest with him. Of course, after withholding the crazy details.

"Forgive me, sir," I started quietly, and I could hear the overly formal sentences that were leaving my mouth, something that tended to happen when I tried to sound believable.

"I understand that this is hard to believe, but I won't lie to you. My name is Timaeus. I really did travel to Egypt to learn more about the country. After all, my home land is a different place. I needed to satisfy my curiosity. So leaving everything, I came here. Upon my arrival I met Mana, who, just like yourself, mistook me for the Prince. She did nothing more than help me after learning that I had nowhere to stay. She offered me a place with Ramose's family who took me in. I've been staying with them ever since, assisting them with chores around the house while their son showed me the area. Thankfully I've been helpful enough that they insisted I lend a hand with the festival as well. That is what led me to the palace. I've been here since early yesterday morning in the servant's quarters where I spent most of my time. I then attended the function, but you may not have seen me because I stayed in hiding. I am aware of my similarities to the Prince, so I didn't want to cause any uproar. Especially with the royal family so close by."

I said as much as I can in one breath, trying to get through it, when the Priest quickly stopped me. I shut my mouth, looking at him with the most innocent eyes I could muster as his gaze burned into me.

"The festival came to a close yesterday for all of the servants. All have returned home. So then tell me, why are you still here? In the Royal Quarters nonetheless."

I gulped, now worried about this half of the story.

"I'm still here because… I'm a prisoner."

The Priest's eyes widened, but he remained quiet. Was he surprised at my confession? It was hard to tell but I explained further before he decided to retaliate.

"I was arrested yesterday on the Prince's command."

"Impossible…" the Priest murmured, and his brows furrowed, eyes falling to the ground as my words sunk in. "On what charges," he suddenly demanded to know, and this time he urged me to continue.

Again, his reaction only proved that the Prince did something he was not supposed to do. Though, I couldn't help but wonder as to why Priest Mahad and Priestess Isis hadn't said anything to the other members of the court yet.

Then again, everyone returned quickly due to the situation, and it surely must have been too disorderly to talk right away about something like that.

I explained as clearly as I could.

"Ramose's son, Merimose, was looking for me as the crowd slowly left yesterday. Unfortunately, he mistook the Prince for me instead. Merimose roughly latched on to the Prince, causing the Prince to lash out."

I shook my head, the events of what happened afterwards hard to forget.

"I really am, truly, deeply sorry. On Merimose's behalf, and my own. Merimose didn't know it was the Prince. The Prince was wearing a cloak and Merimose must have spotted the hair or something, and thought it was me because I too was wearing a shawl to hide myself from the crowd. But, Merimose's actions angered the Prince, and I, not knowing what had happened, only heard Merimose cry out. Anger took over me. I didn't think straight nor did I look at the Prince properly to know it was him. I yelled at him for his actions against a child."

I shook my head, cringing at the memory.

"I'm sorry. Though my actions were uncalled for I couldn't stand by and do nothing. Nor could I have simply walked away. So I paid the price. The Prince was revealed to me, and he ordered me to be taken to the prisons. I was locked away until sunset when he suddenly called for a trial."

"And what was the punishment?" the Priest hissed. His arms was folded and he was on the verge of pacing with frustration. Was it because of me or the Prince? I didn't want to think about it. But I explained everything to him anyways, even though my own heart was shaking with fear.

"He wanted to make a deal with me. We would play a game of his choosing to decide my fate. If I win, he would forgive Ramose's family and allow them to keep their job to the palace. But if I were to lose the game, they would lose everything, and I would lose my life. I couldn't let that family who had been so good to me be punished for what I did, so I agreed."

"And let me guess. The game was Senet, wasn't it?"

I nodded slowly, watching him with surprise. Not because he guessed the game correctly. He was a Priest. Of course he would know what games and such the royal members loved to do. It was the way he seethed that piqued my interest, and the frustrated shake of his head.

But then he turned to me, studying me even closer this time.

"So then tell me, Timaeus. How is it that you are still alive?" and a slow, small smile appeared on his face. "Did you by chance actually defeat the Master of Senet?"

"No!"

I said it quickly. I was already treading on dangerous waters with the Prince. I did not want to make things even worse by allowing people to think even for a second that I defeated him. At anything. A bad notion to hold considering my mission, but really valid at this moment.

"No, sir. I lost. I lost within an hour for the first game. And even faster in the others. All of the games we played last night, I lost each one. I even came close once, but lost that too."

I was rambling. But I was nervous. It was a long time ago that I felt so nervous, but I didn't care. The Priest was looking at me as if I had suddenly grew another head. Was I that miraculous?

"You… lost. And yet you were able to play more games?" he asked slowly.

Eyes wide and very much confused, I nodded again.

"Yes. He said… he… had fun…" and my eyes widened with even more. This time out of realisation.

"My. That is really, impressive," the Priest admitted finally, and his form loosened. He didn't appear angry anymore. He was more at ease, and from the looks of it conjuring an idea that I immediately didn't like the looks of.

"No one has ever made the Prince angry and lived to see another day. Especially after he would make the person play a game as daunting as Senet." He smiled warmly. "I knew I sensed something about you though, and this just proves it further."

I held my breath, trying hard not to gulp. What does he mean?

The Priest looked my right in the eyes, and nodded once. With acceptance.

"You indeed have an honourable soul. Despite the unknown repercussions, you said the truth. I commend you. While I on the other hand lied."

I blinked once. What?

The Priest must have recognised my astonishment because he nodded, and then reached down into the neckline of his tunic to pull something out. My eyes widened as I saw the golden pendant. Surely made out of the same thing that directed me to the city when I first arrived, landing at the temple. This item however was a simple golden key hung around his neck unlike the circular one with the pointers.

"The servants didn't leave. They are still cleaning from yesterday. I wished to test you and I'm satisfied with my results. However…"

His face suddenly became serious, and seeing the expression made me nervous.

"You hold many mysteries within your soul. Perhaps most of which you yourself are not aware of so I'm letting it slide."

The memory of Shadi revealing my soul room returned. Yes… that vast and ancient room was nothing but a mystery to me too. But, how did the Priest know that? Something told me it had something to do with the golden key he had. It felt… as if I had seen that object before as well. But where?

"Because of those uncertain qualities in your soul," he went on, "I cannot allow you to leave."

My heart dropped somewhere to the ground, and I stared at the Priest with fear that slowly returned. He looked back at me with an even gaze.

"I need to keep an eye on you, especially since you are the first person the Prince seems to have taken a liking to."

I didn't know about that. My neck was still telling me otherwise. But, I had to agree that there was something different.

"How would you like to become my disciple?" he said suddenly.

I think the world around me stopped. All I could do was gape at him with disbelief. My ears… this time I definitely heard wrong.

"What?" I asked again, and the Priest just looked at me patiently. A smile crossed his face and he nodded to reaffirm his words despite my foolish behaviour.

"I am Priest Shada. A scholar. Historian. I write down the legacy of our country, and I have done it on my own ever since my previous disciple vacated. Only now am I able to find someone gifted enough to work with me. So I ask again, will you assist me, Timaeus? It also gives me the opportunity to keep an eye on you."

Those kind, sincere eyes hit me to the core. The opportunity too unbelievable but right before me on a golden platter. What else could I have done? He appeared trustworthy, and a little familiar, but his offer was a whole lot better than my others choices. I would be an idiot to ignore the chance. This was my fate changing!

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes. Yes, of course! I would love to work with you."

Priest Shada smiled.

"Then come with me."

As I followed Priest Shada through the halls, I finally remembered the Prince, and his demands.

My joy vanished. I should have known it was going to be short-lived.

End of the chapter. Thank you all so much for reading. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, so do leave some thoughts if you can! I always appreciate them.

And again, I'm pretty sure there's some repetition, and I think the ending was a little too abrupt, right? Do let me know your thinking. :)

See you next update~