Rain stood up, panting. She held her stomach, which felt like it was being stabbed. God knows how long and far she ran from the Darkwood forest to Westlake City. All the way in Rain's mind, there was only one name. Currently, the distance between Rain and the owner of that name was only separated by a double black door.
Without hesitation, Rain immediately pressed the button beside the door hard, fast, and repeatedly. The owner of the house did not appear to answer the door. Rain has no more time. She's racing against time.
Rain clenched her fists and started pounding on the black door with all her might. She no longer cared about the throbbing pain in her knuckles. She kept banging on the door like a madman.
On the umpteenth bang, the door finally swung open. It was still too dark when the house owner was forced awake to receive a disturbing visitor.
"Where is Chiel?"
Haramon, Chiel Burley's personal assistant, answered the door. He stood confused. His pair of sleepy eyes could not be hidden. The man looked at Rain with a very messy appearance. Several wounds on Rain's body could not be covered with clothes.
Haramon was shocked. Before he could utter a word, Rain had pushed Haramon's shoulder away from the door and out of her way.
Rain ran into the middle of the living room, screaming. Her head was turned to the balcony of the second floor. Rain knew some rooms were lined up there, one of which belonged to Chiel.
"Chiel, get out the fucking warlock! I know you hear me! I need you!" shouted the girl with great commotion.
Haramon let out a rough breath and quickly chased after Rain. "Miss Orwell, is this your polite way of asking for help?"
Haramon grabbed Rain's wrist and tried to drag her outside. "Don't make a fuss in the early hours of the morning, Miss! Master is resting. I can report you to the authorities for breaking into someone's private house without permission and causing a scene."
Rain was furious because Haramon tried to block her efforts. Suddenly Rain's hands clenched tightly beside her body, and it was as if the fire was coming out from the surface of her skin.
Haramon quickly withdrew his hand because it felt so hot and burning. He even screamed in shock. Haramon's palms were completely red after touching Rain's wrists.
"You…."
Harmon was shocked. He recoiled in fright. He realized he had seen a different figure in Rain's eyes at this time.
"What is this?" shouted Chiel, who appeared on the second floor's balcony in his wheelchair. The boy wore the same pajamas with a conical hat adorning his head. "What are you doing in my house so early? You're interrupting my sleep."
"No sleep until you restore my memory, damn Warlock!"
"Good grief!" complained Chiel. "You really are a rough and stubborn girl. The last time I told you was at the party that night, didn't I? I can't get your memory back. The magic spell will fade, and your memory will come back on its own without trying too hard."
"You poor liar!" Rain shouted at Chiel.
The girl ran up the stairs fast and furiously until her breaths were rough and ragged. Chiel was starting to get nervous. He caught the flash of anger and hatred in Rain's eyes.
"The most frightening thing about a person is uncontrollable anger and passionate love. They can do anything beyond even the most common sense."
Chiel pulled back his wheelchair because he was shaking so much. But it was too late. Rain had pulled the handle of the wheelchair and turned it around quickly until Chiel was facing Rain.
"My dad never brought me here," the girl hissed. "Let alone making a request to seal my memories. Now, you've lied with all that, damned warlock!" Rain threw a threatening look at Chiel.
The warlock in boy form gulped hard. His face was pale, and his hands were shaking. Chiel tried to smile to cover his nervousness, but his face stiffened, and the corners of his lips only lifted slightly.
"I thought your memory had returned, but apparently not," Chiel said softly and desperately. "So where did you get the information that your father never brought you here? Let alone asking me to seal your memories?"
"So, right? Don't you know my dad? Everything you told me at the party that night was just bullshit?"
"Not! I do know Marcus Orwell. We were good friends back then. We also work together on the Darkwood Kingdom's mage council led by Alyssa."
Rain suddenly stood up straight. Her back was stiff, and she felt like she was going to explode at that moment. "Alyssa?" Rain repeated the name.
***
On a stone altar in the sanctuary of Westlake City, Jace Dauntess lay face as pale as cotton. Markus Orwell and Mayor Flynn stood facing each other. They are separated by the stone altar where Jace is laid.
"Shouldn't you be apologizing to me?" Mark's voice hissed. He didn't take his eyes off Mayor Flynn.
Mayor Flynn, a man with white hair and a beard that covered most of his face, just stood expressionless. The mayor's hand gripped the carved cane he always carried with him. His gray suit was overlaid by a black robe that fell to the marble floor.
"I've given you too much, Markus. Once, you were indeed our leader and the strongest among us. However, things have changed. I even heard you lost strength on the run with that girl."
"Nothing has changed here other than your greed, Flynn!" said Mark. "You want freedom and are committing rebellion. I've given you my support. However, you went too far and betrayed the people of Darkwood. You were also the one who instigated Alyssa before her death!"
"Are you mad, Mark?" Mayor Flynn smiled with satisfaction. "There's nothing wrong with any of that. If I wasn't taking advantage of them, surely someone else would. Isn't that the case with you too? You secretly took the girl away and wanted to use it for your own purposes. You want to restore your power, right?" Mayor Flynn laughed as he drummed his cane against the marble floor.
"I'm not as petty as you, Flynn. You want eternal life by dragging that girl here? She has yet to find her memory. She had sealed her own memories and powers very tightly. No one can break that seal, not even... Chiel Burley."
"Why are you so sure that Chiel can't do it? Times have changed, Mark. Chiel Burley is no longer Alyssa's right-hand man. Nothing will guarantee Chiel's safety. And to live a little longer, he might be willing to sell his skills to anyone."
Mark clenched his fists tightly at his sides. His eyes were closed. Fifteen years ago, before the trigger for the rebellion, they all lived peacefully in the Kingdom of Darkwood under the leadership of King Dauntess II and his predecessors.
All races of non-human beings coexist in the kingdom. Even the king ordered the entire range of court wizards to put up a veil in the kingdom to avoid threats and involvement of mortal humans. Thus, even though the kingdom of Darkwood was in the same land as where humans lived, thousands of years passed, and humans still could not touch that place.
Chaos ensued when King Dauntess II began recruiting a powerful witch from the human race. Apart from possessing extraordinary strength not even owned by any wizard, this woman kept an unparalleled beauty.
Some warlocks felt they were more memorable than mortals. No matter how great the witch is, as long as she is human, it is a blemish and a flaw that must be removed in the eyes of the warlocks.
However, King Dauntess II grew increasingly interested in humans. For the first time, he broke the rules set by his predecessors. King Dauntess II asks Alyssa to lift the veil that covers the Darkwood Kingdom. King Dauntess is ambitious to unite the lives of the mortal and non-human races.
Danniel Flynn, who was then the leader of the Darkwood Kingdom's Warlock Association, made his first rebellion. He incited many parties to oppose the king's ambition and eliminate Alyssa Cruise from the Kingdom of Darkwood. Furthermore, Flynn wants to invade the human world and take them under his power.
King Dauntess II managed to silence those who disagreed with his plan. However, there is always a gap in an effort. King Dauntess II has ambitions and different tendencies and is trapped in a forbidden romantic relationship. He fell in love with the witch even though he already had a son who had just been born.
Their illicit relationship is known by several members of the warlock association. Daniel Flynn took over the role. He began to blow rumors into the community to eliminate their trust in the king.
The king, who did not want to be opposed, finally uncovered the kingdom's magic and began to live side by side with the human race. The dream only lasted for a few years. Humans remain superior with all their advantages and disadvantages. Until disaster happened. Many humans were lost in the Darkwood forest. Thus causing unrest on the part of mortals. War broke out between humans and non-humans.