Carlos sat on the floor shocked beyond his wits and too terrified to move.

"Ma-Marquis Ocean?" He spoke in a feeble voice and flinched as Ocean moved his legs and rose to his feet.

Carlos almost scurried away as he saw Ocean take two strides before stopping in front of him and crouch near him. Carlos felt his heart beating so loudly that he wondered if Ocean was able to hear it.

But he wondered if it was only fear or the awe that made his heart react like that. It was the first time that he was seeing Ocean without a mask.

But how was this possible? His mother had told him that Ocean’s face was badly burned and he was absolutely ugly then how could his face look so... mesmerizing?

Ocean reached his hand out and Carlos almost leaned back before he realised that Ocean was giving him his hand.

Carlos stared at the hand and then at Ocean, who didn’t look as intimidating up close. Carlos placed his hand in Ocean’s long, gloved fingers before the two men got up.

Ocean helped Carlos sit done on the edge of his bed and stood in front of him.

Carlos watched the handsome man before him with his lips sealed and grew rigid as he saw Ocean reach out and placed his hand over Carlos’s head and his eyes widened slightly as he felt the rush of mana entering his body.

His heart clenched a little and he gritted his teeth feeling the resistance in his body before he felt Ocean remove his hand.

"Wha-What did you do?" Carlos asked and Ocean’s eyes slid down his face towards his arm.

"Do you feel your wounds?" Ocean asked and Carlos touched his face where the bandage was wrapped around his forehead but he couldn’t feel any pain.

He had no idea what had happened during the duel, his memory from after drinking the liquid that his mother had sent for him had blacked out. He couldn’t remember how he ended up in the arena and how Eric became so injured but the moment he came to, he saw Eric’s blade slicing the air aiming for his heart.

He could see the bloodlust in Eric’s eyes, his body froze up in that moment and he felt his brain blanking out. But just then the blade stopped right before his chest and he felt like he’d lost control of his body and everything went black again.

He couldn’t even realise when he woke up and when he did, he was in a different place and in a state that he never wanted to be in, again.

"Wha... What happened?" Carlos asked, "I... I can’t remember anything."

Ocean simply stared at him and Carlos squirmed under his gaze which seemed to be staring right into his soul.

"You seem to have made your choice." He simply said and Carlos flinched.

He didn’t know how, but he understood that Ocean knew.

Carlos opened his mouth, "I-"

"No need for an explanation, your mother did what she did. Now it’s my turn." Ocean said before he turned to leave and Carlos panicked a little.

Carlos rose to his feet going behind Ocean as he walked over to the door but then he stopped and turned his icy gaze on Carlos.

"I hope you and your mother are ready for the consequences that will come your way after this move."

"Wait, I-" Carlos almost shouted and Ocean smiled but there was something so dark about that smile that chilled Carlos’s blood.

"You are beyond hope now, Your Highness. And you could blame you dear mother for this. I’d try to save you from your obvious miserable death but, that still depends on your will." Ocean spoke before he turned and left the room.

Carlos felt his knees going weak hearing that and he groaned as his heart clenched, his eyes burned and he fell to his knees feeling his body spasming painfully. He had no idea what he had drank but he could feel that it was something like a poison, no wonder he felt the pain.

The pain remained for a while before he felt it subsiding, he breathed laboriously before he leaned his back against the bed and sat there trying to breath evenly through his mouth.

After a while of just sitting there he slowly got to his feet and then turned just to see his reflection in the vanity mirror which didn’t reflect his face.

Ocean flew all the way to Eldarf. The kids noticed his presence before he landed in the clearing and gathered outside to welcome him.

The welcome was just as usual as Ocean got when he reached Eldarf and all the kids except for Sol jumped on him.

The sunset painted the sky in its myraid of beautiful pinks, purples and scarlet and Ocean was ushered inside the manor by the kids. But he couldn’t see Sol anywhere.

"Where’s Sol?" Ocean asked.

"He’s went to the Dark Elves’ side with Sylvia." Rowan answered and Ocean took a seat on the chair in the drawing room.

"Master, how were the Trials?"

"We heard the first Trial was so amazing that it made people crazy about Big Brother Eric!"

"How was today’s Trial?"

The kids started asking and Ocean pursed his lips, the kids were close to Eric and they had been rooting for him as well in their own way even though they weren’t allowed to go near the amphitheatre for their own safety.

"Master, please tell us!" The kids whined and Ocean wondered if he should tell them about Carlos’s possession and what actually happened during the Second Trial or not.

He wanted to hear Sol’s perspective about it and also because he missed him but now that he actually thought about it. He wondered if even Sol should know about this or not.

While the kids were whining to Ocean, Sol and Sylvia arrived along with Cynthia and baby River.

River giggled as he saw Ocean while Cynthia and Sylvia bowed to him, Sol’s eyes lot up for a moment but he didn’t let his emotions of elation show. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"You’re finally here." He said instead and Ocean smiled, relieved.

He stood up from the chair and walked up to them.

"Yes, and I’m sorry, it took me quite long." Ocean said as he reached out but instead of picking up Sol he scooped River from Cynthia’s arms.

"Hello, little one, how are you?" He asked softly and River giggled.

Ocean noticed Sol’s eyes narrowing a little before he sat down on his knee before Sol.

"How are you doing here?" He asked and reached out about to pat Sol’s head but Sol stepped back.

"I’m good, I’m even happier here." Sol spoke.

"Really?!" The Elves and Dwarves from behind Ocean asked in unison in tone of hope and Sol stepped back.

"I never said I’d live here longer." He snapped and the kids groaned in unison making Ocean chuckle.

At least there was a sense of normalcy somewhere.

Ocean stood back up with River in his arms and walked over and sat down on the chair placing River on his lap and wiggled his fingers before River to keep him from trying to taste Ocean’s gloved fingers.

Ocean then looked at the kids who were still eagerly waiting to listen about the Second Trial.

Ocean exhaled deeply and patted River’s back before saying, "I won’t narrate the whole thing."

The kids brightened up and asked, "But Eric won, right?!"

"You bet he won!"

"How was the fight, Master?"

"How long did the contender last?"

The kids laughed at that and Ocean’s smile turned a little wry.

"The fight was quite... good." Ocean said and Sol’s eyebrows twitched, "And yes, Eric won the Second Trial as well."

The kids cheered loudly making River to flinch before he squealed and Ocean patted his back to calm him down.

"That’s great, soon enough we’ll have a good King." Cynthia beamed.

"If it’s Eric then we are having a great King big sister!" Sylvia said.

Ocean watched the kids getting excited before he looked at Sol who looked relieved but he was staring at him.

Ocean stood back up and walked towards Cynthia before handing him River. River whimpered a little bit Ocean ruffled his hair and then looked at Sol.

"Shall we go for a little walk?" Ocean asked and Sol hummed.

The two walked out of the Eldarf manor and made their way down the hill from the other side towards Oasis. While walking Ocean glanced down at Sol before he plucked him up in his arms, the darkness started to come in slowly as the sun disappeared in the western horizon.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Sol asked observing Ocean’s face.

"I went to Elvenland on an urgent call on the night before the Second Trial," Ocean spoke, "There is a Dominus there who’s planning to destroy Yggdrasil while provoking the civil war."

Sol nodded, "Not surprising. What else?"

Ocean glanced at Sol before asking, "Is it simple to summon a demon and have it possess anyone?"

Sol’s eyebrows furrowed and he remained quiet for a moment staring at Ocean as if trying to decipher why he was asking that.

Sol then sighed before he answered, "It’s not simple but if there is a strong Domina- a Witch or Dominus- a Warlock then it is possible for them to summon a demon but having it possess someone is rather tricky."

"How?" Ocean asked.

"Demons mostly possess those who summon them or the targetted hosts. If a person is possessed then that person has most probably been decided by the Domina or Dominus for the possession. They require the host’s blood or hair to make it target specific just like a curse and it creates a connection between the host and the demon."

"But I can simply cast the demon out and exercise it if I know its name, right?" Ocean asked and Sol hummed.

"Depends, if it’s a strong demon then it will do everything in its power to not be exorcised. But if you have its name then you can use your authority as a Dragon and get rid of it." Sol explained.

"And what do I do to find out a demon’s name?" Ocean asked and Sol hummed.

"It was hard during the time of the war since a lot of people were possessed so, we had no other option than to destroy the bodies as well. But the things had escalated enough so we never had anything else to think of. We were in the middle of the war after all. As of now then, it’s only in the preparation phase so, saving the victims is the priority." Sol explained and Ocean nodded.

"So, who’s possessed?" Sol asked directly and Ocean glanced at him.

"Um... It’s Carlos."