The King's Beloved

~ [Music Recommendation: "Listen to the Cries of the Planet" by Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy 7 Remake OST) - available in Youtube] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~

Rania and Elliot's eyes shot wide open the moment …

Ducis closed his eyes and gritted his teeth …

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

It was a sound so painful that even mere words would fail to describe the gravity of it's anguish and torment …

Rania and Elliot were extremely appalled that bitter cold crept through their whole bodies.

Fear …

Uncertainty …

Discomfort …

Worry …

And utmost … anger.

For what could possibly be the source or reason that a person would scream as horrible as that? The answer laid beyond the walls in front of them.

While Rania and Elliot were still appalled by what they heard, the knights came in and transported the women towards the room where the horrible shriek was heard. They put magical shackles on everyone's wrists and ankles that, as Rania and Elliot felt, seemed to hinder them from using magic. Then they pulled the large cage they were in towards "that" room. 

Still pretending to be asleep, Rania and Elliot watched the horrendous truth unfold in front of their very eyes ...

A long procession of women, young and old alike - even children, all with shackles in their wrists and ankles, leading towards a certain platform. On that platform, some people wearing hooded black capes and masks could be found. There were huge boxes all around the circular platform, filled with black octagonal boxes with ominous markings on its body. And those markings … were the same letters found inside the gems of the magical weapons they saw the other day at the weapon shop. And at the very middle of the platform was yet another smaller magic circle.

While one of the hooded men carefully placed the now glowing octagonal box, the same size as his palm, towards an empty box tray, the knights carried another woman up the platform and the others carried away the first woman's … dead body. Some of the knights could be seen shaking their heads and gritting their teeth.

The next woman who was being carried up the platform screamed and wailed and did her best to escape, but being unable to use magic due to the shackles, she was no match for the bare strength that the knights holding her had.

"P-please! No! D-don't do this! I … sniff … I have a daughter … Nobody will care for her if I -" the woman begged but the knights didn't listen. They continued dragging her up the platform.

The hooded men grabbed one octagonal box from the pile and held it in front of the woman. The knights placed her on top of the magic circle which, after a few chants from the hooded men, locked her up inside a barrier. The woman knocked hard on the barrier but it didn't budge. She was left to cry in hopelessness.

Rania and Elliot were about to stand up and stop everything … but Ducis halted them.

"Master …," he whispered through their minds. "This … is something that happened in the past. It would be best for you to witness it so you may know ... the sad truth. Please, bear with it for a moment". Ducis' tone was filled with regret and sadness.

And so, with clenched fists and trembling bodies, Rania and Elliot did as told. Finally, it was the moment of truth for them.

The woman that was locked in the barrier …

The hooded men, dropping the octagonal box inside the barrier …

And the octagonal box … suddenly spreading eight, sharp, claw-like hands that shot straight towards the woman's chest …

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Another painful shriek …

And out of the woman's chest … her spiritual core … was "extracted".

This … immediately killed the woman, leaving her dead body lying on the floor.

The sharp claws of the octagonal box turned soft and covered the whole spiritual core, putting it inside the box. And once inside, the marking on its body lit up on the same yellow color as the dead woman's spiritual core …

The hooded men took the octagonal box and again, placed it on the box tray. Now, there were two of them there. But if one would look further beyond the platforms … the tall and wide walls of the whole room were already filled with the glowing octagonal boxes.

Oh how many hundreds … no, thousands of lives was spent to produce that many?

Rania and Elliot's hearts broke and tears fell from their eyes … 

Until they were no more …

"Exsorbeo," Ducis started, still communicating through their minds. "That is the name of that … horrible invention. It may appear as an octagonal box but in reality, it was made from the combination of a parasitic monster and forbidden black magic. It had been banned for many generations and erased from all scriptures due to the very reason that you both just witnessed - it had the ability to extract a person's spiritual core and keep it as its own. Thus, enabling greedy men to use them for their own selfish ambitions". There was great contempt in his voice. "That monster … is nothing but a clone wanting to have its own core! Such an abomination … but this same abomination was created by none other than the people themselves. All for the sake of more power".

Elliot sighed deeply.

"I don't understand … what is it with 'power' they want so much that they're willing to exchange lives for it?" Elliot asked.

"... I don't know, too," Rania answered.

"Huh," Ducis snorted. "Such sinful people … yet, the Supreme still loves everyone. And even Flora … saving these kinds of people. I can never understand. This is the reason why many guardians abandoned all Magi in this era. Everyone was sinful … everyone turned their back towards the Supreme. The only ones left believing … could be counted by your fingers".

"I want to know …," Elliot thought to himself as he stood up from his position. He then spread his arms apart, breaking free from the magical shackles on his wrists. Yes, he didn't even need magic to break free from it - just his mere strength was enough to shatter the shackles. Perhaps it was because of the immense anger that was boiling in his heart that gave him more strength. Anger, though it didn't show on his face, could be seen from his blazing aquamarine eyes.

With a single tap on his knees, Elliot changed the shorts he wore to a black pants, and the sandals on his feet to a black men's boots. He didn't bother changing his upper clothes anymore since it was comfortable enough for battle, but he did remove his fake breasts, wiped the makeup on his eyes and the red lipstick on his lips, leaving a light smudge on its corner. As he stood upright, the knights immediately noticed him.

"I-is that a … man?" one of the knights blurted out.

"Are you kidding me? Did you mistake a handsome man to be a woman?" their superior asked in an alarmed tone.

"He might look pretty but that's definitely a man!" the other added.

A commotion started among the knights. The hooded men didn't bother much since they were confident that using the magical weapon would give the knights the upperhand in battle. They instead, continued with their business. If only they knew who they were dealing with ...

One moment, Elliot was in front of everyone, and the next, he was walking slowly past them, standing in front of the platform. The knights were all surprised and reached out towards him, holding the magical weapons on their hands but … their feet! They were all frozen in place!

"W-when did he -?" one of the knights muttered, bewildered by what just happened in the blink of their eyes.

Rania and Ducis stood up as well. Elliot freed them both, along with all the other women with them, at the same time he attacked those knights. Even Rania was amazed how he did all those so fast her eyes couldn't keep up.

Suddenly, the knights holding bow and arrows, crossbows, and other ranged weapons, started aiming at Elliot. Good thing Rania was quick to action.

"Stop!" she commanded and time stopped running amongst the knights. They couldn't move their bodies anymore. 

Afterwards, Rania and Ducis calmed the captured women and helped them escape safely from the dreadful place. Rania looked back to Elliot before teleporting with the women. With a worried face, she whispered to herself.

"... He's … very angry".

Elliot, on the other hand, caged the hooded men inside a barrier made of hundreds of swords suspended in the air, with its sharp blades all aimed at them. Despite their hoods and masks, their bodies could be seen trembling from fear. 

Who wouldn't be?

Feeling the tremendous aura Elliot was releasing at that moment, the hooded men didn't need to be smart to know that he's someone they should never cross lines with.

"I will only ask once …," Elliot spoke in his most cruel and cold voice. Despite his calm visage, his eyes glared at them with burning rage. "Who ordered you to do this?"

The hooded men dropped to their knees in great fear of the one before them. If looks could kill … they would have been long dead.