Chapter 25
"I didn't poison her!"
Rishima's voice trembled as she stood before Theon.
"I swear, I didn't poison Aurora!"
Theon stared at her coldly.
"Enough," he said.
"But I'm telling the truth!" Rishima pleaded. "Aurora poisoned herself. I didn't do anything to her."
"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Theon asked coldly.
Rishima's expression fell.
"The poison was found in your room," he continued. "And you still deny it?"
"I didn't..." Her voice faltered. "I didn't do it."
She looked at him desperately.
"Please believe me, Father."
Theon remained silent.
No matter how desperately she pleaded, he couldn't bring himself to believe her.
Rishima's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't poison Aurora..." she whispered.
Then her voice broke.
"Please..."
Theon jolted awake.
His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. Sweat clung to his forehead, and his hands tightened around the sheets.
For a moment, he didn't move.
He could still hear Rishima's voice.
He could still see the desperation in her eyes.
Then reality slowly settled in.
His eyes darkened.
Another nightmare.
They were becoming more frequent.
And each time, they felt more real.
Theon slowly pushed himself upright.
He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare.
A soft knock came from the other side of the door.
"Your Grace?" Yohan called.
Theon didn't answer immediately.
"Are you awake?" Yohan asked again.
"Come in," Theon replied.
The door opened, and Yohan stepped inside.
His eyes immediately went to Theon's pale face and the sweat still clinging to his forehead.
"Was it another nightmare?" Yohan asked worriedly.
Theon said nothing.
Yohan watched him for a moment, his expression filled with concern.
"Still no news about Lady Rishima," he said. "We've searched every place we could think of in Sylvania. We even checked Zorad again, but the people there hadn't seen her either."
Theon's hands tightened against the sheets.
"Keep looking," he ordered quietly.
"Understood, Your Grace," Yohan replied.
He was about to say something else when another knock came at the door.
"Your Grace, Prince Enzo has arrived," the servant announced.
"Escort him to the reception room," Theon ordered.
"Yes, Your Grace," the servant replied before leaving.
Theon rose from the bed and washed his face before changing into fresh clothes.
Once he was ready, he made his way to the reception room.
Enzo was already waiting.
The moment Theon entered, Enzo's expression changed.
"You look terrible," Enzo said, staring at him.
Theon ignored the remark and walked toward the sofa.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
Enzo calmly picked up the cup of tea the servants had prepared and took a sip before answering.
"I came to visit you," he said.
Theon glanced at him.
"I'm fine."
Enzo studied him for a moment, his gaze lingering on the dark circles beneath Theon's eyes and his unusually pale complexion.
"You don't look fine," he said. "You should see a priest."
Theon frowned.
"I don't need a priest," he replied.
Enzo sighed and leaned back against the sofa.
"Ha... you're so stubborn," he said.
He shook his head before looking at Theon again.
"Then at least let me help you find Rishima," he offered.
Theon remained silent.
His gaze lowered, and his expression hardened as he thought for a moment.
"Do what you want," he replied.
Enzo smiled faintly.
"That's all I needed to hear," he said.
He stood from the sofa and straightened his coat.
"I'll have my people start looking immediately," he added. "If we find anything, I'll let you know."
Theon gave a small nod.
Enzo turned toward the door, but paused before leaving.
"Try to get some rest," he said.
Theon glanced at him.
"I'll try."
Enzo gave him one last look before leaving the reception room.
The door closed behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
Yohan remained standing nearby, watching Theon carefully.
After a moment, he spoke.
"Your Grace..."
Theon looked at him.
"You should consider what His Highness suggested," Yohan said. "Perhaps you should really visit the temple."
Theon frowned slightly but said nothing.
Yohan hesitated before offering another suggestion.
"Or... you could just buy a divine artifact," he said. "That way, you won't have to keep coming back to the temple."
Theon fell silent.
He had no interest in dealing with priests, but if a divine artifact could ease his nightmares, there was little reason to refuse.
"Fine," he said. "Prepare the carriage."
Yohan's expression brightened slightly.
"Yes, Your Grace," he replied.
Yohan quickly made the arrangements.
Once the carriage was ready, Theon and Yohan headed to the temple.
After arriving, the High Priest greeted them with a bow.
"Welcome, Your Grace."
He stepped aside.
"Please, come inside."
The High Priest guided them to a private room filled with various divine artifacts.
Theon glanced around, his gaze passing over the objects displayed throughout the room.
He had never cared much for divine artifacts.
But then his eyes fell on a small silver pendant resting on a velvet cushion.
He pointed toward it.
"I'll take that one."
The High Priest smiled.
"You have a good eye, Your Grace."
He picked up the pendant and handed it to Theon.
"I personally imbued this pendant with my divine power," he explained. "It should help calm your mind and ease your nightmares."
Theon examined the pendant briefly before putting it away.
"That will do."
He turned toward the door.
"Let's go."
Yohan followed him immediately.
The High Priest gave a small bow as they left the room.
They had almost reached the temple's entrance when a young woman approached them.
"Excuse me, Your Grace."
Theon stopped and turned toward her.
It was a young woman with pink hair and blue eyes.
She gave him a polite smile.
"May I speak with you for a moment?"
Theon simply stared at her, his cold gaze making the young woman's smile falter.
She swallowed nervously.
Before the young woman could say anything else, Yohan stepped forward.
"If you wish to speak with His Grace, you should make an appointment first," he said firmly.
Yohan gave the young woman a stern look.
"It's rude to interrupt His Grace when he is already on his way out."
"I'm sorry," the young woman said quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude."
She glanced at Theon nervously before lowering her head.
"It's about Lady Rishima."
Theon's expression immediately changed.
"Do you know where she is?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharper.
The young woman froze, clearly startled by his sudden reaction.
She had expected the Duke to remain cold and composed.
"I... I don't," she admitted.
Theon's expression darkened.
"Then why did you stop me?"
The young woman's eyes widened.
She quickly lowered her gaze, seemingly intimidated by his cold expression.
"I'm actually worried about Lady Rishima," she said. "Before she left, she told me to let her know once I received my priestess name."
Theon remained silent.
"I've been sending letters to the Grimaldi estate, but I never received a response," she continued. "So I thought the rumors were true... that you had sent her away."
Theon still didn't respond.
The young woman's expression slowly fell as she waited for an answer. She lowered her gaze, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I was just hoping you might know where she could be."
"I don't know," Theon said.
The young woman lowered her gaze.
"I understand," she replied quietly.
Theon turned away, and Yohan followed him without another word.
They got into the carriage and left.
The carriage began moving, and the temple slowly disappeared from view behind them.
"If we still have no news about Rishima by the end of this week..." Theon said quietly. "I'll have no choice but to use the last resort."
Yohan's eyes widened.
"Your Grace... you don't mean..."
Theon nodded.
"The tracking spell."
Yohan looked at him in shock.
"Your Grace, you can't! That spell will consume your life force!" Yohan exclaimed.
Theon remained calm.
Of course he knew the risks.
But he had no choice.
The tracking spell was one of the most powerful spells known to magicians. It could locate a person no matter how far away they were, even if they were hiding their presence with magic.
But such power came with a price.
The spell worked through an exchange. The greater the distance between the caster and the person they sought, the more life force the spell would consume.
"Please recon-"
Before Yohan could finish, Theon suddenly clutched his head.
A sharp pain shot through his skull.
His vision blurred.
The carriage around him began to fade.
"Your Grace!"
Yohan's voice sounded distant.
Theon tried to steady himself, but the pain only grew stronger.
The carriage disappeared around him.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Then he heard them.
"Kill her! Kill her!"
Theon's breath caught as the crowd's voices echoed across the execution grounds. He stood among them, his eyes fixed on the wooden platform ahead.
Rishima was kneeling at the center of it, her hands bound tightly behind her back. Her silver hair was tangled and fell messily around her pale face.
The crowd continued to jeer at her.
Some people threw eggs and rotten vegetables onto the platform, their faces filled with hatred.
Theon clenched his fists beneath his cloak.
He wanted to stop them.
But there was nothing he could do.
He could only stand there and watch.
After a while, the executioner stepped forward.
He slowly approached Rishima, his heavy footsteps echoing across the platform.
The executioner raised his sword high above his head.
Theon felt his heart drop.
"No..."
His voice barely escaped his throat.
Rishima slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes searched through the crowd until they found his.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then, despite everything, she smiled.
A small, heartbreaking smile.
"Father..."
Theon's breath caught.
His chest tightened as though an invisible hand had seized his heart. He tried to breathe, but his lungs refused to cooperate.
Slaaasshhhh!
Rishima's head fell to the wooden platform.
Theon froze.
His eyes widened as he stared at her motionless body.
A sharp pain tore through his chest.
The world around him seemed to fade into silence.
"Rishima..." His voice broke as a tear slipped down his cheek.
The memory faded.
Theon blinked, finding himself back in the carriage.
Tears still lingered in his eyes, a few slowly trailing down his cheeks.
"Your Grace! Are you alright?!" Yohan exclaimed, his voice laced with alarm.
Theon held his head, his hand trembling slightly.
His breathing was uneven as the memory continued to linger in his mind.
"I'm certain... It wasn't just a dream..." Theon whispered, his eyes dark with realization.
"It was a memory."