#32
“This must be the painting Master spoke of.”
A tension ran across Kezef’s face as he gripped the hand that had touched the snake with its mouth wide open.
Even now, Kezef’s memories of that day, twelve years ago, were vivid. Late at night, he had been studying diligently, dreaming of the day he would become a necessary member of the Celesio Empire under the guidance of his respected master. That night, a member of the royal family came to him.
Following the visitor, Kezef was led secretly to the royal palace, where he faced his master on the brink of death. Pierced throughout his body and having lost an arm, his master still held his disciple’s hand and issued a warning, even as his life was slipping away.
“Kezef, remember this. You must protect the young Crown Prince. The fate of this country depends on him. Never fall for the snake’s tricks! No matter what happens… kuh—”
He passed away without even closing his eyes properly, leaving the words unfinished.
At dawn the next day, only after his master’s body had been secretly cremated did Kezef learn that a murder had occurred at the palace the previous night.
The deceased were reported to be the former Emperor Henry and the first prince, Calix. And at the scene where they had died horrifically, the second prince, Adolf, was said to have been covered in blood, holding a book in his arms, his eyes hollow and expression vacant.
In the week that followed, Adolf, who had fallen ill with a high fever, became a completely different person. Once an innocent, talkative boy, he transformed into a dark, quiet child who reacted sensitively even to minor events.
The palace tried to keep that day’s events from leaking, but rumors could not be completely suppressed.
At only fifteen, young Emperor Adolf was subjected to relentless criticism and contempt, and he quickly gained the reputation of a heartless tyrant.
It was around this time that Kezef rose to the position of youngest Chancellor, following his master’s last words—to protect the Celesio Empire, and to safeguard Adolf.
Lost in these memories, Kezef’s gaze shifted forward. Though it was merely graffiti, the two-headed snake crudely etched on the wall seemed to glare with fierce eyes.
The snake on the left opened its mouth wide, threatening with sharp fangs, while the one on the right appeared to hide behind the left, watching carefully, as if studying its opponent. Though he knew it was just a painting, the icy eyes seemed alive, sending a chill down his spine.
A black hardcover book engraved with a golden magic circle.
Kezef slowly turned his gaze. Inside the weakened barrier that had already lost its power lay the black hardcover book.
Without hesitation, he reached into the barrier and took the book. After investigating his master’s death and Adolf’s illness for so long, he had a faint suspicion—and the events in the village confirmed it.
This book currently held no power.
The curse has left the book and is now hunting prey, still active.
He had to stop it before it caused further damage.
Kezef quickly packed the book into his bag and hurried out of the library.
“What’s with all these snakes?”
Isabel furrowed her brows as she stepped sideways to avoid a snake slithering beneath her. After last night’s heavy rain, the number of snakes roaming the streets was unusually high, as if a landslide had occurred somewhere nearby.
The closer she got to her destination—the Denver residence—the more the snakes seemed to gather.
Isabel tilted her head, feeling a vague unease she could not explain, as though her senses were somehow disturbed.
Though the rain had stopped at dawn, the sky was still filled with dark clouds, threatening to pour again. She needed to hurry to find the burned house she had seen in a hallucination.
First, she planned to reach Denver’s house to assess the situation properly.
Arriving near Denver’s home, she immediately felt the unsettled atmosphere. The house, already partially cleared, had its doors wide open, and furniture from the bedroom lay scattered outside.
Seeing no one around, Isabel lifted her dress, tiptoed over the furniture, and entered the house.
The humidity is so high. Was it like this yesterday too?
Leaving the door open had removed most of the terrible stench of blood, but the humidity made the air suffocating.
Peeling the sticky fabric from her body, Isabel headed to the bedroom. The room looked much like it had yesterday. Blood from animals still stained the walls and floor, and though the boards in front of the wardrobe had dried, the traces of water remained.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then opened them. Her normally gray eyes now shimmered faintly purple. At the same time, mysterious handprints and footprints appeared throughout the room, previously unseen.
The handprints suggested someone had been persistently searching the room, covering walls, floors, and ceilings.
They must have been looking for Mr. Denver. And he knew the ghost existed, which explains his terror.
The problem was the footprints. Unlike normal footprints, which usually come in pairs, these ghostly marks were continuous, as if dragged by a mop, ending precisely in front of the wardrobe.
Isabel cautiously approached the wardrobe, fingertips touching the door. At that moment, blue sparks flared, and a flood of unfamiliar memories poured into her mind:
Denver, panicked and unable to think clearly, stacking furniture at the door and boarding up the window.
Hiding in the wardrobe, chased by something.
A fast-beating heart.
Bloodshot eyes darting quickly through the narrow gaps between the bars.
And reflected in those eyes was:
“Looking for me? Kkkkkkkkk!”
“…Huh!”
Isabel stumbled backward, gasping as memories of last night crashed over her like waves. Her body moved instinctively, threatened even though no one had touched her.
Regaining her balance, she stared intently at the dust-filled wardrobe.
It definitely spoke to me.
Her eyes met the ghost that had killed Denver.
But this made no sense. One of Isabel’s clairvoyant abilities, Recall (回想), allowed her to see past memories of people or objects in the present.
By definition, this could only be a glimpse of memory; the person in the memory could not speak.
“At least, that’s what I know…”
Scanning the bedroom, Isabel’s eyes trembled faintly.
