“Yes…?”
Irina asked, terrified by the sudden change in Zion’s demeanor.
“Where did the real Irina go?”
Zion’s golden eyes gradually darkened. However, Irina’s face contorted as if she was about to cry in response to the unanswerable question.
“Answer me.”
Despite this, Zion did not back down. Irina finally sat down, intimidated by his ferocious demeanor as if he was about to bite her at any moment.
“What…what…”
Irina’s body started to tremble.
Just when Zion, who had reached the limit of his patience, was about to reach out to Irina’s shoulder,
“Stop it.”
A voice came from the tree above. When Zion looked up, there was a person sitting between the dry branches.
He soon fell to the ground with a nimble movement.
“Stop trying to catch people.”
Hills stood between Zion and Irina and said. Zion’s cold eyes turned towards Hills this time.
“You.”
Zion spat out the word fiercely.
“It seems you know something.”
Hills didn’t answer right away, instead, he turned around and grabbed Irina’s forehead. As he quietly murmured, Irina collapsed with a thud. She seemed to be asleep.
Only then did Hills open his mouth.
“This woman is not the entity you are looking for.”
Contrary to his calm tone, Zion’s heart was becoming impatient.
“Then… where is the real Irina?”
“The real Irina…”
Hills chuckled.
“If we’re talking about the real one, that woman there is the real one.”
Hills pointed to Irina behind him as he spoke.
“Stop joking and speak clearly.”
Zion couldn’t hold back and grabbed Hills by the collar.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
His expression was softly smiling, but there was anger in Hills’ eyes.
“I’m more serious than ever.”
With that, he struck Zion’s solar plexus hard. Overwhelmed by the sudden force, Zion let go of the collar he was holding. It felt like a bitter taste of blood was in his mouth.
“I’ve always wanted to give you a blow like this.”
Hills, whose eyes had turned red, showed a smug smile.
“Regardless of whether you like it or not, you have to recall your memories to bring her back. So,”
Hills’ eyes shone eerily for a moment.
“Remember it somehow.”
Or I’ll pull out your brain and forcibly recover your memory. The cruel words lingered on the tip of his tongue, but Hills closed his mouth.
Soon, Hills, who had regained his purple eyes, smiled as if nothing had happened.
“That’s all the hints I can give you. After that, you have to figure it out yourself.”
With that, Hills turned his body.
“And don’t touch that woman. She really doesn’t know anything.”
And then he disappeared like smoke in an instant.
****
Zion, who was left alone, kept his eyes closed.
‘That woman is the real Irina…?’
Zion’s eyes trembled slightly.
The person who used to smile brightly, who didn’t avoid his eyes, who spoke her mind boldly, who looked at him with worried eyes.
The existence that made the bland black and white world colorful was undoubtedly Irina, the Empress with black hair and radiant green eyes, no matter how much he thought about it.
‘But.’
The Irina he had just spoken to had the same face as the one in his memory, but she was definitely not the lover he had loved.
Then who was the woman I loved?
No matter how many questions he threw, the firmly closed door would not open.
It felt as if someone was playing a prank on him. Otherwise, his peaceful daily life wouldn’t have shattered overnight.
Zion opened his eyes and got up.
There was a place he had to go right now. As he opened the door and went out, Cain, who was just coming in, spoke to Zion.
“Your Majesty! I was just about to call you.”
“Cain.”
Zion stopped and stared at Cain.
Cain felt like his hand was sweating without him knowing. It was because there was never a good time when he called his name so softly.
“Cancel all the schedules I have.”
“What?!”
Cain spat out a surprised voice and thought. As expected, it was as expected.
“Is it just for today?”
“No. Until I say it’s done.”
When will that be…! Cain screamed inside. Zion, who read Cain’s mind, answered.
“It won’t take long.”
At Zion’s firm words, Cain had no choice but to nod.
“…Understood. I will cancel all meetings and schedules.”
“One thing. The meeting with the subjugation force will proceed as scheduled.”
Only then could Cain sigh in relief. Other things could be done by the prime minister, but Zion was absolutely necessary for strategic meetings like demon hunting.
That’s why he didn’t know how grateful he was for the answer now.
“Then are you going now?”
Cain looked up at the clock and asked. The reason he was heading to Zion’s bedroom was to notify him of the upcoming meeting time.
“I will.”
Zion blocked Cain, who was about to follow him, with his hand.
“You don’t need to follow my schedule for a while. Just report any special issues.”
Cain blinked his eyes.
It’s definitely strange. It’s not a day or two for the emperor to do as he pleases, but the degree is severe.
He had never neglected his work for personal reasons. Of course, he acted exceptionally when it came to the empress.
Could something have happened to the Empress again? I heard a report that he had left the Empress’s Palace quite early after visiting recently.
Looking at the back of Zion, who had no answer, Cain made a slightly worried face.
Of course, Zion, who had no idea, was moving away as if he didn’t care at all.
****
As Zion was moving to the conference room located in the main palace, he suddenly found Lucas with his eyes closed.
In front of Lucas was a broken spear.
“…”
Zion quietly looks at this sight. It was strange to see the broken spear standing reverently as if it was a great object.
Feeling the presence, Lucas opened his eyes and looked at Zion.
For a moment, silence hung between the two.
“…I greet Your Majesty.”
However, as expected, Lucas was the first to speak.
“What were you doing?”
Zion asked, looking at the spear in front of him.
“I was praying to Lord Arundel.”
“Arun…”
Zion, who was about to ask about the existence called Arundel, stopped speaking.
[Zion.]
Suddenly, a familiar voice came into his head. Between the buzzing noise, familiar figures overlapped.
Her faint eyes were looking at him.
[Can you call me Arundel?]
And intense pain tore his head. His whole body was resisting, as if resisting a fiercely knocking door.
These memories.
Zion held his head and moaned. Lucas’s urgent voice was heard.
“Your Majesty! Are you okay!”
Fortunately, his faint consciousness soon found its place. As the focus was caught in the pupil, Lucas blew divine power into Zion’s head.
Soon his head cleared.
“…You can stop.”
Then Lucas stopped using the divine power. Zion looked at the spear again.
“Why is that spear like that?”
It looked like a pretty high-quality spear, but the middle was neatly broken. Not only that, but the overall condition was not good. It looked like it had been through a tremendous battle.
“…I don’t know either.”
Zion narrowed his brow at the ambiguous answer.
“What does that mean?”
“I think I lent it to someone…”
“But.”
“I can’t remember…who I lent it to.”
Anyone who heard it would think he was joking, but since he was experiencing stranger things than anyone else, Zion accepted Lucas’s words at once.
It was just a little strange. It seemed that this bewildering event was not only happening to him.
“That someone made your spear like that, aren’t you angry?”
Zion asked, trying to find a little clue.
Again, Lucas shook his head.
“Not at all. Rather…”
The face that was close to expressionless was falling apart.
“I want to remember who that person was, even a little… because the overwhelming emotion of handing over this spear is vivid.”
‘But in the end, I couldn’t remember anything.’
Zion thought to himself. In the end, the priest in front of him was also having the same experience as him.
What is the common point between him and himself?
‘Dream.’
Yes, it was a dream.
Others also had the same dream as him, but Lucas had a little special point.
He was the first to recall the back part of the dream that no one remembers.
A feeling of discomfort suddenly came up. Why did he recall the back part of the dream before him?
“You talked about the dream then.”
Lucas brought up the dream just in time.
“Do you remember anything about the being with six wings?”
Zion shook his head.
Right now, he had to find the whereabouts of the real Irina… No, now he couldn’t even call her that, the lover he loved.
But the more he heard the story, the more he felt that the dream was related to her whereabouts.
Why? There was no connection at all.
‘No, the timing is right.’
Thinking about it, the strange dream started, and her whereabouts became vague.
Is it a coincidence?
Zion, who was thinking alone, shook his head.
Now was not the time to question such things. If it was related in any way, he had to dig in and find the core.
‘Yes.’
In the empty wasteland where nothing could be known, the first step was taken.
I will find the end of the dream.
Then he had a strong premonition that he would be able to find something related.
