Cedric furrowed his brows, he completely didn't understand what the man was saying. However, before he could ask any further blood came out of the man's mouth more and more. He coughed loudly, his body trembled, and for the first time looked completely fragile in the presence of Cedric.
"It seems..." he tried to speak in the midst of his shortness of breath, "Our meeting... just got here this time."
As the man's body slowly collapsed before Cedric, the rain was still pouring mercilessly. The blood mixed with water created a deep color on the rocky ground, and the world seemed to fall silent in a painful silence. Cedric stood frozen, his sword still gripped tightly in his hand, but it no longer felt like a weapon of victory.
He did not move an inch from his place, only the sound of the pouring rain that muffled the noise around him now. In front of him, the body of the man, Navien, Lucian, or whoever he was, lay motionless. However, Cedric's eyes were fixed solely on the face of the now lifeless man.
"Even after you did that, you smiled so contentedly just now," he muttered.
His footsteps moved slowly, he approached the body that lay there. The rain soaked his clothes, his hair began to stick to his face, but he didn't care about that at all. His hesitant hand extended, reaching for the mask lying next to the man, the mask was already cracked, just like Cedric's perception of the man standing before him now.
However, suddenly a faint whisper was heard directly in his ear, the voice breaking through the noise of the rain falling around him.
"Wow, I didn't expect him to do this..."
A voice sounded, soft and as if it were chuckling lightly with every word it uttered. The voice was not heavy like a man's, nor did it sound light like a woman's. Upon hearing this, Cedric jolted for a moment and then stood up again, trying to find the source of the voice. His hands still gripped the cracked mask, while his eyes scanned his surroundings.
"Who's there...?" he said, slightly raising his voice.
The sky began to rumble, as if supporting the atmosphere he was experiencing at that moment. He stepped back, then moved forward again, his eyes searching, looking for something, anything that could explain the strange voice he had just heard. Yet that voice echoed clearly in his ears, as if he were being watched by someone right now.
"Don't mess with me," he shouted.
Cedric felt a chill creeping down his spine. His breath quickened slightly. It was as if the air around him had suddenly lost its temperature and meaning. The rain continued to pour, but now it felt more like fine needles piercing his skin, rather than just water.
"Terrible..."
The voice was heard again, this time clearer. As if it was whispered directly into Cedric's ear. He turned around quickly, and of course there was no one around him at that moment.
"Aren't you rushing too much?"
The voice continued, sounding more relaxed this time, but there was a mocking tone, as if someone was watching a performance and was disappointed that it was ending too soon. Cedric gritted his teeth, his body tense. His hands gripped his sword tighter.
"Show yourself, damn it!" he shouted, challenging the emptiness around him.
But the answer that came was only a faint laugh that sounded distant, not from one direction but from all around. It was as if he were in an empty room right now.
"That person has played his role well this time," continued the voice, sounding like someone who was judging a performance from the audience. "I didn't expect everything to happen this quickly."
Cedric furrowed his brow, it was as if he were analyzing the words that began to be heard from the voice. He then lowered his head for a moment while clenching his eyes, his gaze returning to the man lying motionless in front of him.
He then turned his body, "What do you mean?!" Cedric exclaimed, now not only angry but also confused mixed with fear. "Who are you really?"
Laughter faintly echoed again, quieter but now felt like a whisper right in his ear.
"A great question... do you really want to know?" The voice sounded pleased, like someone who had just been invited to play by an innocent child.
"I want to tell you, you know. In fact, I really want to," it continued with a sweet tone that made Cedric's hair stand on end.
"But unfortunately..." Its voice became heavy, serious, and slowly filled with a false tone of respect.
"Our esteemed client will be arriving soon."
The sky trembled again, a flash of lightning splitting the sky in the distance, and suddenly the wind howled fiercely from behind him, causing his cloak to billow and droplets of the dying rain to be scattered in all directions. The ground where Lucian's body lay was now slowly turning black, as if it were absorbing the light around it.
Cedric narrowed his eyes, the gust of wind combined with the heavy rain made his vision disturbed at the moment. The mysterious voice sounded again, this time closer, almost as if it was standing right behind his ear. "Nice to meet you, I hope we can meet again next time. See you, Cedric."
Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped Cedric's view again. His body felt light, as if he had been thrown into emptiness. There was no pain, no sound of rain, only the void surrounding him at that moment.
Then, in the blink of an eye... He awoke in a different place than before.
The air around him felt much calmer than the previous battlefield. There was no rain, no mud, no blood. He was kneeling in the middle of a grand hall surrounded by tall white pillars and a ceiling adorned with shimmering stained glass. A light scent of incense filled the air, and the sacred silence was only broken by the sound of echoing footsteps, accompanied by whispers from the elegantly dressed people around him.
Cedric recognized this place.
He slowly lifted his head with wide-open eyes. In front of him, an old man in a white robe stood on the stage with an expression of surprise that he couldn't hide. The summoning circle beneath Cedric's feet still glimmered faintly in the air, leaving a residue of radiant energy that swirled gently like petals of light.
"We did it, we actually did it....!" The voice sounded filled with excitement, but there was also a hidden sense of worry behind it.
An old wizard walked slowly towards Cedric at that moment, his steps light yet firm, even though he appeared very old, his robe made of fine fabric that shimmered in the dim light.
He stopped in front of Cedric, staring at him with sharp eyes despite the wrinkles on his face. A soft yet powerful voice flowed from his lips.
"Thank you for answering our call, Sir Knight." The wizard nodded, as if paying his respects. A faint smile was painted on his face, but there was a subtle tension that crossed his old eyes. "Before that, may I ask for your name?"
At that moment, the space around seemed to fall silent for a moment; Cedric recognized this very well, this was the day he first came into this world. The atmosphere felt so familiar, like a time loop repeating itself. All the feelings he had before came rushing back, confused and shocked. Every detail around the hall seemed to remind him of his former self, as if he was still trapped in the same circle.
"Cedric, my name is Cedric." Those words came from his lips in a flat tone, but there was tension within him, as if he had just accepted an unavoidable reality.
The old wizard's smile widened slightly, although doubt remained in his eyes. "Cedric... A strong name." Cedric, still seated in the middle of the magic circle, tried to calm his thoughts; he still couldn't believe he was back to the time when he first came to this world.
"If I'm not mistaken, the crown prince or something like that will enter this room soon." Cedric murmured, anxiously trying to confirm whether he had truly returned to the past, back to the starting point of that summoning. Just as he said it, the wizards around the room began to move restlessly. They seemed to realize that something was about to happen.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."
The moments filled with tension rolled on, and suddenly the large door at the end of the hall opened. From behind the door, the sound of firm footsteps could be heard, and someone appeared in the doorway. His voice was so clear, so confident.
"I heard his call succeeded."
Cedric lifted his head. And at that moment, he saw him—a young man dressed in such luxurious clothing, a handsome face adorned with a strong royal lineage aura. The Crown Prince. And it seemed, nothing had changed.
"Yes, Your Highness, he is Sir Cedric," said one of the wizards standing next to Cedric, bowing to the prince who had just entered the room.The young man, the Crown Prince, looked at Cedric with a curious gaze.
"Hee? So you are that knight?" Prince Kallion smiled sarcastically, as if belittling, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. "I am the Crown Prince of this Empire. My name is Kaellion Ryan Avaris."
Cedric felt his heart racing upon hearing that name. His face could not hide the mixed emotions—shock, confusion, and a bit of annoyance. His reaction was spontaneous, almost automatic.
"Damn, this really is happening again from the past," Cedric muttered irritably, gazing at the prince who looked so young, as if he were meeting him for the first time.
He tried to calm himself, but this situation, which he should have known well, now felt much heavier and more confusing than before. Cedric lowered his head for a moment, trying to absorb the reality that had just struck him—that he was back at square one. Everything that had happened before, all his struggles, now seemed to be repeating itself, and he could not escape it.
"Your Highness, Sir Cedric must surely need rest after traversing space and time. I apologize for my boldness; perhaps you could meet him another time," said one of the wizards, offering a bow to prince.
"Hmm, alright. I'll follow your lead this time, Old Man!" replied Prince Kaellion, in a casual yet challenging tone. "I'll see you again later, Knight," he added with a wink. "Feel free to consider this palace your own home."
Cedric could only scoff, feeling frustrated with the prince's arrogance. "Tsk... I really have never liked that clown prince's personality since the beginning," he muttered to himself, eager to get out of that situation.