CHAPTER 7: Emotion of Desire
The street still echoed with the last of Siah's angry footsteps. He had stormed away from the restaurant, his mother's voice still ringing in his ears.
But someone had followed him.
"Hey," Stetto called, jogging to catch up.
Siah spun around, eyes wild with fury. "What the hell do you want?"
Stetto hesitated. "I just—thought maybe you needed someone to talk to."
"You?" Siah's voice rose, sharp and bitter. "Who are you to say anything to me? Everything in my life went to hell because of you!"
"I didn't mean to inconvenience you…"
"Inconvenience?" Siah scoffed, stepping forward. "You call ruining my life an inconvenience? Who even are you? Why are you still around me? Go away!"
Stetto paused. His voice was low, almost ashamed. "Because I'm trying to fix my mistakes. I'm still here because I want to help clear your name."
Siah shook his head in disgust. "Help? What can you possibly do for me? You can't do anything. You're just as useless as I am."
Stetto didn't flinch. "You said you never had a Ract Stone, right? You can use others Ract stones well—I have one. And I can let you use it from time to time. You won't make it far in Crew County without one you will end up as their meat shield."
Siah turned away. "I don't need your help. I was doing fine before you showed up. Now leave my—"
He was interrupted by frantic footsteps.
Sally came rushing towards them, breathless and flustered. "I—I just spoke to the waitress," she panted. "She said the Nobles are gathering at the Imperial Estate to welcome the Acme's new wife. We need to go there—to ask about Fiche Kartz."
Siah and Stetto exchanged a look. One filled with silent anger, the other awkward and remorseful.
"It's not good to hold grudges," Stetto said gently. "You'll lose yourself that way. Cheer up—some people have worse odds than you."
Siah didn't reply. He simply walked away, brushing past him, his heart still sour.Behind him, Stetto's hopeful face crumpled into a frown. He stared at Sally and Siah—mother and son, so close and yet so frayed.
"I'm telling you, you dont have to do this" Siah muttered to his mother as they approached the city center. "There's no way we'll get close enough to speak to a Noble. We won't even see them."
"I don't care if it's impossible. If there's even a sliver of hope, I'll take it."
And she did.
With surprising strength, Sally surged into the dense crowd, both Siah and Stetto behind her. She pushed, elbowed, and wove her way through the masses that flooded the streets from the heart of the city up the hill toward the grand Imperial Estate.
She tapped a Crew Service Officer on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Will the Acme's wife come down to the city center to greet us?"
The man shook his head without emotion. "No, ma'am. The ceremony is private. Only within the gates of the Imperial Estate."
Siah moved to tug on his mother's sleeve, ready to pull her back from this hopeless quest. But before he could, Stetto placed a firm hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
Don't.
Siah hesitated. And in that pause, he looked forward. His mother had already broken away, forging ahead again, stubborn and unrelenting.
He watched her push through the crowd with fierce determination.
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Grelon Empire — Capital Euka — Imperial Estate
Inside the towering estate, the atmosphere was starkly different. Gilded halls, velvet curtains, and looming guards painted a picture of controlled luxury. But behind one of those grand doors, grief simmered.
Theal Bates stood outside Hailey's room, pounding his fist against the locked door.
"Open up, Hailey," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Crying doesn't solve anything. You know that."
Inside, she wept. Not gentle tears, but raw, unrelenting sobs. Her sniffles echoed through the hallway, louder than any words he might offer.
Eventually, Theal slumped down against the door, listening. Hours passed. Her crying never stopped.
When he stood, something had changed.
His face was calm—but twisted with restrained fury. His footsteps were thunder as he descended the castle's stairs. The servants he passed flinched at the intensity in his eyes.
He stormed out into the sun-drenched backyard, where the captain of the Blood Covenants sat cross-legged, lost in meditation.
"Cael!" Theal shouted.
Cael Ardour stirred, opening his eyes with visible irritation. His jaw clenched. A thick vein throbbed in his neck.
"I'm in the middle of something, little Bates," he muttered. "What is it?"
"I came to tell you—if the Acme doesn't show up for this ceremony, I'm leaving. And I'm taking my sister with me."
Cael blinked. And then—laughed. Harsh and mocking, the sound cracked through the air.
Without a word, he turned back to his meditation posture.
Theal growled and turned on his heel, storming back inside the estate.
As silence returned, Cael Ardour muttered to himself, eyes half-lidded as a new presence entered the castle.
"Little Bates… we both share the same desire."
A slow smile crept over his face, dark and feral.