The manor had lots of rooms. One of them housed a large throne. Kivana led me to it, and Malachi practically forced me to sit.
The throne was black with a blue cushioned seat and had gold embroidered into the armrests.
Both of them looked up at me, clearly waiting for an answer or some sort of affirmation to her earlier statement.
I could not give them one. I could barely sense mana, let alone weaken a curse.
"Do you know the method I used to weaken it before?" I asked.
She gave me a puzzled look. "You just absorbed it with that magic of yours."
She walked up and ran her finger down my arm. As she did, my blood vessels bulged, glowing black instead of red.
She stepped back. "How much have you forgotten?"
I smiled. "Assume I am a child when you talk to me."
She seemed amused but said nothing. "Just channel the mana throughout your body and imagine gripping a heart."
The method sounded strange, but I did not object. I followed her instructions, picturing a heart in my mind.
I reached out and imagined crushing it in my hand.
Power surged into me, and I suddenly coughed, spitting out a thick black liquid that vanished just before it touched the ground.
"Hmm, you should have thrown up way more than that."
"Uh, is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
She shrugged. "No idea."
I have come to realize that everyone here shrugs way too much when they are confused.
Maybe it is a habit they picked up from me, or from whoever I used to be. It is still not clear what exactly happened.
My best guess is that when I died, I was sent here. I then lived a life in this world before falling into a deep slumber.
Now, I have awakened with no memories for reasons I do not understand.
"How should I go about weakening his curse now?"
She looked at Malachi and smiled. "Grip his heart with your mana, then absorb the darkness emitted from the curse. That should dampen its effects."
I looked at Malachi and smiled. He did not smile back.
I chuckled and stepped off the throne, walking up to him. I placed my hand over his chest and imagined his heart, if the damn bastard had one.
I channeled my mana and focused on his heart.
The world faded away like a mist blown by the wind, and I stood face to face with the image of his heart.
I reached out, wrapping my fingers around its beating frame.
At first, there was silence, not a single disturbance.
Then, a loud noise like a scream tore through the air, and I stumbled back.
I fell to the ground, staring at the heart with irritation. I stood and reached again, this time channeling more mana into my arm.
As I gripped it once more, it beat harder and louder, sending tremors through me.
I felt it shaking me to the core, and for a moment I thought I would fail.
Then I was back in the real world, standing before him.
His lips curled, and he opened his mouth. "Ah, mind not touching Kivana, my king?"
The first thing this bastard says after I help him is a warning to keep my hands off his girlfriend.
I ignored him and walked back to the throne, taking my seat. "Now that you are able to speak, what will you both do?"
Kivana gave me a confused look. "Isn't it obvious? Serve you. I was your advisor and he was your personal guard."
Malachi glanced at her. "The others will be here soon. Shall I kill them?"
I raised my hands. "Wait, wait, wait. What the hell? Why would you kill them?"
Kivana turned to me, confused. "Well, Malachi and I never truly abandoned you. We've been living in the forest."
She raised her hand and summoned a small black orb. "However, everyone else has left. That is a transgression against your mercy."
The orb floated toward me and hovered above my chest. "You seem afraid. Are you thinking of showing them mercy? At least let me kill Hebi."
I sighed. "I will not be killing any of my followers. I was gone for an eon, right? Anyone would leave."
Malachi scoffed. "Anyone but me, her, and Mirabel. Ouroboros, Hebi, Madikai, even Lancerial, they all left you."
His face twisted with anger. "And we had a traitor. I will be sure to kill Calista as well."
I took a deep breath and thought about all that I had just learned. I have decided. This world is dangerous. I need to grow stronger.
In my eyes, all creatures are born as insignificant bugs, worthless beings meant to die.
But now, I have chosen to embrace that truth.
Even if it leads to my own death, I want to love life. I do not wish to take it from those who wish to live their own.
Is this the reality of this world? Do these people really think so little of others?
"I try to rid myself of vile thoughts," I said, standing up.
The orb faded as I stepped down. The two of them looked as if they had seen a ghost.
[A potent force made the two complacent with their lives and fearful for them.]
"I try to coexist with my own errors, my own faults, my own ideologies."
I stepped before them, but by then they had already fallen to the ground.
"I am a living, walking contradiction. A mutt who only seeks the end."
I knelt before them and placed my hands on both their cheeks. I could feel them trembling. Why?
[The king had a terrifying aura; it was like fear itself was bowing to him.]
"From now on, be sure to listen to the first time I give an order. Are you not both my loyal followers?"
Everything was silent for a moment. Then, someone burst through the doors.
In this grand throne room filled with stone statues, each one instantly knelt as she passed.
Mirabel looked down at the two as I rose to my feet.
She smirked. "I thought you both had died. Looks like you've finally come out of hiding."
She looked up at me and sighed.
"We have a problem. It seems we are going to have some visitors soon."
They both looked up at Mirabel, quiet fear reflected in their eyes.
I sighed and made my way back to the throne.
Sitting down, I stretched my arms and took a deep breath.
In that split second, something returned to me. A sliver of memory. A sliver of my power.
I will not allow these powerful titans to roam freely across this world without a master.
If these beasts are to be tamed, then it seems I will be the one to do it.
Mirabel walked past them as they slowly rose to their feet.
Something clearly troubled them.
She stopped at the foot of the throne and stood silently.
I glanced back at the two troublemakers and sighed.
"What visitors? Good or bad?"
Mirabel took a moment to consider her answer.
"A nearby settlement was attacked. Its population was over a thousand."
She paused as I raised a brow.
After a moment, she continued.
"A little under half remain. And they are coming here."
I smiled and crossed my legs. "I am a king, am I not? Then let us welcome them with the most joyous of gifts."
Surprisingly, Kivana found the courage to speak. "What might that be, my king?"
I laughed, just as the voice echoed through my mind.
[The king had become more… kind.]
"Well, the best gift of them all. Is it not obvious? Salvation."