Coelus's cruel temperant and psychotic behavior were sothing Aillos and As would not want Kyran to inherit because combining those two characteristics with Draconic magic would only result in destruction.
Kyran's physical form may remain human, but the possibility of him devouring the residual magic energy in Coelus's remains and rging it with his Draconic core was a looming uncertainty. If this were to occur, the likelihood of him embodying Coelus's form was a dangerous possibility.
As had only seen it through a recording, but Kyran already knew how to manifest dragon parts using raw Draconic magic. Changing into Coelus's form would not be impossible, given his latent talent.
"Is there really no changes in Kyran's condition?" As asked after a long and heavy silence.
"You can check by yourself," Aillos suggested, gesturing toward the door leading to the room where Kyran was currently resting.
"I will do just that," As agreed with a nod.
"I'll do what I can in diverting The Emperor's attention away from the Dragon plane. I'll let you handle the rest with Kyran's matter."
"Yes, Father."
"If necessary, talk to Ducal."
As frowned at the ntion of Ducal.
Ducal was Aillos's most trusted aide. He was not the strongest among them, but he was the wisest and most prominent in Array. In fact, he was the head of the Dragon Clan's Research and Array Division.
Ducal was present when Neven reported his findings in the Solis Clan, but unlike the other aides who voiced their opinion as soon as he left, Ducal remained silent.
It was not that he was uninterested in what was happening. Rather, he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself and only voice them when he and Aillos were alone.
At this point, Ducal had yet to share his thoughts with Aillos. Aillos also did not openly ask him about it because he knew it would be inevitable to discuss the matter about Kyran if they talked.
Aillos respected As's wishes to keep Kyran's situation a secret. He also did not want Coelus's threat to be known to many, so he refrained from talking to Ducal about it.
Moreover, there was another reason Aillos could not speak with Ducal when the Regis Family was concerned.
Ducal was among the dragons that disapproved of As's marriage with Zane. In his opinion, As should marry her own kind.
Considering all these, Aillos decided to let As decide whether to speak to Ducal or not.
"... I'll think about it."
"Think wisely."
"... Yes, Father."
As averted her eyes because she knew she could not hide her apprehension from her father's piercing gaze.
As silently left Aillos's chamber on that note. She went directly to Kyran's room, where Cyneah was keeping watch.
"Is she around?" As asked Cyneah as soon as she closed the doors behind her.
Cyneah raised her head toward As's direction. She knew who the latter ant and answered, "Yes. She's here."
As, her father, and Myst were already aware of Shaiha. However, because they had no connections with the Ancient Magic Cores, they could not see her.
Shaiha frowned at the way As asked about her. It sounded as if she was a remnant soul haunting Kyran.
"So rude," she grumbled. "It's not like I can roam away from Kyran or hide. I am connected to him, for goodness's sake, so obviously, I am always around him."
Cyneah gave a wry smile at Shaiha's grumbling. She had gotten used to the latter's rants after being the only person who could hear her. Besides, it had already been more than two weeks since she was expelled from her body. That was plenty of ti for Cyneah to get acquainted with Shaiha.
"Still no change in Kyran's condition?" As continued to ask while making her way to Kyran's bedside.
Cyneah turned her attention back to Kyran and placed a new cold compress on his forehead.
The cold compress was imbued with Frost magic to lower Kyran's temperature. However, because his temperature kept rising, albeit slowly, they had to adjust the frost in the cold compress, or else he might truly end up burning to death.
"His temperature went up again. Fortunately, a new cold compress managed to stabilize it again," she told As. "I think we need to increase the Frost imbued in them again."
"I'll request for it and have Myst deliver them."
"Thank you."
"Is that all? Is there no update from her end?"
"I can hear you perfectly well," Shaiha huffed in indignation. "You can just ask directly. Although you can't hear ."
Cyneah inwardly scratched her head, not knowing what to say. In the end, she decided to tell As what Shaiha told her earlier.
"Nothing. There is still no indication that Kyran is in a trance or sothing similar."
The first thing Aillos and As confird when Kyran's Draconic Core reacted to Coelus's corpse was if he fell into a trance of so sort because that had been the case whenever he fell unconscious.
Obviously, Aillos and As did not know that. Still, they assud that Kyran might be under so kind of trial or enlightennt inside his sea of consciousness while enduring Coelus's corpse's magic energy.
Based on Shaiha's probing, however, nothing of the sort was happening to Kyran. Basically, he was just in great pain from enduring Coelus's corpse's imnse magic energy, which was why he was unconscious.
As sighed. She was hoping that Kyran was undergoing a trial by fire by enduring Coelus's corpse's magic energy. At least, with that, they could feel more assured that he could erge victor from the trial.
Since that was not the case, they could not predict when Kyran would overco the situation.
"What about Raya and the others? Have they found where the seal is damaged?" Cyneah asked before Shaiha could tell her to.
They were also awaiting news from Raya and the others because it had already been a week since they left. However, they had only sent regular updates on their journey's progress.
"Yes. However..."
As patiently explained what transpired during her and Myst's conversation with Raya.
Cyneah and Shaiha listened attentively and were similarly upset when they learned fixing the seal was impossible at this point.
"Is there really no way of fixing the seal? If they needed assistance from an Ancient, then..." Shaiha wanted to suggest that Cyneah tell As about the Ancients they t in the Tower of the Ancients.
In fact, Aillos and As were aware of the Ancients because Ladon and Thorn did not hide anything from them when they gave their report. However, they never considered asking for their assistance because the only one who could enter the portal at this point was Kyran.
Cyneah shook her head, turning her head toward Shaiha's direction, "You know Kyran is the only one who can access the portal. Besides, I don't think he would want to endanger them by asking them to leave the tower and co here."
Cyneah did not know that the Ancients could not leave the tower, but she knew they would be in danger if others discovered them.
As looked at Cyneah with a complicated expression. She gleaned that the latter was probably responding to sothing Shaiha said. But if others witnessed her reaction without knowing of Shaiha's presence, they would think she had lost it.
Putting aside her random thought, As guessed what Shaiha had said based on Cyneah's response. She said, "We thought so, too. That's why we never considered that option."
Shaiha sighed. It annoyed her that she could not do anything to help Kyran. To be honest, she should have the capability to stop Coelus's corpse from affecting Kyran's Draconic core.
However, Coelus's corpse's magic energy sneakily seeped into Kyran's body, and Shaiha failed to sense it until it was too late. Moreover, the forr's magic energy was so similar to the latter, which was how the Draconic core resonated with it naturally. If the Draconic core resonated positively with the magic energy, how could Shaiha notice anything?
Alas, Coelus's corpse's magic energy was too much for Kyran to handle.
"Another thing," As paused montarily before looking at Cyneah with a grim expression. "The Emperor has returned."
Cyneah turned her attention back to As, and her complexion paled at once. Several thoughts, none good, swirled in her mind about why The Emperor had decided to return.
"T-Then... the others..."
"He probably grew tired of trying to locate the Human plane that's why he decided to return. Don't worry about it," As told Cyneah as if reading what was going through her mind. "If that butt-face did sothing in the Lower Realm, I would have known about it."
The Regis Terram remained unaccessible, but that was not the only way for As to find what was going on in the Human plane. Besides, she knew The Coven would never allow The Emperor to run rampant in the Lower Realm.
"Y-Yes..."
As smiled wryly and said, "You should worry more about yourself, you know. The Emperor's strength was restrained in the Lower Realm. That's why he would be hard-pressed to search for Kyran's trace or the Human plane. But..." Her voice dropped dramatically as she added, "That is not the case here in the Higher Realm."
Cyneah's expression turned solemn after hearing As's reminder.
"Don't worry. You're all safe in the Dragon plane. The Emperor will not dare co here."
Or, at least, As believed her words to be true.
Unfortunately, the Fates seed to have played a trick on her. They might even have decided to assist The Emperor because right after she said those words, a massive pressure befell the Dragon plane, shaking its lands.
"This...!"
Aillos's expression hardened as he stood outside the balcony while looking up at the sky.
The Emperor had arrived.
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