Because Ezra and Zuri had been away for more than an hour, with no news about where they went or how they were, an almost palpable tension filled all of the elders and the rest of the Montgoray Family mbers.
Lev and the rest of the mbers still in the Courtenay land returned to their secret residence after receiving a call about the matter.
As soon as they arrived, one of the elders filled them in on what had happened.
They also inford them that Ezra and Zuri disappeared along with Kyran and his people— the woman with him and the Snow Mountain King's ssenger.
To be precise, Kyran warped them, confirming his identity as the new Void Master.
Lev was silent throughout their explanation. In the first place, he was already convinced of Kyran's identity during their fight.
At that ti, Kyran did not hold back and employed his Void magic at every turn, even using the infamous warp ability of the Void, rendering all of Lev's surprise attacks useless.
Unbeknownst to Lev, Kyran not holding back was only his opinion.
Lev failed to notice that Kyran never once directly aid his attack on him. If he did, he would realize that Kyran had only been 'playing around' by defusing his attack even before he could release it. The truth was Kyran could not go all out because if he did, Lev would not have lasted one move.
While the elders explained what happened to Lev, they noticed the boy's silence. His behavior ca as unusual because he had always acted condescending.
"They will be back," Lev told the elders afterwards. "Let's not jump to conclusions and remain calm while waiting for them."
After saying this, Lev leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. His action clearly ant the end of the discussion.
Everyone inside the room was stunned. It was their first ti seeing Lev like this.
The mbers who had been with him during the match with the Conclave put two and two together and realized Lev's attitude changed right after his match with Kyran. They already guessed sothing happened during his match, but for him to still act this way even though his father and sister might be in danger spoke volus.
After a couple more hours, they all felt a burning sensation on the hollow part of their neck. They soon noticed a dark purple mark of five interlocking circles on their necks.
The elders were once more thrown into a state of panic. They had been alive long enough to know what this mark ant.
Nevertheless, Lev glared at the elders and told them off by saying, "Such an unsightly display. So we received a mark, what of it? It's not like we are going to die because of it. Now, get a hold of yourselves and act like real adults!"
Being told off by a boy made the elders feel ashad and fell silent.
They already gave Ezra the go-ahead when deciding the best course of action for the family's survival. And truth be told, they already guessed the mark could be the result of Ezra finally agreeing to work with the Void Master.
But receiving a mark without knowing the agreent's content still left them unsettled. They could not help but feel scared. It was unsightly, just as Lev said, and they had no excuse to defend themselves.
Two hours after the mark appeared, an enormous magic fluctuation appeared at the reception area where Ezra and Zuri disappeared with Kyran and his people.
All the elders, including Lev and the mbers representing the Montgoray Family in the competitions, went there at once.
Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Ezra and Zuri and, to their shock and horror, a beautiful female Spirit with a regal aura and a handso young man with the distinct features of a Regis!
Aside from this, Ezra and Zuri were not wearing their masks!
Kyran regarded the elders of the Montgoray in silence before turning his gaze at Lev and the rest of the younger mbers.
"Is this everyone?" Kyran asked without looking at Ezra.
"Yes," the older man replied.
Kyran already knew the Montgoray's main force were few. It consisted of five elders, and eight adults who were Ezra's siblings or cousins. Then finally, a dozen younger generation that Zuri led together with Lev.
Kyran used his draconic sense to feel out their magic level and sighed inwardly.
"Too weak," he said in a voice loud enough for most of them to hear.
Ezra could only smile bitterly in response.
The elders who heard him felt sowhat ashad and did not say anything. On the other hand, the younger generations felt indignant, and one of them said, "What did you say? Who are you calling weak?"
Zuri's eyes narrowed. She took a step forward and was about to reprimand the man when White Lily delicately lifted her pointing finger and said, "Know your place, young man."
Suddenly, the man let out a muffled scream as he grabbed the mask on his face.
The mask twisted and seed to blend into his skin, sealing his eyes, nose and mouth. In an instant, the Montgoray mbers were scared witless.
"White Lily, stop," Kyran said and looked at her helplessly.
Before warping himself, Ezra and Zuri back to the Montgoray's secret residence, White Lily insisted on coming with him. When he said there was no need for her to do so since they were not bound by a pact or sothing similar, she replied there was no need.
After all, she had already made a pact with Caelan, and it would remain for all eternity. When she said it, her eyes softened, and her cheeks even turned rudy as if reminiscing the past.
White Lily's reaction instantly made Kyran shiver. He did not need to ask what kind of pact she had with Caelan. Just as he feared, it seed the two did tie the knot.
White Lily sighed but complied.
The man's mask returned to normal, and he fell to his knees, trembling while gasping for air. Two youth knelt on both his side and supported him.
The others looked on in horror. But their feelings of horror were not caused by what they had witnessed but more by the fact the beautiful female Spirit with the Regis young man was nad White Lily!
There was only one Spirit alive nad like that, and it was the Queen of the Faes!
"A-Are you really…" Lev stuttered, feeling sowhat hesitant to look White Lily in the eyes.
White Lily looked at Lev and smiled, "Ignis has told about you, little boy. He said, while you appear to act aloof and uncaring about others, you actually have a kind heart."
"I-I…"
Lev was glad he was wearing a mask, or else everyone would have seen his face turn bright red.
Kyran looked at Lev with emotionless dark gray eyes and muttered, "Kind heart, huh."
Lev looked at Kyran with a slight frown. He wanted to tell him off, but the mont he gaze at his dark gray ones, the words were stuck in his throat, and his body trembled involuntarily.
"P-Patriarch Ezra…. T-This…?" One of the elders cautiously stepped forward and looked at Ezra.
Ezra looked at the elder and raised his hand to stop him from saying anything further. He then looked at Kyran, who returned his gaze and nodded.
Looking at the elders and the rest of the adults, Ezra started, "Elders and fellow leaders of the Montgoray Family." Then he turned toward the younger mbers, "And the promising talents of the current generation. Starting today, we will now be under the new Void Master."
Gasps of surprise filled the air.
"T-This… but… Where is the Void Master?"
"Wait a mont... the young man with you is... he is a Regis, isn't he?"
"D-Don't tell us the Void Master has already allied with the Regis Clan?"
"It can't be. The Crown Princess is already betrothed to the Regis Young Master, so how—."
One after another, the elders voiced their doubts.
However, when one of them ntioned the betrothal of the Crown Princess and the Regis Young Master, White Lily moved her delicate finger once more, and the elder who had spoken was instantly lifted in midair.
"Waaaa!" The elder shrieked in fright.
The others gaped in shock but were too scared of receiving the ire of the Queen, thus, they did not make a move to save the elder.
"I dare you to say that again, human. I will remove your very existence this instant."
"White Lily," Kyran called her out again in exasperation.
He should be the one reacting to the elder's words since he was the one involved. How co White Lily was more affected?
White Lily did not reply but released the elder. Her light pink diamond-like eyes glistened maliciously as she looked at the elders.
Two elders caught the elder White Lily released. All the elders stopped talking and looked at her in fear. There was no doubt in their minds. The female Spirit before them was the Queen of the Faes if she could act like this.
Still.
Why was she listening to the young man of the Regis Clan?
Ezra, who remained silent the whole ti, turned to Kyran and White Lily and lowered his head, "I apologize on their behalf, please pardon their words."
Kyran shook his head, "It's fine."
Then he turned his attention to the rest of the Montgoray and said, "You're all confused, I get that. I hate repeating myself so I'll let Ezra explain everything. However..."
His dark gray eyes suddenly turned reddish-purple as his expression turned cold.
Everyone looking at him flinched unconsciously.
"I did not let you see my face for nothing. If any of you breathe a word about ," Kyran smiled at them.
A smile that did not et his eyes.
He touched the hollow part of his neck, and in an instant, they all felt a burning sensation on their necks, right where the mark of interlocking circles was.
Realization hit them as they looked at Kyran with mixed emotions.
Lev also looked at him with wide eyes. Why had he not noticed it sooner? The air around the young man was similar to the 'Tyr' he had battled inside Ignis's wall of flas.
"You are..."
Without confirming their thoughts, Kyran tilted his head to one side and looked at White Lily.
"What do think?"
"They all possessed fae blood but so were too weak to make proper contract with my kin."
"Then we'll just have to improve their fae blood."
White Lily smiled wryly.
"Yes, I suppose. It is possible with you around."
Kyran nodded and looked at Ezra.
"You can explain everything to them. Choose five mbers you want to go with first, and tomorrow night I will return with White Lily and Silas."
Ezra lowered his head, "Leave it to ."
Zuri did the sa, and soon the rest of the Montgoray mbers also lowered their heads.
"Alright."
Before all of them could straighten and look at Kyran and White Lily, the space before them distorted.
In the blink of an eye, both of them disappeared.
The room instantly fell into a tensed silence.
The first one to break the silence was Lev.
"Father!" He said, "T-That young man is... is he really...?"
Ezra looked at him first before turning his attention to the rest. All of them looked at him with mixed emotions. After all, it was one thing to finally et the Void Master and the Queen of the Faes, but realizing the real identity of the forr was too much to take in.
"As you have seen, that young man is the new Void Master," he started. "He is also a Regis. It is a bit complicated but I will explain everything. First thing's first, I want you all to keep in mind that what I am about to tell you is of utmost importance and must not be disclosed to anyone."
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