Hades had no idea why the King himself wanted to et him—much less in secret.
The summit was tomorrow. At a ti when the King should be drowning in duties, he was instead sitting calmly across from them, waiting for the maid to finish pouring tea.
"Thank you, Gloria. You may leave," the King said softly. The maid bowed and slipped out of the room.
Another man remained—a tall figure with sharp eyes. This was the Pri Minister, Philips Oakwood, one of the King’s most trusted n.
"You must be wondering why you’re here," Philips began, his tone asured. "But after what happened a few days ago, we have no choice but to handle this with care."
Hades leaned forward, his voice unsure. "Are there spies among the soldiers?"
Philips shook his head. "Not as far as we know. But this is not about betrayal—it is about loyalty. If they had attacked you, it would have been seen as an act of devotion to their holand."
Hades froze, struggling to make sense of it. What had he done to deserve such treatnt?
Luna spoke up, her voice calm but sharp. "Then I assu soone used Hades’s na to stir chaos in the capital. That’s why Sir Roger called him a terrorist at the entrance."
Philips’s lips pressed into a bitter line as he nodded. "You are exactly right, Miss Rinne."
Hades glanced at Luna... how did she piece everything together so quickly? Was he too slow, or was his Luna simply too sharp?
Philips’s voice cut through his thoughts. "A group of assailants was caught setting up explosives around the palace. Further investigation revealed they had rented houses along the route the foreign envoys would take."
He let out a weary sigh before continuing, his tone grim. "When we put them under a truth-binding spell, every single one of them gave the sa answer. They spoke of the one who orchestrated everything—the one who hired them."
Hades’s brows furrowed, while Luna’s lips parted in disbelief.
Philips’s words grew heavier. "We showed them a sketch. Your sketch, Hades. And without hesitation, they confird it."
Luna shook her head, voice breaking in confusion. "But... how can this be? Under a truth spell, they cannot lie..."
Hades finally asked, his tone low and uncertain, "So... are we truly being treated as suspects?"
For the first ti, the King himself spoke. His voice carried the weight of judgnt. "Under normal circumstances, yes—we would have suspected you."
The words made both Hades and Luna stiffen, the air in the room thick with tension.
But then the King’s next words struck like lightning. "However, soone helped us realize the mistake we might have made."
As his voice faded, the heavy doors creaked open.
Clad in flowing white robes, a staff in hand, a figure stepped inside. Each stride was calm, steady, yet commanding.
The Sage had arrived.
Everyone rose from their seats to greet the legendary mage.
"I wasn’t expecting to see you here," she said, her gaze fixed on Hades. "You’re putting yourself—and those around you—at risk."
Lucen and Philips exchanged puzzled looks, but Hades and Luna understood the weight behind her words.
Hades cast a quick glance at Luna before answering, his voice careful. "We only wanted to enjoy the festival before leaving."
The Sage exhaled softly and settled into the chair beside the King. "Reckless," she said flatly. "You walk freely into the land of the man whose son you killed."
Philips’s eyes flicked nervously to the King. The monarch had never held Hades accountable, but the ntion of Cedric still cut deep. A father’s grief never truly left, no matter the crown on his head.
"I... yes. I apologize for my thoughtless behavior," Hades said, lowering his head.
Luna bit her lip, then asked quietly, "For you to co here... does that an sothing is about to happen?"
She rembered well how the Sage had refused to attend the summit before, citing her unwillingness to involve herself. For her to be here now could only an one thing.
The Sage’s expression darkened. "I ca to deliver a truth that may decide the fate of humankind."
Hades’s eyes sharpened. "Has sothing changed since the last ti we spoke?"
The last ti, she had told them there were ten years left—ten years before the pact lost its power.
But now—
"We don’t have ten years," the Sage said, her tone grave. "We have far less. And it is because of what happened in Torseque."
Hades stiffened, his breath catching. "Y-You an..."
The Sage nodded slowly. "Yes, Hades. They know. Not all of them—but one. Soone who has taken a particular interest in you. It won’t be long before he either slips into the human realm... or convinces the others to break the pact entirely."
Hades bit his lip, his fist tightening.
So soone had noticed after all. Because of him, the entire human race might soon face peril. No wonder the Sage herself had co.
The silence didn’t last long.
Philips broke it with a steady voice. "While I don’t understand everything that was just spoken, I would like to extend an invitation—Hades, I wish for you to join the summit."
Hades blinked, startled. "? But... isn’t the summit highly secretive? Soone like shouldn’t even be allowed to listen in."
Not even the royal highnesses were permitted entry. Only the King and a handful of ministers like Philips had the right to be there. Behind those closed doors, they decided the future of nations—speaking not only of alliances, funds, and resources but also of truths hidden carefully from the public eye.
And yet, Philips wanted him there.
Lucen leaned forward, clearing the doubt. "Tomorrow’s eting isn’t about what it usually covers. Our greatest threat—the root of this crisis—is the Pact. That is why this summit was called earlier than planned."
Philips added quickly, "And with Mada Sage present, we can now fully understand the situation. Since the Pact is linked to you, His Majesty wishes for you to attend."
Hades turned his eyes to Luna. She looked just as conflicted as he felt.
Then the Sage’s calm voice cut through. "You must join tomorrow’s eting, Hades. If you value the lives in this realm, you need to know how little ti they have left—and what role you must play to help them."
Hades inhaled deeply. She was right. There was no escaping this.
With a firm nod, he said, "Alright. I’ll be there."
Lucen let out a small sigh of relief before adding, "Then it’s settled. Until tomorrow, I ask that you remain inside the palace, rather than wandering outside."
Hades nodded. "Umm... thank you for trusting ."
The King’s lips curved into a faint smile. "You are trusted by the one who has saved —and countless others—in the past. And she still stands by you. How could I not place my trust as well?"
For the first ti that night, warmth flickered in Hades’s chest. He smiled faintly, then fell silent.
Philips rose from his seat and bowed slightly. "Allow to escort you to your chambers."
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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