Chapter 108: Head Or Heart (Ch.108)
Zariah slowly stepped into the bath pool, wincing at the chilling cold temperature of the water as she was subrged waist deep.
Zariah had never been one to care about the cold, but recently she found she had beco overly sensitive of it, perhaps it was an effect of being subrged in water too long,
It had been far too long since they ca down to the Sea Kingdom, far longer than Zariah had anticipated it would take.
She had not accounted for the fact that she would end up being a victim of the mastermind’s plot again, accused of harming Kristen and imprisoned for it.
Zariah had also not expected she truly would find the aning of that strange drawing or find out the existence of another seal where the darkness was imprisoned or end up being involved in the political machinations and power tussles of the Sea Kingdom.
This was her second ti living this very sa life, yet sotis Zariah felt she knew much less than everyone else did,
Zariah admitted she had been lucky this ti, she had been lucky to escape the trap laid out for her even when she had resorted to admittedly incriminating thods.
Here she was, ard with the knowledge of the previous lifeti yet she was faced off against soone who she knew she could not predict.
Every event may have been ingrained in Zariah’s mind, but the fact remained the mastermind was as unknown to her in this lifeti as he had been in the past lifeti.
And so Zariah could not tell, if truly she could be assured she had the upper hand or otherwise.
Zariah had made a last minute decision to bait Lord Imain, the battle to overthrow the Sea King that was ant to have taken place much further in future had been brought forwards by her own hands.
The very sa battle that had claid the lives of hundreds of rn, despite eventually ending in King Himan’s victory.
Zariah had altered with the original tiline and the events leading up to it, hoping to sohow obstruct the mastermind’s plan.
Zariah knew even in the previous lifeti, the only reason Lord Imain had lost to King Himan could only be that the overthrow was his own personal ambition.
Although Lord Imain was entangled with the mastermind, based on what Zariah could see, this attempt to overthrow was orchestrated by him alone.
Zariah was sure of this because she knew the mastermind would never ruin his plans by putting himself out and drawing attention to himself like this.
The only upper hand the mastermind had over everyone else was the fact that his identity was unknown, he was well hidden in the shadows, keeping a low profile yet he commanded the fates of thousands in the supernatural realm.
The mastermind would never ruin his greatest advantage with his own hands, which could only an Lord Imain was plotting this overthrow for his personal purposes.
Which was exactly why he had eventually lost the battle in the previous lifeti, because without the support of the mastermind...all others under him would topple at the slightest push.
It was clear the Sea Do was a part of the mastermind’s plan, and the fact that those five battle rs who had gone missing in the Northern Seas were found without their mories proved that there was truly sothing to hide
They had even sacrificed Kristen to get rid of Zariah and Askel, the ssage was clear.
Soone wanted to keep everyone away from the Sea Do.
And so Zariah felt if she could take out Lord Imain before ti, she could understand what was truly happening within the Sea Do and perhaps stop it early enough to interfere with the mastermind’s plan.
It had been almost two months since Zariah had been reborn, which ant the ti of her death and the massacre of Crimson Moon grew even closer with each passing day.
And with every day that passed by, although Zariah tried to ignore it, she could feel the apprehension building up within her.
"So much to do...so many people to save, so many wrongs to right, yet so little ti...how does the story end this ti?" Zariah murmured to herself as she subrged her head below the surface of the water.
Zariah remained subrged below, her eyes firmly shut as she steadied her heart and forced away the painful mories creeping up on her.
’Get it in order , Zari! What does it matter how the story ends? That is for
to decide! No one else will decide my fate this ti... I will not allow it! I will never allow it!’ Zariah swore within her heart.
It took Zariah a mont longer before her head broke the surface once again, her eyes narrowed in determination.
Yes, she had brought forward the battle for the Sea throne,
Yes, this sa battle had claid many lives in the previous lifeti.
Yes, Zariah intended to make things different this ti, to spare the rfolk their terrible fate,
Yes, it seed impossible to hope to sort this out without bloodshed, but since when did anything ever co easy for Zariah?
Since Zariah was here, she would not allow the Sea Kingdom to be ruined by the mastermind... she would never allow the mastermind have his way.
"If you wish for war, I will prevent it and restore peace. If you wish to kill a thousand, I will save a hundred thousand."
"If you wish to ruin a domain, I will protect that domain with my life, if you want the world, you must step over my dead body first... whoever you are... your nesis has co." Zariah murmured in a deadly tone as she washed herself and then stepped out of the bath pool.
Zariah pulled on a robe, securing the ties before she headed out of the washroom and to her room, whilst running a hand through her hair to dry the wet tresses.
Zariah stopped short when she took notice of King Askel leaned against the wall right beside the door to her room.
Zariah had portaled back to their shared quarters to take that bath she had intended to before the battle rs had rudely barged into their quarters.
Zariah was after all headed to her own execution in a few hours, she would take the luxuries she could get now.
King Askel’s gaze lifted up to Zariah, his expression was dark and it had been right from the mont Zariah had revealed her plan.
"So you move from the dungeons to the execution grounds while I am to stand at the sidelines and just... watch?"
"What am I to you exactly?" King Askel asked in a pained tone.
Zariah heaved a quiet sigh, she knew King Askel did not approve of her thods but then, between herself and him... she was the only one who truly knew what was at stake.
"This is not just about the Sea Kingdom Askel...it affects the entire supernatural realm. The Crimson Moon cannot stay out of it." Zariah said seriously.
King Askel’s seed about to say sothing but decided against it and lowered his gaze,
"Just say it..." Zariah said to him.
"Will anything I say change your mind? Will you listen to ? Will you consider my words? My feelings? How much it breaks
to see you in pain? How terrified I am that I could lose you?" King Askel asked in a low tone.
Zariah’s heart skipped multiple beats at his words but mostly at the vulnerability he displayed before her.
The fact that a King as he was, he was willing to let her see his weaknesses, his pains and his hurts...all of which it seed she was the cause of.
"There is your duty to Crimson Moon, and then your duty to the supernatural realm...you were willing to toss
aside for them, is there a need to ask where I stand now?" King Askel asked rhetorically.
Zariah bit her lip, her heart constricting painfully as King Askel lowered his gaze again.
’Why...why can he affect
so? Why does seeing him this way hurt so badly? Why do I feel this intense, overwhelming urge to comfort him? To assure him that he is more...’ Zariah thought to herself as her hands clenched into fists.
Zariah’s eyes fluttered closed as she sucked in a deep breath to steel her heart, forcing her legs to move, she headed to her door, hoping to escape this situation and the feelings King Askel stirred in her heart.
"I love you Mhíjani... God’s! I love you." King Askel’s quietly uttered words reached Zariah, freezing her in her steps.
Zariah’s heart was beating so fast, she could hear the beat audibly in her own ears and while her head scread for her to get herself together...her heart seed to have the upper hand.
Zariah growled beneath her breath as she spun around and stord back to King Askel, stopping right before him, Zariah stood on her toes, her right arm slinging over his neck and pulling his lips down to hers.
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