A Calm Night and the Island’s Hidden Secret
Arkin moved silently into the bathroom and washed himself. Once he had dried his hair and slipped beneath the covers, he realized with a jolt of surprise that the fear of lying on this bed was gone. Every night when he closed his eyes, the nightmare that had haunted him—the terrible dreams and the screams—had vanished. He could now rest peacefully, wrapped in the soft warmth of clean sheets and a blanket.
“From now on, do not look at Serena. Do not speak to her, do not meet her eyes. I’m so jealous it hurts, as if she’s trying to steal what’s mine.”
Arkin’s lips curled upward as he turned over. There was no one else around, yet he buried his face in the pillow, cheeks flushing as if someone might see.
“You met her plenty when you were young—don’t you think you can stop looking now?”
What kind of nonsense was that…
In the darkness, a soft, delighted laugh slipped out.
Arkin recalled the moment he had parted from Nefetia. He had stroked the back of her lips that still bore the imprint of his kiss and whispered over and over, “It meant nothing,” “There is not the slightest trace left of Serena.” Only then had he been able to send her away.
Tomorrow morning in the dining hall, what expression should he wear when he faced her? If he hugged her too tightly when no one was looking and got caught, he had no idea what would happen. He could not hold back.
Painless, comfortable sleep. The thrilling afterglow of their stolen night together. Nefetia’s adorable jealousy, which warmed his heart. At this moment, Arkin felt happier than he could ever remember. He had been standing on the edge of a thin sheet of ice, unsure when it would break, but now he had planted his feet firmly on solid ground.
What are you doing right now, Nefetia? Are you lying in bed, thinking of me? Or did you already fall asleep? I hope there will be days when we fall asleep together and wake up together…
As drowsiness pulled him under, consciousness was fading. Arkin suddenly remembered Draconis and Serena standing in the darkness of the night.
Why were they there at that exact moment? It was too stiff, too threatening to be a simple lovers’ rendezvous. Had Serena discovered some weakness in him? Something strange was happening between the Fire Kingdom and Lakeium…
Yet the suspicions that rose within him could not defeat the wave of sleep. His eyelids sank softly.
Fine. Let worries and doubts wait until tomorrow. Right now, what mattered most was this peaceful sleep he had not felt in a long time. Arkin soon slipped into deep, restful slumber.
“What in the world is going on here.”
Half bewilderment, half surprise. Petra muttered as she stared at the tree where she and the other trainees had happily picked apples the day before.
“We definitely picked apples here yesterday and ate them. Right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Amalfi nodded, equally bewildered. A few tiny apples had already formed on the very same tree Elio had shaken the night before.
“That’s strange. Did someone cast a spell all night?”
Amid the buzzing trainees, Nefetia stepped in. One step behind, she finally understood and stopped dead, eyes widening.
What…? In just one day?
It was not only the apple tree. All the surrounding trees were heavy with flowers and fruit that had not been there the day before.
“Eh?”
Nefetia’s hand, stretched out hesitantly, had barely touched the flower tree when she felt a faint, almost imperceptible wave. She glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. Thankfully, no one else seemed aware of this strange connection between her and the tree.
Could it be…
She reached out again. The wave grew a little stronger than before. It was definitely real.
“Look, the island is happy because of us!”
That night, right after they had shared a bed and left the Crystal Cave, Nefetia had felt the forest atmosphere change. The flower scent had grown thick enough to choke her breath. Colorful butterflies had surrounded the two of them as if blessing them.
Is it really possible that the island is happy?
Even if no one would believe her, Nefetia accepted the idea seriously. What could be impossible? She had only discovered her Hetasept after the island had just welcomed them.
Moreover, the wave she had felt the moment she touched the flower tree was exactly the same mysterious sensation that had greeted her during her first meeting with Arkin.
Unlike the outside world, where people feared magic or spells, the priests here seemed comfortable with it. During the opening ceremony, High Priest Valdemar had used magic without hesitation to decorate the pillars. When Serena confronted him, Seneca had unrolled a contract scroll with a flick of his wrist and pulled it away. So perhaps the mysterious influence worked even better here.
In short, if Arkin and I share a bed, the entire island will bloom with flowers and fruit…
Maybe. Arkin might not believe her, but it would be good to share the idea.
Just then, someone tapped Nefetia on the shoulder from behind.
“Nefetia.”
When she turned, she saw a pair of violet eyes.
“Zafiri?”
The prince of the Vine Kingdom stood with none of his usual mischief left.
“We’ll talk later. Alone.” He pointed toward the garden filled with every kind of plant and whispered,
“I’ve found something interesting.” ***
“Did everyone enjoy breakfast?”
Seneca looked unusually tired that morning, even though he never bothered to hide his weariness.
“We were supposed to do a collaborative lesson in the Death Maze today.”
The priest frowned, clearly irritated, and announced that the schedule had been completely changed.
“The High Priest suddenly altered the timetable. He said there might be an unavoidable accident, like during the last aptitude test, and forbade entry into the maze for safety reasons.”
“Tsk, even thinking about it makes me angry,” Seneca sighed deeply.
“As I’ve told you before, the Death Maze is perfectly safe. All dangerous paths have been blocked, and with your combined strength you can escape easily.”
“What?”
A few trainees, who had been eagerly awaiting the challenge, protested. Petra raised her hand with a cold expression.
“Seneca, what are we supposed to do today, then?”
“We… prepared a topic, but the maze is off-limits, so we’ll write a poem.”
“A! Just do the maze!”
“That’s boring!”
Yells erupted from all sides. Kaichen, who could never stay still, was especially frustrated.
“The lesson is taught by Seneca, but what does the High Priest have to do with it? Valdemar isn’t even watching—we should just go to the maze.”
Seneca’s face twisted in displeasure. “Enough. Even I want to do the maze, but the higher-ups forbid it. As I said, I can’t do anything about it.”
While the blame was directed at the absent Valdemar, Arkin studied Seneca closely. Even though the priest grumbled, he did not seem the type to openly clash with his superiors in front of the trainees. Had their relationship soured after Valdemar grabbed him by the throat during the aptitude test?
“Quiet, quiet! Even a lord’s virtues require literary talent.”
Seneca scattered the complaining trainees under the shade of the trees. There was no set topic, so he watched the wind-tossed branches and the strangely smiling grass, then sighed. Never mind.
“The topic is ‘Nature’.”
The trainees slowly lowered their heads and began the first poem they had ever written. Only then did Seneca turn and walk toward the highest rock. His stern gaze fixed on the distant roof, his face grew harsh.
…Crazy old man.
He bit his lip in irritation. He had never particularly liked the High Priest, but last night’s sudden summons and demand to cancel the maze lesson still bothered him.
“High Priest, the maze test is very important in the training process…”
“When did you start questioning my orders? Close your mouth and cancel it. If your safety is threatened again, there will be no turning back.”
“We’ve already finished preparations. Only a few days ago I checked the wards. You saw it yourself, High Priest—why the sudden change?”
“I said no!”
Valdemar slammed the table. Seneca’s suspicions grew sharper. The man he had known was never this calm. He had always been high-handed, but this level of loss of control was new.
Valdemar was a man who used clever words to escape trouble and secretly punished those who angered him. The way he had suddenly lost his composure after only a few days was deeply unsettling.
Seneca remembered the beginning: the aptitude test. He had felt uneasy but had not suspected the High Priest. As total supervisor, Valdemar’s anger was understandable.
But then…
Valdemar had grilled Titus and Tilly, learned too many details about how the trainees had reacted to the aptitude potion. He claimed he needed accurate information to explain the situation to each kingdom, yet his curiosity had clearly been excessive.
And now? He had finished all preparations for the maze and demanded they not even approach it? Without any explanation, ordering them so aggressively?
Something was clearly happening on this island that Valdemar did not know about. Not knowing exactly what or why made the frustration unbearable.
As Seneca turned to leave, he collided with the Solinar prince who had just stood up.
“Ah, finished?”
Seneca’s eyes, which had casually accepted a neatly written scroll, flicked over Arkin.
“P-Priest Seneca. The High Priest was asking so insistently that I just said I didn’t know.”
“Good. Titus. Stop causing trouble. We’ll keep this between us for now.”
The trainee who had been the most curious about how Arkin had reacted to the aptitude potion and the one who had paid the most attention to the World Alliance’s pillar, the successor of the Solinar Kingdom.
…Arkin Seilir.