Predestined Meeting Part 6

Was Zaine with the princess when she destroyed Zrephia? What the hell is he talking about? Is he lying? I can't understand what his intentions are.

"Explain yourself, Dagrol!" My voice was low but thick with barely contained anger, "What do you mean Zaine was with the princess when Zrephia was destroyed?"

Dagrol just smirked, his eyes gleaming with mockery. It made my blood boil, "You should ask Zaine about that. After all, I don't want to ruin the moment for her. I guess she deserves it after waiting for you for hundreds of years."

I clenched my fists, glaring at Dagrol, "Enough with your games! What are you talking about? Zaine has been waiting for me for hundreds of years!? That's impossible!"

Dagrol tilted his head, his eyes dancing maliciously, "Ah, you truly are hopelessly naive. Still, I don't blame you. Your protector died shortly after your birth at the hands of the demon king Ziges without being able to tell you the whole truth."

M-My protector? ...Die shortly after my birth? Someone who died shortly after my birth? ...Only one person close to me died in those conditions. M-My father...

I felt a chill run through my entire body. That made me remember Duke Vanth mentioning my father's name. Just how do they know him? Is Dagrol implying that the demon king Ziges killed my father?

"Are you talking about my father?" I asked, trying to raise my head to meet Dagrol's gaze; however, the sword on my neck prevented me from making sudden movements.

"Your father?" Dagrol asked, looking confused.

"You're referring to Azriel, aren't you?" I said, upset, "He was the only person who died shortly after my birth. Don't try to hide it! Duke Vanth mentioned his name. How do you know my father? Was it really the Demon King Ziges who killed him?"

"BUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" Dagrol let out a scandalous laugh.

"What's so funny...?" I snapped, my voice rising, "ANSWER ME!! STOP DODGING THE QUESTION AND—"

A sharp sting interrupted me. Eldrin's blade pressed harder against my neck. Warm blood trickled down, trailing over my collarbone.

"You're treading on thin ice, boy," Dagrol hissed. His playful demeanor evaporated, replaced by an evil sneer. He took a single, menacing step forward. With surprising strength, he grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head upward. Pain lanced through my scalp as his face loomed dangerously close to mine.

"You are not in a position to demand anything. I thought someone so intimately tied to Zaine would at least have some manners," Dagrol growled, his voice low and dripping with menace. His fingers tightened, sending a fresh wave of pain through my skull, "You're the one Zaine waited for, the one for whom hundreds died. Yet here you are—ignorant, demanding, and utterly pathetic."

Hundreds? For me? My mind reeled, trying to make sense of his accusation. He keeps saying things that I can't understand.

I swallowed hard, suppressing the urge to shout back, "If I'm so ignorant, why don't you enlighten me?" I managed through gritted teeth, "You seem to know a lot, so why don't you tell me once and for all everything you know, and we'll stop beating around the bush? Maybe that way I can understand why you hate me so much?"

"Me? Hating you?" Dagrol said with a bit of surprise, "What makes you think that?"

"You may try to hide it, but I can see it in the way you look at me, "I replied, my heart racing with defiance, "You look at me with even more hate than a guy I knew named Kase, who did everything he could to make my life miserable. At least with him, I could half understand why he hated me, but with you, I don't have the slightest idea. So tell me? What are you blaming me for? And why do you hate me so much?"

What I said caused a reaction I didn't expect. Dagrol stood silently, lost in thought, when suddenly his grip became stronger. I felt like he was about to crack my skull with his hand. I managed to take a quick look at his face, which was disfigured with anger.

"WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

All I could do was try to get his hand away from my face, but his arm was absurdly strong. It was like trying to move a wall.

"WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Then, all of a sudden, Dagrol's grip faltered, his expression flashing with something raw—pure hate —but it was gone before I could place it. He released me abruptly.

Dagrol straightened his posture, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his cloaths. The eerie elegance returned, "My, my... It is not common for me to lose my sanity. I almost made an irreparable mistake and threw all my plans in the trash." Dagrol said, talking to himself.

"You're right, Darx. I really hate you," Dagrol continued, his voice smooth yet filled with venom, "However, I will keep the reason a secret for now. I will give you credit for how bold you are, given your circumstances. Although, I suppose someone needs to be bold or very stupid to make a trip like the one you made sneaking into enemy territory and getting here. Dagrol's lips curled into a wry smile, "You'll have your answers, boy. But not from me."

It was hard to see, but Dagrol strode to the edge of the circular room. With a dramatic sweep of his arm, he removed a black cloth draped over an ornate mirror. The frame was dark and intricate, its carvings resembling writhing serpents that seemed almost alive in the flickering torchlight.

At first, it appeared to be a regular mirror, reflecting the dim room, but then my breath caught in my throat.

Within the glass, I saw her. Zaine.

Her image wasn't a reflection of the **** figure chained behind me—it was something else entirely. She lay in darkness, her body limp on the floor, surrounded by darkness. Her face was pale, her features serene yet unsettlingly lifeless.

"What... what is this?" My voice trembled, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Dagrol glanced over his shoulder, his smirk returning with cruel satisfaction, "Beautiful, isn't it? One of Zrephia's greatest creations: the Soul Mirror," He gestured toward it, "Your precious Zaine's soul—trapped inside."

"W-What? How can her... how can her soul be in there?" I turned to look at the Zaine behind me, her body slumped, chained, and unmoving. My chest tightened, "She's right here!"

Dagrol chuckled darkly, stepping closer to the mirror, his fingers brushing its frame with a reverent touch, "This mirror doesn't reflect what's in front of it. It has the amazing power to capture someone's soul," He tapped the glass lightly, and the image of Zaine shimmered as if ripples spread across water.

I struggled to breathe, "Y-You're saying... her soul is in there?"

"Precisely," Dagrol replied, "A marvel of Zrephian ingenuity. Once captured, the soul is completely severed from its body. Oh, don't worry—the body remains alive, though rather useless without its essence," He motioned to Zaine's limp form, "Even if you manage to take her body, she will never wake, never speak, never be... unless I decide otherwise."

A sickening wave of dread washed over me, "You did this?" My voice was barely audible, my hands trembling. "You're the one who locked her soul in there?"

"I did," He spread his arms as if basking in his own brilliance, "It was a necessary step. As I told you before, Ziges failed the ritual to become the Demon King—a feat that Zaine successfully accomplished. When Zaine succeeded in the ritual to become the Demon King, her power became invaluable. But transferring that power to Ziges required... precision. A delicate, time-consuming process. Separating her soul was essential to extract her power. But not only that. The process is dangerous, and it is very likely that Zaine's body would die, so keeping her soul inside the mirror also served as a contingency should her body... fail. I created this process, the means by which Ziges might ascend. Luckily, Zaine's body turned out to be more resistant than expected and is still alive, although, as you can see, she is on her last legs."

I clenched my fists, anger and disbelief bubbling to the surface, "You're playing with her life. With her soul. You talk about her as if she's nothing but a tool to you."

"A tool?" Dagrol sneered, stepping closer, "No, Darx. You couldn't be more wrong. Zaine is the most important thing to me. And I assure you, I have no intention of letting her die. Should her body falter, her soul can simply... move on to another vessel."

I recoiled, horror flooding my veins, "You're saying you'd... you'd put her in another body?"

"Why not?" Dagrol's smirk returned, twisted and malevolent, "This is not my real body either. I threw away my original body some time ago. Thanks to this mirror, it is possible to transfer the soul from one body to another. In short, it is essentially an eternal life. Now, I hold her fate in my hands."

My breathing was ragged, my thoughts a storm of fear and fury. I glanced at Zaine's body behind me, **** and bound by those chains, then my eyes drifted back to the mirror, where her soul shimmered like a ghostly echo.

"What are your plans for Zaine and me now? You're not just going to let us walk away, are you?" My voice, low and filled with suspicion, broke the silence.

"As I said, Darx," Dagrol replied smoothly, "I have no intention of killing either of you. Zaine is valuable to me. Same for you, although for a different reason," He waved a hand dismissively, "I'll let you take her once I return her soul to her body."

I ground my teeth together, struggling to keep my composure, "You're just letting us go? Do you think I will believe you?"

Dagrol didn't flinch; his eyes still locked on me, "It doesn't really matter what you think or believe."

"Why? You are working for the demon king, right!? You even helped dethrone Zaine and then stole her power by keeping her locked up in this place. Are you betraying the Demon King Ziges now?" I asked.

Dagrol's expression turned colder, "Betray him? You could say that. I already did. Look in that direction," Dagrol said, pointing his finger to the north of the room.

Eldrin moved the sword slightly away from my throat so I could turn and see what Dagrol was referring to. At first, it was difficult for me to see through the dark room, but when I focused, I managed to see someone. Someone's body was lying on the ground. As I focused better, I was able to see that it was a body covered in blood. It was the corpse of a demon.

"What? Who is...?"

"He was a demon general," Dagrol replied, "The Demon King sent him to help me, knowing that you would come in this direction after the news that you managed to kill Duke Vanth reached his ears. As you can tell, your presence has him a little paranoid. In fact, I felt a little offended to see that he had sent me help."

A general? That means that his level was similar to that of Duke Vanth.

"You killed him?" I asked.

"Indeed," Dagrol replied without any concern, "Or rather, I had my pet take care of him. After all, his presence would ruin our meeting. Ziges is of no consequence to me anymore. He is but a means to an end. Now it's time to focus on what's next."

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

A humorless laugh escaped Dagrol, "My ambitions are far grander, far more... interesting of what Ziges can offer me. To get what I want, I must help you now, and letting you take Zaine from my hands is part of that," Dagrol turned to look at the mirror, "You did a good job defeating Vanth; however, you are still far from the level of the Demon King. You will need Zaine, and she will need you."

"Just what are your goals, then? What do you want from me?" I asked, unable to understand what was going on in his head.

Dagrol looked at me, a twisted amusement dancing across his features, "What I want is simple for now: to observe. To watch as everything falls into place," He smiled, "It's about what comes next, Darx. Everything that's happening is unfolding according to Ziges' plan. But there's one variable that could disrupt it—you."

My stomach twisted, "What do you mean by that?"

Dagrol stepped back, "The confrontation, Darx. You and Ziges. It is inevitable. It was destined long before you were born. You are the final piece in this game, and it all ends with you and Ziges facing each other. You and Ziges. The clash. The battle. It's been set for hundreds of years."

I glanced at him, my mind racing, "You just want to watch us destroy each other? You don't care who wins? You just want to see the fight?"

"Answering you would ruin the surprise," Dagrol responded with a smile that gave me chills, "The next time we meet will be if you manage to defeat the Demon King. By then, you should already know the whole story, and it will be time to reveal my true intentions. In the meantime, it would be advisable for you to become stronger."

Then Dagrol moved toward the mirror. I tried to see what he was doing, but Eldrin stepped in, his broad frame blocking my view. My frustration simmered, but I couldn't act—not with his sword in my throat. I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body tense as I waited, helpless, watching sudden faint glimmers of light dance around the edges of Eldrin's figure.

Then, from behind Eldrin, a soft blue light emanated, delicate yet piercing, in the dimly lit room. It floated from the direction of the mirror to behind me, where Zaine was.

Dagrol stepped back into view, his expression unreadable as he turned to me, "There," He announced with calm satisfaction, "Her soul has been returned to her body."

"Y-You actually returned it?" I asked, suspicion still laced in my voice.

Dagrol ignored the question, instead continuing in his cold, matter-of-fact tone, "Ziges has already stolen all the power Zaine gained from the ritual. What remains is her original strength—considerable, yes, but far less than what it once was. And yet…" He glanced at Zaine's still figure, "Due to the experiments I conducted on her, she has lost all memory."

"Lost all memory?" My voice cracked, the weight of his words crashing into me.

Is that the reason why Zaine couldn't remember anything in our encounters in the world of darkness? He did that to her? Does it mean that she will still have no memory even if she wakes up?

Dagrol's expression didn't change, nor did his tone, "What has been done cannot be undone. Whether you succeed in restoring her memories or not is now your responsibility."

"You bastard..." My hands trembled as my mind raced.

Dagrol raised a hand, signaling to Eldrin, who removed his sword from my neck and moved to Zaine's side. Without hesitation, Eldrin cut the chains binding her arms, letting them fall away with a harsh clatter. I caught Zaine's limp body before it could slump to the ground, my heart pounding as I cradled her close.

Her face, so familiar yet so pale, was a stark reminder of how fragile she had become, "W-Will she wake up?" I asked, barely able to get the words out.

"Eventually," Dagrol replied with maddening calmness, "But I would advise you to remain hidden until you can find someone capable of restoring her memories," He tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk curling at his lips, "Consider this my last piece of advice."

My gaze darted up to him, anger bubbling to the surface, "Why?" I demanded, "Why are you doing this? Why let us go? What's your angle?"

Dagrol offered no answers, only a dismissive wave of his hand, "You'll understand in time. Or perhaps you won't. Either way, this is where our paths diverge—for now."

With that, Dagrol turned to Eldrin, "We're finished here," He said, his voice sharp and commanding. Eldrin gave a silent nod, stepping back toward Dagrol's side, " And don't forget the mirror."

Before I could say anything more, some strange blue light emanating from Eldrin enveloped them both and the mirror, their forms distorting and fading as if being erased from existence. In a blink, they were gone.

"Magic of space and time..." I mutter.

The oppressive silence that followed was deafening. I looked down at Zaine in my arms, her chest rising and falling faintly, a fragile sign of life. My thoughts were a chaotic storm—Dagrol's cryptic warnings, Zaine's condition. I clenched my jaw, determination overriding the helplessness threatening to swallow me whole. Whatever Dagrol's twisted game was, whatever he thought he knew about me and Ziges, I wouldn't play by his rules.