The squad looked for one last time at the remains of the queen and the locals. They turned and walked through the settlement, forgotten by time. It was tragic. They could imagine the locals celebrating and enjoying their victory, but it was far from the harsh reality. They were the ghosts of the past.

  Soon, they left the settlement and walked up to the cave. Their belongings were present there. It was dark. The throne and the walls were covered in moss.

  They hadn’t eaten or slept for the past two days. So they decided to rest tonight. But suddenly, the unexpected happened.

  Felmer grabbed his bag and stopped in his tracks. Familiar sounds began to reverberate in his mind. It took him a while to realise what the sound was. It was a song. A song he had heard in his childhood. The Song of the Angels. It was a heinous, depressing sound—nothing like angels. With the sound, he felt a presence. The presence of a person. He was far away, but he could still sense the pressure. He looked ahead and couldn’t see Melfer anywhere.

  Felmer immediately left the cave and saw Melfer standing still, staring at the mountain’s peak. He looked like he was hypnotised. Felmer got closer and felt something bizarre. Melfer slowly looked down and then at Felmer.

  “Are you alright?” Felmer asked, worried.

  Melfer stared deep into his eyes and replied. “Yes…Just tired…” His voice felt different.

  Felmer looked at him, then glanced at the peak covered in fog. He looked down and saw a narrow path leading up the mountain. Felmer took a deep breath and went for it. But suddenly, a hand tightly grabbed his arm. It was Melfer.

  “Don’t!” Melfer said, his face tense and worried. He felt like the Melfer he knew. “I am telling you. Don’t go there…”

  Soon, the rest of the squad joined them. They looked at them, confused. Elna came close and asked.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Melfer let go of Felmer’s arm and stood straight. Slightly nodding in rejection.

  “No…Nothing…” Melfer said.

  Felmer grabbed his head. The sounds were becoming tense and loud. He had to go to the peak.

  “I have been hearing the Song of the Angels in my head. And the presence of a person on that peak. We have to check it out.”

  “That song? It was the worst ever…” The captain said with a weird face.

  “You must be tired…It is unsafe in the dark…” Elna proclaimed.

  “Yes, I am tired. But I am not lying…It is better to check than to die in sleep. None of us is in a condition to fight. All of us are tired.” Felmer shot back.

  They looked at his face and his eyes. He wasn’t lying.

  “If there is danger, it is better not to approach it…” Melfer rejected his idea. He was hiding something.

  “It is better to face rather than die quietly in sleep,” Felmer responded.

  They thought about it and decided to follow Felmer’s idea. He was on point.

  They grabbed their weapons, made a fire torch and then hiked up the mountain. Climbing the misty mountain, after a while, they were on the dense, dark, and flat peak of the mountain. It was higher than they had expected. On the other side was another island, between which was a strip of sea.

  As they arrived, they looked around. Felmer was still feeling the presence, now stronger.

  “Split up…” Melfer mumbled in a heavy voice.

  Only Felmer noticed it. He asked him. “You said something?”

  “Me? We…Should split…” Melfer said. He sounded like someone forced those words out of him.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Split and search. Hmm…Seems a good idea.” Elna thought about it.

  Felmer ignored his weird behaviour and approved. “Fine…We will split. Me and Mefler. Sister Elna, you alone, the rest together.”

  The squad nodded and went their way. Felmer and Melfer headed ahead and entered an open area in the middle of the trees. Felmer looked around him. He wasn’t hearing the song anymore. But he could feel the heavy presence.

  Elna walked into the dense forest and began to search. She was alert. Her knife was in her hand. She suddenly heard a ruffle behind her. She turned and saw Melfer, but he looked old and different. She reached for him, and suddenly he vanished. She stopped, then suddenly felt something pierce her heart. Blood rushed out of her mouth, and she placed her hands on her chest. She looked at her hands and saw blood, then saw a blade running through her chest from behind. The golden thread pattern of the sword glowed brightly.

  Suddenly, Felmer heard a sound from where Elna had gone. He turned and saw birds flying from the trees. The presence of the mysterious man vanished instantly.

  ‘Birds don’t fly in the dark…’ He thought.

  Felmer could sense something was wrong. He again heard a ruffle and turned back. Melfer was searching the bushes. He looked at Felmer and walked a few steps towards him. Then suddenly he stopped. He looked behind him, and his eyes opened with fear.

  “FELMER!” He shouted, and a golden thread came at him.

  A golden thread flew past Felmer, hit Melfer and tied him against a tree. Felmer immediately turned and was punched hard in the face. He flew back and crashed into a tree.

  Felmer coughed and looked above. A man clad in black clothes with golden lining on them. His eyes were gold. Just like that of Melfer. Felmer was too tired to fight back. He looked above and saw a sword in his hands. Blood dripping from it. Felmer understood. He immediately went for his sword. But the man reacted fast, and his sword cut through Felmer’s left palm.

  The badge reacted and instantly healed his wound. The man chuckled and smirked. He grabbed Felmer by the collar and again punched him in the face. He repeated and threw him to the ground. The man grabbed him by the neck and bashed his face into the ground. The jewel could heal his external injuries, but not his internal wounds. Felmer was too tired and low on blood.

  The man grabbed him again and threw Felmer towards the edge of the mountain. The man walked slowly towards him.

  “What happened prince? Tired?” The man asked, mockingly.

  Felmer looked at him. He could sense that the man was overwhelmingly powerful. Even beyond the queen. Someone of the calibre of General Irfika.

  “Who…” Felmer coughed. “Who the heck are you?”

  “Folker Korloff. I am sure you have heard about me.” Folker smiled at Felmer, mocking him.

  ‘Folker! The mage Folker? But he was supposed to be dead 30 years ago!’ Felmer thought.

  Folker was a mage of Falvaria whom General Irfika killed 30 years ago. He wasn’t supposed to be here.

  “But you were a legend!” Felmer replied.

  Folker laughed. “I am still a legend,” He laughed menacingly.

  Felmer went for the badge in his pocket, but it wasn’t there. Felmer looked up and saw the badge in Folker’s hands. He never realised that. Folker took out an orange jewel and placed it in the badge. It was the fourth jewel.

  “This would be a good thanks for a friend…” Folker said, admiring the badge.

  Felmer understood that the friend was the king.

  Folker looked at Mefler. He was struggling to get out of the ropes and help Felmer.

  “You took good care of my childhood self’s clone,” Folker said, looking at Melfer.

  Melfer looked down. His truth revealed. Felmer was shocked. It hit him like an arrow. He couldn’t believe those words.

  “What?” Felmer asked lightly, still processing what he heard.

  “Well, he tried to stop you. But you never listened.” Folker said and crouched. “You took good care of him, so I won’t kill you with my weapons. Oddly, I lost control of him. Well, these jewels aren’t perfect.”

  The clone formation was a power of the fourth jewel.

  Felmer tried to stand, but Folker kicked him with force, and Felmer was pushed back. He rolled and was about to fall from the mountain. But he grabbed the edge and stopped his fall. Felmer was hanging. His fingers were delaying his death.

  “I have been resurrected to achieve vengeance against the Devil’s Master.”

  The captain sat beside the tree. His head was bleeding, and he was partially unconscious. Lelis had killed Folker’s clone. Benny was scared. Flexin was holding his hand. Lelis knew where the real one would be.

  “Stay here!” Lelis ordered Flexin and Benny and ran towards where Felmer was.

  Folker felt a presence and turned. Lelis stood there, her rifle aimed at his head.

  “Don’t do that, miss. You would regret it…” Folker commanded.

  Lelis gave her a deaf ear. She loaded and fired. Folker tilted his head and dodged the bullet. He moved his finger, and a golden rope emerged. It whipped her on the face, and she fell.

  Felmer couldn’t think of anything. Suddenly, a thought ran through his mind.

  ‘If you can’t kill them. Take them with you…’

  He summoned all his strength, pulled himself up forcefully, and kicked Folker. Folker toppled forward. Folker turned around, but Felmer drew his knife and pierced it through Folker’s cheeks. He grabbed Folker's right arm, twisted it, and held it against his back. Felmer then took out his other knife, stabbed it into Folker's right hand, and pinned the hand to his back. Felmer placed his right leg between Folker’s legs and looked at Lelis.

  Lelis looked at Felmer. Her vision became clear, and slowly she understood what her fiancé was going to do. She wanted to stop him, but she was out of time.

  Felmer looked at her, smiled and winked.

  Then he pushed himself back with his left leg, and both Felmer and Folker fell. Lelis ran towards the peak and peeked down. She could see nothing in the fog. She fell on her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks.