"Artasel?!" Leah said, her eyes wide open. She had heard that word before.
Seeing her reaction, Allay sighed, having expected this response.
"I'm not surprised you remember the name of this world, Princess."
Yoan, with a sharp look, eyed Allay skeptically.
"So… Leah is the Princess of Artasel?"
Allay answered Yoan, still calm and elegant.
"Yes. Please follow me. You'll get a proper explanation at the royal palace."
Everyone was in shock—except for Allay and Cloack, who already knew the truth.
The seven of them—Leah, the Heir of Life; Anna, the Heir of Grace; Yoan, the Heir of War; Lucas, the Heir of Strength; and Amos, the Heir of the Void—stood with Allay and Cloack atop a massive building. From there, they had a panoramic view of Artasel.
The world was vast. The city they were in was far more advanced than anything back home—towering luminous skyscrapers, sleek modern houses, and reflective glass structures mirroring the blue sky. Strange flying vehicles zipped through the air. The population was sparse, the pedestrians looking mostly human, unlike Allay and Cloack, who looked different even if they are natives of this world.
But what stood out most was the sensation each Heir felt—something in the very air resonated with their bodies, boosting their strength, as if the world itself was empowering them.
Amos, who had been injured after overusing his powers in the duel with Allay, suddenly felt a surge of energy. He straightened up from Leah's shoulder, looking much stronger.
"You're okay now?" Leah asked, surprised.
Stretching his shoulders, Amos nodded, just as puzzled.
"Yeah… It feels like my body started regenerating after we crossed that portal."
Leah's expression softened. She smiled, her voice gentler, relieved.
"Good. I won't always be there to take care of you, you know."
Amos rolled his eyes, a small smirk creeping across his lips.
"Pfft. Please, it's not like I needed a nanny."
Anna, who had been listening behind them, startled the two by suddenly leaning on their shoulders.
"You two seem pretty close," she said in a teasing tone.
Leah and Amos looked at each other, realized their proximity, and immediately jumped apart. Anna laughed.
"Relax, I'm just teasing."
She looked around, taking in the scenery.
"This place is… so different. And this strange feeling…"
Amos snapped back to his senses, then glanced around, reflecting on her words.
"This world is huge… so different from ours. And this sensation..."
He looked to the other Heirs. They, too, were mesmerized. Their faces showed the same realization—that this world was somehow empowering them, their energy blending into the environment.
Yoan turned to Allay, curious.
"Allay, is this feeling—"
He was cut off by the sudden arrival of a flying platform. It was metallic, futuristic yet simple, powered by several reactors that emitted an unfamiliar but pure energy.
Amos, noticing it, narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze back to the city below.
"This world... it isn't polluted. It doesn't run on fossil fuels, nor electricity. Everything here is powered by the same energy that fills the air—the same kind of energy I feel in my aura, in all of us..."
Before he could continue, Allay interrupted.
"Board the transport. It will take us to the royal palace."
Allay stepped on first, followed one by one by the Heirs. Amos was the last, with Cloack close behind.
The platform flew towards a majestic palace, made of the same reflective materials as the surrounding buildings. Amos watched it approach, then glanced at Leah.
"So… she's the heir to the throne of this place."
Flying over the city, the platform slowly descended toward the palace entrance. When it landed, everyone stepped off one by one. Two guards stood by the doors, dressed in elegant white military uniforms—modern, lightweight, and clean.
Amos glanced at them, impressed."Even the royal guards look this advanced..."
Allay stepped forward. The guards, maintaining a professional demeanor, greeted him respectfully.
"Welcome back, Guardian Allay. May we ask the reason for your visit?"
"I've come with the Heirs… and the Princess," Allay replied, tilting his head slightly toward the group.
The guards nodded and opened the doors. Everyone followed Allay inside. Cloack entered last. Upon seeing him, the guards seemed visibly more tense than before, lowering their heads in respect.
"R-relieved to see you again, Guardian Cloack," one of them stammered.
Allay smiled gently as he passed but still responded, casually:
"The pleasure is mine."
Amos, watching the scene from the corner of his eye, raised an eyebrow, curious.
What the hell did Cloack do to them to make them react like that? He's even keeping his aura suppressed inside the palace...
They walked down the palace's grand corridors—elegant, vast, and glowing with quiet power.
The further they walked, the more familiar it felt to Leah. Amos, noticing the look in her eyes, stepped closer.
"Something wrong?"
Leah, lost in thought as she stared at the décor, turned to him slowly.
"No… It's just... this place feels so familiar."
Amos gave her a sly smile.
"Well, you are the princess here. You probably spent a few years of your childhood in this castle."
Leah turned back toward the halls, her face full of questions.
"Really…?"
Suddenly, Allay stopped. Everyone followed suit.
"We're here."
Leah looked ahead and saw two people dressed in royal attire—a man and a woman.
And then, it all came back to her.
Memories of her childhood in this palace came flooding back. Playing with her parents and the maids. Running through the halls, laughing. Her mother brushing her hair. Her father lifting her into the air and spinning her around. And that one painful memory… standing before a giant blue portal, her parents tearfully apologizing, begging her to find someone named Vanessa.
Leah's eyes filled with tears. She remembered everything the amnesia had taken.
"Dad? Mom?"
She ran into their arms. They embraced her tightly, both crying as well. Her father's voice was soft, protective, relieved.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. You must've suffered so much."
Her mother spoke too, her voice trembling.
"Forgive us… We had no choice."
Leah, crying in their arms, replied, voice shaking but comforted.
"As long as you're here… I'm okay now."
The other Heirs were moved by the scene—except Lucas, who, as always, looked bored.
Amos shot him a death glare, causing Lucas to immediately lower his head. Then Amos turned back to Leah and her parents, smiling faintly.
"I'm glad she found them."
But deep down, he felt it—that emotion he hated so much. Watching Leah reunite with her family made him feel alone again. No one could understand him...
"I should be happy for her..."
Allay broke the moment.
"I'm sorry, but we need to head to Sovereign to meet the Souverains."
Leah slowly pulled away from her parents. Her mother spoke gently:
"We must go, dear. Come on."
Leah, beside her parents, followed Allay. The others followed behind.
Amos watched her, frustration etched on his face. His thoughts twisted in on themselves. He knew he should be happy… but he wasn't.
"She's slipping away... Is she going to abandon me? Forget me? Just treat me like some random orphan now?"
Yoan, noticing Amos's troubled expression, approached.
"You okay, Amos?"
Amos, surprised, replied
"Yeah… Actually, no. I'm scared Leah won't see me the same way anymore. I'm probably just a nobody to her now..."
Yoan gently tapped his shoulder, voice steady.
"Look, even though I haven't known you both for long, Leah doesn't seem like that kind of person. I've noticed—you mean a lot to her. You two share something unbreakable, Amos. Trust her."
Amos, comforted by his words, realized he was right.
"You're right. Thanks."
"Don't thank me. It's what friends do."
Amos smiled back, unused to kindness from anyone other than Leah, or the director Vanessa… or Nike.
Allay, still leading the group, approached another portal—this one glowing purple. It was larger, mounted on a massive frame, and heavily guarded.
They entered one by one.
As they exited, Amos shielded his eyes from the brightness. When his vision adjusted, he saw they were on a floating island, high above the clouds. At its center stood a colossal palace, radiating a powerful energy that made everyone exept Allay and Cloack shiver.
They entered one by one. Amos lingered outside with Cloack, who remained at his side.
Inside were four entities, each exuding a pressure far beyond Allay or Cloack. They were seated on distinct thrones, each accompanied by beings similar to Allay and Cloack—except for one entity on it's throne, which stood alone. and, there was too 4 other empty throne, without anyone on.
The first was a woman with long golden hair, soft brown eyes, and a radiant green dress symbolizing life.
The second, a red-haired woman with deep crimson eyes, wore an elegant yet powerful armor that hugged her frame.
The third was a man with pale white hair and a scar running across his cheek. His battle-worn armor told of countless fights. His throne stood alone—perhaps Allay belonged therewith him.
The fourth was a younger man with long beige hair and vivid yellow eyes. He sat lazily, a bored expression on his face, dressed casually.
Allay and Leah's parents knelt. The others instinctively followed. Only Amos and Cloack remained outside.
Allay greeted the entities with reverence.
"My lords, I bring the Heirs before you."
The scarred man nodded, pleased.
"Good, Allay. I knew I could trust my Guardian."
But Allay's smile was strained. He had something more to say.
"Also—"
His words were cut off by the heavy echo of footsteps. Amos entered, his steps resonating through the chamber with Cloack following behind.
The Sovereigns turned toward the sound, and their expressions changed. Fear. Awe. Disbelief.
"Allay… don't tell me…"
Allay clenched his jaw, reluctant but resolute.
"Yes, my lord… He is the Heir of the Void."
End of the chapter 10