The Two Empresses
Depressions

The two now set foot right in front of the Arakawa residence, where Istvan stood at the door while playing with a knife with a gloomy face.

"You're scary, kid," Saciel quipped. Istvan was silent for a moment, then put on a mocking face.

"The boy is now you" replied Istvan. Saciel pouted and folded his hands. "From that, I need to talk to you guys."

"Let's go in" Saciel said as quickly as he could, making the men who saw him laugh. They walked into a greenhouse full of quite dense plants, "don't forget to tell the gardener to tidy up this place."

"Alright, Miss," replied the butler. Some waiters came in and prepared tea and snacks, another one came to give a bottle of milky-white liquid.

"Mrs Claudia advised me to drink this, miss," said the waiter. Saciel grabbed the bottle and downed it just one gulp.

"Wow, without the slightest suspicion" murmured Phillip. Saciel's body slowly grew to its original size without any side effects. The servants rushed over to cover his body with robes as his clothes were torn.

"better. Well, what do you want to say, boy?" saciel Syndicate. Istvan pouted, but could not argue that he was the youngest among the 7 Eternal Wizards. He sighed and looked at Saciel with empty eyes.

"I want to catch my grandmother. Give me permission," Istvan said.

"You should have asked Lao, not me" Saciel replied quickly. Istvan bit his lower lip and rested in front of Saciel. "Hey!"

"Only you can allow me. Lao is currently in the dungeon, Vristhi is not to be disturbed and the only one with the highest power is only you!"

"Julian didn't you count?" ask Phillip.

"No," Istvan replied firmly. Saciel grabbed Istvan and made a gesture for him to sit down, but Istvan refused. "I won't move until you let me."

"Why do you insist on catching Erika?" ask Saciel.

"...because of me, they ran away. I must atone for my sins" said Istvan lirih. Saciel sighed and massaged his head.

"... Phillip, check my dad's workspace and find the book. I'll take care of the ones here first" Saciel said. Phillip nodded and walked out, followed by the servants with anxious faces. "Istvan Garza, look at me."

Istvan was silent, slowly raising his face looking at Saciel. His eyes were nimble, trying to resist the shame of his family's disgrace. Slowly Saciel reached out and stroked his head.

"Istvan, you're in too much of a hurry. Is there something that haunts you?" asked Saciel softly. Istvan sighed and nodded. "Say."

"My extended family blamed me for the failed capture of several elders, especially Erika and Yorktown. My father fell ill when he found out that Grandma had run away from him for doing.coup," replied Istvan bitterly.

"What a pity you are, my little brother. But I can't let you go alone, because I'm sure you can't do it to your relatives. I'll send you with Ilmol, that's my condition" Saciel said.

"But..."

"No, Istvan. You must be accompanied because your emotions are still unstable" said Saciel.

"Sorry to interrupt, but aren't you the same?" bala Istvan plate. Saciel fell silent and turned away.

"Just you have to be with someone else, okay?" saciel diverts. Istvan nodded and sat down, sipping tea with a blank look. "I wonder why Vristhi won't see you."

"I think because Lao was imprisoned in a state..er...dying?" Istvan replied hesitantly. Saciel was astonished, between surprise and disbelief with Istvan's reply.

"You're serious?"

"I'm not lying. Boldstone seemed to know Lao was hit by black magic and he attacked the part until Lao was sprawled," Istvan retorted. Saciel bit the tip of his thumb nail in a fit of anxiety. He stood up and looked at Istvan.

"Nee! Uhee! Help me!" kezia screams with tears in his eyes. Saciel was silent to see it. "Nee?"

"...who are you?" asked Saciel in surprise. Kezia was crying so hard that her glass house started to crack. Saciel, in the fog, tried to find a gap for the young girl before him to stop crying. His eyes caught a cake and rushed to grab it, put it in Kezia's mouth and made her stop crying. "Who are you?"

"It's me nee.hiks, Kezia," Kezia said as she chewed and cried at the same time.

"The girl I know is a 6-year-old boy, not a 16-year-old girl like you" Saciel replied doubtfully. Kezia pouted hearing that. "Okay, let's say I believe you're Kezia. What are you doing here?"

"Nee doesn't believe me" Kezia replied as she wrapped her tail. Saciel was confused.

"Who is he?" Istvan asked with a curious face. Kezia raised her still pouting face. "You remind me of that guy. Who yeah? Oh, for the sake of the humans who intend to kill my grandmother."

"That's my brother, Max. Nee, it's me~," said Kezia half-persuading.

"But how can? You are..still little?" saciel asked confusedly.

"We demi-humans can change our form as we wish, from old to young. We will live a long life" Kezia replied. Saciel sighed hearing that.

"Is that so? Oh, my God, I thought you were a stranger. What do you need to do here and how did you get here?"

"Nee, please nii. He's dying!" answer Kezia. The crying broke back. Saciel immediately hugged him and patted his head softly. "Nero nii isn't home, so I'm asking the witch to help me here."

"...means Nero didn't tell him?" Saciel's murmur.

"Eh?"

"Ah, it's okay Kezia. Okay, what happened to Max?" tanyanya fast.

"Nii.his back is blackened and in pain. Her face was pale and had a high fever" Kezia said with tears in her eyes. "When I forced the royal physician to open his mouth, nii.was hit by black magic."

"I understand, patience, right? We'll find a way to help him. Now remove your tears and calm down, okay?" entertain him while giving a handkerchief. Kezia nodded, took the handkerchief and wiped away the tears and stuffed his nose. "Smart kid."

"Saciel, I found...who is he?" phillip said as he walked in with the worn out book in his hand, his gaze falling towards Kezia who was still in Saciel's arms.

"It's Kezia."

"Directly, are you serious? Wait, I think you're right" Phillip replied as he looked at the girl with a probing look. "But how did he get here?"

"I'll tell you next time. What did you find?"

"Her books. It's in the bottom drawer, precisely in the secret drawer," Phillip said as he shook the book. "And unfortunately I did not find a way to cultivate that plant."

"What's? Is that true?" snapped Saciel. Phillip shook his head and opened his book on the torn part. "Something's tearing him apart."

"Is this what Papa did?" ask Saciel.

"I doubt. You are a very book-loving person and will not hesitate to scold anyone who ruins a book" Phillip said. Saciel shuddered at hearing that.

"You're right. Then who did it?"