Prologue: Part 2

"I see you in the dark. Come closer." a voice called out.

"Who's there?" Lavernius asked.

"It's not who but what." the voice said.

Lavernius stood a foot away from the floating orb. The orb could fit in the palm of his hand. The stories that Kenneth tells, say not to touch the artifacts with your bare hands. That part was important.

"What is your purpose?" Lavernius asked

"I am a wishing orb. I grant your wishes." the orb answered.

"Can I ask questions?" Lavernius asked.

"If I know the answer I will give it to you. I am not full of knowledge. Be aware of that. I only know what I have experienced or have been told by the gods." the orb said.

"Are the Atlas and Illuminati real?" Lavernius asked

"Yes." the orb answered

"How specific do I have to be for my wish to be exactly how I want?" Lavernius asked

"Extremely. Any gabs you leave I must fill with my imagination or leave empty." the orb responds

"What if I take you with me and how many wishes can I wish?" Lavernius asked.

"Nothing bad will happen. I have no curse. You will be walking around with an orb. For your second question, the answer is infinite." the orb said.

"Are there rules?" Lavernius asked

"Yes. You cannot wish away someone's wish. You cannot restrict someone's wish. You cannot wish for anything that affects the gods." the orb said.

"Is that all?" Lavernius asked

"You want more!?!" the orb exclaimed

"No, those are plenty." Lavernius said, "Sorry, but I'm taking you."

"I assumed you would. Like I said before, you are free to do whatever you want." the orb said.

Lavernius reached out and grabbed the orb. He dropped his bag and decided to put the orb in his pocket instead. Lavernius hurried out of the cave and disappeared into the shadows. The royal knights lay dead in front of the cave with the sun shining down on them in the morning.

Clover wakes up to the sound of knights running around. Clover quickly gets out of bed and gets dressed. While Clover puts on his shirt, the door slams open wide. Leonard is standing in the doorway. Before Leonard speaks, he waits and catches his breath.

"Sorry for the intrusion, my lord! This is of most importance! The artifact! It's missing!" Leonard said while heavily breathing.

"What!" Clover shouted full of anger, "Where are the knights that stood guard?"

"Dead, sir. They were murdered. Their necks were cut." Leonard said

"Do you know who it could have been?" Clover asked

"No. We don't." Leonard said, "It was created by the gods. Maybe they called it back."

"I don't think so. I think it was stolen." Clover said

"That is possible. It also makes more sense." Leonard said

"Tell the knights to rally at the city gate and send some at the docks. Don't let anyone out." Clover commanded.

"Yessir!" Leonard said then ran out and started to gather the knights.

"Father! What's going on?" Jack asked

"Go find your mother and brother and stay with them." Clover said.

"I'll go right now." Jack said as he ran to the nursery.

The creak of the grand doors startled the High Priest. He quickly turned around and saw Lavernius standing in the doorway. Behind him the knights were running in the streets towards the city gate. Lavernius quickly closes the door behind him and walks towards the High Priest.

"Is there another way out of this city?" Lavernius asked

"To the people you are Lavernius, King Mortis' Champion!" the High Priest said, "Go to King Shard and request an escort back to Crow Tower."

"Well, I have the orb. Wouldn't they search me?" Lavernius pointed out

"Show me!" the High Priest said.

"Calm down. I have an idea." Lavernius said

Lavernius reached into his pocket and grabbed the orb. He holds the orb in the palm of his hand. The High Priest reaches for it but Lavernius closes his fist. The High Priest looks sternly at him.

"You can't have it." Lavernius said.

"I would give it back to you." Kenneth said, "What is your plan?"

"To wish that I can leave the kingdom without being searched or suspected by anyone." Lavernius said.

"Clever." Kenneth said, "Demonstrate how it works."

"Wishing Orb." Lavernius said

"Yes." the orb said, "What do you wish for?"

"I wish that all the guards in this kingdom, Kingdom of Dusk, do not suspect me and will not search me when I try to leave this kingdom. I wish that I will not be stopped by anyone when I leave this kingdom. I wish that King Clover Shard does not suspect me and will do nothing when I leave." Lavernius said

"Your wish has become reality." The orb said

When Lavernius is outside for the public to see, he wears a nice black jacket and black pants. Lavernius turns to Kenneth and slightly bows his head before he leaves through the grand doors. Lavernius quickly runs to his horse and saddles it. "Let's go, Storm." he says to his horse as he rides past the guards and out of the Kingdom of Dusk. "Such power…" the High Priest whispered to himself, watching Lavernius leave the kingdom.

Jack ran to the nursery and pushed the door open in panic. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he looked inside. The royal knights laid dead on the floor. Their necks sliced open. Jack fell to his knees when he looked over to the corner and saw his mother. Her arm was cut off and her throat was cut. Blood covered the majority of the carpet. He frantically looked around for his brother but he could find no trace of him. Jack doesn't recall passing someone besides knights on his way. The window was completely shattered. The glass fragments are inside, which means the suspect entered from outside. This room is at least 40 feet above ground level. Jack began to scream and cry uncontrollably. Jack became lightheaded after crying for so long. Jack finally fainted and collapsed on the floor.

The grand doors open but this time they do not startle the High Priest. The High Priest turns to see who has entered. He looks confused when he cannot identify the woman who has entered the Church of Fate. The High Priest respectively bows and she does the same.

"How may I be in service, Believer?" The High Priest asked

"I am no Believer." The woman aggressively responds.

"No? Then why have you come to a church if not to worship the gods?" the High Priest asked, "Are you dumb?"

"High Priest, or should I say Kenneth Phosphor." she says.

"Who are you?" Kenneth askes with a cautious tone.

"I am Death." she responds with a slight smile

"You DARE compare yourself to the GODS!" Kenneth yells at her.

"The gods aren't real. They are something humans made up to fall upon when life gets too rough for them." she argues with a giggle.

"You poor soul. I CURSE thee with the scent of Invictus. May you find truth in your despair." The High Priest yelled

"Curse? Curse? Curse?" the woman said puzzled, "You can't curse me."

"I have been chosen. The-" he was cut off when she hysterically laughed.

"You're telling me, you were chosen? HA!" she continued to laugh even after the grand doors opened wide.

"My lord." the High Priest says while bowing, "Look! Over there is a heretic! Arrest her at once!"

"Silence!" Clover yelled, "You dare order me! We have no laws against other religions! She is free to do whatever as long as she causes no harm to anyone."

"My lord." the woman says politely, "My name is Victoria Akaza. I am a representative of Golden Gate."

"I heard of you. What brings you here?" Clover asked

"King Clover Shard, I have a message for you from King John Baron." Victoria Akaza says, "He wishes to meet you in person. Forgive me, I didn't know you were so tight with security these days, my lord."

"Akaza you said? Is your brother James Akaza?" Clover asked

"Why yes he is. Why do you ask?" she said

"He was the only one to fight against Shadow and live to tell the tale. He wasn't even injured enough to stop fighting. I admire him greatly." Clover said, "What is the message?"

"Thank you for your kind words, my lord. We should go somewhere more private." she said, making a goofy face at Kenneth.

"No, this place is fine. Knights leave us." Clover said

"As you wish." She said, "King Baron didn't tell me the full message but the core parts of it are that he is afraid of King Dominus Mortis. He told me Crow Tower grows stronger each day. He wants to unite the three kingdoms and then convince King Mortis to join."

"I see. I shall talk to him later. When sha-" Clover was cut off by royal knights barging in.

"Sir! Your wife, the queen!" a knight yells into the church.

Clover rushes out of the church and the knights follow his lead. The High Priest turns away from Victoria, showing her that he is done talking. She lets out a deadly grin and leaves the church shortly after. The High Priest prepares for the next preaching. He dusts off the altar and sweeps the floor. He wipes down all the pews and prepares the Chronicles of Time. "The words of the gods. This holy book was written by the first prophet, X." the High Priest mutters.

The horns sound and the gate opens. In front of Lavernius stands the tallest and strongest tower, Crow Tower. Crow Tower is in the heart of the kingdom and is surrounded by a great wall that separates the tower from the rest of the city. The outskirts of this kingdom are not surrounded by a wall. The farmers and the peasants live in the outskirts. The outskirts are commonly known as the slums and they are mostly used for farmland. The walls separate the high class from the peasants. The peasants are still allowed inside but their houses are outside. The high class section is commonly known as the Market Place. The shops here are run by the high class citizens and the peasants help for money. Inside the next set of walls are the Barracks. The Barracks are where the soldiers live and train. Normal citizens aren't allowed beyond that wall. They can only pass if they have a meeting with a representative and need to get to Crow Tower. Crow Tower is where the royalty live. The royal knights also stay in the Crow Tower. Since Lavernius is Dominus' Champion, he is allowed to stay in Crow Tower as well. Crow Tower has a sister tower named Raven Tower. Raven Tower is on the coast, exactly three miles south. Raven Tower is where the meetings take place for the military and most of the equipment is stored there. There are special knights positioned at Raven Tower and they are called Moonlight Knights. Moonlight Knights keep watch over the entire military including the fleet. Raven Tower is also known as Tartarus. Tartarus is where King Dominus Mortis keeps the most dangerous criminals. Tartarus is the most heavily guarded prison on the planet.

Lavernius hops off his horse in front of Crow Tower and hands the reins to a royal knight. The clicking of the hooves fade the further the royal knight takes the horse. Lavernius opens the gate and calmly walks to King Dominus' office where he should be waiting. Lavernius is met by a Moonlight Knight. Their armor is jet black and extremely similar to the royal knights. The only difference is that the Moonlight Knights fight with a sword and a shield.

"Welcome back, sir." Andrew said

"Thank you. Take me to King Dominus Mortis." Lavernius said

"Right away, sir. He's been waiting for you." Andrew said.

The Moonlight Knight, Andrew, escorted Lavernius to King Mortis. King Mortis was in his garden. The vines climbed the walls and pillars. King Mortis sat in front of his favorite flower, the dark rose. The dark rose only grows in this region naturally. Dominus always has a few growing.

Dominus is very old. His face was covered with wrinkles and his hair was white as freshly fallen snow. Dominus was the tallest person besides Prophet X. Despite Dominus' age he was strongly built and was an extremely skilled fighter. Dominus has forest green eyes and he rarely smiles.

"Hey, my lord." Lavernius said casually.

"Drop the 'my lord'." Dominus said, "Do you have it?"

"Should Andrew leave?" Lavernius asked

"No, I trust him with my life. While you are gone, he takes care of me." Dom said

Lavernius reached into his pocket and held out the Wishing Orb. Dom's eyes widened and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Andrew tried to seal away his curiosity but couldn't. Dom held out his hand and Lavernius carefully dropped the orb in his palm. Lavernius told Dom the rules and took a step back.

"I have to be as specific as I can." Dom muttered to himself

"I used it to get out of the Kingdom of Dusk safely." Lavernius said

"How many did you kill?" Dom asked

"Only two royal knights." Lavernius said

"Not enough." Dom said.

"So, what are you going to wish for?" Lavernius asked

"Wishing Orb." Dom called out

"Yes, what is your wish?" the orb asked

"I wish to be in my prime mental and physical state forever. I wish to never age. I wish that I can never get sick again. I wish that I have immunity to all poisons and diseases. I wish to be as physically strong as the gods themselves. I wish that my bones can never break." Dom said, listing everything that came to his mind.

"Your wish has become reality." the orb said

Dom begins to shake and he breaks into a seizure. As he is shaking on the floor his hair begins to change. His face looks younger. Soon enough the seizure stops, and Dom stands up. When he stood up, he towered over Lavernius and Andrew. Dom began to cheer and he grabbed Lavernius and started to dance with him like a child.

"Thank you Wishing Orb." Dom said cheerfully

"No problem, sir." The orb said

"Thank you, Lavernius, for bringing this to me. Here, you can hold onto it." Dom said, handing the orb back to Lavernius.

"Thank you, Dom." Lavernius said, securing the orb in his pocket.

Dom and Andrew leave the garden. Lavernius kneels down in front of the dark roses. A soft smile forms on Lavernius' face. The chirps of the birds, the crickets of the bugs, and the exotic smell of the dark roses make this place the perfect meditation spot in the whole Tower.

Lavernius stands up and his feet crush on the leaves with each step as he makes his way to the door. Before he opened the door, a thought struck him. He quickly grabbed the orb and said, "Wishing Orb." Lavernius called out

"Yes, what is your wish?" the orb asked