Chapter 28: NEMESIS RISING

***EASTERN COAST***

LOREN POV

FLASHBACK

***

–“Loren, I know what you did!”--

–“I saw everything, Loren, from the shadows. I watched it all, how you pulled your father's eyes out, and you framed Carlos for doing it.”--

–“I am not here for Kael!”.--

–“You are just as ruthless as your brother, Kael, it runs in the blood. I don't care about your family’s evil trait.”--

–“I am here for Lyra, you must stop your mother from whatever she wants to do with her. You must stop her, or else…”--

–“I will have to take my father, Ragnar to the dungeon you feel no one knows about, and then you know the outcome”--

–“Your secret will remain your secret, Loren, if you give me my mate, Lyra, unharmed.”--

–“You have three days to deliver her to me in the woods by dawn! You know the outcome when you don't.”--

***

Rens' threatening last words still hung in my mind like debris, unwilling to be discarded or unable to be discarded; he doesn't sound joking; he sure sounds meaner than ever.

I got lost in my heart, I could feel the sofa I sat on swallowing me, my mind reeling from the lather outcome of my father's death, the weighty threats of Ren, and even more…the outcome when Kael found out about it, he sure will know I did, he is too smart not to know…

I incessantly paced to and fro chambers, I could feel the walls closing at me, unsure of what I wanted at the moment but I knew something peculiar would happen today at dawn, being the third day of Ren –Either my secret gets to Ragnar's ears, Rens' Father or Mother intervenes– mother's intervention could only mean successfully casting a mind-controlling spell on her and then she fully becomes the puppet.

“Loren… Loren,” A voice that sounded familiar shook me off my reverie

Oh, it was Cyprus, but I was too lost in my world of thoughts to recognize how long he'd been screaming my name

“Loren,”

“WHAT!! Are you out of your mind? how dare you scream my name like that?” I yelled at him furiously, I wanted to give him the impression that I was meditating and he was distracting me

“I'm sorry if I distracted you,” he said, face bowed “I didn't mean to”

“Go tell Mother I am coming,” I said, feeling a little bit accomplished.

Seeing Cyprus come to my chambers only means one thing –Mother needs my presence for something very important--

As I gazed at Cyprus, I remembered the rumors about his past. They said he was traded to Mother by the Northern Coast's Alpha, deemed too weak for battle. I wondered if there was truth to those whispers, given the way Mother protected him.

Before Kael got banished, he was a very close friend of Kael.

Despite his lack of physical presence, there was an air of quiet intensity about him, a sense of coiled energy waiting to be unleashed. Maybe that was why Mother always kept him to herself.

Not even the late king could order Cyprus away from her chambers, the last time he tried to, the pack lost its peace until he was restored to her

I could bet Cyprus knows something deeper, something more sinister about Mother than what meets the eye, but for now, I can't figure it out.

***

As I entered Mother's chambers, I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. The air seemed to vibrate with her presence, and I knew something wasn't right

“You called for me, mother,” I said as I walked into her chambers, Cyprus standing close to her as he always used to. Staring strangely at me

“Do you have to scream at him like that” Mother yelled calmly

“Oh, he told you… wait, I am the commander of this country, this pack, I have the right to tell anyone don't I, what's even so special about him…he not even you son…just some refugee”

“Shut up…” she cuts in.

“Oh, mum, do we have to go over this again?” I slumped on the sofa right opposite her, feeling frustrated with her manner of defense for him. Cyprus's piercing gaze bored at me.

“You won't know his worth now, sooner or later you will,” she said calmly,

Sadness swept through her face for some time, accompanied by some eerie silence. I knew something was wrong somewhere

I was waiting for the bomb to drop already.

“The time has come, Loren; soon, you will have to prove to everyone you are worth the throne of the Eastern Coast,” she said with a hint of fear in her voice.

‘Proof to everyone? What is mother talking about?’

“I have a package for you,” she said calmly, signaling Cyprus to open the safe room; it's a confidential part of her chambers that only she and Cyprus know the code to unlock.

I was hoping to see a new puppet Lyra, but the package was more than I anticipated

“What!!” I screamed, trying to suppress my happiness, “How did you..”

“Ren isn't a problem to worry about Loren! There is something worse than Ren that is coming, and we need to brace ourselves for it… something worse than Kael!”

“The great Margaret has seen something that dreads her,” Mother sighs amidst the Joy I have for at least seeing Ren unconscious and tied up.

The thoughts of how she possibly captured Ren without my consent, but I quickly discarded them; Mother is not one to be underestimated.

“Mother, what is it?” I asked, my voice laced with curiosity. “What could it be that made your face so pale?” I asked in wonder but got no response.

I exchanged glare from Mother to the standing Cyprus, then to Mother again, hoping to get something useful from her, but… no response.

“Nemesis has caught up with me; I know there is no escape,” she muttered again, her right hand laid on her forehead.

What could it be that eating up Mother –The Great Margaret – she fears nothing.

The only enemy I have seen made Mother quiver like this is when she realized Zara could be the daughter of Tira, the king's first wife; she quivered because she was well aware of the dangerous power Tira possessed and had likely passed to her daughter, Zara, but this…I don't know.

“Can you talk to me please!!” I pressed on a little

She slumped to the sofa, her eyes screaming fear and danger; she gave out a deep breath, leaving me in suspense.

“I saw Rhylen”

“What!!, Rhylen, The Shining Blade?”

“Yes!”

As I stared into Mother's eyes, I could feel her fear; I couldn't help but think of the stories I'd heard about Rhylen, The Shining Blade. His name was whispered in fear by our people, and I'd always wondered what made him so formidable.

“No, this is not possible; I saw him die, Mother!” I muttered in shock.

“Me too…we all did,” Mother sighed, still in disbelief.

Even as a kid, I still remembered the terror he caused Back then, the way Rhylen's eyes seemed to gleam with otherworldly energy. It was as if he wielded more than just his sword – he commanded the very fabric of the land itself.

The only person able to defeat him was Tira, Zara's mother– now neither Zara nor her mother is here

“I didn't just see him today,” Mother continued. “he left a cryptic message; he is coming for revenge.”

No, No, this is not good!!