Chapter 13
The mansion was a hive of activity. Adisa, her brow furrowed in concentration, worked tirelessly over Chidi, her hands glowing with a soft, healing light. Kenny paced the room, his anxiety growing with each passing moment.
"Why don't we just take her to a clinic?" he asked Hernandez, his voice laced with desperation.
"We are better equipped to treat her here," Hernandez explained patiently. "Adisa's magic is far more potent than any mundane medicine. Besides, Chidi's injuries… they are not normal. She was attacked by a lycan."
"A lycan?" Kenny's eyes widened. "What's that?"
Hernandez sighed. "Werewolves," he said. "Creatures capable of shifting between human and wolf form. Lycans possess incredible strength, speed, and… a ferocious bite. Their wounds are often laced with a dark magic that can only be healed by magic."
Kenny's mind reeled. Lycans, magic, a hidden world… He felt like he was living in a fantasy novel, one of those novels he and Wang use to read. Hernandez waited patiently.
"It's never going to stop, is it?"
"The people who attacked you, Wang and Chidi" Hernandez continued, "they all work for Bruno"
"Bruno?"
"The imposter," Hernandez said, his voice hardening. "The usurper. He currently sits on the throne, but his claim is tenuous. Without the Mantle, his power is unstable. He will stop at nothing to get it back."
"So, he'll keep coming after me?" Kenny asked, a shiver running down his spine.
"Until you claim your rightful place," Hernandez said, his gaze intense. "The only way to guarantee your safety, and the safety of those you care about, is to become the leader you were destined to be."
"You talk about destiny as if I it's a good thing" Kenny hesitated. The idea of becoming a king, of ruling a group of people, was overwhelming. "I don't know anything about this world," he protested. "I didn't even believe in magic! What gives me the right?"
"The mantle does! Hernandez said, his voice firm.
"So I can just give it to someone else, perhaps this King?"
"No, you cannot simply give it to someone else, especially not to Bruno. He has already claimed to possess the Mantle, to have been chosen. Giving it to him won't save your life."
"But what about someone else? Someone… more deserving?"
Hernandez scoffed, "You're overcomplicating things. The simple fact is that you possess the mantle, while it might have been handed to you in haste, it was a deliberate and well thought action. Nonetheless, it doesn't matter what you do with it, Bruno will stop at nothing to kill you and everyone that you love. I am sorry to be blunt, but your choices are limited here."
Kenny sighed, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "So, what happens now?"
"You must return to the holy city," Hernandez said. "There, the priests will confirm you as the wielder of the Mantle, the rightful leader of the realm."
"The holy city?"
"Yes," Isabella said, her voice soft. "It is the heart of our world, the seat of the priests, the keepers of ancient knowledge. It is where your journey truly begins."
Kenny was silent for a long moment, the weight of the information settling upon him. He looked at Hernandez, his brow furrowed. "You keep talking about this… realm," he said, his voice hesitant. "Where is it? How do we get there?"
"Beyond the great barrier. Normally, we would need to find intermittent holes or breaks in the barrier, but with the mantle, you should be able to open one."
"And where is this barrier?"
"In the middle of the great western ocean"
"I've never been on the ocean, I've never even been on a beach"
"There is always a first time" Isabella said
Kenny nodded, his mind racing. "So, what now?"
"We make preparations," Hernandez said. "We need to gather supplies, secure transportation, and ensure we are not followed. But more importantly, you need to begin learning about the Mantle, about your powers."
"To cross the barrier?"
"And that's just a beginning"
"Where do I begin?"
"Isabella can teach you the basics," Adisa said, her voice gentle echoed as she stepped into the room. "She is a skilled mage, and she can guide you."
"Oh stop, don't make me blush" Isabella quipped.
"How is Chidi?" Kenny asked, his voice filled with concern.
"She will be alright," Adisa said, her eyes warm. "She is sleeping now."
Adisa and Hernandez exchanged a knowing glance. Hernandez excused himself and followed Adisa out of the room.
Despite Adisa's reassurance, Kenny couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He went to Chidi's room, the room Adisa had turned into a make shift infirmary, and found her sleeping peacefully, her breath soft and even. He sat beside her bed, his gaze fixed on her pale face, his mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions.
He thought about everything that had happened, the lies, the betrayals, the impossible truths he was forced to accept. He thought about the Mantle, the responsibility it represented, the danger it attracted. He thought about Chidi, her strength, her resilience, her unwavering loyalty.
He was tired, exhausted, emotionally drained. He leaned his head against the edge of the bed, his eyes closing. The soft rhythm of Chidi's breathing lulled him into a fitful sleep.