Later at night, after the long meeting, Lory returned to her room, she was leaned on the balcony gazing to the tinted light that came from the window of the apartment, although it called an apartment is not like a normal apartment that people could see at the city. No, this apartment was made from a thick greystone, the surface was rough and the finishing looks like an ancient building as if it's already there for a thousand years.

The reason the building made that way wasn't intentional, mostly because this type of building is more durable and stronger than the fancy apartment they used to have in the Heriond city. although the building was not as comfortable or bigger than normal apartment people would have in the city, but right now people were more concerned with safety and survival so comfort is put on the last on the list.

​​

"You want Lemon tea?" suddenly Lucas peeks from the door.

Lory smiles at him "So attentive...~" Lory teased him.

"Hey, You know I'm a good brother!" he refuted.

Lory giggles while accepting the hot mug, the warmth from the mug spread from her palm, immediately she feel relaxed, Lory then slowly takes a sip, suddenly her eyebrows creased "Oh man, What the hel* is this?!" Lory winces while stuck out her tongue.

"What is my owned recipe," Lucas said with innocent expression "Lemon and ginger tea, to keep you nice and warmed"

"How many Ginger you use?" Lory shut her eyes tightly until it becomes a thin line as the spicy flavor hit her tongue.

"A lot…" Lucas says in glee

Lory glared at him with upset looks which only make Lucas laughing even harder. albeit the horrible taste Lory keeps drinking the tea since it's rare for Lucas to make her something even though Lucas did it for the sake of the jokes, she knew this is his odd way to cheer her up.

"Where would you go after this?" Lory stares at him and puts down the mug.

Lucas leaned on the stone railing, his eyes stare at the distance "Oak city past the Roverdane and Cranewald" he props his chin with his fist on the railing, seemingly unconcerned where he would go.

Lory furrows her eyebrows "That place....is filled with a high-level beast" Lory then takes another sip calmly, she knew that place is very dangerous, even on the satellite map that area was marked as the red zone, but she knew he had no other choice, so she tamped down her worry.

"I know..." Lucas answer shortly "We will manage…" he said again with a casual tone as if they would visit a park.

Lory knows he doesn't want to make her worry, so what else she could say "I know you will..."

Lucas's eyes then shift towards Lory "And you…what is your plan next?"

"What? I will be here, Duh…." Lory rolls her eyes.

"Then why you refuse to be my replacement, it's easier for the commission to report to you than me, and you can oversee the situation better than me when you still here. You know as much as I wanted to, there would be a time that I would go somewhere unreachable, when they can't reach me what would happen to them?" Lucas worriedly said.

"I'm not like you, Luc I'm not good with this leadership or whatever" Lory sigh.

"Bullsh*t! you're as good as me or perhaps better, come on everyone know this" Lucas snorted disbelieve with her excuse.

"Only you who would say that" Loryscoffed while take another sipped, the sour tea grew in her after the spice slowly numb her tastebud.

Both of them fall silent they look at the last remnants of their Kingdom, half of their people killed during the first attack, including their father. It's amazing what Nazareth could do, only with a single attack their strong and powerful kingdom fall apart like a sandcastle, everything their love was crumbled before their eyes, the hundreds of years history, the advance 'King city', their impregnable Cestine castle, everything renders into nothingness.

But their greatest Lost, was losing their Father and his Archknight who was very close to them because they practically raised them after their mother passed away, but now they all gone.

"I'm sorry Lory," said Lucas suddenly.

"About what?" Lory tilted her head with a puzzled look.

"For not being there with you when Father…." Lucas tightens his jaw as he lowered his head, it's still hard for him to admit that his great father has gone "I', sorry to make you watch him, and force you made such decision, and to carry the burden.....it's not supposed to be you, it had to be me!" he clenched his fist in anger.

"No, stop Lucas!" Lory shakes her head, she holds his fist tightly "No one make me do anything, not you…not even Father, I make a choice and I do what I need to do…..is not easy but….we are 'Lucient' we are who we are, our life was not supposed to be easy, didn't you tell me that once?" Lory looks at him with a profound gaze "I chose this path by my own will, so don't blame yourself, because I never blame you, not even once, you understand me?!"

Lucas grips her hand tightly, he takes a deep breath as her eyes become hot, he holds his tears "I know….I just, I wish could be stronger for you…for everyone"

"You are, and I know you will become much stronger…stronger than any 'Lucient' King that ever walk-in Verriond, trust me, will ya!" Lory's eyes glinted with confidence, she not just try to comfort Lucas, she genuinely believes that her brother would become the greatest King that everyone ever knows, she believed that Lucas would even exceed their Father.

Lucas chuckles, he looks at her with a gentle smile "We will always be together aren't we, sis?"

"Of course, stupid!" Lory flicked his forehead.

"OUCH!"

A few days later Lucas left L'markieth to continue his quest and after a few years maintaining the stability of the L'markieth city Lory finally left the city as well, and so the twins left separately as they walked on their own path, believing that this is the only way for them to save each other and all of the people who depended on them.

However, none of them prepare for the hurdle, heartache, and pain that they were going through throughout their journey, who could have thought it would take a decade for them to finish their quest, and no one knows that Lucas and Lory would never meet each other again after that night, and when they reunited it would be the faithful day when Lory replaces Lucas's place as sacrificial for the power of the God swords.

Death didn't frighten her, she finally got in the place that she knows this is a one-way ticket and she doesn't think she could return, however, she's willing, she accepted this fate if that means Lucas would be saved.

However, keeping secret and leaving everyone without saying goodbye or proper explanation, that is the hard part, knowing she would break their heart and turn her brother as a lone survivor, accepting the possibility that they would blame her, be disappointed at her....now that is scary, alas what choice that she has?

_______________________________

Lory wakes up and found herself in a strange place, she was lay on the gold bed, with a gold sheet, and gold blanket even the curtains were also made of gold, actually, every piece of furniture inside the room was made with gold.

There are two possibility cross Lory minds, one she stranded on the rapper cribs, second, she somehow rescued by the Arabian sheik, Lory scratched her head, all the glimmering and shine started to blinded her eyes she wondered if she still dreaming but she never dreams of a mountain of gold before, so this is new.

"You awake?" Zhao Li Xin suddenly enters the room.

"Li Xin?" she looks at him in a daze, but then something hits her "Where are we?"

He relief to see her look fine "we are In the mystique realm inside my ring," said Zhao Li Xin.

Lory was still not completely awake "This is inside your ring?" Lory squints her eyes, then she looked around her with a confused look "But why we surrounded with GOLD?" Lory rubbed her eye.

Zhao Li Xin understands her confusion so he says with a scowl "Because the spirit of this realm love gold" he also sick and tired with all this gold, he can never relax in this place, just imagine sleeping inside the disco lamp, that is Zhao Li Xin feel.

Lory flipped her hair over her shoulder carelessly then she realized the color of her hair was different, she stunned to notice her hair had turned to her original bluish and way hair, her eyes widened then she glanced at Zhao Li Xin who was looking at her with the same gentle expression he used to have.

Then she looked at her hair again to make sure she wasn't not dreaming or something, a second later she checked her left wrist, she realizes the rune circle on her wrist had disappeared, that's meant her shapeshifter spell was broken!

Lory frantically covered her face with the blanket and left only her big purple eyes staring at Zhao Li Xin nervously, Zhao Li Xin didn't understand why she reacted strongly but she didn't look like she was sick so he let her be.

"Do.....do I look weird?" Lory asks nervously.

"You mean you look? well, you look different," he said earnestly, Zhao Li Xin didn't mean in a bad way but for Lory takes she thought he just hesitated to tell the truth.

"It's weird huh, do you hate it?" she looks at him with forlorn.

"No, I don't hate it…" he answers earnestly.

"You lying…" she's still disbelieved.

Zhao Li Xin's let out a long sighed 'It's gonna be a long day…'