CHAPTER 208: CLICKING SOUND

Having no appetite to eat, Viktor forced down his dinner in order not to pass out from hunger and exhaustion. Besides, he needed a clear head and mind to think properly. He had dinner only with Lucian, as the ladies wished to have theirs in their chambers. About thirty minutes later, Viktor excused himself, declaring that he was full and needed to rest.

As he entered his chamber, he locked the door and pulled off his coat and undershirt. Viktor sighed loudly as he strode toward the window, pushing the curtains aside slightly to get a view of what was going on outside.

Everywhere was covered in utter silence. There was no sign of anyone around the castle grounds. All the servants and maids must have retired to their quarters, even though it was only a few minutes past nine.

Viktor sighed again, running his fingers through his hair in frustration and weariness. Everything happening was just overwhelming, too heavy for him to handle. He had never been left with so many responsibilities, not just for a town, but for an entire kingdom. Hades had left the fate of the people of Valyron in his unstable hands. He could only hope the gods offered their help him and gave him the strength to restore things back to normal.

He closed the curtains and walked to his bed, pulling the blanket aside before settling in. Just as he was about to close his eyes and welcome sleep, a loud series of knocks jolted him upright. He rushed to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open to see a frantic-looking Lucian panting in front of him.

"Lucian. What’s going on?" Viktor questioned with a frown.

Lucian swallowed hard. "There is a matter of urgency that needs your immediate attention."

His frown deepened. "What is it? Has the demon found its way into the castle?" Viktor pressed.

"I wish it was so. This, My Lord, is far graver," Lucian whispered. "We must hurry. The man awaits us."

And with that, Lucian was already walking away before Viktor could say another word. He cursed under his breath, quickly grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe, and dashed out of the room while putting it on as he hurried after Lucian.

Viktor slowed down as they reached the courtyard. There were a few guards scattered around the space, but what caught Viktor’s eyes and attention was a man covered in blood, trembling on his knees.

"Who is this?" Viktor questioned, taking cautious steps toward the stranger.

"He is from a nearby village. He said the demon got to them and burned down their homes, food, and livestock," Lucian explained.

"What!?" Viktor’s eyes widened, unable to believe what he was hearing. "How... how..." He was stripped of his words. He had feared this would happen. Oh dear gods.

"My lord, please, you must help us. The prince has gone berserk. He is a monster. He will kill us all. Please, I beg of you. Save us all," the bloodied man cried loudly, scrambling toward Viktor’s feet with tears and sweat covering his face.

Viktor looked down at the man in disheartening pity and sadness, his fists clenched tightly by his sides. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he lowered himself to the ground. "I have no words that will soothe your grief, pain, and loss, but I will ask you to have a little patience and faith in your heart. Everything will be fine soon."

"No... no... nothing will ever be fine. My wife and daughters were killed by that monster. He must also be killed. We must carry out our revenge." His voice shook as he screamed at Viktor. "My home, my village... everything has been destroyed. It is all gone."

Viktor carefully placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. "I understand..."

The man flung Viktor’s hand away and grabbed the collar of his shirt roughly.

The guards sprang into action, ready to grab the stranger, but Viktor stopped them with a wave of his hand.

"You don’t fucking understand anything! We are about to lose everything while you and the rest of your kind hide under a spell in the castle, leaving us at the cruel hands of that demon. I lost everything. I fucking... lost... it all."

"What is your name?"

The stranger frowned, the question catching him unaware. Either way, he decided to respond. "Arthur," he whispered.

"You’re right, I can never understand your pain, Arthur. And I can never bring back all that you have lost today. I am deeply sorry for your loss, and we have failed to protect you. But I want you to know that the man who attacked your village is not the prince. It is a demon that took possession of the prince’s body. Hades would never cause his people pain and suffering. This monster is not the prince, and we are going to punish him for his wrongdoings."

"We shall bring justice to all who lost their lives. That, I promise you with my last breath, Arthur," Viktor said, looking into the man’s sullen eyes.

Arthur swallowed again, tears welling in his eyes as he slowly released the collar of Viktor’s shirt. He pulled away and rose to his feet. "I will hold you to your words. And if you fail to keep them, I will fucking kill you." The man spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes shifting between Lucian, Viktor, and the guards before he turned around and walked away.

Viktor rose to his feet and adjusted his shirt.

"Are you alright?" Lucian inquired.

"Not particularly," he replied, turning to face Lucian. "We have to quickly deal with the demon before he ends up murdering our people."

"I..."

Their attention was pulled again by the figure of Arthur making his way back into the courtyard.

Viktor and Lucian exchanged glances. "Arthur, why are you back?"

"I want to fight too. I want to join the soldiers and kill that bastard who murdered my family," Arthur said firmly.

Viktor narrowed his eyes at him. "You can..."

"I’m not going to change my mind about it," Arthur cut in, his voice sharp and unyielding. "I don’t care if I die. I have nothing to lose. Don’t deny me the opportunity to take revenge for my family. I won’t leave until you let me join the soldiers."

Viktor let out a deep breath. "Very well. If that is what you wish, then you shall join the royal army." He could see the determination burning in the man’s eyes, and Viktor knew there was nothing he or anyone could do to stop him.

"Take him to the quarters and get him something to wear and eat," he instructed one of the guards. The guard bowed in response and led Arthur away, who followed reluctantly.

"We can’t afford to lose more of our people to the demon," Viktor said grimly. "We have to open the gates to the people. They’ll be safer here while we figure out how to keep him from hurting anyone else."

Lucian stared at him for a few seconds. "I don’t think that will be a smart idea, my lord. We can only take about five thousand people within these walls. What will happen to the rest?"

"Hopefully, we’ll have stopped the demon before it gets to that point," Viktor replied. "I need to return to my chambers and rest. You should do the same."

With that, he turned and walked back into his chambers.

He sank onto the couch, knowing there was no point in lying on the bed. Sleep would not come to him tonight.

~~~

The three guards sat at their posts, gulping down wine as they laughed and shared stories of their lives and past experiences. Callum sat by the door, while Raphael and Leonard lounged on the ground, leaning against the wall.

Raphael, the oldest of the three, coughed twice before taking a sip of wine. "You both can rest now. I’ll wake you up by midnight."

"You’re going to stay here all by yourself? Don’t you feel afraid?" Leonard asked.

The older man threw his head back and laughed loudly. "I know no such word as fear. I’ve slain men who thought themselves gods. I’ll be fine. Besides, the magical circle will keep the demon out."

Leonard, noticing that Callum seemed lost in thought, nudged him lightly on the leg. Callum jolted back to reality.

"What’s going on with you? Tired already?" Leonard chuckled, but Callum only offered a faint smile as he set his cup down.

"I was just... thinking about something." He paused, his eyes darting toward the shadows. "Did... did you hear any strange noises? Something unsettling, coming from that direction?"

The two men exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean, Cal? There’s no sound except the fire and our voices," Raphael said, narrowing his eyes.

"I... I must be imagining things. Probably had too much to drink." He let out a nervous chuckle. "I think I should retire for now."

Raphael studied him for a moment before replying, "Very well. Go on and rest. Your watch begins in four hours."

"Alright." Callum rose to his feet and strolled into a small room furnished with a cushioned mat, a wooden table, and a chair.

Even after the door closed, Raphael’s eyes lingered in its direction.

"I don’t think he’s doing well," Leonard murmured. "He looked genuinely disturbed."

"Hmmm." Raphael rose to his feet, picked up a torch, and started walking in the direction Callum had mentioned hearing the noises from.

"No! What are you doing? You can’t step outside the circle, it’s dangerous!" Leonard shot up, panic flashing across his face.

Raphael only smiled. "It’ll take a few seconds. I just need to make sure there’s nothing out there."

"But...."

"Keep watch for me. I’ll be back shortly." With that, Raphael stepped out of the circle and disappeared into the shadows.

Leonard stood rooted to the spot, refusing to leave his position. He watched the torchlight flicker in the distance, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished completely, swallowed by darkness.

His agitation mounted with every passing second. He thought about calling out to Callum but decided against it. Instead, he waited, telling himself to hold on just a little longer before raising an alarm.

Then it came, a sudden clicking sound. It was sharp and loud, cutting through the suffocating silence. It echoed from the same direction Raphael had gone. There was no light now, only darkness, and the sound grew louder... and closer.

Leonard’s throat tightened. Should he call for Raphael? His heart pounded as the sound quickened, gnawing at his nerves. Finally, desperation won. He stepped forward and shouted, "Raphael! Raphael! Are you still out there?"

No response.

"Raphael! What the fuck is going on?" he yelled, louder this time. Suddenly, the clicking stopped, and silence pressed in from all sides. A few seconds went by.

"What the hell is wrong with you, shouting like that this late?"

Leonard almost stumbled backward as Raphael appeared before him, calm as ever. His eyes darted over the older man’s body, searching for injuries but there were none.

"How... how.. where’s the torch?"

Raphael sighed. "The useless thing went out on me."

Leonard stared at him, bewildered. "Then what was that clicking sound? It was coming from your direction."

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Clicking sound? I didn’t hear a thing. I think you should get some sleep too because you can’t keep watch if you’re this paranoid." He clapped Leonard hard on the shoulder and strolled back to where he’d been sitting before.

Leonard swallowed hard, his heart still pounding wildly in his chest. Without another word, he turned and headed toward the room. His eyes fell on Callum, who was fast asleep, snoring softly without a care in the world.