CHAPTER 97: ILLUSION

Hades sat in his study with Viktor and Lucian, a piece of paper in his hand as his eyes scanned its contents. He placed it on the table, his gaze shifting between the two men.

"When did you receive this?" he asked.

"Last night, Your Highness. The bailiff’s messenger delivered it to you," Lucian replied.

"Very well. Viktor and I shall leave immediately for Walvin to find out what the hell is going on there," Hades said, rising from his chair and moving around the table.

"As you wish, Your Highness. I’ll go prepare the carriage for your departure," Lucian said with a bow before exiting the room.

"Is there any way we can find this lowly demon and stop it from causing more chaos?" Viktor asked.

Hades adjusted the collar of his coat. "Of course. Demons aren’t invincible, but the problem lies in locating them. They’re masters at concealing their presence."

"When we do catch one, we’ll interrogate it, and out who its master is and why it’s here."

"i am afraid that won’t be possible," Hades said. "Demons take blood oaths of secrecy. They’re forbidden from revealing certain truths, especially about their masters and their purpose. Even with a knife to their heart, they won’t speak. The oath binds their tongues."

Viktor’s brows furrowed. "So how do we deal with them being in our world?"

"We keep killing them," Hades replied coldly. "Which I would be more than happy to do. I’ve already sent Grim to the Underworld to gather as much information as he can about this prisoner and his motives."

"This is all incredibly exhausting," Viktor sighed. "The last thing we need is a demon-infested Valyron stirring trouble."

"It won’t get that far," Hades assured him. "So there’s nothing to worry about." He patted Viktor’s shoulder. "Let’s go. The carriage should be ready by now."

He turned and walked out of the room, Viktor following and shutting the door behind him.

Outside, the carriage was already waiting. The two men climbed in, and within minutes, it rolled into motion. The journey to Walvin took about forty-five minutes. When they arrived, the carriage came to a stop in front of the bailiff’s mansion, where a middle-aged blond man stood waiting at the entrance with a welcoming smile.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness. Lord Viktor. It’s a pleasure to have you here in Walvin," the man greeted, offering a respectful bow.

"Tell me what’s going on," Hades said as they entered the mansion and were led into the bailiff’s study.

As Hades and Viktor settled into the leather chairs, the bailiff asked, "Would you care for any refreshments? We have freshly squeezed orange juice and baked biscuits."

"No, thank you," Hades said curtly.

"I’ll have some, thank you," Viktor said. The bailiff nodded and stepped out briefly to give instructions to the servants before returning.

"The farmer who reported black dust on his farm came to me yesterday afternoon," the bailiff began. "He said that when he returned from the market, he found his house burned to the ground. Completely destroyed, so thoroughly that there was no trace of the structure except a faint outline where the building once stood, and within the ashes, he found the same black dust he had seen on his farm."

"How could he tell the difference between the black dust and the ashes, when they are practically the same thing?" Hades asked.

"I posed the same question," the bailiff replied. "He said the black dust shimmered, as if it had tiny sparkles or glitter in it."

"If the house was burned down, anyone could’ve done it. There’s no proof that anything supernatural occurred," Hades said, his gaze fixed on the bailiff. "Surely, the man must have enemies—someone who could have set his house on fire while he was away."

"I agree, it’s a possibility," the bailiff said, pressing his lips together. "However, that’s not what happened. The farmer and I questioned the neighbors, but none of them saw or heard anything. No flames, no thick smoke, nothing. If someone had truly set the house ablaze, the fire and smoke would’ve been impossible to miss. But there was none. That’s what makes this strange."

A gentle knock interrupted the conversation. The bailiff called for the person to enter. A maid stepped in with a tray, offered a polite greeting to the noblemen, placed the tray on the table, and left without a word.

Viktor wasted no time digging into the warm, creamy biscuits and washing them down with the fresh orange juice.

"What happened to the farmer? Where is he staying now?" Viktor asked between bites.

"Fortunately, that was only his farmhouse, he used it when tending to the farm. He lives with his family in the town," the bailiff answered.

"Take me to the farmhouse," Hades ordered as he rose from his chair and made his way to the door.

"As you wish." The bailiff followed behind.

Viktor quickly stuffed the remaining biscuits into his mouth, downed the last of the juice, and rushed after them.

The prince and Viktor climbed into their carriage, while the bailiff rode in his own. They reached the site in under ten minutes.

After disembarking, the bailiff led them to the remains of the farmhouse. Just as he had described, there was no structure—only a charred outline and heaps of ash.

Hades crouched and sifted a handful of the ashes through his fingers. As the bailiff had mentioned, faint sparkles could be seen amidst the black remains. But something felt off—Hades would’ve sensed the presence of demonic energy if the black dust had truly been there.

"Do you think the demon burned this man’s house to the ground?" Viktor asked, standing beside him.

"This house wasn’t burned," Hades replied, his eyes narrowing. "The demon created an illusion around it—that’s why it appears to be destroyed."

Viktor’s confusion only deepened. "I don’t understand. What do you mean? The house is clearly gone," he said, pointing to the empty space.

"Try walking to the center of that space," Hades suggested calmly.

Viktor frowned. "Of course I can." He scoffed and took a few steps forward—then stopped, unable to move further. "What the...?" He tried again, lifting his foot to take another step, but it was as if something invisible blocked his path. He extended his hand and pressed forward, but it met an unseen barrier. He turned to Hades, alarmed. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Demons are highly manipulative creatures," Hades replied, stepping forward. "And this is just one example of their deceit."

He approached the spot where Viktor stood, leaving the bailiff to observe from a distance. Hades removed his gloves and tucked them into his coat pocket. Then he placed his bare hands on the invisible wall, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Power coursed through him, surging into his palms. A strong wind picked up, swirling around him, lifting his hair as the energy flowed outward.

Moments passed—then the wind ceased. Hades opened his eyes, and where there had been empty space, a wooden wall now stood.

He turned to Viktor, who was staring wide-eyed. "Told you the house was right here," Hades said, smirking with pride.

With a sigh, he pulled his gloves from his pocket and slid them back on, running a hand through his tousled hair to smooth it back into place.

Turning, he strode toward the bailiff, who now stood pale-faced and wide-eyed, as if he’d just seen a ghost. Hades nearly laughed at the man’s expression, the poor fellow looked utterly terrified.

"You can tell the farmer to return to his farm house. The demon was only playing a trick on him," Hades said as he walked past.

The bailiff finally seemed to snap out of his stupor and hurried after him. "That was incredible, Your Highness. Thank you for your wisdom and kindness," he gushed, showering Hades with praise.

"We shall take our leave now. I’m making preparations to catch the demon responsible for this, and we will, soon," Hades said to the bailiff before climbing back into the carriage. Viktor joined him a few seconds later, still fascinated by what the prince had done.

"When did you learn you could do that?" Viktor asked as the carriage rolled along the path leading back to the palace.

"Just today," Hades replied with a small chuckle. "I decided to try it out, and shockingly it worked. Seems there’s still a lot I haven’t uncovered about my powers."

"It fucking seems so," Viktor muttered in awe.

As the journey continued, Viktor gazed out the window while Hades sat with his eyes closed, head leaning back against the seat. Viktor assumed he was asleep—until Hades suddenly opened his eyes, scanning both carriage windows sharply.

Curious, Viktor asked, "What is it? I thought you were asleep."

"I was," Hades said, his voice low. "Until I sensed something... unusual." He sat upright. "Stop the carriage," he commanded, his voice loud and firm enough for the coachman to hear.

Almost immediately, the carriage came to a halt.