The King's Beloved

[Music Recommendation: "The Heart's Tale" by BigRicePiano - available in Youtube] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~

"Join them in their journey… Does this mean through the remaining gates? The eleventh and the twelfth?" Lunaflora asked Amare.

"That's—"

"U-ughh…" King Calum groaned in agony. His heart began to throb. Or was it his head? Or his core? Or perhaps, his entire being? Unbeknownst to him, the throbbing sent massive pain all throughout his body making him fall down to his knees. Darkness began to reek out from his very skin like fumes.

"Your highness!" Clavis and Illuminaire shouted as they immediately ran towards King Calum's side and aided him.

"Don't!—Don't touch me," King Calum stopped them despite his pained tone. "Y-you might… get blighted."

Everyone turned to the king in worry. Though Ducis made time to stop for everyone else, that wasn't the case to them. During the time that they were all discussing and being made aware of the truth, the Curse of Hatred didn't stop in trying to conquer the king's body. Thus, was the most possible reason why it was suddenly kicking in at that moment.

"I-it seems that… haaah… my body is failing me," King Calum said through his breath.

Elliot knelt beside him and patted his back. Though abrupt, everything was made clear to him. The memories he lost may have not returned fully but he knew very well that the king kneeling in pain beside him was… family. Yes, his very own cousin that he shared the same blood with.

Elliot might have lost his father and mother, his uncle, and maybe some other relatives he knew not, but beside him was the only living blood-related family he knew.

Deep inside him, he cared not about the things he did in the past…

The mistakes… or any wrong thing… He only cared that he was family. 

Yes, a family member that was suffering from pain that he could only imagine. His heart ached seeing him like that and not knowing what to do to ease his suffering.

"Ducis, Luna, Amare," Elliot called them one by one with worry so apparent on his face. "How do we lift this curse on him? It's not his fault. He shouldn't be suffering—"

"Yes, it is my fault," King Calum interrupted him. "I… I deserve this curse."

Elliot's face turned wretched. "Why? Why do you say you deserve to be cursed? You didn't do—"

"Yes, I did… haah… I did lots of terrible things. Conquering and destroying multitudes of planets… haah… killing many people and creatures… t-there's too much blood in my hands. Perhaps, that is why… I am not worthy of this."

With trembling hands, King Calum removed the crown that was carefully placed on his head. His almost lifeless eyes stared at it for a moment. Then, he looked at Elliot straight through his eyes and offered the crown to him.

"I… never wanted this anyway," he said as he tried to pull a smile on his face for Elliot, his beloved little cousin who was all grown up now. "I'm… glad to see you again."

Elliot's eyes widened in surprise. Deep inside him, he thought that perhaps, he would have hated him for hiding all those years and not helping him. But he said that he was glad instead. Due to this, his once wretched face smiled bitterly. 

"I'm really glad to see you again, too, Calum," Elliot replied dearly, and a drop of tear escaped his eyes. "Y-You've done well to endure all these years. And I'm very sorry for not being there with you along the way. But everything's okay now. You don't need to be burdened anymore. This time… it's my time to carry the burden."

And so, Elliot took the crown from Calum's hand and along with it, he embraced him tightly in his arms. Though unspoken, he understood what Calum meant from that gesture, and the extreme weight it carried.

Calum, finally freed from his shackles, smiled through his eyes. Tears streamed down from his cheeks like a continuous stream.

He was truly grateful for meeting Elliot… one last time.

He wanted to spend more time and help him… and maybe correct his mistakes along the way too but… his body was already failing him—just like what happened to his father. 

For the "Curse of Hatred" was also the "Curse of Death."

Yes, death delivered in the longest and most painful way there ever was.

A death by the slowest and most agonizing torture…

Such was the depth of Vindicta's hatred.

Everyone's heart sank as they watched the king slowly… die. 

Desperate to save him, Elliot summoned and asked all the Guardians over and over about the way to lift his curse. But the Guardians on the other hand, couldn't answer him. Couldn't and shouldn't but…

"Please…" Elliot pleaded for the nth time. "He's the only family I have left. I don't want to lose him, too."

"Elliot…" Rania went beside to comfort him. 

They tried all the healing magic they knew, using all forms of energy they had—spirit, holy, even life, or Rania's command but none was working. For indeed, if it was a curse that could easily be lifted, then Sanguis perhaps would have done his best to lift it so his son and his descendants wouldn't suffer the same pain he went through.

Unable to bear Elliot's desperation, alas, Lunaflora spoke up. 

"T-there is a way but—"

"Luna/Flora!" the other guardians tried to hush her. Indeed there was a way but it was something the other Guardians couldn't agree to.

"What is it? Tell me!" Elliot's eyes lit up.

Hesitant, Lunaflora still answered him, "The Curse of Hatred can only be lifted by the one who cast it. In this case, Vindicta—the other half of Amare."

"But it will be hard to ask her for that, and we don't have much time."

"Yes, that's true. And for us to buy some time—"

"We can put him inside a time barrier!"

"No. The curse is not something time could affect," Amare disagreed.

"Then… how?" Elliot's eyebrows furrowed.

Lunaflora and Amare looked at each other and sighed.

"We can… transfer the curse to another."