The Third Prince Of Darkness

"I'm sorry, but we can never be together in this situation... I can't share the same man with the child of murderers...." she said, her voice full of disgust.

I knew what Catherine was talking about. Her mother and father had died under suspicious circumstances while returning from the Tamerid Empire. It was likely Catherine had always doubted that her parents' deaths were accidents, and she seemed almost certain that the ones responsible were the Tamerid Empire.

"Even so, Evangeline isn't a murderer. Maybe her parents are, but Evangeline isn't responsible for your family's death."

"No, she is a murderer. Maybe she didn't kill my mother or father, but she still takes lives without hesitation for her own gain," Catherine retorted.

She had made a valid point. Evangeline was indeed responsible for many deaths, whether by her own hands or through others'. After all, it wasn't a coincidence that she was the closest candidate to the throne of the Tamerid Empire, the largest and most complex power on the continent. Such a position could only be achieved through bloodshed.

"That may be true. But I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm not saying it's good, but I don't think it's bad either. People aren't obligated to care about others' lives. Those who think only of themselves rise to the top. Just like Evangeline"

Catherine looked at me with disappointment. "So, do you think killing anyone is justified? No! Anyone who kills without necessity is evil," she said, slamming her hand on the table.

"Does that mean I'm evil, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, I've killed many people, even my own stepbrother. So, am I evil? The thing you fail to understand, Catherine, is that everyone in this world, except for pure and innocent souls like you, is capable of anything. If given enough power and opportunity, even someone kind-hearted like you can become corrupt. Human nature leans toward evil. I'm just trying to survive in this malevolent world, using its own weapons against it. I kill, blackmail, and I'll continue to do so for my own benefit. Doing good for someone you don't care about is meaningless, Catherine, because if you throw little water at a massive fireball, the only thing you'll see is the flames growing larger."

Catherine fell silent at my words. Disappointment and anger flickered together in her eyes. As silence weighed down the room, she finally took a deep breath and spoke slowly:

"Ethan, I could never be like you. I can't see people's lives, their values, as mere pawns to be sacrificed for gain. If you think joining the ranks of those who fill this world with evil is an accomplishment, then our paths diverge here, Ethan," she said, rising to leave.

At that moment, I didn't know how to turn the situation around. But I had to fix it somehow.

"… That's the last thing I'd want, Catherine. If I tried to become the man you want me to be, would you reconsider?"

Catherine hesitated for a moment, her eyes seeming to weigh the turmoil within me. After everything I'd said, I thought we had reached a point of no return, but the trembling of her lips hinted at a sliver of hope.

"Ethan" she said softly, her voice carrying a broken echo. "The fact that you're even saying these words shows that you haven't completely lost the goodness inside you. But if these are just words… they're not enough." Her gaze locked onto mine, sharp and questioning. "Can you truly change? Can you really believe that goodness and the value of people's lives matter in this world?"

Silence once again stretched between us like an unbridgeable chasm. I took a deep breath, my thoughts swirling in a chaotic storm. I had survived by my own methods, and becoming the kind of person Catherine spoke of… it wasn't so easy in this world. Unfortunately, I couldn't be that person. Even if I tried, I'd likely end up dead. But here I was, trying to forge a connection with Catherine, not just meet her.

"I can try.... For you, I can try."

At my words, Catherine slowly sat back down and remained silent for a moment. "I… That's good," she finally said, her voice barely audible.

It was natural for someone like Catherine, who had spent most of her life in a palace, to be detached from reality. Still, there was something I couldn't understand. Catherine must have suffered greatly as a child, having lost her parents. But yet, her development was different from what I had expected. After all, she seemed to hate the people who had killed her parents—or at least, whom she believed had killed them.

"Catherine, don't you want revenge?" I asked suddenly.

Catherine was caught off guard by my question. "… No. But that's not the same. They… deserve to be punished," she said.

"Do you want justice, or do you want revenge?" I asked, my eyes fixed on her innocent face. This was important to me. If I were to accompany her on this journey, I needed to know what she was after.

Catherine's lips trembled, her gaze shifting to the edge of the table. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. "I just… I don't want them to get away with what they've done," she said at last, her voice trembling but resolute. "If they're truly responsible for my parents' deaths, then yes, I want them punished. But this isn't revenge, Ethan. It's… justice."

I tilted my head slightly, a faint, mocking smile playing on my lips. "Justice," I repeated. "There's no such thing as justice in this world, Catherine. There are only winners and losers. What you want is revenge. Dressing it up as justice won't change that. Be honest with yourself."

Catherine drew a deep breath and leaned toward me, her eyes blazing. "No, Ethan. You might not see the difference, but I do. To you, it might seem insignificant, but to me, it means everything." Her words carried weight, and for a moment, they made me pause.

After a brief silence, I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. "Alright, Catherine," I said. "Let's say I'll help you. I'll help you find those responsible for your parents' deaths and bring them to justice. But I have one condition."

Catherine's eyes lit up for a moment. She recognized this as an opportunity and didn't hesitate. "What do you want?"

"If at any point… this quest for justice turns into something dangerous, you must stop," I said. "I don't want to watch you become someone you never wanted to be." I felt the weight of my own words as I spoke. In this world, no one could remain the person they wanted to be.

Catherine hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Agreed," she said, her voice low but firm.

"Then we'll work together from now on," I said.

Although my hopes for a quick romantic relationship with Catherine had been dashed, I had at least avoided the worst-case scenario. I no longer needed to chase after Catherine or demean myself as though I depended on her. I wasn't about to follow any woman like a lovesick puppy. Besides, even without Catherine, my goals wouldn't be impossible to achieve. She would just make things easier, that's all.

••••

When my date with Catherine ended, we returned to the teleportation portal together. My relationship with her remained good, and I'd say it deepened a bit since our conversations rarely strayed into risky territory. However, it still hadn't reached a romantic level.

By the time Catherine and I parted ways, the sun was setting. When I returned to my unit's headquarters, I decided to train for a bit in the exercise room to get stronger. For now, it would be best to set aside my thoughts about my relationship with Catherine.

I headed to the training room and conjured a small sphere of water. I began throwing it toward a target at the slowest possible speed. It was far more difficult than it looked, as the purpose of this exercise was to enhance control over the element. No matter how powerful a person's Kaizer abilities are, without sufficient control over their element, they're no better than a wild, untamed beast. They may be strong, but their lack of control makes it increasingly difficult to defeat formidable opponents.

As the small water sphere floated forward at a slow pace, the door suddenly opened. Distracted, I lost focus, and the sphere burst mid-air. Letting out a sigh, I turned to see who had entered. Standing there, her tail wagging slightly, was Ellera. Her hair was damp, likely from a recent bath, but thankfully, she wasn't wearing anything sheer or revealing.

Ellera walked toward me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to distract you," she said in her neutral tone.

With her emotionless expression, she moved to the adjacent training area and picked up a sword from the rack. "Do you want to spar? No magic, just swords," she asked, swinging the weapon lightly to test its balance.

"Yes, of course."

I walked over and selected a sword of my own—a long, thick, two-handed sword that was incredibly heavy. Then Ellera and I took our positions.

"Okay, so... Three.… two…. one…. start!"

_____

The reason I couldn't write a chapter the previous day was that I had to travel out of town to attend the wedding of a very close relative. In fact, I even wrote this chapter in the back seat of a car, surrounded by extremely noisy and mischievous children. 😭😭😭