Page 59 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

Reen Kyong, July 11th

Oceanview Harbour isn’t far from the Kingdom of Flesh. We also didn’t stop at any free cities along the way. So, it didn’t take us long to enter the harbour. I’m a breath closer to figuring out who this unawakened ice elemny is—the root of my problems.

Astin becomes my shadow when we leave the ship. Silver eyes cast left, right, and down the streets we pass. Alad moves ahead, becoming our navigator mostly. However, since leaving the Kingdom of Flesh, a frustrating feeling has overwhelmed me, pulsing at my temples, and I know our fans are following us. Flashing cameras stir irritation inside me with every flash of blinding white light or insensitive elemny entering my space. More often than not, I’m like a side attraction—some circus freak they can take photos of and invade my sanctuary when all I want is a damn good hunt to quench the wrath within.

Through the flashing lights and ignorant fans, I eye Alad with a stiff back, a formal grey suit, and a silver tie. He’s very professional. He’s not the only one. I wear a black suit and a red tie because King Walkyer wants me to act as if I’m not going on a hunt. Why? Because my brother thinks it will stir up a commotion.

Being outside of Flesh stirs commotion in itself. Wearing comfortable clothing wouldn’t make me stand out any more than I already fucking do. If she’s intelligent enough, Pandora should know why we’re here.

As we near her street, I contemplate what I would do if I deemed Alad’s secrecy too much to withstand. How quickly can I kill him without Astin interfering and getting in the way? Yet, knowing Astin, he likely believes I will not touch Alad for many reasons.

He’s the best information gatherer in Eraminia. King—Former King Ragan hired Alad because he hacked our security system from halfway across Eraminia. We didn’t know who he was then, but Ragan placed me on a mission when I was eighteen to hunt down whoever hacked the castle’s system and bring him here.

When I found Alad, it was astonishing to see a twenty-six-year-old man living in poverty, sharing a room with three younger siblings and using outdated computer software to sell intel for money. It was hard to hurt him after learning about his living situation.

But I took him back out of fear that King Ragan would harm my younger brothers if I didn’t.

When I lured him into the Throne Room, I expected a spectacle. Instead, we got King Ragan offering him a job…or the death penalty. Alad asked for the death penalty, which caused King Ragan to howl with menacing laughter and say, “This will be your death penalty. Work for me until your bones cannot move, your mind cannot think, and your legs cannot walk. You will leave me only if you work yourself to death, making your own grave.”

He’s the best at what he does, and no one has ever compared to Alad. So, it causes a curious stir at the baffling thought that he couldn’t gain an inkling of information on Pandora. He knows something about her, which wouldn’t bother me if it were anyone else but the girl I’m currently fixated on.

For a satisfying hunt, I desire to strip away all layers of her flesh and understand her completely. Who is she? I’m curious about her family history. What does she like to eat? What does she like and hate? It’s like dating someone. But in the end, my hand would sink into her heart, and I would watch her bright ice elemny eyes fade when I clenched her heart so tight that it bled.

“We’re here,” Alad says.

I fold my arms under my chest and grimace at the apartment block that looks like the others around it. “What room is hers?”

Alad points to the apartment and tells me it’s on the second floor, the fifth window to the right. A grim line forms across my mouth, and my eyes narrow at the slight opening of her window.

Someone wanted a sliver of air to breeze through the room and freshen it up. Many possibilities run through my mind about why the window is open and cracked. Pandora could have forgotten to close it before going to the Kingdom of Flesh. She might want to bring in crisp ocean air to mask her scent, hoping I won’t know if she’s returned to her apartment.

Then, my thoughts darken.

Pandora could still be inside the room, oblivious that I was hunting her. If that’s the case, I will kill her then and there. Disappointment will work through me at the thought of killing her so soon. But what would be the point of the hunt if I’m the one who’s hunting an ignorantly stupid girl?

We enter the apartment building after I stop analysing a fucking window like it’s Pandora.

Down the narrow hallway, I eye the door to the Old Wolf’s place and tell Alad and Astin to entertain themselves while I search Pandora’s room. They don’t object, knowing I’m in the mood for a hunt and don’t want any distractions.

It’s easier to stay out of my way than to piss me off.

I may be as mad as King Ragan, but a hunt means as much to me as protecting my family. And interference bothers me.

My nose wrinkles and flares at the heavy scent of mould when I open her door. To the right of me, someone has left the fridge door slightly open, and a putrid stench emanates from inside. As much as I don’t fucking want to, I need to confirm the smell before I move on.

There’s a pot of pasta. The slimy substance, gluggy and wretched, flops to the edge when I tip it to the side. That’s not where the mouldy smell is coming from. I pull open the fruit drawer and arch my brow at the seven-fucking-hundred-year-old oranges on the brink of death, looking more like shrivelled prunes.

This fucking girl is as vulgar as they come.

As I rise, my phone vibrates.

Alek: Ri opened the window when we entered her apartment. But we forgot to close it when we left. We opened it because she almost passed out from the stench.

Me: Anything else you may have moved around or opened before I can analyse the room? Did you open the fridge?

I eye the mirror with the towel hanging over it when another message appears.

Alek: Nothing that will hinder your hunt, sir.