The Mark of Aether

Head Start

The atmosphere encircling me since this morning was unbearably heavy. While the forest was rousing in its bubble of calmness and ease, like always, my mind was clouded by anxiety and apprehension.

Waking up this morn, everyone in my small group was already up and doing something useful somewhere. Despite having a heavy sleep last night, my body still ached everywhere. I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop remembering the direful words of the prophecy.
They were etched in my brain like words sculpted on stone.
'A friend shall stab you in the back.' Eight baleful words that brought me to the edge.

But whom?

So small was my circle of friends, the only ones I had were those that I met at the first norm, plus Leon. Only he knew who I was, but I refused to admit that it could be him.

He saved me so many times, had been there whenever someone needed help, but most of all was that Ramos trusted him more than anyone. Still, I knew so little about him. About all of them. The amount of time that I'd spent with them could not give me the opportunity to know what they kept in their hearts. After all, it had only been what's close to a month and few.

I knew that I wouldn't solve this riddle, no matter how hard I tried, but one thing I was sure about was that, whoever the backstabber was, he would undoubtedly leave a deep wound.

"There you are." Ramos' comforting voice hit my ears and I unconsciously smiled. I wasn't leaving anything behind me in this journey except that part of my heart that would forever reside with him.

He came and sat next to me, making himself comfortable on the seat of twisted branches. "Thinking about the outcomes?"

I just nodded.

I didn't tell him about that dreadful part of the journey I was thinking about, and I didn't intend to. Nothing he could do would change anything. With how much I knew him, I was certain that he would be worried and utterly restless. Seeing him already so melancholic made my heart sore.

"Just focus on the positives of what is to come.'' I smiled, combing my hair. Ramos mirrored it, even though it never reached his eyes. He pulled a tube out of the inner pocket of his cloak and handed it to me. Before I could ask, he had beaten me to it. ''This is for stabilizing your powers and replacing the lost amount of energy."

I hastily opened it and drank the fluid without thinking. As the crappy taste hit my taste buds, I regretted doing so enormously. If it wasn't for the fact that my stomach was still empty, I would have thrown up everything in my guts. "This tastes awful.''

"Yes, but it is for your own good.'' He kept silent after that, his eyes dimmed with forlornness.

"Ramos, what's wrong?''

"You are aware that the Book of Astazan holds the deepest secrets of the demoniac beings,'' --he paused and looked at me-- "on one of its pages is the existing solution that can save your father.''

All bombs went off in my head as his words finally sunk in.

"Really?"

He only nodded. All of a sudden, a small spark of joy lit my heart.

If I did retrieve the book, not only would I save my kingdom, but also my father. If his intentions of telling me this were to boost my reasons and spirit, then he did.

"If I remember correctly, my father is still in the palace?''

"Well, yes, after returning to the castle and figuring out that Aragon was still alive, I moved him into a secret chamber and cast a protective spell to keep him hidden. Only I and his kin can break it. Not even the maids know about his presence.''