Chapter 2

Palace Twelve midnight A starry night loomed above, pretty enough to ignite the heart of everyone in the realm. The breeze blew cool announcing the coming of crisp days. The aroma of the tall grasses was an intoxicating perfume, even though there place surrounded with coldness they still manage to plant and take care of the plants and green trimmed grasses. The lamps' reflection in every house of their villagers reflected on the black river together with reflections of the stars up in the sky stretched out like flaming stilts, ruffled by a cold breeze. In Helios' eyes that was the most precious and treasured thing to remember, the people in the palace have their needs and it put smiles on their faces as well as into them. Helios is on the porch, seeing people all over the place. As far as he knew tonight is his arrival, he didn't give up searching for her. Hades didn't give up for anything, he wanted him to take down, using her. At first, he didn't agree to the plan but for the sake of the people in their kingdom, using a person could save them. He was not in favor of the plans they would make but he couldn't do anything for it, it's him against them. This woman will be their pawn, their lure against Knight, for them to catch the notorious young man, he had killed innocent people, a lot of women were gone missing and all of those is he was the suspect. *** FLASHBACK Knight's eyes, were a well of jet black ink, held a gaze more fearsome than a tiger. A thin paper fag hung from his bottom lip, a small trail of smoke escaping from the corner of his mouth danced its way to the ceiling above us. In one hand a sword lay loosely but he knows it too well that Knight was good in playing blades and he must now be too calm, his fingers slowly and gently grip his sword and withing just a flick of an eye his sword swung perfectly and smoothly near to his neck, first the fuller of the sword, the edge, slowly to the central ridge and the point of the blade, he feels something thinly cut in his neck and he was not mistaken, it did bleed a little causing Knight to have a playful smirk crossed in his lips. The smile that every person would see in their last breath. His eyebrows raised in amusement at his reaction, nothing, not a move, not even a flinch, no trace of fear in his eyes, not a single damn thing. "Are you done?" Helios was too calm but not on the inside, he must admit he fear him but he was the king after all and he must stand it. "I think, I will treasure this night truly because tonight I have met the king, the slayer, the cut-throat, the executioner, or the exterminator king. How are you?" he said as he put his sword down beside him. "You've changed," the only words came out of Helios' mouth making him chortle. Knight has become a caricature of himself, but he didn't use to be that way. Once his emotions were as variable as the rest, sometimes gregarious, other times moody. Now he's stuck in his negative range and always extreme. Once his face was soft with the beginnings of laughter lines, not creased in that angry way that has become his only face to the world. Yes, the Knight he used to know had changed a lot, the Knight he used to play together with Hades is now a different person, he used to laugh with them, the positive and cheerful kid that always makes them happy and thought them different games is now gone. Yes, maybe they are now a different person, different personalities, and now stand in a different situation that Helios didn't even understand why. He was in his father's shelter a few years back, no-one will say what for because they were completely shocked that his father was alive that for all they know is Knight has no family, but when he came back his personality was altered - severe I assume. Slowly the two of them, him and Hades dropped out of Knight's life, they were worn down by his newfound aggression and negativity which makes him now the opponent. "I never change Helios, I am still the person you know but sometimes when someone will enlighten us we come to see the truth. Only by looking at an object from many perspectives do you see its exact shape and dimensions, and the truth is the same but does it the same? You only look at it, didn't move or touch it, didn't see the back, the secrets behind it. Truth is treason in an empire of lies. So tell me does it sounds familiar with your empire?" he coldly stated and a smile put in his wicked lips. "How dare you to tell that! You know nothing!" Helios muttered angrily, he was fumed in furious. "I know nothing? Maybe now you're the one who knows nothing Helios but one of these days you'll thank me but I'll take your words as an advance. Does the truth imprison us, or does it set us free? Hopefully, you will see the truth in their eyes and words. Some do hear and turn their lives around. Facing the truth about our negative sides is a difficult thing to do. However, none of us can improve without knowing the truth, even when it hurts. If we learn, the truth does set us free Helios, but in my case when you soon know the truth I'll come and perish you.One thing we know for sure, the truth can hurt us but it will make us stronger, it will change us into something we could never imagine but deep of us, we are still the same person just on a different vision," he stated looking calm and Helios can tell he was the same person he met before, he must admit to himself that he was also missing him. "Damn you for being who you are now Knight, it didn't even cross my mind that you will be this kind of man you are right now. What did you do with the girls who are missing right now, what did you do to them? You killed innocent people Knight, this is not who you are," he gritted his teeth, he wanted to punch his face so hard that he wanted to see his blood and beg for forgiveness but that would be impossible. "The girls are fine Helios, I am not the man who you think you are but maybe," he cunningly said and look at him with stinging eyes. "Don't test me, Knight, once I found out the truth behind all of this I'll forget that I know you," he muttered but all he got was his roguish laugh. "You should tell that to yourself Helios, good night," he said and walks away slowly vanishing his image in the dark alley. "Your game is here Knight," he muttered as soon as he sighted the carriage coming in his way.