The receptionist stepped out from behind his marble desk. He guided Aldes into a hallway. Four fully armored guards suddenly appeared and walked surrounding Aldes. They escorted the young man in the black cloak like personal bodyguards.
They walked along the quiet long hallway. The sound of footsteps and the friction of armor echoed through the stone corridor. Aldes did not speak or attempt to converse with the guards at all. His face remained tightly concealed behind the porcelain mask.
They eventually arrived at a very spacious and grand room. The architecture was different from the rest of the building. Gold carved stone pillars towered high, supporting the entire room. Giant golden statues stood neatly along the walls. On the right side was a giant wall aquarium. Clear water revealed aquatic plants and exotic fish that emitted soft light. The ceiling displayed an illusion of a starry night, radiating a bright blue glow throughout every corner of the room.
At the center of the room stood a solid black marble desk. A transparent crystal ball rested on top of it.
The officer stepped forward and stood beside the glowing ball.
"Over here, Sir."
Aldes walked toward the crystal ball. His footsteps stopped directly in front of the marble desk.
"Please place your right hand here," the officer said. He handed over a thick piece of paper the size of a palm. "And hold this blank card."
Aldes pressed his right palm against the cold surface of the crystal ball. His left hand received and held the blank card.
Instantly, the blue light inside the ball shone much brighter until it became blinding.
Thousands of new memories suddenly flooded into Aldes's head with overwhelming force. It was an entire sequence of memories from the life of the original Aldes Vernia, beginning from his birth until this exact moment. Countless random scenes spun rapidly through his mind.
Aldes felt an excruciating headache. His head felt as if it had been struck repeatedly by an iron hammer. The veins on his temples bulged violently. However, he gritted his teeth tightly. He endured the pain with everything he had. His posture remained upright. He did not show even the slightest painful reaction to the officer and guards around him.
Meanwhile, Illfa ran hurriedly through the rain. Her legs moved quickly across the stone streets of the city. Her muscles pumped blood rapidly, carrying her body toward the royal palace.
Sst.
A soft buzzing sound brushed against her ears. The scenery before Illfa's eyes completely changed in a single blink.
Her location shifted. She was no longer on the city streets.
She now stood in the middle of an endless forest. The place was silent and smelled of wet earth, far from the bustle of the capital. There was no source of light in the forest. Only the darkness of the night and the dim glow of the full moon pierced through gaps between the leaves.
Illfa froze completely. Her right hand quickly pulled the sword from its sheath. She lowered her stance. Her eyes moved rapidly, observing the surroundings hidden beneath the shadows of the trees.
"What happened? Was I teleported by a witch?" Illfa muttered softly. Her red eyebrows sharply furrowed.
She immediately shook her head.
"No. Witches do not have the power to teleport someone without physical contact!"
Inside a large dim room, Tominus stood silently while staring at the glass window before him. Raindrops struck the glass surface continuously. He folded both arms behind his back casually.
Behind him, Klaus stood with an upright posture while staring at the king's back.
"What?" Tominus asked in a deep voice without turning around.
Klaus lowered his head deeply.
"Your Majesty. Several Guardians assigned to monitor Aldes and the envoys from other kingdoms have disappeared."