The Third Prince Of Darkness

A Few Days Ago - Third Person POV

Roxanne was eating her meal in a private room inside the unity building, shedding tears. No matter how much she wiped her eyes with her hands, the tears wouldn't stop flowing. She had no idea what to do, as she anxiously thought about what the future might hold. How could she save Ethan from that situation? One of the last things she heard before dying in her previous life was the death of someone Ethan deeply loved, and honestly, she had no idea what she could do. From what she had learned from Pipkin, the magical cat who had granted her a second life, any interpretation of the future was bound to bring about inevitable consequences, so she had chosen to stay silent to avoid losing everything. But this silence was incredibly painful. In both of her lives, she had the chance to improve the life of the man she loved and make him happier, but she couldn't use her power.

The turmoil inside Roxanne made the taste of her food disappear entirely. Pipkin's words and the events surrounding Ethan left her with no sense of choice. Although she wanted to do everything for his happiness, she knew that taking any step could result in disastrous consequences. Pipkin's gift of a second life also carried a heavy responsibility. However, this silence inside her only made Roxanne feel more helpless.

For a moment, she recalled the soft touch of Pipkin's paws. The small, magical cat's voice always echoed with wisdom, but also with a cold clarity. Pipkin had told her that this opportunity was given to rectify past mistakes, but the less involved she was with the future, the better. "Knowing the future is a curse, Roxanne. If you try to change it, it may lead to worse results," Pipkin had said once.

Roxanne stared vacantly at the plates on the table. She thought again about how important Ethan was to her. She was ready to do anything to protect him, but she felt trapped between her instincts and Pipkin's warnings. Suddenly, she noticed a movement in the shadows at the corner of the room. Pipkin had appeared, quietly placing his delicate paws on the ground as he approached Roxanne.

"Are you crying again, Roxanne?" Pipkin asked, in a soft yet mocking tone. "What did I tell you? I told you that crying won't get you anywhere."

Roxanne looked at Pipkin with guilt. "But I don't know what to do. Ethan… I want to protect him, but no matter what I do, I feel like I'll end up losing him. I don't want to see Ethan sad… I don't want that."

Pipkin jumped onto Roxanne's shoulder and looked her in the eyes with surprising seriousness. "How foolish you are... Hah... Alright then, let me tell you how to reveal the future... Tell as little as possible, or only the most important parts, but don't exaggerate," Pipkin said, and with her hands outstretched, she cast a spell towards Roxanne. Roxanne's eyes closed and the next moment, when they opened, she stood up in horror. She took deep breaths and looked angrily at Pipkin.

"Don't look at me like that. Remember, everything is in your hands. This is what will happen if you don't do what I say... "I'll tell you what you must do now," said Pipkin, and explaining to Roxanne how much information would be reasonable to share. From that moment, they decided to find a way to tell the prophecy without arousing suspicion and eventually came up with the lie of the "seer".

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Ethan's POV

"Did I die in this prophecy you saw? Or at least, did anyone else die?" I asked.

Roxanne took a deep breath, lowered her head, and trembled slightly. The silence in the room only added weight to the importance of her words. Finally, she spoke in a fragile voice:

"Yes… there were people who died. But I don't know who all of them were." Roxanne's voice faltered, and she paused. She kept looking down, avoiding my gaze. "…But you didn't die, Ethan..."

When I heard Roxanne's trembling voice, a strange weight formed in my chest. I fixed my eyes on her; she was avoiding my gaze, gripping the edge of the table with her hands. It was impossible not to understand how shaken she was by what she had seen. But in that moment, I couldn't suppress the rising curiosity and fear inside me.

"I didn't die, huh?" I said slowly. My voice seemed calm as usual, but I could hear the underlying anxiety. "So, when is this happening… How much time do we have left?"

Roxanne still didn't lift her eyes. I noticed her hands were trembling. "I don't know…" she said softly. "The things I saw aren't clear. Just fragments… Just feelings…"

I slowly took a step toward her. "Anna, tell me the truth. Is this why you're acting this way? Is this why I always feel like something's weighing on you?"

She finally looked at me. Her eyes were full of the intense emotions she had been holding in. "Ethan, you don't understand…" she whispered. "This… it doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone around you. If I do something wrong—"

She paused for a moment, as if the words were too heavy for her. But I couldn't let her stop.

"What happens if you do something wrong?" I said harshly. "Anna, you're already doing something wrong with the way you are now. You're not telling me anything, but I feel like you're hiding something with every action. If these things you saw are really that important, trust me and be open. Otherwise, I don't know what will happen."

There was a moment of silence. The room was completely silent except for Kayle's sigh. Everyone was watching us in silence, each with a different expression

Roxanne finally took a deep breath and lifted her head. "Ethan, I trust you," she said, though even speaking those words seemed to cause her pain. "But telling you everything… knowing everything will only increase your burden, too. And…" Her voice faltered again. "... I'm afraid of losing you."

When I heard those words, for a moment I didn't know what to say. Was I angry with her, sad, or did I agree with her? I wasn't sure. But one thing was clear: Roxanne was carrying a burden too heavy for her to bear alone.

I took a deep breath and leaned against the edge of the table. "If you're afraid of losing me, Anna," I said slowly, "let's fight this battle together. I don't know what you saw, but if there's danger, at least let me prepare for it. We can face it together. But for me to do that, you need to trust me."

Roxanne's face crumpled in pain, but she didn't look away from my gaze. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and, with a trembling voice, said, "Alright. Alright, Ethan. I'll… tell you some things. But promise me. Promise me you'll think carefully about what I'm saying."

I nodded in agreement. No matter what I was about to hear, I wanted to make sure she felt like she wasn't alone. "I promise," I said firmly. "No matter what happens, I'll carry this burden with you."

Roxanne closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"When Alpshar comes to the north, he will undoubtedly win and ultimately bind all the northern states to himself. The states in the north will become some sort of vassals to Alpshar... I can't tell you more, Ethan. I wish I could, but please, don't leave."

"Why shouldn't I go? After all, you said I wouldn't die."

For a moment, Roxanne's face darkened, as if something she didn't want to say had come to the tip of her tongue, but she had forced herself to stop. She avoided looking at me. "It's true, you won't die, but... I just don't want you to go."

"If I stay behind like a coward at the academy during the war, no one will care about my authority, and they won't even support me becoming king. Like you said, if I'm not going to die, I have to go. I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

Roxanne, seeing my resolve, sighed deeply, knowing there was no point in trying to stop me. But the fear inside her never ceased.

"Ethan..." Roxanne said, her voice barely more than a broken whisper. "If you're going… at least listen to my last piece of advice... After the war, the moment you're free, go to the palace... Take Marsiel with you, but no matter what, the first thing you must do is go to the palace. Do you understand me?"

Roxanne's words echoed in my ears. The anxiety inside me deepened with the passing of time. "The palace?" I said, tilting my head slightly. "Why do I need to go to the palace? What's going on, Roxanne?"

As she looked at me, the fear and indecision were still visible on her face. After finishing her words and falling silent for a moment, she took a deep breath and lifted her eyes back to mine.

"This is important for you, Ethan," she said, though the tremor in her voice hadn't subsided. "At the end of the war… you need to know this. At the palace… there's something waiting for you. Just..." Roxanne's voice cracked, and the words were coming out with difficulty. "If you don't go to the palace, it will be too late. No matter what, you must take that step."

The weight of Roxanne's words was growing heavier with each passing second. I bit my lip several times, trying to gather my thoughts. What was it about all of this that made her so worried? And what mystery lay within the palace that could affect my life and future so much?

But there was something—her words were echoing inside me. After all, if this were a lie, no one would take it seriously. Roxanne trusted me and wanted to tell me something, but her fear was holding her back.