"Is there anyone?...... ' Sovereign's voice rang out in the empty Oak Palace, and all that answered him was the echo of the darkness ahead. This should have been the place he was most familiar with, but it seemed so strange and cold at this time. The dim torches burned on the walls of the King's Hall, and the light of the fire, blown by the cold wind that swept into the hall, bred in the flickering light and darkness and produced distorted shadows that were like the fangs and claws of hell, jumping and cheering in this uninhabited world.

Sovereign walked blankly, a chill that penetrated deep into his bone marrow from the hard marble floor at his feet, a cold that could not be dissipated, as if it was devouring his own life and even his soul deep inside. Darkness spread all around, and it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night, and the ornate stained-glass windows of the King's Hall were dim, and the world outside the windows was pitch black, as if there was an inky fog that enveloped it in layers.

Door after door was pushed open, and the empty rooms joined together, stretching out into an even more empty space. Sovereign was still calling, but received no answer, he wanted to find even a trace of the warmth of his former home here, but only found the loneliness that followed him.

Another door was pushed open, and he came to his father's bedchamber. The room in front of me was messy, the floor was covered with yellow leaves, the simple and luxurious furniture that I once remembered had been covered with a thick layer of dust, the windows were half-open, and the yellowed curtains were torn and rolled up by the cold wind, and the body rose and fell involuntarily.

On his desk in front of the window, Sauveland saw a bouquet of snow lilies in a vase, Aiden's favorite flower. He remembered that after his father's assassination, he personally picked a bouquet from the flower garden and put it in a vase, hoping that his father would recover smoothly.

Sovereign walked over, wanting to pick it up and take another look. Just as the fingertips touched the white and delicate petals, the whole bunch of snow lilies suddenly withered and lost all life, and the cold wind blew and turned into fine ashes, which drifted into the air.

As the pain swept over him, Sovereign waved his hands aimlessly, trying to grasp the flowers that had drifted away in the wind, only to find to his dismay, no matter how hard he tried, he could not leave anything behind. His hands were fixed in the air like statues, straight and a little helpless.

Walking stiffly, like a ghost who had lost his mind, the empty Oak Palace was like a huge coffin, burying all the good things. Sovereign didn't know why he was here, or what he was looking for, but when he returned to the King's Chamber, he saw the oak throne high up.

The wide seat glowed coldly in the darkness, churning and flickering in Essaoweran's teary-eyed blurred vision, and for a moment he seemed to hear the mocking and contemptuous whisper of the Oak Throne, which lingered in his ears as a mockery of his own cowardice and incompetence.

The young prince covered his ears in pain, but the voices tore and entangled him as if they were pervasive, repeating themselves over and over again in his mind, getting louder and louder.

"Shut up...... Shut up...... "Sovereign roared with red eyes and pounded his head like mad, trying to get the sound out of his head.

Suddenly, the whispers were gone, but in an instant, louder voices erupted from the depths of the King's Hall. The crimson waters of blood broke down the walls behind the Oak Throne, rushing and roaring like a burst of the embankment, frantically beating at everything it could touch. Torches were extinguished, and a deafening sound mingled with the looming darkness and a suffocating smell rushed towards Sauvera.

Stunned by what he saw, he rushed out of the Oak Palace without looking back, and ran down the steps in front of the palace. Blood spread behind him, cascading down the steps, and with a heart-rending thud, the entire Oak Palace crumbled like fallen bricks in a sea of red.

The whole world turned red, and all the buildings seemed to melt, and the slump, shattered, and thick plasma squeezed against him beside Sovereign. Run, run like a desperate man, and just as Sovereign's whole heart was about to fall into despair, he saw a hidden wooden door in front of him, and a faint light shimmered in the slightly open crack of the door.

Like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, Essaouiran rushed over without hesitation and pushed the door in. Suddenly, the light in front of him overwhelmed him, and with a warmth that cut off all cold and fear, Sovereign saw the image of the Lord of Order standing in front of him.

It is a cozy chapel, and the golden light of heaven pours down from the dome of the church and falls on the icon, as if to coat the icon with a layer of holy white light. Prostrated on the stone pedestal at the foot of the statue, Soviran looked up with great reverence, looking at Somue's just and majestic face, eager for the blessing and guidance of the Lord God.

Suddenly, the whole church shook, and large chunks of tiles and dust fell overhead, and the ground cracked into countless bottomless crevices, in which blazing flames erupted as if to burn the whole world to ashes.

"Help me, Lord God......" cried out Sovereign in anguish, only to find a crack in the icon's shoulder, which then spread out like a spider's web, and finally crumbled and ceased to exist under his desperate gaze. "No ......"

With a scream, Sovereign sat up sharply, his tearful eyes squirming around in a panic, and he found that there was no collapsed oak palace, thick blood or even the icon of the Lord God beside him. A cold night breeze blew, pulling him back from his terrifying nightmare.

His clothes were soaked with cold sweat, sticky and uncomfortable, and not far away, a flame burned faintly in the fire made of stones. Dreams, it turned out that what had just happened was a dream, Soveran closed his eyes and rubbed his somewhat stiff face with his hands.

"Nightmares again?......" Paislin's voice drifted over, and he asked, awakened by Sovereign's cries, with some concern.

"Well......" Sovereign nodded.

It was a col in the western hills of the White Oak province, and in order to avoid possible encounters on the road, Sovereign and Paislin had to avoid the main road and walk as far off the beaten track as possible. Thanks to Colin's careful preparation, they were equipped with all the tools they could use for the long journey, so even if the journey was a little harder, it was not very sad.

The only thing that worries people is Soveland's mental state, for several days, endless nightmares have been haunting him, as long as he closes his eyes, there must be all kinds of tragic scenes in his sleep, boundless darkness, and a red that cannot be dissolved.

Soveland's reply clearly did not reassure Peslin. "You can't do this, Soveland," he persuaded softly, "and if you go on like this, you won't have to be caught, and you'll drive yourself crazy." ”

"I know, don't worry, I'm fine......" Sovereign squeezed out an ugly smile.

"At our speed, we will probably reach the town of Kugil on the border of the province tomorrow evening, if nothing else......" Peslin's voice paused, he wanted to say "Father's secret order", but immediately realized how unfashionable such a title was in the current situation, so he changed his words: "The secret order of the Imperial Council has probably been delivered to all the passes of the province, and going to Kugil in your current state is tantamount to throwing yourself into a trap, let alone escaping the province." ”

Sovereign didn't speak, just stared vacantly at the darkness outside the makeshift camp, the dim light and shadow hitting the side of his face, looking a little preoccupied.

"Veran," Peslin said hesitantly, "are we really going to the West?...... this was not the first time he had asked such a question.

When the young prince heard this, he turned his head, and his emaciated face was shadowed by the undulating lines. "Do I have a choice? No, my brother, I don't have a choice. His voice was hoarse and cold that he had never heard before, "They didn't think to leave me a choice......

Peslin's mouth opened in a sneering manner, but he didn't know what to say. In fact, when they escaped from Oak City, they had discussed where to go. Obviously, it was impossible to go to the province of the River, for the Duchess of Catherine herself was afraid that she would be in danger posed by Loca Toure.

As for leaving the kingdom of Orem, although Paislin wanted to mention it, but looking into Sawrain's eyes, he decisively chose to automatically ignore this option. In the end, there was only one way left to choose from in the West, and thankfully, Lady Eudora Swinston, Duke of the West, was not only Soveland's aunt, but also loved him.

From any point of view, the Western Frontier Province, one of the seven provinces of the kingdom, is fully capable of providing shelter for Essaouiran, and may even send troops to help the young prince regain everything he has lost.

The problem is simply that this choice, which is very easy to guess, is destined for their westward journey, and it will definitely not be easy. At the same time, this choice, which leaves no room for error, will only lead Essaouiran to a thorny future.

"Sleep, I'm going to be on my way tomorrow, don't worry about my ......," Sovereign retracted his gaze and whispered. He was grateful for what Paislin had done for him, especially in the face of fateful choices.

Paislin sighed, wrapped the blanket tightly again, and lay down silently. He knew that there were some things that he could not help himself, and that only Essaoweran himself could find the answer.

Sovereign churned his charred sticks through the embers of the firepit until faint flames reappeared. He placed more dry firewood on it, and soon the flames flickered and rose a lot, and began to make a pleasant popping sound. The entire camp lit up, and the darkness that had been looming around it withdrew a long distance.

From time to time, there was a howl or two of unknown animals in the distance, and it was lonely and far away. Sovereign wrapped the blanket tightly and lay down again, listening quietly to the sounds of the night. Gently clutching the pendant on his chest, the warmth of the firelight calmed his mood a lot, and finally, he fell into a deep sleep again, thankfully, this time, he did not dream.