Everyone turned to look at Shine. Even the guards were in shock. His shouting brought guards running out from inside. Mite came out too.
"Who's screaming out here?" Mite said. His eyes landed on Jhed.
"Well, look who it is. I searched everywhere for you and couldn't find you anywhere. But here you are now." Mite walked up to Jhed and slammed a fist into his stomach.
Jhed crumpled to the ground. The pain was unbearable. He clutched his stomach with both hands, curling into his knees.
"Do you have any idea how much I got yelled at by His Majesty because of you? Anyway, forget that — when you ran, you didn't even think of your own mother and sister, did you. Poor things, half-starved, acting like madwomen until they made it all the way to the palace." Mite laughed as he kicked Jhed. The pain in Jhed's stomach was bad enough, and now he had kicks to dodge on top of it. He screamed from the pain — a sound sharp enough to unsettle even the guards standing around, as if it were telling them exactly how agonizing pain could be.
"Stop... don't hit him." Shine's eyes had gone red — maybe from rage.
Mite turned to look at him.
"Who's this one?"
"Sir, we caught him with this one," a guard said.
Mite walked over to Shine.
"So should I hit you too?" Mite said, laughing.
"Take them to His Majesty."
Mite glanced up at the sky. The weather had turned strange today. Dark clouds had wrapped around the entire city, swirling in slow circles, the lightning flashing within them looking more menacing than usual.
They all went inside. Outside, only the storm remained, standing watch.
Inside, Miruth was smiling.
"Look at this, Luccos. Today was about to get interesting." Miruth said this, seated on his throne.
Luccos and Nain stood there.
"What are you planning to do?" Luccos asked Miruth.
"Nothing. Just watch."
"What does he even want," Luccos muttered to himself.
Nain stood silently. Scorch marks from her fire magic still scarred the throne. Even now, the room held onto the heat left behind by it.
Luccos and Nain both turned toward the entrance. They could hear a commotion growing louder. Slowly, the noise drew closer.
"What's that noise?" Nain said.
Miruth was looking toward the entrance too.
"Hurry up, I can't wait any longer. Why is this place so big." He was impatient — so impatient that even his own palace felt too large for his liking.
Finally, the two of them were brought before Miruth. The color drained from both Luccos's and Nain's faces. Nain in particular looked badly shaken.
"That coward is here — and who's that other one with him?" Nain said to herself.
Luccos couldn't stop staring at Jhed either.
"That's... that's the boy."
"Your Majesty, here's the runaway." Mite said.
A crowd of guards stood around Jhed and Shine, as if they were dangerous criminals.
"You were right, Nain — he's alive," Luccos said.
"I don't know what he's going to do to us. Shine, what have you gotten us into." Jhed was panicking inside.
Shine looked straight at Miruth.
"We've been waiting just for you," Miruth said, smiling.