"You've made your mother worried about you," a deep voice echoed behind Gavrael, causing the young man to halt and stand still. "This is your first time setting foot on the surface but you already nearly didn't make it."

"It will not happen again, Father." Gavrael replied before turning around to face the strong and dark man before him. This father of his reeks with so much dark power even when he was just standing there. Gavrael could not help but feel mystified at how his mother could tolerate living and being next to this man all these years. In fact, it intrigued him to no end how his mother was completely unaffected when all the dark faes, him included, was already intimidated just by coming into contact this king's mere aura alone. This man was the king of the darkness through and through and Gavrael wondered if he would grow up to be just like him one day. No, in his mind, he haughtily told himself that he would surpass him one day. "And besides, I heard there's an alternative. I've read it in one of your books before father. It said there that I would be able to keep my magic and memories if I can endure and defeat the curse."

The king looked surprised at hearing what his son mentioned and was not pleased at all at what he said. "I see that you are more than confident of yourself Gavrael. But I must warn you that the alternative you are talking about is too dangerous. I believe you have already tasted the pain" the king said, causing Gavrael to look at him in surprise. He thought that he could hide the suffering he had gone through as a result of him failing to return on time. "I must tell you what you experienced was just only the tip of the iceberg. That was a little taste of what the real thing is if you dare try."

The young man's eyes widened. Did he say, 'just a little taste'? That was a little taste? He had never felt such pain before. It was a hundred times more painful than the strikes and punches and wounds he had suffered all through his combat trainings. And he said that it was just a taste? Gavrael shuddered a little as he thought how overwhelming the pain would be if the whole curse was in effect on him.

"I wouldn't want you to go through it. Because no one has ever managed to defeat the curse." There was a warning in his voice that Gavrael thought was rare. His father liked throwing him in harsh, almost impossible situations ever since he was young. He claimed that would toughen him up and doubled as trainings and also to sharpen his mind as he sought to overcome it. During trainings, Gavrael would always receive the harshest and cruelest routines among all his peers and his father never gave him any warnings or talks such as this.

"I wanted you to keep that in mind, Gavrael. Do not even think of attempting it, son." The king added that on to his already rare warning and then he turned to leave when Gavrael called out.

"Father, may I ask you one thing?" Gavrael said and the king faced him, seemingly surprised that his son was finally initiating a conversation with him. It had been a long time since his son had stopped speaking to him like he used to when he was a child.

The king was aware of the reason why and had traced it back to when his son was old enough to realize how different he was from the rest of the citizens in the entire empire.

"Go on, son." The king was curious on what could have prompted his son to voluntarily speak extra words to him again.

"I saw a girl but she's different. I don't think she's human nor a vampire."

The king started to look intrigued as he turned to fully face Gavrael and paid more attention to what he was about to say.

"I think she has magic, though not the kind that we have. I think hers is a far weaker type of magic. I want to ask if there are other races that live on the surface. Perhaps a race that mother didn't know about, aside from the humans and vampires?"

Suddenly, a dark energy enveloped the two of them. Gavrael realized his father was trying to hide this conversation from anyone. He had used his massive reserve of energy to surround them both with a shield constructed fully of dark magic to keep all conversation they were having, remaining within this sphere. After the sphere solidified, the king looked more relaxed and opened his mouth to continue speaking.

"How did the girl look like?" the king asked, Gavrael could see so much interest in his eyes.

For a moment, Gavrael hesitated. He did not expect his father to react like this. However, even though his relationship with his father had somehow changed for the worse as he grew older, which he himself started by deliberately disobeying the king and not speaking with him, this man was still the only man in the dark fae realms Gavrael trusted the most. The main reason was because he knew this man loved his mother more than anyone else. And he had been keeping his mother safe from harm up until now.

"She was glowing and has translucent butterfly like wings. And her hair was long and silvery white." Gavrael answered and the king's expression at that moment made the young man to understand that his father knew about her. "It was like the colour of moonlight" Gavrael said, more to himself than to his father. Then he looked up. "You know about her?!" Gavrael asked, even moving closer to the king as he questioned her.

The king observed his son's face, as if thinking on whether he should answer him right there and then or not.