Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

My eyes widened and my jaw just literally dropped the moment I heard those words from my childhood friend right this instant. He knew… all this time! How come he knew what I have been up to these past few months?

I was literally speechless for like a couple of seconds before I came up with the words "H-how come?"

Dexter sighs an exasperated one, like he is tired of hearing my questions already. But I have the right to ask him all about this, right?

"Look, I really wanted to answer all of your questions right now… but for now can we please concentrate on the part first where we need to get you out of here as safely as possible?"

I stared at him intently, trying to assess the situation here. If what he is saying right now is indeed right, then I really don't have the choice here but to trust this guy now.

"Alright. I think I could work on that," I responded after a few moments of silence.

"Good. Now, we'll need to teleport right to your lover and get you back safely at the castle with him. Do you understand?"

"What? He is not my lover--"

I was then utterly distracted when someone shot a fireball right in my direction from our left outside the room, which Dexter immediately countered with a solid water bubble, dispersing it right away.

"Quickly! I'll hold them off in the meantime!"

I saw him stretching his hands out, making a huge earth shield from lifting a ton of earth right from the floor, creating huge cracks in it. That nearly surprised me. Meanwhile, I didn't let it distract me and concentrated on successfully delivering a teleportation spell.

"Transportium Nextorbitorium!"

Yes, I did it. Now, I completely delivered the necessary spell, creating a huge circle right off our feet. Once it radiated a certain amount of white light, we started to feel that powerful force that pulls us upwards. Before we knew it, we are now at the center of the marketplace, with Dexter by my side.

"I thought I said to take us directly to your love---" Dexter then pauses for a split second when I suddenly glared at him for saying the word twice. "-- I mean your friend! What the hell are we doing here?"

Geez… I guess I still suck at teleportation huh?

"I'm sorry but this is all the best I got. Now we better move or else we will be followed right away!"

I regretted saying that out loud not later than that… because now I could literally see a few men in black robes now chasing after us. 

"Who are these men anyway?!" I have to shout for Dexter to hear me out.

"These are the ones responsible for abducting the prince! And now they are here to get you so that you can stop pretending to be him." he replied.

Wait a minute… how come they knew about my job of impersonating the missing prince? The only ones that know about it are my mentors, then Dexter, obviously, and…

"Princess Marionette…" I trailed off as soon as I remembered that time when she got my cover blown away.

"Correct. Apparently… These are her daddy's people." Dexter admitted, sighing. "I am one of them honestly, but once I came to know who is behind the impersonation… I just can't bring myself to hurt you."

In the midst of running, he raised his right hand that has bandages wrapped around it. "And I was also that guy whom Alex had fought the other day. Sorry I had to attack you. That is only for concealing my true intentions so that my boss wouldn't know what I am really up to."

"So let me clear it up this instance. You stalked me from the very first day I set foot in this city and knew about my impersonation?" I asked curiously. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one man throw icicles in our direction in which I quickly countered with a fire blast to avoid anyone in this place getting hurt. That alone made all the people present here in a state of panic.

"Yes. Also for me to know how to protect you…"

Seconds after saying that, Dexter calls out large vines to spring up from the ground to block these assassin's path for now to buy us more time for escape.

"But it doesn't make sense. How come Princess Marionette's family is responsible for the prince's abduction? Isn't she engaged with the prince?" I scoffed. "I mean, if they wanted the kingdom or something like that… then they could just get it once both of them married each other. Am I right?"

"It isn't just about getting the kingdom, Krisella…" Dexter emphasizes every word with such importance. "But getting revenge… for their deceased ancestor who was slain by his father, King Archie."

I could now see the alley where I should meet with Alex or Lucas to walk with me towards the castle. After that, I shifted my glance back at my childhood friend.

"Getting revenge?"

"Someone else is after the kingdom and seeks for power… someone who happens to be---"

Dexter was unable to finish his sentence when suddenly… he was hit by an arrow straight to his chest that came from all the way to the north direction. I tried to look for the shooter but he is nowhere to be seen at this instance.

"Dexter!" I shouted his name as I caught him in my arms. Blood continues oozing out of his chest and I could see him cough out blood as well.

Just then, I could feel Alex's presence rushing to our side while looking shock at the same time. 

"Oh no… What the hell happened here?"

"It's the assassins that are after me, Alex. They already know I am the fake prince because of the prince's fiancee' For now, please, let's bring my friend to the nearest infirmary to be healed." 

Alex takes cover and starts to rain fireballs right at the assassin's direction. Meanwhile, I tried to lift Dexter's body up using the ascending spell but Dexter holds my hand tightly with all the strength he's got.

In between his breaths, he tries his best to say these words out loud, "I-I won't… probably… last that… long. You've got to… listen to what I am about to… tell… you, alright?"

Seeing him in this poor state now brings tears into my eyes and starts to roll down my cheeks. I am responsible for all that has happened to him today in the first place. I also had the nerve to doubt his intentions, when all he did in the end was to be my genuine friend up to this day.

"No, I will bring you to the infirmary safely, okay? You have to trust me…" 

I started trying an attempt in doing another teleportation spell, but this time straight to the infirmary. But Dexter only held my hand once more and ignored what I said earlier. He continues to cough blood, but in between those he managed to say these things.

"Be… careful on whom you… trust. The one nearest to you… is the real enemy."

My eyebrows were knitted together as soon as I heard that. The one nearest to me? Who could that be?

"Alright… I know it's the prince's fiancee and the king, I know it. I will make them pay for what they did to you. But for now, I've got to bring you to the infirmary. Just hang in there for me, okay?"

I could see the light from his eyes are starting to dim out, but I didn't give up on him. I stretched my hand, bear in mind the place I wanted to go right now, and repeated the same spell I used earlier back in school.

However, all the efforts I made had been put to waste as soon as we reached the infirmary. For the light in my childhood friend's eyes has been completely shut down, and his hands that were holding on to my right hand have slipped away from mine.

Seeing him slipping away from my life truly crushed my heart right now. It brought more tears into my eyes as I desperately tap on his face in an attempt to wake him up from this slumber.

It didn't take long enough for the things happening right now to sink into my head. Dexter, who had been my friend since our elementary years back in Ziv Village, is now gone and I can't wake him up, forever.

Me and Alex are now standing inside the infirmary while Dexter's body floats in midair. With a tear-stained face, I approached one of the healers and pleaded with them to take care of my childhood friend for me.

Without asking any further questions, they immediately had taken out the now lifeless body of my friend and proceeded to the morgue. As they took him out to the morgue, I whispered these words right out of my mouth as I was crying my heart out.

"Goodbye… my friend."