'How on earth is he a human??!' Charles thought, he almost exclaimed out loud. 'is this what an eighth class flame mage is made up of? Frightening!'
Alex, as if reading Charles's thoughts, smiled a little smile as he nodded his head to ensure Charles that he was in fact a human like him.
'bullshit! What the, when the instructor said that our blood will turn to flames, I thought it was a metaphor!' Charles thought.
The lava ran through the openings of the Phoenix pattern, running round it untill it filled it up, completing the piece.
Once the Patter was completely filled with lava, it shined a red, graceful light, revealing the beauty of the Phoenix design.
The stone door automatically parted into two, as the left side and the right side of the door separated, revealing a dark room with a dusty smell.
It had the smell of an Attic that had not been cleaned or entered for more than a year.
"Ah yes." Alex said calmly as he took a step into the room.
Charles followed him closely, nervous about whatever he was about to encounter, but he didn't allow his nervousness to show facially or allow his expression to change.
"This place which holds..." Alex said as he walked in slowly.
Every step he took made a pair of torches hung on the wall lit up with blue flames.
It was a narrow entrance, the torches were hung on both sides of the wall, the left and the right, simultaneously.
Charles couldn't help but feel amazed at the wondrous sight that his eyes saw.
By the time they entered the main room from the entrance, the entire room was lit up in a dazzling blue light that gave off a sense of mystery.
Charles looked around to find glass cases everywhere, around the room, he tried to count the number of glass cases he saw.
'50..60..100....500' but they were too many and in every corner of the wide, vast underground room.
The glass cases reflected the blue light of the flames that were lit up from the torches hung above them as the only sources of light
In the entire room.
The only walkable areas were the unique pathways that were formed in the areas where the glass cases weren't lined up. All the cases were uniquely arranged to allow free and easy movement.
Charles couldn't help it anymore, he gasped and wowed at the intricate beauty of the room. It felt heavenly to him, like somewhere out of this world.
He looked inside the glass cases, they were all filled with Jewelries of different kinds, necklaces, bracelets, rings and the rest. He wondered why Alex had brought him to a Jewel room.
"Charles." Alex paused as he called out to Charles, he turned his neck to face a glass cases that held a necklace, it was a necklace made of steel, it was clearly forged and tempered by a blacksmith, there was nothing special about the necklace.
"Yes Alexander." Charles answered. His eyes were brimming with passion, excited to hear what Alex had to say.
Alex's eyes widened.
'i should be used to this now but I just can't be.. he's the only one who calls me by my name, disrespectful it is, but it still feels warm, like I actually exist, me, Alexander, not the head of the Flameworth's, not the Duke of the west, not the Archmage, but just Alex, it makes me feel like I'm not actually the flame demon people see me as.' Alex smiled bitterly as he shook his head.
'sometimes, he feels more like a friend than a son. And I really cherish that.'
Alex wiped the dust of the glass cases he was staring at and opened the unique lock it had on it, a lock that looked like a puzzle to Charles, it was written in another language.
Alex brought out the necklace, he removed his hand gloves to hold it with his bare hands.
Charles was surprised, he had never seen Alex without his hand gloves on him before, the only time he saw him take it off was when he wanted to open the stone door. Charles stared at him with expectant eyes.
"This is my most cherished Artifact." Alex said as he looked warmly at the necklace.
"Apart from my hand glove that was made with my very own mana, this is the only thing in the world that doesn't melt or burn to ashes when I hold it with my bare hands." He dropped the necklace down on the glass and wore his glove.
"I keep it hidden here because I don't want it to get lost, I'm bad at keeping things, including relationships with other humans."
Charles eyes widened at the sudden mood change of Alex, he was now speaking in an emotional manner, something that Charles didn't think was possible.
"..." Charles stared blankly at him.
"I wanted you to know, that I was once like you, power being my only objective and giving it all to chase power. I lusted for power, longed for what I would have gradually gotten to come faster. In my hid to pursue power.. I even betrayed my only brother. And what happened when I got the power? Well, I'm still living in that future, living a life of loneliness, I can't even touch any of my two wives directly out of fear, knowing that they might burn to ashes."
"I don't form attachments anymore, I have no one to call family, no friends all because of the power I possess, I discovered, that I was wrong. Power isn't everything Charles, you need to have people around you, don't grow up or do life alone." Alex spoke in a shaky voice, barely holding in the tears from falling out, it was hard for him to get the words to come out of his mouth, he felt like his heart was sinking each time he remembered his past, and what he did to his brother, it was... Pure atrocity.
"Your eyes shined with the same flames that shined in mine during my youth..." A tear manages to fall from his cheek, as it landed on the ground, it melted it immediately, turning the spot it landed to a hole, sinking and sinking Untill it reaches the planets core.
Charles held unto his tears too, he just stood quietly watching Alex break slowly, he couldn't offer any words of solace.
"I- I'm sorry Alex, my destiny, it's one far too great to give you any promises, but one thing I can assure you is that, I won't be alone." Charles said firmly with resolve.
Alex saw Charles in a new light that day, he smiled a bright smile. "My friend Charles, you are worthy." Alex said 'i actually called him my friend huh?'
'my friend? I could get used to that.' Charles chuckled softly.
'the one with the flames of eternity is one with great destiny huh? I knew he met the Phoenix that day... But I won't pry..'
"Ahem Ahem, and now Charles, it's time for you to choose... Your Artifact." Alex said with a single, loud clap of his fingers and a bright, expectant smile on his face, wondering what Charles would choose.
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: if you like this novel, please support me, to be able to grow and give you a better story.