Erold returned to reality inside the Spiritual World. He looked around in the darkness but did not find the two figures. Suddenly, the man's voice called to him while floating in the air, with a voice carrying a strange paternal tone: "So you have returned, little one… do you now know the truth about Hor? And who killed him? And what happened on that day? Do you understand how the pieces fell into place?"
Erold fell silent for a moment, recalling his painful memories, then said in a faint voice: "I never once asked myself how it truly happened… I was occupied with what happened to me."
"Whoosh!" In the blink of an eye, the mysterious man moved to stand directly in front of Erold's face. He pointed his finger at the strange mark carved on Erold chest and said seriously: "Because of this… there are many things you have not yet known about yourself."
Erold looked at his chest in wonder and asked: "What do you mean?" The man said: "Did you not wonder about it, boy? Even its shape is strange and does not resemble any known magic." Erold shook his head in denial: "No, I didn't think about it. But Elizabeth used to stare at it with wonder when she would bathe me as a child. But… what the hell is this thing?"
The mysterious man smiled and said evasively: "I cannot answer this question now, boy. It is not the time." Then he sighed with feigned boredom and said: "Why don't you ask me three questions? And I will answer them if I can."
Erold's eyes shone with curiosity, and he looked at the second silent person and said: "Right… why is your other friend as still as a statue and doesn't speak?"
The mysterious man laughed and said in a joking tone: "Is this your first question? Well… we agreed that each of us speaks at his own time. And by the way, he was the first to speak to you when you entered."
Erold exhaled with boredom: "No, that's not a question! Damn… wait! Do you both possess the same voice? No… no! This is also not a question, don't answer!" The mysterious man guffawed loudly and said: "Focus then… what is your second question?"
Erold thought for a while, and his memory returned to his old friend Hor. How he was kind and innocent, and how he turned into a monster. He asked in a sad tone: "What happened to Hor? Why did he turn against his father, the King?"
The mysterious man sighed and began to narrate the tale: "Hor saw his father, King Amon, as an unjust person and a butcher; because he used to invade neighboring villages and annex them to his rule by force, and kill the opponents. This is what Hor saw with his own eyes. But he did not know that King Amon was doing that to unify the country and protect it from a greater threat coming from the East. And his loyal advisor, Erold, supported him in this difficult decision."
The man continued: "One day, Hor began to hear a strange voice in his head… a soft voice telling him that it understands his pain and his feeling of guilt. The voice continued to speak to him every night until Hor trusted it completely. One day, Hor gathered his courage and asked his father to stop the invasion. The King grew angry and shouted at him: 'Do not interfere in my affairs, Hor!'"
"Hor left the throne room devastated. And then Erold asked the King: 'Your Majesty, why don't you tell him the real reason?' The King replied with harsh wisdom: 'He is my only son, and he does not yet possess enough discernment. I want to teach him how to be a king, and to understand the motives of rule on his own without being told.'"
"Hor returned to his room, and here the 'strange thing' exploited his weakness, whispering to him: 'The only solution to stop injustice is to kill the oppressor.' Hor was terrified and asked: 'How will I do that?' The voice replied: 'Don't worry… I will guide you'."
The scene shifted in Erold's mind to see Hor disguised in a cloak, sneaking through the alleys of the lower city. He reached an old wooden door and said the password: "In which dictionary is glorification only for the King of Thieves." The door opened to reveal a massive man, who asked him rudely: "What do you want?" Hor replied firmly: "I want the King of Thieves."
Hor was brought into the basement, where there was smoke and lewd laughter. He saw a man sitting amidst maidservants drinking wine. Hor approached, and the cupbearer asked him: "Won't you drink, boy?" Hor replied: "Not now. I want a service from the King of Thieves." The drunken man replied: "Haah? Who are you talking about? Leave, little one!"
Everyone mocked him, but the cupbearer shouted: "Silence, you gypsies!" Then he turned to Hor: "What do you want, you?" Hor replied insistently: "I want the King of Thieves." The cupbearer smiled a cunning smile and said: "You are talking to him now… what do you want, little Prince?"
Everyone gasped: "Prince Hor?!" The drunken man bolted up: "The Prince?! Is Erold here? Get ready!" The King of Thieves laughed: "No, that annoying man is not here… otherwise he would have broken my nose. What do you want?"
Hor said: "I want fifty elite mercenaries. Their mission is to distract the guards and spread destruction in the palace… I want to keep Erold occupied away from me." The King of Thieves raised his eyebrow: "Fifty? Why such a large number?" Hor threw five heavy gold pouches on the table: "I think this is enough for your questions." The King of Thieves whistled in admiration: "When do you want the execution?" Hor replied with a voice dripping with pain: "Tomorrow at sunset."
On that ill-fated night, Hor sneaked into his sleeping father's wing. He took out a poisoned dagger, his hands trembling. "I didn't want to do this… but you left me no choice, father. I want peace!" And he plunged the dagger into his father's heart.
The shadow appeared beside Hor, whispering: "Well done… you have taken the first step." Hor asked eagerly: "What remains?" The shadow replied: "That we unite our forces. I will grant you the power to crush everyone who opposes your peace." Hor asked in fear: "Will I truly achieve peace?" The shadow replied cunningly: "Peace does not last, my friend. You will need violence to maintain it."
Hor extended his hand to the shadow: "I trust you… agreed." The shadow said cunningly, "Just relax…" Hor closed his eyes, suddenly finding himself swimming in an infinite dark void. "My friend! Where am I?" The voice laughed boisterously while taking control of the Prince's body in the real world: "Stupid boy…"
The scene returned to the mysterious man looking at the sad Erold: "That is all." Erold shouted angrily: "That fool… did he not discover he was being deceived?!"
The mysterious man smiled bitterly and said a wisdom that weighs as gold: "This is the nature of humans, Erold… do you not know? Grant a human power, and you will see his naked truth. The weak talk about justice and virtue because they have no other choice. But as soon as they taste the flavor of authority, they turn into the tyrants they used to curse. Man is not ruled by morals, but by desire… and when the opportunity comes, he always chooses himself. True character is not measured by words, but by what one does when he thinks no one can stop him."
The world began to fade around Erold. The mysterious man said while waving his hand: "So it is… we may not see you again. Goodbye." In a moment of breaking and shattering.
While Erold was being pulled out forcefully, he shouted at the top of his voice: "Who in heaven's name are you?!" The mysterious man's voice rippled and faded like a distant echo: "We are… H… a… r… u… n and M… a… r… u… n…"
"Gasp!" Erold opened his eyes in the real world, his body dripping with cold sweat. He found Jasmin shaking him violently and shouting in his face: "What happened to you, Erold?! You were standing like a statue for minutes, not moving!"
Erold wiped his face in bewilderment, and muttered with a trembling voice: "I never expected in my life… that I would meet them."