The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

A familiar chill surrounded Oscar. In the summertime, this extent of cold had no reason to exist. Snapping his eyes open, Oscar found himself paralyzed, not a single muscle responding to his commands. Unlike yesterday's incident, his mouth also failed him, clamped shut. Oscar muffled shouts through his shut lips, but every moment numbed him further like a disease spreading and entrenching itself in his head. At his side, the shadowy woman cast a deep shadow over him, looming by the bed.

Oscar struggled to open his lips to no avail. The shadowy woman tilted her head, her expressions indistinguishable on that dark, foggy face. She tilted forward, holding her chin by her fingers, an action that Oscar felt meant she was entertained or amused by his distraught. Enraged, he breathed erratically from his nostrils, the only place he still held a semblance of control, along with his eyes, which saw the shadowy hand of the woman draw closer.

It reached out closer, opening its palm. An ominous numbing chill, far colder than what Oscar was already suffering from, halted the warmth in his blood. He had never been in such a predicament before. After a quick glance over the room from his leaned position, he could not find Erden. It seemed that this truly was a dream, but then that begged the question. 'Who is this?'

He realized the open hand of the shadowy woman was nearing his face and curled as if it wanted to stroke his cheek. Oscar knew for certain this was an enemy's spell that entrapped him in a dream. As the woman's hand almost touched his face, he tossed aside all the thoughts about who, why, and how and switched with Demon. His mind was trapped and locked in this dream, but not his alter ego. Observing from within his inner space, Oscar watched as Demon moved fast.

Demon slapped away the woman's hand and swung his hand out to grab her face, a jolt of what could only be known as surprise coming from her figure. The dream instantly collapsed before Demon could touch her as she faded away, and Oscar gasped awake. Erden sprang up, igniting into flames that illuminated the room, snarling around and baring its teeth. Oscar clutched his chest, the nightmare raising his fears and hammering his sturdy heart. He glanced around, searching for a sign or remnant of Ein. There was nothing, not even a tiny wisp.

"Erden, did no one come in?" Oscar brushed his hand over his sweat-soaked hair, trying to calm his lungs. The section of the bed under him was soaked in cold sweat. Shivering, he closed the windows and the curtains and sat on the floor next to the flaming Erden.

"No. The only people in here yesterday were the maids and Declerd. But none of them have entered after you went to sleep." Erden growled. "In the case of someone like Gail, I spread my Ein around to check for movements. Nothing piqued my senses."

'There's no distinct features to rely on, no scent, and no voice to match. At least the dream spell doesn't work on both of us. She seemed quite shocked when I moved.' Demon said plainly. 'I do not believe she will return tonight. Go back to sleep.'

Oscar followed Demon's advice and rested on his bed. He tossed and turned, opening and closing the blanket, tried different positions, lay without a pillow, and more. However, no matter how he attempted in many ways, sleep refused to take him. He gave up sleeping and poured himself a glass of water. For hours, he waited and drank until Sirsi entered the room, her brown hair braided and tied into a long side-tail that grew past her shoulder.

"Good morning, my Lord. Have you slept well?" Sirsi bowed, catching the glint of the dim morning light on her round glasses. Oscar stood up, towering over her by a foot. Her small figure sheepishly trembled. "H-have I done anything wrong, my Lord? Do you require anything?"

"Sorry if I scared you. Are your arms alright now?" Oscar pointed at her flimsy arms.

"Yes! Thanks to my Lord's elixir, they have healed well." Sirsi smiled brightly.

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Declerd gracefully swooped into the room at this moment and bowed, relaying the summons from the Imperial Palace, probably another training session from Caires. Oscar ordered the butler to write a response that he would be late and would arrive in mid-afternoon. Naturally, Declerd trembled for a good reason. Rejecting royal summons was an affront to the face of the Empire and the Dragnar Family. Oscar knew Caires wouldn't mind from what he understood of the King Exalt's personality.

"Just send it. I will take full responsibility." Oscar sighed and carried out his daily routine. He stretched for dozens of minutes and took a bath to wash off the cold sweat from the nightmare. Oscar went to the side dressing room to change clothes safely from the prying eyes of the maids. He wore his usual vest over a white linen shirt with long pants, the gifts from Isaac, and covered himself in a long black coat. For good measure to hide his face more naturally, Oscar wore a hat. In the bedroom, he picked up the letter he received yesterday and placed it in his pocket.

Checking the clock, Oscar nodded farewell to everyone. It was time to meet Serena.

…….

Oscar roamed out of the estate, rejecting the carriage. He'd rather not deal with all the attention the mark on the vessel attracted. The wind blew harsher than the dawn. His hair flung sideways, as did the ends of his long coat, almost like a dark cape draped down his shoulders. Sticking his hands in his pockets, Oscar turned a corner and arrived on a busy street.

All around, wreathes of flowers and ferns hung on the top of the doors and the roofs. Petals littered the stone roads, which seemed closer to a river of flowers than a road. One man tried to attract his attention with sales pitches on his antiques but quickly eyed the next bystanders and hurried over. Groups, filled with laughter and cheers, all minded their own business. At first, he thought it would be hard to get past the wide wall of people, but as he slowly walked forward, bumping into the masses, the vast majority shifted away from his imposing figure.

Afraid of people seeing his face that the Pavilion Master spread all over, he lowered the tip of his hat. Some people had just opened their stores, sweeping the dust off their entrances with long brooms, and children yawned as their parents rushed them out to school, tugging them through the crowds. So this was the royal capital, Dragonheart. He wondered how people dealt with this intense crowd every day.

A tower loomed over, reaching the heights of the sky, one of the many spires in Dragonheart. Oscar peered upward, squinting to see further. This place was one of the many icons inside Dragonheart, the Paradise Tower, a nexus of trade and entertainment, drawing everyone from the poorest commoners here who were not that poor compared to the rest of the Empire and the richest nobles, including some royals. Serena noted in her letter to meet in this building.

"She sure rose high to rent out a whole floor," Oscar mumbled, giving the card, which was included in her letter, to the attendant, who bowed deeply and led him to the elevation pad. The pad rose to one of the upper floors, floor 153. Inside was an entire floor of sparkling tables carved from the finest wood and marble, silver and gold utensils resting on fine napkins before the chairs of red velvet. A waiter came by and led Oscar to the center table. Not a single other person was here, only him.

Sitting down, he flipped through the menu, frowning at the exorbitant prices. He did not intend to spend a few gold coins just for an appetizer. He sipped from the cup, his eyes jolting open in shock at how clear and refreshing the water tasted, instantly rejuvenating his tired body from last night's dream. While he was absorbed in the flavor of the water, the doors swung open, and a quaking voice, familiar yet different from before, called out, "Oscar?"

Oscar uncomfortably turned to face her. Serena had changed since their last meeting twenty-two years ago. Her red hair had deepened to a darker color, no longer as vibrant as before. She stared in awe with her green eyes, a blank expression of amazement. She still held a youthful appearance, owing to the lifespan of a Knight Exalt, but her lips were thinner, and her jaw was more distinct. The same feather hairpin held the side of her red hair, and her blue dress was more restrained than what she normally wore, with long sleeves attached to her wrists and a buttoned-up collar to his neck.

"Did you grow taller?" Serena asked, smiling with a soft gaze.

"Unnaturally, but yes," Oscar stood up. Serena waved her hand, asking him to sit down as a waiter pulled out her chair for her to join him. Sitting across her, he tapped his knees, hidden from her view, and contemplated what to say next. She fidgeted around, her mouth parting and closing. Then, she finally made her move.

"I'm sorry!" Serena bowed quickly, parts of her delicately maintained hair straying out of place.

"What?" Oscar asked, confused at the deeply bowing Serena.

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