Chapter 656: Successor

When Zeres materialized back in his hideout, what welcomed him was another commotion. While the undead vampires were frozen stiff and rendered immobile like robots that were shut down, a fight seemed to be going on between the witches.

Wearing a grim expression, Zeres appeared at the fighting scene and at his arrival, everyone seemed to freeze. Even while caught up in their fight, they could sense a tremendous cold aura and dangerous presence that had forced them all to halt in their actions.

Everyone turned to Zeres, swallowing hard. Since they saw how he had killed Phillip so effortlessly, they no longer had the thought that their King was not capable of brutally killing his own allies. Even if they were his underlings, they bore no delusion and have begun to be wary of him.

"What's going on here?" Zeres' voice echoed stonily across the ears of every single person present there and as though his voice was made of frost, the witches flinched, feeling chills crawling down their spines.

Before anyone could manage to answer, a certain daredevil suddenly flew to attack him. Zeres had previously shrouded himself with darkness. After watching Alicia walk away and then secured by Ezekiel, he had gone to an empty place to prepare himself, making sure that he would be more than ready to fight to the death once he returned to his hideout.

Despite his silvery and angelic features, his aura was dark, heavy, and sinister. He was cloaked powerfully by an impregnable darkness so much so, that he failed to notice an all too familiar presence, until... he saw the silvery hair of the daredevil who had recklessly jumped at him.

Zeres' eyes widened and at the very last moment, he held back the killing blow he was about to land on the approaching reckless witch. He smoothly blocked her twin swords instead and then easily restrained her. She froze before him, unable to move her body.

Looking at her with a disbelieving look in his eyes, Zeres clenched his fists tight. He could not believe fate had chosen this child. Why her? Zeres knew that she was nowhere the strongest witch right now and she was still too young. Was fate really playing with him? Did fate choose this child because he had come to care for her?

Zeres let out a maddening laugh. 'So, this innocent little girl would be the next one to suffer and die if he fails to die today, huh.' He thought to himself. 'Now you're even more motivated, Zeres.'

"Let me go!" Lilith yelled. Though her eyes were still greenish, her hair, brows and lashes had turned silvery. She looked like a young and fierce fairy as she glared at Zeres. Her red cloak and silvery hair were floating as she remained suspended in mid-air from the power that Zeres wielded to restrain her.

Lilith had not received any memories yet. Since the queen left the Black Forest, she began to feel the changes that were happening in her body. And the moment that she realized her hair was turning silver, she understood clearly what was going on.

The thought that something bad had happened to the Queen bugged her to no end and that was why she had set out on this journey alone. She left Black Forest not wanting anyone else to see the changes happening in her. Her greatest wish was to find the Queen and save her. That was...until she received the call from that mad witch.

She had also caught a witch and forcefully read his mind, so she somewhat knew what Zeres was doing. That was why she thought this man that she had adored and looked up to had done something to the Queen. It was hard for her to accept it at first. This man was always so nice and kind, she even thought he was an angel in disguise. How could he do this?

"Why are you here?" Zeres' voice remained cold and his eyes were even more so.

"I am here because of that mad witch's call." She replied, struggling to escape from his restraints but try as she might, she could not even budge an inch. His powers were way too powerful compared to hers.

Suddenly, Zeres' eyes blazed with a deadly light that Lilith could not help but feel overwhelmed. She remembered the scary vampires she had met in Reigns' castle and she swallowed. When had this person become as terrifying as them? He certainly did not look nor reflect an angel with his current conditions. It would be more right to call him a devil in disguise at this moment.

"Could it be that you're here to join me?" he queried, and Lilith frowned. Why did he sound and look as if he would kill her if her answer were a 'yes'? Wouldn't he be glad if she said 'yes'? She was confused at his questioning.

"Where is queen Alicia?" she asked instead of answering him.

"So, you had come all the way just to look for her..." he sounded relieved.

"Yes. Where is she? What did you do to her?!" Lilith's voice became louder and more accusing, desperate as she looked at him with barely veiled disdain. "What happened to her? Tell me, where is she?!"

Zeres held her and they disappeared in a flash from the view of the other witches. They then materialized inside the room where Alicia had slept and before Lilith realized it, she was chained - with a chain so powerful she knew she would not be able to break free at all.

With eyes wide, Lilith gritted her teeth as she yelled. "What are you doing? Release me! Bring me to my queen! I need to save her!!"

His hand came to rest on her head and patted her as if he were petting an untamed little beast. "I can't let her see you in your state, Lilith. She might think it would be fine for her to die if she sees that you're turning to be her successor." Came his unfeeling but serious voice. "You don't have to do anything. Just stay here until the battle is over. Do not worry. I'll save her."

Lilith stopped struggling and hollering and sat down, looking at him in utter confusion. She was seriously perplexed right now. "Are you saying you're not the one who... no, you are trying to be king. Do you seriously think I'd be stupid enough to believe you when you tell me that you'll save her?"

"You don't have a choice, child." he said bluntly, his eyes tracing the emerging strands of her long silver hair. "Because believe it or not, I am the only one in this world who can save her now."