Seed of the Sovereign

Luke was running. He was running with everything he had but he still couldn't reach.

He still couldn't touch him.

In the distance, the black masked man held Arya by the neck, smiling. The distance between them was just a few meters, but to Luke who was running in place without actually moving, it might as well have been infinite.

The black masked man turned towards Luke and smiled almost kindly before he snapped Arya's neck.

"No!!!"

"Arya!" Luke woke up with a scream, his eyes searching for Arya's face.

"Arya!"

He instantly leaped out of bed but he fell back on his butt just as quickly.

He tried to move, to stand but his body hurt all over.

Still, he forced himself up. Using the wall as a prop he made for the door while limping.

At this moment, the door flung open as a worried Leon barged in after hearing Luke's scream.

"Luke, you're in no position to be moving yet," Leon said worriedly.

"Let me go. I have to find Arya," Luke didn't pay any attention to Leon brushing past him and making his way for the door.

But along the way, he tripped, falling into a mess on the floor.

He looked up and at the door, hands outstretched reaching for it while Arya's name rang under his breath.

But he weirdly felt sleepy, his eyelids drooping.

He couldn't believe himself, was sleep going to stop him from reaching Arya?

The last voice he heard before he fell unconscious was Leon's.

"Sleep well," he said.

And then he fell asleep.

Leon looked at Luke sprawled messily on the floor his expression one of deep guilt.

He let out a sigh before lifting him and laying him back on the bed.

The spell he used would ensure that Luke slept peacefully for a time and be calmer when he awoke.

Hopefully, he'd be stable then.

He took one last look at the sleeping Luke before he left the room. He had things to do but he'd make sure the next time his nephew woke, he'd be there.

Luke woke up again. But this time, he felt much calmer. He lay on his bed for a while, unmoving. Then he opened his eyes to take a look at his surroundings.

He was in a well lit room with a single window. It must have been dusk because the light in the room was a bright red giving it a sharp theme.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only the bed he lay on and a few accessories around. It was obvious the room hadn't been in use before his arrival.

The house must have being nice. If only it wasn't completely made of ice, causing the room's temperature to be way below room temperature.

His uncle sat beside him trying to look unfazed but Luke could his clenched fists at his side.

"Where am I?" he asked.

My home! Have you forgotten? You were so excited to come with me to my home," Leon said enthusiastically. "So how is it? Is it beautiful?"

"It's... made of ice. And cold," Luke muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Leon said sheepishly.

"I kinda forgot to install heatwarmers in any rooms since I didn't think I'd be having any guests here."

But he instantly returned to his vibrant self.

"But still, it's beautiful right?" Leon asked as his eyes almost shined in anticipation.

"Uhh, I don't know." Luke said. But he continued after seeing Leon's crestfallen expression. "I mean, i haven't seen the whole house yet."

All in all, this uncle of his was hosting him and he didn't think it wise to be rude to him in his own home.

Leon's eyes lit up hearing that.

"That's right forgive my impatience," he said smacking his forehead in realization. "I'll give you a tour as soon as you can move." He said merrily to which Luke just nodded.

"So, do you know when I would be able to move?" Luke asked.

"I'm not exactly a doctor," Leon said chuckling as he imagined how people would react if they heard that. "But I'll say you just need to rest for two days and you'll be fully healed."

"Two days?" Luke asked stunned. "Are you sure? That's fast."

"Of course I'm sure." Leon harrumphed. "I'm one of the best healers in the world after all."

"I thought you just said you're not a doctor?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Leon deadpanned. "I'm not a doctor, I'm a healer."

Luke looked at Leon weirdly. In Latiara, doctors were usually mundane seeded or awakened seeded who decided to take up the profession but didn't have seeds or bloodlines inclined towards it. Whereas, on strict terms, healers were awakened seeded who had healing capabilities. They didn't just cure, they healed.

From a simple flu down to more dire cases like amputation of limbs, depending on the abilities of the healer, they could heal them all and so they were a strategic resource.

But the naming system was just a technicality. While no one would dare call mundane seeded "healers", the true healers were always interchangeably referred to as doctors and it was widely accepted in society. But Leon seemed to want to stick to the technical terms.

Luke didn't even know what to say to his uncle so he just kept silent.

The room fell silent.

Since that apology earlier, Luke was feeling very awkward about this supposed uncle of his, so to break the awkwardness silence Luke asked the first thing that came to mind.

"By the way," he asked, "the sunset here is really bright huh?" And he immediately felt weird after. 'what sort of question was that?'

"Huh?" His uncle asked back. "Sunset? But it's only midday."

"Huh?" This time it was Luke's turn to be flabbergasted.

"What do you mean it's only midday? The light is bright red."

"Oh" Leon palmed his forehead like he forgot something important. "I lived here so long that I forgot to do the introductions."

Then he stood up, bowed and said dramatically,

"Welcome sweet nephew, to my personal, unregistered demon realm Node."