“There are millions of people in the world, and even if the whole world is against you, I can guarantee that I’ll never be one of them. If you have me by your side, how can you be alone?”

“Did you hear? The youngest Prince killed a knight!”

“I'm not surprised, it's the next step for someone so evil”.

“The royal family only has to lose by having someone as wicked as him living in the palace”.

“Someone should kill him”.

“When will his evil acts stop?”

“I heard his servants drink blood and sacrifice young animals to the Prince.”

Prying eyes and reckless whispers fill the Palace in the early hours of the morning, Lowe walks calmly towards Nikias’ room, for their early morning meeting. At first he was upset about the mana pact and the demands the man was suddenly doing, almost as if he was preparing for something. However, after seeing with his own eyes the magnitude of Nikias' mana, he’s glad to be on the right side of history.

During the twins' time at the north’s magicians tower, they studied to the point of passing out and having nose bleeds, and during those studies they read about myths of the Empire. One of the myths was about the foundation of the Empire, where the first Emperor and the first Empress, with overwhelming power, helped exile the ancient god Vremes that was threatening human kind. It was beautifully described how the power of the Empress, dark as the night and the mana of the Emperor, golden like the sun, combined to save their land and people. After multiple studies and generations, golden mana is described as the mana of rulers, those destined to rule and lead people towards victory are born with such power, while those that are destined to be by their side will have mana dark as the night. With the goal of creating an army for such a ruler, the magicians’ tower created children with dark mana through not natural ways.

In order to maintain his sanity, Lowe became obsessed with golden mana studies and the idea of a ruler that will save them from doom. Knowing Nikias for four years, one might say that he’s stupid to believe that the boy can be such a ruler, however Lowe rarely has blind faith in something, unless it's golden mana related. He even came to think that he would never witness such a miracle. He’s over the moon with happiness for being able to serve the one that will save them all. His brother, Raphael, might not believe in such ‘fairytales’, but it doesn't matter, fate will always prevail in showing what it expects from them.

He knocks on the door of the youngest Prince, some other servants pass him with whispers, however Lowe doesn't direct his eyes at them, he can't do anything that would trouble his now master. When they were offered the job at the palace, they were just so tired, from living job to job, from hiding from the magicians tower and doing dirty jobs just to get by. Eating hard bread and drinking warm beer was their daily meal, differently from now, where they have a warm bed, warm food and refreshing juices to accompany. Sometimes they even drank wine with their salaries, a life in the light is way better than being in the dark.

They had to do dirty jobs every now and then for Nikias, however it wasn't anything like when they were mercenaries. “Enter”, the hoarse voice of the Prince calls for him, so Lowe enters the room of his master.

Nikias wasn't able to sleep at all, normally after a good run he would sleep well, but since he slept all afternoon he couldn't seem to fall asleep again. He sighs, staring at the servant that enters calmly, the silver-haired man lays his head on top of his arms that are on his knees, the man feels melancholic and tired. After leaving the training grounds he had difficulties bathing alone, since the bath and shower are powered by mana he needed help turning it on, even the sink was difficult to understand, but after struggling a lot he finally managed to turn those on. 

However he only managed to take a cold bath as the heating system was a different thing that he couldn't even find how to turn it on. I just wanted a warm bath, he thinks as he watches his servant approach his bed. “Good morning, your highness”, Lowe bows. He's still using the black uniform, oh well it suits him best. 

“Good morning, Lowe”, he sighs, closing his eyes. “What are people saying?” He assumes that the servants from the palace already heard about the little show he pulled off prior that night. A groan leaves his pink lips. I don't know what came over me, I was just so pissed. 

“I apologize, my Prince, the servants are claiming that you're just evolving in your path of wickedness”, Lowe answers with a straight face, he doesn't look directly at Nikias, though. He's not lying of course, he can't even if he wanted to, but the man lying on bed is shirtless and that's a sight that Lowe won't be able to keep his composure at.

The Prince snorts, they don't even notice the changes in personality, they just think that all of this is some wicked plan. The difference of personality to others, though, is so minimal that whoever noticed wouldn't really think that he's different, just changed as humans do. Of course that he would like to think that he's different from the old Nikias, however, even as Vahe, he was never truly a good or kind person. On the contrary, he was purposefully quiet and avoidant towards other people, he spoke the minimum, however if someone came to him he would dismiss them as rudely as he could. That would cause others to curse him and call him different names, he was constantly beaten and touched in disgusting ways by those stronger than him. A pretty boy whenever I go, that must be my curse. He thinks, although Nikias is way more good looking than Vahe in his eyes. Poor man, can't even see that he looks exactly the same.

“That's to be expected, even though that knight said to a royal to die, if I'm wrong in their eyes, it doesn't matter”, Nikias raises his head with his eyes closed, sighing with frustration. Nikias was wicked that's for sure, but that doesn't excuse those rats. 

“What did he say to you?” Lowe asks, his eyes dark like the night. The sun starts lingering towards the window of the room, before Nikias can answer his question a sudden noise draws their eyes towards the window. Raphael grabs the window sill, his knuckles white with the strength he uses to pull himself up. His dark brown hair is a mess and his clothes are painted red with blood, the foul smell reaching Nikias’ nose, who puts his hands on top of it to stop smelling it. The tall man manages to jump inside the room before gasping for air, he's barefoot and his clothes are also ripped apart. How did he enter the palace looking like this? Nikias wonders, however he reminds himself that even if the guards saw the man, they wouldn't stop him from entering the youngest Prince’s room.

They might even be glad that an assassin could possibly enter there.

“What happened, Raffe?” Lowe asks, running towards his brother with worry all over his face. Nikias observes the brothers, Lowe grabs Raphael's arm, trying to make the man get up, however the other is just too out of breath. They care about each other, and the realization makes Nikias sad. All of his childhood he wanted love, when he realized that he wouldn't acquire it… The silver-haired man shakes his head, now isn't the time to feel sorry for himself.

After a couple minutes and a few glasses of water, Raphael manages to catch his breath and speak. “I went to the city, looking for the black market auction as your highness ordered”, he says, pushing his brown hair back, his eyes dark with exhaustion. Now isn't the moment, but Nikias notices that Raphael is taller than Lowe, only by a couple centimeters though. Alkaios is also taller than me…

“Wait a second, you went to the city with your uniform?” Lowe asks, slapping his forehead with annoyance. “Of course you would get in trouble!”

Raphael shakes his head, “No, brother, it was a good thing, I was recognized as Prince Nikias’ servant”, Nikias observes the twins with curiosity, so the youngest Prince is already infamous even outside the Palace, he thought that it began after his coming of age ceremony, but it seems that he already had contact with the underworld of the Exos Empire even prior. “They asked if the Prince was interested in the auction, I acted as if the Prince was interested and managed to get an invitation quite easily”. Nikias sighs, yeah, my reputation is truly rock bottom that they don't even question that I might be spying or something. 

“If it was easy, why are you like this?” Lowe asks, searching for the first aid box in Nikias room, before going back to his brother, treating the wounds the man has. Lowe removes Raphael's shirt, exposing his bare chest that is filled with old scars, yet is quite defined. Shit he's ripped, Nikias thinks, watching the brothers bicker for a while, before they turn their attention back towards the Prince. 

“I met some of our old cellmates…” Raphael sighs, clearly uncomfortable, Lowe starts putting a bandage on the man's torso. “They recognized me and said they were ordered to take us back”. 

Lowe stops for a moment, he seems shaken, Nikias eyes watch the reaction of the brothers, they both seem out of it. “Did you kill them?” The question is dark but it's treated like it's nothing.

“No, they're victims too…” Raphael looks guilty, his eyes avoiding his brother's. “They did harm me a lot so I put a small pain curse on them”, the taller brother bites his lips with anger. “I thought they gave up on searching for us”. 

“You should've killed them.” Lowe says coldly. “They'll come after the Prince now that you appeared with the uniform of his servants”.

Raphael stops for a second. “I haven't thought of that, I apologize your highness”, he looks apologetic, Nikias stares at him blankly, thinking about the situation.

It won't help to become desperate, they might come for me and them, considering I have no other servants or guards… Nikias sighs, laying back onto his bed. “There's no need to apologize, you're my servant, we'll figure it out”. That's a lie, the Prince has no idea how to solve this situation, since he doesn't have information upon the north’s magician tower, he can't set up a strategy for now. “First, Raphael go have a bath and change clothes, and Lowe, I'll need your report as well”.

The taller twin gets up, bowing to the Prince with the help of his brother. “Thank you, your highness, for your kindness”. How's that kindness? Nikias thinks but simply shakes his hand so the man can be dismissed. After Raphael leaves, Lowe sits on a chair, looking beaten. 

They're after us again, I wonder if it's safe to stay at the palace… Of course that's the first thought that crosses Lowe's mind, even if he's over the moon to work for the one who has golden mana, he also can't avoid but wants his and his brother's safety.