The next day, the horse carriage that their butler had just ordered arrived at the front of the house, waiting for the two of them.

Raphael walked first toward the carriage, opening the door for his sister behind him, wearing a more practical suit than her usual gown. He invited his beloved little sister to enter the carriage first, which was enough to carry four people, before jumping in and closing the door.

The chariot driver said nothing and immediately pulled on the steering rope, leading two dark brown horses to move the cart away from their house.

“Be honest, Ursula. What’s the real deal?”

“Oh, you find out quickly ...,” Ursula murmured, pursed her tiny lips when looking out the window.

“You rarely invite me out. Especially invite me to go to the forest. Were you really afraid to go to the forest because you got lost back then?”

“That was when I was nine years old! It was natural to be afraid at that age!”

“Oh. Really?”

“You don’t believe me, Brother? Hmph! You’re annoying!” Ursula folded her arms across her chest, puffed her cheeks, and frowned in annoyance.

“It’s not that I don’t believe it. I’m just curious.” Raphael laughed softly at his younger sister’s reaction, then turned his gaze out of the window, staring at the row of houses on the street they were on now.

“I’ve trained myself to face my fear. So I’m not afraid to go to the forest anymore. Besides, I brought you here, as it’s all related to you.”

“Related to me? About what?”

Ursula no longer folded her arms across her chest. Now her hand is on her thigh. “When I was at the academy, I spent my time in the library. I tried to figure out how to balance the energy in your body.”

Suddenly, the scene outside the train window no longer caught his eye. He looked at his younger sister’s face, which looked so serious when he said it, letting her continue what she said.

“My talent is not in potions like you or Dad, so I was researching through other routes; through legends, fairy tales, and myths of ancient people’s beliefs. I tried to connect all the possibilities.”

“And then?” Raphael became curious. “Did you get anything from that?”

Ursula nodded. It was unexpected coming from his sister, as he hesitated to believe her words, which sounded illogical.

“There is one legend that caught my interest.”

“What legend?”

“Dragon.”

“Dragon?” repeated Raphael, amazed. 

His sister nodded, leaning toward him in a half-whisper. “According to legend, if someone met a dragon and kill it, then bathed in the dragon’s blood rushing from the dragon’s neck, all the sickness and misfortune that had enveloped that person would disappear without a trace.

“Some say that the person who bathes in dragon blood will get immortality. How about that? It’s pretty interesting, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But they’re just legends. It’s not real. So?”

Ursula clicked her tongue, looking impatient. “Of course, we’re looking for the dragon right now.”

“Right now?” Raphael smiled wryly at his sister’s ridiculous suggestion. “You know, dragons went extinct long ago. So how can we find creatures we’ve never even seen?”

“Tsk, don’t underestimate me,” Ursula moved away from him, took out a piece of paper from the backpack that his sister had brought. “There is a place deep in the forest that we’ll be heading to. It has never been touched by anyone because it is difficult to find and dark. Plus, there are so many traps and wild monsters.

“The place that I circled in red might be where the dragon is. In my research, while gathering some information about the forest and the cases of people who could not return after passing through the forest, I found the same pattern.

“My guess is that there is an ancient spell surrounding this place. Well, if we can break this spell, Brother, we’ll be able to meet the dragon and then kill it.”

“It’s just your guess, isn’t it? Then what do you plan to kill them with?”

“With my magic arrow. I also took stock of the death potions on your shelf, hehe.” Ursula stroked the back of her neck after opening the backpack, showing several bottles of potions that his sister had taken. 

His hand flicked his little sister’s forehead, smiling wryly. Holding back his annoyance at knowing his sister had walked into the potion room without his knowledge to take some dangerous potions without his knowledge. 

“Ouch! That hurts!!”

“It’s your fault. You know, this potion cannot be touched carelessly. It’s dangerous! What if the bottle broke, and you accidentally inhaled it without knowing it? How will you explain it?!”

“I’m not that stupid, Brother! I follow the standard protocol. At least, that’s what I remember from Dad’s potion lesson.”

“But—”

“Besides, we can’t depend forever on Dad’s potions. I’ve heard from Dad. The potion lost its effect, isn’t it?”

He bit his lower lip. After Isaac visited his house the day before yesterday, he discussed his findings with his father, and his father asked him to stop taking the potion until a new, more stable formula was found.

“Regarding permission, you don’t need to worry. I told Dad and Mom that we went to the forest to look for dragons.”

“And they just believe it like that?”

“Do we have any other options?” Ursula shrugged her shoulders. “My magic skills are not as good as yours, Brother. But when it comes to sword, arrow, and fighting skills, I get the highest rank in school.”

“I already know that part.”

“Also, Brother Isaac definitely doesn’t want you to die.”

“Isaac?” He was a little reluctant to mention the man’s name. “Why did you suddenly mention that person?”

“Oh. Did you have a fight with Brother Isaac?”

“No,” he argued, avoiding Ursula’s curious gaze.

“You’re lying. You are bad when you are lying, Brother. No wonder I didn’t see Brother Isaac at home yesterday. Though usually, Brother Isaac will always be the first person to greet me every time I come home.”

“He came the day before you arrived. But not for long. He is busy with the kingdom’s matters.”

“Tsk.”

“What’s with that attitude?”

“Usually, no matter how busy he is, Brother Isaac will take the time to visit our house. At this rate, my hopes to get additional money have disappeared.”

“Is the money you get from me and Dad not enough?”

“It’s not like that. But you know, the more, the merrier. Something like that.”

“Geez,” Raphael chuckled, looking back out the window. Their train had already moved out of the town they lived in, heading towards the border area before reaching the forest they were going to.

***

Isaac was clutching the drawstring pouch containing the potion he had bought from Raphael when he visited the man’s house two days ago, staring at the bag in silence.

All this time, he had always taken the time to visit Raphael’s house by using the classic excuse—buying potions or whatever trivial excuses. So that he could have a reason to see Raphael without raising his suspicions.

Since becoming king, his busier schedule has made it harder to see Raphael compared to when he was a prince. His space for the movement was limited, so he had to think of various ways to spare his time just to meet Raphael.

Four days ago, he was desperate to visit Raphael’s house in the middle of his busy schedule, carrying some of his unfinished work files. As he always did in previous years, because he heard the news that Ursula, Raphael’s younger sister, was coming home from the magic academy to spend her semester break.

Normally, he would ask the royal advisor to spare his time so that he could stay at the Lockwood family home for a week.

But since this month coincided with the planned war with the Northern Kingdom, it made his schedule even more hectic.

Of course, he would not allow his busy schedule to leave the routine that he had been doing since Ursula entered the academy.

Every time he paid a visit to the Lockwood residence, Patricia Lockwood, Raphael’s mother, would usually greet him in a welcoming manner.

Patricia Lockwood herself is a human who was granted immortality by the Celtic goddess, Dana. The woman looked young and beautiful, even at the age of fifty.

Lockwood's family was aware of his love for Raphael, so they didn't object to his presence. In fact, Raphael’s parents and younger sister already considered him as their own family member.

Except for the man himself, of course. When it came to relationships or interactions with others, Raphael was notoriously slow. Even at the magic academy, Raphael was considered a talented wizard by the teachers because of his ability to learn fast.

As he tried to calm his mind, he walked towards the potion room, where that man usually spent his day. He had thought of many topics so that he could talk longer with Raphael.

Unfortunately, he came at the wrong time. As soon as he opened the door to the room, he found Raphael collapsed after drinking the energy balancing potion. The potion Raphael had to take every month in order to survive.

He threw away his bag, ran over to Raphael, and carried him to his room. For two consecutive days, he waited for the man while doing his job. He couldn't sleep, as he worried about Raphael’s condition.

"And about your statement earlier, I’ll pretend not to hear anything."

His grip on the drawstring bag tightened, reminding him of what Raphael had said to him.

How could Raphael so quickly dismiss something that had taken him so long to find the confidence to voice the thoughts he had harbored for fifteen years?

It irritated him. He felt annoyed at Raphael’s answer, which seemed to take his feelings lightly, even though he knew the reason behind Raphael’s refusal.

Raphael’s fate was cruel, and it made him upset. It dismayed him to not be able to find a cure for Raphael’s condition. Without even being told, he already knew that Raphael’s condition was getting worse and worse.

Everything led him to the conclusion that the potion Raphael used to drink had lost its effectiveness. Raphael’s body temperature as he touched the back of the man’s neck alone was more than enough to tell him everything.

Again, he cursed his clumsiness. 

All the folktales he had read when he was a child said that all the princes always found a way to cast away the curse of the death of their loved ones, save their loved ones from their deaths, and then they married.

They always ended with them living happily ever after. All the princes in the fairy tales he had ever read had passed all kinds of obstacles.

But, in reality, it was not that easy. No matter how many sacrifices he made, it was not enough to save Raphael from his cruel fate.

Since his first meeting with Raphael Lockwood in the palace, when Hugo Lockwood—Raphael’s father—took Raphael to the palace, he fell in love with him. His black hair and blue eyes resembled the ocean. His pale skin. Raphael’s gaze was sad when they met.

The first time he shook Raphael’s hand, he almost jumped in surprise because Raphael’s cold body temperature made him unlike humans and wizards, things he had never known before.

Raphael immediately withdrew his hand, frowning in annoyance. An expression that actually made him look cute in his eyes. Since the first time they met, he has been determined to become a prince for Raphael.

He made a pact with himself: he would protect Raphael from anything that wanted to harm him. He would take care of him like a prince in folktales that he often read with his mother when she was alive.

When Uncle Hugo mentioned Raphael’s special condition, he learned to understand Raphael’s condition. He learned to get himself used to the cold temperature of Raphael’s body until he could handle it.

He even pushed back all the people who teased and tried to bully Raphael. He forced himself to play with Ursula Lockwood—Raphael’s younger sister, who had the opposite nature of the man when he invited Ursula to play with them.

At first, he objected because he wanted to spend time alone with Raphael. And it ended up with him also pampering Ursula like his own little sister, just like the way Raphael spoiled Ursula.

For this reason, he has been aggressively planning to control the northern region since the parliament appointed him as a king five years after the death of his father. Using the excuse of expanding the kingdom, he succeeded in getting government officials to agree to his proposal.

Indeed, when his father was still in charge of the kingdom, several officials had suggested expanding the territory to the north, but his father disagreed with the plan, as his father still wanted to maintain peace with both sides.

Now that he had succeeded his father, he brought the proposal back to a government meeting, which was immediately welcomed with an open hand by all government officials. Although there was only one real reason: to find an antidote or a way to balance the energies in Raphael’s body.

His selfish excuses he kept to himself. Over the years of his research, he discovered that the witches in the Northern Kingdom area were possessed knowledge far more rapidly than his kingdom.

Added to the fact that half-blood witches in the Northern Kingdom had a brighter future, as the average of them can survive the same as pure-blood witches, in contrast to the region where he ruled. He wanted to give the Northern kingdom to Raphael as a gift once he had succeeded.

A dream that seemed difficult to achieve, considering that it pushed several times the troops he led back because of their different technology and magic. As for the result, it forced him to devise a new strategy.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty."

An old man, one of the royal advisers who had served his father—Ethan Weissmann—walked in after twice knocking on his door. Quickly, he hid the bag in his desk drawer.

"What is it?"

"The preparations for tomorrow’s war are complete."

"Very nice. I received the report. You can go now."

The old man remained standing where he was, not moving an inch. There was a streak of anxiety on his face.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

"That…," Ethan’s eyes avoided his. "Your Majesty may not like the news that I will say ..."

"Just say it if it’s important. I’m busy. I can’t wait too long."

"I… have just received news regarding the departure of Mr. Raphael Lockwood and Miss Ursula Lockwood into the forest today."

"What?!" He jumped from his chair, ran over to the terrified Ethan, and grabbed the collar of the old man, shivering in fear. "Why didn’t you tell me right away?!"

"Forgive my indiscretion, Your Majesty! I am really sorry! I was afraid that His Majesty would cancel your invasion plans, so I didn’t—"

"Who do you think you are, Ethan!?" Isaac let go of his hand from the collar of Ethan’s neck, pushed roughly against the old man’s body. Until it made Ethan cough while touching his neck.

Isaac then threw a sharp and piercing gaze at the old man. "I’m not asking your opinion! When did they leave?"

"Just now, Your Majesty ..."

"I will follow them. If I don't come back, cancel our attack plans. If you dare to disobey my orders, I’ll cut off your head and make an ornament on the palace gate. Do you understand?!"

"A-All right, Your Majesty!"

Isaac growled in annoyance, walked over to his desk and took the drawstring bag containing the potion he had bought from Raphael, then took out his sword and thick coat, dashing out of the room.

This must be Ursula’s doing. Isaac was certain, given that the Raphael he knew so far was not the type of person who would make such a reckless and rash decision to enter the forest.

Raphael, as far as he knew, was the type of person who was very cautious and did not like risks. Unless it was related to potions and healing magic.

The last time they went to the forest was when Ursula was nine years old. His feelings were starting to feel bad. He knew that Ursula’s goal was the same as his: to find a way to balance the energy in Raphael’s body. So that Raphael could have a chance to live a normal life without worrying about the death curse.

He knew it exactly since all this time, without Raphael's knowledge, he and Ursula had exchanged letters, sending reports regarding the investigations of each party. His research focus was on the northern region, while Ursula's was on ancient legends and tales. Ursula mentioned the dragon fairy tale a few days ago in her letter.

Coupled with the information he just got, he was pretty sure that the two of them were planning to enter the deepest area of the forest, looking for the existence of a dragon that existed in ancient legends.

Shit! He should not have returned to the kingdom yesterday, not following Raphael’s request. He should have stayed there.

He growled in annoyance, cursing himself as he pushed the several soldiers walking around the palace hallway, ignoring their terrified faces. He accelerated his pace even more and took one of the strongest horses that had just finished being bathed by the palace horse guard. Then he cast a glare at the horse guards, who were about to protest, as his way of silencing them.

He put down the saddle, and jumped up onto the horse. As if they understood his worry, the horse he was riding immediately ran at full speed, leaving the palace.

He wished he still had time to catch them. He hoped Raphael and Ursula did not meet that man.

***

The chariot driver they hired only dared to take them to the middle of the forest, leaving the two of them, who now took shelter in one of the large trees from the sun. He could not blame the chariot driver’s fear. After all, the journey they were on was too risky, and there was no way for the chariot driver to sacrifice his source of income just to take them to a forbidden place.

There has been a lot of news reporting about the deaths of humans and witches who were desperate to enter the deepest part of the forest, but they never returned. That said, their actions to hunt this dragon were very reckless. There was no turning back. 

He seemed to be the only one who was concerned. In contrast to his anxiety, his younger sister was now doing a stretching enthusiastically. As if his sister thought of it was not a trip risking their lives, but just a magic academy study tour to a neighboring country.

To make things even worse, he was carrying nothing but a small bag of potions that would help ease some of his unbalanced energy symptoms—his father’s new potion that his father made for him yesterday, along with three bottles of energy balancing potion in case the new potions his father made could not reduce the effect of his unbalanced energy.

He sat under a tree, enjoying the fresh air he had not breathed in a long time because he was too busy with his work. The last time he went to the forest was when his younger sister was nine years old, ending up with his sister getting lost deep in the forest until the night, leaving him and Isaac in panic.

His mother was angry when they came home with their bodies shabby and full of wounds all over them from being scratched by some vines and falling several times. He did not really remember exactly how they found Ursula since he had a fever back then.

All he remembered was that he was on Isaac’s back, vaguely hearing his mother’s persistent scolding.

When he was a child, they often played together, all three of them. Isaac was still not as busy as he was now because of position as a prince.

He had just started his first year of apprenticeship as a wizard in the royal court. He finished the curriculum at the magic academy in four years, instead of the usual seven, with his father.

Recalling those memories made him think of Isaac. Guilt enveloped him.

“Your body temperature is much colder than usual. Are you all right? You didn’t miss the schedule to drink the potion, did you?”

Isaac’s words struck him, waking him up to the fact that he was a half-blood witch who would soon die. He raised both hands up, staring at the skin on his hands that were losing their original color. His hands were pale, as if there was no blood flowing in his veins, so his veins were clearly visible on his skin.

“Brother?”

He woke up from his reverie when he saw his younger sister’s face, which prevented him from looking at the leaves on the tree where he took shelter.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

He nodded. Ursula did not ask any further, moving away from him as she picked up his backpack.

“We’re leaving now. Tell me if you feel tired, so we can rest.”

“Yes, yes. You are so noisy, Ursula,” said Raphael, a little annoyed that his younger sister treated him like an old man.

Not that he did not understand the reason his younger sister was so worried about him. He got up from where he was sitting earlier, patted the remaining grass stuck to his clothes, then followed Ursula, who had walked before him with slow steps as she read the paper containing the forest plan.

He saw Ursula shaking her head sometimes, nodding occasionally with satisfaction when she found something that matched what was in her forest plan (he did not really understand how his younger sister read the plans and diagrams that looked like mathematical formulas in his eyes) while eating their supplies.

Ursula had offered to join him to eat, but he refused. The feeling of tension mixed with anxiety that he was feeling now had lost his appetite.

It took four hours on foot through the path in the forest, which was difficult to pass. The wet ground around them forced them to walk cautiously if they did not want to slip. Every half hour, Ursula would turn to face him, who was walking behind his younger sister, repeatedly offering to find a shady tree so he could rest if he was tired, which he immediately refused. Not because he forced himself, but because he did not feel tired.

Like now. Again, Ursula turned to face him. This time with her hands on her hips after tying her hair into a ponytail.

“What?” he asked, confused.

His sister’s red eyes narrowed. “What did I say earlier? Do not push yourself.”

“I’m not. I really mean it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. I know the limits of my body very well,” Raphael looked around, realizing that they had actually entered the deepest part of the forest. The atmosphere had become much gloomier than when they were still in the middle of the forest. “Is this the place?”

Ursula looked around at their surroundings, tried to match them up with the map she was carrying. After waiting for a moment, his sister nodded in satisfaction. “Yes. It should be here. We are in front of the gate.”

“Gate?”

Ursula folded the paper she was carrying and put it in the small pocket next to her backpack. His little sister’s hand let out a magic arrow in an instant, tightly gripping the arrow while looking around once again with a wary gaze. “Stay behind me, Brother. We’ll guard from two sides. According to my research, the most dangerous time is fifteen minutes before sunset.”

He also took out the same magic arrow as his sister and nodded in understanding. Walking backwards, following Ursula’s steps, surveying their surroundings. Only now did he feel goosebumps. Vaguely, he saw a thick black fog that enveloped this forest, followed by a very beautiful singing voice, arousing his curiosity.

“Did you hear that voice?”

“Yes. Is that part of the trap? “

“I have no idea about that melodious singing. Should we go there? Maybe it’s someone who got lost in the forest.”

“And singing to lure us closer to them? I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure about this one.”

“Shall we just ignore it?”

He shrugged his shoulders. The feeling started to fray, and they got goosebumps as their feet stepped into the forest. There was a sound of flapping bird wings flying away from the area. A strange hissing sound, as well as the howling wolf, echoed around the forest.

The hand that was holding his bow was trembling, but he did not pay attention. It would be too late if he felt scared and left this place. Moreover, Ursula was not the type to do things halfway.

The singing voice became clearer in their ears, making him even more terrified.

“Ursula?”

“Hm?”

“Is it just my feeling, or does this forest look even scarier than before?”

“I thought so too. But it becomes more exciting, doesn’t it? It will stimulate our adrenaline!” Ursula was even more thrilled, in contrast to him, who was now scared. Many times he caught his breath became unstable, releasing cold steam from his mouth.

He swallowed hard several times to calm himself. There was Ursula behind him, so he should be fine.

“You two ... can hear ... my singing voice earlier?”

He jumped in surprise to see the figure of a woman with an elongated face approaching them. His hands trembled, and he aimed his bow quickly at the woman.

But Ursula restrained her movements while shaking her head slowly. His sister was unconcerned about her looks, as he saw Ursula retracted her magical bow.

“Good evening,” Ursula said, moving forward towards the woman, who was surprised by his sister’s polite attitude. “Hello. Can I ask something, err ... Miss ...”

“Beat ... ri ... ce ...” the figure of the woman tilted her head after changing the length of her neck back to normal and it made the woman look like an ordinary human. He did not know how his younger sister seemed calm in the face of such a suspicious woman. The woman’s eyes moved irregularly, but her head was still pointing towards Ursula, smiling at what this figure might think was a friendly smile, but not for him.

Her black-sharp teeth adorn the smile of a light blue-skinned woman. The woman’s black hair hung irregularly, covering a little of her face. He was unfamiliar with the dress that the figure wore, which looked so simple. If the woman was a human turned into a ghost, maybe she was not from their town.

“Miss Beatrice. It’s nice to meet you,” Ursula stretched out her hand, inviting the figure of a woman, who was increasingly amazed at Ursula’s attitude. She hesitated to return Ursula’s hand.

“You two ... aren’t afraid of me?” The woman looked at him, who was hiding behind Ursula. He forced himself to smile as the woman looked closely at his face, not daring to show how afraid he was to face her.

With ease, Ursula shook Beatrice’s hand, then pushed him, who was still standing behind her, to her side. “I’m Ursula Lockwood, and this is my brother, Raphael. Of course not. Why are we afraid of creatures as beautiful as Miss Beatrice?”

***