Chapter 13: Ch 13. John Nix is Dying
"Your Majesty, you’ve finally woken up..."
Stoner blinked slowly, his head feeling incredibly heavy. After blinking a few times, he took in his surroundings, took a deep breath and realised where he was.
He was indeed in his own room, which made him sigh with relief as he looked at Derk, who was already smiling at him.
"Your Majesty, is there any part of your body that feels uncomfortable?"
"My head still feels heavy, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. It felt as though I was about to die just now; that was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt." Stoner said hoarsely, causing Derk to take a deep breath.
"This is the first time I’ve ever seen you in such a serious condition, so without your permission, I went to see the Queen. I’ve heard that the Queen has risen to become the Healer of Extinction, so I thought perhaps I could ask for her help to treat you," Derk explained, bowing his head. "Please forgive my presumption."
Upon hearing this, Stoner immediately turned his head, searching for Selena, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Didn’t she come?"
Derk shook his head slowly. "But Her Majesty the Queen’s prediction was correct; she said this wasn’t the worst it could be and that it wasn’t life-threatening. She said you’d even fallen asleep and would wake up a few hours later. What the Queen said was true; by the time I returned, you were fast asleep and have only just woken up now. Even though the Queen didn’t come, she already knew your condition," he said, his voice tinged with relief.
Stoner took a deep breath, realising that what Derk had said felt like a slap in the face to him, as he was still in denial about the woman’s abilities.
Sitting up, Derk instinctively helped him to lean back comfortably.
"What else did she say?" asked Stoner, both curious and full of hope.
Wasn’t Selena the Healer of Extinction?
Although he hadn’t apologised or made amends for his mistake, at the very least the woman would surely offer one or two things he could do.
"Her Majesty the Queen has forbidden you from going out on a full moon night; she says it could endanger your life. You must not be exposed to even the slightest bit of the full moon’s light," said Derk, causing Stoner to lift his head and immediately glare.
"Is she mad?! A full moon night is a great night to boost my powers!"
"But, Your Honour, even if you aren’t exposed to the light of the full moon or aren’t under the full moon for even a single night, you won’t have any problems at all. In fact, if you do go out under the full moon, your condition could worsen. You could lose even more of your memory, and that’s dangerous," said Derk imploringly, offering a drink to the man who had fallen silent.
"I beg you, please do as the Queen says this once. The Queen is the Healer of Extinction; you’ll have nothing to lose by following her advice."
Stoner finally sighed and nodded. As he drank the water from the glass Derk had given him, he looked around his room and pointed at the curtains.
"In three nights’ time, when the full moon rises, replace those curtains with darker ones and close all the windows."
Derk smiled and nodded obediently. "Very well, Your Majesty."
"What else did she say?"
Derk paused for a moment. "Perhaps you really should approach the Queen, apologise for the mistakes you made in the past and explain your situation in detail, Your Majesty. Because the Queen said you’ve been struck by the Moon Goddess’s curse due to your mistakes. I couldn’t ask any more questions as I don’t know either, but the Queen seems to know. There’s no harm in discussing this; who knows, perhaps that way the Queen might find a suitable remedy," he said cautiously.
Stoner finally let out a heavy sigh. "When you met her, was Vylen Roxy there? Where was Selena when you met her?"
"The Queen was in her chambers at the Fox King’s palace, Your Majesty. The Fox King wasn’t there; the Queen was alone with the Dragon King, eating roast meat," Derk said, causing Stoner to nod slowly. "Your Majesty..."
Stoner stared at him, until Derk hesitantly spoke again.
"Your Majesty must be curious about the situation, since the Queen was reportedly meeting with the Old Fox King—who is notorious for his cruelty and hates her intensely, isn’t that right?"
Stoner remained silent, but from his expression, Derk knew that his King wanted him to continue his explanation.
"I’ve managed to find out a little from the Fox Palace’s servants and guards; they said the Queen caught the Old Fox King red-handed as he was about to poison his son through the drinking water he’d poured out beforehand. The Queen fought back, choked the Old Fox King, and even rendered him stiff and unable to move before leaving the Fox King’s reading room." Derk explained enthusiastically, causing Stoner to furrow his brow.
"Left?"
"That’s right. The Queen left and let the Fox King speak with his father. The Fox King just came out too, looking sour. According to the servants and guards, the Old Fox King didn’t dodge any of the Fox King’s questions at all. That old man really has poisoned his son," Derk said again.
Stoner was silent for quite a while, until he finally looked up. "Did you see that Selena was all right? No signs of crying or injuries on her body?" he asked, to which Derk replied with a quick shake of his head.
"Not at all. Her Majesty the Queen was actually casually eating roast meat when I arrived. Her demeanor and composure were also very cold and controlled; I... I was trembling just from her gaze, Your Majesty," he explained further, causing Stoner to sigh and nod.
He gazed out the window into the distance as he muttered, "Selena Grece... She has truly risen to become the Healer of Extinction. I’m such a fool..."
***
"Selena Grece..." Jhon Nix clutched his chest, feeling his heart burn and ache as if being consumed by fire. "She truly is the Healer of Extinction who has risen."
Jhon Nix winced slightly as he felt the pain in his chest; he felt this every night, and what Selena had said earlier was indeed true. Yet Selena had no idea—no one ever did—because Jhon always hid it well.
However, that woman seemed reborn, making him feel foolish in her presence.
"Your Majesty, are you all right?"
His personal guard’s voice sounded worried, causing Jhon to narrow his eyes.
"Why are you here, Sovel?"
"I’m concerned—the Queen said you experience pain every night in your chest. Is it happening tonight as well? Is there any medicine I can get for you, Your Majesty?" Sovel Nix, his personal bodyguard, asked anxiously, causing Jhon to clench his fists.
"No, I’m fine. Go get some rest; don’t make the Phoenix group worry." Jhon Nix ordered firmly.
Sovel wanted to ask another question, but suddenly the lights in the King’s room went out, making it clear that Jhon didn’t want to be disturbed. After bowing respectfully, Sovel walked away.
Meanwhile, Jhon Nix was desperately trying to endure the burning, stinging pain in his heart. He pressed his chest tightly, his eyes blurred by streaming sweat. His eyes glowed gold, like flames about to burst forth.
"There’s no medicine... There’s no point in taking medicine... The only thing that can cure this disease is the Healer of Extinction. It’s just that I keep trying to downplay it..." Jhon said softly, grimacing as the pain grew more intense.
***
Selena suddenly opened her eyes, even though she had been asleep for a long time. She woke up upon seeing a vision of Jhon Nix dying in her room, though it made her sigh in frustration.
"That arrogant Phoenix King is on the brink of death, and even as he lies dying, not a single one of his followers has come to his side. Stoner Grey’s followers are far better and more self-aware—they come to me when they need help," Selena muttered, then snorted softly.
She assessed their situation and realized that Stoner Grey was still in a fairly stable and strong condition, while Jhon Nix could die at any moment if he fought against the fire within his power.
That cold, seemingly calm man was actually quite emotional when faced with pain; he could suddenly go mad and fight the pain with fire until he eventually died.
That couldn’t be allowed to happen just as Selena’s reputation was finally improving.
This prompted Selena to pick up a glass of water, close her eyes, and snap her fingers until a speck of blue light fell into the water.
"Servant, come here," she called, and the door to her room opened, revealing a Fox servant who bowed politely to her.
"Your Highness, how may I assist you?"
"Take this glass to King Phoenix’s room—immediately!"