The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 227: Traces of Fate

Chapter 227: Traces of Fate

"Activate the monolith."

Hearing the King order the five, Hex looked up bewildered. If this - whatever the King did with the prisoners - relied on an activated monolith, why had no one sensed it?

The five took their place around the main monolith, forming a circle. The Refined Knight copied their moves around the secondary monoliths. All had a solemn look on their faces.

"What are you doing here?"

The people on both sides of him asked the question simultaneously. The difference lay in the tone. Esmeralda hissed it at him, Briella’s whispers seemed amused.

Hex’s eyes darted to the five people standing around the monolith he was chained to. Seeing none of them pay attention to him, he smiled warily.

"Got caught up in a simple task."

He didn’t explain further. People often fill the gaps based on their experience and mindset.

Briella remained quiet but Esmeralda snorted. Before she could inquire further, they felt the monoliths tremble.

Hex focussed on the monolith he was chained to. The structure released an almost inaudible hum. Hex probed the energy flow. His senses sunk into the great stone and touched the energy streams.

’Such concentrations of chaotic energy?’ Hex nearly gasped out loud. Throughout the past year, Hex used monoliths of various sizes. He understood the flows and quantities in these structures better than most. Despite being larger, the one in Notrelune couldn’t compare in quantity with the one before him.

He noticed thin lines of golden patterns appear on the main monolith’s surface. The patterns covered the entire structure and looked mesmerizing.

"What is happening?"

A panicked shout drew the attention of the people around the main monolith. The quiet man chained opposite Hex stared with bulging eyes at his hand. Hex followed his gaze and noticed the golden patterns appear on his hands.

"Ah!"

Esmeralda shrieked. Hex heard Briella sigh on his other side. With a glance, he understood their reaction. The patterns appeared on their hands too.

The patterns didn’t stop appearing. From their hands, they moved to their arms and spread further. Hex suspected they would continue till it covered their entire body.

’Huh. Why not mine though?’ The sight of the pattern spreading like a net around them caused Hex to glance at his hands. To his surprise - and glee - his body remained free from the patterns.

While the others panicked, Hex studied the patterns.

’They aren’t energy yet seem to suck something out of their bodies.’

It was hard to pinpoint it but he sensed something flow from the people chained to the monolith into the patterns. That ’something’ fused seamlessly with the golden light.

"Impossible!"

Hex was too absorbed in studying the phenomenon. He didn’t notice the one the King called High Oracle, walk behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her gaze fixed on his hands and the patterns near them remaining still.

"What happened?" The King looked surprised by her behavior. The High Oracle was the last one he expected to move during the ritual. He walked up to her and followed her gaze.

"How is this possible?" The King asked, turning toward the High Oracle. "Even the unluckiest person in the world will get some reaction during the Night of No Eyes."

For once, the High Oracle seemed stumped for answers. She stared at Hex with a look of shock and...fear.

"I...I don’t know my liege. The Net of Fate captures everyone’s Fate Strings on the Night of No Eyes. Like you said, everyone, no matter how abandoned by Fate, has some Strings in them. I...I have never seen it not react to someone."

The slight tremble in the High Oracle’s voice didn’t escape the King’s and Hex’s sharp ears. Her words shocked both. The King hated anomalies. They were beyond control and often meant change. He hated change.

Hex’s shock stemmed more from the information itself. It blew his mind that humans tried to steal other’s Fate. Even though he didn’t know the reason behind their actions, his dislike for the royals increased. But one good thing did come out of listening to her explanation.

His senses started to attune to the feeling of Fate. As his sensitivity increased, he started to pick up faint traces of it in the other females standing around the monolith.

’They aren’t strong. They lack the flow of energy, which normal Blessed Ones have. It seems they channel Fate instead of energy.’

Without sufficient knowledge of Fate and the Fate Strings, Hex couldn’t gauge the level of the two women. Nor could he compare their levels with the Knights to understand their battle prowess.

The bigger issue Hex faced was the King’s reaction. He could see the frown deepen on his face. He glanced at the High Oracle. He failed to sense the Strings of Fate in her.

"It doesn’t seem like we can harvest anything from him." The King beckoned the warden. "Take care of him outside."

The warden nodded. He undid his chains.

"Undo ours too!" Esmeralda screamed. But she choked suddenly and burst into a fit of coughs. Blood splattered through her teeth.

"Stay still, girl," the King sneered. "Your Fate is weakening. Even breathing might kill you."

"Father, what...what is happening?" Elena remained a foolish bystander so far. The sight of people bound to monoliths unsettled her. Hex could tell by the expression of fear on her face she didn’t expect something like this.

The King looked at her...with apathy. Hex was sure of it. The King’s eyes lacked any trace of emotions when looking at his daughter. Hex could swear he saw more feeling in the man’s eyes when he looked at the monolith than when his eyes landed on Elena.

"You will soon learn. After all, you are the main character of tonight."

That was the last thing Hex heard before the warden dragged him out of the Temple. Hex didn’t look back but he sensed the people standing close to walls.

"It’s your unlucky day, boy!" The warden said. His tone lacked emotions. Hex suspected that to him killing Hex was the same as killing a bug.

But Hex wasn’t a bug. Just as the warden struck his fist engulfed with energy, Hex ducked. The fist went above his head. Hex followed through by quickly stepping forward and throwing a punch upward. He hit the warden in the chin, unobstructed.

"Argh."

The man groaned. A straight fist from Hex, whose physical powers were at the peak of what a Knight could reach, threw the man on the floor.

"You bastard..."

The warden jerked the sword out of its scabbard but Hex was quicker. He flew toward the warden and grabbed the sword flying toward him. With a swing, he beheaded the warden.

The head flew, landing a bit farther. It rolled till a foot stepped on it. Hex grinned as his eyes traveled the long legs of the young woman. Even the darkest night failed to conceal her heavenly beauty.

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