The Dark Fairy King
Chapter 58: The Training

Chapter 58: The Training

I glanced at Devran and Lumera, both still sprawled on the floor, snoring like logs.

"Judorah..." Lumera murmured softly in her sleep, her voice trailing as if calling out to a ghost.

"Of course, she would call Judorah," I mocked, rolling my eyes. "We’d seriously be doing her a favor if we just told her Judorah doesn’t exist."

"Do not gaslight her," Scarlette warned sharply, her arms crossed.

"It’s easier," I replied.

"For her or for us?" Scarlette challenged.

"Both maybe? I don’t know?" I shrugged.

"She’s not going to be fine if you keep feeding her lies," Scarlette snapped.

"Please. I’m just managing expectations," I said, waving a hand lazily. "Would you prefer I tell her her nightmares are real? That they were from a world we rewrote away? Do you know how much more unhinged she’ll get?"

"So let it be" Scarlette replied. "She will begin in chaos because it’s real."

"Fine." I sighed, feigning defeat. "She’s all yours." I turned, ready to walk out of the room.

Suddenly, a sharp blast of light slammed the door shut right in my face.

I turned back slowly.

Lumera.

Still trapped in her sleepy stupor, her eyes suddenly flared open—glowing white—and she began to float a few inches off the ground. A ball of light formed, humming and crackling in her palm.

"Judorah..." she hissed, her eyes fixed on me with venom. "You will not control me."

Ah. Of course. Lumera was always dangerous in deep sleep.

In one swift motion, she hurled the light ball directly at me.

I disappeared into the shadows just in time, the orb smashing violently into the wall behind where I’d been. Dust and splinters exploded into the air.

Scarlette didn’t even flinch. In fact, she looked mildly entertained.

From the corner of the room, I emerged again, just as another searing orb of light screamed toward me. I ducked, narrowly missing it as it scorched the edge of my sleeve.

"Aim better," Scarlette called out, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Aim better?" I snapped, weaving between the blasts. "Your little lunatic is attacking your husband, in case you’ve forgotten!"

"But you deserve it," Scarlette replied, her voice infuriatingly cold.

"What? How?!" I protested, but she wasn’t listening to me.

Scarlette continued, louder this time. "You heard that, Lumera? He called you crazy."

Lumera’s glare sharpened at me, her power surging as her hands glowed with renewed fury.

"Do two light balls now!" Scarlette barked. "Focus that anger!"

"Gladly," Lumera hissed, her voice taking on a dangerous edge.

Two radiant orbs formed in her palms, pulsing violently. She flung them at me one after another, her accuracy tightening, her speed increasing.

I slipped and danced between them like a shadow, tiptoeing and weaving through the attacks, each dodge feeling more like a deadly game of dodgeball.

I stuck out my tongue at her, just to irritate her more.

"Faster!" Scarlette shouted, encouraging her.

"Faster? Are you serious?!" I barked back.

"Why? Afraid you’ll lose?" Scarlette goaded, her voice like ice. "I thought you weren’t a weakling, Veravos. I thought you could handle it."

Oh, I was not a weakling.

Lumera hit me with light ball after light ball as I ducked, flipped, and darted across the room. I almost laughed—it was starting to feel like a ridiculous game now.

Scarlette chuckled behind me. For a brief moment, even I was enjoying myself.

"Ooh it tickles" I mocked.

But then Lumera pressed two light balls together with force, causing them to collapse and explode into a violent surge of electric energy.

The blast slammed into me, the shock jolting through my ribs. I crashed to the floor with a grunt.

Enough playing.

Tendrils of darkness erupted from beneath me, slithering and snapping as they coiled around Lumera like enraged serpents.

"Veravos, stop!" Scarlette’s voice cut through the air—but I wasn’t listening anymore.

"I will destroy you, Judorah!" Lumera roared, her eyes blazing with primal rage.

The tendrils tightened, dragging her toward the ground.

But Lumera shrieked and unleashed a brilliant surge of light, the electrical pulse crackling and surging up the dark vines. I staggered, my control slipping.

Then she vanished—flickering from one side of the room to another like a blinding bolt of lightning. Each time she appeared, she hurled another orb of light at me with increasing precision.

I had to admit—reluctantly—that I was impressed. Her control, her speed, her raw instinct... they had sharpened even in her sleep. Lumera is a whole other person when her subconscious takes over. She was a quick learner, even if she couldn’t remember any of this when she woke.

But I wasn’t about to tell her that. I wasn’t that kind.

Scarlette’s slow, amused clapping echoed through the room.

"This is getting interesting," she mused, enjoying every second.

But Lumera’s energy finally waned. She collapsed, her body crumpling to the floor, her breathing ragged.

I raised my hand, ready to strike back. "My turn—"

Scarlette stepped in front of me, blocking me with a single look.

Her glare told me everything: Enough.

Lumera slowly stirred, dazed and confused.

"What... what happened?" she croaked, looking around at the wrecked council room.

Scarlette’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "Our lesson has begun."

But at what cost?

Lumera’s eyes widened in horror as she took in the scene—the broken furniture, the black scorch marks across the walls, the gaping holes where the light balls had smashed through.

"I did this, didn’t I?" she whispered, guilt creeping into her voice.

Scarlette nodded. "You’ve got some real power, Lumera. A lot of potential."

"And a huge debt to pay," I added flatly.

Scarlette frowned at me.

"What?!" I huffed. "The furniture isn’t going to restore itself, you know."

"I’ll be deducting this from your salary," I teased, folding my arms.

Lumera blinked in surprise. "I have a salary?"

"Yes, we pay our council members," I said casually. "Council men and council women."

"How much?" Devran’s groggy voice chimed in as he stirred awake, still half-conscious.

"Sleeping on the job and already asking about your salary?" I snorted. "Freeloader."

Scarlette laughed softly. "Apparently ’salary’ is Devran’s trigger word."

Lumera giggled, covering her mouth. Totally unaware that she too had lost her consciousness earlier.

Devran frowned, clearly displeased with the mockery.

What’s the point of the training? To redecorate the palace of course. Room by room.

I really don’t want to pin my hopes on Lumera’s control over her powers.

One thing is for sure. This team... chaotic, exhausting, infuriating—

And probably going to destroy my palace at this rate.

Not yet, at least.