Second Female Leads' Playbook

"Isobel, we'll go find the high priest of darkness." I picked up Isobel, my fur lined cloak and my purse. I wrote a note saying I had gone to see the sea for some shopping. It's just a whim of spoiled Odette they were familiar with. And I set out to the stable. 

I needed to ride to the far north where the temple of darkness was situated. If I went there by riding, I could only reach it after nearly a week. On the presumption that I didn't rest. In order to speed things up, I decided to use the transportation spells. They were set up in most of the big towns and they were expensive. I did not have a choice, did I? 

"Isobel, can you go to the temple first? And see what's the situation there?" Isobel flicked its tail once, but it remained in my arms. Isobel tilted its head in confusion and meowed. 

"So he even stop you from visiting. Let's go together then." 

I rode to towns with transportation spells set up and spent exorbitant amount of money for them. If he was not my boss, I wouldn't even have cared! He needed to pay me back! After two days, I finally arrived to the far North. 

It was snowing. I looked at the snowy white mountain and snow dusted houses in front of me. The temple was situated at the top of this mountain. This was still exactly the same as when I had come in my second life. 

After another hour of riding up the hill, I had finally reached the temple. The ground outside the temple was empty. Had Rachelle successfully persuaded those angry priests that the priest of darkness wasn't responsible for the stealing of the shards or had they already left after the punishment? 

Before I could knock on the huge door sealing the temple, it swung open. A long dark corridor leading to the unknown was on the other side of the door. I stepped in. 

I tried to find my way in this huge temple, after a while I finally found the room with a throne on a dais. Someone with black hair and black robes lined with silver was sitting on it. His mask was still on his face, but his face was paler than usual. His eyes were also closed. He looked more like a statue than a living person.

"Your Grace?" I asked hesitantly. I cleared my throat and asked again, "Your Grace? It's your underling, Odette, coming to visit you."

The only noise was my voice echoing in this huge room. The man on the throne remained still. Hesitantly, I walked towards the throne. When I was only a few feet from him, I realized he was really as still as a marble statue. He was not even breathing. Worried, I went over and grasped his hand. It was as cold as ice. 

"Your Grace?" I started to shake him with my other hand. There was no response. "Your Grace!" 

I was starting to panic. He wouldn't be killed just like this. He wouldn't be dead! He's the powerful high priest of darkness, bound by countless of rules to prevent him from conquering the world. Among all the high priests, he was the only one being offered the title 'demigod' due to his immense power. 

There was no response from him. Tears seemed to be brimming in my eyes. I wouldn't cry. There must be ways. Ways to wake him up. Some distant memories appeared in my mind. 

"Aren't you curious about my name?" he had asked while playing with my hair. 

"What? Are you finally going to tell me before I die? As a farewell gift? Is your name that horrible that you refused to tell me until now? Dead people can't say anything. So you can trust me." I had joked bitterly.

"Have you heard of the saying that names have power?"

"Yes..." I had been wondering where that was heading. 

"It's an old saying," he had smiled like it's some inside joke. "Not been used in these hundred or so years anymore. Back then names do hold some power." 

I had furrowed my brows at that time to try to decode his cryptic words again. 

"Not to you lot anymore. But to me, names do hold power." His usual smile had returned to his face and then he had leaned forward to whisper a few words into my ear, like a lover's whisper. "I will appear when you call me." He had then said.

"I am going to be executed tomorrow morning, sadly it won't be of used anymore." I smiled bitterly. "You're cheating. It's no use to a dead girl." 

A caw brought me back to present. It's Blake circling near the ceiling. Could I wake him up?

"Yves," I called loudly. "Yves Arden wake up!" I grabbed his arm and shook. Tears were nearly dropping down from my eyes. 

Then as if it's ice melting, his fingers moved and then his eyelashes fluttered, he finally opened his eyes. He raised his hand to catch the single drop of tear that escaped my eye.

"I knew it has to be you. It's always you who wake me up from my sleep," he smiled. "Now you can't say I'm cheating, can you?"

"So you knew," I said coldly. "Are you the one who cursed me? The one who made me reborn again and again? Is it all a joke to you? Do you find it funny? To see me struggling and then getting killed again and again?"

The smile that's on his face a moment ago disappeared.. He took off the mask hiding his face and said while staring at me with his blood red eyes, "Yes, it's me."