Chapter 1105: Realm of Truth |
Karyk stepped off the ship, still disguised as Jalen. He was immediately surrounded by the Time Lord's warriors, their eyes scanning him for any sign of hostility.
"Do you want to check my storage ring as well?" Karyk frowned, tossing a storage ring to the guards.
He didn't keep anything in Jalen's storage ring in any case. He didn't need any external weapons to hurt anyone after all.
"Don't be offended. We are just following normal protocol," one of the guards said, subtly checking the ring before tossing it back to Karyk. "As you may already know, our world is on lockdown, especially since the Young Lord has returned. We have to take extra precautions."
"It's done. Even if I'm offended, what can I even do?" Karyk sighed, catching the ring.
He wore it on his finger before continuing, " Herriet Family can't afford to upset the Time Lord. Still, to ensure that you don't have to worry too much, I'm leaving my entourage back on the ship."
"I don't think you have to worry about me. I am an old friend of your Young Lord. I have no reason to hurt him." Karyk ensured that his behavior was completely normal and calm.
If anything, he looked a little subservient, imitating the behavior Jalen would display in front of the Time Lord's son.
"Let me formally introduce myself," he said. "I am Jalen Herriet. I believe your Young Lord is expecting me."
Karyk simply nodded, unfazed by the threat. He had expected this level of security. After all, he was entering the heart of the Time Lord's domain, a realm that belonged to one of the most influential people in the universe.
The world where the Time Lord celebrated his birthday looked like a dwarf planet compared to this vast realm.
He had thought that this was the extent of security and he was going to be led straight to the Time Lord's son. However, the guards opened a portal and told him to enter.
He followed their instructions and entered the portal. One of the guards followed him, while the others stayed behind.
"Is this where I will be meeting him?" Karyk asked, stepping out of the portal to find himself in a room filled with mirrors.
Every mirror showed him a reflection of himself, even though the guard was standing right beside him. In none of the mirrors the guard could be seen.
"Think of this as the last step before you get to meet our young lord. This is called the Realm of Truth. In this realm, every time you tell a lie, one of the mirrors will crack," the guard informed Karyk in a carefree manner.
His words made it clear that they still didn't trust him entirely. Even if their young lord had allowed him to be brought inside, the guards wanted to be even more certain, and this realm was the place to get the answers.
"As I said, don't be offended. We are just doing our duties. As long as you can answer a few of our questions, you will be allowed to meet the young lord."
Karyk observed the mirrors around him. It was clear that the man wasn't joking, as he could feel that there was something special about those mirrors. A very unique aura lingered around each of them.
"Do you have any ulterior motives in coming here?" the Guard asked Karyk.
Karyk answered, "Yes, I have ulterior motives."
The Guard's hand moved towards his sword as he grabbed the hilt, as if prepared for something extreme.
"What is your ulterior motive?" he asked.
"I just want to tell him something important, and also ask him a few questions," Karyk answered, his gaze fixed on the mirrors.
None of the mirrors broke when he answered. He hadn't lied after all. He simply didn't tell him about the consequences of the answers he received that weren't satisfactory to him.
"Is there a possibility of you hurting our Young Lord?" the Guard asked, making Karyk go silent.
This time, Karyk didn't answer as fast as before. This was a very complicated question, especially since the chances of him hurting Time Lord's son were not small.
"Answer me!" The Guard said, drawing his sword out of its sheath. The sword stopped merely inches away from Karyk's neck.
Karyk let out a tired sigh. "There are no chances of me hurting him."
As he answered, a slight golden tint appeared in his eyes. However, it was so minute that it was barely noticeable.
Just as he finished answering, he saw one of the mirrors crack. Still, the Guard didn't seem to react. The guard simply kept the sword back. It was as if he couldn't see the cracked mirror at all.
In his eyes, this place looked just as it did before their arrival. All the mirrors were intact and he could see Karyk's reflection in all of them. He didn't know that he had long since entered Karyk's illusion, which made him see no changes in this place.
Even if all the mirrors were to break, the man was not going to see anything different. As it was a small illusion that didn't put the guard in danger, it also didn't alert his senses.
After keeping the sword back, the guard lowered his head. "I apologize for my behaviour."
He apologized for suspecting the young man so much, especially since he was their young lord's guest.
"It is nothing. As you said, you were just doing your duties. But can I meet him now?" Karyk asked, not taking the man's behaviour to his heart.
"Right away!" The Guard repeatedly nodded. He opened another portal, this time connecting to the right place. He entered the portal with Karyk, leaving the realm of Truth where a mirror was left cracked.