Chapter 213: 213 — Powers You’ve Only Heard Of

Leaning against the wall, Charles sat on the cold ground. Never in his life had he imagined he would be imprisoned in Revhara’s dungeon. Despite being only a few kilometres away from the royal court, the dungeon was still somehow connected to the main building—or so he had heard from the guards who spoke nonstop in the prison during all these hours he had been here.

Looking up at the ceiling, he noticed the disgusting crawling insects. His stomach twisted, nauseous. However, nothing came out even as he tried to throw up. He hadn’t eaten—it had been perhaps a day, or more. He couldn’t recall properly. Not when he was stuck in this dark place for so long.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the quiet room caught his attention. His eyebrows furrowed, and he turned only to find Ren standing before him. Eyes narrowed, he stared at the man before him, perplexed.

"What are you doing here?.." he asked, his voice low.

Ren didn’t answer. He studied the man on the ground. He appeared nothing like the one he knew years ago—the one who thought he owned the world just because he was backed by those who held power in Hianshu.

"Are you deaf? You don’t answer when spoken to."

Lips curling into a curt smile, Ren let out a soft laugh.

"Deaf? Me?"

Charles rose to his feet, walking closer to Ren.

"You... I was right." He snapped his fingers, a smile tugging at his lips. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Ren frowned, wondering if Charles had finally recognized him.

"Did you—?"

However, he was interrupted by the elderly man.

"Am I wrong?" Charles’s grin faltered. His brows lifted, feigning helplessness, as if he were the most pitiful man in the world. "You’re not here to set me free?"

"I am," Ren murmured, his voice low. "But tell me—why would the General help you, when you were plotting to kill him?"

Charles froze. His eyes darted around the cell, throat tightening as he licked his dry lips.

"W-Where did you hear that?! I-I’m innocent!" he stammered, panic rising in his tone. "D-Don’t believe that damned Duke Danman! He must’ve spouted nonsense to you!"

Ren’s fingers curled around the cold iron bars. His crimson gaze darkened, though his breath still trembled slightly.

"But when," he paused for a second before asking, "did I ever say the Duke said anything?"

Charles’s face was pale, almost like the complexion of a vampire.

"You..." Ren’s voice wavered for a moment before sharpening, the word slicing through the silence. "Murderer."

"I didn’t kill anyone!" Charles shouted, his voice trembling as he crossed his arms with a stubborn huff. "He’s still alive—that General of yours!"

"Oh, but Ilyan is not."

Charles froze, his body jolting as if struck by lightning. He stumbled back, instinctively retreating from the man before him. There was something in Ren’s presence—a quiet, suffocating power—that made his skin crawl. Perhaps he had sensed it before, but refused to believe it.

"W-Who are you?"

"Have you already forgotten me?" Ren asked, running a hand through his hair. In an instant, his hair grew longer, a thin teal blindfold materializing across his eyes. His lips curled faintly.

"Do you finally recognize me? I am disappointed, Your Holiness. I was right under your nose all this time—and you didn’t even see me."

"R-Raniel?!"

"Yes."

Ren stepped closer. His pulse still raced, and the faint tremor in his hand betrayed the remnants of old fear. In the past, he would have frozen before this man—barely able to breathe. But now, knowing Charles couldn’t lay a hand on him, he was able to stand firmly in front of him.

He realized then that the terror which had once consumed him was nothing but a shadow—a memory carved too deep into his soul since he was young. The man before him held no powers.

Not before.

Not now.

It was only the whispers and the fear of the Gods’ punishments that kept him from harming those who hurt him.

The sound of Charles’s laughter caught Ren off guard.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked, voice low and tense.

Barely able to calm himself, Charles managed to speak between bursts of laughter.

"We came here... to find you and ha ha ha—you were right where we thought you would never be! The royal palace... How did they allow you—out of all people here? They hate you more than they hate the Temple."

Ren frowned, his brows knitting together.

"What do you mean by sending people throughout the empire?"

"I’ve already sent people looking for you all over the Empire as soon as I arrived in Revhara."

"Oh?" Ren’s tone turned sharp, his crimson eyes narrowing. "And how will they recognize me, when even you failed to?"

Charles’s grin faltered, his teeth grinding in frustration. He hadn’t known—hadn’t even imagined—that the General’s attendant, the father of the General’s son, could be Raniel. But then, another thought struck him.

"Then... what happened to that husband of yours?"

Ren almost laughed. A bitter, humourless sound escaped his lips.

"Hah. You ask that," he said, voice trembling with anger, "when you ordered those men to kill him?" His throat tightened, veins visible against his skin as fury rose within him.

"Hmph. So he’s dead, and now you’ve found yourself a new man? Tsk, tsk. Omegas can’t be trusted."

Ren didn’t reply. He simply let the man talk. After all, the more nonsense Charles spewed, the more certain Ren became of his decision.

Charles went on insulting omegas, boasting about how superior alphas were. Ren took a slow, shaky breath.

"Are you done?" he asked at last, his voice cold and distant.

Charles flinched. The sudden shift in tone sent chills down his spine.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that? I was just stating facts," he stammered, swallowing hard.

The air had grown heavy—so heavy it almost suffocated him. His gaze darted around the cell, searching for help, but the guards weren’t moving. They were lying on the ground—along with the prisoners in the opposite cells.

"D-Did you do something?" he demanded, his voice sharp though the tremor in it betrayed him.

Ren smiled faintly.

"Why? Are you afraid of the powers you’ve only heard of?"