"Do you want me to get you the essence of a phoenix feather or something?" Chase asked, his tone more teasing than concerned.

  He leaned lazily against the carriage's plush interior, his blue circular shades catching the early morning sunlight that slanted through the window. Across from him sat Jasper, the ginger-haired young man he'd picked up from Frey Manor at the brink of dawn.

  Chase was in excellent spirits this morning. Jasper, on the other hand, looked like he was on death's doorstep. His freckled complexion was ghostly pale, and his lips were tinged gray.

  Chase couldn't decide if the sight was amusing or concerning.

  "For someone as lucky as Luca says you are, you certainly don't look the part," Chase remarked and snapped his fingers, producing a gleaming metal bucket out of thin air on Jasper's lap, into which the young man proceeded to release his innards. It was the third bucket that Chase provided on the trip thus far.

  Chase tutted in mock disapproval and turned his gaze to the window, adjusting the blue circular shades perched on his nose.

  Outside, lush green fields blurred past, the carriage speeding westward. The horizon shimmered in the distance, where the golden sands of the Desolate Expanse Desert began to encroach on the greenery. Chase adjusted his posture, catching his reflection in the glass.

  Well, I suppose I knew Luca's request would contain a component of some unpleasantness.

  "But, the amusing component is still ahead," Chase muttered back at his reflection.

  The wet, metallic sound of retching across from Chase finally subsided, leaving an awkward silence broken only by the carriage wheels rumbling against the paved road. Unfortunately, the smell lingered.

  "Finished?" Chase asked, raising a brow.

  Jasper nodded weakly, his breath shallow as he dabbed at his mouth with a crumpled cloth napkin. "I believe so."

  "Good." Chase snapped his fingers again, and the soiled bucket vanished, replaced by a woven basket brimming with vibrant, freshly cut roses. Their floral scent struggled valiantly against the carriage's musty air.

  Jasper blinked at the unexpected bouquet, a smirk appearing on his face. "What's this for? Not my funeral, I hope.

  "For the smell," Chase replied with a casual shrug. "I'd replace the air entirely, but the last time I tried that… well, let's just say it didn't end as neatly as I'd hoped."

  He chuckled at the amusing but messy memory, shaking his head.

  "But seriously," Chase continued, his tone softening, "do you want me to track down a phoenix feather essence for you? Can't have you dropping dead on me."

  Not until I can save my sister, at least. And fulfill the favor to Luca.

  Chase considered his favorite sister, Deanna, extremely pale, but Jasper currently could have given her a run for her money.

  Jasper leaned back against his seat, popping a mint into his mouth. Though his freckles stood out starkly against his pale and sickly complexion, he closed his eyes with surprising composure. "If you've got one to spare, I won't say no."

  Chase studied him for a moment, a slow grin curling his lips. "You'd just sell it, wouldn't you?"

  Without opening his eyes, Jasper smirked and shrugged. "Maybe."

  What a cheeky lad.

  Chase Daylan, as the royal prince of the most powerful nation between the two continents, tended to inspire deference. Yet Jasper behaved as if the two were peers, a striking contrast to how most people reacted to him.

  He's clearly accustomed to being around influential people. He didn't even flinch at being offered something too expensive for regular people to even dream about. What a curious person.

  Chase observed Jasper with interest. The clinking of the mint intermixed with the sound of the carriage wheels.

  "I was told throwing up is an expected part of my recovery process," Jasper decided to add. "I'll live without it."

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Well," Chase said with a low chuckle, reclining into his seat, "I guess you'll live. But if I were you, I'd think about redirecting some of that luck toward your health in the future. You're no good to anyone if you keel over halfway through."

  Jasper exhaled a weak laugh, his voice dry. "Who knows, maybe getting poisoned was the best thing to happen to me."

  "Huh." Chase clicked his tongue, glancing out at the encroaching desert. "Perhaps. Luck does work in strange ways."

  Indeed. After all, losing my Lucky Coin in the previous loop was the best thing that could have happened to me.

  Resting his chin on one hand, Chase watched the golden dunes loom larger against the horizon, their shimmering expanse holding both promise and peril.

  The Desolate Expanse Desert was one of the five great natural wonders of the mainland, sprawling across the entire continent and splitting it in half. Four nations were cut through by the desert: the Barakian Empire on the far west, the United Republic of Nales on the far east, and in the middle, Adovoria and the Daylan Dynasty. Of course, of the four, the Daylan Dynasty had the largest share of the desert, with the sandy dunes in its territory larger than the entirety of Zareze, Trakecia, Brem, and Vertes.

  For a lesser nation, such an inhospitable region might have been neglected. But Queen Yadana Daylan held an unyielding philosophy: any territory conquered had to be utilized to its fullest potential. Thus, amidst the sprawling sands, the tax haven and gambling playground of Ibitian Rouge was born—a glittering city beneath the desert.

  "Please remain inside your carriages for the descent," a border guard called out, pacing along the perimeter of the large round platform.

  Chase Daylan's carriage stood alongside a dozen others, all positioned atop a circular platform surrounded by towering yellow stone columns. The sun was high up in the sky now.

  Three horns blared, their low notes reverberating across the desert. At the third blast, the platform shuddered and began to rotate, sinking into the ground. Sand cascaded like golden waterfalls from above as the platform spiraled downward, turning like a massive screw.

  Chase leaned against the carriage window, watching the blue sky shrink to a distant circle above. The faint grinding of stone and the gentle sway of the carriage filled the silence.

  The platform clicked into place about twenty stories down with a resounding thud. Three more horns blared, and a woman with two orange flags stepped forward, signaling the carriages to move. Chase's carriage, bearing the royal insignia, was granted priority and rolled smoothly into a short tunnel.

  The tunnel opened into an enormous underground cavern, and Chase's lips curled into a smile as Ibitian Rouge appeared into view.

  It's been a while since I've last come here.

  Due to advanced magic techniques and clever lighting stone placement, the great city of Ibitian Rouge was in a state of perpetual twilight. Hues of pink, purple, and gold bathed the sprawling metropolis, giving the illusion of an eternal sunset.

  Despite knowing the time above ground was closer to mid-afternoon, Chase was drawn into the illusion. Down here, time didn't matter—only perception did.

  The carriage glided along wide streets flanked by towering buildings glittering with enchanted glass. Crowds of locals and tourists walked across the web of living bridges made up of nurtured night vine oaks whose leaves of bright green and pale gold shimmered faintly.

  Chase glanced at Jasper, seated across from him. The ginger-haired youth appeared in far better health that earlier, his complexion less pallid, though his freckled face showed little interest in the stunning scenery. He yawned, entirely unimpressed.

  How curious.

  "We've arrived," a servant announced, opening the carriage door. Chase stepped out, his gaze sweeping up at the towering building exuding subtle luxury. Its polished stone exterior gleamed under the twilight sky with tasteful botanical architecture. A line of servants stood along the walkway, bowing deeply in welcome.

  "Your Highness, Prince Chase Daylan, it is an honor to have you," the hotel's manager, dressed in a deep marron suit, greeted him with a beaming smile. "The second-to-top suite will be ready for you shortly."

  Chase raised an eyebrow. "The top suite is unavailable?"

  The man hesitated. "Ah, yes, Your Highness. I'm afraid it's currently occupied."

  "Interesting," Chase mused. "Is one of my siblings in town?"

  The manager offered a polite smile but remained tight-lipped. Chase's curiosity flickered. Few could afford the suite's staggering price, and the Daylan royals were its most frequent occupants.

  However, there shouldn't have been anyone else. Deanna is in town, but she has a different place she prefers to stay at. So who—

  "Ah! My apologies, Your Highness. I didn't realize you were together," the manager exclaimed suddenly, his eyes shifting to someone behind Chase.

  Chase turned, his brow furrowing as Jasper exited the carriage, stifling yet another yawn.

  Just who is he?

  ***

  "You're Luca's attendant, aren't you?" Chase asked, handing Jasper a drink from the suite's private bar.

  The drink resembled something more akin to the strange juice Chase had once seen Claude Noire drink rather than a proper cocktail. The concoction was a vibrant green, more of a tonic than a cocktail, made with care to avoid taxing Jasper's current weakened condition.

  "I am," Jasper replied, inspecting the glass curiously before reaching for a flask in his pocket and topping the drink off with hard liquor.

  "How can you afford this suite then?" Chase asked. He took a seat beside Jasper, looking out at the sprawling city of Ibitian Rouge.

  "I have my ways," Jasper shrugged, not explaining further.

  "Yes, but why?" Chase leaned back in his seat, swirling his own drink. "If you can afford to keep this suite on perpetual hold, why are you an attendant?"

  Jasper took a sip, a conspiratorial grin spreading across his face. "Because being around Luca is entertaining."

  "Ah," Chase's corners twisted up, and he chuckled, making eye contact with his reflection in a nearby silver pitcher.

  I asked something quite silly.

  "Indeed, Luca is certainly entertaining to be around," Chase agreed, clinking his glass against Jasper's.

  I suspect the two of us would get along quite nicely.

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