The main family of the Frost clan compound gathered at the meeting room.
A large room capable of occupying hundreds of people, pillars at the sides, and a red carpet leading to the throne Lord Frost was sitting.
His hands placed on his jaw as he looked at Williams in the embrace of his mother, Mistress Nadia.
Tonight was a very confusing night.
They had run outside the compound, hearing William's cry because he was kidnapped. However, upon reaching there, they saw one headless body and two dead ones.
Picking up the baby, he was very cold, and the clan head immediately summoned the priest.
'If they wanted him dead, then why isn't he dead? And who killed those men?' thought Lord Frost. 'I don't know if the child has somehow awakened at such a tender age.'
He was confused but still waiting for the priest, since this wasn't his specialty.
Overall, William's mother had slow tears dripping down her eyes, most of them falling on the baby's face.
"When... When will the priest arrive?" she asked with a muffled sound while looking at Lord Frost for answers.
But she didn't get any. She was simply ignored by him.
"It's okay, Mistress Nadia. My spiritual beast was used to call for the priest," said the first wife, with Eva in her arms.
It was well known that her beast was the fastest living thing in the clan as of now.
A white lightning goose.
In terms of world-building, Williams' dimension wasn't quite different. Carriages replaced cars, and there wasn't a known means of far communication.
Some of these beasts were capable of traveling through dimensions, mostly those of an exorcist—a travel beast.
Although Mistress Nadia was reassured, her mind wasn't settled until the priest walked in.
Immediately the white-robed exorcist priest walked in, Mistress Eva sprinted toward him.
"P-please, it's my son. His condition is very not normal," was what she said with wet eyes.
"Attend to him already," the first wife urged the priest.
But the priest did nothing because he was waiting for the final say.
"Yes, that's the one," said Lord Frost, as if he didn't care if Williams lived or died.
This was when the priest took the child from Mistress Eva, who was kneeling beside him with wet eyes.
"Let me have a look," the priest took the child. In an instant, his hands were burning.
Looking at Mistress Eva's hands, they were red-hot like a stove, but she had been enduring that so as not to let Williams fall.
The priest really pitied her. "You should get that treated soon," but he couldn't get hurt, so he had to give him back to Mistress Nadia.
"What's the matter?" said the clan leader, Lord Frost.
"Well, the child has been poisoned, and whoever did it planned on killing him with a demon pill."
"Then he won't die. He's already a demon," said Lord Frost.
His words enraged Mistress Nadia, but the first wife was there to hold her wrist, telling her not to do anything reckless.
Because if she made a wrong move, she knew Lord Frost could dismiss the priest immediately.
"Not quite so, Master. The child is already burning from the inside. If this goes untreated, he could die."
"Well, help him. You have to help him. You promised Eva would have a big brother," said the first wife.
But even though she was undoubtedly his favorite, he still glanced at her—a stare that made her step back.
A warning not to cross her borders. She quickly respected that.
A loud knock was heard on the huge door with intricate symbols on it.
Accompanying the sound, within seconds, was a middle-aged man opening the door. Around his late 40s.
But don't let the looks deceive thy eyes. This man had undoubtedly passed a hundred. It was because he was an exalted-rank exorcist.
He had a red beard and a tied ponytail hairstyle, wearing black clothing and a white fur coat with the exorcist emblem behind it.
Two swords crossing themselves were placed at the back of his waist.
Lord of the Dragon Exorcist Clan, Reid Dragonheart.
At the sight of this man, Mistress Eva's eyes became wet again. She ran toward the man with her child and hugged him tight as she muffled.
"Grandfather." Although that was what she said, it didn't come out straight because of the muffling.
Lord Reid caressed his granddaughter's hair with a jovial smile.
"What brings you here, Great Lord?" said Lord Frost.
"Well, aren't you arrogant, boy?" Lord Reid stepped Mistress Eva and her child aside.
Lord Frost had stood up, hearing he was called a boy in his own clan, and it was natural to feel disrespected.
His ice-cold eyes were staring at Lord Reid's flaming ones, but before they neared each other, the first wife stepped in.
"What is this, my Lords? There is a poisoned child there who could die any minute."
She intervened, maybe for the sake of Williams, or because the Dragon Clan leader—an exalted-rank exorcist—could beat her husband half dead.
So they both stopped mid-range with the first wife in front of them.
"What brings you here?" Lord Frost still dared to ask.
"My granddaughter lives here, and I heard your clan was infiltrated. I had to come for her safety," said Lord Reid with a jovial tone. "And why is she crying?"
"She's safe. Now you can leave."
"Grandfather, please help me. My child is unwell. He was poisoned," Mistress Eva quickly brought his attention to Williams.
"What? Oh yes, I forgot you gave birth and haven't come to visit... Well, hand him over to the priest at once."
"The priest has done his part, confirming the poison was a demon pill. And as the child is a demon, the pill cannot kill him. Don't tell me a great exalted cannot sense the demon energy," said Lord Frost.
Lord Reid was completely silent. He did sense a demon aura when he walked in, and it was all coming from Williams.
"For all I know, the energy could be caused by the poisoning. Are you risking the child's life as a gamble?"
Overall, Lord Frost had already walked to his throne and sat, dismissing the priest with a wave.
The priest bowed and left, even if he knew Lord Reid could stop him. But this is the Frost clan—only the head has the final say.
Lord Reid knew that. Outside these walls, his authority was higher, but inside, it wasn't.
"From the day he was born, I sensed the demon aura."
Not giving ears to what he heard, Lord Reid took the child and saw Eva's burning arm. "Ashing poison. He'll turn to ash if he keeps burning from the inside," he sighed.
"I'll now take my granddaughter and her son. It seems you're out of your mind."
"Hmph, pardon me, Exalted One, but my wife is already mine. You cannot take her without my permission, so—"
Mistress Eva cut Lord Frost off mid-sentence.
"But my son is entitled to my well-being. Please, Father," she begged. "Take my son with you."
Lord Reid smiled jovially. He knew Williams would be okay. Besides, the poison was something created from a dragon's breath.
Although Lord Frost was unpleasant with what was happening, he kept calm, looking at them with a cold expression.
"He'll be fine, Eva, I promise. If possible, I would love to spend more than just this time with my son."
Eva knew where her grandfather was heading. He had lost his only son at a tender age, almost like Williams.
And that could repeat itself if Williams stayed within the Frost compound.
Especially when Lord Frost saw him as a demon who could now not become an exorcist and also a useless child.
"O-okay, Father," she muttered, her eyes falling down while she coughed, probably crying a bit.
"It's okay, Eva. We'll visit once in a while, and do make sure you treat your arms so as not to get sick."
With his jovial smile, Lord Reid caressed her red long hair—like his—and gave a nod at Lord Frost before walking out with Williams.
'Just what the fuck is happening?' thought Williams. 'Living with a grand exorcist wasn't enough, and now I'm leaving with an exalted? Why?'
Williams felt frustrated, but his eyes were closed.
The next moment, Lord Reid was now outside, smiling at his beast—the three-headed red dragon. Their necks, individually long like that of a giraffe, each had four horns—two curved upwards and two curved down.
It was time to leave this dimension.