Jaejoong saw Dara being lifted toward the more-than-forty-foot ceiling by the whirlwind controlled by Lord Seung-won! It was clear what the regent from Mussur planned to do! Jaejoong threw his sword on the floor and scrambled toward Dara with outstretched arms!

The whirlwind disappeared and Dara plummeted to the floor! A fall from such height would kill the woman! Jaejoong was just in time to catch her falling body! He was almost toppled by the force and weight of the falling woman, but he managed to remain on his feet. Dara’s pole stick clattered on the floor beside them.

"You are late!" scolded Dara.

He gave her a wry smile. This woman didn’t really know how to say thank you!

"You are heavy!" he groaned as he helped Dara get on her feet.

"I am not!" she snapped back before grabbing her pole stick.

He remembered his sword. He looked back where he had thrown it just in time to see Lady Song Hye-Kyo about to pick up the sword.

"You might get infected by the darkness, Lady Song Hye-kyo, if you touch that sword," he warned. He wasn’t sure if there was such an effect. No one had ever touched the sword since he had taken it from the Eternal Spring except him and Dara. And he couldn't blame the sword for the changes that happened to Dara.

Lady Song Hye-Kyo quickly took back her hand and faced him.

"Thanks for the warning. But you will never get your sword back." She positioned herself between him and the sword.

Jaejoong analyzed the situation. Lord Song Seung Hun of Gorge was coming from his left. Lady Song Hye-kyo was approaching from the right. Behind him was Dara who was currently facing Lord Cha Seung-won and Lady Son Ye-jin. Thorn meanwhile had remained standing near the Oracle, holding one of his hands that looked injured. His clothes were also blackened as if he had just gone through a blazing fire.

Jaejoong had often wondered and speculated about the real powers the regents of Haldor possessed. Very few people had ever seen them use it. Most of those who had seen those powers never lived to tell about it. And Jaejoong was powers of the regents.

He hoped he would live through this because without the Sword of Truth, he didn't stand a chance in defeating such powerful people

.

"Hye-Kyo can summon and control water," came Cloud’s lecturing voice above Jaejoong, "Seung-Hun can create fire that he can throw at any direction, Ye-jin can move the earth, In-sung can produce thorny vines from his hands and as you have witnessed earlier, Seung-won controls a powerful whirlwind."

"You could have told me this before we went here!" he hissed.

"You never asked! And I never thought the Oracle would be so selfish to surround herself with all the regents and allow the residents of Solaris to be slaughtered by your non-existent army."

Jaejoong studied his opponents. He never bothered to inquire about the powers of the regents because he thought the regents would stay in their regions to protect it from his army. Or at least, they would position themselves outside the castle gates and lead the troops they had brought. He never thought he would be facing all five regents here inside the inner sanctum.

He never expected the Oracle to order the regents to protect her own self. It was clear that the Oracle was more concerned with self preservation than the lives that would be sacrificed in battle if he had indeed brought an army to attack the city.

"Do you fight for the Oracle or for your people?" he asked the regents. He needed time to start concentrating. His power of foresight must aid him now!

"They are one and the same," answered Lady Hye-Kyo.

"The Oracle guides the people. And without the Oracle-" began Lord Seung-Hun.

"Without the Oracle, this world will not be stagnating! It would have moved forward! Become a progressive world!" Jaejoong reasoned out.

"You are talking heresies!" shouted Lady Ye-Jin.

Jaejoong’s power of foresight activated!

Lord Seung-Hun attacked him with fire, but since Jaejoong had already seen this attack, he easily evaded it. Lady Hye-Kyo had begun summoning her power! In a few seconds, Jaejoong knew a huge wave of wate