Chapter 50 - Whispers in the Dark

(A/n) Speed running drafts to finish the fic. Yep, it's ending earlier than expected ! Change in pre determined plan.

It was evening.

The time of a day I wasn't particulary fond of.

As the sun descended beyond the horizon, casting its final glimmers of light upon the world, a sense of unease settled within me. The sky, once painted with hues of oranges and pinks, now faded into a deep indigo, signaling the arrival of nightfall. The world seemed to shrink, enveloped in the shadows that crept closer with each passing moment.

The thin glimmer of sunlight that illuminated the oaky, smooth texture of the rectangular table with multiple parchments and scrolls continued to recede perceivably---a faint, subtle reminder of the passing time. A sigh escaped my lips, the heaviness of my heart weighing down on my slowly beating heart as seconds trickled into minutes and minutes piled over one another.

Across the table, Virion and Aldir were engaged in a heated talk over the battle strategy on how to lead Dicathen against the Alacryan invasion. From a rational point of view, the war was lost before it even began. The Lance was almost killed by a retainer, if it wasn't for Arthur saving her. Depending solely on a single person who doesn't like fighting on the front lines was a fool's play. However, people who think that war can only be won by brute force and violence were totally a lost cause.

Sure, in the coming war, violence was needed and many lives would be lost. However, judging from Aldir's behaviour, the asuras never intended to help us. They just wanted the "lesser" species to stall for some time before the Alacryan army target Euphotus.

The stillness of the evening air was palpable, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant chirp of a bird. The air was thick with a sense of foreboding, as if the darkness itself held secrets that were better left undiscovered. I could feel Aldir's attention shift to me every now and then, his purple eye scrutinising me even tho I was just sitting there idly.

I looked outside the window. The sinister claws of the approaching night continued to encase everything in its hold, swallowing the last streak of sun light that intruded into the meeting room from the window. Despite the fading beauty of the sky outside, my heart felt heavy with a sense of an indescribable feeling that seemed to mirror the fading light. It was as if the day itself was slipping away, leaving me alone in a world that was slowly succumbing to the darkness.

"That should be it for today. We can continue later." the surprisingly calming tone of Aldir's smoky voice reverberated, cascading through the stillness of the gloomy evening like ripples in a stagnant pond. The absence of moisture in the air seemed to amplify the resonance of his words, causing them to hang in the space long after they had been spoken like a fine tapestry.

Finally!

Bolting up from my seat, I stood up, the chair sliding back as I made my way for the door. Pulling the handles towards me, I opened it and moved outside. Sitting with two old men, discussing obvious strategies for hours sure was tiring. As I walked through the wide hallways of the floating castle of Council, I felt a stroke of pain in my heart. Even though my sickness had all but gone away in this life, I had started feeling the pain recently. It started an year ago. I tried to think over it but the reason became more and more obscured, making me unable to rest a finger on it.

The perplexing sensation of unlimited longing and emptiness. It was not understandable. And since it was not understandable, it was weird and concerning. It was never the enormity of the task that ever scared me, but it was the unknown.

"Arisu?" A voice spoke from behind as I turned my head backwards. I caught sight of the human princess, Kathyln Glayder, as she walked towards me.

Turning towards her, I smiled, greeting her, "How are you, Kathyln?"

She and I had became friends over the course of past years ever since Arthur left. While I was in the castle, I was being trained by Aldir while Kathyln and Tessia were being trained by the lances. However, I was being put in a much tougher regimen in which I had to face Aldir and then have a bout with every lance in succession, without stopping. Although, I had access to every element, my inclination towards the fire element made me spend much more time with the Lightning Lance, Bairon Wykes.

Despite the initial sourness towards me because of what happened to his brother, he soon forgot it and focused solely on our training.

Hence, there were times when Lance Varay had to train both me and Kathyln at the same time. Kathyln Glayder---while being cold and having an iron wall around her that seemed almost impenetrable, she was actually a soft girl, too scared to get taken advantage of. And despite her attempts, she was being used without her even knowing it.

Poor girl.

"I am good. And you?" She asked, her emotionless mask totally removed as a smile tugged brightly on her doll-like face.

"Tired. Where are you going?"

"I wanted to go outside. Tessia was dispatched to subdue an S-Class mutated beast today. I had already completed my mission. So, I just wanted to spend some time outside. But Lance Varay and my parent won't let me." She complained, inflating her cheeks as she pouted, a sour expression on her face.

I laughed, looking at the girl as she acted completely different than her usual way, "Haha. Why don't you come with me? The guards won't stop me." I suggested and I could feel her face brighten up.

"Really?"

"Really. Now come on. It would be getting dark in a few hours so we have to manage our time accordingly." I said and motioned for her to follow me. She was wearing a black skirt with grey embroidery over it while she wore stocking on the lower part and a pair of black shoes.

"All black today as well?" I teased as she looked down. Surprisingly there was a sober smile on her face and a blush as she continued to fidget with the corner of her dress. I stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt her fantasy.

"Well... Does it not look good on me?" She asked suddenly, her eyes fixed on me.

The question itself wasn't bizarre and it was common for friends to ask each other that, however, the one asking this type of question was uncanny. She was never the one to care about such things.

"No. It suits you." I replied with a smile.

I guess love does change some people.

"What about you, Arisu? Did you get a new piercing?" She asked, peeking behind.

Placing a hand on my ear, I replied, "Yes, I did. I wanted to test something out."

"Test what?"

"Something something." I replied with a giggle that I didn't knew why I did. Meanwhile Kathyln just looked at me with a deadpan look, equally confused at my excitement.

I wonder if he will notice it.

The clamour of spears clanging brought be out of revere as I looked up. Two guards dressed in extravagant armours were blocking our path.

"We did not receive any permission about letting the princess out." One of the guards spoke as he looked at me.

"She is with me. We have an important research task to do." I replied, looking the knight dead in the eye. He looked at his mate and then at me. With a prolonged and resignated sigh he placed his hand on the handle, "Please be back before dark. I love my job."

Nodding in his direction, I motioned for Kathyln to come after me as she took her hood on. The doors opened and we were now in the teleportation room that could take us almost everywhere.

"Where to, Miss Arisu?" The man in charge of the teleportation gate asked.

"Beast Glades." I replied and I could feel Kathyln's eyes weigh down on me.

"Very well. Please step this way." The knight in charge of the gate said as he stepped to the side, "Safe journeys, Miss Arisu. Princess Kathyln."

Me and Kathyln stepped through and the familiar sensation of being teleported hit me, bile rising up for a fraction of a second before returning back to normal.

"Arisu? Why are we in beast glades?" Kathyln asked.

"I want to meet an old friend." I replied, not looking at her. She was under enough of my control, unlike Tessia so it was safe to come here with her. I took in a deep breath. The damp, earthy scent of the wet soil after a rain shower was undoubtedly one of things that I adored about this forest. It's fragrance lingered in the air, a symphony of notes as droplets plopped from one leaf to another and then on the soft moss below us.

Kathyln nodded meekly and started to follow me. This forest was where it all began. My ability to spot Arthur as a reincarnate would never be possible if I never had this encounter.

"We are quite deep in the Beast Glades, aren't we?" Kathyln asked, her mana casting a protective sheen around her.

"We are. Deeper than the dungeon Tessia would be going in today." I replied as I lowered down, dodging a canopy of intertwined series of branches that had a few spikes and lilies all over it. One of the spikes got stuck into my hair but with a jerk of my head, the meek branch broke as I removed the stub from my hair.

As we ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, I could feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. It has been so many years since I had last visited this place. The place where it all began. The canopy of the forest stretched high above me, blocking out the warm rays of the sun and casting an eerie glow over the twisted trunks of the trees. The forest floor was covered in a dense foliage---moss-covered rocks and fallen logs laid strewn about the forest floor, creating a treacherous maze that seemed to shift and change with every step I took.

"Ummm, Arisu? Why do I think like we should go away now? I don't think its safer from this point onwards." Kathyln said and I could feel the sheen of protective mana around her become more and more dense.

So she finally felt it. Although she was still an initial silver core, she sensed it quite quickly. "It's fine. You can stay here. I want to do something just a few miles from here. I will be back in an hour." I replied, looking over my shoulder.

"Are you sure? I can come with you."

"Yep. I am sure. Just stay here. It is a safe place. There are no beasts here." I said and smiled before turning around and walking towards the patch of darkness that seemed to tangibly hang at a fixed point in space. Squinting my eyes, I focused on it. It seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, a tangible force of attraction that seemed to pull me in---something that called to me with an irresistible pull.

As I got closer and closer, the darkness seemed to deepen, becoming almost impenetrable. It was as though I was walking into a void, a space devoid of light yet so full of life. And yet, there was a sense of magic here, a sense of something powerful and transformative.

"So you've finally returned, Arisu." A voice said and the hanging darkness seemed to extend in all direction, enveloping me in it. Without looking back, I replied, "I am back, indeed. Mordain."

The fiery timber of his chuckle burned in the air like an inferno and I could feel it, the overwhelming and consuming heat in my throat. Just as I felt his presence come closer, I heard another familiar voice. A voice that made my heart flutter like a wild butterfly on loose.

"Mama?"

"Ethan?"