Death Valley XI

Medea arrived in a whirlwind of urgency, astride her Amethyst Snake, the creature's shimmering scales reflecting the dim light of the Death Valley. Her usually composed face was marked by a shadow of fear as she scanned the group of students, her gaze lingering on the distant silhouette of the Eterna beast that had just vanished into the gloom.

"Let's get you out of here," she said sharply, her voice unusually tight. Her violet eyes darted back toward the horizon, where the oppressive aura of the ruler of Death Valley still seemed to cling, like the aftermath of a thunderstorm.

Even for someone as formidable as Medea, with her ten summons at her command, the encounter had been a stark reminder of the food chain. She shuddered involuntarily. The Luminous Wyvern had exuded a presence so vast, so overwhelming, that any attempt to fight it would have been nothing more than an elaborate suicide. The beast hadn't even bared its fangs fully, yet Medea felt as though she'd glimpsed the edge of an abyss.

She clutched the reins of the Amethyst Snake tighter, its lithe form coiled protectively around her. "Ridiculously strong," she muttered under her breath, a phrase that felt grossly inadequate for what they'd just faced. Her mind reeled. She knew, intellectually, that Eterna beasts were leagues above even the strongest Luminara beings. But knowing was one thing—witnessing it was another.

"Move," Medea barked, her voice cutting through the tense silence like a whip. "We're leaving. Now."

The students didn't need to be told twice. Kael, Valkas, Mary, and Gail exchanged tense glances, their expressions pale but resolute as they began to follow her lead. Elara hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking toward Aria.

Aria, who still walked beside her, head held high, her expression unreadable. Elara felt a pang of unease. Aria's calm was both reassuring and unsettling. While everyone else seemed to shrink under the lingering weight of the Eterna beast's aura, Aria's presence remained steady—a small but unwavering light against an encroaching darkness.

Elara glanced at her grimoire, tempted to summon Aria back into its subspace for safety. But something in her heart stopped her. Aria had faced the Shadow Stalker and even stood her ground before the Luminous Wyvern. She deserved to remain free, at least for now.

Medea's gaze briefly flicked to Aria as they moved, her sharp eyes narrowing. For all the fear and caution that gripped her, she couldn't ignore the raw potential radiating from the Prime Eterna. And yet, the very idea of Aria being strong enough to one day challenge a being like the Luminous Wyvern seemed both exhilarating and terrifying.

The group made their way out of the valley, the oppressive atmosphere thinning with every step they took. Yet, none of them spoke. The air was thick with unspoken questions and lingering dread.

Finally, as the Death Valley faded behind them, Medea let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "This is why Forbidden Zones exist," she muttered, almost to herself. "And why we should never forget their name."

Elara tightened her grip on her grimoire, the weight of Aria's presence grounding her as the world felt infinitely larger—and more dangerous—than it had that morning.

__________________________________________________________________________________

The journey back to the Academy had been a tense one. While the instructors handled the evacuation of the other students, Headmaster Medea had focused entirely on us five—those closest to the forbidden heart of Death Valley. The air in the carriage was thick with unspoken thoughts, but I was too preoccupied to care. My mind swirled with the memory of Laha, the Monarch of Death Valley, towering above us with the casual authority of a god surveying ants.

He had come not just to chase us away but to confront Aria.

The realization struck me with unsettling clarity: He was threatened.

But not completely. If Laha had truly been threatened, he would have killed her—and he certainly could have. No, it was more than that. A strange mixture of wariness and intrigue. He was scared of her potential but curious enough to let her live, even giving her those divine cores as if to say, 'Show me what you can become.'

The idea gnawed at me. Why had he given her those cores? Processing energy cores from beasts was no simple feat. No, it was impossible. Yet Laha, with his mastery over divine energy, had shattered those rules. He had delivered them to Aria as effortlessly as a king bestowing a gift.

The Kingdom of Thane's understanding of Eterna beings was woefully limited—little more than scraps of knowledge passed down by other places who'd been fortunate enough to have individuals capable of summoning them. Diamond-grade summoners were so rare that most of our knowledge about Eterna beasts came second-hand, if at all. If I wanted answers, I would need access to the kind of archives only the three Empires possessed.

By the time we reached the Academy, my mind felt like a tangled web of questions. Kael and I made our way to the family carriage, the ride home mercifully quiet—until Prince Valkas appeared at my side.

"I didn't thank you properly last time," he said, his tone unusually sincere. "I was still in shock, but I owe you my gratitude."

Before I could stop him, he bowed—a gesture so unexpected it left me fumbling. "Thank you, Lady Elara. Your summon has given me something truly invaluable."

"Your Highness!" I stammered, waving my hands frantically. "Please, there's no need to bow to me!"

He straightened, offering a warm smile. "The Veylin estate can expect reciprocity from the Royal Family soon." With that, he turned and strode off, his crimson cape fluttering behind him.

I watched him go, feeling the weight of several pairs of eyes on me. Mary's envy was almost palpable, her green eyes narrowing as she whispered to herself. Gail, on the other hand, simply tilted his head, running a hand through his messy black hair with a look of quiet curiosity. Then, as if he hadn't been staring at me a moment ago, he climbed into his carriage and vanished without a word.

The estate felt strangely quiet when we returned. My parents weren't there to greet us, leaving only the butler and a few maids to usher us in. I had no time to relax before the answer to Valkas's cryptic words arrived—delivered not in words but in the form of box after box being carried through the estate's gates.

"What is all this?" Kael asked, voicing the question I couldn't bring myself to articulate as I gawked at the mountain of lavish gifts.

Many hours passed before my parents returned. My mother, always impeccably composed, paused in the doorway, her sharp blue eyes scanning the hall filled with treasures.

"I wonder too," she said, her gaze locking onto me. "It seems my daughter has caught the attention of the third prince."

Her words were calm, but the gleam in her eye told me she was already calculating the implications.

I swallowed hard, glancing at the towering piles of gilded chests and ornate boxes. Jewels, rare tomes, silks, and artifacts I couldn't begin to identify—it was an overwhelming display of wealth and power.

"Reciprocity," I whispered to myself, remembering Valkas's parting words. The weight of it settled over me, an invisible crown placed on my head. For better or worse, the eyes of the Royal Family were now on me.