West Borough, at the Wraithcrow headquarters.
Sebastian Blackwood was in Captain Gustaf's office, along with Cleo, Duncan and Russell.
He was sitting composedly on the sofa with his back straight. While Cleo, who was sitting to his left, had his heel resting on his right thigh, placing his elbow on the edge of the backrest. Duncan and Russell stood behind Sebastian, and with their hands behind them, they watched as Captain Gustaf tapped the wooden table with the knuckles of his hand.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes, "Captain, we have informed the police that Mr. Harlan's death was due to a possession caused by a grimoire."
"Good job, Sebastian. It's best not to alarm the Republic more than necessary after the murders that have been happening recently." Captain Gustaf said, looking Sebastian and the others in the eyes.
Sebastian could only sincerely agree with Gustaf. In recent months, after the murder of three women in the space of a few months at the hands of a serial killer, the forces of the Republic of Steatha took serious measures in this regard, organizing stakeouts and escorting women and nobles aristocrats to their homes during the night.
Being a member of the Wraithcrow of Conan County division, he was tasked by the Key of Eternal Flame with guarding the areas of North Borough, while Cleo and other members had to guard different areas of the city. He couldn't imagine what would happen if the people of Prestwich City found out about the documents. Panic would set in for sure, and he wanted to make sure that didn't happen.
"A real heartbreak if I've to share my opinion, Captain Gustaf." Cleo advocated, waving his left hand as he tilted his head.
Sebastian looked away, staring at Cleo who was sitting next to him as if to analyze him carefully.
"Now Cleo has started acting like a charlatan again as usual. Who knows what had gotten him before?" A thought crossed his mind as he continued to look at Cleo.
"Hah, who knew we would stumble upon a murder case, and that Mr. Harlan would be in possession of documents from the New Testament Century." Russell raised his eyebrows, folding his arms.
Sebastian could not blame Russell. Although he suspected it was a murder case when he first saw Mr. Harlan's corpse, he was stunned when he discovered the forbidden documents he was in possession of.
"Yea, and that is something no one but we needs to know about." Duncan exclaimed, his voice growing deep. "According to the investigations, Mr. Harlan was in contact with a research group called The Ark Scholars, who wanted to reveal the mysteries related to the Second Disaster."
Upon finishing explaining, Russell widened his eyes and added. "But on May 8, all members of that group search were found dead under suspicious circumstances, and Mr. Harlan was the only survivor."
"It all seems to fit together, but there are a couple of things that I don't understand. The first is the death of all the members of the Ark Scholars. Why were they killed? Did they discover something they shouldn't have known just like Mr. Harlan or for some other reason? And then there's the matter of the robbery at Mr. Sammer's shop. Why would Harlan commit a crime and want to become a Daredevil? Was it to escape his pursuers? And then that smile… the case is just getting thicker and thicker." Sebastian sighed heavily.
While he sank into the depths of his thoughts, trying to find the piece of his question, Captain Gustaf slammed his palm against the table, breaking the silence and catching everyone's attention.
He then clasped his hands like nothing happened, and glared to those present, "Listen to me everyone, you'll have to go to the Vatican of Aetheria to deliver the documents to our organization, and you shall leave this evening!" Whilst Sebastian and the others were silently listening, Gustaf took a breath and continued, "You shall go to Ravenport, and board the first ship in Suffien Harbor."
Sebastian nodded slightly, straightening his back.
Cleo closed his eyes, and in an enthusiastic tone, he expressed, "I haven't visited the City of Seraphina in years. I really want to know what it feels like to return."
"It certainly shall not have changed much since the last time we went, but its charm shall remain unchanged." A smile formed on Duncan's lips as he waved his hands.
Russell nudged Duncan's shoulder lightly with his elbow. "Look, we all know that you can't wait to see your fiance again, just admit it."
As Cleo and Russell laughed happily, mocking Duncan, Sebastian looked away as if disgusted. He looked at his legs and clasped his hands.
"What a waste of time to rejoice when we'd be travelling on a crucial case. This is definitely one of the peculiar cases I've undertaken so far. Thanks to the Dream Journey I at least know what the killer looks like, and that's definitely a step forward. Upon reaching Aetheria I will ask the local shops about the golden mask the culprit was wearing. That should suffice to track their whereabouts, and once I've solved this case I'll focus on the serial murders." Thoughts raced through his mind while he kept ignoring his comrades who were talking among themselves.
Russell took out the pocket watch he had in his vest, "In any case, we'd better leave, otherwise we may risk missing the locomotive."
"Mhm… if I'm not wrong, the next locomotive to Ravenport should leave in less than an hour." Duncan adjusted the frames of his glasses.
Gustaf frowned, his voice becoming serious, "The meeting ends here. I recommend maximum confidentiality for this case, no one must know about it."
Sebastian and the others nodded at Captain Gustaf's words, leaving his office without making a sound. While they walked into the main hall, Sebastian saw Cleo and Russell talking happily as they left the headquarters. Something inside him was burning, but struggled to understand what he was feeling.
It was like he was detached from reality, and that the world around him didn't belong to him. It could be said that he was in another reality, a place where he was surrounded by nothingness, and that he was completely alone.
"Now they are behaving normally compared to last night when they seemed like a couple." Sebastian thought.
As each echoing step sank him into that sorrowful reality that was devouring him, he felt something rough and warm on his right shoulder. That warmth was so reassuring that it dragged him away from the melancholic detachment. Turning, he came across Duncan who was smiling. He touched the top of his glasses with his left hand while he placed his right on Sebastian's shoulder.
"Yea Mr. Genius, is there something wrong with Mr. Cleo and Mr. Russell?" Duncan asked, voice reassuring.
Sebastian turned to Duncan, gently shrugging his hands off his shoulder, "Ugh, no, it is just silly that I have to suddenly leave for Aetheria Kingdom."
Duncan pulled his pipe out of his pocket, "Hark, I think you'd stop isolating yourself from others, and enjoy these little quiet moments. Why don't you think about being a little happier, and finally find yourself a person you can genuinely relate to."
What is he saying? Finding someone? How could Sebastian have time to relate with someone?
Sebastian looked at Duncan dumbfounded by what he said. What he said didn't make any sense to him, also because he was just a detective with an excellent reputation who was busy solving complex cases.
"I do not have time for this! I have other things I need to prioritize. First we need to find Mr. Harlan killer, then I need to advance to Master, and then…" Sebastian bit his lip instinctively.
In his mind, he had already prepared for everything. He wanted to capture Mr. Harlan's killer, taking a Trial to become Core Master of the Wisdom Attribute, and focus on the serial murders that occurred in the Republic of Steatha. Nevertheless, there was one loose end he had to tie up, one he had left unresolved until now. While the tension between him and Duncan was rising, his blue eyes shone, his lips trembled as he clenched his fists.
Duncan lit his pipe with a match, his voice turning serious, "Then what? Are you by any chance still thinking about what happened to your mother?"
His statement struck through Sebastian, akin to an arrow from a bow piercing his lacerating chest. An image of a blonde woman lying on the white bed covered by a white cloth was vivid in his mind like a projection, as though tormenting him for a sin he had committed.
It was a dark glimmer that had sucked him in, trapping him inside.
Duncan looked at Sebastian with a serious gaze, putting his pipe to his lips, "Mmmh… I know how it feels, but I shall be strict. If you continue to walk to the path you set out for yourself as a child, you shall die alone."
The words rang in Sebastian's mind. A faint smile formed on his lips, but not because he was happy. It was as if he had resigned himself to the destiny he had mapped out for himself, aware that his selfishness would condemn him to eternal solitude.
There wasn't much he could do except be manipulated by his resentment like an empty puppet.
"I… I know that very well, but I have no choice but to continue. In any case, I am not ready for things like relationships and engagement, and I doubt that could happen." Sebastian pressed his hat against his head, lowering his head.
"I don't doubt it. Even if you don't have a clear mind, I'm sure someone shall clear it up for you in the future." Duncan walked past Sebastian, opening the main door, "Well, let's go Mr. Genius, we need to take the money from the bank."
"People around me are just fools." Sebastian laughed wryly.
He then followed Duncan, leaving the headquarters behind for Aetheria Kingdom.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Skyler and Elijah reached the second floor of the central tower.
Unlike the first floor with the library, the second floor had a rather long stone corridor completely shrouded in darkness. Although walking was a struggle, they were making progress without too much difficulty.
As expected, Elijah had already gotten used to it, and there were no problems whatsoever with his movements. Skyler, unlike him, was struggling, and she was occasionally feeling her head getting heavier and heavier. Maybe it was due to the book she'd read in the library. With this realization, she slapped herself lightly to chase away her thoughts.
"Do you feel better now?" Elijah asked.
Skyler nodded. "Yes. Uh, well… sorry… for how I reacted earlier."
"Don't worry, it's partly my fault too for insisting we stay in the library." Elijah replied, his voice was soft.
But as soon as their eyes met, Skyler looked away and stared at her moving feet. She couldn't face him. It was impossible. With a stagnant feeling pressing against her chest, she twisted her lips.
"What's wrong? You know, you seem to be very upset." Elijah expressed, his tone seemed compassionate.
"Um, no, It's just… I was wondering why you wanted to stay in the library for so long."
"Mm, let's say for a stupid reason."
Elijah's words, though seemingly full of joy, seemed to hide a sense of sorrow inside. Hearing this, Skyler looked at him to see his face. He was walking beside her, his warm torch pointed ahead and his bushy tail wagging as usual.
Yet his brown eyes seemed to be full of dejection.
"Well, I was actually looking for books that might explain what really happened during the War of the King of Daemons. You know, I wanted to understand why our soldiers lost control and attacked the Human World," Elijah laughed wryly. "Forget about it. Let's think about the Trial instead."
Along the way, wetting his finger on his mouth, Elijah tried to examine the airflow, but it was not quite clear. Whilst pointing the torch at the wall beside, Skyler could see curling lines at the ends and an eye engraved across the entire corridor.
Aside from that, Skyler was quite surprised to know the reasons behind Elijah's behaviour. Despite his arrogant behaviour, there was also a soft side of him, and that made her stiff cheeks soothe.
"Em, aren't you afraid of this place?" She murmured, staring deeply at Elijah.
"Me? Why should I be afraid? I find it reeeally cool to explore ancient ruins. It's been my dream since I was a kid."
"Huh, you certainly have a lot of courage to spare."
"You really are a weird woman; in a sense that you killed those monsters, but you're still afraid of dying. The more you act like this, the more you make me think that you're the kind of person I've to protect. Hmm, I don't know why but I think that's really cute."
Skyler was surprised to hear such words. The tongue-in-cheek talkative exchange seemed to cheer Elijah up. In the midst of that conversation, they advanced through the dark corridor. Nothing seemed to change, and the only sound that could be heard was that of their footsteps.
"I'm really curious to know what kind of powers you wish to have." Elijah wagged his tail.
"Well, when I got the grimoire, er, it said Light on the cover."
"Amazing, just like me! Did you know that in the Light Attribute, once you advance you can manipulate the concept of light at your will? Then, by adding other powers, you can become very strong. Dad is sharper than the devil himself!"
"Huh, can you really do such things?"
Skyler remained strangely calm unlike Elijah who was stunned. But just hearing such statements greatly increased her curiosity to know more about the world of Daredevil.
Seeing Elijah raise his ears and wag his tail, she laughed lightly.
"Everyone in my tribe has beast-type abilities, but I've always been interested in the Light Path because I find it crazier," Elijah chuckled heartily. "Um, let's say I wanted to differentiate myself from my homeland, that's all."
"I wonder what it's like to live in the Lannister Territory... surely they'll be very peculiar people compared to us…" Skyler thought.
As she took a step forward, something odd was happening around her.
Sound. Sound was gone. There was no sound anywhere. Her heartbeat. Elijah and the flaming torch he held cheerfully in his hand. The sounds of their footsteps faded away. It was as if time around her had stopped completely. And then a strange fog came. A grayish fog was enveloping everything in darkness. Skyler, unable to move her limbs, watched the fog enveloping her completely.
She felt something gently caressing her slender neck from behind. It was something soft and ethereal that made her shiver terribly.
"Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall, Skyler Hall."
A melancholic, feminine voice whispered redundantly into Skyler's eardrums.
"Be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful,"
"Be careful of whom? What should I even be careful of?" Skyler was in aghast.
Her eyes were wide open, her heart was beating at a rapid pace, and just when she was wondering what the silhouette was saying.
"—They are coming."
"What are you saying? Who are they coming to?" Skyler's voice would not come out.
Her mind let out a terrified yelp. She was shaken beyond what she'd call her innards, to the very core of her being. The unease was pulling her apart. Her brain was frayed, twisting, falling apart. She was being slashed into pieces, unable to remember what a logical thought felt like.
Then she blinked heavily, dumbfounded by everything.
"–Oi Skyler, are you alright?"
Skyler heard a familiar voice calling her name. Her vision returned to normal, everything around her began to move. Elijah's hand was on her shoulder, shaking her body repeatedly. His brow was furrowed and his ears were perked up. It was as if he had smelled danger. It could be said his attitude was very much like that of a dog.
She seemed to stop holding her breath when she was sure her fingers were moving as she intended. She gingerly touched her own chest, confirming from the outside that her heart was making quiet beats. She'd move her body, she'd talk, she'd hear her gasps. But the unease remained.
"Erm, ah… E-Elijah?..." Skyler muttered, voice faint.
Elijah looked at her, his tone was serious. "Get ready, it looks like those stupid monsters still want to play with us."
In the midst of terror, Elijah cast his frowning gaze to the hall behind Skyler.
Skyler slowly turned her head, the sudden chill running up her spine made her gasp and narrow her eyes. In the stone corridor, monsters with four thick tentacles instead of legs and unnaturally bent arms were crawling towards them. Skyler had no doubts, they were the same monsters they'd fought on the bridge. They were glaring at Skyler and Elijah with a bloodthirsty look.
"You're really annoying. You don't give us a break, hah, you damned ones." Elijah laughed dryly as he smiled.
The monsters shrieked shrilly. They were so deafening that they fueled Skyler's anger. It was like they wanted to sabotage their mission to defeat the Cursed Beast in every way possible.
"Tch… damn you, if you wanted to die you just had to ask!" Elijah yelled.
As he vented, he drew his sword from his robe, dashing rapidly towards their direction.
In a direct confrontation with bloodthirsty monsters, the first thing you had to do was sharpen your senses and observe their moves. Having trained for years in boxing with Benson, Skyler knew full well that the moment you let your ego or distractions get the better of you, you are doomed. So, she struck a pugilistic pose with parchment and the dagger in both hands.
Meantime, the monsters stretched out their tentacles at Elijah ready to pierce him, but he parried their attacks with his sword. The way he was handling it'd only be described as a beast. He would spin around, duck down so low it looked like he was crawling on the ground, and at times he'd step on the stone walls to evade their tentacles as though he was completely ignoring gravity.
"It's absurd, I didn't think he'd be so skilled." Skyler was fascinated.
As Elijah laughed proudly, he fended off the monsters with his sword. Most of the slashed monsters crawled to the ground in agony. Their deafening screams echoed along the hallway.
"Let's see who among you'll be next to die." Elijah mocked the monsters.
Just as he was laughing heartily, the monsters began to crawl rhythmically into every corner of the hallway. They stretched out their slimy tentacles simultaneously aiming at Elijah, but he coldly cut them all down by swinging his sword. In response to their attack, Elijah threw the torch to the ground and leapt into the air, holding the sword in both hands. With a clean and precise movement, he drove the sword deep into the rib cage of the monster on the ceiling, causing the dark, nauseating liquid to drip onto the floor.
However, just when he was about to land on the floor like a feather, one of the severed tentacles on the floor generated a reddish sting from the spilled liquid that rapidly shot out of him aiming for Elijah's back. Skyler immediately threw the dagger horizontally, which collided with the sting and sent it off course.
"Thank goodness I pulled it in time…" Skyler breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she knelt on the ground and unrolled the parchment in mid-air. Looking at it carefully, she noticed that the spell she had cast on the bridge had vanished. The realization shocked her tremendously. In other words, she had a limited number of spells she could cast with the parchment.
She shook her head violently. Though her body was shaking with despair, she couldn't afford to waste any precious time.
"Thanks a lot, you saved me from a very bad situation." Elijah muttered to Skyler.
After he landed on the ground and jumped back, Skyler unrolled the parchment halfway, glimpsing a new spell written in ancient Solomon.
"Oh, Giant Beast King, purge the eternal abyss with your mighty walls of ice. Grant me the will to fight with your beastly spirit. In your name I command evil to die." Skyler's voice was firm and soft at the same time.
Upon casting the spell, bluish balls came out of the parchment, which gently fell on the monsters. From the corners of the corridor, sheets of ice formed on the giant tentacles of the monsters, which were gradually engulfed in ice. Elijah seized the opportunity, and with a quick sprint, began slicing through the remaining monsters with his sword.
Oof! Oof! Oof! A pool of blood was forming on the ground as Elijah continued to kill the monsters without restraint. Skyler picked up the torch. A sense of urgency to puke was growing stronger, making her look away with her lips twisted.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The confrontation had reached its final outcome.
Albeit they defeated the monsters with little effort, the fight still took a long time. Even if they didn't have a pocket watch with them, they were sure that about half an hour had passed since they met. For that reason, there was no need for them to rest after the fight.
On the other hand, there was still the Cursed Beast that they'd yet to defeat, and neither Skyler nor Elijah knew how long it'd take them to take it down.
"I think we can continue on our way. I don't feel their presence, so there's no need to worry." Elijah stated, picking up the dagger from the ground.
Skyler's lips twitched. "...I want to go home. I… don't think I… can take it anymore."
Her head suddenly felt heavy, her legs went numb as she leaned against the stone wall. Her adrenaline had completely vanished from her body and in its place was exhaustion and shaking. Compared to her, Elijah looked as fresh as a daisy. Sure, his white robe was stained with the dark blood of monsters, but he didn't seem to be exhausted from the battle although he fought more than her.
One thing was certain, demihumans had more stamina than the average human.
Elijah took the torch from Skyler's hand, "Come on, we're almost there. You don't want to give up now when we still have the Cursed Beast to find."
"You sure are a very brave person, Elijah."
"Eeeh, don't just stand there with that sad expression. Get up and fight, otherwise how am I going to do it without someone to cover my back?"
Elijah had a warm expression. He didn't seem arrogant, on the contrary, it seemed a genuine look, as if he cared a lot about her well-being.
Skyler stared at Elijah with pursed lips and moved her back away from the wall. She kept her smile as strange pangs hit her every part of her body, however, Elijah's smile slightly reassured her.
"Blimey. This place is the worst of all…" She expressed with all her might.
"Oh, you can say that loudly. You had great reflexes before, though, you've my respect."
"Well, I... thank you very much, even if I didn't do much…"
"Huh, what are you talking about? You're very good at reciting the Giant Beast Kings spells for a witch. My goodness, I'm almost surprised."
Both Elijah's voice and expression were tinged with sympathy for Skyler who was overwhelmed by her emotions.
"We'd better keep walking, we cannot waste any more time." Skyler said.
Elijah nodded spontaneously, and began walking with her.
As they walked side by side, the putrid, metallic smell of blood grew stronger. Skyler swallowed hard, trying to resist the temptations in her stomach. She knew full well that if she gave in, she'd be deprived of her strength.
"This is the second time you've used the spell, so there are three more left on the parchment. Man, will that be enough?" Elijah wondered to himself.
"Er, that's what I r-really hope for. And besides, you d-don't have m-much time, so we'll make do with w-what we have."
"Don't be so nervous. With my strength and your reflexes we'll complete this Trial. Haah, I'll have to take a hot bath once I get home."
"You sure are out of the ordinary." Skyler was stunned as she said those words.
Elijah's acrobatic movements, cunning and agility were almost similar to those of the sword saints of the New Testament Century. Sure, he was a bit too reckless at times, but for a boy younger than her, that was already out of the ordinary.
She'd only be grateful to have someone like that to help her complete the Trial. But, whilst continuing walking, there was one thing that was bothering her.
"Ehm… do you think we're on the right path? Wouldn't it be b-better if we went b-back and went down to the ground floor?" Skyler glanced at Elijah.
"Just trust me. My father always told me that in any respectable tower there can be secret passages that can lead to specific places. My instinct tells me that there's a passage nearby, so, this is the right path."
"I hope it's as you say. Er, you know, people tell me that you demihumans are bloodthirsty beasts, but… I actually disagree."
"Mhph… I can understand a bit. We brought slaughter to your homeland during the War of the King of Daemons, so it's natural to be angry…" Elijah spoke in a sorrowful tone with his gaze lowered. "But I'd really like to put an end to this damn discrimination. I know it's foolish of me, but I wish we could get along without spreading pointless hatred, visit each other's homelands and maybe even learn about our cultures and ways of life," Then, he looked at Skyler. "This is what my family and my kingdom want too."
He kept his cheerful expression while staring at Skyler's eyes. From this eye contact, it was evident that their relationship was slowly growing although they were two completely different people from different continents.
Skyler laughed softly as she looked forward. "I don't think it's stupid at all. In fact, I find it really ambitious of you to want to end the hatred between us."
"Huh, really?" Elijah was stunned. "All my friends say I'm too dreamy and that something like this will never happen."
Skyler then shook her head, and curling her dry lips, she continued. "Actually, It's true. Such a thing is impossible, but only if you stop believing in it. My father always told me that no matter how absurd a goal may seem, you have to persevere. Because as long as you believe in it and give it your all, it's bound to happen, and when it does, it won't just change you, but also the people around you."
Turning to Elijah, she softened her smile with the hope that she'd raised his regard. Elijah's mouth fell open and his cheeks flushed slightly. It was as if he hadn't expected such a speech from her.
"Haa, l-l-let's not get distracted and think about the Trial!" He coughed to clear his throat and looked ahead.
As Skyler clutched her necklace with her hand, Elijah held out the torch and narrowed his eyes. Then, the hallway ended abruptly. In front of their eyes—
"A mural!?" Elijah exclaimed with his jaw dropped.
Using the light of the torch, Skyler took a few steps and stared intently at the mural.
It was colorful. It depicted a white, half-ruined sanctuary shrouded in moss and vines with a dense forest behind it. On the sanctuary's roof was a cross with a radiant layer that made it look holy. In front of it, there was the figure of a woman with long bluish hair and soft features. Her face was covered by a black tunic that reached her heels with a purple cloak, though it could be seen that her full lips were dark purple. The woman was kneeling with her ear resting on a woman's womb.
The other woman who was on the right, had long, wavy blonde hair that reached her knees and clear blue eyes that made her appear pure. She had white flowers in her hair, and was wearing a long white dress that completely revealed her slender shoulders. She was looking happily at the other woman who had her ear resting on her swollen womb as though she was mesmerized.
"The Lady of Nature…" Skyler murmured, glancing at the blonde woman.
"The other one is the Sovereign Mother of Heaven and Earth. It's the first time I've seen them together…"
"Ehm… yea, for me too... then it's queer, w-why is Lady of Nature pregnant? She hadn't had children at that time."
"Incredible, amazing. If I'm not mistaken that should be her sanctuary. Eeeh, I remember that it was created in the Divine Kingdom during the Old Testament Century."
Elijah's eyes were completely wide open whilst admiring the mural. His furry ears perked up as if he were in ecstasy.
Skyler, on the other hand, frowned, completely lost in thought. From Elijah's words, she gathered that the Divine Kingdom he had mentioned was the place where the Ancient Sovereigns resided before the First Disaster. However, while myths and legends arose about them, there were some unresolved aspects draped in mystery.
"Eeeh, but the fact that the Lady of Nature was pregnant is new to me. From the tales I read, it doesn't seem to me that she was." Elijah recalled, narrowing his eyes.
"So you find it queer too?" Skyler asked.
Elijah nodded. "They made me study it to the point of exhaustion. The Lady of Nature was defined by believers as the Goddess of Purity because of her virginity. And for that reason she didn't want to have sexual relations. Oh, now that I remember it seems she was so beautiful that they compared her to the Goddess of Storms."
"If she was called the Goddess of Purity because she was a virgin, how come she was pregnant?..." Skyler was lost in thought.
From the legends her father told her, the Lady of Nature was a sovereign highly respected by the worlds, especially the Human World, which she protected from extinction during the First Disaster along with the Sovereign Mother of Heaven and Earth and the Dragon God of Miracle and Concealment.
It was said that until her death, the Lady of Nature had no love interest with other gods, but the mural in front of Skyler changed everything.
"Whoa, now that I've seen her I can see why she was so revered by the Sword Saints of my homeland. She was surely a sovereign in her own right." Elijah said curiously.
"You're right. I wonder who she fell in love with to lose her purity."
"Who knows. In fact, I really don't think we even need to know—" Elijah abruptly trailed off.
His tail straightened and his brow furrowed suddenly. He quickly approached the mural, putting his ear close to it like he wanted to hear something.
Elijah peered at Skyler with a serious gaze. "Here we are, I feel the wind beyond the mural."
"So that means there is a secret passage? That's very good."
"See, I told you there would be a secret passage, but you don't listen to me. Well, now all that's missing is a way to open it, eh…"
"I apologize… if I doubted you for a moment."
As soon as Skyler offered her sincere apologies in a soft voice, Elijah removed his ear and began inspecting the wall. Skyler wasted no time and decided to inspect the wall along with him, looking for a mechanism to open the secret passage. Looking at it in practical terms, she remembered hearing that people tended to unconsciously touch the symbols on the walls in order to open a secret passage. Perhaps it had to do with dominance, such as the dominant hand; that was said to be one way of thinking about it.
For that reason, Skyler began to touch the various points of the mural with her hand, trying to follow the same theory. Her eyes then turned to the cross on the roof of the ruined sanctuary. It was so mesmerizing that she touched it unconsciously with her slender fingers. The moment she touched it, the right side of the wall crumbled, turning into pieces of stone fragments that landed on the ground. In its place, there was a rectangular opening about two meters high and draped in darkness.
"Absurd, you were terrific... huh, now that we've found the mechanism we can move into the passage." Elijah said in amazement.
Ignoring Elijah's enthusiastic statement, Skyler swallowed hard, her legs shaking. She stared tensely at the passage, ready to venture into it at any cost. As soon as Elijah raised his torch and took a few steps forward, Skyler swallowed her saliva down her sore throat and followed him.
Huge—there was a huge room supported by eight circular columns of reddish-brown stone. Just like the library on the first floor, this room was also circular and seemed much larger than normal.
And then.
"You have an hour to complete the Trial."
An ethereal, feminine voice, similar to what she heard a moment ago where she was in the other tower, whispered sternly in the room.
"You heard it too, didn't you?" Elijah asked hastily.
Skyler glanced at him and nodded. "Yea. Let's see if we can find some clues."
Having said that, with a feeling of oppression settling over them, Skyler and Elijah turned to their left and began to inspect the stone wall beside. As they closed the distance, amidst the dim light of the torch, they'd see a mural etched on the wall.
There were buildings carved out, grayish-white buildings shrouded in what looked like black smoke at first glance. The buildings were half ruined, and some of them were surrounded by vines and leaves that even covered the broken windows.
At this moment, taking a few light steps to her left, another mural came into Skyler's sight. This time the mural depicted the sky half-shrouded in black smoke. Below it, there were a few people engulfed in fire. Some were charred while others were melting like candles. Behind those burning people, there were peculiarly dressed people with lowered gazes surrounded by seemingly floating debris.
Their hair eerily covered their eyes, and their faces were so pale that they looked like wraiths. With a few black-orange explosions in the background, Skyler covered her mouth with a shaking hand.
"What is this? A depiction of a war?" Elijah exclaimed in amazement.
Skyler eyed him out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know, it's very likely."
It was such a horrifying sight to her liver that she almost looked away. Stepping back on her now-numb feet, Skyler took a deep breath and tried to ease her shoulders.
Elijah narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the mural. "Mhh… I don't know, but I find those buildings very bizarre."
Blinking repeatedly, Skyler turned her gaze and looked at the mural one more time, realizing that Elijah wasn't entirely wrong. Because those buildings were completely different from the current style of the Genesis, New, and even the Old Testament Century.
They looked like an improved version of the building of the current century.
"What if they represent the First Disaster that happened in the Old Testament Century?" Elijah wondered aloud.
Skyler knitted her eyebrows without looking at him. "Mm… The First Disaster was a cataclysm that nearly wiped out humanity, but the Ancient Sovereigns protected them. Huh, that really puts into perspective what happened millennia ago."
"Right, and besides, I've never seen buildings like these—they look much more modern. I wonder if that was an ancient city or nation."
"More than anything, why are there explosions and flames etched into the mural? As Elijah said, maybe it could be a war that happened back then." Skyler glanced at Elijah and said. "Do you think other people know about this? I mean, the people like us that came here during their First Trial."
"It's very likely, though, to be honest, we don't exactly know what era that city belongs to. So, I think they're just as confused as we are." Elijah replied, yawning heavily.
"I wonder if dad and mom have seen it or not." Skyler quickly shook her head. "What am I saying? Since they're Explorers of the Marauder Association, of course they have—I'm 100% sure they know a lot about the Old Testament Century. And who knows, maybe this is a lost civilization that dates back even further." While she was lost in thought, another dilemma arose in her mind. "But why show us all this?"
As she twitched her lips, she couldn't help but wonder why she was looking at all this. First the Giant Beast King and Sovereign Mother of Heaven and Earth in the mosaic, Lady of Nature who was pregnant in her sanctuary, and now the mural next to her. Why?
"Is it possible that all of this was planned by the Trial itself?" Skyler thought.
But just as she peered at Elijah to ask him the question, the boy's expression suddenly turned cold. His tail and bushy ears raised up high whilst drawing his silver sword from the latch of his robe with his hand.
"Get ready, we've got unwanted guests heading our way, I guess." said Elijah as he raised his head. "Tch… I knew they were there."
With her heart pounding strongly in her chest, Skyler clutched the parchment in her hand and slowly looked up.
Sizzle! Monsters. Three tentacled monsters similar to those they'd faced so far were descending from the arched ceiling.
Oof!
"Wha—" At that moment, Skyler felt a sudden impact from her side. The impact was enough to force her to the side, and unable to catch herself, she tumbled to the stone floor. From her perspective there was first pain and shock, her vision spinning.
When she looked up she saw that Elijah was clinging to her side.
"What is happening—"
"You better be careful if you don't want to die!" Elijah yelled out of breath.
Skyler looked to her right, noticing that Elijah's sword blade was stained with dripping dark blood. Looking ahead, on the dull lit floor, a severed tentacle was writhing restlessly. This means that Elijah had severed the tentacle with his sword, rescuing Skyler before she could be seriously harmed.
"Come on, lunge forward if you dare!" Elijah let out a roar and rushed towards the monsters as he dropped the torch on the floor.
The spiked part of the sword came barreling down toward the ribcage of the monster. Albeit the blow was eerily fast, the sword cut through the air before slamming the floor with a clang. As the sword sprang off the floor, the monsters began to surround Elijah from all sides.
Twisting himself, Elijah's shaking body moved like a leaf as he lunged at the monster before him, ready to strike. The monster, though wounded, managed to slip around each of Elijah's surely fatal swings. With their backs to him, in a combined attack, the two monsters unleashed their slender tentacles at rapid speed, aiming for Elijah's left shoulder and right leg. As if on cue, Elijah bent his knees and leapt acrobatically to the opposite side of the room, allowing himself to be enveloped in darkness.
"This is not good at all, he's still tired from the earlier fight." Skyler thought.
Getting up from the floor, she picked up the discarded torch and parchment, and began to run nervously across the room. The warm torch she held in her hand once again illuminated the battle between Elijah and the three monsters. Elijah was panting and his body seemed to stagger as he held the sword tightly in his hand.
Suddenly, a chilling shiver ran down Skyler's spine, making her shake more than usual.
"I have a bad feeling..." She thought, biting her lips. With the parchment in her other hand, Skyler was about to unroll it in mid-air.
"Don't do it!" Elijah shouted, glaring at the monsters. "My sword is more than enough."
"What are you saying? Can't you see that you're tired?" Skyler retorted insistently.
But as soon as she spoke, the monsters turned towards her.
"Hah, don't be reckless, do you want to get yourself killed? I told you to let me handle it." Elijah stiffened his cheekbones.
His pale face whipped up, apparently sensing the vortex of energy, delivering an oblique swing to the wounded monster that had in the meantime lunged towards him. But when Elijah stopped moving, the two monsters seized their chance, leaping at Elijah's back all at once. He tried to react, but suddenly, his trembling knees collapsed to the floor as if they had lost their energy.
"Damn, Skyler, run!" Elijah shouted in exasperation.
"—Elijah!"
It was quick. Engulfed by darkness, Skyler was reaching for Elijah's back before a single thought entered her mind.
Elijah's breath caught at the impact that pushed him out of the way. His face stiffened in shock and unrest as his emotions were spilled over.
"I'm sorry." A tear rolled down Skyler's face as the light showed Elijah's concerned expression.
"Gaaaaaah!!"
The next moment, something crushed the wrist of her outstretched arm. She screamed. Her arm, her right shoulder, her feet, her hips, everything was engulfed in intense, sharp pain. Her vision was concealed by blackness and blood came out from the corners of her lips.
"Skyler–!!"
For a moment, she could hear Elijah's voice echoing. Her eyelids grew heavy, her body stopped moving, and her consciousness was fading.
Fading, fading, she was slowly fading away. Her life was spilling out of the hole in her side like grains of sand from an hourglass.
"Don't you dare die in front of me!!" A voice on the brink of tears. A cry.
And then, she—Skyler Hall—lost consciousness.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
East Borough.
Taking advantage of her uncle's absence, Evelyn Throne hid in her chemistry laboratory together with her maidservant Agnes.
After a lot of hard work of preparation, she fixed a pentagram of red below her. That pentagram for her represented an immense and great opportunity that would change her life forever.
"My mistress, are you certain you wish to proceed with this? Your aunt is most opposed to the idea." said Agnes, lowering her eyebrows.
Evelyn's heart pounded loudly while she stared at Agnes. Her maidservant's voice was filled with sorrow and melancholy as if she had given up in her attempt to dissuade her.
She didn't blame her. After all, anyone in Agnes' position would have worried about what she was about to do. Even Skyler, a dear friend she cares about deeply, would have worried if she was in Agnes' position. In fact, she was sure that she would stop her at all costs.
Whilst the lanterns lit up the laboratory, Evelyn placed her eyes on the candle she was holding and then glanced at the other candles placed on the table next to her.
"I'm ready to proceed. Of course I know what risks I'm taking, I dare say. But I'm ready to accept that risk, Agnes." Evelyn's voice rang like a melodic bell as she curved the corners of her lips.
She looked at the grimoire that was on the table. Albeit once it was done there was no turning back, she was ready for the consequences.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, voice serious. "I'm ready to become a Daredevil."