CHAPTER 59: THE HUNT’S AFTERMATH

Velren barely had a moment to enjoy his little victory before he felt it—Eterna’s stare. Not just a glance, but an intent, scrutinizing gaze that made the back of his neck prickle.

’Ugh, what is up with this girl and that stare of hers...’

He turned to meet her eyes, and sure enough, she was studying him with an intensity that made it clear she wasn’t just idly looking. Then, as if coming to a conclusion, she spoke.

"There’s something you haven’t told me, huh."

Velren blinked, caught off guard by the sudden statement.

"What?"

Eterna’s gaze didn’t waver.

"Your Ka... it’s more than just afterimages, isn’t it?"

’Damn. She really was sharp.’

No—calling her sharp was an understatement. She had only seen glimpses of his ability, and yet she had already picked up on what he had not said.

Velren knew that explaining it away wouldn’t work. The way he had initially described his Ka was only half the truth—after all, he himself was an anomaly. It wasn’t as simple as just ’leaving afterimages.’ It was something deeper, something more fundamental to what he was.

But what was he supposed to do now?

In an attempt to lighten the mood, he smirked and shot back:

"I’ll tell you if you tell me the secret of your Ka first."

Silence.

Awkward, lingering silence.

Then, Eterna, who had been struggling to keep herself upright all this time, finally gave up and sat on the ground with an exhausted sigh.

"Fair point... I won’t pry further then."

Velren raised a brow.

’Wait... what?’

Was she actually hiding something too? He had only been joking, but her reaction was... interesting. He could tell when someone was dodging a question, and she had just done exactly that.

He wasn’t sure if he should be amused or concerned.

With a quiet sigh, he decided to just leave it for now. There was no point in standing around awkwardly, stewing over things he wasn’t going to get answers to. Instead, he turned his attention toward the only other thing in the vicinity that required his concern—Cloaky’s corpse.

Or whatever was left of it.

Anything was better than standing there, drowning in awkward silence. Hell, if he lingered any longer, the awkwardness alone might be the very thing that’ll kill him.

Velren approached the motionless body of Cloaky, crunching his boots softly against the dirt. Solenne was already there, crouching beside it, ghosting her fingers over the strange, lifeless form.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Got any idea what this thing is?"

Solenne didn’t look up. Her expression was carefully neutral, but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought.

"No... Even its mask—it’s not something that can just be taken off. It’s part of its face."

Velren frowned. Part of it? That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. What the hell did that mean?

His gaze trailed over the figure’s dark cloak. What about underneath? Maybe there was something there that could give them a hint—

But just as he reached out to pull back the fabric, Solenne suddenly spoke.

"Uhmm... Pardon me if I’m wrong, but... have we met before?"

Velren froze.

That was twice now. Twice in a single day that someone had caught him off guard with a question he wasn’t prepared to answer.

He looked at her, scrambling his mind for an answer that wouldn’t make things weird. He settled for an awkward chuckle.

"If we had, there’s no way I’d forget a prominent figure like you." He offered a casual shrug.

’She is a princess, after all...’

Solenne stared at him for a beat longer before she exhaled softly.

"I... see."

Without another word, she pushed herself up and dusted off her uniform.

"I’ll go check on Mikhail." She turned and walked away, her steps were brisk—perhaps a little too brisk.

Velren tilted his head slightly, watching her go.

...Was it just him, or was there a faint hint of red on the princess’s ears?

’Okay...?’

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Cloaky.

"Are you the one who blatantly breached my Codex?" His voice was quiet.

The academy’s announcement from earlier must have been related to this thing too. But what the hell was it?

Before he could dwell on it any further, a faint blinking red light caught his eye. It was coming from the exact spot where his katana had pierced through Cloaky’s chest.

The light pulsed. Slowly at first.

Then faster.

And faster.

Velren’s stomach dropped.

"Shit..."

He turned and ran.

His voice rang out across the battlefield.

"Solenne! Cast a wall!"

Solenne, who had just reached Mikhail’s unconscious form, jerked her head up in alarm. She didn’t hesitate. With a flick of her scepter, golden barriers of magic erupted between her and the corpse—

But Eterna. Eterna was too far!

Velren changed course without thinking, sprinting straight toward her. She was still sitting on the ground, barely pushing herself up, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

He reached her just as the explosion triggered.

"Sorry about this!"

Eterna barely had time to react before Velren grabbed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her frame as he shielded her with his body. He willed his Phantas Rift to activate—

Or should have.

The moment he reached for his Ka, he... felt it..?. The drain. His reserves were already this... low..?

’Fuck!’

Velren gritted his teeth, tightening his grip around Eterna as the pressure of the explosion rushed toward them. He braced himself, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to completely stop what was coming—

But then—

Something else moved.

Darkness slithered across the forest floor, coiling and shifting like living tendrils. And then—

A figure materialized right before them, followed by a sharp whisper that cut through the air.

Professor Vekar.

Without so much as a word, the man raised a hand, and a massive dome of pure black energy erupted around them, swallowing them whole just as the blast hit.