CHAPTER 1159: WAITING

The portal opened in the middle of his room just like usual, and Erend stepped out of it with a blank expression and a whirlwind of emotions twisting inside his chest.

At this hour, his mother was preparing lunch, and the comforting aroma drifted all the way into his room.

This was the human world. The quiet, normal, and painfully peaceful world. Far from the commotion of the other world or in the facility far away from this city.

He stepped out of his room and walked toward the kitchen with a kind of desperate eagerness.

Of all the chaos surrounding him now, of all the impossible problems he carried, holding his mother again was the one thing that could keep him grounded.

His mother, who had already sensed his presence the moment he returned, didn’t look surprised when he suddenly appeared at the door.

She turned toward the kitchen doorway and greeted him with a gentle, warm smile only a mother could give.

Erend didn’t say anything at first. He walked straight to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

His mother froze for a moment, then slowly hugged him back, her hand resting on the back of his head.

Erend buried his face into her shoulder, holding on as if he were afraid she might disappear.

"Erend," she whispered softly. Her voice trembled just a little. "It’s been a while since you hugged me like this."

He didn’t respond. He just held her tighter.

She closed her eyes. This wasn’t the usual "Erend is stressed again" gesture she had seen before. This time, it was deeper and felt heavier. Something inside her son felt like it was breaking under a weight he didn’t know how to carry.

After a long moment, she pulled back slightly so she could look at him. Her hand cupped his cheek.

"What happened?" she asked gently. "You don’t have to tell me everything... just tell me what’s hurting you."

Erend exhaled shakily. "I... don’t know, Mom. Everything just feels so heavy. Like everything I’ve been trying to do is suddenly falling apart."

Her expression softened even more. "You’ve always carried too much on your own. You don’t have to."

"I know," Erend muttered. His voice was rough, exhausted. "But... it’s complicated. I... used to think that I was the one who would carry this burden alone because of what I have. But right now I’m not sure."

She stroked his hair, listening without pushing further.

Erend swallowed hard. "Arty’s okay. You don’t have to worry about her."

His mom’s eyes flickered with concern. "Is she truly okay?"

"For now," Erend answered. "She’s resting. That’s all I can say. I promise that nothing will happen to her."

His mother could see the pain behind his eyes, the things he wasn’t telling her.

But she didn’t press. She simply stepped closer and embraced him again, her voice a quiet anchor in the turmoil surrounding him.

"You’re home, Erend," she murmured. "And you’re not alone. Rest here for a moment. You can face the rest afterward."

Erend let out a slow, trembling breath, closing his eyes as he leaned into her warmth. The only place left where he felt like everything wasn’t slipping through his fingers.

—

Drizzling rain fell softly over the Elf Palace, barely more than a whisper against the stone rooftops and polished marble terraces.

It wasn’t the kind of rain that signaled danger. Just a gentle, passing drizzle that carried the fresh scent of wet earth.

Nothing about it looked threatening. Nothing at all.

Yet Aurdis stood on one of the palace balconies, her hands resting lightly on the cold railing as she stared into the misty horizon with an uneasy heart.

The quiet felt wrong. Too calm. As if something unfinished lingered just beyond the veil of rain, waiting for the moment it would return.

She lowered her gaze and looked down into the courtyard.

Elf soldiers moved with calm precision, cleaning the last traces of the battle from hours earlier.

They dragged corpses of the undead enemies into organized piles, their expressions steady and unbothered. Why wouldn’t they be? There was no danger left. No more undead or enemies marching from the lands beyond their walls. No more waves of corrupted beasts.

The constructs of metal and Magic—the ones she, Saeldir, and the palace Mages had worked tirelessly to perfect—had obliterated the horde effortlessly without casualties from their sides.

For the first time in generations, the Elves had created something revolutionary. Something that boosted their strength to an entirely new level.

And the relief among the soldiers was obvious.

The scouts also returned, giving their reports one after another. No anomalies detected. No corrupted beings that appeared. No signs of rifts or threats in the places Saeldir had marked on his map.

Everything was normal.

But Aurdis’ heart refused to believe it.

She wrapped her arms around herself, her brows tightening. "Erend... where are you?"

She hadn’t heard a single word from him since he left. Not even a brief message.

Had he succeeded in fighting the entity? Did he win? Was he safe now?

Her chest tightened. She wasn’t sure of anything. And that uncertainty gnawed at her far more viciously than any undead monster ever could.

Footsteps approached softly behind her, but Aurdis didn’t turn until a familiar presence stopped at her side.

Aerchon stood next to her, arms folded, his cloak slightly damp from the drizzle. He had already awakened from his injuries. But his chest was still wrapped in bandages and his face was still pale.

He followed her gaze toward the courtyard, then toward the distant forest beyond the palace walls.

"You’re worried," he said quietly.

Aurdis didn’t deny it. "Yes. I am."

"Saeldir is still investigating Magic residue around the battleground," Aerchon continued. "He believes there may be something we’ve missed. Something subtle."

Aurdis’ heart stirred. "Do you think it’s related to the real entity we were fighting right now?"

Aerchon hesitated for a moment. "I don’t know. But I understand your worry."

Aurdis let out a slow breath and closed her eyes briefly. The quiet drizzle continued to fall. It felt peaceful, harmless, indifferent.

But no matter how calm the world around her looked, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this peace was temporary.

"I just wish Erend would send a message," Aurdis whispered. "Just... anything."

Aerchon glanced at her, his expression softening slightly. "He will. When he can."

Aurdis nodded, but the anxious weight pressing on her heart remained. She needs to see Erend now, or at least hear his voice. But maybe he was still in a battle. So she can only wait.v

—