Chapter 148: The Knock At Midnight
[Music Recommendation: Music for Uncovering Dark Mysteries - Fables]
While Ivan left to have a bath, Eve lingered by the window for a moment before her eyes glowed golden as she activated her sight. She saw a thin, shimmering sheet of barrier surrounding the premises and released a quiet sigh of relief. Setting the matter aside, she went to sit on the bed and began to detangle her hair, the soft sound of running water from the bathroom filling the otherwise silent room.
The tension gradually started to leave her body as she took comfort in knowing Ivan was right there with her. But just as she began to relax, her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she sensed something dark and sinister stirring again, stronger than before.
Her body tensed in an instant, and she hurried back to the window to peer out into the night, scanning every shadow she could see. But when nothing appeared on her side, unease began to coil in her chest once more.
"Eve!" Ivan called out from the bathroom, having sensed it too.
"I’m here!" she breathed, feeling the dark presence moving towards her. She heard the splash of water, realising Ivan must be hurrying to get out as soon as possible. The energy that she had sensed came closer and closer, then suddenly stopped.
A heavy silence fell. Then -
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Three slow knocks echoed through the door, and Eve felt it to her very bones...the dark energy she had been sensing was now standing right outside. Her heart lurched with each sound.
She padded across the room and stopped right before the door, a strange sensation washing over her...one she hadn’t felt since that night in the alley on Raven Street, when she’d first encountered those darkrots with a young boy.
Ivan stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a robe, his hair still wet and droplets of water tracing down his skin as if he hadn’t bothered to dry himself. His expression was serious as he joined her, sensing the same presence she did.
Without hesitation, he grasped the doorknob, twisting it open with full alertness, ready to face whatever was waiting beyond.
As the door creaked open, his brows furrowed at the sight of a petite girl standing outside. Her eyes widened when she saw the prince before her.
They stared at each other in silence, the tension in the air thick enough to be cut with a knife. Eve could feel it too, moving closer, she stepped behind Ivan and peeked over his shoulder to see who it was.
Eve’s eyes widened when she saw a human girl standing there, someone from her class, someone she had seen many times before. But what baffled her was the energy radiating from the girl. She looked perfectly normal, yet something dark and unnatural pulsed beneath the surface.
It wasn’t just Eve who was unsettled; Ivan felt it too. He could sense the darkness emanating from the girl, but as he observed her, his frown deepened, as he couldn’t feel a single trace of emotion from her. Nothing. Just a hollow void. That alone was enough to set him on edge, since he could always read the emotions of those around him.
Still, he didn’t lower his guard; his voice turned cold as ice as he asked, "What do you want?"
Lora had been staring at Evelyn from the moment her eyes met hers. When she finally spoke, her tone was soft, too soft. "I wanted to speak to Princess Evelyn."
Ivan’s gaze hardened, his stance shifted protectively in front of Eve, "And what business do you have with her at this hour?" he demanded.
"I-I can only tell her," she said without shifting her eyes from Evelyn, which made it even more unnerving.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it here," Ivan replied in a low, guarded voice.
Suddenly, the girl turned her glare towards Ivan, "No! I must speak to her in private."
Eve’s brows furrowed at the sudden change in her demeanour. As she observed her, she noticed that the girl’s voice was strangely monotonous, yet she glared at Ivan, something no one, especially a human, would even think of doing. When her blue eyes drifted downwards, she noticed the faint tremors in the girl’s hands, clenched tightly into fists.
’What is this?’ she thought. ’I don’t understand what I am looking at right now. Her face shows no fear, but then why is she trembling? Is she just trying to put on a brave front?
And what is this sinister energy radiating from her?’
Eve then decided to speak, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of His Highness. I don’t have a problem with him knowing."
Lora’s eyes shifted to Evelyn, her expression returned to its earlier blankness before she said, "Someone is here to see you. You must come with me at once, Princess Evelyn."
"Who is this person?" Eve asked, the crease on her forehead deepened.
"You’ll know...once you come with me," Lora replied in a clipped tone.
"She’s not going anywhere with you," Ivan interjected, his voice dropping to a dangerous low, clearly displeased by the woman’s demand.
"But she must! She must go now." Lora’s voice turned icy cold.
Ivan took a threatening step forward, "Did you not hear me? Tell me who she’s supposed to meet?"
Eve noticed the girl’s trembling intensity before her body began to convulse again. Dark, root-like veins pulsed beneath her skin, spreading across her hands, face and then her eyes turned jet black. In an instant, she lurched forward to grab Evelyn, but before she could, Ivan’s hand shot out.
With a loud thud, he slammed her against the opposite wall, his hand gripping tightly around her neck.
Eve stood frozen, too shocked to register what she was witnessing. She watched how the girl thrashed against Ivan’s iron hold, her nails turned black and elongated before she drove them into Ivan’s wrist. But he didn’t budge.
Through gritted teeth, Ivan demanded, "How did you get through the barrier? Who sent you?"
The commotion quickly drew attention, and doors began to open as others stepped out of their rooms to see what was happening.
As the others gathered, they froze at the sight before them...Ivan was gripping a familiar face that no longer looked human. Shocked gasps rippled through the corridor.
Professor Dante and Seira made their way through the crowd in their night attire, only to stop dead at the scene.
"What in the world is going on?!" Professor Seira demanded.
Ivan didn’t look at her as he spoke, his voice calm but commanding, "Check if the barrier is still intact."
Edward and Oliver snapped out of their shock and immediately volunteered, rushing downstairs to inspect it.
Among the students, Lora’s roommate stood pale and trembling as she saw her friend in that monstrous state. "Lora! No! What happened to her?!" she cried.
But Lora couldn’t hear anyone. She continued to thrash widely against Ivan’s grip, her elongated nails digging deeper into his skin until his blood began to trickle down and drip onto the floor.
When she failed to break free, she suddenly threw her head back and let out an animalistic, ear-splitting scream. Everyone in the corridor instinctively covered their ears, wincing as the sound threatened to tear through their eardrums.
Suddenly, Ivan’s aura flared, his eyes blazed like molten fire, fierce and unrelenting, as if ready to incinerate his next prey. The air thickened under the weight of his power, and everyone instinctively took a step back, sensing that things were about to escalate.
Cece and Damien exchanged grim looks, their expressions hardened as they already knew how this was going to end.
Eve watched in horror as the girl before them twisted and contorted, slowly transforming into something grotesque. A strange pulse stirred deep within her as she saw the human now spilling Ivan’s blood. She knew that if Lora was just one more step away before Ivan would burn her to ash without hesitation.
And yet...something inside Eve whispered that this could end differently, because Lora’s appearance looked more like a possession than her being evil.
Eve’s heart skipped a single beat, golden light radiating softly from her form as she took slow steps forward to where Ivan and Lora were. The temperature increased around them like a living thing. Ivan’s aura burned dangerously, ready to strike, when he suddenly felt a familiar, gentle hand on his shoulder.
His fiery eyes flickered towards her, "Step back, Eve! She’ll harm you otherwise."
"Don’t kill her, let me help her," Eve said calmly.
Ivan’s brows furrowed as he turned to her in confusion. She continued, "I can help her...she is struggling. I can sense it, she’s human, but under a dark influence."
Just then, Edward and Oliver came rushing back, "The barrier is still intact," Edward reported breathlessly.
Lora’s roommate fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, "Pl-Please save Lora! She was completely fine just a few moments ago! Please d-don’t kill her."
Ivan’s crimson gaze stayed locked on Eve, silent but conflicted, until Professor Dante spoke, "If the Princess says she can help her, then we should try. It’s not like we have another option should she fail."
Ivan exhaled slowly, "Are you sure, Eve?" he asked in a low voice.
