Chapter 274: From Marble To Monstrosity
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[Music recommendation: Ivan Torrent - Grief]
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It pricked Eve’s heart inexplicably at the thought of Solan, and she lifted her trembling hand to push it through the barrier. She met with no resistance as, for the barrier existed only to keep the snow out.
The moment she stepped inside, her knees gave way, and she crumpled onto the cold marble floor. The crushing weight of everything she had been denied, the goodbyes she was never allowed to say, the grave she had never been permitted to see, came crashing down on her all at once.
Tears streamed relentlessly down her face as a broken whisper slipped past her lips. "Mother..."
Her throat tightened painfully, stealing her voice for several heartbeats. Then the restraint shattered, and she cried out louder, rawer, like a lost child calling for its parent, "Mother!!!"
Her sobs tore through the howling, icy wind as she finally broke. Her body lurched forward as she tried to hold herself together, but she could not.
Every ounce of pent-up grief, every stolen right to mourn her mother, spilled out of her in a violent, uncontrollable wave, leaving nothing behind but heartbreak.
Ivan, who stood not too far away, watched the woman he loved break down so painfully, and it felt as though his heart was being torn apart as her sorrow crashed into him with full force. Though his face revealed nothing, his hands curled into tight fists, veins bulging as a testament to the restraint it took not to rush forward and gather her into his arms.
His jaw locked as he bore the weight of her grief, and when she cried out for her mother in utter agony, a shudder passed through him as it stirred the dark memories of his own mother. Yet he remained silent and unmoving, choosing to endure it with her rather than interrupt it.
Eve cried and cried until, at last, she found the strength to speak something other than calling out for her mother.
With reddened, swollen eyes, she lifted her gaze to the white marble tombstone where her mother’s name was engraved:
In loving memory of Queen Selene Lumaeth Starforged.
Eve’s gaze traced every carved letter, her chest tightening with each breath she took. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled beneath the weight of years lost.
"Forgive me, Mother....for coming to you so late."
Her hand shook as she tried to wipe away her tears, but they continued to fall, relentless. "Forgive me for not being the daughter you deserved. I tried. Goddess knows I tried." Her breath hitched as pain cut through her words. "I wanted to stand beside you, to grow under your love....but life never gave me the chance."
She lowered her head and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again,"I am here now," she whispered.
"And I hope you are watching over me, just as you promised you would. I know you are...."
Her voice found quiet strength as she continued, "After so long, after everything they took from me, I have finally found myself. I found my freedom. My voice. My strength." She turned slowly, her tear-filled eyes finding Ivan’s. Extending her hand without a word, she felt his fingers close around hers as he knelt beside her.
"And my happiness," she said softly.
"This is Ivan, Mother," Eve continued, tightening her hold on his hand. "You must remember him from when we were children. He is the man I love with all my heart. The one who chose me when I thought I had no one in this world to call my own."
Her voice shook, "Please....bless us. Watch over us. Give us the strength to survive whatever trials await us."
Tears slipped down her cheeks as her voice softened to a fragile whisper. "I cannot stay long today, but I promise I will return. There is so much I still need to tell you... so much."
She bowed her head in reverence, "Rest peacefully, my dearest Mother. I will carry you with me always."
Ivan squeezed her hand gently, a silent vow of protection, before slowly releasing it.
It was then that Eve reached out to brush the marble, intending to clear away the dust before placing the flowers in her other hand.
The wind grew stronger, and the moment her hand pressed against the cold stone of her mother’s grave, a sharp shock rippled through her. Her blue eyes widened, and a stunned gasp escaped her lips as she immediately pulled her hand back.
Her heartbeat spiked at an alarming rate, drawing Ivan’s attention. He moved closer, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.
Eve lifted trembling eyes to meet his calm crimson gaze and whispered just two words, "Dark magic..."
"What?" he scowled, his eyes snapping back to the cold marble surface.
They flared molten orange.
Without loosening his hold on Eve, Ivan raised his free hand and pressed his palm firmly against the stone.
The instant his palm met the stone, it was as if lightning surged through him. Every nerve in his body screamed as the hair at the back of his neck stood on end.
Violent flashes tore through his mind rapidly: blood slick against stone, the heart of the mountain pulsing, dark clouds churning unnaturally, and an endless black void swallowing everything whole.
He ripped his hand away, taking a sharp breath, and then the mountain answered.
Suddenly, the entire mountain began to rumble, as though an earthquake had been unleashed. His instincts screamed at him to move.
In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, dragging Eve away from the grave and shielding her with his body, forcing distance between her and the epicenter.
"Oh God!" Eve gasped, her trembling hands flying to her mouth as she stared in horror. Cracks spiderwebbed across her mother’s grave, splitting the marble apart.
"No!" she screamed, terror ripping through her as she lurched forward. "No! Mother!"
She tried to run to it, but Ivan caught her instantly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her back as the ground continued to quake.
"Let me go! Ivan, let me go!" she cried, thrashing wildly against him. "Mother! Please!"
"Eve!" Ivan shouted, tightening his grip as the mountain roared around them. "Look closely! Look at what is happening!"
But she could barely hear him over the sound of her own sobs. Tears poured down her face as she broke in his arms, her voice shattering with desperation.
"Ivan, please," she begged. "Please....save her grave. Please."
Ivan’s heart shattered at the sound of her breaking apart. He tightened his grip around her, her back pressed firmly against his chest as he lowered his lips to the crown of her head. "I am sorry, baby," he murmured. "But look closely, Eve. Something is happening. I know you can feel it too."
She shook her head in denial, but a broken sob caught in her throat. She froze at the sight of thick, inky smoke that began to pour from the cracks in her mother’s grave.
Ivan and Eve went utterly still, their divine senses flaring violently at the sight, screaming warnings of the danger unfolding before them.
The smoke writhed as it spilled out, slithering and coiling unnaturally, growing denser and darker until it rose higher, expanding, shaping itself into something monstrous.
A colossal serpent emerged from the darkness.
Its massive body coiled through the air, armoured in obsidian scales, threaded with glowing ember-like fissures that pulsed with an inner fire. Small, burning eyes glared with ancient malice. Its swept-back spines framed its fearsome head, while a brighter glow burned at its chest.
As it completed its form, it loomed over them like death itself. The creature opened its massive jaws, revealing rows of jagged, menacing teeth, and unleashed a deafening screech that forced Ivan and Eve to clamp their hands over their ears against the unbearable sound.
Their blood sang with ancient power in response to the overwhelming danger. Every instinct screamed the same warning: this was a creature not to be underestimated.
Dark clouds churned violently across the evening sky, swallowing the fading light until it seemed as though night had descended far too early upon the kingdom.
The mountain’s violent tremors, coupled with the creature’s piercing shriek, echoed across the land. It not only pushed Eve and Ivan’s senses on overdrive, but it also alerted Solan, along with the royal lumen guards stationed throughout the Palace.
In the temple, Septimus knelt in quiet reverence before the statue of the Goddess of Light. In the midst of his meditation, a sudden surge of immense darkness washed over him. His eyes snapped open instantly as dread settled deep within his chest.
"Oh Goddess, what is that demonic presence?" he muttered under his breath before springing to his feet at once and rushing outside to find its source.
