Chapter 328: The Irony Of Birth
Selene continued without looking at Eve, "All that remained was to find a body worthy of her soul. The process could only be performed once... so she had to be meticulous in her selection.
One fine day, near the Kingdom of Luminear, she encountered a procession. They were escorting a pure-blooded Lumen noblewoman to meet the Lumen King for a prospective marriage. That was when she saw her opportunity and selected the perfect... vessel."
Eve’s breathing hitched, and her heart began to thud violently against her ribs as the dread within her intensified.
Selene finally turned, locking her gaze onto Evelyn’s eyes. Seeing the girl’s reaction, she realized that Eve already knew what was coming.
A small, chilling smile curled on her lips. "She successfully took the body of Lady Selene and began her new life as the Queen of Luminear."
"No..." Eve whispered in utter disbelief. She shook her head in slow denial, as if her mind simply could not process the reality. It was too ridiculous, too horrific, to even contemplate.
Reality seemed to fracture before her eyes, while both her head and heart throbbed with unbearable pain. The weight of the woman’s words was too overwhelming to comprehend.
If what Selene had said was true, then the woman standing before her was none other than Zafira, inhabiting the real Selene’s stolen body.
"No! You are lying! I will never accept that you are my mother!" Eve roared, fury blazing in her eyes as she glared at the woman with unadulterated hatred.
Selene’s lips curled into a devious smile. "It is true, my dear Eve. Whether you accept it or not. Though this body was borrowed from Selene... I was the one who gave birth to you. That makes me your biological mother, regardless of whose skin I wear. Don’t you remember...how kind I was to you?"
She threw her head back, releasing such a chilling, unhinged laugh that made her look like a woman who had truly lost her mind.
When the laughter subsided, she fixed Eve with the same unsettling smile. "Can you believe the irony of fate? The very woman I swore to kill... I ended up giving birth to her."
Eve’s stomach churned violently as the words struck her. Unable to endure it any longer, she staggered to the side and retched, expelling the bitter bile she could no longer contain.
Heaving heavily after retching, Eve turned her head with agonising slowness. She looked up at the woman, who seemed genuinely amused as she watched Eve tremble with such profound weakness.
As a heavy silence reigned between them once again, Eve managed to speak through her failing strength.
"If what you said is true... then why? Why didn’t you kill me when I was a helpless child?"
...
Somewhere within the forest near the border of the Kingdom of Varkhalis, birds perched atop the trees chirped softly, heralding the arrival of night. The sun had nearly set, and the creeping darkness awakened the many beings that thrived only after dusk.
By a nearby stream, the air stirred ever so slightly. Leaves rustled, followed by a sudden, violent burst of movement. A massive ball of fire roared into existence, blazing through the quiet clearing and illuminating the surroundings for a fleeting moment before vanishing completely.
The small animals that had been drinking from the stream instantly fled for their lives at the sudden disturbance, and birds scattered, flying far away from the source of the heat.
Multiple boots appeared on the dried soil, black cloaks stirring behind the men in the night breeze. Crimson eyes swept calculatively across the silent forest before the figures turned to face one another.
Before anyone could speak, the men doubled over, clutching their stomachs as nausea rose in their throats. One of them, unable to hold back his complaints, groaned, "Whoa! I think I can positively attest that I do not like this method of travel at all."
"What are you talking about, Dante? I feel completely fine," Seira countered. She looked around in confusion at the men, all of whom were concentrating on their breathing as if they were about to be sick.
Cece stepped closer to Edward, rubbing gentle circles across his back in an attempt to soothe him, though she shared Seira’s puzzlement. "I’m perfectly fine as well. What is wrong with you men?" she asked, observing their noticeably pale faces.
"Fine? I feel like I am about to throw up my entire existence," Dante groaned. He slapped a hand over his mouth as if that could physically stop himself from hurling.
The man responsible for their condition cast a brief glance over the group he had just transported, speaking with casual indifference. "I have never teleported such a large number of people before. I could only shield the woman from the effects."
"Now that is just being biased, Prince Ivan," Dante grumbled.
"I believe it is called being chivalrous," Seira snorted. She folded her arms across her chest, watching Dante struggle to collect himself without a single ounce of sympathy.
After a minute, once the men had regained their composure, they straightened.
Edward was the first to speak, "Where are we? Are we in Varkhalis yet?"
At the question, another man swiftly leapt upwards, perching himself atop a towering tree. From there, he surveyed their surroundings before descending with effortless grace.
"I believe we are near the border of Varkhalis, Your Highness," Alex replied without hesitation.
"That is good news. It seems you were correct, Commander Alexander, about the teleportation point. This should help us remain undetected by the enemy," Dante said, extending his senses cautiously into the forest.
"We have to move quickly. Staying near the border is not enough. We should be in Zareth by now, scouting the entire city to find her!" Everyone could hear the mounting impatience in Ivan’s voice. They were jolted back to reality when he hissed, "God knows what condition she must be in right now, or what they must have done to my brother." He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.
Cece’s expression softened, the same anguish flickering within her eyes. She stepped towards him, gently resting a hand upon his shoulder.
"Then let us go and bring them back, Ivan."
Ivan briefly met his sister’s gaze and attempted to contain the emotions slipping beyond his control, wreaking havoc throughout his entire being. Without the woman he loved by his side to steady him, he did not know how much longer he could hold on before descending into madness and turning the entire kingdom upside down in his desperate search for her and for his brother, Damien.
His heart tightened painfully at the thought of Damien succumbing to corruption, and a feeling he had not experienced in a long time seeped into his bones.
Fear.
He feared for his loyal and strong brother, and he feared for the love of his life. Ivan knew that no matter how powerful Eve was, she could be rendered powerless if they used Damien as leverage against her.
Knowing his Eve, she would never be reckless when it came to the lives of others, especially Damien, with whom she had developed a profound sibling bond over time.
If he could, he would have already teleported them directly to Zareth, but Ivan had never visited the city before.
It was only because Alex had gone there to collect a report regarding Prince Rowan that they had a lead. Alex had discovered this forest and described it well enough for Ivan to visualise the destination.
Wind rustled their cloaks again as Ivan looked into the distance. "We must divide into smaller groups to enter the city. We cannot afford to attract unwanted attention.
Remember to keep your faces hidden at all costs; we do not want the enemy alerted to our presence. My father is likely already on his way. We must keep moving until we set foot inside Zareth, and then we shall regroup."
"Yes, Your Highness," Alex and Caleb replied.
"Alex, you will come with me. Caleb, Cece, and Edward will be one team, while Oliver, Professor Seira, and Professor Dante will be the third," Ivan declared.
Dante and Seira began to protest, but Ivan pressed on. "This arrangement is only until we reach Zareth. It will take us a couple of hours."
Recognising that Ivan was right, they fell silent. Moving as one large group would surely draw the wrong eyes. Without wasting another moment, they departed, manoeuvring through the thick forest to cross the border into Varkhalis.
...
Back in the tower where Eve was held captive, the figure in the red cloak stepped out through the black door. She paused briefly, casting a glance at Evelyn’s unconscious form still suspended against the walls, before turning away and gesturing for her minions to shut the door.
Without looking back, Selene slowed her stride and issued a cold command. "Ensure that no one enters or leaves this room. Not even Drake. Should he persist, summon me at once."
"Yes, Master." The guards stationed outside bowed in unison.
