Giana was introduced to a grim sight, broken remains of homes and furniture scattered.
An entire city under the reign of humanity, a small level-four city that always clinging to the edge of life, hoping to survive one more day was massacred. Some of the trees in the surroundings were melted, liquified unnaturally, and there are also black ashes littered across the broken road.
Shattered remnants of humans' lives and dead bodies are strewn across the open field.
Not even the slightest cue of what was going on here was caught by the UWO, SCO, or any other defending organizations. Giana was utterly surprised to her core, she was mentally unprepared to see this broken humble village that was massacred by an unknown force.
Walking into the broken village with steady steps, the acrid air becomes even more vibrant.
It took a solid half a minute for Giana to register what she was seeing, the emotional instability from the event happening this night makes her slow on the mind. She looks around, trying to find clues or leads that can point her to the perpetrator.
Arriving beside a dead body, Giana kneels on one knee and inspects it.
'Organized bandits...? Mutated animals...? No, I don't think so.' Giana thought as she saw that there was not a hint of blood left in this dead body, even the eyes of the dead body has turned completely black. Something supernatural must've happened here.
Normal humans or even Awakened can't cause something like this.
Despite there being variations of Awakened that she has heard from other major cities that have become Blood Elementalist, the act of draining the blood of these hundreds of humans is just strainful and close to impossible for them.
Moreover, Blood Elementalist does not exist in the reign of Ratmawati City.
Giana stands back up and also founds out that the fresh stench of these dead bodies is not prominent yet, showing that this massacre happened recently. In fact, she believed that it was fairly recently within a day.
Expanding her powers, she covered the surroundings in search of the perpetrators.
But a frown was imprinted on her face when she finds nothing but mutated animals and insects around here, they are incapable of doing this kind of thing. 'I'll bring up this matter when I got back. For now, I'll need to reach the Great Barricade first to check the situation'
Only wasting a little bit over two minutes, she quickly flew again and disappear into the sky.
Unknown to her, right after she left, a mound on the ground hidden behind the debris of homes moved rather slowly. Two antennas of an insect protruded out from the ground wobbling a bit before the mound moved in another direction and disappeared.
~
"Adhara! Flunra!"
Evelyn sprinted across the open fields in worry, the sight of Adhara supporting Flunra out of the forest brings immediate concern to her. "What happened?! How did it go?!" she quickly asked when she arrived beside them.
"Help me bring Flunra inside first, I'll explain it to you later" Adhara replied.
As soon as she heard this, Evelyn summoned her luna energy by pure instinct. It surged around Flunra, wrapping him in its powerful embrace. Instantly he felt the energy lifting him in strength and spirit, alleviating the pain inflicted by the Slave Mark.
Like a blossoming flower, his body glowed with the miraculous healing power of the luna energy.
Rex would probably be surprised that Evelyn had this kind of power, she must've plunged deep into this power during her spare time, and her body recognizes the nature of the power and can fertilize her natural instinct.
But then her eyes caught sight of a similar mark, the ones she saw from the other Supernaturals.
The realization hit her like a powerful wave, the similar mark alone shows that the Ancient Human can also affect Flunra who is way stronger than the stranded Supernaturals. Now she could clearly perceive the imminent danger they were facing, the ultimatum was clear and she knew that even the Silverstar Pack can't escape.
Without wasting any time, the two of them brought Flunra back into the castle.
Occasionally, Evelyn looks back at the forest fearing that something is chasing them in the forest.
Adhara hurriedly enters the castle and spots scared Supernaturals on the bridge's sides. Questions popped inside her mind, but she pushes through to the great hall without delay and puts Flunra down on the ground.
Panting heavily from the sprint she had done, she saw the inquisitive look from Evelyn.
"We've been duped, the humans knew we'd be searching for Kyran - they wanted us to awaken the Executor!" Adhara exclaimed, pacing around the room in worry, "It makes my skin crawls, the indescribable feeling of the Executor's power is overwhelming. That thing even split the sky in two..." She shakes her head in disbelief, it was the first time Rex has been completely outwitted.
But then again, he probably knew that there was a risk, he just didn't expect it to be this bad.
Evelyn's expression drains from all colors as soon as she receives the news, "T-Then where's Rex right now? D-Don't tell me...", she didn't dare to voice out her guess, but she can already see the answer depicted in Adhara's face.
"No, wait! Evelyn!" Adhara quickly grabs Evelyn's hands when she wanted to storm out.
Knowing that the Executor was an entity that even frightens Adhara, she knows that there's a high probability of that thing being stronger than Rex. If it's not, then there's no reason for Adhara to be in this disarray.
Glaring back at Adhara, her face contorted, "Don't stop me, Adhara! He's in trouble!!"
"I know, but he specifically said to me to wait here for his retu-"
"Wait here and do what?!" Evelyn cuts her sentence short, her voice thundered with immense anger and echoing inside the great hall, "Should we really stay here in 'safety' and do nothing to help?! Only waiting for him to die?! Is that what we're supposed to do?!"
Snorting angrily, Evelyn turns around and quickly headed towards the entrance again.
No matter what she's going to help, her presence there is going to help, and if Rex would've died there even with her help then she would gladly die alongside him. It's enough for them to always rely on the Alpha for safety, they also need help.
'Don't die on me, Rex. I'm going to be there with you' Evelyn thought with fierce determination.
But then out of nowhere, her advances stopped and her expression turns grim.
"Move, Adhara..." she mutters threateningly.
Adhara dashed and stands in front of the entrance, she saw the expression Rex is wearing and she would not let Evelyn leave the castle and risk Rex's sacrifice to go to waste. "Over my dead body, Evelyn. I'm not going to let you potentially risk his sacrifice for us"
"Stand back, you're not my match" she added, knowing the outcome of the battle.
Despite knowing the difference between their powers has enlarged ever since Rex has given the Herald Mark to her, Evelyn didn't step back and riled up her luna energy alongside her elemental energies.
It was clear that if Adhara is going to stop her, then she would fight her without hesitation.
As Evelyn's defiance is made clear, a searing red glow emanates from Adhara's forehead. The swirling force of her borrowed power rises up like a raging inferno, consuming Evelyn's sizzling energy. It was a clear victor from the start, the red mark on her forehead is the determining power that differentiates the two of them.
Groaning on the ground, Flunra pushes his heavy body up, witnessing the escalating situation.
"Stop, the two of you! W-We got bigger problems in our hands!" Flunra roared, forcing a sliver of strength that he has to say those words, but only falls on deaf ears. None of the two wanted to yield, their views and emotions are unwavering.
Coming from the side, Naela was surprised to see this scene in front of her.
Even though the energy that comes from Adhara has a crushing force, the energy coming from Evelyn also suppressed her body. It was a power that surpassed hers, and she was nervous just standing near it.
Despite having something to say, the tension choked her throat and muted her for a brief period.
"I'm warning you for one last time, Adhara. Step out of the way" Evelyn mutters once more, her eyes squinted and both of her hands clenched. She was standing unfazed despite the crushing force from Adhara's power.
But Adhara was not having it, the thought of Evelyn going there filled her with dread.
Looking at Evelyn's eyes with conviction, she then said in a rather slow and calm tone. She was frantic and desperate, hoping that Evelyn would change her mind about going on this perilous plan, "Calm down and listen to me, we can try to help but not like this"
"Going there right now would make us a burden for Rex. I've seen the Executor's power. Even Brigitta, a ninth-rank realm Awakened was no match for him. The only way we could truly help was by ensuring OUR home was safe when he returned, battered and bruised. Anything other than that would be suicide, Evelyn. Please reconsider this."
Feeling that this might be the right time to jump in, Naela braces herself and steps forward.
Adhara's eyes shifted to Naela as she nervously added from the side, "I-If the Executor is awakened, then the Dark Elves might be able to help in securing the castle. C-Curses are power detached from Awakened and Supernaturals, it can help mask t-the castle from the Executor"
Upon hearing this, a slight waver can be seen in Evelyn's eyes.
Knowing that this is the time to act, Adhara stepped forward and grasped Evelyn's shoulder lightly, imploring her to listen. "We can help him through this, don't take the terrible path of suicide. I believe with all my heart that Rex can survive just like he did when he came through the red portal, and you must believe too"
Adhara could see the seething emotional aura radiating from Evelyn swirling in a chaotic storm.
If she went to Rex right now, only a sure death awaits her. Adhara doesn't want that.
Gripping both of her fists tightly, Evelyn clenched her jaw before she turns to face Naela. Receiving that sudden gaze, Naela's body jolted in surprise, "Then we better get to the Dark Elves, I don't want to waste any more of these precious seconds..."
Naela heard this and she quickly nodded her head, Evelyn's gaze right now is different than usual.
But even so, Adhara can finally breathe easily.
"Just go, don't worry about me. I can move again thanks to the luna energy" Flunra said, waving his hand albeit still lying on the ground. His body feels way better, but he was just exhausted from the painful sting the slave mark induced.
Knowing this, Evelyn and Adhara nodded their heads before they heads to the entrance.
Since Naela told them that the Dark Elves can help, then it's better for them to go now and asked for help. It was their initial plan, but the two of them stopped when Evelyn saw the red mark on Adhara's forehead dim and her power dispersed instantly.
Upon noticing this, the room went silent and their bodies' becomes stiff.
Evelyn spoke hesitantly, her tone anxious as she inquired, "A-Adhara... have you deactivated your Herald Mark?" She worried about the potential reasons why it had happened, something that she doesn't want to say out loud.
Likewise, Adhara also felt her heart skip a beat, agitated the same by the sudden occurrence.
It was naught but a moment for the entire room that has recovered to be swooped into silence again, none of them uttered anything, but everyone was anticipating Adhara's answer. But deep in their minds lingers the hopeful thought that this was intentional.
In a short time span, their emotions have undergone a roller coaster than doesn't seem to end.
Adhara gasped sharply, her entire body shocked by one electric current as she slowly glanced at Evelyn before she replied, her tone incredulous alongside her mind stunned in disbelief, "N-No, I didn't deactivate the Herald Mark intentionally..."
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com