Chapter 416:Discussing.

Chapter 416: 416:Discussing.

Atheline’s eyes widened as she finished.

"You comprehended the Law of Darkness?"

Lilith raised her hand and Darkness gathered above her palm.

Atheline immediately understood why it had felt different. It wasn’t merely a shadow, there was no need for light to define it.

The darkness simply existed.

He smiled.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"You disappeared into a ruin and came back having grasped a fundamental Law."

Lilith glanced at him.

"You disappeared into one for a week and apparently came back traumatized."

His smile faded slightly.

"Fair."

She dismissed the darkness.

"Tell me."

So he did.

Atheline began with the castle, the damaged Dark Elven palace. Then everyone who was present and those who were missing.

Lilith preparing for war.

He explained the accusations surrounding the Sovereign of Death and how people had confused corruption with darkness.

He told her about the broken alliance with the High Elves and the High Elf husband who had apparently fallen in love with Yander.

Her expression became increasingly strange.

"I married someone else?"

"Apparently."

"And killed him?"

"Yes."

"For Yander?"

"He fell in love with her."

She stared at him blankly. He raised both hands.

"I was merely watching."

"Continue."

He told her about himself, his death and everyone’s death. Her amusement disappeared completely.

Then Atheline reached the part that mattered most.

"Klaith was there."

Lilith frowned.

"The librarian?"

"Wearing the Protector’s garment."

She became completely still.

Atheline continued.

"I saw another scene afterward. Klaith stood in front of some kind of enormous seal. He was holding what he called a Death Core."

Lilith’s eyes narrowed.

"He said those with the highest potential had been killed."

Darkness began gathering around her fingers.

Atheline told her about the flame and the brief image of the Sovereign of Fire. Then his time on earth and the parts of the conversation he couldn’t hear.

Lilith didn’t interrupt again.

By the time Atheline finished explaining the World Will, Sovereigns existing partially outside its control, gods and Unnamed Gods, the room had become completely silent.

"The ruin said what I thought was a novel was an echo of a previous recurrence."

Lilith looked toward the floor.

"And you lived through that recurrence."

"Apparently."

"You died."

"Yes."

"Went to another world."

"Yes."

"Died there again."

"Unfortunately."

"And came back here."

Atheline nodded. Lilith stared at him, then she slapped his arm.

"Ow."

"Stop dying."

He blinked before his lips curved into a smile.

"I’ll add it to my priorities."

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him toward her. His amusement disappeared when he saw her expression.

"Don’t do it again."

His expression softened.

"I’ll try very hard not to."

"Try harder."

Atheline kissed her forehead.

"I will."

She released him reluctantly. Atheline’s expression became serious again.

"There’s one thing we can actually act on immediately."

"Klaith."

"Yes."

Lilith stood. She crossed the room and activated a communication formation.

"Zelpher."

A few moments passed the attendant’s voice answered.

"Your Majesty?"

"Find Klaith."

There was a pause.

"The librarian?"

"Immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Atheline and Lilith waited. The silence stretched longer than either liked, eventually the formation activated again.

Zelpher’s voice returned.

"Your Majesty."

Lilith immediately knew from his tone.

"He’s gone."

"We cannot locate him."

Atheline stood.

Zelpher continued.

"I contacted the palace library and his residence. He hasn’t been seen since shortly after your departure for Dragonic Island."

Her darkness stirred.

"Search his residence."

"Already ordered."

"Library office, private archive access and seal anything connected to him."

"Understood."

Lilith looked toward Atheline.

His expression hardened.

"Don’t let anyone approach him alone."

Lilith relayed the warning.

Then she added, "Issue a kingdom-wide wanted notice. Klaith is to be captured alive if possible. Nobody engages him unnecessarily."

Zelpher hesitated.

"What charges should be listed?"

Lilith glanced toward Atheline.

"Suspected treason and involvement with the Protector."

The silence on Zelpher’s side said enough.

"I understand."

The communication ended.

Atheline released a slow breath.

"That confirms more than I wanted."

Lilith nodded.

"If he disappeared before we returned, he either knew something was changing or was already planning to leave."

"We’re going home."

"I was about to say the same thing."

Neither wanted to remain on Dragonic Island another day. They prepared quickly.

Before leaving, Atheline requested a short audience with Draco and the remaining rulers.

The atmosphere became noticeably tense when he arrived with Lilith.

Everyone had already heard that the Unaspected Ruin had returned long enough to release him before disappearing permanently.

Draco studied him.

"So it let you out."

"Apparently."

"And the ruin?"

"Gone."

Draco nodded slowly.

"I checked."

Atheline looked around the gathered rulers.

Seragus was present, along with representatives from the other continents. Caius and Yander were there as well. Seeing them after the battlefield vision was uncomfortable.

Atheline reminded himself that they weren’t those people. This was another recurrence, another path.

He intended to keep it that way.

"I can’t explain everything yet."

Several expressions changed.

Atheline continued.

"But I can give you a warning."

The room quieted.

"The corruption is not the only thing we should be watching."

Draco’s eyes narrowed. Atheline didn’t mention Nirvana,not yet.

He didn’t mention the World Will or the possibility of Unnamed Gods hunting new Sovereigns. That knowledge was too dangerous to throw into a room full of rulers before he understood it himself.

Instead he said, "Some of what we’re facing may be connected to people deliberately encouraging conflict between kingdoms. If rumours begin appearing that blame a particular species for the corruption, investigate where they originated before reacting."

Seragus leaned forward.

"You found something."

"Enough to worry me."

Atheline glanced at Caius and Yander.

"And if anyone discovers information involving ancient Sovereigns, especially Death or Fire, don’t act alone."

Draco studied him for several seconds.

"You believe someone is manipulating the current crisis."

"I believe we should behave as though that’s possible until we know otherwise."

That was enough. Afterward, Atheline and Lilith personally thanked Draco and Eliana for their hospitality.

Atheline also raised the issue of the Sacred Ruin.

"I hope its disappearance doesn’t cause problems."

Draco gave him an unreadable look.

"That ruin existed before my reign. Dragons have entered it for generations without understanding it. If it chose to disappear after meeting you, I doubt I could have stopped it."

"That’s somehow less comforting."

"It wasn’t intended to comfort you."

Atheline smiled faintly.

"Thank you anyway."

Draco nodded.

"Whatever it gave you, understand it before using it."

Atheline’s expression changed.

"You can sense it?"

"Something."

Atheline placed a hand against his chest. The mysterious presence was still there.

"I’ll investigate it when we’re home."

They departed shortly afterward.

Their ship left Dragonic Island beneath the evening sky, passing through the enormous barrier and returning to open sea.

Atheline stood on deck with Lilith beside him, dragonic Island slowly disappearing behind them.

They could have teleported once they were far enough from the island’s restrictions, but for the moment neither was in a hurry to do so.

The little fox sat between them, apparently unconcerned with ancient conspiracies, repeating worlds or failed gods and far more interested in the sea breeze.

Atheline rested his arms against the railing.

"Seven days, I can’t believe it."

Lilith looked at him.

"What?"

"I went into a ruin expecting to find some treasure, technique or strange monster."

"Don’t we all?"

"Yeah, mine is the worst outcome I could have. I discovered I’ve died at least twice, apparently escaped a world reset, lived in another world, got thrown back here, learned the novel I remembered was an echo of a previous reality, discovered our librarian may be my wife’s greatest enemy, and possibly had something put inside my body."

She considered it.

"Productive trip."

He turned toward her.

"Your sympathy overwhelms me."

She smiled.

He reached for her hand and their fingers intertwined. Atheline looked toward the horizon.

He tightened his fingers around Lilith’s hand and watched Dragonic Island disappear behind them.

For the first time since entering the Unaspected Ruin, he allowed himself to think about only one thing.

He had returned alive.

.

.

.

The moment Dragonic Island’s barrier was far enough behind them, Atheline saw no reason to remain aboard the ship.

The voyage back had originally been expected to take roughly a day, perhaps longer depending on the condition of the Ferra Sea, but after everything that had happened inside the Unaspected Ruin, neither he nor Lilith had the patience to spend that long watching the horizon while Klaith potentially disappeared farther from their reach.

Atheline stood near the edge of the deck and looked back toward Dragonic Island. The enormous landmass was already beginning to disappear into the evening haze, while the barrier surrounding it could only be perceived as the faintest distortion across the horizon.

Lilith walked beside him.

"We’re outside."

Atheline nodded.

"You can feel it too?"

"The restriction is gone."

She glanced toward the few Dark Elven representatives who had accompanied them.

"Gather everyone."

There was no need to explain why.

Within several minutes, everyone stood together on the deck. Their belongings had already been gathered, while the crew would continue sailing the vessel home without them.

He picked up the little fox before she could wander somewhere inconvenient. The fox made a small protesting sound.

"You’ve had enough adventures."

She stared at him.

"Don’t look at me like that."

Lilith raised an eyebrow.

"You’re arguing with a fox."

"She started it."

Lilith ignored him and extended her hand as Darkness spread beneath their feet.

Atheline immediately felt the difference.

Before the Darkness Ruin, Lilith’s long-distance teleportation had always relied heavily upon shadows and the connections she created between them.

What gathered beneath them now felt deeper. The darkness didn’t seem to be borrowing existence from the shadows cast by their bodies or the ship. It simply existed because Lilith willed darkness to exist there.

Atheline looked at her.

She noticed.

"Later."

He smiled faintly.

"Showing off already."

"You’re the one staring."

The darkness swallowed them.