Chapter 97: Red Vs Blue

Elias looked toward Natasha and sent a Mental Whisper.

[Let’s go inside.]

He raised his other hand for her to hold, but the moment he remembered how she had refused to take it in the garden, he smiled bitterly and began lowering it.

However, before he could completely pull his hand away, Natasha took a step toward him and gently placed her hand in his.

"Ah?" Elias blinked in surprise, but a smile soon appeared on his face as he looked at her.

Natasha stared back with her usual impassive expression, although it seemed noticeably softer.

Elias tightened his fingers around hers before the three of them began walking inside the manor.

As they entered, Elias explained everything that had been occupying his mind, including his theory about the Auracle and the possibility that they might be capable of storing more than just Aura to Natasha through Mental Whisper.

Natasha listened carefully, and although the idea surprised her, she also understood the obvious flaw in his reasoning.

There was no proof.

Everything depended on a theory that had never been tested, and even Elias himself couldn’t be certain whether the Auracle stored Aura or worked a different way.

Still, Natasha gave him a firm nod and tightened her grip around his hand, showing that she supported him regardless of the outcome.

Elias smiled in response.

They had only walked a short distance when Benjamin approached them.

"My lord, is there anything you require?" the old butler asked.

"Not right now," Elias answered. "You can go back to whatever you were doing."

Benjamin nodded respectfully before turning around and leaving them.

Elias then led Natasha and Stella toward his room.

Once they entered, he walked toward the drawer beside his bed and pulled it open before taking out a small pouch.

Inside were the black pills, which were used to protect oneself from Monica’s poison.

He took one out and handed it to Stella.

"Keep that in your mouth," he instructed.

Stella stared at the pill with curiosity before looking back at him.

"Is this a candy?" she asked.

Elias’s lips opened, but then a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and he nodded.

"Yeah."

"Oh!"

Stella immediately pushed the pill past her lips.

The bitter taste spread across her tongue almost instantly.

"Ew!"

She tried to spit it out, but Elias quickly placed a hand over her mouth and stopped her.

"Do not!" he warned and removed his hand.

Stella’s crimson eyes widened as she stared at him with a betrayed expression.

"You... you lied to me!"

"It is medicine."

"It is not sweet! It is BITTER!" Stella yelled, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Elias gently patted her head.

"Calm down."

Stella continued glaring at him while holding the pill in her mouth, clearly offended by what she considered a grave betrayal.

Elias chuckled helplessly before offering her a compromise.

"I will buy you a room full of candies after this, okay?"

Her expression immediately softened.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Yeah. Promise," he replied.

Apparently satisfied, Stella nodded.

The two then left the room, leaving Natasha behind, and walked down the corridor toward Monica’s room.

When they reached the door, Elias knocked once before opening it, hoping that Monica was already awake.

"Finally here—"

Monica muttered as she turned her head toward him, but her expression immediately changed when she noticed Stella standing beside him.

Her brows furrowed.

"What is she doing here?" she asked.

Before Elias could answer, Stella crossed her arms and declared, "I do not want to be with you either."

Monica’s brows furrowed even further.

Elias looked at Stella in confusion.

"What is wrong, Stella?" he asked.

Stella frowned as though she couldn’t understand why they were confused, then pointed directly toward Monica’s abdomen.

"Do you not see it?"

"See what?" Elias and Monica asked simultaneously.

They looked at each other with equally confused expressions.

"Do not imitate me," they said together.

They immediately frowned at each other again.

Stella stepped forward and deliberately positioned herself between them, blocking Elias’s view of Monica.

"Can you really not see the darkness in her body?" she asked, her expression becoming strangely serious. "It is almost as deep as the darkness beneath the Gods’ Grave Mountains."

Monica’s expression changed completely.

"What?" she muttered.

Elias, however, was already focused on something else.

"The Gods’ Grave Mountains?" he asked. "You mean the ones where the continent ends... and the North begins?"

Stella looked at him and shrugged.

"I do not know."

Elias stared at her.

"Huh? You were just talking about that..."

Stella’s expression became sad, almost like a puppy that had been scolded.

"I do not know about the mountains..." she mumbled. "I only know about the darkness there..."

Elias frowned thoughtfully.

"Try thinking a bit more?" he suggested.

Stella nodded obediently, although she quickly looked toward Monica again.

Monica had been watching the exchange with a bewildered expression before finally asking, "Did you come here for that?"

Elias’s attention returned to her.

"No," he answered. "I want your help with something."

"My help?" Monica muttered before an amused expression appeared on her face. "Alright. Let me just stand up."

Elias ignored the comment and instead brought Stella closer to Monica before pointing toward the three red Auracle around her waist.

"Do you know what these are?"

Monica stared at the rings.

"Marks?" she muttered. "Not fancy at all, though."

Elias gave her a deadpan look.

"Stop playing around."

"I am not playing," Monica replied. "I genuinely do not know what that is."

Stella looked between the two of them, wondering if they were like this every day.

"These are Auracle," Elias explained.

"Oh!"

Monica’s eyes immediately lit up.

"You should have told me that at the beginning! Of course I know Auracle. What about it?"

"Do you know how they work?"

Monica shook her head.

"No one does."

Elias’s heart sank, but he refused to give up.

"Can you check them with your Mind’s Eye?"

"If that were possible, we would already have a report explaining how they work," Monica answered.

Elias bit his lip before glancing toward Stella.

"Can you give it a try?" he asked again.

Monica’s brows furrowed.

"I cannot. Using my Mind’s Eye may make the poison go berserk, and I cannot risk my life for something meaningless."

"You know I would not ask or allow you to risk anything of yourself if it was meaningless," Elias said.

Monica stared into his eyes.

The determination and genuine worry in his expression were impossible to miss, and after several seconds, she reluctantly exhaled.

"Fine..."

She then looked toward Stella, who was still staring at Monica’s abdomen with narrowed eyes.

"Come closer, you brute."

Stella glanced at her face and immediately frowned.

"You can say that nicely, weirdo."

Elias massaged his forehead as the two women immediately began bickering.

"Both of you stop bickering and focus on what is important."

"Hmph!"

Both women turned their heads away from one another, but they continued with what Elias had asked them to do.