Chapter 648: Eyes Meeting

Third Person’s POV

Above them, the frozen vortex continued growing larger.

Nearly twenty meters across, it dominated the sky like the maw of some ancient beast preparing to devour the heavens themselves.

Gradually, the very center of the icy whirlpool darkened.

The rotating shards slowly revealed an enormous abyssal void.

It was a cold, silent, and seemingly bottomless black opening.

Merely looking into its depths caused many students to feel an inexplicable fear creeping into their hearts.

While everyone remained captivated by the spectacular display unfolding above them, old man Dominic’s mind never ceased calculating.

Standing quietly among the gathered students, Arlene suddenly heard a familiar voice echo directly within her consciousness.

’Arlene.’

She stiffened almost imperceptibly.

It was her master’s voice.

Without allowing her any opportunity to respond, Dominic calmly continued.

’Keep two particular women within your group after entering the Glaciem Ice Abyss.

I shall arrange for your destinations to be close to one another.

You have to protect them, gain their trust, and ensure they remain beside you throughout the expedition.’

His tone remained as calm as ever, yet every word carried unquestionable authority.

’If you succeed, Eryndor will eventually return to your side.

Remember, do not allow emotions to cloud your judgment.

Think carefully, act intelligently, and while doing that keep in mind that everything must appear natural.’

As those final words echoed through her mind, two familiar faces were directly imprinted into her consciousness through Dominic’s overwhelming soul power.

Arlene’s beautiful eyes widened as she immediately recognized one of the women to be none other than the beautiful and quite famous Professor Eleanor, and an unfamiliar young woman with flowing red hair and green eyes.

They were dressed in close-fitted hunting attire, beside a fountain that she recognized easily.

The transmission ended almost immediately, yet Arlene remained stunned.

The moment she looked toward the two women hidden behind the marble fountain, realization struck her like lightning.

Looking at Professor Eleanor closely with her soul sense, she found the resemblance between Professor Eleanor and Young Master Eryndor impossible to ignore.

The same flowing violet hair, the same elegant facial structure, and similar facial features.

Everything suddenly clicked together inside her mind.

The strange familiarity she had felt while first seeing Ethan asleep inside the ancient ice coffin beneath the Twin Fang Mountains finally made sense now, though she didn’t know their exact relation.

Before she could process those thoughts any further, the barrier put up by old man Dominic suddenly vanished.

The overwhelming suction erupted without warning.

"Ahhh!"

Startled and horrified cries immediately echoed throughout the square.

The enormous black vortex above the academy seemed to awaken completely.

Its terrifying attraction swallowed everything within range, including students, professors, and mercenaries alike.

Even powerful Crystal Formation mages found themselves completely unable to resist.

One after another, figures shot toward the enormous abyss suspended within the heavens.

Meanwhile, Ethan remained remarkably calm.

His body rapidly ascended toward the black opening together with Erius, Aria, Elis, and the rest of their group.

He neither struggled nor resisted.

His crimson eyes merely observed the surroundings.

At that exact moment, Dominic suddenly smiled.

Silently...

The old Headmaster released the subtle soul veil he had maintained around Eleanor and Aurelia from the very beginning.

Instantly, the strange suffocating sensation clouding Ethan’s instincts disappeared, and his suppressed perception exploded outward.

Before his conscious mind could even react, his head violently turned, as his crimson eyes instinctively locked onto two familiar figures.

Violet.

And crimson.

Standing behind the marble fountain were two women whose faces had appeared within his memories countless times over the past nine years.

The red-haired girl was a little different from the one in his mind, as she had become mature and beautiful, his Aurelia.

But he instantly recognized the violet-haired, violet-eyed one, his mother, Eleanor.

Time itself seemed to freeze in his perception, and Ethan’s pupils contracted violently.

His usually calm expression shattered for the very first time.

His crimson eyes widened so much that they almost seemed ready to leave their sockets.

"...Mother..."

The word never managed to leave his lips, and only silent disbelief remained upon his face, as the vortex swallowed him before another heartbeat could pass.

Aurelia and Eleanor had likewise been caught completely off guard by the sudden suction force, and when they saw that they were near Ethan, their tear-filled eyes met his for the briefest of moments.

Within that single glance, they saw his face changing from its initial calm to a mix of extreme shock and disbelief, accompanied by recognition.

But before they could shout towards him or show their reaction, he disappeared into the endless darkness.

Only a single heartbeat later, Aurelia and Eleanor themselves were pulled into the ancient vortex, vanishing into the Glaciem Ice Abyss as well.

Within only a few seconds, the once-crowded academy square became completely deserted.

Only the Headmaster and several deacons remained standing amidst the lingering cold.

Dominic slowly lowered his wooden staff, and the enormous ice vortex immediately began collapsing.

Millions of frozen shards dispersed into countless sparkling particles that drifted gently downward like crystalline snow before dissolving into a pale icy fog that blanketed the entire New Moon Magic Academy.

For several long moments, the old man silently watched the empty sky.

Then, a slow smile spread across his aged face.

"I wonder what kind of storm that boy will stir within that forsaken abyss."

His narrowed eyes gleamed with unconcealed anticipation.

After countless peaceful years, and for the first time in a very long while, the ancient Headmaster found himself genuinely excited once again.

The moment Ethan stepped through the spatial vortex, the world around him changed completely.

The brilliant morning sky of Ice Emperor City vanished without warning, replaced by an endless expanse of white.

Towering snow-covered mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, their jagged peaks disappearing into a blanket of dense grey clouds.

Thick layers of ancient ice covered every cliff and valley, while an endless sea of frozen plains connected the mountain ranges together, creating a desolate world devoid of any trace of greenery.