21 | Hunting Contest; Elyse's Necklace

Elyse woke up from her strange dream with tears streaming down her eyes. Strangely enough, a single strand of her hair turned silver and her eyes glow in golden yellow — still crying while her heart is in pain from remembering her dream.

"Elyse?" Arbor approached her, wiping her tears off from her face and she hugged him.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Arbor asks and Elyse shakes off her head, she couldn't speak and could only cry in his arms.

There are no exact words coming from Elyse's mouth. She's as if she's been swallowed by a pang of great guilt and pain when she saw Sylvia getting killed in front of her — who was Aniya in that dream she possessed?

Until now, Elyse can still clearly see blood in her hands and hear the sound of cries Tina makes. Her necklace keeps on shining on her neck, still hugging Arbor to find comfort in his arms.

Meanwhile, Chad was there, watching them as Arbor hugged Elyse and how Elyse clings to Arbor's arms very well. He felt extreme jealousy at the sight of it so he decided to walk away from them and fetch some water.

Hours later, Elyse stopped crying and has now calmed down. Eli gives her a cup of water to drink and Elyse drinks a little bit of it.

"Feeling better?" Arbor asks and she nodded her head.

"Elyse." Raymond approaches her. "It's good that you're finally awake." He said and behind him was Arrow approaching them.

"Elyse! We found traces of monsters there, also I know where the orb is." Arrow said handing her a map of a castle.

"This is a castle," Elyse said and Arrow nodded her head.

"While you were asleep, Raymond and I decided to scan the area. Weird thing is, a ruined castle appeared which has never appeared in the past few years that I and the others traveled in this dimension," Elyse's eyes looked at Arrow, confused.

"Past... years? Have you all been entering this dimension for the past years?" Arrow nodded her head.

"To be precise, this world appeared right after the old Master went missing and the new Master usurped the throne. This world went into turmoil hearing the old master go missing and then suddenly, a new master rise and ruled the world. It was completely chaotic back then; you must've not known since you lived far away from the Capital."

Elyse's eyes furrowed to Chad's interruption.

"How did you know I am a country bumpkin?"

Chad felt flustered and quickly erased his statement.

"Oh! I mean I didn't mean it in a bad way. I mean... I'm a Messenger of Alphas so?" Elyse froze and she nodded her head.

Right, both Chad and Aniya are messengers and informants to the Alphas. So basically, the two know what's going on inside or outside. Both Chad and Aniya are truly dangerous on the past glorious days of Alphas. Since the two of them know the truth and lie beneath the beautiful and luxurious golden gates of the world.

"What should we do then, Arrow?" Elyse looked at Arrow ignoring Chad's explanation.

"Well, obviously we need to explore the castle. Sigh, if only our connection to our real world didn't break then I should've got the orb and won! Geez, that girl." She whispered in her last sentence and everyone fell into silence.

"D-did I say something wrong?" Arrow asks, feeling guilty.

"No. But to be honest, that girl. Isn't it way too strange for her to suddenly appear right after we enter this dimension?" Elyse said making everyone stare at her.

"I've talked to Luna last night and she told me she sensed familiarity towards that mysterious lady. I too, on the other side felt something strange when I saw her using Luna's vision." Elyse admitted, clenching her fist.

"Arrow. You're right, we need to investigate the ruined castle first. But we need to have a plan on how to enter the castle since I presume, it's swarming with monsters no?" She continues.

"Indeed. The ruined Castle is full of mysterious and dangerous creatures inside and outside as if they are guarding something important." Dain, Hethan's Descendant appeared out of nowhere.

"Huh? You're here? I thought you were dead." Arrow said. Dain looked at her, annoyed with her comment.

"Shut up or I'll take your life. Right here, right now." Dain said ready to cook Arrow alive.

"Then what if it's the orb we are looking for?" Eli entered the conversation.

"You're right. It could be since there are many monsters in there." Kai said Lewis Descendant — Alpha of Sea and Earthquakes.

"But what would happen to the contest if we're going to get the orb?" Luna.

"That's not important right now, we should make a plan to escape this dimension. Or else I'm afraid we will get trapped in here forever." Odelle said, a student from the Academy. Her eyes shone bright deep emerald and her darkest black hair. It made Elyse reminds her of someone that the history books never mentioned.

"Odelle is right. Elyse, what should we do?" Raymond said and it made everyone's attention diverted toward her. Elyse closes her eyes to think of a solution.

Monsters in this world are known to be knowledgeable. If they are going to strike with a plan, then there's a chance everyone will be injured or worse may lead to death. Elyse tries to pick every piece of puzzle she had.

On the first day, they entered the realm, everything was calm. Everyone was fighting to get the orb to win not until on the 4th day did a mysterious lady appear that made everyone reunite in Raymond's camp. What's more, they found out that they couldn't contact the original world they live in.

"Monsters that's knowledgeable..." Elyse murmurs. Her eyes widen as she realizes something. Maybe the monsters aren't really smart but maybe because they were controlled by that Mysterious Lady. The monsters were rumored to be humans but since they became the servants of evil they transformed into monsters.

And on that day when Elyse saw the lady, she was not wrong about what she saw. That lady is a human. She has no horns nor signs that she is a monster too.

A human capable of having such dark magic to control the dead and the monsters made Elyse shiver in fear. It's as if she's making a replica of power from Hethan — an Alpha of Death.

'Then... There is no other choice.' Elyse thought. She sighs and looked at them as she opens her eyes.

"I have a plan."

*******

[Arrow's POV]

"We're almost there," I said to Eli climbing the mountain while holding her hands to guide her.

"We can just use Chad's gadget you know," Eli mumbles but it was enough for me to hear.

Annoyed, I looked at her with an evil smile and said, "Then go back to Chad's team. I don't mind climbing alone in this cold weather where there is no sun." I said with my sarcastic tone making Eli annoyed too. Fortunately, we can use Elyse's magical power to make her feel warm in this everlasting cold of this realm.

Eli's been feeling weak since we entered the realm because there was no sun to set. All I could do is to stay beside her and keep her warm all night and day because of Elyse's magic spell she gave me.

"We're almost there," I told Eli and I turn to look at her once more and saw her feeling weak again, catching her breath while following me. I sigh and lift Eli in bride style. She didn't wail and stayed in my arms with her eyes closed.

I hugged her tight and gave her the jewel that was made by my clan.

"Hang on, Elizabeth," I whispered to her ear and continues to climb onto the top of the mountain. When I arrived, I already notice a few monsters were killed. I quickly start my setup and noticed Eli woke up.

"Are you fine now?" She nodded her head and stood up.

"This dimension really feels strange and uncomfortable." She said and I ignore her words.

"Set up, in any minute, Elyse will call us." Eli nodded her head and she starts chanting her powers.

The cold wind air brushed roughly into my body and it made Eli collapse. My eyes were wide open when I saw the mysterious lady again.

"STOP!" I screamed at the top of my lung but it was too late, Eli's body disappeared when the Lady stabbed her body.

"What...?"

"My, I must say thank you for reaching out until the end of this realm. Thanks to you, I will be seeing my beloved master after centuries of sleeping." The lady said and it made my headache as I scream at the top of my lungs begging to stop the pain.

As if someone tries to force me to remember a shard of memory, I saw a vision of a human lady with ordinary black eyes and hair serving the Devil who tried to kill Tina and the other Alphas in the past.

What is this? I can't seem to understand what was happening. The book says that Tina killed everyone, why is there another party here?

The vision stops and I pant. Catching my breath.

"Thanks to you, the necklace that Elyse was wearing will awaken the 'him' who was sleeping after he was sealed by your beloved Lucia." She stomps my feet and I shouted.

"YOU BITCH! IT WAS YOU!" I shouted at her with my eyes glowing with bright green blue — the colors of my Ancestor, Artemis.

Now I understand. The sudden announcement of the Hunting Contest that was supposed to happen in the next few months suddenly occurred. The Student Council, especially Raymond investigated the case but he couldn't find anything weird. Everything was too fast. Too fast for Elyse and to us.

After she entered the Academy, everyone was frightened and loathed her for being Aniya's Descendant now getting bullied by the students as if they are repeating what Aniya's story was.

The future that I see doesn't match the present that is happening now.

I hysterically laughed and glares at her, "I see you deliberately manipulate the fates to wake Elyse up. Tell me, are you also the one who killed Elyse's family?" The lady nodded her head with a bright smile.

"Hmm? Hehe, who knows? In order to revive my beloved Lord or else, he wouldn't wake up. A shard of his orb soul is inside of Elyse's necklace after all." She said with her evil smile, smirking at me. Gnashing my teeth, I glare at her. I couldn't move at all after she use poison on my feet.

"Once she interacts the lost shard to the orb of my Lord's orb soul, he will be awakened. And Elyse too will be awakened." She said laughing her eyes out.

Indeed, Elyse is Aniya's Descendant but she's just not her Descendant. Elyse is also Lucia/Tina's Descendant.

Wait, how did I know this?

"It's so funny to see you suffering like this, Artemis. My, this is satisfying indeed." She said clenching my face to her hands and quickly throwing it away as I coughed blood and heals my wound.

"Look at the show, Arrow. Or should I say, Artemis?" Suddenly a sound of an explosion echoed in the entire world as I saw a beam of light coming from the Castle inside.

My tears suddenly fell down as I feel the familiar presence of my entire life.

"Tina."

****

[Elyse's POV]

I quickly grab and swung his sword when I saw a monster appearing at Raymond's back and smashing its head until it disappears and only a small violet shard was left. A soul orb of a monster.

"Let's keep moving," I told them as we all both climbed to the top of the Mountain and when we arrived, we glanced at the huge castle gates of the ruined castle. It made me feel a sense of Deja Vu when I saw the gates opening to themselves.

"Everyone, stay on alert," Arbor said and we slowly entered the ruined Castle. Everything feels Deja vu when I saw the withered grasses and flowers in the garden. The fountain went cold because of snow and the statues that are now burned and broken.

I followed everyone until we entered the hall. I couldn't help but stare at the scenery. The castle feels undeniably gloomy and also Deja vu.

"To make everything faster, we need to divide ourselves to catch the Orb," Luna suggested.

"No, we shouldn't separate ourselves." Said Kai and Odelle nodded her head.

"Kai's right. We don't need to do that." Odelle agrees.

"But we must act faster if we don't want that lady to catch us." Chad said talking about the mysterious lady.

"No, we should separate." I interfere with the conversation. Something feels wrong and something else is calling me here, but I couldn't say who is it.

"Well, if Elyse says so. We should agree."

"No," Chad said with his mouth clenching and quickly approaches me and holds my hand. I blushed and glares at him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! —" He covered my mouth with his hands and just glares.

"I don't want to leave you, so just follow me." He spoke.

"Aye we have another couple here, wow it's so nice to be single," Kai said looking at Dain.

"Stop you gay," Dain said with his annoyed voice and starts walking alone.

"Hey! Wait up!" Odelle then follows Dain.

"Well let's start then," Kai said and walked to the other path and everyone followed until it was only me, Arbor and Chad left alone.

"I'm also coming." Chad shrugged and walked first. I looked at Arbor and he did the same. We both shrugged and sigh and follows Chad walking in the long hallway in the ruined castle.

Everything inside the castle is messed up with broken glass, vases, and statues. But strange enough, there was a room that caught my attention. I stopped and take a peek at it and there were no marks of being broken. Even the statues and the things inside the room are still intact.

I looked at Chad and Arbor and both were busy talking so I walked inside the room without telling them. As I entered the room, it was full of dust and white silk curtains covering the room and the paintings and statues.

I tried to get the white silks off the things and I cough as specks of dust went everywhere in the room.

My eyes went wide open — stunned to see a big painting about all of the Alphas. Including the ones who weren't mentioned in any history books. Especially Sylvia and Hiro.

Hiro has the same emerald green eyes as Odelle but his eyes were so captivating that even in the painting, I feel a sense of Deja vu because of him. Sylvia too is beautiful. With her ordinary brown hair and silver eyes, she still looks mesmerizing like a siren.

I tried touching the painting but I heard a creaking sound coming from another room inside the current room I am in. I slowly approach the door and saw a big dark purple orb, delicately sitting on a cushion.

I hear whispers coming in my ears, making me feel tempted to touch the purple orb. I outreach my hand and when my finger finally touched the orb, my vision became blurry and I fainted.