36 | In The Stars

"Who?" Elyse's voice echoed in between the silence of Raymond and Arbor and they both turn around to see her face mixed in feelings standing in the door as she listens to their conversation earlier.

She just came from her excessive training in the training grounds as she tries to hone her skill using aggressive methods. She knew very well that an aggressive method will get you into nowhere but Elyse is now desperate to be powerful.

She's already well-versed in magic, but magic alone is not powerful enough since she has already been awakened as Lucia's Descendant. She longed for a normal and perfect family, but it was all ruined by one night after their happiness. Elyse wanted to bring back the old days but she realized that she cannot because of her weak side only staying in her comfort zone, having wishful thinking that she could be stronger if she's going to stay who she is.

Tired from her training, she decides to went back to her room but before that she recalled that she needed to get something in the Student Council Room. On her way she noticed Arbor standing at the door as if he was listening to their conversation.

Elyse paused and glanced at him. He was standing there as if he was just shocked.

It made Elyse feel curious and have a bad feeling about it. So, she continues to walk into the room until she saw Arbor trying to hide beside a trash bin right beside the student council room when Louisette walked away from the room with an angry expression plastered on her face.

Elyse's face went dark to see her face while clenching her fist. Louisette only walked through her slightly bumping her arm but Elyse didn't say a word about it and it looks like Louisette is in deep thought while walking.

After that, she saw Arbor walk inside the room and Elyse followed him. She went into the door peeking and listening to their conversation and there, she heard everything from the top to the bottom.

".... Elyse was awakened as Lucia's Descendant in the forbidden place where the devil's shard or Cain's orb is. Elyse has a very weak awakening power but she has vast magical power. It is confusing but that's what makes her unique. Now that I'm thinking, she must've been forcefully awoken her powers as Lucia's Descendant using Cain's last shard in contact with the huge orb." Raymond explained and it made Elyse's legs tremble.

She unconsciously melts down as she sat down on the floor realizing something. The two are still talking but just one explanation from Raymond made everything sense.

Elyse couldn't help but feel pathetic all this time. No one deceived her, but she did to herself. Resurrection is a forbidden spell for a human to have. It is something of a special ability for a person to have if you are The Alpha of Death's descendant or could be Lucia's Descendant.

"It's Mara." Elyse froze when she heard a familiar name.

She quickly stood up and approaches the two of them, "Who?" She asks and Arbor and Raymond quickly turned their backs to look at Elyse in shock to hear such a name.

'Mara'. That's the name of their mysterious neighbor because they moved in right next to their house. For Elyse, it felt weird for a person who suddenly became interested in living a life in the forest. She believed that everyone wanted to live outside the countryside and stay in the Empire or better yet, stay in the 1st District because it's better and more beautiful than a cottage life.

And that Lady Mara too became their close acquaintance but then one day, she vanished. Maybe she vanished because she has finished her mission by giving her parents the last shard of Cain's soul orb in the form of Aniya's Heirloom necklace.

"E-Elyse..." Arbor starts to stammer after he saw Elyse glaring at them.

"Did you hear us, Elyse?" Raymond asked and she clenches her fist.

"Yes." She admitted and Arbor nodded his head.

"I'm sorry... Elyse. We really don't know that Yohan himself would be the one to order your parents to be killed. Not even once I have imagined this..." Arbor said trying to comfort Elyse but he didn't succeed.

"It's all my fault." She whispered to herself.

'If only I didn't enter the Academy. If only I had just known right from the start, all of these won't happen. Everything... would have been normal.'

She said to her mind while tears start streaming down her face. Arbor was stunned to see her burst into tears and gently wipe off her tears away from her hazel eyes. Arbor felt something aching in his heart just by looking at her crying face as he embraced her in his arms softly.

"It was never your fault, Elyse. We all didn't know." Arbor said.

"In the name of King Samuel, The Alpha of Thunder and almighty things I will avenge your family's death. Cain ruined many lives and he must be stopped, so Elyse. Will you still help us looking for the old Master?" Raymond said with determination in his eyes as it glimmers beautifully in oceanic blue eyes like the clear blue ocean in summer. His blond hair shining like the sun — Raymond is indeed mesmerizing.

"The old master is a powerful being, Elyse. She can save us." Arbor said, trying to convince her.

"But who's the old master anyway? If you already met the old master once, then why you still don't know her name?" Raymond chuckled in his awkward tone.

"Well, she's a mysterious one. Even in our first meeting she never welcomed me maybe because I am her ex-husband's Descendant. She also never gives her name to us, only the leaders know her name. But not really her personality as 'her'." He spoke.

True, the old master is a strong one. They are documents supporting her identity as someone like Saintess Rafaela in the past. She was the messenger for the Goddess of Beginning while The Old Master could be the messenger for the Alpha of Everlasting Moon Snow.

The Alpha of Everlasting Moon Snow which is Tina defeated the Devil whose name is Cain. There's a possibility that the old master of Empire can save them since she's the Alpha of Everlasting Moon Snow's messenger.

After that, Raymond, Arbor, and Elyse decided on a plan further for their goal to find the old Master. Since they already realized that Cain is now alive, at any time he could attack the Empire and its people and will create chaos. The worst thing that would happen is this world getting abandoned again. Just like the Olympia.

*******

"Are you feeling, okay?" Arbor asked when both of them went to their chambers. Elyse glanced at him and she nodded her head.

"I... am not okay." She admitted and Arbor only pats her head.

"Let's get you stronger, Elyse. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." He said while patting her head and she turns to look away.

"Well, it's not necessary to be there always..." Elyse paused. Huh? For a moment it felt like it wasn't me but someone else...

Arbor chuckled, "Don't worry. I will not break my promise next time. Rest today, and let's see tomorrow again." He said and walked away going to his own chamber since its doors were away from Elyse's chamber.

Elyse didn't say a word. To be honest she wasn't comforted just because the old Master is powerful or they have devised their own plan to speed up the process. When she entered the room, she started to call Maria and told her everything.

Maria didn't say anything but cry.

"I'm really sorry, Elyse. I don't know what happened back then. It was Yohan who suddenly told us to gather everyone and went to the place where we found you. I didn't know you were her Descendant until Yohan told me so. He also told me —"

"It's fine, Your Grace. I already understand the situation." Elyse cuts off her explanation and Maria nodded her head, but deep inside her, Maria couldn't shake the feeling that Elyse is okay but is actually not okay.

Maria sympathizes with Elyse's situation. Losing a family is something of a feeling she couldn't put it into words because Maria herself also experience that. When she was only a kid, she still remembers the feeling of happiness when her family is still there — alive and breathing. But because of a certain tragedy, her parents were killed and she was sold off as a sex slave.

She is but a child at that time. Fortunately, the old master was there and Maria was sold to her pretending she was someone of a pervert to torture kids. Maria thought her life will now end but she didn't know what awaits her is comfort food and clothing and also a roof right in her head.

She was grateful to be saved by the Master and is absolutely loyal to her. It is obvious she is trusted and is loyal to the old master because she became a vampire, a creature who can live for a million years.

"Don't worry about me, Your Grace. The goal in my mind still hasn't changed. No matter what, I will bring back the old master and make her resurrect my family." She spoke.

But that is only a lie that Elyse told Maria.

Elyse is mad for the old Master of the Empire. In the eyes of the others, she's the benevolent and kind Master of her subjects. Even Elyse praised her rule for years before her disappearance. But knowing that the old master must be behind this makes her blood boil and her thirst for revenge.

If she really not the one who killed my family, then why did she run away?

Blinded by her madness, she will surely find vengeance for the death of her family.

There's Dain too, maybe he could help Elyse by resurrecting her family.

After the call ended, Elyse went to see Dain in the underworld portal from the school and asked the audience for him the next day. Dain arrived in such a messy state of his appearance but he still looked so handsome with his hair down.

"Do you need something?" Dain asked with his hoarse voice.

"If you're going to ask me to revive your family well that is out of my reach." Elyse hasn't stated the reason why she went to see him but Dain already found out.

Elyse sigh and glared at him. "Then I will not waste my time. Why you can't revive my family? You're the Alpha of Death, right?" He shrugged.

"Sure. But as the Alpha of Death, I cannot defy the rules of the world Elyse." He spoke.

"Why not?"

"Because I am not Tina." Elyse looked puzzled looking at him.

"I am sorry, I cannot help you. If you have nothing else to say, please leave I don't like welcoming guests." He said and starts walking away from Elyse. Just like that, she was rejected by him.

No, there's still hope. There's still Seth, The King of Chetan Kingdom who is also known as the partner for death.

But meeting him personally in his Kingdom will take a toll on her human body and she might not be able to do so according to her magic power level. The only way to meet King Seth is the upcoming Festival from the Rahania Empire celebrating the Flower Festival for the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice.

Aniya's first Ancestor, the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice — Akila.