35 | The Human Girl

[Arbor's Point of View]

It has been a week and since then, Elyse was quiet for an entire week. After classes, I could see her alone walking in the hallway as usual. She was quiet and didn't say so much. When she went to the club, she quietly trains herself using the bow, and day by day, her eyes became sharp every time she let go of the string. Her shooting skills have been improving ever since her awakening.

But she still didn't utter a word. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Elyse, but I don't want to interrupt her. But I can't also help but to feel worried.

I sigh.

What am I doing? I'm not being myself. When I entered the Academy, I never cared for anyone else except my twin sister. Everyone looks the same to me. Greedy and jealous of our titles and positions just because we are the members of the Student Council and also Artemis's Descendants.

Until Elyse entered the Academy. I couldn't help but be curious about her and also, there was this feeling of comfort in her presence. A comfort that I was looking for. But I couldn't say in words what is it.

"Man, it's the 8th day." Arrow, my Twin Sister said while staring at Elyse at the training ground still swinging her sword even though the weather is not good.

"What's wrong with her? I feel Louisette did something to her." I glanced at her with my eyebrows furrowed.

"Louisette?" She nodded her head when I asked her. Her again? What did she do?

Every member of the Student Council starts to hate Louisette when she would play pranks on us that are crossing the line. There's even a time when she tried to humiliate my sister in the crowds by using the duel. Because of her carefree and out-of-line tricks, everyone started to hate her. Some were avoiding her, but most of us doesn't like her.

We all know that Louisette likes to cause trouble using her petty tricks.

"I heard from Chad that Louisette did something to her." I stood up surprised. I could feel my blood boiling when I heard what she said. I already experience the humiliation that Louisette did to us, I don't want Elyse to experience that. She has already experienced pain enough. After she told us her plan, we also know about her family.

Don't tell me it's about being Elyse not fit to be Lucia's Descendant? Hah. How petty of her. She keeps using these childish tricks just to stamp on people's lives. She's the worst.

Clenching my hands, I stomped my feet walking away from Arrow who was sitting on the bench.

"Hey, where are you going? —" I heard Arrow say but I ignored it and continues to walk away heading towards Raymond's office when I finally arrived, I saw Louisette talking to Yohan.

I wanted to burst in when I see the door being slightly open but I froze when I heard their conversation.

"What? The leaders did that?" Raymond said in a shocked voice.

"Yes. See they're full of traitors so you better be careful your Highness —" Louisette said with a smug on her face but her words were cut off when Raymond suddenly spoke.

"Stop speaking nonsense, Louisette. The new master would never do that." Louisette scoffed.

"Hell yeah. She wouldn't do it. But remember, Hezelle is Hezelle. She would do anything just to —"

"Ruin everyone? Stop blaming others, Louisette. You don't know what exactly happened in the past. You keep blaming Aniya and Hezelle for the crimes they did to your Ancestor's sister. But can't you think of the bigger picture who did it?"

"Cain is the one who did everything using three people as his powerful pawns. That human girl from the human realm, Vierra and Lovelia. Don't forget we also hurt Tina. Should you blame anyone, you should blame yourself first." I watched Louisette tremble in humiliation and madness as she clenches her fists and glared at Raymond.

"Even so —"

"Stop. Louisette before I could lay a hand on you. Remember your place, 'I' am your king. Do this again and you will taste wrath from me." Raymond made her shut her mouth with just a few words. Louisette wasn't shaken and was even madder to hear what he said.

I quickly hide when I saw Louisette stomping her feet and walking away from the Student Council room. When she's finally away, I entered the room and see Raymond heaving a heavy sigh.

"Raymond." His beautiful oceanic blue eyes glanced at me still his head on the top of his chair.

"Arbor, you're here." He said with his hoarse voice. It's evident in his eyes that he got stressed from what Louisette just said to him. But what did she say?

"What's the problem?" I asked and he sigh once more.

"Louisette said that she saw from the shard's memory that Yohan was the one who killed Elyse's family." I froze.

"What? But how did it? —"

"Let me tell you once again. This is the devil's shard after all. Maybe Yohan told everyone while the necklace is still around them. Or maybe the necklace saw it all." He spoke.

"The shard has after all the power of the devil. Now that its power has been eaten away after Elyse's awakening, we don't know yet when will the devil — Cain rise again." He continues.

"Why would Yohan do that?" I asked.

"Yohan said it's from the old master's order. But I doubt it's that reason." He answered.

"Why is that?"

Raymond glanced at the window from far away and the window curtains softly swaying with the wind.

"I met the old Master once. Her presence was terrifying. I was only a child back then and until now her lifeless deep purple eyes are still lingering in my mind. She didn't do anything to me but I felt like at any moment, she will have my head. Well, maybe it's because of my Ancestor's traumatic experience with her when the old Master cuts off his neck." He explained.

"She may look like that but Aunt Hezelle or the new master would always tell me stories about the two of them and I would find myself to believe she's a kind and gentle Master who suddenly went missing one night."

"Yohan is loyal to the old Master. He was the one who has the most loyalty and I wouldn't be surprised if he indeed followed her orders by killing Elyse's family. But there's this feeling that tells me it was not the old Master's doing." Raymond said as he crossed his hands while staring at me intently.

"It might be someone else's work. Someone who is also powerful like Hezelle and the Old Master." I gulped.

Is this why Elyse has been quiet for the whole week? Shit. If only I have known, I would've been there for her. I just told her that I would be there at her side whenever she needed me but when she needs me the most, I wasn't there.

"Then, who's in your mind, Ray?" I noticed him clench his teeth and stared at me.

"It must be Cain." I flinched, flustered by his answer.

"What —"

"Remember, Elyse was awakened as Lucia's Descendant in the forbidden place where 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 explains

"But it still doesn't make any sense, Raymond. Elyse's family was killed right before she could awake her powers." I replied.

"No. There's still one left aside Cain." He answered and he stood up getting a book from his bookshelf.

"I told you earlier that there's a human lady following Cain right back in the past right? It's that same woman." My eyes looked at him confused.

"This woman is also the same woman who became the next Queen right after Tina when King Samuel my Ancestor chose her instead of Tina." My eyes widen in surprise from what I just heard.

"I thought she died? —"

"She didn't die. If she died, she must have a Descendant born since she became a part of the Alphas too because she is the Queen. Even if she didn't die, she must've gone back to her real world and didn't have Descendants here." My eyes blinked as I crossed my arms.

"I see. So, you mean that this woman is the follower of Cain?" Raymond nodded his head.

"But Cain died at the hands of Tina in the past... How did she manage to have such knowledge over time?" I spoke.

"Unless... she was given immortality?" I whispered and my eyes widen in shock more.

It all makes sense now. As we all know Aniya's Descendant was hated by everyone, and everyone wants them dead. Because of this, The Lady took advantage of it by using Aniya's Descendants' souls as a sacrifice for the resurrection of the devil, Cain. She wasn't alive nor dead. She simply... just exists. But why? I feel there's something more into it. The more I think about it, the more it does make sense.

It could be that she manipulated Elyse's parents by giving the necklace that she snatched away from Tina who kept it hidden for years. The old master must've known it but she didn't do anything. Why?

Cain has the ability to shapeshift, so if he gave her some of his powers, it'll make sense that she can shapeshift too. Using the form of the old Master she ordered Yohan to kill Elyse's family. Maria who found the necklace when cleaning the house gave the necklace to Elyse without any knowledge about what necklace is it.

You couldn't recognize the necklace as Cain's soul shard because the design was copied by Aniya's necklace which is more convincing that it's indeed their family heirloom.

Everything was planned carefully by that woman.

"Raymond, can I ask you what that human woman's name is?" He glances at me and nodded his head.

"It's Mara." He answered.

"Is she also the lady who trapped us in the Olympia World?" Raymond nodded his head which made me frozen in my spot.

"I asked Aunt Hezelle about that and she confirmed that it's Mara."

I clenched my fist and gnash my teeth. My head also starts to ache as we both fell into silence. I didn't expect that there's something more than a murder case.

"Who?" Elyse's voice echoed in the quiet room between me and Raymond and we quickly glance at Elyse who has a shock and anger expression visible in her eyes and face.

I could feel that she heard what we were talking about.