Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 86: Mirror realm of the old world

Chapter 86: Mirror realm of the old world

Oddly enough, Vivian never believed she would have been so relieved to see Soran. However, her mind was still conflicted between whether it had all been an illusion or if Alaric was truly there with her before.

"Is it really you?" Vivian asked hopefully, her voice cracking just as she was on the verge of tears. Soran, who was someone she didn’t easily warm up to upon their first meeting, had come to her aid.

"As real as I can be," Soran affirmed, chuckling. His hands were concealed in the pockets of his coat as he approached her. "How does a little wolf like you wander in the mirror realm of the Old World, Miss Moonborn?" He stopped a few feet away from her, gazing down with a comforting smile.

Vivian shook her head, brushing away her tears. She inhaled a deep breath to calm her nerves before interrogating him for answers.

"I don’t know." Vivian confessed, briefly recounting the events at the start of her stroll with Ronan leading up to now. "And that’s how I ended up here," she explained in detail, deciding to leave out the finer details of her inner wolf’s presence.

She was sceptical of revealing too much information about the inner turmoil she faced. Only Ronan was reserved the right to know every little detail about her.

So while Soran might have been considered a saviour of some sort, he was still somewhat untrustworthy. Thus, she didn’t mention anything about Alaric’s presence either. As much as she needed confirmation as to whether Alaric was an illusion or there in the flesh, she didn’t want to risk anything.

Not yet, at least.

"What did you mean by the realm of the Old World?" Vivian questioned curiously, taking a seat at the foot of Lunaria’s statue. "How did I end up here, and how were you able to enter this place?"

Too many questions. Soran sighed mentally, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. Ronan must have taught her to be wary and vigilant. She’s smarter than she looks, withholding information about Alaric and her inner wolf.

Soran crouched down beside her and gestured to the space of the chambers they were in.

"These are the ritual chambers of Goddess Lunaria’s temple. Perhaps you were brought here for some reason unknown," Soran explained, his eyes raking over Lunaria’s statue with a subtle smirk. "The mirror realm is a space that exists on the surface of the Old World. It is like walking on glass, and a whole world exists beneath that transparency. This place is a reflection of the true Old World."

Soran further explained that with the death of the Old World, various Wickan Covens banded together to recreate pathways to the Old World. However, they were unsuccessful in creating a direct pathway to the realm of the Old World, thus constantly tampering with space and time; the mirror world emerged as a pseudo-space of the Old World.

"So there are rune circles scattered around our world because those are traces of the paths Wickans tried to create to the Old World?" Vivian voiced her conclusion, and Soran nodded in agreement. "Why haven’t those rune circles been deactivated? Isn’t that strange?"

Soran frowned. He didn’t like the way Vivian paid attention to smaller details. He would have preferred if she wasn’t as bright and smart.

"There are many spread out across the world. Some are extremely difficult to trace," Soran countered, standing up again and offering her his hand.

Vivian gladly took his hand, finding the strength to stand up. She dusted her clothes from the sand grains collected at the bottom of Lunaria’s statue, somewhat relieved that she wasn’t trapped in a realm she had no understanding of nor any familiarity with.

"That may be true," Vivian said firmly, her forehead creasing. "But this rune circle is extremely close to the vicinity of Sabre Coven’s territory, so it should have been detected and deactivated a long time ago." She stood firm in her statements, arms crossed under her bosom.

Soran didn’t like the accusatory tone in Vivian’s words. As much as he absolutely despised the way Lady Morgana disregarded his justified reasons for revenge, he’d sooner off himself rather than tarnishing the reputation of Sabre Coven.

Sabre Coven was his home. His family. Even if it was all just pretend familial relationships and fake smiles.

The fact remained that Lady Morgana had once rescued him from dark times.

"It was an error in my judgement," Soran justified, his jaw clenching a moment after while he avoided Vivian’s gaze. "I was responsible for scouting those rune circles and deactivating them, but perhaps my incompetence was more apparent than my detection skills." He snorted, not arrogantly, but rather in a way that sounded like he was disappointed in himself to Vivian.

She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled sympathetically.

"You must have worked hard for that task," Vivian said with understanding, her voice softer and lighter than before. "I was wrong to assume that the rune circle was deliberately left untouched."

Soran nodded.

"We should leave this place," the Wickan said as a reminder. "It’s better not to overstay our visit and..." He trailed off, his expression dimming with worry while he avoided direct eye contact again.

"What is it?" Vivian pressed, frowning. "What happened? Is it Ronan?"

"You should see for yourself when we return," Soran answered with a pained and faint curl of his lips. "You might not like what you see when you return."

Vivian’s lips tightened into a thin line, her emerald eyes wavering with anxiety. Her mind delved into unthinkable scenarios when she could see the undisguised despair in Soran’s eyes.

Something untoward definitely occurred in her absence.

Oh, how easily she cracks when it involves the Wolfsbane bastard. Soran gained satisfaction from witnessing Vivian’s distraught state even before she could be shown and informed of Ronan’s unstable condition.

How would she react when she was the Lycan Alpha with her own eyes? The anticipation of the thrill was much too strong to delay any further.

Soran wouldn’t dare pass up an opportunity to make Vivian crumble and expose her vulnerability. Her weakness would only enhance the long-term, lasting effects of the concoction he forced her to consume.

"Then we must go now, Soran." Vivian insisted, and Soran didn’t argue.

She didn’t waste any more time remaining idle and followed Soran out of the temple of the goddess Lunaria. The Wickan drew the same rune circle as the one in the forest, paving a dimensional path for them back into the regular world.

The moment her feet landed on the patch of grass where the first rune circle was, Vivian lifted her dress, kicked off her useless boots, and ran ahead without waiting for Soran to accompany her.

The Wickan didn’t bother to pursue her and casually followed behind at his leisurely pace.

Vivian didn’t bother about the thorns and sharp roots jutting out of the ground scratching her legs and feet or tearing at her skin. By now, she’d been accustomed to physical pain; thus, small injuries were of no consequence.

Her dress, which she so much adored earlier, became tattered and torn along the way, her chest heaving as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

Please be alright. Please...please... Vivian constantly pleaded in her mind

When she arrived at Sabre Coven’s mansion, Lady Morgana was already lying in wait at the entrance. The Coven Leader’s gaze expanded with shock upon seeing Vivian’s dishevelled state, but she didn’t question the she-wolf and only guided her by the arm.

"Listen, Vivian," Lady Morgana began, eyeing the she-wolf worriedly from the corner of her eye. "I think it would be better if you get cleaned up, rest for a bit, and then when you’re stable enough, you can see Ronan."

Vivian shook her head stubbornly and demanded to know about Ronan’s condition. What happened while she was away? Why did it seem like everyone was walking around on eggshells?

Along their way, she noticed that much of the mansion’s interior in the foyer was destroyed and wrecked. The Wickans were already on duty, working tirelessly on the repairs.

Was Ronan the cause of it all?

What could have happened to make him lose such control?

"I want to see him now," Vivian insisted, her voice firm and absolute. If it meant challenging Lady Morgana in her own domain, then so be it.

"I warned you," Lady Morgana repeated, her brows taut as she lifted Vivian up to carry her in her arms effortlessly. "That mate of yours won’t like your pretty feet walking bare on the ground when it’s scratched and bruised."