Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 653: Expecting the worst only to receive the best

Chapter 653: Expecting the worst only to receive the best

The Silent Curtain continued to float in midair as Alex, with Humphrey’s aid, kept the flaming skulls at bay.

The delicate balance that had persisted with the flaming skulls attempting to reach the relic while Alex held them back was slowly tilting toward the former as their flames burned the spatial barriers strengthened by gray ice that Alex had erected along with Humphrey.

"Damn it." Alex cursed as he watched the cracks in the barriers extend, branching out in every direction.

At the current rate, he wouldn’t be able to last longer than two minutes and that was stretching it.

He couldn’t risk knowing what would happen if he touched the relic directly, nor could he head over to the other side behind the curtain, leaving the flaming skulls to do as they pleased with the cursed item.

Hence, he had two choices: either he ran away and left the curtain, or he stood his ground.

Considering he couldn’t exactly jump dimensions like Elena, that meant he’d only end up in another area within the Afterlife.

Gritting his teeth, he sent a glance at the floating Curtain, pondering if the banshee had failed to end the battle.

"Humphrey, we have to prepare for the possibility that Arwen returns the same way she left." Alex suddenly remarked with Humphrey glancing at him.

The only way to win is to kill the girl, but considering how close she is to the Domain of Death, that might be difficult.

Alex was just about to respond when he sensed something, causing him to once again shift his attention to the relic.

It suddenly contracted and then extended, spitting out a frail Arwen.

After this, the curtain flew up before rushing down and engulfing Arwen’s body before Alex could react.

By the time it was absorbed into Arwen’s body, her frail physique was gone, replaced by a healthy look.

"Arwen..."

The barrier is coming down!

The next moment, the barriers shattered like glass, allowing the flaming skulls to rush toward Arwen, seemingly intent on devouring her.

Alex instinctively snapped, allowing him to teleport to Arwen’s side before teleporting away just as a pillar of flames slammed down like a symbol of judgment.

***

They appeared behind a pillar, not too far from their previous location with Alex holding on to Arwen tightly while checking to see if the flaming skulls could track him down.

The moment one looked in his direction, he had his answer.

He immediately snapped again and again, trying his hardest to keep his distance but try as he may, he quickly came upon a grin discovery.

There was no place safe for him in the Afterlife.

Just as he was considering attempting to teleport out of the dimension, Arwen’s eyes fluttered open and landed on him before she suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"Elena’s in danger." She said in an urgent tone, after which the scenery changed, and Alex found himself in a bone-white roofed cemetery.

Before Alex could figure out what was happening, Arwen left his arms and rushed towards the center of the cemetery where a humanoid figure made of golden dust was being held hostage by several skeletal hands.

"Elena!" Arwen exclaimed as the skeletal hands were retracted, allowing the humanoid figure to dissipate into specks of golden dust.

"No!"

Snapping out of his reverie, Alex snapped, allowing Humphrey to appear with the latter transmuting space to contain the dust before pulling it back together into a human form.

"Damn it." Alex cursed as he rushed over just as Arwen arrived before the reformed humanoid figure.

"Elena, can you hear me?"

Seconds passed with Arwen close to falling into despair only for a familiar voice to respond.

"Arwen, is that you?"

It emanated from the entirety of the dust figure, almost like it was its entire body speaking.

"What happened to her?" Alex asked once he got close enough.

Arwen’s expression shifted as she replied. "I nearly killed her."

"It’s not your fault, Arwen. The entity in your body is at fault."

"Speaking of entities," Alex remarked as he turned to face Arwen squarely. "Arwen, are you really Arwen?"

Arwen glanced at Alex with a complicated look on her face. "I don’t know."

"Explain."

"... I feel like I’m Arwen, but I also feel like I’m Riona. Like I have two identities that are very real and at the same time, distinct."

"I see." Alex nodded, likening her current state to a multiple personality disorder.

"I also feel like if I’m not careful, I’d end up going crazy," Arwen confessed.

Alex reached out and patted her hair down. "Don’t worry, that won’t happen."

Arwen looked up at him before finally stepping forward and embracing him.

A moment later, she began to sob silently into his chest.

At the same time, she swore she could hear a familiar voice in her head.

"I’m sorry, little one."

***

The confusion of the Constellations members was settled the moment Alex returned with an unconscious Arwen and a remade Elena.

"Oh my goodness, Elena!" Nadia exclaimed as she rushed over and hugged the blonde-haired woman tightly, almost like she didn’t wish to let go.

Ana has an awkward look on her face, while Victoria couldn’t care less.

"Did something happen?" Alex asked, noting the strange atmosphere.

"No." Ana quickly replied, beating Ulysses to the punch. "Anyways, is the situation resolved?"

Though perplexed by their odd demeanors, Alex decided not to think much of it as he nodded. "More or less. A banshee turned out to be the hero of the day."

"That must have been Gregory." Nadia intoned as she finally let Elena go, the latter gasping for air while holding on to the former.

"Who?"

Nadia hesitated before finally replying. "Arwen’s father."

Silence followed for a brief period before Alex nodded. "Now that explains a lot."

Then, he glanced at Arwen who was still unconscious in his arms. "A whole lot."

Letting out a sigh, he addressed everyone. "Come on, we should leave while we still can. There’s no reason we have to remain here any longer."

With all in agreement, Alex snapped, and a moment later, they were all gone, devoured by the black-and-white light.