Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 655: The source of Riona’s flames

Chapter 655: The source of Riona’s flames

One might think it redundant that Alex asked the same question at every turn, but if there was anything he’d learned on his time on Earth, it was that people changed.

It didn’t matter how many life-threatening incidents they experienced alongside you.

There would always be the possibility of their fire dwindling before ultimately dying out.

In the first place, these people didn’t share the same vision as him.

They had all, due to various circumstances, decided of their free will to join him on this arduous journey so the least he could do was ensure that they still felt the same way they felt when they first started on this quest with him.

He waited in silence, his gaze sweeping across everyone present as he quickly realized that none planned on saying anything in response.

The fire in their eyes, however, spoke volumes.

It seemed, for now, there was nothing to worry about.

Taking a deep breath, he intoned. "If there are no dissents, then we may continue this meeting."

The tense atmosphere dipped before rising once again, though for a different reason than the first.

"As of now, we have acquired three Branches." Alex began. "The Mantle of Darkness, Ashtyx, and finally, the Fountain of Knowledge.

"Before, I would have been clueless as to how many more are left before our journey is complete. However, that, my friends, is about to change."

"What do you mean?" Ana asked.

Alex hadn’t spoken about what he’d seen before he ran mad as he hadn’t thought it to be the right time.

Now, however, surrounded by his allies, he decided it was best to share what he’d learned.

"With the aid of the Fountain of Knowledge, I’ve discovered that there are twelve Branches," Alex stated calmly after which he paused, allowing the group to digest his words.

Ulysses was the first to speak up soon after. "It’s said that the 10 Locks of the Immortal Wheels are designed by some divine architect who took inspiration from the Absolute One himself."

"But then there should be two more locks, right?" Arwen inquired with Ana shaking her head.

"Perhaps not."

"But why?"

"I believe that is a question none of us can answer at the moment." Elena calmly said with Nadia agreeing with her words while adding some of her own.

"Nor should we attempt to do so."

There were too many things in Eventide that humans didn’t understand and for some, it was best to never understand them.

"So we have three Branches," Victoria remarked. "Where are the other nine?"

"There were some I saw that were... confusing, to say the least, but the one I recognized the most was the Midnight Pearl," Alex remarked. "It’s currently trapped within the ancestral halls of the now-extinct werewolf tribes."

"If it’s truly within the cursed halls of Twilight, then it might be problematic to get to it." Ulysses calmly pointed out, earning a look from Alex.

"Twilight?"

"It’s the current name of the once glorious halls that served as the meeting place for the Thirteen Houses, who were regarded as the most powerful werewolf packs at that time. Before the curse that caused the downfall of the werewolves, it was known as Luna’s Dwelling, named after Luna, the patron saint of the werewolves."

"I see." Alex nodded in understanding. "But why is it problematic to get in?"

"Two reasons." Ulysses intoned as he raised two fingers. "Firstly, the entrance to Twilight appears only during the Month of Astra. Secondly, only a werewolf can locate the entrance. So even if we can wait for the first condition, the second is rather difficult to overcome."

Alex shook his head. "No, it’s not."

"Uhmm, you happen to know a living purebred?"

Alex nodded. "Something like that."

"Okay, so what about the others?" Ana asked.

Just as Alex was about to answer, Arwen raised her hand, drawing attention to her.

She seemed troubled so most revealed traces of worry with Elena inquiring. "Are you alright?"

Arwen nodded. "I know where one of the Branches is."

"You do?"

"Yes. It’s also the source of Riona’s flames and the reason she lost her mind."

"She was once sane?" Alex was compelled to ask with Arwen replying.

"I told you. Just as she experienced my life, I experienced hers as well."

"I see. So what Branch did she come in contact with?"

"It’s known publicly as the Veil, though few are aware of its identity of being much more than a visual phenomenon."

"When you say the Veil, you mean the Silent Veil?" Ana asked with Arwen nodding in response.

"Riona managed to get access to a piece in her quest to overcome death. Naturally, she failed to overcome death and had her pneuma sent into the Afterlife while the piece she managed to get was transformed into the Silent Curtain."

"That explains a few things..." Elena remarked. "But to my understanding, the Silent Veil isn’t even tangible, how are we supposed to get it?"

"Can someone explain to me what the Silent Veil is?" Alex finally asked in exasperation, not following what was being said.

Ana took up the mantle of explaining to him, leaving him with a complicated look on his face.

"So it’s like an aurora?"

"A what?"

"Never mind," Alex muttered before echoing Elena’s worries. "How do we get something like that?"

"Before we think about getting it, there’s something else I need to say," Arwen remarked.

"What is it?"

"There’s something wrong with the Veil."

"What do you mean?"

Pursing her lips, Arwen struggled to articulate her thoughts as she muttered. "Something chaotic. It’s almost like a lake filled with clear water, but for some reason, it’s been muddied, and the muddier it gets, the more danger it poses to everyone around its vicinity."

"... But the Veil is everywhere."

"It is." Arwen nodded. "I should add that from what I’ve understood, Riona isn’t the one who came up with the plan to ignite Eventide. It was the Veil, or, at least, whatever it is that’s caused it to be muddy."