Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 138: Which Way?!...

Chapter 138: Which Way?!...

Evelina clenched her jaw, refusing to give up.

The pain behind her eyes sharpened, her body growing heavier with every bottle she touched. She could feel herself reaching her limit, as the visions were coming in erratic bursts—some too fragmented to make sense, while others were so blurry that they felt like nothing at all.

Still, she pushed forward.

The missing bottle had to be here. At least, that’s what she told herself.

Relia growled in frustration. "Eve, you need to stop."

"I can’t." Evelina barely had the strength to respond out loud.

Jasper gave her a wary look. "Milady, you’re pale as hell."

Evelina ignored him and reached for another bottle. This time, she took out the dragon pearl from her pocket, feeling the smooth gemstone’s coolness against her skin.

It pulsed.

A soft glow, faint but there.

She took a deep breath and let the energy flow through her, hoping—praying—it would strengthen her visions.

The moment she touched the next bottle, her mind was yanked into another vision.

A woman whispering hurriedly. Cloaked. Her hands shaky as she placed a bottle onto a shelf.

The sound of hurried footsteps. A door closing.

A man’s voice—low, hurried. "We’ll come back for it later."

Evelina’s body trembled, and she gasped, stumbling back as her vision swam.

The glow of the dragon pearl flickered.

Relia snarled. "Evelina, that’s enough!"

She pressed her fingers to her temple. "Just a little longer..."

"No!" Relia snapped. "You’re pushing yourself too far. You can’t keep doing this!"

Evelina ignored her wolf. She had to—

But the next vision never came.

Instead—nothing.

Just... a haze.

Like her body had completely given out.

Evelina’s knees buckled. Her head spun.

She staggered back, reaching for the wall to steady herself—

However, the part of the stone wall where her hand touched began to give way, pushing in.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the stone behind her shifted, and before she could react—

She fell.

Jasper lunged for her. "Lady Evelina!"

Her breath caught as she tumbled backward into darkness.

She landed with a heavy thud, her body rolling across rough stone before coming to a stop.

Coughing, she pushed herself up on shaking arms. A layer of dust clung to her skin.

"Holy shit."

Jasper’s voice echoed from above before he jumped in after her, landing much more gracefully than she had.

A moment of silence passed between them.

Then—

"...What the hell just happened?" Evelina rasped, still trying to catch her breath.

Jasper exhaled and glanced around. Then—his eyes widened.

"No way."

Evelina frowned at him. "What?"

Jasper turned in a slow circle, his voice barely above a whisper. "This means the tales were true."

Evelina blinked. "What tales?"

Jasper didn’t answer right away. He stepped forward, brushing his fingers over the damp, carved stone walls surrounding them.

He let out a low whistle. "I think we just fell into and discovered... The Trail of Arcadia."

Evelina narrowed her eyes. "The what now?"

Jasper turned to her, eyes gleaming. "The legendary hidden passageway beneath the palace." He grinned. "And it comes with one hell of a story."

Evelina groaned. "Of course it does."

Jasper smirked. "Want to hear it?"

Evelina dusted off her hands. "Do I have a choice?"

Jasper chuckled. "Not really."

Evelina rubbed her temples, exhaling as she leaned against the damp stone wall. "Alright, Jasper. Let’s hear it. What’s so special about this place?"

Jasper dusted himself off, his eyes practically gleaming. "You mean besides the fact that it’s an ancient hidden passageway lost to time?"

He grinned. "Well, legend has it that The Trail of Arcadia was built centuries ago during the reign of King Alden—back when Arcadia was on the verge of war with Eryndell."

Evelina arched a brow. "Eryndell. The kingdom that doesn’t exist anymore?"

She had no idea how she knew that—definitely the real Evelina’s memory—but when Jasper snapped his fingers, she knew she was right. "Ding, ding. That one."

Relia hummed in her mind. "Ohhh, now this is interesting."

Jasper continued. "Back then, King Alden had a trusted knight—Lord Caelum. And Caelum was—how do I put this—madly in love with the king’s younger sister, Princess Elara."

"Let me guess," Evelina muttered. "Forbidden love?"

Jasper smirked. "Oh, the forbiddest of loves. But here’s the twist—King Alden actually approved of them."

Evelina blinked. That was... unexpected.

"But?" she prompted.

Jasper sighed dramatically. "But the war was brewing, and Eryndell had set its sights on Arcadia’s throne. To secure an alliance, the Eryndell prince demanded to marry Princess Elara."

Relia scoffed. "Of course he did."

Evelina shook her head. "Let me guess—she refused."

"Oh, she didn’t just refuse," Jasper said. "She and Caelum planned to flee together. Through this very passageway."

Evelina glanced at the stone walls surrounding them, suddenly seeing the space in a new light. "And?"

Jasper’s grin faded slightly. "And... someone betrayed them."

Evelina stilled.

Jasper’s voice lowered. "The night of their escape, the passage was ambushed. Caelum fought them off, but Elara was wounded. He carried her through these tunnels, trying to reach safety. But by the time they made it out... it was too late. She died in his arms."

Silence.

A strange weight settled in Evelina’s chest.

Jasper ran a hand through his hair. "Legend says Caelum disappeared after that. Some say he went mad. Others claim he swore vengeance and spent the rest of his days hunting down the one who betrayed them."

Evelina glanced at the walls again. "And this passage?"

Jasper shrugged. "Some say it was sealed off after the war. Others believe it still connects to hidden places within the palace." He smirked. "And now, we get to find out."

Evelina sighed. "Of course we do."

With no other option to climb back up, they started forward.

The path ahead was dimly lit by small cracks in the stone that let in bits of light. The air felt cool and had a faint, musty smell. They could hear their footsteps echoing as they walked further in.

After several minutes, they reached a clearing.

It was strange—a circular chamber with a round stone table in the center. Dust-covered books and rusted daggers lay scattered across the surface, untouched for what seemed like decades.

Evelina ran her fingers over the table. "What is this place?"

Jasper hummed. "Looks like an old meeting room." He tapped one of the books, raising a brow at the faded Arcadian crest embossed on its cover. "Someone used to plan things here."

Beyond the clearing, the passage split into three different tunnels.

Evelina crossed her arms. "So... which way?"