Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 326: She who lurks

Chapter 326: She who lurks

"O lady of the lamp."

It was in a musty room lit up by candlelight, Illuminating the red and black embroidery that adorned the walls.

"She who lurks."

The man was hunched over as though in prayer, donning a rather fancy suit with a silver cane beside him.

"The epitome of sorrows and the most beautiful of all."

Before the man was a tall mirror placed against the wall.

The mirror’s edges made of fine wood were carved rather finely with the likeness of serpents on the left and right sides.

An aesthetically pleasing sight.

"I call on thee, your child carries a message. Hear my cries."

Silence followed once the man was done with the man making no attempt to move from his position as he waited patiently for something.

And soon enough, his patience was rewarded.

A subtle wind, one which seemed to carry voices from a distant place, drafted in despite the room being sealed.

The wind swept across the rooms, disturbing the calm rhythm of the candle flames.

Moments later, the yellow flames turned an eerie green and with this change, the room once hot, turned horribly cold though the man seemed unaffected judging by how calm he was.

The surface of the mirror before him rippled like an aqueous solution before the image of the man praying was erased, replaced by the image of a hall, one in which alabaster pillars stood strong and the walls were lit by the same green flame that now adorned the candles in his room.

Despite all this, the man still didn’t move, his head bowed in reverence, revealing the hair filled with grey hair.

Seconds passed before the blurry image of a feminine figure appeared within the mirror.

The figure regarded the man for a moment before remarking in a distant, almost ethereal tone. "Raise your head, my child."

Almost like he had been waiting for the words, the man shot up right instantly as his eyes landed on the mirror before him.

"I greet the Mouthpiece." The man intoned respectfully with a bow.

"Why have you called for me, Lord Fitzgerald?"

"I bring news, your grace. Lucius has sent a message."

"Lucius?... Your student we chose to act as a proxy to Aragon?"

"Yes, your grace."

"Hadn’t you said that he had died?... Now you say he sent a message?"

"Please do not misunderstand, your grace. I honestly thought he had died after how our last correspondence ended but now I can’t help but wonder if I was wrong. The message sent was in his handwriting, his particular style of writing, and everything else. I didn’t know what to make of it and so I thought to seek your guidance." Lord Fitzgerald quickly explained with the lady in the mirror remaining silent as she pondered his words.

Seconds passed before she inquired. "What were the contents of the letter?"

"He reiterated what he had told me the last time about Aragon’s betrayal. He also informed me that he is currently on his way back to the city with relevant information on the situation in Aragon and he has a companion."

"A companion?"

"Indeed, in the letter, he explains that the person was the one who saved him from the attacks he suffered on that night. Though he was wary of the individual, he did reveal a desire to bring her back for screening. According to him, she has a reason for saving him and wishes to meet me to have it fulfilled."

Fitzgerald’s words were left to linger for a while before the lady inquired yet again.

"What are your thoughts?"

"... I’m not sure, your grace. Though I’m glad to learn of his survival, I can’t help but wonder if something is wrong as my gut leans towards that train of thought." Lord Fitzgerald remarked, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts before adding. "And my gut is never wrong, especially when it comes to danger."

"I can understand your sentiment. Even I feel that something is wrong with Lucius."

"Do I send men to intercept the train carriage?... Perhaps end him to avoid any problems?"

"I don’t think that would be necessary."

"But, your grace..."

"What if Lucius is problematic?... Or perhaps, what if that’s not Lucius at all?"

"... Indeed, your grace. I’m worried about what could go wrong."

"Don’t fret. Let him come, it would be easy for us if he happens to be a spy sent by the mysterious organization Lucius had mentioned the last time. That way we can get some Intel on these fools that have decided to go against us."

"And if he isn’t?"

"Then that’s fine as well. However, let him arrive first."

"I understand, your grace. I’ll do as you’ve said."

"Good. I’ll have him notarized to ensure that he is clean when he arrives. Once done we would extract the knowledge he gleaned from his time in Aragon. After that, we can consider punishment for his failure of not completing the mission assigned to him."

Fitzgerald trembled at the last statement, having already thought that the lady had deemed it fit to forgive Lucius for the blunder in Aragon.

Alas, that was only wishful thinking.

Letting out a sigh, Fitzgerald nodded. "Understood, your grace."

"Good. Now return and prepare to receive the boy. I have other matters to attend to."

With that, the mirror suddenly blackened almost like it were a gateway to a void before returning to a normal state reflecting the dark-skinned Fitzgerald.

The candles had also lost the green hue they once possessed, providing enough lighting as Fitzgerald cleaned up the room before solemnly making his way out.

***

Emily seemed a bit out of it as she sat through her lectures for the day.

Her mind was filled with the wonders she’d learned from Douglas ever since she regained her memories.

Due to how fantastical it all sounded, her mundane world of engineering felt a bit too small in comparison.

A world where one could control the elements and that was just the start.

It was absolutely exhilarating.

The thoughts set her mind ablaze as she desired to become a part of that world.

Just as she considered reaching out to Douglas today, a sudden tap on her shoulder jolted her out of her daydreaming.

"Hmm?"

"Ms. Regulus, is everything okay?" The lecturer in front asked with a concerned expression.

Realizing she was spacing out and she had to be tapped by the person sitting in front of her, Emily quickly apologized. "Yes sir, I’m fine. Sorry about that."

Scrutinizing her for a moment, the lecturer nodded before returning to teaching.

Needless to say, Emily gleaned nothing from everything he said.

Once classes were done, she immediately slipped out, worried that she’d be called by the lecturer which was spot on as the lecturer did look for her but didn’t find her due to her hasty exit.

Just as she stepped out of the college premises, pondering how to contact Douglas, Emily suddenly glanced across the street out of habit, and... there he was.

Douglas stood across the street, his green hair and eyes gone, instead replaced by a mundane black.

Seeing him wave at her, a smile tugged at the corners of Emily’s lips as she waved back.

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