Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 506: When death comes knocking

Chapter 506: When death comes knocking

Silence.

It persisted for a long time as Alex held Albus in his arms, waiting as the last bit of warmth escaped the old professor’s body.

He let out a heavy sigh as he set Albus’s body down before rising to his feet.

Master.

"Don’t worry, I’m okay," Alex muttered. "He died on his terms and his last moments were blissful."

He felt grateful to the old man.

He’d helped him recover some of his emotions, allowing him to feel like a normal human again.

For a moment, Alex wondered if there was something to learn from Albus and indeed, there was.

There was a reason he had a code of conduct.

If in Albus’s position, Alex would have also opted for death as it would be much better than being unrecognizable to the one he loved.

Taking a deep breath, he intoned softly. "Rest easy."

Master, the snow.

"Albus is not the source." Alex calmly remarked. "It’s the same as in Townsend, he is merely a watchman. The true owner of this winter town is the 1st-Class that he unfortunately summoned and if I’m correct..."

Alex trailed off as he glanced above, taking a moment to inspect the sky before adding. "The Otherworldly should be coming in now."

Crack

It appeared as how a mirror would if struck by a hard object, the cracks continually spreading as it revealed a world beyond.

What emerged was the unnaturally large visage of an old woman covered in several tiny tentacles resembling fur, its deep blue eyes filled with maddening malevolence.

As its mouth opened, a screech followed, and after that, a blizzard.

***

He felt empty inside as he walked the hallway.

Time and again, he had suffered a loss.

His father, his mother, his brother.

It hurt more than he hoped it would.

He’d thought he was strong, strong enough to prevent Emily from being taken away but circumstances dictated that he was nowhere near good enough.

He still recalled being trapped in stasis.

If only he were fast enough to deal with the creature in Emily’s womb.

But alas, there was no point in regrets, and even as he knew that it was difficult to come out of it.

Just then, he walked past an Enforcer, their shoulders briefly touching.

"Aye, watch where you’re going!" The Enforcer yelled out but Douglas ignored him, continuing his solitary walk as he wallowed in self-pity.

Why was life so cruel, he thought.

Couldn’t it have chosen anyone else?... Why did it have to be Emily?

He wondered what she’d be experiencing now in the hands of those vile bastards.

It hurt just thinking about it.

"Didn’t you hear me talking to you?"

Douglas paused before turning to face the Enforcer.

One look was enough to see that the latter was itching for a fight, almost begging Douglas to fight back.

Alas, he was too insignificant to be taken seriously.

The continent was facing a catastrophe and his sister was in the hands of madmen.

Where was the time to factor in an angry Enforcer looking for where to vent?

Shaking his head, he walked away and the Enforcer felt even more insulted but knowing the foolishness behind his actions, decided against harassing Douglas any longer.

Soon enough, Douglas arrived in the courtyard where Lucille meditated.

The aura within the yard was calming and for a moment, Douglas managed to pull out of his self-pity long enough to acknowledge the serenity it provided.

"You are here." Lucille intoned calmly. "Is there a problem?"

"No."

"Then..."

"I just... I needed to clear my thoughts." Douglas intoned.

"Is it because of your sister?" Lucille inquired.

"You know?"

"The Dark Lord told me."

Douglas nodded in understanding though it did nothing to change his demeanor. "The Abyss took her and I can’t sense her any longer... I’m scared."

"Her being alive wouldn’t exactly be a good thing. For the Abyss, being dead is better than being corrupted."

"You are not helping."

"I merely speak the truth."

"Just stop talking."

Letting out a sigh, Douglas turned to leave only for Lucille to speak up.

"You must love her a lot."

Douglas paused and taking a deep breath, replied. "With every fiber of my being."

"Have you considered the possibility that she won’t make it?"

"She will."

"But..."

"She will," Douglas repeated before glancing at the homunculi, his tone filled with conviction. "Because I won’t allow anything to happen to her."

***

Nadia ran like her life depended on it, crossing through hallways with Arwen trying to keep up while calling out to her.

But she didn’t stop, not even for a moment.

Her mind was filled with dread as she cursed herself.

Why did she meet with Arthur while still a Witch?... Why hadn’t she stayed by Alex as she initially planned?

Why, why, why!

She moved around an Enforcer that just stepped out of a corner and continued running with Arwen apologizing as she passed the same person.

Soon, she arrived at where she thought he would be, hardly breathless, perhaps as a result of her Dhampir physiology.

Thankfully, he was there.

"Oh, Nadia..." Arthur didn’t even get to finish his statement as she rushed over and embraced him.

Moments later, she began to sob with Arthur left perplexed.

"Is there a problem?... Did one of those Enforcers overstep?" Arthur inquired with furrowed brows.

Arwen appeared at the door, her expression quickly morphing into one filled with pity and guilt as she stared at her big sister Cassie sobbing without restraint.

Glancing at her, Arthur asked. "What happened?"

Before Arwen could respond, Nadia broke the embrace before grabbing Arthur’s hand and placing it on her head.

"This..."

"Uncle, promise me you won’t go anywhere near a battlefield. Swear to me you won’t fight."

"Nadia, you know that’s not possible." Arthur joked only to be met with a stern gaze.

"Swear to me or I promise I will kill myself right now." Nadia threatened causing Arthur’s expression to shift as he scolded her.

"Nadia, what is the meaning of this?"

"Please." Nadia broke down with tears trailing down her cheeks, hardly able to keep up the false anger. "Please just swear to me. I don’t want to lose you."

Seeing his strong niece so vulnerable, Arthur hesitated but ultimately replied. "Alright, I swear. I won’t fight."

"Promise?"

"Absolutely," Arthur assured before pulling Nadia in for a hug. "Now enough with that, you look better with a smile on your face."

Watching Nadia try to keep Arthur away from death was supposed to be heartwarming but Arwen knew more than anyone else... When death comes knocking, there is no escape.