The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 301: No Hope

Chapter 301: No Hope

As Winter tightened its grip on the world, the residents of the Cursed Castle found themselves settling into a peaceful and predictable routine.

Each morning, Annalise and Leela worked alongside Aunt Claire in the bustling kitchen, crafting a hearty breakfast for the entire household. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon filled the air as the inhabitants eagerly anticipated their morning meal.

With each breakfast, the castle’s grand dining hall became a warm haven, its vast space gradually transforming into a cozier environment with each passing day.

At this point, the castle was no longer cursed or cold, instead, it had become the warm and cozy home that all of its residents loved dearly.

Annalise would spend her mornings engaged in rigorous training sessions with one of her husbands who barely showed her any mercy. If it was not Damien torturing her with his physical strength, then it was Kenric making her head spin with all his weaponary knowledge and tricks. Despite her constant denials, the Autumn Prince was determined to teach her how to use various weapons when she wanted to learn about only a specific one.

Other than these two, there was also Valerius and while he was way gentle and lenient compared to his brothers, his high expectations from her was making Annalise the most anxious. She didn’t want to disappoint any of her husbands and that was proving to be quite a difficult job.

Sometimes, Ezra, Marley, Elijah, and Leela would join in the training, adding an air of camaraderie and fun to the otherwise intense sessions.

Ezra and Marley were really great in both physical combat as well as weaponry. That’s why these two loved dueling with Damien and Kenric.

Leela was good with spells and since she was finally back at the castle, she had veen helping Annalise to master the water related spells.

Last but definitely not the least - Crown Prince Elijah. While his ability of physical combat and weaponary was limited, and being a mortal he couldn’t use magic, he was a really knowledgeable person. He was good at grasping information and he also knew a lot about the four realms and the Seelie Empire.

After all the training, they all enjoyed delucious meals at noon. The hearty lunch strengthened the bond among all of them, fostering a sense of unity and purpose.

As the afternoon sun bathed the castle grounds in a gentle glow, they would split into two teams to tackle the pressing matters that lay ahead.

Ezra, Marley, Elijah, and Leela took charge of investigating the recent occurrences of dark energy attacks that plagued the two realms and Seelie Empire. Their determined efforts sought to uncover the source behind these malevolent events, protecting the realms from further harm. But tracking the mastermind behind the curtains was proving to be a really difficult task.

Meanwhile, Annalise and her husbands embarked on a journey through history, delving into the enigmatic events that unfolded in the Seelie Realm ten thousand years ago.

Their pursuit of knowledge took them through ancient books and scrolls, hoping to unlock the secrets that had remained shrouded in mystery for centuries.

Not only they searched through all the books in the Castle’s library but the Princes even brought a lot of books and records from their mother’s collection, while Annalise visited the secret library in the castle to find more relevant sources.

This particular evening, the eight residents of the Cursed Castle gathered in the inviting embrace of the library. Soft, warm light from flickering candles cast a serene glow on the worn wooden shelves, laden with old books and knowledge from ages past.

They huddled around a large, ornate table, sipping fragrant cups of steaming tea, as they prepared to discuss an important matter that demanded their collective attention.

The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, as each member of the group brought their unique insights and expertise to the table. The room hummed with intellectual curiosity and determination, a reflection of the unyielding spirit that united them in their quest.

"Any new findings?" Kenric asked Ezra’s team once they all had settled down.

Ezra let out a deep sigh which was a clear indication of his frustration. "Not really. We have checked all the places of attacks and other than destruction and the dark energy, there’s nothing else. Despite our constant efforts, it has been impossible to trace the dark energy’s origin. Whoever is behind all this, they are not leaving any evidence behind."

The table was surrounded by silence for a couple of moments before Annalise spoke up - "I think there’s a way."

All eyes were suddenly at her as everyone looked forward to what kind of idea she had in her mind. "What is it?" Ezra asked.

"What if we are present at the scene during the time of attack? I’m sure I can track the black energy and..."

"No!"

"No way!"

"Definitely not an option!"

Before Annalise could have finished speaking out her idea completely, she was stopped by her husbands who shouted out their disagreement all together.

The initial shock was lifted after a couple of seconds of silence and Ezra was the first one to speak - "They are right, Lady Annalise. No matter how desperate we are to find clues and stop the dark energy from destroying our world, we can’t make you take such risks. It’s not worth it."

Before Annalise could speak in defense of her idea, Leela also chimed in - "Just forget about doing anything stupid like this. We will come up with something better."

Though Annalise knew that all of them were thinking about her safety, there was no denying that her plan had a lot of potential to solve a lot of their troubles.

They talked for nearly an hour, discussing various ideas that could possibly help them find some much needed leads but by the time they all finished the meeting and headed downstairs for dinner, none of them looked really happy as they hadn’t really came up with any promising plan.