CHAPTER 28: THE ROGUE SLAYER P8
~28.8~
*****
Evelyn and Kye appeared on the white stone platform that served as Eve’s throne. Eve expected the soul of a certain pink-haired girl to be there, but the platform was empty. “What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’?”
Neither could sense any souls except their own. “This is unusual.”
“It is, but let’s skip to the part where you tell me where she is.”
Eve turned and saw the look of desperation in Kye’s eyes. She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Very well.” She raised her hand and a rectangular screen appeared. “Show us where Maya’s soul resides.”
An image of the Blue Cat territory appeared on the screen.
“There?” Eve asked. Confused, she began to glow with a variety of colors.
“Ah, rainbow mana,” Kye said with a confident smile. “So even you are baffled by this. Enough that you’re using that.”
Now using both hands, Eve deftly manipulated the screen. Time reversed until Lana and Alethea appeared on the screen. “Look away if you don’t wish to see what happened.”
“No. I won’t look away.” Kye steeled herself and released her Radiance. Her body glowed with a brilliant white aura, as did her eyes. “Whatever happened, I will see it for myself.”
“Very well.” Eve triggered the scene to play, and they watched. Lana severed Alethea’s neck, and Kaede transformed to her human state and wrapped her Radiance around her wielder. All of that happened in under a second. What Lana could not see and what Kaede did not notice was Maya’s soul leaving Alethea’s body the instant her neck was severed. Her soul immediately plunged downward and latched on to the nearest soulless body. “So that’s what happened. Maya likely wanted so badly to make sure she stayed with you she triggered the reincarnation herself. But, since it’s not a normal reincarnation... she couldn’t inhabit a new body. There was none being born at that time, so she latched onto the next closest thing. A soulless body on life support. The body she inhabited lost its soul...”
Eve weaved her hands and made the screen display the information. “The original owner of that body is a soul named Liya. She was a resident of farmland near Athas once upon a time and has reincarnated ever since you sent the population above. The girl’s soul is currently in between. She’s floating in my domain here somewhere.” Eve glanced into the distance, having found her. “It seems she died from mental trauma.”
“Mental trauma? What happened?”
Eve shook her head. “I’ve shown you more than I should have as it is. The important thing to know is that Maya’s soul has taken refuge in that girl’s body. I’ll be sure to take care of Liya here.”
“You always take care of everyone,” Kye said with a warm smile.
Eve smiled in return. “Thanks. I assume you’re ready to go find her?”
Kye nodded, and Eve returned them to the bedroom. She quickly explained to Layla and Hannah before going back to Elea. She left Lana with Allison and called Luma to visit the Blue Cat city with her.
*****
“Lady Luma, may I ask why one of your status has come here to visit a hospitalized girl?”
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Luma glanced at Kye, who explained, “I’m the one here to visit. Luma is serving as my guide.”
The way Kye spoke took the nurse aback.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kye, remember where you are.”
“Hmm? Oh.” She turned to the nurse. “You’ll have to forgive the apparent discourtesy. Luma and I know each other personally. Anyway, who are this girl’s parents? I need to meet with them.”
“Miss, if you don’t already know that, I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”
Kye sighed in annoyance. “I-”
Luma shook her head and cut her off. “You may as well tell her. Refusing will not stop her from finding out. It will only slow her down.”
“I apologize, Lady Luma. I am not permitted to give out personal information to unauthorized visitors, even one such as the Sword Saint. I ask that you visit the chief in this regard.”
“Enough.” Kye’s eyes narrowed “I will not wait around only to be told no.” She held out a hand and released a wave of white aether that quickly coated the hallway they stood in and the room where Liya’s body laid.
“Miss, please, you must not-” The nurse tried to reach for Kye’s arm, but Luma grabbed a hold of the nurse’s arm first.
“You will not lay a hand on her without permission,” Luma said, her eyes cold. “Stand back and be quiet. If you would simply give us information, she wouldn’t do this. But since you’re being obstinate, she is using mana to find this girl’s parents. A parent and child’s mana is as similar to each other as DNA.”
The nurse’s eyes widened. “She can tell that?”
“That and much more. I said you’d only slow her down.”
Kye closed her eyes and began channeling silvery white aether on a large scale and spread it out in all directions, beyond the hospital and throughout the city. “Elysium, I offer this aether in return for sight. Take this aether and illuminate all. Show me the way to Liya’s parents. <
A few moments later, Kye opened her eyes and held her hand out to Luma. “Found them.”
“You did that so blatantly, there’s no way the local authorities won’t be alerted.”
“I don’t care. Let them be alerted.”
Luma just shook her head, took Kye’s hand, and they warped away.
*****
A loud clap followed by a thud resounded in the office when Atalante was told the new about Alethea. Astraia knew first, having been present in weapon form, and immediately contacted Astarte when Kye and Evelyn left together. When she found out, Atalante slapped Astarte hard enough to send her across the room and into the wall.
“Lanti-!” Astraia began, but she stopped short. Atalante eyed her only long enough to silence her.
“Why?” Atalante said as she slowly walked toward Astarte. “Why did this happen? What was so important that you had to leave her alone? You know Kaede is not ready. The day you suggested soul-binding with her, I was so taken aback, but also very happy. I thought to myself, ‘My sister is going to look after my daughter. I have nothing to worry about! She’ll have one of the strongest in Atlantis protecting her personally for as long as she needs.’ But now?”
Astarte struggled to her feet, and was frozen in fear when she looked up. Atalante had a powerful look in her eyes. There was anger, sadness, and apathy. It was the latter that Astarte was most afraid of. “Lanti, I-”
“Silence!” Atalante spoke sharply, not too loud, but the intent in her words was greater than anyone that would shout in a similar situation. “Athanasia. Alexandros. Artemios. And now... Alethea.” A tear rolled down her face, and she stopped. She turned away from her sisters and walked over to the window. From there she could see the city proper, but she didn’t see the present day. Rather, she saw images of herself and Alethea a decade prior sneaking out of the palace for a private outing together.
Behind her, in the middle of the room, a rainbow colored portal appeared, and through it stepped Eve. “Hello, Atalante.”
Without as much as turning her head, Atalante answered, “Please, not now.”
“I only came to wait, anyway. I’ll sit here.” Eve sat down on one of the couches along the wall.
“Suit yourself.”
Atalante continued looking out of the window while Astarte and Astraia greeted Eve.
“Wait for what?” Astraia asked.
“The two of you are soul-bound to my children, and you need to ask?”
“I-”
Another portal appeared, one of silvery white aether, and through it stepped Kye, Luma, and a blue-haired cat girl. Atalante quickly turned around. She recognized the mana coming from the blue cat in an instant.
Her eyes wide, and her voice weak, Atalante asked, “Alethea?”
*****
Revision: 2024-9-9