“This is my mom, Isabel Moore.”
“Welcome, come in and make yourself at home.” Her voice was gentle. However, as she finished speaking, she glanced up at the sky.
It was an action that drew others curious stares. The part of the sky she was looking at was just normal sky, clearly still affected by whatever was being used to change the look and feel of the environment.
Seemingly noticing this, finding out what drew her attention, she was gracious and willing to share. The sky started to ripple as the entire sky changed. The breeze that smelled of grass from the illusionary plain was still blowing warmly and softly across their bodies.
Everyone, at the moment, was watching the sky. Not paying any attention to this. Though, everyone was pulled back to reality by the soft chuckles of Isabel.
Being stared at, she smiled softly, turning to look behind them, “Maybe you should explain it.”
The two turned to look at Jessica with confusion, however, she too was looking behind her. Coming in, she was the last one, only right now there was a fourth figure that was inside the plains with them.
Everblood sighed with a little bit of grievance, “Alright.”
Still confused, the three saw Isabel gesture for them to look back at the sky. A blue sky with some clouds rippled once more as everything changed, a few clouds could be seen, at a far larger scope. Taking a moment, it was possible to see that the view changed to a closer version. It was then that a fiery meteor was seen rocketing through the sky.
Everblood’s tired voice spread once more, “That is the strongest human. Everhope.”
Not seeing a reason to say less, he spoke about exactly what it was. Saleh was Isabel’s son, alongside his student. Jessica was Everwood’s daughter, while having been kept in the dark. He was there when she was bestowed the Everwood title. She was also aware of the name.
The odd one out was Cassie. Only, she too seemed to recognize the name as they all looked with strange expressions on their faces. As they watched, the sky changed again as mana became more obvious to Isabel’s manipulation.
Soon a blob of red and gore was shown. This stump was the empty socket of a headless neck. His body was bare as the day he was born, currently being burnt as old skin peeled, and the new one tried to shed the old husk. A process that repeated itself over and over again.
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Skin inside the husk was not a normal color, instead bloody red as flesh was being shed alongside internal organs. Pieces of a liver here, a valve of a heart there. With the amplification and slowing of the view allowed them to make out a few different things that were only visible when a person was given an autopsy.
What was shocking was not just that this was the strongest human, an Ever. While shocking in its own right, the fact that clearly without a head. More clearly a brain, the body was attempting to heal itself. Giving the impression that he was not dead, as for a head. It was currently unknown to them if it would also regrow or if something else would take its place.
The view shown to them slowly shifted, as even the slowing showed how shockingly fast the body was moving. Now, making it ever so clear that flames were being produced by air friction. Lingering in their minds was the cause and effect of such an event. An Ever wasn’t someone that was easy to bully, what kind of monster was able to do such a thing.
As if rusted, the three necks turned slowly and abnormally back to Everblood, who had appeared mysteriously behind them. Isabel had asked him to explain. Therefore, the group hoped for a better explanation of this event.
Exhaustion laced his voice, looking at Saleh, “Your senior sister held an investigation. Her daughter and granddaughter were taken advantage of. Jessica was the one that saved them in the end. Purely by coincidence, this was done by a human. Again, by pure coincidence, the assailant’s father was connected to someone in Everhope’s entourage.”
“Does that mean senior sister, Everwater, is stronger than Everhope? Do the Ever’s have a ranking?” Saleh spoke with a bit of excitement.
Jessica watched the fiery meteor that was Everhope with a profound gaze. Only taking her eyes off it, once it was no longer visible in the sky. Looking at Isabel, they locked eyes. She smiled as if to console her, from her understanding. Telling her with this smile, the method she used couldn’t track him anymore.
Without being able to explain it, Jessica had the feeling Isabel knew about her relationship. If she couldn't, she was able to feel something from her gaze. This both startled her and made her wonder exactly who Isabel was.
Everblood traveling with them, that was something they could easily guess. Not something she should know. While it was possible because of Cassie’s existence, she was inferring he or Helga would have traveled with her. Only, she was of the opinion, this woman was as strong if not stronger than Helga.
A very powerful woman.
Speaking strictly, “It is subjective. There is no stronger than. How many times have I taught you that out of a thousand battles, one mistake can be the difference between winning a thousand and losing just one.”
Having seen the looks of both Cassie and Saleh, he was annoyed. Though in the end he did speak once more, “Everhope is a powerful person. The largest problem is that he is the youngest Ever. Experience comes with time, therefore he falls short in experience when talking about other Evers.”
“Enough, Saleh. If you have to ask someone else, it means you’re not strong enough to know.” Isabel lightly chided him as she saw he was about to open his mouth once more.
Hearing this, he lowered his head and didn’t say anything. Giving his mom a hug, Saleh lead the others inside. Showing them where they would be sleeping. Isabel and Everblood stayed outside as they talked.