Chapter 67 – Eclipsium Vein (Aria’s POV)
Morning, on the subjugation day,
Swindfort City,
The pale morning light came through the curtains, creating long shadows across the room. A chill lingered in the air, wrapping around us in an uneasy silence as Letty sat beside me at my desk. We waited for the mana-comm to connect, the mood tense. Letty held my hand reassuringly.
Soon, a hoarse voice seeped through. “Lady Letica, good morning. I hope you are doing well”.
Since Letty had arranged the meeting, he greets her first.
“Good morning, Grand Meister”, Letty replied, her tone respectful. “Thank you for meeting us on such short notice. My Lady, Aria Ernius, has some urgent matters to discuss with you. She is sitting right beside me”.
“Of course, Lady Aria. How may I assist you?” He said.
“Good morning, Grand Meister. I’m calling you to request a small favor. We’re searching for any information related to a disease called ‘Eclipsium Vein’. Our research so far has yielded little to no results, and I was hoping you might be able to assist us”, I said.
“‘Eclipsium Vein…”, he echoed thoughtfully, “Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with such a disease, but I do remember reading something similar. Please hold on for a few moments– I’ll check my notes”, he said, the sounds of footsteps indicating he had stepped away to search.
After a few awkward moments of staring at the mana-comm, his voice returned, “Ah, here we are. I found something, I’ll read it out for you. Ahem…”
He cleared his throat and began, “This tale goes back hundreds of years, to a time when an unusual eclipse cast its shadow over the empire. That eclipse gave birth to a unique and mysterious dungeon near the heart of the Bregonian Empire, one that still puzzles scholars today. It possessed strange properties, the first one being that it only allowed those with exceptionally high levels of mana to enter. Many high-ranking adventurers tried, but all who entered came back empty handed– each of them carrying a strange illness. Scholars eventually coined the term ‘Eclipsium’ for anything linked to that fateful eclipse”.
This must be it…
Noticing my reaction, Letty turned to me, her eyes filled with concern.
He paused, letting the weight of it sink in, and continued, “Upon analysis, it was revealed that this was no ordinary illness but a powerful curse that seemed to distort their mana, causing it to react unpredictably. Those affected found their spells misfiring or even backfiring, with sudden bursts of uncontrolled energy that left them vulnerable. Healers and scholars worked tirelessly to understand it, but the curse had embedded itself deep within their mana vessels, making it nearly impossible to remove or even study. They believed that the curse would only dissipate if the dungeon were fully conquered”.
“It was then that the Empress of Bregonia herself resolved to enter the dungeon to protect her people. As the most powerful mage of her time, she challenged the dungeon alone. After a fierce battle, she subdued the boss monster and conquered the dungeon. However, she reported something strange—a curse had struck her as he dealt the final blow, but it seemed to have no effect on her. The dungeon itself didn’t disappear either. Even with the final creature defeated, it remained a frozen place where only those with high mana could enter. Inside, everything was left exactly as it had been since the empress’ victory. Since then, only a few have dared to enter, fearing the curse”.
“As for the curse”, he continued, his tone darkening, “although it didn’t seem to harm the empress, some speculated that it might one day manifest in her descendants… but no one could confirm it”.
The Meister paused, his voice heavy with foreboding, “When I heard ‘Eclipsium’, that’s the only thing that came to mind. What’s most concerning is that this eclipse is due to repeat itself in the near future. Many speculate that it might bring with it similar phenomena, perhaps even another dungeon… or something worse”.
The Meister’s words hung in the air, the sense of impending danger loomed in the atmosphere. “Thank you, Grand Meister”, I said, keeping my voice steady. “Your insight has been most helpful. We’ll look into this lead”.
“Of course. I’m glad I could be of assistance”, he responded. “If anything else comes to mind, I’ll contact you”.
After exchanging a few formalities, the mana-comm disconnected, leaving the room in silence. I looked at Letty, who seemed equally unsettled by the Meister’s story.
“This story feels eerily fitting”, I muttered, my mind racing. “It feels exactly like something that guy would have written. ‘Eclipsium Vein’ is most likely tied to this dungeon, maybe a more severe version of the curse that was afflicted to the adventurers back then. And if we’re following the usual clichés, there’s probably some hidden chamber or something conveniently left for the protagonist to claim”.
Letty shook her head, her brows furrowed. “That’s just terrible. Every time I think about the book, it’s surreal—someone wrote us up as characters, with all the quirks of this world… and now we have to live through them”. She paused, exhaling. “So, what do we do now?”
I wrapped my hand around her shoulder, hugging her from the side. “My theory is that the empress was cursed, but it never took effect on her. Instead, it passed on to her descendants. And maybe the curse is set to awaken with the next eclipse. I’ll go tell my dad first, he’ll help us with the next steps”.
***
In dad’s office,
As I told him about the dungeon, Dad silently listened to the story, his brows furrowing with each new detail.
“Let me get this straight”, he said, his voice filled with concern. “You’re telling me that this strange curse has been passing down with the Bregonia Empire’s royal family, and it might awaken in the near future?” Dad asked.
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure about it”, I said.
“Darling…” He started, leaning towards me. “You and your mother both share that blood! What if something happens to you?”
His words struck me hard, and for a moment, I hadn’t thought of it. But he’s right– there was a real chance that this curse would affect us as well.
But then again… Ethan only mentioned the disease affecting my cousins. Surely he would have warned me if we were in danger? Maybe he assumed that I’d handle it, or maybe…
The realization hit me, and the stakes suddenly felt much higher. And rather than relying on any outsider, it’d be best to deal with it ourselves.
“Y-You are right, Dad. There is a very real possibility of that happening”, I said, my voice betraying a hint of weariness that I had been holding back.
He stood up, walking closer to my seat, and pulled me into a reassuring hug. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart”, he murmured, “I’ll handle it. You take some time off with your friend, Letica— rest up and clear your head. I’ll make sure we take care of this from here”.
***
I sat in my room with Letty to calm my nerves. I didn’t tell her about the possibility that the curse might affect me or Mom yet. There’s no need to make her worry unnecessarily.
After a while, I asked her, “What’s Dad up to? He won’t tell me”.
“He has been busy on the mana-comm for a while now. He must be contacting some experts to explore that dungeon”, she said.
“Hmm. What should we do, Letty? We can’t just sit idly”, I said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already got those apprentices digging up everything they can about that eclipse and curses. So for now, we just need to wait”, she said.
“Yeah, let’s go to the library and help them”, I said, standing up, but her hands pressed down on my shoulders, keeping me in place.
“Aria”, she said, her tone gentle but unyielding. “You need to let others do their jobs. You can keep tiring yourself, but it’s not going to help anyone. Don’t think I haven’t noticed those dark circles. You barely slept last night”.
“But I can’t just sit around doing nothing”, I protested.
Her grip softened, her thumb tracing small circles on my shoulder. “It’s okay to rely on others, Aria. Sometimes, resting is the best thing you can do. So just trust me on this, alright?”
I sighed, my tension easing a little under her touch. “Hmm”.
“Come here,” she said, gently tugging me toward the bed.
She laid down and patted the spot beside her. “Come here, be the little spoon”, she whispered, her voice soft and inviting.
I hesitated at first, clinging to a lingering trace of resistance. How could I rest with so much at stake?
But as weariness caught up to me, her quiet, tender invitation became impossible to resist. I finally gave in, letting her pull me close. As I settled in, her arms gently wrapped around me, her hand resting over my waist, and a soft kiss pressed onto my hair.
The feeling of warmth and comfort filled my heart, dissolving all of my worries. I closed my eyes, intending to rest for just a moment, only to fall asleep instantly.
***
The nap had been exactly what I needed. As I woke up, a soft glow from the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, and my thoughts felt much clearer than before.
“How was the nap?” Letty asked.
“It was perfect. Thank you, Letty”, I said. Being the little spoon is more comforting than I thought. We should do this more often.
After a light lunch, I knocked on Dad’s office door.
“You are looking much better now, baby”, he said, looking at my rested face.
“Yeah, Letty practically forced me to sleep. Anyway, what have you been up to?” I asked.
“I’ve assembled a team of experts– A-grade mages, scholars who specialize in ruins and eclipses, and two historians with firsthand experience studying them. They are making their way to the Bregonia Empire's capital as we speak”, he said.
“That’s great. The sooner they start, the better”, I said.
“Also, I’ve called in an expert in astronomy to advise us about eclipses. He should arrive soon”, he added.
“Good idea. If he can pinpoint the next solar eclipse, we’ll have a clear deadline to work with,” I replied.
“The only thing that’s remaining is getting your grandfather’s permission. Sigh, this is not going to be easy”, he said.
“Why do you say so?” I asked, curious.
“Yesterday, when I tried contacting him for the transportation gate, his secretary rejected me, saying that the emperor would only speak to your mom”, he sighed again. “Don’t worry, I’ll try contacting him again”.
“Alright, see what you can do, otherwise, we’ll have to wait until Mom gets back”, I said.