Chapter 68 – Regret
Aria’s POV:
After a while, when the astronomer arrived, we called all the apprentices for a detailed discussion.
Dad cleared his throat, walked in front of his desk, and started, “Thank you all for coming. As you know, we’re looking for any and all information regarding the eclipse that occurred a few hundred years ago. The one that gave birth to the mysterious dungeon in the heart of the Bregonia Empire.”
He then gestured to a tall man with white, unkempt hair, “This is Sir Alister, a reputed astronomer studying the things beyond the skies. Sir Alister, we’ve called you to hear your insights about the eclipse that affected the Bregonia empire a few hundred years ago”.
“Thank you for your kind introduction, my Lord”, Alister’s voice was deep, and he spoke in a slow and deliberate tone. “Let’s get straight to the point. An eclipse occurs when the moon or the Earth obstructs the light coming from the sun. Think of it as a shadow created by the moon on Earth or vice versa”.
“These eclipses cause interference with the Earth’s natural magical frequency, sometimes resulting in strange and dangerous effects. I’ve been studying this interference and its effect for the better part of the past decade. As you might have heard, one should never be exposed to an eclipse directly, as it may have unexpected changes in one’s mana”.
“But the eclipse that gave birth to the Eclipsium dungeon was unique in a way that it caused a wide range of chaos. While the dungeon is relatively well known, it also caused monsters and animals to go berserk and wipe themselves out in the northern forest of the empire. It severely affected the forest’s ecosystem”, Alister continued.
“And this wasn’t the first time such a discrepancy occurred. I’ve uncovered several traces of eerily similar effects dating back to about 210 years ago”.
“By studying the past cycles and analyzing other celestial events. I’m quite confident that it’s going to repeat very soon. According to my calculations, it is going to happen in the summer of next year. And when it does, we can expect similar anomalies to appear. This is what I know about that eclipse, if you need any more specific details, feel free to ask me”, Alister said.
His estimates match with the rough dates for the emperor’s death according to the book. So there has to be a connection here. But then, what did Ethan mean by ‘saving them’? Since the disease is linked to the eclipse, we can’t possibly prevent an eclipse from happening. So what did he mean by that? Should we just ask him directly?
“Thank you for your insights. We’d actually like your aid in finding information about a disease called ‘Eclipsium Vein’. As you might already know, the Eclipsium dungeon was subjugated by the Empress of Bregonia. During that fight, the empress was struck with some sort of curse that might have laid dormant within her and passed to her descendants. We have good reasons to believe that this theory is true, and we’d like any help we can get to avoid the worst outcome. You can use or request any other resources that you need, but we have to make sure that we find something soon”, Dad said.
Alister rubbed his chin, his gaze distant. “‘Eclipsium Vein,’ I think I’ve read something about this before. I might need to visit my old house for this. I’m sure we’ll be able to uncover some information, it’ll just take us some time”, he said.
“That’s great news. We’ve gathered a small team, so please use them to aid you in this search”, Letty said.
“It is an honor to contribute,” Alister said, his tone softening with gratitude. “When I received your call, I was both surprised and humbled. Many dismissed my theories as fanciful. Your recognition is... encouraging. I promise not to let you down”.
With a nod to my father, he turned and beckoned the apprentices. They followed him in a flurry of quiet excitement.
As the door closed, we sighed a breath of relief. Finally, we found a lead. Now soon, we’ll at least know what we are up against.
Trr, trr
We barely got a moment to relax before Dad’s mana-comm rang. “Hello, Richard Ernius”, he said.
But as he heard the speaker, his eyes widened, and he yelled, “What?!”.
Surprised by his sudden actions, I and Letty got up and got close to him. His voice didn’t lower as he clenched the mana-comm tightly and yelled, “Take her away from the battlefield! NOW! And find the best healers you can. I’ll leave for the capital right now!”
“Dad, what happened?” I asked, my voice cracking. But he didn’t answer, his focus was locked onto the other person on the call. The mana-comm started trembling in his hand.
My heart sank, they can’t be talking about Mom, right?
Sensing the meaning behind his words, the air suddenly felt colder. Letty held my hand tightly with her nails digging into the back of my hands.
“Keep her safe at all costs, money isn’t an issue. Find out what’s wrong with her and call me as soon as you find anything”, he said, his hands shaking. The mana-comm disconnected, but he just stood there without saying anything, as if he were in a trance.
“Dad, please tell me you’re not talking about Mom”, I said with an equally shaky voice.
Finally, he snapped out of it and looked at us, his eyes softening, “Honey, it’s your mother… They said that her spell almost backfired. And although she somehow managed to cast the spell with someone’s help, her body still faced some repercussions. Her vitals are stable, but she fainted right after the spell was cast”.
“How could this happen? She was so confident, she said she could take down several at once. So what happened? I didn’t want her to go from the start. What if…”, as I was fearing the worst possibility, Dad wrapped his arms around us and said, “No, dear. We don’t know anything yet. There are so many other factors. Besides, they said that her vitals are alright, she’s not in danger. So don’t worry, okay? We’ll leave for the capital right now. So go and prepare. Don’t worry, your mother is the strongest person I know. She must have been tired, that’s all”.
When it comes to curses, vitals might be deceiving, hiding the true extent of the danger. Dad knows it too, but he’s trying his best to mask his fears. Even though I can feel his hand tremble, he is doing his best to keep us calm. So holding back my emotions, I nodded and left with Letty to prepare for this journey.
Consumed by dark thoughts, I couldn’t process anything in my surroundings. I mindlessly packed some of my clothing and essentials and followed Letty for the rest of the way.
What if it’s because of the curse? What if I underestimated the urgency of the situation and let this happen? What if ‘I’ let this happen?
I should have told Evan the truth and asked for his help back then. I should have acted sooner. It was my stupid mistake that might lead to…
It wasn’t until we made it inside the carriage that Letty gently patted my head and whispered softly, “It’ll be okay,” that I snapped out of these thoughts.
And like a burst dam, my tears started falling down my cheeks. Letty pulled me into a tight embrace, her body trembling as I felt her muffled cries against my shoulder.
For the rest of the journey, we took solace in each other’s arms. Day blurred into night, and fatigue weighed heavy, but neither of us let go. After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the capital city, where Mom had been brought back for treatment.
My heart tightened at the thought, equal parts hope and dread warring within me.