"There is a way... but it's nearly impossible to use."

Zaelyane's words drifted towards Rion and rekindled his dwindling hope.

His eyes shook visibly, and he asked the next moment, "What's the way?"

She didn't say anything; instead, she pointed a finger at him.

He frowned, pointed a finger at himself and asked with a deeply puzzled expression, "Me?"

She nodded and explained softly, "You or more specifically, your bloodline, is the only way."

Just as those words left her lips, Rion's eyes widened, and he remembered what Lara had told him.

"The bloodline of the God of Throne can free the souls trapped within the purple fog forest," he mumbled, and Zaelyane added with a nod, "And these souls are what allow The Remnant to exist."

Rion clenched his fists and mumbled in his head, 'But I still haven't found out what ability lies within my bloodline...'

Each bloodline had passive and active abilities. Rion's Monarch of the Crimson's Throne bloodline had the passive ability of enhanced adaptability and comprehension, but he had yet to find out what his active ability was.

His expression darkened. Seeing that, Zaelyane's lips fell into a frown for a moment before she asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

He looked at her with a frown and answered, "I still don't know the ability of my bloodline."

A strange sheen crossed her eyes as she spoke with furrowed brows, "You still haven't found out your ability? Hmm..." Her eyes suddenly sparked as if she had remembered something, and she said, "What about I help you?"

He tilted his head and asked with a frown, "You would help me?"

She nodded, tapped the green gem accessory on her forehead and explained, "Sylvarae's third eyes — Spirit Eye — are special."

She took a pause and continued, "Even when it's closed, it allows us to sense life essence and ether present within a being and the environment around us. When it's open, it allows us to see them as well as absorb the ether from the environment."

He listened with utter focus and asked, "What is ether?"

"Ether is an energy similar to the aura, but it's not generated by the being but the world," she answered the very next moment. She knew he would ask that, after all.

Hearing her explanation, he frowned and muttered, "So it's just the aura of the world?"

She shook her head, closed the door with masked hesitation and said,

"No, both of them are different. Aura does enhancement. You can even shape it into physical objects, but ether is used to call upon the forces of the vast existence. It is what makes our sorcery possible."

"Oh..."

'It's just mana with a different name," he commented inwardly and asked, "How is it going to help me?"

She stepped closer to him, and her voice carried softly, "Even though humans can't use ether, it still reacts to them, so I will keep an eye on you, and whenever I sense a change in you, I will inform you."

"This..." he mumbled, "This doesn't sound that promising."

She chuckled and commented, "It is still better than nothing."

He nodded, walked over to the door and breathed sharply, "I don't know what you are planning, but if you keep this up, you will lose whatever goodwill I have for you."

She frowned, her lips parted to ask what he was talking about, but before she could even say anything, he pushed the door and left the hut.

She gripped the door, peeked out of the hut, but he was nowhere to be found.

An irritated look appeared on her face, and she mumbled under her breath, "Why did you ask me to do that?"

A heavy, bestial voice echoed in her head.

<Do you not want him to take revenge for your brother?>

Crack!

The door cracked under her grip, her expression turned icy, and she responded using Mental Whisper.

<You speak as if you are any different from me. Tell me, Varok. Why did you ask me to do that?>

<You were building his curiosity about your race because Haden won't let you tell him.>

Her grip tightened even further, and she said, <He fears that Rion would find out the prophecy.>

<You don't?>

She took a deep breath, checking the door and walked back inside before she answered, <I do.>

<But he has to find it; otherwise, he would never meet them, and for our revenge, he has to meet them.>

She nodded and asked again, <What does it have to do with what I did?>

<What you did today made him even more curious about your motives. He would think about what you need him for — all the time.>

—

Rion walked through the Redwood Basin and headed towards his group's spot.

A week had already passed since they had seen him and he didn't want things to get even more chaotic.

"I hope everything is going alright," he muttered under his breath and quickened his steps.

'I nearly fell for that...' he remarked inwardly, 'She wanted to keep an eye on me to learn everything about me... I wonder what caused her to act like this and who she wants revenge on?'

'Why can't she tell me about it?'

He shook away those thoughts from his head and mumbled, "I have bigger issues to deal with."

A few minutes later, he stopped by the periphery of the clearing with his eyes as wide as possible and his lower jaw nearly touching the ground.

Before him, Haden was training his group members even though everyone was trembling just from his gaze.

"Father! He shouted and stepped inside the clearing.

Just as he stepped inside, everyone knelt on one knee and placed their hand on their heart.

"Honour to the liege!"

Haden also turned towards him and asked with a raised eyebrow, "You are awake already?"

'Why does he act like he doesn't have half of the mountains covered with his Zone?' He wondered and asked while scanning his group members, who barely looked alive,

"What have you done to them?"

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