Abyssal Awakening

Taking several deep ragged breaths, Eryn collapsed on her knee as blood dripped from her eye. Covering it with her hand, she gritted her teeth and pulled out a healing vial before drinking it.

She could feel the cursed blood flowing through her veins, the allure of the Abyss creeping deep within her but soon, that feeling faded as she regained control over her own body. The wound healed and she soon up looking serious as usual.

Glancing towards the city, she furrowed her brows after noticing Albert not moving from his spot.

Tapping her foot against the ground for a moment, she disappeared and reappeared near him.

She could see him sitting on a stack of boxes while looking at the ground, contemplating in silence.

"Where did your sister go?" Eryn asked curiously. Even though the danger was over, it's still best to keep a note of where she was. Stay connected with M-V-L

After all, the Zenia family's goal is her.

"She left. She had her assistant finish what she needs to do in the north." Albert shook his head as he leaned back and glanced up at the sky.

"Is that so? Honestly, I thought she would've tried to kill you. I even planted a safety net just in case." Eryn folded her arms as she leaned next to him.

That hatred the girl showed upon seeing Albert… It was no ordinary hatred.

Eryn has seen it many times before and that was the eyes of someone who's willing to dedicate their entire lives on revenge. The curse of madness.

Had it not been for the Doctor, she would've fought tooth and nail to kill Albert.

"I know." Albert sighed.

His life was only saved because Eryn helped Alice. If It wasn't for that… He would be a corpse right now.

She even forced him to sign a Law of Agreement because she couldn't trust him.

"Do… Do you think she's in the right Master?" Albert asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Which part?"

Hearing this, Albert wanted to reply but recalled everything that he'd done to her. How he turned her away when she needed help the most. Her older brother, the person she sought out for help, turned her away coldly and watched as scholars tore her apart.

It's no wonder his loving sister would hate him. Even he would hate himself.

He had convinced himself that everything he did to her was revenge for his sister, that the beast was using her visage against him.

But to think that the two were actually living together in one body, treating each other as twins and relying on one another to survive this harsh world where her family abandoned her…

Albert gritted his teeth as regret filled his heart.

"All of it. Everything that you heard… Dammit! I should've listened to her! Why didn't I?!?!" Albert jumped up as he threw the box against the ground and breaking it. Gritting his teeth, he wanted to punch something, anything to vent the regret and anger in his heart.

All these years… He's been the one hurting Alice all along!

He was not as stubborn as to not see his mistake, to try and find the easy way out by denying the truth.

But everything was clear as day.

"Honestly… I agree with both of you. I don't let those that harmed me off easily either. This life is kill or be killed and my path has been decorated by the corpses of many for me to live this long. So as for why the girl wants to kill you, I entirely agree." Eryn let out a sigh as she glanced at her reflection in the ice.

She could see a flash of her younger self, covered from head to toe in blood. Her first kill.

"But on the other hand, I don't blame you for losing yourself in your anger and mourning. To you, your sister was killed and her body puppeteer by a beast. Granted, rather than torturing them and making use of their body, I would make it a swift death. After all… They still have the visage of my sibling.

"I'd… rather not torture someone who looks like my brother, regardless of their identity." Eryn paused before putting her thoughts into words.

Naturally, she couldn't predict what she might've done if she went through the same as Albert. After all, human emotion is quite the chaotic thing. But right now, she doesn't think she would go as far as torture.

"I see…" Albert took a deep breath and calmed his mind down. He was still feeling bitter and regretful but he couldn't change the past.

"So what's your plan now? I don't believe your family takes kindly to acts of betrayal. Even if it is their young master. What if your father steps in?" Eryn asked curiously.

With the entire family focused on retrieving Alice, the fact that Albert stood in the way of that was the same as declaring himself an enemy.

Going back down would be no different from suicide.

Staying silent, Albert hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes.

"I… Think I'll leave the family." He revealed a bitter smile.

He knew that Alice wouldn't forgive him but he still wanted to make amends in his own way. No matter how futile it may be.

"All the horrors that the family has done, I want to put an end to it. The grief of losing my sister has affected my father and little brother as well, even if I go back and tell them the truth now, I doubt they'll listen. I'm not strong enough yet."

"Hou? And how do you plan on achieving that?" Eryn asked as there was a small smile on her lips. Albert may not have sensed it or noticed the change, but Eryn certainly did as someone who's been observing Albert for a few years.

There was a new sense of clarity in his eyes that he's never had before, a sense of purpose and a goal. The disturbance in his heart disappeared and he understood what he must do in this life of his.

"Please Master, train me as you have done before. Not because the Zenia family asked you but because I'm asking you. I want to be like Master, able to hold my own. To make up for the wrongs I did even though it doesn't change the past. So that when the day my sister comes to claim this life of mine…

"I can confidently say that I did some good and be the same brother in her memories before the incident occurred." Albert took a deep breath as there was a small bitter smile on his face. His relationship with Alice was forever damaged but that didn't mean he couldn't put out an effort.

That way, even if he died, he wouldn't regret the things that he could've done and didn't do.

"Not bad. At least your hearts in the right place now. I won't comment on the things that you did or the things you still haven't told me, there's plenty of time for that. Anyways, let's pack up here and leave. The Queen and her retainers are in a pretty bad mood considering the fact that they're watching us." Eryn chuckled before glancing up at the empty space.

"The Doctor shouldn't be able to enter this city even if he comes again. I've exiled him from this space. But that doesn't stop him from pulling any other underhanded tactics. So be warned." Eryn called out before grabbing Albert by the shoulder.

They flickered on the spot momentarily then disappeared from the Capital.

Sitting in the throne room, Verona sat with a gold glint in her eyes.

The Zenia family…

From what Caera had told her, it seems like this was going to be rather troublesome. They're targeting Alice but she had already left. With them being the source of the ambush, she wanted to crush them with her own hand.

But because it's the Zenia family, it wasn't going to be easy.

"Let's support Selen and Egil, the two who decided to remain in the North. Alice took extra care when it came to adjusting them and the Selen girl even fought against the weird Hybrids all by herself." Sigurd suggested.

Frida was silent.

"I agree~ They'll definitely help out if the north is to come under attack again. This is Egil's home after all." Caera nodded her head while sitting above the throne.

Glancing up at the girl who was swirling a vial of blood that seemed to shimmer with an ethereal texture, Verona furrowed her brows.

"Are you leaving once you dealt with the rest of the Warriors?"

"Nope~ Dear successor wanted me to stay in the north. With the Zenia family being much closer than anticipated, she couldn't rest easy. She wanted me to help out if it does get out of hand." Caera explained.

"And you agreed?"

"Naturally, it's an order from my Master after all." Caera shrugged.

With Caera around willing to lend a hand, Verona felt a little relieved but also wary. There's a strangeness around Caera that she had never seen before and it sent a chill down her spine. She was eccentric to begin with so Verona couldn't put her full trust into Caera.

Regardless, the North will be going through quite a turbulent period of time with the Zenias now setting their eyes on them.

###

Sitting in a carriage, Alice glanced back at the capital with conflicting emotions. It was a bit of a hasty departure compared to what she had originally wanted but it was outside of her control. No matter what, she couldn't remain in the north for any longer.

She had to head to the east as soon as possible and her next destination was the port. She'll travel east via sea.