Chapter 415. Déjà vu - 1
Chapter 415: 415. Déjà vu - 1
"I will kill you."
Sera mouthed those words silently while glaring at William from across the hall. Even without hearing her voice, he understood exactly what she was saying. It was the following day, and the time had finally come for her awakening ceremony.
William could only respond with a bitter expression. The previous day had turned into a complete disaster after he had casually informed the Elven Empress about Arwen secretly following Sera around and Sera’s decision to keep that all coped up in her heart.
Selena had been completely unaware of the matter, which, in hindsight, should not have been surprising. Sera had never written about that particular incident in her journal.
The entire situation had spiraled out of control from there.
One revelation had led to another until, in the middle of a heated exchange, Selena had accidentally revealed something she had never intended to admit. In an emotional moment, she had unintentionally hinted that she had been reading Sera’s personal journal.
After that, peace had ceased to exist in that room. William had wisely concluded that the wisest thing he could do was leave the room and allow mother and daughter to have a healthy private conversation.
[Ahem!!! Healthy?]
William merely pursed his lips and chose not to answer. He was already receiving enough murderous glares from Sera to last him an entire lifetime. From her perspective, he was entirely responsible for igniting the argument. All he had done was tell the truth, but somehow that truth had exploded into a crisis between mother and daughter.
Deciding not to dwell on it, William shifted his attention toward the hall itself.
The place was unlike any ceremonial chamber he had ever seen before. One side of the enormous hall opened into a vast balcony, and through that opening, several massive branches of the World Tree extended inward.
The twisted branches looked ancient beyond comprehension, their bark carrying countless shades of emerald and silver. Soft green light flowed through them like blood moving through veins, creating an atmosphere that felt both sacred and alive.
Numerous elven priests dressed in immaculate white robes had gathered throughout the chamber. Aside from them, only a handful of people were present. Sera stood near the center while Selena, William, Kara, Katherine, Leila, and a few others occupied the edges of the hall. The immense ceremonial chamber felt strangely empty despite its importance.
Sera herself was dressed in different clothing than normal ones. The light dress left much of her arms and legs exposed, allowing intricate tattoos upon her skin to remain visible. William’s eyes lingered on those strange patterns.
Delicate green and black tattoos stretched across her body like living artwork. They resembled intertwining vines and leaves that wrapped around her limbs and torso in elegant spirals. They looked as though they had grown naturally upon her skin.
The priests gradually moved into position, forming a large circle around her as they prepared the awakening ritual.
William watched as Selena approached her daughter. For a brief moment, the Empress abandoned all traces of her royal dignity. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon Sera’s forehead before stepping away.
When Selena returned toward the group waiting at the edge of the hall, William noticed the tension she was trying so hard to hide. Her hands were clenched together, and she was taking slow, nervous breaths. The composure of a ruler remained on the surface, but the concern of a mother was impossible to conceal.
"She is going to be alright," William said quietly as she came to stand beside him.
Selena released a soft sigh.
"Oh, William, you have no idea what this awakening is like. I have experienced it myself, and I still remember the pain."
She shook her head while speaking, and William could hear genuine worry beneath her words.
Fortunately, Selena did not know that he had also fed her some extra potions.
William had secretly provided Sera with several potions designed to ease the awakening process and reduce the suffering associated with it when she had told him about her leaving the academy months ago.
Unfortunately, there were limits to what he could accomplish. The shop did not possess a perfect solution tailored specifically for Sera’s situation.
Most items capable of reducing the pain came with drawbacks. They eased one aspect of the awakening while interfering with another. Some weakened the benefits gained during the process, while others disrupted critical transformations that could affect future growth.
There had simply been no perfect answer available.
The shop was powerful, but it was not capable of producing any imaginary item he desired merely because he thought about it.
In the end, he had done everything within his power.
The rest depended upon fate.
Wanting to distract Selena from her worries, William changed the subject.
"Did you have those tattoos as well?" he asked while gesturing toward Sera.
Selena nodded.
"Yes."
Without warning, she gently reached for his hand.
William looked down in surprise as her fingers loosely wrapped around his. Before he could ask what she was doing, a pulse of green light emerged from her skin.
The vine-like markings decorating Selena’s body suddenly illuminated.
A moment later, William felt a faint warmth spread through the point of contact.
To his astonishment, similar patterns briefly appeared upon his own skin.
Glowing vines extended outward from where their hands touched, crawling across his wrist before fading away moments later. The phenomenon lasted only a few seconds, yet William found it absolutely fascinating.
Selena noticed his expression and smiled faintly.
"The elven race has always shared a deep connection with nature, especially because of our origins."
Her gaze drifted toward the colossal branches of the World Tree stretching throughout the hall.
"According to ancient legends, elves are the children of the World Tree. The stories claim that our ancestors were born from its fruits."
William followed her gaze toward the ancient branches.
"Do you believe that?"
Selena crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"To be honest, I don’t know."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I have lived for a very long time, yet I have never seen the World Tree produce even a single fruit. Historical records contain no reliable accounts either. However, my father used to repeat the story constantly. The Elven Emperor before him also claimed that his ancestors had told him the same thing."
She tilted her head slightly.
"The strange thing is that despite ruling this empire, there is still so much I don’t know about our origins. Sometimes that bothers me more than I would like to admit."
Before William could respond, a familiar voice suddenly echoed throughout the hall.
"Sorry, I’m late!"
Several heads turned simultaneously.
"Professor Kevin?"
William, Kara, Katherine, and Leila stared in complete disbelief at the newest arrival.
Kevin stopped mid-step.
For a brief moment, his eyes widened as he recognized the students standing among the gathering.
"Oh."
An awkward silence followed.
"Ahem."
Almost immediately, his usual lazy demeanor disappeared. His posture straightened, his expression became dignified, and he transformed into the respectable academy professor they all knew.
"Students, this is certainly unexpected."
"Drop the act, you cheeky brat." Selena’s sharp reprimand cut through the air.
The four students looked back and forth between the two with completely stunned expressions.
William eventually managed to find his voice.
"Professor Kevin... I honestly did not expect to see you here."
Kevin laughed awkwardly but offered no explanation and just came to stand beside them as a spectator of the ritual.
Selena’s voice entered William’s mind through voice transmission.