Chapter 152: The Thief of the Sacred Spring of Life

A black cloak enveloped Ian entirely, concealing his appearance completely from view.

The brim of his hood shadowed his black hair, his darkened eyes, and his tanned skin. He pulled the fabric across his chest tightly together, burying his entire face within the gloom. If any Elf caught sight of him right now, they would instantly realize Ian had fallen into a Dark Elf.

Yet there was nothing left to hide; perhaps before long, Ian would be forced to flee the Elven Forest altogether.

Ian strode deep into the Elven Forest, heading toward the sanctuary where the Sacred Spring of Life was kept. He had traversed this path countless times before, yet he had never imagined a day would come when he would walk it silently in the dead of night, concealing an empty flask beneath his cloak to steal a sacred treasure from his own race.

How ironic.

The Elves regarded the Sacred Spring of Life as an invaluable treasure, and yet the chamber guarding it stood completely un-guarded. Only a fragile barrier of protective magic encircled the entrance. It wasn’t because this location lacked importance; rather, it was because the Elves believed that not a single Elf would ever dare lay a hand on something belonging to their own kin.

They trusted that none among them would ever betray the Elven race, arrogant to the point of never even entertaining such a possibility.

Ian let out a quiet, bleak chuckle.

"Too bad you were all wrong."

He stepped through the magical barrier. It rippled faintly before dissolving silently before him, yielding without a sound.

Inside lay a modest underground stone chamber. Right at the center of the room, resting upon a green jade pedestal, sat a pool of crystal-clear water. A pale greenish glow radiated from the water’s surface, the condensed essence of vitality gifted to the Elven race by the Tree of Life.

Ian stood motionlessly, staring down at it.

There was an abundance of the Sacred Spring of Life. A single drop alone held greater value than the entire lifespan of an ordinary human. An amount of water such as this, if utilized to save Kei, would effortlessly suffice to salvage the child’s flickering, fragile life.

And yet Eleanor refused to grant Kei even a single drop.

Not because the Sacred Spring of Life was unavailable, but purely because Kei was human.

The smoldering rage simmering within Ian flared anew. He laughed, but his laugh was dry and cold, completely devoid of amusement.

That marked the very first time Ian had ever harbored the desire to take someone’s life.

Not a monstrous beast lurking within the dark woods, nor an enemy upon a battlefield, but Eleanor, the man who had watched Kei lie dying and simply turned his back to walk away.

Ian clenched his fists. His fingernails dug deeply into his palms, though he felt no pain whatsoever.

*No. Now is not the time to let hatred consume my mind; Kei is waiting for me.*

Pulling out the flask he had readied in advance, he approached the jade pedestal. Ian’s hands trembled as they hovered near the mouth of the flask. It wasn’t out of fear of discovery, but rather the stark realization that once he secured the Sacred Spring of Life, he would truly have no turning back.

Though, in truth, he had strayed far from that path long ago; the mere existence of a Dark Elf was already an inherent betrayal of the Elven race.

Ian tilted the flask. The glowing water cascaded inside, drop by drop, casting a green luminescence across the face hidden beneath his hood.

Right at that instant, a soft disturbance echoed from behind him.

Ian halted his movements instantly.

Footsteps. Someone had just stepped into the chamber of the Sacred Spring of Life.

He hurriedly capped the flask, shoving it deep within the folds of his cloak before spinning around. His free hand already rested upon the dagger sheathed at his waist.

Kael stood right behind him.

His golden hair still shone brilliantly within the dim chamber. His golden eyes stared intently at Ian, before sweeping downward past the pedestal to linger upon the flask concealed beneath the cloak.

Kael bore no trace of astonishment.

"You’re stealing the Sacred Spring of Life merely for a human?" Kael’s tone remained steady. "As expected, after falling as a Dark Elf, you are no longer a pure Elf."

Ian gazed at his younger brother from beneath the brim of his hood.

*A pure Elf.*

He had once imagined that was a badge of honor. But ever since laying eyes on Kei lying unresponsive, ever since hearing Eleanor declare a human life unworthy of being traded for even a single drop of this damned water, Ian no longer wished to belong to that so-called purity.

"Perhaps," Ian murmured with a cold, faint smile. "From the moment I realized the true nature of the Elven race, I stopped wanting to live as an Elf anyway."

Kael tilted his head slightly, as though observing an incomprehensible phenomenon.

"Do you genuinely intend to take the water away?"

"Yes."

"For him?" Kael’s gaze flickered to the space behind Ian, where Kei was absent, yet had successfully driven his twin brother to betray his own kind. "For a dying human... is it truly worth it?"

Kael fell silent for a fleeting beat. "Are you aware that this act will make you an enemy of the entire Elven race?"

Ian sneered, offering no reply.

"And yet you still choose to do this?"

Ian didn’t answer right away. He recalled Kei’s radiant smile when he first rode atop Keanu’s back. He remembered the boy’s eyes sparkling by the lakeshore, and his tiny hands carefully stroking every single silver scale.

Kei had been that overjoyed simply from catching a glimpse of the outside world; the boy deserved to live on so he could continue gazing upon it.

If paying the price of becoming an enemy of the Elven race meant granting Kei an extra day, an extra year, or an entire lifetime, Ian would gladly make that trade.

"I’m not taking the water to wage war against the Elven race; I simply refuse to live as an Elf any longer," his voice dropped low. "I only want to save Kei."

"Is there a difference?"

"To you, perhaps not," Ian stared straight into Kael’s eyes. "To me, there is."

Kael remained standing squarely in front of the exit, his expression chillingly serene.

Ian burst out laughing.

"What is this, Kael? Do you intend to stop me?"

He drew the dagger from his waist. The blade gleamed with a cold, sharp edge under the faint green illumination. Ian pointed it straight toward his younger brother, his hand entirely steady.

"Anyone who stands in the way of me saving Kei becomes my enemy!"