Chapter 400: Cora Island

Author’s Note: Chapter 400 marks the beginning of the main arc! Enjoy, my lovely readers!

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[Music recommendation: Kostis Asikelis - Missed What I Never Had] ⅇℯ𝚕.

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There are certain things in life one cannot change.

One of them is destiny... fate, something written in the stars that will find a way to follow its course no matter what a person does. Although rare, someone still manages to challenge such a concept, and even fewer ever succeed.

The second is the truth finding a way to surface sooner or later, no matter how hard one tries to keep it buried.

An hour ago, when Gavriel had teleported them to Cora Island, neither of them had expected to find much, considering how long it had been since Aliana’s ancestor, Edith, had encountered the mysterious woman there.

However, after Aliana’s strange experience at the floating market, where she had caught sight of someone who might have been the same woman, they began to wonder if she would reveal herself again.

At first, Gavriel had been against bringing Aliana to Cora Island, but she had reasoned that if the woman she had seen at the floating market was indeed the same person, there was a chance she might appear before her again.

Besides, neither of them wanted to be separated in a foreign land.

Gavriel knew she was safest with him, so they made the trip together.

Currently, they found themselves deep within a thick, lush forest, making their way uphill in search of the cave Edith had mentioned.

Cora Island was the most secluded of the three islands. Largely because it offered little in the way of tourist attractions and was shrouded in ominous rumours.

For years, stories of the island being haunted had circulated, with numerous people reportedly disappearing into its dense forests, never to return. As a result, apart from a small village near the shore, no one dared to venture deep into the mountainous jungle.

With no established paths or trails to guide them, Aliana and Gavriel had to navigate through dense, uneven ground as they searched for the cave.

Aliana was particularly nervous because she did not know if the woman would be hostile toward them if she appeared. She could only hope that the stranger would agree to speak to them amicably, as she might hold the answers to the mystery surrounding her soul.

Gavriel, on the other hand, had been on high alert ever since they arrived on the island.

His senses were prickling with a strange sensation.

There was definitely magic in the air, but as much as he tried to pinpoint the source, something seemed to be blocking him out. That alone was enough to let him know that someone exceptionally powerful was behind it.

So as they walked, he kept Aliana close, holding her hand in a firm grip as she followed closely behind him.

"Do you sense anything yet?" Aliana asked softly after twenty minutes of silent hiking.

"There is definitely magic in the air," Gavriel replied quietly.

Aliana’s grip tightened on his hand as her pulse spiked. "What kind of magic? Light or dark?"

Gavriel’s sharp eyes continued to scan their surroundings. "It is certainly dark," he replied. "The question is where the exact source is, because something seems to be blocking me out."

Aliana’s brows shot up. "Is it even possible to block someone like you?"

Gavriel paused in his steps and turned to look at her over his shoulder. "You are powerful enough to block your emotions from me when you want to."

"What?" She looked at him in surprise before her brow furrowing. "When did I ever do that?"

"You don’t even realise when you’re doing it, Ana, but you can," Gavriel murmured.

He turned fully towards her and noticed her struggling to catch her breath.

His expression immediately hardened with concern. "Are you alright? Maybe we should head back."

Aliana shook her head stubbornly. "No, we have come far too close to turn back now." Closing the distance between them, she leaned her forehead gently against his shoulder. "Maybe we can just pause for a moment so I can catch my breath?"

Gavriel observed her closely, finding it strange that she was feeling so exhausted after only twenty minutes of walking. Since her body had undergone physical changes, she possessed immense stamina, capable of running for an hour without a single break.

Frowning at the unsettling sign, he wrapped his arms around her. "Let’s just head back. I don’t like this place for you."

Aliana tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "I promise I’m fine, Gav." Wrapping her arms around his waist, she took a deep breath of his crisp, rain-like scent. "Don’t worry about me so much."

Gavriel lowered his head, his frown deepening as he searched her face. "Are you sure?"

Aliana nodded and inhaled his comforting scent once more before rising onto her toes to kiss his nose.

She then stepped back and smiled at him. "If I start feeling unwell, I’ll tell you. I’m fine now. Let’s go."

Gavriel remained still for another moment, clearly unconvinced, until she tugged gently at his arm.

"Come on. Let’s get back before lunch."

Without another word, they resumed their walk. Gavriel looked up, noticing the sky turning progressively darker. It had rained earlier that morning, leaving no sign of the sun. The higher they climbed, the thicker the mist became as low-hanging mountain clouds swirled around them.

"By the way, I did not ask you earlier, but where are Ivan and Evelyn right now?" Aliana asked softly. ℯ𝐥.

"After informing me about the lab, they returned to their realm. I have not heard from them since," Gavriel replied.

"Oh, it has been a while. Do you think they are alright?" Aliana asked with concern.

"They should be. Time flows differently in their world compared to ours," Gavriel said.

"Is that so?" Aliana looked up at him. "How large is the difference?"

"Ten minutes in our world equals only one minute in theirs."

"That’s fascinating. Evelyn seemed so sweet. I hope I get to speak with her again, since our time was cut short before."

"You will. Ivan said they’d only be gone for a few days," Gavriel assured her.

Aliana felt slightly relieved. An extra pair of allies would be invaluable in clearing up the chaos Mord was orchestrating.

Just then, they stepped into a clearing, and both came to an abrupt halt.

The air began to grow heavier, almost suffocating, while the mist thickened around them until visibility was reduced to a bare minimum.

Aliana instinctively moved closer to Gavriel, whose grip on her hand tightened.

Suddenly, a soft, ethereal voice drifted through the fog. "So you have finally arrived."

Aliana’s pulse raced, but Gavriel remained impassive, his voice echoing with authority. "Who are you? Reveal yourself."

A cold silence fell before the woman spoke again.

"Who I am does not matter. What matters is that I require the woman beside you for a moment."

The second those words left the woman’s lips, dark powers erupted from Gavriel’s body and swirled around Aliana in an impenetrable shield as his eyes turned ice cold. "Do not even think about touching her."

The couple of seconds of silence that followed were deafening.

For a moment, everything came to a standstill.

Aliana could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Just then, on pure instinct, both she and Gavriel whipped their heads to the left at the sharp, whistling hiss slicing through the fog.

Before Aliana could register the threat, Gavriel moved with blinding speed, yanking her back just as a massive object slammed into the earth with a shattering crash.