Circle of Inevitability Chapter 21 - 21 Response

21 Response

Lumian fell silent, his eyes glued to the restored request for help.

Although what he pieced together wasnt necessarily the content of the letter; after all, the words could create other sentences like the people around us need help as soon as possible; we are getting weirder. He couldnt help but feel a weight pressing down on his heart.

In the past, he mightve dismissed it as a prank, but too many abnormal things were happening in Corduand those were only the ones he noticed.

I cant pretend that I didnt see anything, nor can I pretend that nothing happened...

Grande Soeur said that a person with a normal heart and mind needs to know how to avoid danger. They shouldnt stand under a wall upon discovering that its about to collapse...

He snapped out of his reverie and made up his mind.

He couldnt risk staying in Cordu a moment longer. He had to leave with his sister, and he had to do it now!

Regarding the abnormality, the officials would undoubtedly handle it. The villagers of Cordu were under their protection, and Lumian had neither the duty nor the capability to take on such a responsibility.

In addition, I have to speed up the exploration of the dream ruins and strive to obtain superpowers in a short period of time to deal with any accidents that might happen when I leave this place... The urgency of the situation filled him with a sense of imperative that he couldnt ignore.

He needed to become much stronger if he wanted to protect his sister and ensure her safety. The last thing he wanted was for her to be implicated in any abnormalities that might erupt before they left Cordu.

Keeping his mission in mind, Lumian carefully returned his livre bleu to its original place. Then, he snatched up the piece of paper containing the words and sentences from before and strode purposefully down the stairs.

He made his way over to the stove and tossed the piece of paper into the hungry flames.

Once outside, Lumian wasted no time in making his way straight to Ol Tavern.

But as he approached the door, he found it tightly shut, a clear indication that the owner and bartender, Maurice Benet, had likely gone to attend Narokas funeral.

Still, Lumian knew that as a part-time hotel, it was impossible to lock all the doors during the day without inconveniencing the guests.

So, he headed for a side trail and slipped in through the back door.

Climbing up the stairs, Lumian scanned the hallway but saw no one in sight.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Lumians footsteps echoed as he ascended the stairs to the second floor of the inn. He paused outside the door of the enigmatic womans room, examining the doorknob for any sign of a Do Not Disturb placard. Finding none, he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, steadying himself. With a bend of his finger, he rapped lightly on the door.

Knock! Knock! Knock...

He knocked three times in a row, but there was no movement inside.

Knock. Knock. Knock... No answer. Lumian tried again, rapping more firmly this time.

He pounded on the door, but the room remained silent.

Shes not here? Lumian frowned. She went to attend Narokas funeral?

Without wasting a moment, he bolted down the stairs and out of the inn, making a beeline for the cemetery beside the cathedral.

En route, he passed by Narokas house, where the mourners who had said their farewells at the door had dispersed and headed to the cemetery to await the procession.

Lumian surveyed the area, his eyes scanning the landscape until he spotted a figure emerging from the house. It was none other than Pons Benet, the younger brother of the padre.

Wh... Lumians heart skipped a beat as he leaned against the nearby building, trying to remain inconspicuous.

Wasnt it strictly forbidden to enter the house of the deceased as it could potentially influence the familys fortunes?

Pons Benet stopped in front of Narokas house and whispered something to Arnault Andre, the old ladys youngest son.

After a brief exchange, Pons Benet departed, leaving Arnault to lock up the house and make his way to the cemetery.

Narokas death is indeed a little peculiar... Lumian frowned and muttered to himself silently.

He now felt that perhaps the owl wasnt to be blamed for Narokas death. It was more probable that the padres group has something to do with it.

The owl might be simply adhering to its duty of taking souls from the dead in Cordu. It just happened to stop on the way and observed Lumian for a while.

Of course, Lumian had an even more terrifying guess: What if the padres group and the owl are connected!?

Their peculiarities and clandestine activities could be attributed to the Warlocks remains.

Before exiting Cordu, I should find an opportunity to share my thoughts with Ryan, Leah, and company. I hope theyll uncover the truth and put an end to the issue expeditiously. Lumian averted his gaze and mumbled to himself as he headed towards the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral.

Despite appearing somber and solemn during the funeral, Lumian kept a watchful eye on each villager, hoping to detect any abnormality in their demeanor.

Alas, his efforts yielded no fruit.

Nonetheless, he had a sneaking suspicion that some of the villagers were wearing a facade...

Additionally, the enigmatic woman who had bestowed upon him the tarot card was nowhere to be found at the cemetery.

......

As the evening descended upon the semi-subterranean two-story abode, Aurore fixed her eyes on her brother, Lumian, and demanded, Wheres your script? Let me see it.

Lumians expression turned serious as he replied, I have something to tell you.

Aurore scanned his face.

Did some wild animal in the village chew your script again?

No, Lumian whispered, his voice low. I found out something from those foreigners.

Aurores smile faded as she nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

Lumian revealed how Ryan and his gang were snooping around, investigating a letter, and the peculiarity of the livre bleu at home. He spoke of his suspicions regarding Madame Pualis and the letters contents, which he had unearthed using Reimunds livre bleu.

Finally, he suggested, We have to leave the village as soon as possible and head to Dariege. No, Bigorre. Well stay there for a while.

Aurore didnt respond right away. She mulled over Lumians suggestion for more than ten seconds.

This is indeed the best choice for now.

However, theres a problem. If we suddenly bolt from Cordu while the officials are investigating, wont it draw attention to us? Will they intercept us and make us the focus of their investigation?

Its fine if Im not a Beyonder, but Im an unofficial Beyonder. Ill be captured and cleansed by the Inquisition.

Lumian was out of his depth, an amateur in a sea of seasoned veterans. The problem at hand was a conundrum that he had never faced before, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

He finally managed to stutter, So whats the plan? We break out and hide in another city, another country?

Oh, Lumian, you are overestimating me, she said. Those three foreigners are more powerful than you think. If there was only one, I might be able to take them on, but three? And what if theres an ambush outside the village? Maybe theyre just waiting for us to make a run for it.

Lumian was speechless.

He had to admit, compared to his sister, he was still green behind the ears. He just didnt have the same level of experience or the sharp attention to detail that she possessed.

Youre too impulsive, Aurore said, shaking her head. But I suppose thats to be expected. After all, what young man doesnt have a bit of fire in his belly?

She paused for a moment.

Tomorrow morning, youre going to do me a favor. Head over to the administrators office and help me send a telegram to Novel Weekly. Ask them when their next author salon will be held.

Aurore was a beloved columnist for Novel Weekly.

Only the administrator and the padre possessed a telegram machine, reserved for emergency communications. The villagers could use it, but at a cost in verl dor.

Aurore saw Lumians confusion and quickly explained her plan, Novel Weekly has been begging me to promote my work in Trier, but Ive always refused, including the most recent author salon. However, if I ask them to invite me now, theyll jump at the chance and even reimburse our train tickets. Our departure will seem ordinary, and even if were being watched, we wont be suspects. I can temporarily trick them when the time comes. As long as we dont let the abnormality corrupt us, our chances of slipping out of Cordu are high.

Lumian breathed a sigh of relief. Alright, he said.

In just a few seconds, Lumian posed an intriguing question to Aurore.

Aurore, uh, Grande Soeur, is Beyonder a term for people with superpowers?

Yes, Aurore replied, choosing not to elaborate any further.

However, Aurore then flashed a sly smile and said, So, youre really going to abandon your friends and flee from Cordu.

I must have missed the part where thats my problem, Lumian snorted in response.

Keeping his sister safe was his top priority at the moment.

Aurore clicked her tongue and laughed.

Oh, Lumian, youre such a delight. Say that again, would you?

How many times have you said that before? And yet, every time, you either quietly offer your help or give them a pretend warning, Aurore continued.

Those were trivial matters, Lumian defended himself.

However, the abnormality they faced now was a real threat to his sisters safety.

Okay, okay, Aurore sighed, not wanting to argue with the kid. Lets get dinner ready. Its your turn to cook today.

Lumian grunted tersely and headed towards the stove.

......

The night was dark, the crimson moon obscured by thick clouds.

Lumian finished washing up and lay down on the bed.

A visible worry crept onto his face.

Aurores response wasnt bad, but Lumian was worried that the anomalies in the village would erupt at any moment while they waited for Novel Weeklys reply.

Lumian was desperate to increase his strength and obtaining superpowers in the dream ruins seemed like the easiest option.

However, he hadnt been able to find that lady all day and didnt have any corresponding suggestions. He was left with no choice but to try it out himself.

The situation was like a nocked arrow, ready to fire, and Lumian couldnt afford to hesitate.

Without hesitation, Lumian composed himself and slowly drifted off to sleep.