CHAPTER 1051: NEED TO TALK

Erend kept his eyes on his sister for a few seconds longer, her determined gaze meeting his own eyes. Both of them knew that once such resolve burned in their eyes nothing in the world could turn them away from their chosen path.

"Come on, brother. I’m not stupid either. I’m not just gonna do anything without preparation," Arty said, her voice calm but firm with the same resolve.

Erend sighed, then let a faint smile tug at his lips. "I know, I know. Alright... then I guess I can only involve you in this." He said.

Arty’s expression softened, a small smile forming on her face as she felt the unspoken bond of trust between them.

She knew her brother would understand her intentions.

"By the way," Erend asked, leaning back slightly, "what about those kids who attacked you?"

"You don’t have to worry about that," Arty replied with a wave of her hand. "Sylmira already took care of them. She wasn’t gentle either in taking care of them. She laid out those three noble houses’ reputation and their business to the ground. Jan had provided solid proof as well, so it made the punishment even easier for the king."

Erend gave a slow nod. "I knew Jan would be smart enough to prepare everything properly."

Arty nodded in agreement.

"If he wasn’t," Erend said with a small, dangerous smile, "I’d take care of them myself."

Arty held his gaze for a moment with her own faint but knowing smile. She could see it clearly that behind his relaxed smile, her brother was preparing something far worse for the nobles’ children who dared to harm her.

Erend rose from his chair, brushing his hands against his sides, and wove another portal into existence.

"I think I’ll visit Aurdis and the Elves again soon," Erend said.

Arty didn’t bother to ask why. She already knew that when it came to matters of unknown Magic, the Elves were always the best choice.

But she couldn’t resist one last jab, her lips curling into a teasing grin. "Did you miss her already?"

Erend only scoffed and smirked in silence, offering no reply.

Instead, after waving his hand he stepped into the portal, the shimmering light swallowing him until nothing remained but air.

The room grew still.

As the portal closed behind him, Arty’s playful smile faded, her face returning to seriousness.

This matter pressed heavily on her mind more than she wanted to admit. She knew she needed to consult with Sylmira again and not just to strengthen her Magic but to make herself immune against whatever outside force had reached into her dreams.

The thought that something from beyond could invade her mind so easily left her unsettled, her stomach tightening with unease. And beneath that unease a low flame of anger burned.

She would not allow herself to be controlled again. She would find a way to resist.

—

Erend stepped back into his room. He closed the portal behind him and let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair and face.

Problems kept piling up one after another as if not wanting to give him time to breathe.

Arty’s troubling condition, the threat of unknown force, and this project that was in critical moments. Everything pressed against his chest like a weight he couldn’t shake off.

"All this happening at the same time..." he muttered under his breath, his voice carrying the exhaustion. "It’s stressing me out."

He knew he couldn’t carry this burden alone forever. Thankfully he had his friends who could share the weight of it with him.

That was why he had to visit the Elves again soon. If anyone could make sense of the strange forces at work, it would be them.

He could only hope they had finished analyzing the remnants taken from Laston’s body and his army.

But his shoulders felt heavy, and his thoughts were too tangled to chase further tonight.

"Ugh, but for now I’ll just sleep," he whispered.

Erend stretched out on his bed, lying flat against the sheets.

He closed his eyes and forced his mind to steady itself. Using his meditation he slowed his breathing and guided his thoughts toward stillness.

He wasn’t asleep because of his fatigue. His Dragonborn body barely required rest because his stamina was seemingly endless.

This was a deliberate choice. He needed the temporary time of sleep to escape and forget his troubles for a few short hours.

Slowly, his mind drifted and the weight of the world slipped from him as darkness claimed his senses.

—

Morning light filtered into the room when Erend’s eyes blinked open again.

He groaned softly and stretched his arms as he sat up on the bed. A yawn escaped him before he rubbed his face and swung his legs over the side.

Just as he was about to stand and wash up, a sudden voice filled his mind.

"Erend."

He froze, instantly recognizing the telepathic link. It was Eccar.

"We found the other Dragonborn," Eccar said directly without wasting anytime.

Erend’s eyes widened, his drowsiness vanishing in an instant. A smile tugged at his lips. "That’s good news. What does he look like? What’s his power?"

"It’s not a he. It’s a she," Eccar corrected. "She’s an Ice Dragon. Shy and cold, fitting for her element. Heheh."

Erend nodded to himself, the excitement humming in his chest. "An Ice Dragon, huh? Alright... then, do you need to go and recruit another one right away?"

"Not yet. Krono says we need to talk first," Eccar replied.

Erend’s brow furrowed. "About what?"

"Something happened here. You’ll understand when you get here. We need to talk in person."

A flicker of unease ran through Erend. "Alright. I’ll go there later."

"Good. We’ll wait for you."

Then the telepathic link was cut off.

Erend sat in silence, staring at the floor. His mind whirled with questions. "What happened? Did they discover something new about the enemy?"

Whatever it was, he’d find out soon enough. For now he had another duty.

He rose to his feet. Before he could deal with this enemy he had to see through his responsibilities as a soldier and continue overseeing the project.

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