CHAPTER 54: THE ETHEREAL GARDEN

The ethereal garden lay in an almost sacred silence, the dissipated mist giving way to a pale light that filtered through like a veil among the now motionless silver trees. The leaves, once pulsing with mana, hung quietly, reflecting a soft glow that seemed to whisper ancient secrets.

The moss beneath Eren’s body had lost its vibrancy, becoming a soft, cold carpet, and the air carried a light fragrance, like the remnants of a dream fading away.

It was a striking contrast to the intensity of the previous moment, an environment that exuded a false sense of security, as if the world had decided to pause and observe.

Eren remained lying down, his body relaxed against the ground, his eyes half-closed as his breathing stabilized.

Beside him, Liriel nestled, her tiny body partially covered by fragments of her petal tunic, now reduced to a tattered cloak that barely concealed her ethereal form. Her green hair spread like a fan over the moss, and she exuded an air of satisfaction, her wings trembling slightly in a lazy rhythm.

She believed she had won him over, that the emotional bond sealed at the climax of the previous act was a chain binding him to her. Eren knew this—and planned to use it.

He turned his face to her, letting out a sigh that sounded like emotional exhaustion, his shoulders loosening as if the weight of the moment had drained him.

"Have you ever trusted someone like this before?" he asked, his voice low, almost broken, as if the question were torn from an open wound. His eyes, normally cold as ice, softened with a feigned glow of vulnerability, and he tilted his head, allowing Liriel to feel in control.

The fairy raised her head, her eyes shining with vanity. She laughed, a light sound that echoed in the calm air, and snuggled closer to him, her tiny hands brushing against his chest.

"Trust?" she said, her voice laden with pride. "Not like I trust you now, Eren Vale. Hagan saved me, yes, but he is... limited. You are different. Strong. Free." She paused, her lips curling into a seductive smile. "Do you want to know how I ended up here?"

Eren nodded, his gaze fixed on her, as if hypnotized.

"Yes," he murmured. Eren traced each word like a line of a program he could hack. He knew the fairy was vain, that her ego was a weak point, and he deliberately provoked her, sowing doubts that would lead her to open up.

Liriel sighed, her eyes lost in the pale light of the garden.

"I was raised in a distant forest," she began, her voice taking on a nostalgic tone. "One of the last free fairies before the Order of the Ancient Tamers fell. They captured me, used my magic for their rituals. But Hagan freed me—or at least, gave me a purpose. He placed me as a spy within the Core. They think they control me, but I serve Hagan by choice." She laughed, a sharp sound that cut through the silence. "And now, I serve you too."

Eren remained silent, his face impassive, but his mind was whirling.

The Core. Spy. This confirmed his suspicions—Liriel was a piece in a larger game, and the Core used her to monitor him. He leaned slightly, his fingers brushing the air near her wings, a gesture that made her shiver.

"You are brave," he said, his voice laden with feigned admiration. "What else have you seen?"

Liriel smiled, vain, and floated a bit, her wings beating with a soft hum. "A lot," she replied, her tone conspiratorial.

"There is a secret guild that talks about you all the time, Eren. Kelna wants to dissect you, Vaen to decipher your exploit, Lorith to turn you into a story, and Rethar to use you as a weapon. But I know something they barely comprehend." She paused, her eyes shining with pride. "I know the fusion bonds, an ancient practice of the tamers. Forbidden by the Order, lost in time. They fused souls and bodies, creating powers that defied the gods."

Eren listened in silence, his gaze fixed on her, as if each word were a treasure he hoarded. In his mind, he traced the points—fusion bonds, a practice that explained the exploit he manipulated instinctively. The Core knew part of this, but Liriel had fragments they ignored. He leaned closer, his face near hers, feigning fascination.

"They don’t understand what you understand," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Tell me more."

The fairy laughed, floating to his shoulder, her tiny fingers brushing against his ear. "Not even the Order of the Flaming Eye understands what Hagan truly desires," she said, her tone low, as if revealing a sacred secret.

"He wants to restore the ancient tamers, but for a purpose that only I know in fragments. Something about a ’lost balance’. If you are honest with me, Eren, I will share it."

The air grew heavy, the pale light flickering as if the garden responded to the tension. Eren kept his gaze fixed on her, his heart beating steadily but controlled. In his mind, he already saw the next move. Liriel believed she had him, that the emotional bond made her untouchable. But he was the master of the game, the wolf in disguise, and she was the prey unaware she was ensnared.

"Honest," he repeated, his voice soft, his fingers brushing the air near her wings again. "Show me, Liriel. I want it all."

She smiled, her eyes shining with a mix of vanity and desire, and the climax of the act came not with action, but with promise.

"You will see," she whispered, nestling against him, believing the control was hers. But Eren knew the true control was in his hands—she had opened the door, and he would enter to destroy everything from within.

The ethereal garden, now bathed in a pale and silent light, seemed to pulse with new energy as Liriel rose, her wings trembling with a low hum.

Eren remained lying down, his body relaxed, but his mind sharp as a blade, watching her every movement. The fairy floated to the center of the clearing, where the moss formed a natural circle, and with a delicate gesture, her tiny hands conjured a translucent flower that sprouted from the ground.

The flower, made of light and mist, spun slowly, projecting flickering images into the air—visual memories that danced like ghosts of the past.

It was a magical artifact, a mist mirror she controlled, and Eren knew he was about to plunge into secrets that the Core and Hagan guarded fiercely.

"Come," Liriel called, her voice silky, laden with a pride she did not hide. "I will show you what few have seen."

She hovered above the flower, her green hair falling like a veil, and her eyes shone as the images took shape. Eren rose, his body moving with calculated grace, and approached, his gaze fixed on the fairy as if enchanted.

In his mind, however, he was Lee Min-Jae, the programmer deciphering codes, ready to absorb every detail without committing.

The flower projected scenes from the past—hooded figures in dark robes, surrounded by creatures that seemed to merge with them in explosions of light. Liriel began to narrate, her voice taking on an almost reverent tone.

"The ancient tamers were masters of a lost power," she said, her eyes shining. "They used emotional and carnal fusions with their creatures, transcending the traditional taming system. It wasn’t just control—it was union. Souls and bodies became one, defying the laws the Order imposed."

The images showed a tamer absorbing the strength of a wolf, the agility of a spider, the fluidity of a slime, all in a process that seemed both sacred and profane.

Eren tilted his head, feigning surprise, his lips parted in an expression of reverence.

"This is... incredible," he murmured, his voice soft but calculated. "Did these fusions leave traces in the system?"

He stepped forward, eyes fixed on the flower, as if each image were a treasure he wished to unravel.

In his mind, he was already drawing connections—the exploit he used with Kaela, Morwynn, Nyssa, and Sylha followed this pattern.

It was a hidden code, a layer the system did not openly register.

Liriel laughed, vainly, floating closer to him.

"Traces?" she repeated, the tone condescending. "Yes, but invisible to the common folk. The tamers created a parallel network, a hidden layer of the system. The fusion between spirit and body was considered heresy by the Order of the Ancient Tamers, but it allowed access to this secret plane. It was like hacking reality." The images changed, showing ancient runes etched in stones, and an ethereal figure—resembling Sylha—merging with a tamer in a ritual of light. "It was forbidden because it gave too much power. The Order feared losing control."

Eren nodded, his gaze still locked on the fairy, as if hypnotized.

"How was the ritual initiated?" he asked, his voice laden with feigned curiosity.

He leaned in, his fingers brushing the air near her wings, a gesture that made her shudder and reinforced her belief that she dominated him. In his mind, he catalogued every word—the ritual was the key, and he had already used something similar without knowing.

Liriel smiled, her eyes gleaming with superiority.

"I’m not sure," she explained, floating around him like a dancer. "But it’s something about the tamer offering their emotional essence, and the creature their vital force. A contract sealed by a catalyst—usually an artifact or a moment of emotional peak." She paused, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile.

Eren remained silent, his face impassive, but his mind was spinning. Hagan wanted him as a central piece. He feigned a sigh, as if overwhelmed by the revelation.

"This is... beyond what I imagined," he said, his voice low. "What does Hagan plan with this?" In his mind, he already saw the next step—using the knowledge to turn the tables against the Core and Hagan.

Liriel floated to his shoulder, her tiny fingers brushing his ear.

"The Order of the Flaming Eye wants to destroy the tamers currently," she whispered, the tone conspiratorial. "They plan to replace it with one where the bonds are irreversible, eternal, forced. But Hagan wants the tamers back, but under his command. He believes you can unlock this parallel network—but only if guided by him." She laughed softly, her eyes gleaming. "They don’t know I know all this."

The air grew thick, the pale light trembling as if the garden were responding to the tension. Eren leaned in, his gaze fixed on her, feigning fascination.

"You know more than they do," he said, his voice soft. "What else are you hiding?" In his mind, he absorbed every piece—the Order wanted total control, Hagan wanted power, and Liriel was the bridge between the two. He would not commit, but he would use every piece of information.

The climax of the act came when Liriel approached, her face inches from his. "There is a hidden fusion relic," she murmured, her voice low, almost reverent. "An artifact that can initiate the perfect ritual. Only I know where it is. But..." She paused, her eyes narrowed. "I have yet to decide if you are worthy, Eren Vale."

She smiled, believing she held him in her hands, but Eren was already planning how to extract this secret—and destroy those who controlled her.

The ethereal garden, once bathed in pale, magical light, began to darken, as if the enchantment of the previous night dissolved under the weight of a cold reality.

The silver trees lost their glow, the leaves withering into shadowy silhouettes, and the moss beneath Eren’s feet became a dry, brittle carpet.

The mist that once danced in the air dissipated, leaving only an oppressive silence that seemed to swallow the last echoes of pleasure.

The night advanced, and the environment reflected the transition—a broken mirror of illusions unraveling. Eren rose slowly, his body moving with deliberate grace as he gathered his garments, dressing piece by piece as if marking the end of a game.

Liriel remained lying down, her tiny body wrapped in torn fragments of her petal tunic, her green hair spread like a web over the moss.

Her eyes, still shining with a hint of passion, followed him, hesitant but filled with an emotion she couldn’t hide. Eren turned to her, his face taking on an expression of calculated affection — a gentle smile, eyes half-closed with a gleam that feigned tenderness.

"I don’t need you to trust me now," he said, his voice low, almost gentle. "Just don’t lie."

The fairy hesitated, her wings trembling slightly, as if feeling the weight of her own words. She was emotionally entangled, the bond that the system registered at 89% affinity binding her like an invisible cord.

She knew she had yielded too much, revealed secrets that could cost dearly, but she had already passed the point of no return. Her lips trembled, and she lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking. "I don’t know..." she said, her voice weak, almost a whisper.

Eren tilted his head, the smile still in place, but his eyes had already changed — cold, distant, like those of a predator that had just secured its prey.

"Thank you," he said, leaning in to kiss her once more.

The touch was brief, almost mechanical, and when he pulled back, the look he gave her had no warmth left. In his mind, he was Lee Min-Jae, the master of exploits, already planning the next moves.

He discreetly activated the system, his fingers tracing a subtle gesture in the air as the HUD flickered:

[Hidden Mission Updated: Relic of Ancestral Fusion]

[Location: ?]

[Informant: Emotionally Compromised | Risk of Betrayal: 27%]

The fairy watched him, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and uncertainty, but Eren was already turning away.

He adjusted his tunic, his body rising with a posture that exuded control, and walked toward the garden’s exit, leaving Liriel enveloped in the dissipating mist.

She remained there, alone, the glow of her body dimming as reality swallowed her, unaware that she had just handed over the key to her own ruin.

Eren emerged from the clearing, the fresh night air hitting his face as he returned to the group.

Kaela was at the front, her golden eyes fixed on him with a distrust that cut through the silence.

Her muscles were tense, claws semi-retracted, as if ready to claw out answers.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice deep and commanding, laced with a tone that demanded truth. Nyssa, floating nearby, tilted her head, her liquid form trembling slightly. "Was everything alright?" she asked, shyly, her large eyes seeking reassurance.

Eren paused, his gaze sweeping the group, and a slight smile curled his lips — a smile of someone who had just won a game.

"I got what I needed," he said, his voice cold but with a hint of satisfaction.

He offered no details, and they knew they didn’t need to ask further. Kaela snorted, crossing her arms but stepping back, accepting the response reluctantly.

Morwynn, who was weaving a web in the background, raised his faceted eyes, analyzing him silently, while Nyssa smiled, relieved, though still hesitant.

However, something was missing. Sylha wasn’t there. The space where she usually floated, laughing and spinning with her chaotic energy, was empty. Eren noticed the absence but was unfazed.

"She went somewhere," he murmured, more to himself, his eyes narrowing as he looked to the horizon. "She’ll come back eventually."

He knew Sylha — her madness drove her to explore, to get lost in impulses, but the bond connected them. She would return when she wished, and he wouldn’t waste energy worrying about it.

The group resumed their march, their steps echoing on the path leading to Barovik.

The city was now a more defined silhouette against the dark sky, its lights flickering like promises of chaos. Eren walked ahead, his mind spinning like an overclocked processor. The relic beneath Barovik was the next target, a temple sealed with runes and living memories.

He imagined the guardians — echoes from the past, perhaps ancestral tamers or their creatures, designed to protect the secret of fusional bonds. It was a challenge worthy of him, and he was ready.

In his mind, he reviewed the plan. Liriel had fallen into the emotional trap, and the 27% risk of betrayal was low enough to manipulate her but high enough to keep him alert. The Core, Hagan, the Order of the Flaming Eye — all revolved around him, underestimating him as a pawn.

But Lee Min-Jae was never a pawn. He was the player, the living exploit that would turn the board. The relic would be his next weapon, and he would use Liriel’s knowledge to dismantle the Core’s networks from within.

Kaela growled low, breaking his thoughts.

"If that fairy betrayed you, I’ll hunt her down," she said, her voice firm, her dominant instinct on alert. Eren looked at her, the slight smile returning.

"She won’t betray," he replied, his voice cutting. "She’s already given me what I need."

Morwynn adjusted a web, his eyes shining with silent approval. Nyssa floated closer, her liquid form reflecting the starlight.

"You’re amazing, Eren," she whispered, shyly, and he nodded, accepting the praise as a well-deserved trophy.

The path continued, the night enveloping them like a cloak. Eren thought of Sylha, knowing her absence was temporary.

She would return, bringing chaos or information — perhaps both. For now, he focused on Barovik, on the underground temple, on the relic that would elevate him beyond what the Core or Hagan imagined.

He was cold, calculating, a strategist who turned weaknesses into victories. Liriel believed she would guide him, but he would guide her to destruction.

The horizon darkened even more, the lights of Barovik calling him like a beacon. Eren quickened his pace, the group following in unison.

The trap was set, and the next step — harvesting the Core’s secrets and claiming the relic — was about to begin. He didn’t look back, leaving the fairy in the mist as an echo of the past, a pawn sacrificed in his greater game.