CHAPTER 86: WE CAN DO A LOT

Within the night sky-like crystal walls of the Night Tower. In a room filled with colourful star-like illuminating crystals and celestial carvings.

The Night Seer or The Saintess stood in front of a large carving of a moon within the hands of a woman; her face was blanketed; the woman appeared to be the revered Goddess of Night, who was said to be the mother of night and blessed the mortals with the blessing of the star essence.

Beside the Night Seer stood an old woman with her palms joined together, wearing a pure white robe with golden carvings. A soft smile tugged her withered lips, and her eyes burned with reverence as she looked at the carving of her goddess. She turned towards the Night Seer as she called out.

"Yabin."

Yabin—the Night Seer—turned towards the old woman and replied with a slight smile.

"Elder."

The old woman turned and looked at her with her wisdom-filled eyes and questioned.

"Do you not regret it?"

Yabin’s smile widened as she shook her head and looked back at the carving of the goddess of night, and spoke in a soft tone.

"No... not even a bit, I don’t regret what I did and I never would."

The old woman studied her for a few moments before heaving a sigh.

"I hope you never have too... but, you know that you would, don’t you?" The old woman spoke in a melancholic tone.

The Night Seer’s smile faded as her eyes turned hazy for a moment, but she hid it. Moments later, she spoke in a heavy tone filled with sorrow and salvation.

"That’s just what life is, right?"

The old woman turned silent for a few moments. She moved her hands and grabbed Yabin’s hand in her palm as she spoke.

"Life is not like that, Yabin... life is meant to be enjoyed, to be dreamed of. Not to be excused with."

Yabin’s expression turned dark... she knew that the elder was right and that she would come to regret what she had done... but she is too selfish to let go of the reward that existed at the end of it all.

Freedom... true freedom, not the illusion that all humans were living into.

Yabin lifted her and looked into the old woman’s eyes as she spoke in a tone which was bordering on obsession.

"The fog will dissipate... and the ’His’ prophecy will come true."

The old woman shuddered from the obsessiveness within the voice of the Night Seer and took a few steps back.

She looked at her for a few moments before turning back and leaving.

"Hah..." Yabin heaved a silent sigh as she turned back and looked at the carving of the goddess of night, and spoke in a bright tone.

"It will happen, I’ll make sure to make it happen."

"Saintess!" A hurried voice called out to her from behind.

Yabin turned towards the voice and questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"What’s wrong, Sara?"

Sara took a few breaths as she spoke in a worried tone.

"Sir Michael still hasn’t returned."

"Is it because of the storm?" Yabin questioned with furrowed brows.

Sara shook her head and answered her.

"No... the islanders saw him with three outsiders before he left from the gates of Moonveil."

Yabin’s eyes turned sharp as she walked beside Sana and spoke.

"I shall go find him myself then."

Hanna, Neo and Michael landed beside Anna, who had a fatigued look on her face.

Neo jumped from the windrazor eagle and walked towards her with a worried look, and called out.

"Miss Aeliana!"

Anna looked towards him and blinked a few times before calling out.

"Neo..."

Anna staggered, and Neo held her by wrapping his hand around her lithe waist, preventing her from falling.

"Thanks," Anna said with a slight smile.

Hanna also jumped from the windrazor eagle and began to heal Anna.

Michael looked at the horde of the hexed beings with a raised eyebrow and thought.

’She was stopping them from reaching the southern end for that long?’

Michael was surprised... no, it would be an understatement... he was flabbergasted, thunderstruck... hell astounded even. Why wouldn’t he be? Anna was fine after that leap of fate; she was fine from the hex... heck, she even had enough star essence to hold back the horde after fighting the merkins and other star beasts.

Hanna was a healer; thus, she didn’t have to use a lot of her star essence, similar to other healers... but Anna? She was no healer. How the hell does she even have star essence?

Right then, right before his eyes, Anna straightened herself and took out the star core she had collected by killing a few merkin and broke it, absorbing and refining the star essence within.

Michael blinked a few times and questioned with a puzzled look.

"Umm... Miss Aeliana, what did you just do?"

Anna turned towards him and answered with a tilt of her head.

"I absorbed the star essence within the star core of merkins. Why? Did I do something wrong?"

Michael rubbed his eyes, blinked them and spoke.

"So... you absorbed the star essence with a star core of a star beast?"

Anna frowned at his confirmation but still nodded in answer.

Michael rubbed his face and mumbled.

"Hah... Monster, all of them are monsters."

Anna gave him a displeased look and commented.

"Sir Michael, please do not place us in the same category as these vermin," she said as she pointed at a merkin.

’I don’t even know whose the actual monster...’ Michael thought, but didn’t dare to say it out loud.

The islands shook once more as the malamare had had enough and began to move towards its children... or its food.

Michael looked towards the southern end and spoke in a dire tone.

"I don’t think we can do anything against that malamare."

Anna looked at him and shook her head.

She let go of her threads as Hanna had already erected her vines.

"We can do a lot... and we will," Anna spoke with determination.