NOVEL NEXT Chapter 300: Someone more powerful?
They stepped out into the backyard together and the soft grass brushed against their shoes as the breeze carried the scent of flowers and damp earth.
The pool glowed a deep blue under the afternoon sky.
Brandon slowed his pace, his hand still lightly holding Charlotte's, as if guiding her gently through this new space.
He cast her a brief glance and led her along the stone path that curved around the garden toward the pool.
There Eira was lounging comfortably in one of the long poolside chairs.
She lay with one arm draped behind her head, legs stretched out, her fingers scrolling across the screen of her mobile phone without much thought.
Brandon's smile softened as he stopped beside Charlotte, "She's Eira… My girlfriend."
Charlotte glanced at Eira and gave a faint nod "Mhm."
Eira, who had been lazily scrolling through her phone, felt their footsteps on the stone path and instinctively looked up.
Her eyes widened just a little when she saw Brandon and the woman beside him approaching.
She quickly pushed herself up from the chair and smoothed her dress with her hands "Uhm…" she murmured softly, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
Her eyes darted between Brandon and Charlotte, unsure how to greet them.
Brandon stepped closer, "Eira, this is Charlotte… my Big Sister,"
Charlotte nodded quietly and extended a hand "Good to finally see you."
Eira gave a small but respectful smile and nodded. "Good to finally see you too."
She took Charlotte's hand briefly and nodded her head.
Brandon's eyes darted between the two women and he could tell Eira was nervous.
He cleared his throat lightly and smiled at both of them. "Come on, let's sit by the pool."
Charlotte gave a small nod, and Eira's lips parted in a tentative smile before she relaxed slightly.
The three of them began walking toward the poolside chairs.
---
Leaning back against the wall, Charlotte let out a soft breath and nodded.
Her eyes seemed distant for a moment before returning to Brandon and Elize. "Yeah… I reached out to the other Empyreans and asked them to cooperate with Aunt Ravene…"
Her lips tightened briefly. "But… No leads at all."
Brandon sank into the couch and Elize who was sitting beside him spoke "Maybe it's someone… hidden. There are only nine officially known Empyreans, so there might be someone else too."
"A powerhouse. Someone… powerful enough to stay out of everyone's view."
Elize's lips curved down into a thin line "Or something even more powerful than an Empyrean," she added quietly.
Brandon's eyes flickered with curiosity. "More powerful than an Empyrean? Like… the Goddess of Rheanne or something? I thought Gods aren't real. Just religious beliefs passed down through stories."
Elize couldn't help but chuckle "Saying that while being the Herald of the said Goddess."
She pinched his cheek and muttered "In all my years… I've never met a god or anyone who was beyond me in power. But that doesn't mean it's impossible."
Brandon's eyes narrowed further, sensing something deeper "What do you mean?"
Elize's eyes shifted toward Charlotte, "Char… even after reaching Empyrean, you never hit a limit, right? You're still growing, aren't you?"
Charlotte's lips parted slightly, and she looked away before responding.
Her cheeks flushed faintly "Every time I ascend… I feel it. I hit a ceiling. When I reached B rank, I could feel the limit of what I could achieve... like reaching a plateau that I could see just beyond the next rank."
"Like I can see the 'wall' I needed to reach to achieve A rank."
"But… when I reached Empyrean…"
She muttered, and her eyes dropped to the floor. "There wasn't a wall anymore. It's like… it just keeps going. It feels like I'm swimming in an endless pool."
She looked down at her palm, "It's like… SSS rank isn't the end. I can still get stronger. There's more."
"Not just me... everyone who has reached SSS rank could experience this."
Brandon sat frozen for a moment, "Do we have… any record of anyone breaking even the SSS rank?"
Charlotte shook her head gently, "Not that I've ever seen. As far as I know… there's no record. No one who has officially surpassed that level."
Elize leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms "Goddess Rheanne… they say she was the very first Awakener in this world,"
"She cleared the first towers. She destroyed dungeons that were breeding nightmares. She fought back aberrants that flooded into the world and took lives without mercy,"
Elize continued, "No one ever knew just how strong she was when she was at her peak."
Her eyes shifted back to Brandon "They say she's worshipped because of what she did… for humanity…"
"Maybe she has achieved a rank more powerful than an SSS rank."
Brandon's eyes condensed upon hearing this.
Elize looked at him thoughfully "If anyone can find out more, it's you."
"You're the Herald, after all. You should be able to access the Church's ancient records and restricted archives that aren't open to the public."
Looking at her, he nodded his head "Sure, Aunt Elize..."
She raised her hand and caressed his cheek "That day in rupture... we still don't know who made intimate contact with you."
"But we know that 'someone' is on Empyrean level or maybe even more powerful than that. So... you need to be more careful than usual."
"Also, don't forget to wear that 'watch' when you go out."
He raised his hand and squeezed her hand "I know, Aunt Elize... Don't worry."
Charlotte gripped her fingers and her knuckles whitened as a swirl of yellow and blue light shimmered briefly in her irises, dancing like sparks of energy.
'Who… who is daring to play tricks with my Kael…' she whispered under her breath.
Her jaw tensed, and her whole expression twisted with barely contained anger 'If only I could find that… that cunt…'
Her heart raced at the mere idea that someone would threaten or harm Brandon.
Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who... Who...
Elize noticed the sudden shift in Charlotte's body "Char…" she called softly to bring her sister back from the edge.
Huh? Startled, Charlotte blinked rapidly as if waking from a trance.
The blazing light in her eyes faded, her breathing slowed, and the tension in her hands released just enough for her to look toward Elize. "Huh? Big Sis?"
A faint smile touched Elize's lips "Come on, let's go and have some tea."
"Sure."