NOVEL NEXT 126- The Eñeforte Aftermath [3]
Volume 03, Chapter 126
The Eñeforte Aftermath [3]
The group crosses from the shattered edge of the forest into the makeshift evacuation camp.
Survivors, nurses, and teachers alike look up, startled at the new arrivals: figures of authority and hope amid chaos.
Uther strides to the front, projecting calm assurance. "I am Uther Lyon, leader of Les Arcanes Éternels and mayor of Lyon territory. We're here to assist all of you as allies of the Eñeforte family!"
Syren immediately joins him. "I am Syren Valmaris, Commissioner-General of the Verdant Haven Arcane Constabulary. We're here as well to provide medical aid and security. Can anyone tell me where Mayor André Eñeforte is?"
For a heartbeat, no one answers. Grief, exhaustion, and confusion weigh heavily on the camp.
Then, a familiar figure steps from a nearby tent—Maurice, his usual composure tinged with fatigue. "André is here, but he's… not in the right condition to lead at the moment. I'll coordinate things for now."
He offers Uther and Syren a weary but grateful nod. "Thank you for answering my call, General Syren. And thank you, Monsieur Uther, for bringing your guild. We could not have asked for better allies in a time like this."
Syren replies crisply, "We're just doing our duty, Maurice. Your warning may have saved hundreds."
Uther's voice is lower but no less sincere. "The Eñeforte have always stood by Lyon. Today, we return that loyalty."
Syren turns, raising her voice for all to hear. "Healers! I want immediate triage on all the wounded. Set up a perimeter and report any signs of lingering poison or curses."
"Yes, General Syren!" several officers and medics call as they hurry to obey.
Uther faces his guildmates. "Anyone trained in healing or restoration, join the medical teams at once!"
"Yes, Sir!" They disperse, melting into the camp to lend what help they can.
While the leaders organize relief, Célestin and Arthur exchange a glance, both having caught a glimpse of André's haggard figure through the open tent flap where Maurice just emerged. They silently move toward the tent.
Arthur's brow is furrowed, his eyes flickering with hope and dread. "Clark… Celine… please let them be alright."
"Auntie Celine… Clark… hang in there," Célestin whispers, his voice barely above a breath, echoing the same prayer.
Lumi notices their movement and turns to Clark, who stands uncertainly beside her. She offers a gentle smile. "Shall we go check on your big brother together?"
Clark's eyes light up with anxious hope, and he nods, slipping his small hand into Lumi's. They join the others, the group slipping quietly toward the tent.
Jun, still new to this strange company and unsettled by the scale of destruction, hesitates only a moment before following after Célestin. Something about the bond between these people, even during disaster, compels him forward.
Maurice watches them go, understanding the need for private reunions. He then turns back to Syren and Uther, ready to brief them on what has happened: the attack, the poison, the infernal magic, and the uncertain fate of Eñeforte's future.
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Célestin and Arthur slip quietly into the tent, the canvas muffling the sounds of the bustling camp outside. Inside, the light is dim, the air heavy with exhaustion and grief.
André sits hunched on a low stool at the bedside, one of Dominic's hands clasped gently in both of his own. His broad shoulders seem smaller, weighed down by sorrow. He barely glances up as the boys enter, his eyes rimmed red.
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They both freeze at the sight of Dominic. The blackened skin, the shallow, rattling breaths, it is all too much. Even knowing the boy's strength, Arthur feels the tears prickling behind his eyes, one slipping free as he steps closer.
"Cl—Doms… and Uncle André…" Arthur manages, his voice trembling.
Célestin follows, wordless, a single tear tracing down his cheek as he stares at his friend, still alive but so changed.
André looks up, mustering a weak, grateful smile for them. "Célestin… Arthur… thank you for coming." His voice is quiet, raw from hours of anguish.
A sudden flutter of footsteps behind them, Clark bursts into the tent, Lumi following more cautiously.
Clark takes in the scene in a heartbeat. His gaze finds Dominic, and he darts to the bedside, grabbing Dominic's other hand.
"Big brother!" Clark's voice is high with fear. "What happened to you? Please, wake up…"
André reaches over and gently ruffles Clark's hair, offering comfort he barely has to give. Clark looks up, eyes wide and wet, searching for reassurance in André's face.
André's thoughts wander back to the first days when he met Clark. At first, he was wary, unsure why Dominic insisted on bringing home a stray child. But that first dinner, Clark's awe at the simplest food, his shy laughter, won both André and Celine over. Together, they quietly made Clark one of their own, even though they never found the boy's past or parents, even after combing through records and running DNA tests in secret. In the end, the only thing that mattered was that Clark belonged here.
'Maybe… after this is over, I'll tell Clark that he's an Eñeforte now. And maybe, when Dominic wakes up, he'll finally smile again,' André thinks.
He worries about Clark's future as a Manaless in Sylvestria, but he promises himself the boy will never face that world alone.
Beside them, Lumi's usually impassive face softens at the sight of Dominic's condition. She lingers quietly by the tent flap, her red eyes damp with unshed tears.
Outside, Jun hesitates by the entrance, unsure if he belongs in this moment. His thoughts are interrupted when a young man nearby calls out, arms full of a heavy box.
"Hey, can you help us carry these?" the man asks, his voice hurried.
Jun blinks, startled from his reverie. "Oh, uhh—coming!"
He moves to help, grateful for something to do, even as he casts one last anxious glance back toward the tent and the family inside.
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Inside a separate tent, its canvas flaps tightly drawn against the night, the air is tense—thick with the scent of scorched aether and the murmurs of crisis.
Maurice sits upright on a folding chair. Syren Valmaris sits across from him, her posture ramrod straight. Uther Lyon stands at the side, arms crossed, his gaze distant and troubled.
Syren speaks first, her voice clipped and official. "Maurice. Tell me exactly what happened. I need everything, no details spared."
Maurice nods, every word precise. "It was a routine afternoon at the Académie d'Eñeforte. I was teaching advanced Mana manipulation when I felt it, a pulse of hostile energy. Then, in an instant, a column of purple smoke erupted from the heart of town. The color, the taste in the air… It wasn't any natural toxin. It was manufactured. Deliberate."
He pauses, recalling the scene, eyes flickering. "I immediately ordered the emergency evacuation. Thanks to the Academy's smaller footprint, I managed to teleport nearly all the students and staff here. I made several trips back, using my telekinesis to recover as many bodies as I could. Most… most did not survive."
Syren's eyes darken, but she remains composed. "And the explosion? The pillar of darkness and lightning?"
Maurice takes a breath. "When I returned to the ruins for the last sweep, I saw Dominic. He was gathering an [A] Rank mana surge, a feat I had never witnessed from him before. Nearby was a man with dark brown hair, someone I didn't recognize. Judging from the energy, the confrontation was desperate. I realized Dominic was about to unleash a cataclysmic spell, so I pulled everyone out before it hit."
Syren taps a gloved finger on her thigh. "So, the epicenter of that mana pulse, the one the entire Golden Fields Region felt, was Dominic, the heir to Eñeforte."
She frowns, her eyes sharp and inquisitive. "But why would he destroy his town? Was there no other option?"
Maurice shrugs, frustration in his voice. "I don't know. My theory is that the brown-haired man was a threat, given the circumstances. Perhaps Dominic calculated that detonating his position was the only way to neutralize the enemy. But yes, the cost was severe. Still, it's worth noting: magicians or Manaficials don't typically die from their spells. He knew what he was doing… but the price was high."
Syren's features soften only slightly. "So much loss… for a single victory." She runs her hand through her bun, the gold circlet catching the lantern light. "When Dominic wakes, we'll need to question him. If this is the new level of threat facing the regions, Verdant Haven Arcane Constabulary must prepare. We cannot afford this kind of destruction in our other towns."
Maurice nods, recognizing the burden of leadership in Syren's voice. "Dominic is like a special student to me. André and I… we've shared this alliance since we were boys. I'm aware of their debts; I've offered help, but André's pride is like steel. He would rather struggle than burden another." He looks away, jaw set. "But this… all of this-" he gestures to the battered camp outside, "It's too much. I won't let him carry it alone. Not after tonight."
Uther, silent until now, finally speaks. He looks Syren in the eye, then Maurice. "If you're reorganizing resources or funds, count Lyon in. I don't care what André says, I'll see this region rebuilt, and its people safe. Even if it's from my vaults."
Syren nods, her expression softening with respect. "Your support will not be forgotten, Mayor Lyon. The VHAC will coordinate with Les Arcanes Éternels. We'll get through this, together."
Maurice, too, gives Uther a look of genuine gratitude, a silent thank you from one ally to another.