NOVEL NEXT Chapter 304: Chapter 48 - Guilt And Repayment (1)
??? POV's
The entire place, resembling the eerie interior of a cave, was filled with figures cloaked in dark hoods, their faces hidden in shadow. Massive torches blazed, casting wild, flickering light that danced across the stone walls. Along the sides, cages lined the cavern, each imprisoning women draped in white cloth.
Their eyes were blindfolded, their mouths gagged with cloth, silencing their voices and stripping them of sight.
Suddenly, a ripple of noise stirred the gathered crowd as one of the hooded figures ascended to the stage. On the ground, a massive circle was etched into the stone, marked with an ominous symbol that seemed to pulse with dark energy.
The figure raised their arms high, their voice echoing through the cavern. "In the shadows, we find truth, and in the darkness, we are reborn. The world will bow to our will, for we are the harbingers of the Eclipse, where light meets its end and our power begins."
"In the shadows, we find truth, and in the darkness, we are reborn. The world will bow to our will, for we are the harbingers of the Eclipse, where light meets its end and our power begins."
The hooded figures around me chanted in unison, their voices rising in a chilling harmony. I joined in, swept up in the dark energy of the moment.
"Tonight will be the night we achieve our long-awaited dreams. We will revive our lord!" the leader roared. "We will break free from this oppressive world and restore our true ruler to his rightful throne! Let's reclaim the world for our lord!"
The crowd erupted in a frenzied roar, arms thrust skyward in defiant unity. I raised my arm alongside them.
"Our lord, Lord Xyroskhaal, will rise again!" the man shouted, his voice echoing through the cavernous space with fiery intensity.
The men beside the leader moved with a chilling purpose toward the cages, their footsteps echoing ominously against the stone floor. With a metallic creak, the cage doors swung open, and they seized the women inside. The captives struggled, their muffled cries and desperate thrashes betraying their fear, but the men were unyielding, their grip like iron.
The women, bound tightly and nearly immobilized, could do little more than writhe against their captors' strength.
Without warning, the cave rumbled, a deep, guttural growl reverberating through the chamber. The floor, etched with the ominous symbol, began to pulse with an eerie, almost malevolent light. The darkness within the circle seemed to come alive, twisting and swirling before it split open like the gaping maw of a monstrous, unseen entity.
One by one, the women were hurled into the abyss. Their bodies plunged into the void, swallowed whole by the darkness without so much as a scream, their silence only amplifying the horror.
"Throw them all in!" the leader's voice boomed, filled with manic glee. "With this final act, our preparations will be complete! The Eclipse will blanket this world in darkness once more, and Lord Xyroskhaal will finally bless us with his return!"
The chamber erupted in a thunderous roar of approval.
***
Leon's POV
I heard some incredible news today, so after school, I bolted to the Leonamon Hospital. This place was renowned for its accessibility: it provided check-ups, operations, and medicines even to those who couldn't scrape together enough to afford healthcare. Commoners were welcome, and sometimes treatments were offered for free.
I descended to the basement, which looked like a cutting-edge laboratory. The space was alive with activity as researchers bustled about, engrossed in drug production and other experiments. The room was cluttered with a mix of high-tech devices and magical apparatuses, all designed to aid in patient recovery and enhance the healing process.
As I made my way through the bustling lab, I passed by researchers and scientists who greeted me with respectful bows. Every employee at Leonamon knew who I was, and they had sworn to keep my identity a secret. They treated me with warm smiles and deference as I walked toward my destination.
Notably, every worker here was female; Amon had ensured that only women could work in this facility and across all Leonamon departments.
I finally reached my destination: the office of one of the premier doctors, Trisha. Trisha herself was a breathtaking young woman, renowned for her exceptional skills despite her youth. She was one of the women I had been intimate with before. Once a trainee prostitute, I had saved her by purchasing her freedom from Martha, and she had since become a celebrated figure in her field.
There was another exceptional doctor, Natasha, who wasn't present at the moment. The room had a professional yet inviting atmosphere, and as I entered, Trisha greeted me with a warm and slightly nervous smile.
"Good evening, Master. Sorry for calling you when you're so busy," she said, her voice carrying a hint of concern.
"I'm not that swamped," I replied smoothly. "Besides, I can hardly ignore a call from one of my women."
At my words, a delicate blush spread across her cheeks, adding a touch of color to her already radiant face.
"So, what do your findings entail?" I asked.
"Right," she said, tapping on her tablet with a deft touch before turning it toward me. "We've been diving deep into Miss Melina's illness, and we've stumbled upon something that might actually help improve her condition."
"Really?" I asked, leaning in, my curiosity sharpening.
This was huge news. Melina, Zeruel's mother, had been grappling with an illness so intractable that conventional treatments seemed futile. The disease defied all known remedies, leaving her reliant on a magical apparatus to stay alive. This device didn't cure her; it merely suspended her in a state of eternal sleep. It kept her breathing but couldn't heal her.
The bleak reality was that, without significant intervention, recovery was beyond reach. Any potential breakthrough was a flicker of hope in a sea of despair.
Which is why hearing that Trisha and her team had made such a breakthrough was nothing short of incredible.
Trisha presented me with detailed data and reports that illuminated the potential for real recovery. The figures and charts showed a promising path forward. It no longer seemed impossible that Zeruel's mother could awaken from her eternal slumber.