Echoes of the Lost Elf-Chapter 43 - 42 : Unexpected Reunion

Valak stepped forward, his presence suffocating. He wasn't in a hurry, walking with the confidence of someone who already knew the outcome of this encounter.

His dark coat trailed behind him, and despite the dim glow of the cavern, his scarlet eyes gleamed.

Leon instinctively stepped back, sensing the sheer difference in power. "Who the hell—?"

Zephyr, usually reckless, didn't move. His beast-like instincts screamed at him to stay still, like prey caught in a predator's gaze.

Kael, standing behind them, barely whispered, "...That's Valak."

Adriana's expression darkened. She had heard the name before. The Black Reaver. The one who stood at the pinnacle of vampire power, a figure whispered about in the empire's courts.

She gritted her teeth and took a step forward, her sword raised.

But Historias lifted a hand.

"Stand down."

Adriana turned, confused. "What?"

Historias' expression remained unreadable. His golden eyes locked onto Valak's, and for a brief moment, silence hung between them.

Then—Valak smiled.

"I knew it."

His voice was filled with certainty, amusement—and something far more dangerous.

"You're still alive, Historias."

Leon blinked. "Wait, what?"

Zephyr snapped his gaze to Historias. "You two know each other?"

Historias exhaled softly. He hadn't planned for this reunion to happen here of all places. But there was no helping it now.

.......

Valak crossed his arms, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. "Just now, I sensed a crack in the Gates of Hell, tracked it down, and ended up here."

Historias narrowed his eyes. "You weren't the one behind it?"

Valak scoffed. "Nope. Just got here."

The others exchanged glances, tension lingering in the air.

Leon, still wary, asked, "So you tracked a crack in the Gates of Hell, came all the way here... and just happened to run into us?"

Valak smirked. "Seems that way."

Adriana studied him carefully. "You're Valak Allgera. The Black Reaver. The one who fought alongside Aldren in the Void War."

Zephyr exhaled. "Well, that explains how you know each other. If Aldren raised Historias, and you fought beside Aldren, then it makes sense that you two would have crossed paths."

Kael nodded slightly. "Still, to see another war hero in person... It's unexpected."

Valak chuckled. "Unexpected, huh? I'd say the same about you lot." His gaze flicked over the remnants of dark energy in the cavern. "You got yourselves into quite the mess."

Before anyone could respond, a faint, pitiful sound echoed in the air.

The once-malevolent spirit—now reduced to a trembling, palm-sized fluffball—quivered on the ground. Its dark, wraith-like form had completely collapsed, leaving behind a tiny, ghostly creature with large, flickering eyes.

Leon blinked. "...Wait. That's the thing that almost killed us?"

Zephyr crouched, studying it closely. The spirit flinched but didn't move away. It was too weak.

Valak raised a brow. "Well, that's new. What do you plan to do with it?"

Historias glanced at Zephyr. "Contract it."

Zephyr's ears twitched. "What?"

"You heard me," Historias said flatly. "It's weak, but not useless. Bind it to you."

Zephyr hesitated, looking at the trembling creature. He wasn't sure how he felt about forming a contract with something that had just been trying to kill them. But now, in this state, it wasn't dangerous. Just... lost.

"...Fine," Zephyr muttered. "But if it tries to eat my soul, I'm blaming you."

Valak chuckled. "Bold of you to assume he'd care."

Ignoring him, Zephyr placed his hand forward, speaking the incantation. A faint glow surrounded the spirit as the contract took hold. A small sigil burned into Zephyr's palm.

A whisper echoed in his mind.

"...Master?"

Zephyr sighed. "Great. Now I have a talking fluffball."

Leon smirked. "At least it's cute."

Historias exhaled and turned to Valak. "Enough delays. Get us out of here."

Valak raised a brow. "Do it yourself."

Historias gave him a flat look. "I'm out of mana."

Silence. Then—Valak let out a slow, amused sigh. "Seriously? You're supposed to be the great Histor—"

Historias' glare cut him off.

Valak smirked. "Fine, fine. Hold on."

With a wave of his hand, golden light surrounded them, and in an instant, the cavern faded away.

........

Valak teleported them back to the haunted dorm in a flash of dark energy. The moment they reappeared, the air shifted from tense to oddly domestic.

Nyx, lounging on a windowsill, perked up at the sudden arrival of new guests. Its glowing blue eyes locked onto Valak, and almost immediately, the demon smirked.

"A Nywraith," Valak mused, crossing his arms. "Looks like you're still just as crazy about cats as you always were."

Before he could say anything else, Nyx launched itself at him in a blur of shadows.

Scratch!

A sharp swipe to the face.

Valak stood there, stunned, a fresh set of claw marks adorning his cheek. A slow blink. Then, he exhaled through his nose.

"...Figures."

Meanwhile, Historias had already doubled over, laughter spilling from his lips as he stroked Nyx, who had effortlessly returned to his arms, looking extremely pleased with itself.

Zephyr, who had been holding himself together up until now, finally lost it. "Oh, man—okay, okay, wait," he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "That's nothing compared to what this guy did!"

He dramatically pointed at Historias.

Valak raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Zephyr grinned. "Do you know how we even got Nyx?"

Historias' expression remained composed, but a flicker of warning crossed his golden eyes. "Zephyr."

"Oh, shut up, this is too good." Zephyr ignored him, turning fully to Valak. "This guy—this dignified, mysterious 'Vaelcrest'—destroyed an entire black market auction house."

Valak's head tilted slightly. "...And?"

Zephyr clapped his hands together. "Because he couldn't stand seeing a cat being auctioned off!"

Silence.

Valak stared at Historias. Then at Nyx. Then back at Historias.

Adriana, Leon, and Kael all turned to look at him too.

Historias let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temple. "I never said that was the reason."

Zephyr grinned like a madman. "Oh, but you didn't deny it either."

Valak pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're telling me that the great, unreachable, unfathomable Historias—" He gestured vaguely. "—wreaked havoc in the criminal underworld for a stray cat?"

Historias remained silent, refusing to confirm or deny.

Nyx, meanwhile, simply purred in his arms, utterly content.

........

Historias felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, his body protesting the severe depletion of mana. He exhaled slowly before speaking, his voice carrying the slightest hint of fatigue.

"Why don't we continue this conversation tomorrow? I'm sure everyone is tired."

It was already past 3 AM, and after everything they had been through, no one was eager to argue. They all nodded in agreement and retreated to their rooms.

The moment Historias stepped into his own, exhaustion hit him like a crashing wave. He barely had time to process it before his legs gave out beneath him.

Darkness.

The last thing he saw was Nyx, watching him with glowing blue eyes.

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—

When he opened his eyes again, the familiar ceiling of his dorm room came into focus. He was on his bed.

A faint golden light pulsed nearby.

He shifted his gaze slightly and found Valak standing beside him, one hand hovering over his chest, casting a healing spell.

"You're awake," Valak said, his usual smirk absent.

Historias blinked. His body still felt drained, but the worst of the dizziness had faded. Before he could speak, Valak's gaze sharpened, and his voice turned serious.

"Where did you get that earring?"

Historias instinctively reached for the simple silver accessory on his ear, its enchantment subtly pulsing against his skin.

"Aldren," he admitted. "I had him send it to me."

Valak narrowed his eyes. "That thing constantly drains a portion of your mana to keep you at a stable level. With your natural mana reserves, it's the only way you could avoid triggering every sensor in this place. But in your condition, it's a hindrance."

Historias let out a breathy chuckle. "I didn't expect everything to go south so quickly."

"You should have taken it off," Valak said bluntly.

"Noted," Historias murmured, though there was a trace of amusement in his tired voice.

Valak studied him for a moment before sighing. "Just be careful." Then, after a pause, he added, "Why are you really here?"

Historias merely closed his eyes. "We'll talk later." His exhaustion was dragging him back into unconsciousness.

Valak scoffed. "You and Aldren are the same. Always saying, 'We'll talk later.'"

With that, he left, shaking his head.

......