Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 110: The Void Empress [3]

The quiet footsteps of three women echoed through the polished halls of Iskavar City Hospital.

It was one of the best hospitals in the region. Close to where the train attack had happened, and the only one equipped to handle something so sudden and brutal.

Seris walked ahead with her usual calm air, hands in her coat pockets.

Behind her, Aurelia and Seraphina followed. Both still a little tense from the earlier chaos.

They stopped in front of an empty meeting room near the end of the hall.

Seris pushed open the door.

Inside. A man was already waiting.

He looked to be in his early forties. With sharp green eyes and neatly combed black hair streaked lightly with gray.

He was dressed in a long silver coat lined with subtle gold embroidery. Modest, but unmistakably official.

As they stepped in, he stood up from his seat and offered a respectful nod.

"Miss Seris. Miss Aurelia. Miss Seraphina. Thank you for coming."

His voice was deep but gentle, with the smooth tone of someone used to authority, and diplomacy.

Aurelia’s eyes widened slightly. Seraphina stiffened beside her.

"Commander Marcus?" Aurelia spoke first, her tone shifting into something more formal.

Seraphina stepped forward and bowed slightly. "We didn’t expect you here, sir."

He gave a small smile. "His Majesty, King Sylas, sent me personally. I came as soon as I received word about the train incident."

The room fell quiet.

Everyone knew King Sylas D’Argent wasn’t the kind of ruler who ruled with fear or distance.

He genuinely cared for his people. He listened, acted when needed, and always put the safety of the empire first.

But this time... it was different.

This wasn’t just about protecting citizens.

His daughter. Princess Eleanora, had been on that train.

And while the king was calm and composed in public, those close to him knew. He loved his youngest daughter more than anything in the world.

If something had happened to her. If she had been seriously hurt or worse...

No one wanted to think about how far King Sylas might go.

Commander Marcus continued, walking to the center of the room.

"We’re all grateful the princess is safe," he said. "But His Majesty wants answers. As do I."

From his belt. He took out a small black artifact shaped like a smooth cube. It hummed faintly with magic.

He pressed a rune along the side, and a quiet ripple spread out through the air.

A transparent dome shimmered into place around the room.

"Sound barrier’s up," Marcus said. "No one outside this room will hear a word."

He turned to Seris, eyes steady but respectful.

"I’ve been waiting for you, Miss Seris. You were one of the first on the scene, and your report will be... important."

Seris nodded once, her expression unreadable.

"Understood," she said quietly.

Marcus took his seat again, folding his hands neatly on the table.

Seris, Aurelia, and Seraphina joined him, each settling into a chair around the small round table in the quiet hospital room.

The air was thick with tension, no one speaking for a few moments.

Finally, Seris leaned back slightly. Her golden eyes calm but focused.

"It started when I was flying back to Solvayne," she began.

"I’d just wrapped up a long mission and needed some air. As I was passing over the region, I noticed something off in the distance."

She paused for a breath, remembering the sight.

"It was a train...malfunctioned across the tracks. But what caught my eye wasn’t the crash itself. It was the mana. Thick, heavy... tainted. The whole area was soaked in demonic energy."

Marcus leaned forward, his brow furrowed.

Aurelia’s expression darkened, and Seraphina quietly tensed.

"I flew in closer," Seris continued. "And that’s when I saw them. Kyle, Princess Eleanora, and a boy with wind affinity, Reo. They were fighting someone. Barely standing."

She looked directly at Marcus.

"Reo was in bad shape. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did. He wouldn’t have made it."

Seraphina lowered her gaze, lips pressed together. Aurelia clenched her fists in her lap.

"Who were they fighting?" Marcus asked, his voice low.

Seris didn’t hesitate.

"Jorren Veyn."

The name landed like a stone in the room. Everyone froze.

Marcus’s eyes narrowed.

"Jorren Veyn? I thought he vanished two years ago."

"He did," Seris replied. Her voice grew colder. "Turns out, he wasn’t dead. Just hiding... or being kept somewhere. But he was the same as the stories. Sadistic. Smiling. Like he was enjoying every second of it."

Marcus shook his head. "He was a monster. One of the worst. Tortured women. Killed children. And he enjoyed it."

"Well," Seris said bluntly, "He’s not going to enjoy anything anymore. I killed him."

Aurelia blinked, confused. "You said he wasn’t useful anymore. What did you mean?"

Seris’s eyes sharpened.

"He turned into a Hollow."

Seraphina frowned. "A what?"

"A Hollow," Seris repeated. "That’s what happens when a demon who offered a contract to a human overloads their mana core. They become mindless. Beasts driven by instinct, with no thought or will."

"Like demonic zombies?" Aurelia asked quietly.

"Exactly," Seris said. "No reason. No mercy. Just violence. Not many people know about them.."

Marcus leaned back in his chair, tension deepening on his face.

"That wasn’t some random criminal attack, was it?"

Seris shook her head.

"No. It was planned. There were artifact jammers around the area. Disrupting all communication. No one could call for help."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Then she added, voice grim.

"There were hundreds of Hollows inside that train. That means hundreds of demonic humans were already there, waiting. It was coordinated. A full assault."

She let that sink in before continuing.

"And it gets worse. They weren’t alone. There were Corrupteds too."

At that. All three of them stiffened.

Everyone in the room knew what Corrupteds were. Twisted creatures from the demonic world. Beasts whose bodies had changed after long exposure to pure demonic mana.

And they weren’t supposed to be here unless something had brought them across.

"How...?" Marcus started, then stopped. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Could there have been a gate? An actual gate opened inside the train?"

"That’s one possibility," Seris said. "Or maybe..." she hesitated, "...maybe the demons have found a way to open them on command."

Marcus’s face grew darker.

"That’s... if that’s true. This goes far beyond one train attack."

No one answered right away. Because deep down, they all knew he was right.

After a long moment. Seraphina finally spoke.

"So what was the goal? Was this about Eleanora?"

"Maybe," Seris said softly. "The Princess being there... it can’t be a coincidence. We all know how much King Sylas dotes on her. She’s his youngest. His treasure. If they were targeting anyone. It would’ve been her."

But then her voice dropped.

"Even so... why kill everyone else?"

Aurelia shook her head slowly.

"Five thousand people were on that train. Civilians. Families. And only three survived?"

"Only three," Seris said, her voice quiet now. "And those three. Kyle, Reo, and Eleanora. They fought with everything they had. They held out until help came. I don’t think any of them expected to survive... but they didn’t stop."

Another silence fell over the room, heavier than before.

The horror of it all settled in.

Three survivors. Out of thousands.

Marcus stood slowly and walked over to the window, staring out at the city in the distance.

"This wasn’t just an attack," Marcus said. "It was a message."

His words hung in the air for a long moment. No one responded.

They didn’t need to.

The truth was already heavy enough. freeweɓnovel.cøm

After a short pause. Marcus stood from his chair and straightened his coat.

"I’ll take my leave now. The media’s been waiting outside for answers," he added, glancing toward the door. "Can’t keep them guessing too long."

Seris, Seraphina, and Aurelia nodded in understanding.

Without another word. Marcus gave them a small, respectful bow and walked out, footsteps fading down the hallway.

As the door clicked shut behind him.

Seraphina turned to Aurelia with a faint smile. "We should see if Kyle’s feeling hungry."

Aurelia nodded. But just as she was about to follow her.

Seris gently placed a hand on her arm.

"Aurelia, wait," she said.

Aurelia looked back, surprised.

"There’s something I need to talk to you about," Seris added, her tone quieter now. "Alone."

Seraphina raised a brow but didn’t question it. "Alright. I’ll be in Kyle’s room."

She gave Aurelia a small nod before walking away. Leaving the two of them behind.

Once the door closed. Seris pulled a small artifact from her storage pouch.

With a tap. A faint pulse of light spread out like a ripple. Forming a barrier of silence around them.

The world outside the room became still.

Seris turned to Aurelia, her expression more serious now.

"It’s about Kyle," she said. "I need to know... how many people know about him having four affinities?"

Aurelia blinked, confused for a moment.

Then her eyes widened.

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