The dimly lit chamber pulsed with golden energy, the arcane symbols within the magic circle flickering as if caught between stability and collapse.

At the very center, a sleek golden device hovered above a carved pedestal, its radiance casting elongated shadows across the obsidian walls.

The air was thick with tension, charged with an unseen force that made the very fabric of reality feel fragile.

Beatrice sat cross-legged within the glowing runes, her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders, golden eyes squeezed shut in intense focus.

The moment stretched for what felt like an eternity, her breathing steady but deep, each inhale dragging in the weight of what she had attempted.

Then, suddenly—

Her eyes snapped open.

A shudder ran down her spine.

Relief. An all-consuming wave of relief flooded her senses, making her chest rise and fall with a shaky exhale.

Yet, beneath that fleeting solace, a darker emotion lingered—tension. Dread.

Her jaw tightened, and she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible.

“Of all the gods, it had to be him.”

A sharp breath left her lips, her teeth gritting as she rose swiftly from her position.

Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as she began pacing the chamber, her mind filled with frantic thoughts.

She had made a mistake.

A grave one.

It wasn’t completely her fault, as she discovered something shocking, but the mistake was made.

Beatrice ran a hand through her hair, her nails briefly tugging at the roots as she bit down on her lower lip, eyes darting toward the golden device still humming softly atop the pedestal.

She had been attempting to sever Alex’s connection with his god—an endeavor that should have been meticulous and precise.

But something had gone wrong.

Somewhere within the intricate weave of spells, a miscalculation had occurred, a tiny ripple in the vast ocean of divine perception. And now, one of them had noticed him.

And not just any god.

One she had no hope of resisting and the one she had hated her whole life.

Beatrice shuddered. The weight of that realization pressed against her lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

The mere thought of what she had done sent her mind spiraling into possible consequences, each one worse than the last.

A god of that caliber had no business paying attention to someone like Alex—at least, not yet. Not until he was stronger. Not until he could pose a threat to it.

But now, that being’s gaze was upon him as it found out what Beatrice did.

It was keeping a close eye on Alex now.

Beatrice’s fingers twitched, her nails briefly digging into her palm as she considered her options. Should she tell Vanessa?

Her lips parted, hesitation flickering in her golden eyes.

No.

No, that would only make things worse.

Vanessa was powerful, but this was beyond even her reach. If she knew, she would try to intervene. And if she did—

Beatrice didn’t even want to consider the consequences.

She needed time. Time to think. Time to act before it was too late.

Her mind raced, piecing together what little information she had about this god. Their nature. Their domain. Their followers.

She had tried to look into what they were doing and realized that they had already made a move.

They had even attacked Alex. Someone like them didn’t like extending things needlessly.

However, the one who made a move wasn’t the god. That god would never make a move—no, they rarely moved directly.

The one who made a move this time was a follower of theirs.

The good thing was that this follower wasn’t powerful enough, and if this one was taken care of, then there would be no more attacks for a while—at least until they had a perfect plan ready.

Beatrice exhaled, steadying herself as she forced her thoughts into order.

She had to tell Vanessa everything now.

Yes, Vanessa would get angry and even want to kill her, but Beatrice didn’t intentionally do it, and she didn’t want Alex to come in harm’s way as well.

…………………..

Somewhere in Beatrice’s Castle.

Two people sat in the quiet, grand hall of Beatrice’s castle.

One of them was Vanessa, and right now, the silence of the hall was in contrast to the unease creeping into Vanessa’s mind.

The soft flickering of enchanted lanterns cast elongated shadows across the polished floors, yet their warm glow did nothing to quell the cold feeling settling deep in her chest.

She stilled, her icy blue eyes narrowing slightly as she turned her gaze toward the expansive window. Beyond it, the moon hung high, bathing the landscape in silver light.

Yet, despite the tranquility of the night, something was wrong.

“I feel uneasy,” Vanessa murmured, her voice devoid of emotion, yet edged with something far more concerning—certainty.

Alenia, seated across from her in a plush armchair, immediately looked up from the book she had been skimming.

Her silver eyes softened with concern, though her fingers instinctively tightened around the book’s edges. She had known Vanessa for decades, long enough to understand one crucial truth—Vanessa’s instincts were never wrong.

Setting the book aside, Alenia leaned forward, her gentle tone betraying the gravity of the situation. “What kind of unease?”

Vanessa’s expression remained unreadable, her white hair cascading over her shoulder as she turned away from the window. “I don’t know,” she admitted, though the admission itself was unsettling. “But I think we need to return.”

Alenia exhaled softly, trying to mask her growing worry. “Is it about Alex?”

At the mention of her son’s name, Vanessa’s gaze sharpened, but she did not answer immediately.

She instead reached for the teacup resting beside her, bringing it to her lips with an almost mechanical motion. The porcelain barely touched her mouth before she set it back down, untouched.

“Yes,” she finally said, her voice colder than before. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I just want to return.”

Alenia frowned, her fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of her chair. “Shall we return then? We need to tell Beatrice about it before we do.”

A glint passed through Vanessa’s eyes as she nodded. “Let’s do that. I want to return as soon as possible.”

Alenia bit the inside of her cheek. She, just like Vanessa, didn’t want to wait, but she knew that they couldn’t leave without informing the owner of the castle.

Especially right now when the said person was doing something they had requested.

They got up, ready to move, as Alex was their top priority.

But before they could—

The faint sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hall.

Both women turned toward the entrance, their bodies tensing involuntarily as a familiar presence entered their space.

Beatrice.

Her black hair framed her face, and her golden eyes dimmed with apprehension. She stepped forward with a measured pace, but there was no mistaking the way her shoulders tightened and the way her lips pressed together in a grim line.

Vanessa’s fingers twitched slightly, the only outward sign of her wariness. Alenia’s concern deepened as she straightened in her spot.

Beatrice stopped a few feet away, her expression torn between regret and urgency. Then, with a slow breath, she bowed her head slightly in a rare show of contrition.

“I made a mistake.”

The room’s temperature seemed to drop as Vanessa’s cold gaze locked onto her.

“Explain,” she said, her voice sharp as ice.

And just like that, the night’s unease had taken form.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep