This was a gloomy and solemn ancient castle hall.
Carved into the black stone walls surrounding the hall, shadowy figures depicted mythical legends. Four statues of demons with bat wings on their backs held tridents, seated within the hall, guarding the solitary coffin at its center.
The lid of the coffin had been opened at some unknown time, and now it was empty.
On the other side of the hall, before a small iron window bound by layers upon layers of magic seals, stood a female member of the Bloodline in a black dress. Her profile was dignified and beautiful, her crimson eyes shimmering like starlight.
Irons chains were locked onto the Bloodline woman, linking her to the coffin in the center of the hall, seemingly imprisoning her forever in this sealed room.
However, the Bloodline woman appeared to have grown accustomed to it.
She merely stood there, silently gazing into the sky, looking through the iron bars at the hazy Silver Moon in the distance.
A gust of cold wind blew, stirring her brown and silver interwoven hair.
She gently smoothed her hair, her crimson gaze fixed on the moonlight that was now faintly tinged with a blood-red hue, her expression subtly changing.
"The wind... has picked up."
The creaking sound came from behind her as the tightly shut doors of the castle hall were illuminated by a sequence of magical glows.
The chains and blood vines that were wrapped around it quickly receded, and the heavy doors slowly opened.
Light flooded in, and with it came a series of deep footsteps.
But the Bloodline woman did not turn around.
She withdrew her gaze from the moonlight and sighed softly,
"Lord Robin, have you... made your decision?"
The deep footsteps paused momentarily.
The shadows receded, and the dim light revealed the identity of the newcomer—it was none other than Duke Robin of the Nais Clan.
Upon seeing Duke Robin, the demon statues standing around the coffin immediately paid their respects:
Duke Robin nodded, then looked complexly at the Bloodline woman standing before the iron window:
"Eugenia, do you... already know why I have come?"
The woman named Eugenia turned around, her face tinged with emotion as she looked at the solemn Great Elder of the Nais Clan and said,
"For seers, knowing in advance the purpose of a visitor is a basic skill."
"Lord Robin, it seems you too have already suffered from the backlash of betrayal and lost some of your power."
The Great Elder Robin's expression was inscrutable:
"Then... do you already know that the True Ancestor has returned?"
Eugenia nodded: Google seaʀᴄh novel⚑fire.net
"Although I am confined here, I am neither deaf nor blind. That familiar yet terrifying presence... in this world, only that great His Majesty possesses it."
As she spoke, Eugenia once again looked towards Duke Robin:
"Lord Robin, since you have chosen to come here... may I assume that you too have finally faced reality and realized we can no longer rely on Lord Cosy's protection?"
Upon hearing Eugenia's words, the Great Elder Robin fell silent.
After a long while, he looked complexly at the Bloodline woman and said heavily,
"Eugenia, we all still remember Lord Cosy's existence, and you were once a Divine Favored of Lord Cosy. I believe you are more aware than anyone that, for a deity, as long as one is not forgotten, there is no true Eternal Sleep. As long as one is not forgotten, there will be a time for return."
"Perhaps Lord Cosy has truly Fallen, but as long as some still remember Him, as long as we all remember Him, there is a day He may return."
"What you have said... is true. However... I must remind you that this also applies to our great Ancestor."
"Otherwise, we would not have this long-awaited reunion after seventy-five years."
With that, she paused, then added,
"Moreover, I must emphasize once again that I have never been a Divine Favored of Lord Cosy. I am devoted only to the Observation; I am the Saintess of the Observation, the Prophetic Witch. This was the mission granted to me by the True Ancestor before His madness. If I truly belong to anyone as a Divine Favored, it would be to the once True Ancestor."
The Great Elder Robin paused for a moment:
Eugenia gave him a look:
"Including now, if... His Lordship would accept me, a sinner who once betrayed Him."
Duke Robin's gaze shifted subtly:
"Have you already... performed the Divine Vision Observation?"
Eugenia took a step forward.
Moonlight fell upon her, revealing the other side of her face.
It was a half-aged cheek, with deep wrinkles spreading and even encroaching onto the other youthful and beautiful half.
The silver in her brown hair spread ever more, and even the other half of her body was aging and withering at a rapid pace.
Seeing the state of Eugenia, the Great Elder Robin's expression tightened, and his demeanor changed abruptly:
"Is this... the backlash of fate? Did you actually force the Divine Vision Observation with insufficient Anchor Points?!"
"Why didn't you wait for us to lift the Sealing, to provide you with the Anchor Points of Faith necessary for Observation? Using mortal flesh to wield the power of the gods, have you lost your regard for life?"
But Eugenia seemed indifferent to the changes in her body.
She simply smiled faintly and said,
"After all, I am a member of the Nais Clan. When the clan faces a crisis, when the Bloodline is at a critical junction, it is only proper that I contribute my own strength."