Chapter 135 — Remnants

David strode into the main hall, his eyes immediately locking onto the man sitting casually in one of the chairs, a cat nestled in his lap.

This was supposed to be the man his guards had informed him about. The man who might have information about his missing newborn, but David’s initial reaction was one of skepticism. He looked crude and unpolished, with an unkempt appearance.

"You better have something useful," David growled, his voice dripping with impatience. "I'm not in the mood for games.”

The man from Calico looked up, his expression calm and unbothered despite David's unnecessary rage. "I'm here to help, Your Majesty. My name is…well, that's not important.”

David’s eyes narrowed. "Help? Go ahead. Spill the information. ”

“ Not information, Your Majesty. A lead!” He placed the cat on the chair and stroked it gently, watching David fume from the corner of his eye.

“ A cat? Do you have a death wish? I need real information, not a pet. Goddammit my daughter is missing!”

Had it been the old David, he wouldn't have wasted a single moment before ripping off his head. But his heart was heavy and he didn't have time to entertain jokers.

The man smirked, his composure unshaken. "Appearances can be deceiving. This cat is more than she seems."

David snorted derisively. " For a moment I was expecting Calico to do something useful for a change. I was really expecting them to send someone powerful and reliable with something solid, not a man playing with a kitty. They disappointed yet again. ”

The man continued to stroke the cat, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Power isn’t always obvious, Your Majesty. Sometimes, it’s the quiet ones you need to watch out for. The body disappears but residual energies from their power linger. Or perhaps energies are stored away somewhere else. "

David’s patience was wearing thin. "Enough with the riddles. My newborn is missing, and you’re wasting my time with nonsense. ”

"Time is relative. What you seek is closer than you think.” He stood up slowly, still holding the cat. "Your Luna, Aria, saved my life when there was no hope. She risked her life for others even though she didn't have to. I'm here to return the favor."

David's anger flared. “ Aria doesn’t need favors from someone like you. She needs our child back. Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

The man’s smile never wavered. "I know exactly who you are, Lycan King. And I know what's gnawing at your heart."

David didn't notice that the man addressed Aria as his Luna even though nobody knew that he had marked her just the night before. He took a threatening step forward. "You think you can mock me? Guards!” David had no appetite to get blood on his hands at the moment.

Before the guards could respond, the man held up a hand. "No need for that. I’ll be on my way." He gently placed the cat on David’s desk. "Thank Aria on my behalf.”

David's eyes blazed with fury and at the same time the guards entered the room, but before they could seize the man, he was gone. He literally vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the meowing cat.

David stared at the spot where the man had been, his rage simmering. "What kind of trickery is this?" he muttered.

The cat meowed again, drawing his attention. Just then, the door opened, and Aria walked in. Her presence, as always, had a calming effect on David."What’s going on?" Aria asked, noticing the tension in the room. She was unable to stay in the room like David had asked her to.

David gestured to the cat. "Some guy from Calico. Said you saved his life and he was returning the favor. Then he disappeared. Left this cat behind. Tried to convince me this can lead to our daughter. ”

David couldn't believe the absurdity of the statements he had uttered.

Aria’s eyes softened as she picked up the cat, stroking its fur gently. "Calico? Isn't that the place where there was the plague outbreak? If he came to us, there must be a reason. "

David sighed, his frustration giving way to sympathy for Aria's sorry state. "You really think this cat can help us find our baby? How? "

Aria nodded, her gaze steady. "I do. Sometimes, help comes in the most unexpected forms.”

Suddenly the cat jumped out of her hand, its tail and fur standing up on the edge, its eyes fixed on something nobody else could see.

And then its eyes started to glow.

David looked at Aria and so did she but they both had different expressions.

“ Aria, move aside. This could be a sorcery! ”

But Aria wasn't listening. She was already running after the cat, her heart pumping with curiosity.

David had no choice but to follow her.

“Is it just me, or is this getting weirder by the second?” David muttered, trying to mask his unease with a gruff tone but he immediately stopped as Aria intertwined her fingers with his hand and asked him to keep quiet while she focused on the movements of the cat.

"Let’s just follow it. We’ve got nothing to lose.”

The cat led them through the castle, its glowing eyes changing colors as it crossed each room.

When the cat finally stopped in front of Aria’s room, its eyes glowing an even more intense crimson black, David felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “This is it,” he said, his voice hoarse because he didn't know what to make out of the situation.

Aria nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. The cat’s aggressive meowing filled the room as it lunged inside, its tail flicking with agitation.

It pounced forward, hissing around her room as Aria tightened her grip on David.

Neither spoke a single word, their hearts heaving alternatively.

The cat sniffed the air, the floor and every corner of the room, just to freeze in front of Aria’s bookshelf.

David and Aria stood there, holding their breath. “What now?” David asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

Aria’s eyes scanned the bookshelf, her mind racing. “There must be something here… something we’re missing.”

Just then the cat pissed on a particular book, hidden high above in the shelves before clawing it down and pulling it down on the floor.

As its pages flipped open while it fell, Aria almost lost control. And then grabbed her head with both her hands as the room filled with the same eerie laughter that haunted their bed the previous night.

***

Meanwhile...

Ester's boots pounded against the rocky terrain as she chased Briana through the twilight-lit landscape.

It wasn't easy tracking the elusive witch but her injury sure helped.

The horizon blazed with the last vestiges of daylight, casting eerie shadows over the jagged cliffs and volcanic rock formations. Ester had no knowledge of that place.

Briana darted ahead, her dark cloak billowing behind her like a phantom. She glanced back, a smirk playing on her lips, and pushed herself to move faster. Molten rock bubbled and hissed in the abyss below, casting an infernal light on the two of them. Ester's eyes were wild with anger, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Briana, despite her weakness, seemed quite fine.

Ester asked, panting, eyes wide with fury, “ Stop, Briana. There is nowhere left to run. Why'd you betray your coven? Where are you headed?”

Briana smirked, “Oh, Ester, don't play dumb. You don't care about the coven or any explanation I give for that. You're just here for your precious little niece. Too bad she's in the underworld now.”

Ester’s voice trembling with uncontrolled rage,

“ Was it part of your plan? You deliberately sent her to the underworld? Why? What the hell are you planning, witch? I might let you live if you answer me right now! ” Ester took slow steps forward, flexing her muscles.

Briana laughed out loud, “You still don't get it, do you? The ritual was pointless. Selene needed a new body. Part of her soul's still kicking around in the living world.”

Ester gritted through her teeth,“So, you sacrificed my niece for Selene's rebirth? You're outta your damn mind! I will wring that little head out of your… ”

Briana mockingly stepped back as if scared, “Oh, don't be so dramatic. Your niece is the perfect vessel. I didn't sacrifice her. Only kept her aside for better use. She will be way better than her mother, Aria. Selene will rise again, stronger than ever. With the power of lycanthropy running in her veins like she originally wanted. It would be the perfect rebirth. ”

Ester stepped closer, fists clenched, “You're insane! I'll never let that happen. I'll bring her back and end this madness. But I don't understand one thing. Why did you take the trouble of saving Alpha Lucas in this mess? What purpose does he serve? ”

Brianna raised an eyebrow, “You are a curious cat. Lucas had nothing to do with anything. I just wanted him…safe! ”

There was a moment of weakness in that statement before the malice came back in her eyes and she came closer to Ester,

“Good luck with your rescue operation. By the time you figure out how, it'll be too late. Selene will be reborn, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Watch me. This isn't over, Briana. Not by a long shot.”

But Brianna grabbed Ester's hand.

“ Sorry to pop your bubble but your time just ran out. The netherworld needs sacrifice to open up so Selene can take back your niece.You and I are the perfect combination! ”

Brianna's eyes sparkled with madness as Ester looked behind her. There was nothing between her and the raging inferno.