Chapter 54: A Breeding Ground

Chapter 54: A Breeding Ground
Isolde's mission from the spirit king began under the silver moon, leaving behind the quiet garden where the shadows of the academy walls stretched long and dark.

She was supposed to accomplish this mission alone, she wasn't supposed to let anyone know what she is up to and contrary to what she was previously named of - luck is not on her side right now because of all the people who have figured her out, it would be a prince.

"Aren't you being too guarded, Princess?"

She let out a sigh, am I being too obvious? However, at the same she really cannot deny it that she really has her guard up not only because she is afraid that more of her secrets will be spilled tonight but she is more afraid of actually trusting the wrong person.

"My father said that I always need to, especially around men." she reasoned out and Theron shrugged his shoulders as he let out a chuckle.

Her father never really mentioned anything - not in the years she is with them, restoring what has been lost - about the royal family. Even her brothers, especially the eldest who is supposed to have already visited the capital and the palace a couple of times now didn't mention anything. Which is the reason why she is extremely wary right now - that what if, he is a prince that can kill her even if he looked so innocent and pure?

"Don't worry, out of all the princes in our bloodline, you could say that I am the tamed one" he suddenly said, as if he was able to read her mind.

Isolde no longer let out a word, she thought that it is best to keep their interaction minimal since what will happen tonight is simply just a one time deal which honestly she was pressured on doing.

As they moved toward the forest northwest, the transition was palpable. Theron walked with a calm, regal steadiness, his golden hair shimmering faintly in the moonlight, yet his focus was entirely on the path ahead. Although she hates to admit it, it was all thanks to his intervention that the magic restrictions that usually governed the academy grounds had vanished around them, allowing them to move without alerting the administration.

Well, she thinks that she can do the same thing as what he did - it wasn't that hard, however the only problem is that she doesn't know where those magical items are hidden. It is either she will no longer able to finish her mission on time or that she will be caught by the academy's watchkeepers and then her admission will be revoked.

As they crossed into the forest proper, the unnaturally quiet atmosphere became oppressive. The sound of crickets, which had already begun to fade near the academy, was now entirely absent. This wasn't even the case the last time they were here.

The wind no longer carried the simple scent of damp earth they had noticed earlier; instead, it was replaced by something heavy and cloying. Isolde knew at that moment that something has once again changed in the worst case the little time they were gone.

"The last time I was here this path was clear,” Theron remarked, his voice low and sharp. “There wasn't a trace of anything unusual. But look at it now”.

So he noticed it too, huh?

Isolde gave him a nod to affirm his observations. Of course, he was inside the academy longer compared to her - a newbie. There are indeed a lot of things that he can notice that are different from they once were. But other than that, something is much more noticeable, especially to someone who is senstive to such things.

"The air is getting thicker in this area." Before them, the miasma hung like a physical weight—a thick, poisonous gray fog that seemed to swallow the light. It wasn't just a natural mist; it was a manifestation of dark magic and corruption, the signature of that vile group.

Isolde felt a tightening in her chest, not just from the gas, but from the spiritual resonance of the area. This is what she is called for by the spirits, their connection to the area is growing weaker as they speak and if they are not to finish it tonight then Isolde knew that the forest will no longer be saved and monsters will spawn in the area and sooner or later attack the academy where students who are still growning resides.

"We have no time to waste, Prince Theron. We have to run" She said and Theron agreed.

They pushed deeper into the thicket, where the trees appeared twisted and the leaves were blackened. Theron’s jaw tightened as he observed the lack of life. “The animals are gone, ” he noted, his eyes narrowing.

Isolde knew that they are not gone per se, animals are smart by nature and they know when something is trying to distort their habitat and will try to flee as far as they can. But of course, there are other who aren't able to do so.

While they are making haste, Isolde made a full stop and she even gave a signal to Theron in the most subtle way to stop as well. And just then, both of them heard a low, guttural growl echoed through the fog, followed by the sound of heavy claws rending the earth.

And in just seconds, emerged a creature that shouldn't have been there - a creature that Isolde and her family have always despised, a Chimera.

However, this beast bore the distinct features of a glacier-wolf, a predator native only to the far northern tundras, hundreds of miles away. Its body was bloated with dark veins, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural, sickly light.

"So that's what a Chimera is, huh? So this is what the Duke is trying to reason out with the King but that bastard didn't even gave orders" Theron whispered which she still heard. Although what the prince just said is quite concerning, she didn't put any attention to it rather she focused on the beast up ahead, a beast that they are going to more or less fight.

“A northern predator in these woods?" She whispered, as she analyzed every single detail about it. Honestly, this is the first time she had seen such a creature - she had never been in the northern thundras even if she asked her father to bring her with him to subjugate monsters. She only saw such beasts in books that her tutors taught her.

"Let me ask you, princess, are Chimeras really just built by Lucifer or can they reproduce?" Theron asked which made Isolde look at him curiously. She never once thought about what he is asking because basically from the name itself, Chimeras are built through using different parts of any living being.

Curiously, she looked at Theron in the eye and the next thing that he said made her look back at the monster just miles away from them and there she realized something.

"Well, the thing is princess, I think that is not the only glacier wolf in this area and there are no traces that it is combined from different monsters. Whoever the mastermind is, he is trying to make sure that these monsters are going to reproduce as many as they can which basically saves them the effort and magic and sooner or later they will send these vile beings to the academy to test their strength."

The forest wasn't just dying due to the miasma; it was being transformed into a breeding ground for abominations - to refine the beings they created through restoring their mating instincts. Isolde knew then that Theron was right—this change had been forced suddenly and with calculated arrogance.