CHAPTER 32: Hidden Path

The dimly lit Iron Veil Chamber held the heavy scent of cold metal and damp stone. Chains rattled softly as the informant shifted in his seat, his movements restricted by the enchanted bindings at his wrists. Across from him, Helion sat in perfect ease, flipping a coin between his fingers.

Kaziel and the others stood behind him—watchful, unreadable. One of them crossed their arms, waiting for the informant to start talking. But the man’s glare remained fixed on Helion.

He knew him.

The fox-eared trickster who had taken everything from him. The reason he was sitting in this cursed place, stripped of power and dignity. His hatred burned fresh, seething beneath his otherwise composed exterior. But what truly cut deeper was the sight of his own son standing among them.

“I can’t believe you’d betray your own father like this,” he spat.

Illiad’s jaw clenched. “I wouldn’t have done this… but I was trying to save you, and our company—what you built, Father!”

The informant sneered. “I was doing this for the Thalvaris—!”

The moment the words slipped, his breath hitched.

He had never been one to speak carelessly. Yet now, his secret spilled without intention. A mistake.

The others turned toward him, curiosity sparking in their gazes.

Helion smirked, flipping his coin once more before catching it between his fingers. “The Thalvaris…”

Kaziel took a step forward, his voice firm. “Where are they?”

The informant clenched his jaw. “You won’t get anything out of me.”

Helion tilted his head slightly, golden eyes glimmering in the dim light.

“Won’t I?”

The silence thickened. The faintest ripple of something unseen danced at Helion’s fingertips—golden threads weaving into the fabric of reality itself. He placed his coin down on the table, tapping it lightly against the cold metal surface.

The informant sucked in a sharp breath, his muscles tensing.

“Tch…” He exhaled shakily, fighting against something he couldn’t grasp. “The Thalvaris lived like nomads. These tribes… they never stay together—”

His voice broke. His own words betrayed him.

Kaziel’s gaze sharpened as he listened. Then, he turned toward Helion.

“Strange, isn’t it?” Helion mused, his voice smooth and unreadable. “That moment where you told me everything… it hasn’t happened yet. But now, it will.”

The informant flinched.

“I’m not saying anything,” he hissed, his fingers curling into fists.

Helion’s smirk didn’t falter. He lifted his hand slightly, his fingers curling—as though pulling on invisible strings.

“Lies don’t last when the thread is cut.” His voice was soft, almost amused. “Try to hold it back—but the truth is already slipping through your lips, isn’t it?”

The informant’s breath hitched. His throat tightened. His fingers twitched—and then, as if compelled by a force beyond his control, his mouth opened.

“Th-they were staying at the Umbral Foundry—”

The words left him before he could stop them.

His eyes widened in shock. His own confession felt inevitable.

As if it had already happened before he even spoke.

The guard and Illiad stiffened, their expressions flashing with shock.

But Kaziel knew better.

He had seen this before—the subtle shifts, the unnatural ease in which judgment bent under Helion’s influence.

This wasn’t just persuasion.

It was control, hidden beneath the illusion of choice.

And Kaziel wasn’t sure what unsettled him more—how effortless it was… or how necessary it had become.

Helion smiled, golden threads shimmering faintly at his fingertips.

“Ah. There it is.”

There was nothing left for the informant to withhold—he was trapped within Helion’s ability, his words twisting into fate itself.

He knew it.

There was no escape from the Fateweaver.

The informant let out a long sigh, but his gaze remained sharp, his eyes glinting with something almost playful—as if he were testing Helion’s fate once more, weaving a riddle into his response.

“… Follow the black river west until the air turns thin. But be warned…” His stare flickered, unreadable. “The first forge you find isn’t the real one.”

He wasn’t offering answers.

He was challenging Helion to decipher the truth himself.

Illiad’s eyes widened as he stepped forward, frustration clear in his voice. “So what? You’re just sending us on a wild chase?”

The informant smirked. “I’m sending you where the desperate go to die.”

A heavy silence followed.

Helion said nothing. His expression didn’t waver, but something in his eyes sharpened.

The informant had outwitted him—for now.

But that didn’t mean Helion had lost.

The truth was still woven between the words, lingering just beneath the surface. The answer was there—if he knew how to find it.

And it seemed like the informant knew that too.

Then, just as quickly as they had entered this exchange, the scene shifted—and they were back at the Tradepost office.

Silence settled over the room.

Sakura stood quietly, watching Helion carefully, as if trying to gauge his reaction.

Finally, Kaziel broke the silence.

“He was playing us. The question is, how much of that was true?”

Helion flipped his coin between his fingers, his golden gaze distant. “There’s always truth in deception. The black river west until the air turns thin… it’s a test. A misdirection.”

Illiad frowned, arms crossed. “And the forge not being real? That just means we’ll be wasting time.”

“Not… if we figure out the right approach first. Maybe?” Sakura raised her hand slightly, her gaze flickering with thought. “The informant may have misled us before, but there’s always a pattern.”

Kaziel turned toward her, his eyes narrowed, a thought clicking into place. “His records.”

Illiad’s head snapped up in realization. “Ah, hold on—!”

As Illiad immediately moving toward the shelves stacked with old trade records.

“My father may have left clues before. He probably kept notes about locations—especially places tied to trade routes and hidden paths.”

Helion leaned against the desk, his coin spinning between his fingers. “You think the answer was already given to us?”

Illiad nodded, already flipping through documents. “He has a habit of burying important information in plain sight.”

Then he sighed, muttering under his breath as he scanned the pages. “Though I swear, if I have to dig through another pile of useless merchant transactions…”

Kaziel and Sakura exchanged glances before joining in, sorting through stacks of scrolls and documents, flipping through old records of smuggler routes, abandoned ruins, and forgotten trade hubs.

Minutes stretched on.

The only sounds were the rustling of parchment and the occasional exasperated sigh from Illiad.

Then—

The golden thread of fate snapped.

Kaziel’s hand stilled.

His fingers tightened around an aged parchment, his eyes scanning the inked text carefully.

“Here.”

Helion smirked, while Illiad and Sakura leaned in as Kaziel laid the document flat on the table.

The passage described an ancient ruin near the western river, long abandoned.

But what caught their attention was a scribbled note in the margin—one written by the informant himself.

“When the shadows shift unnaturally, the path to the forge will reveal itself.”

Sakura’s breath hitched slightly. “That’s it…!”

Helion smirked, flipping his coin one last time before catching it mid-air.

“Looks like I won”

At last, they had found where Anna at.

Sakura’s smile softened as she turned, relief washing over her.

Above, the raven perched by the window, watching silently from the shadows.

“We finally get to see you again, Anna.”

At the outside, they were receiving a generous gift from the blacksmith and his wife—their repaired carriage, now fully restored and ready to be used as their vehicle.

“Are you giving this carriage to us??” Kaziel asked in shock.

The blacksmith let out a hearty laugh. “Haha! Yeah! It wasn’t ours anymore since it was yours from the beginning!”

Kaziel sighed, realizing the blacksmith had tricked him into believing it was theirs all along.

“Though the horse…” the blacksmith pondered, but Kaziel merely smiled. “Don’t worry about it. We already have one prepared.”

The blacksmith chuckled. “Haha! As always, everything is prepared on your side, huh, Kaziel?”

Kaziel just gave a wry smile in response.

Meanwhile, his wife was busy handing Helion a large portion of food. “Please take as much as you need, young man. I don’t want you missing out on my cooking anymore!”

Helion gladly accepted. “I will definitely have them. Thank you for always preparing such delicious food for us.” He smirked proudly.

Kaziel scoffed at Helion, recalling how all he did was eat while Kaziel had done most of the work repairing the carriage the other day.

“Oh! By the way!” the blacksmith suddenly turned to look at Sakura. She instinctively stiffened as he approached, but then he handed her a golden clock. Her eyes widened in surprise—how had he found it? She took it carefully, realizing that the once-broken clock had been completely fixed. Although the faint blue glow from its display was no longer there, it looked brand new.

“My… clock…”

The blacksmith smiled warmly. “I noticed ya always holding onto it! Haha! So I couldn’t help but repair it for you! Must mean a lot to ya, huh?”

Kaziel and Helion both smiled at Sakura as she gazed down at the clock. For a moment, she was silent, then a warm smile spread across her face. “Thank you… Mr. May…”

At the front of the Tradepost, Illiad had prepared a sturdy horse for them.

“Are you sure you can ride the horse?” Illiad asked.

Kaziel nodded. “Yeah. We wouldn’t want to risk anyone else’s life, including the driver. We’ll handle it ourselves. But thanks for the horse, Illiad.”

The maids nearby smiled and handed them supplies, as well as Sapphire Hearts as gifts for their help.

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Wait, aren’t these gifts too much?!” she exclaimed as they continued to pile more into her arms.

Illiad smirked. “Take it as a thank-you from me.” He crossed his arms confidently.

Helion raised a brow. “Are you sure you don’t need these Sapphire Hearts?” he asked, mirroring Illiad’s stance.

Illiad shook his head. “I’ve got what I need. I asked you to find Valcrid and take him down to save our company. In exchange for my information, you actually got somewhere.” A smug grin flickered across his face.

Sakura smiled warmly. “Illiad… thank you so much for your help.”

Illiad returned the smile. He was more than glad to assist. He believed that if a Divine Oneness candidate was involved, success was inevitable.

Kaziel crossed his arms, stepping forward. “We wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.” His smile was confident.

Illiad adjusted his glasses. “Make sure you get Anna back to your side! Dont let yourself killed.”

Sakura gave a faint smile. “We’ll handle the rest from here.”

Helion flipped his coin one last time before catching it mid-air. “Then shall we? If the informant’s words hold any truth, we don’t have time to waste.”

Kaziel nodded. “Agreed. We’ll take our leave first.”

As they climbed onto the carriage, Sakura waved them goodbye. Kaziel mounted the horse, leading the way while Helion sat back, watching the city fade behind them.

Their journey continued, to get Anna back to their side.

Now, all that remained was the path ahead.

The air was thick with the scent of scorched metal and something older—something unnatural. The flickering, abyssal flames cast long shadows across the cavernous factory, their glow neither warm nor welcoming.

Miki led the way, her voice light, almost playful, as she gestured toward the massive, blackened forge before them.

“This is the Void Furnace,” she said, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “A place where fire is meaningless. Here, flames do not burn—they consume.”

Anna’s gaze hardened. Though she feigned interest, a quiet unease settled in her chest.

"How does the heart become infused with dark energy?" she asked, careful to keep her voice steady.

Miki’s smile widened, her fingers trailing along the edge of the furnace. "The corrupted Sapphire Heart is submerged into the Void Furnace, coated in abyssal flames… and fused with the Greed’s core—something we call ‘Abysmal Beads.’”

Anna’s breath hitched slightly. "Abysmal Beads…? I see."

She masked her concern, but the weight of those words settled deep in her mind.

Miki continued, her voice carrying an eerie enthusiasm. "The energy inside is reborn into something unnatural. That’s how we’ve been able to refine them—using this method to craft cursed relics, weapons… some even serve as fuel for our forbidden rituals.”

She turned to Anna, tilting her head with a smirk. “Cute, isn’t it?”

Anna's stomach twisted. The casual way Miki spoke about cursed objects and forbidden rituals made her grip her sleeve instinctively.

“Cursed…?” she echoed, the word lingering in the air like an unshaken omen.

Miki simply chuckled, the glow of the abyssal flames reflecting in her eyes.

“Oh, Anna~” she cooed. "Don’t look so worried. It’s just… a different kind of magic, that’s all."

But Anna wasn’t convinced. And deep down, she knew—whatever was happening here was far more dangerous than Miki was letting on.

Anna's eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she observed Miki’s playful demeanor. "Different kind of magic..? Do you even understand what you're talking about?" she snapped. "Look at what it did to you…! What happened to you when I was gone?"

The cursed relics had drained Miki's energy, warping her into something different—something worse—all in pursuit of power. But no matter how much time had passed, Anna had never stopped worrying about her.

Miki’s gaze darkened. "You talk like you know everything, Anna." With a swift movement, she pushed Anna against the wall, slamming a hand beside her.

Though Anna was pinned, her fiery gaze remained unyielding. She refused to back down.

"Do you know how long I've suffered.... because of you?" Miki's voice was low, trembling with an emotion she could no longer contain. "When all I’ve done is search for you… since the day you disappeared."

Anna's memories stirred. Flashes of the past resurfaced—the beginning of it all.

Miki had been a child, alone and afraid. She had always been different—her golden eyes, noble blonde hair, and pale skin set her apart. That difference made her a target. She was bullied, kicked down, envied by those who saw her beauty as a threat. In the harsh orphanage where they were raised and trained as assassins, the other girls despised her.

Then, there was Anna.

Anna had always been different, too. Foreign. Mysterious. Feared.

Miki, curled on the ground, trembling, had looked up to see a shadow standing over her. Crimson eyes—cold and unreadable—watched as the other children fell silent. They all feared her.

Miki knew what she was. A foreigner. A vampire. And nobody dared to come close. Not even Miki.

As she tried to inch away, Anna crouched down beside her. Miki braced herself, expecting the same cruelty from her, but instead—

A butterfly landed on Anna’s fingertip.

Miki hesitated, confused as she watched the delicate creature flutter. Anna murmured something under her breath, casting a spell that bound her contract to the butterfly. Then, she held it out toward Miki.

With uncertainty, Miki extended her finger. The butterfly did not flee. It perched there, glowing with a soft blue light, tiny specks of magic shimmering in the air.

It was… beautiful.

But more than the butterfly, Miki found herself staring at something else—

Anna’s smile.

That day, they became friends. They trained together, learned together, grew stronger together. Anna became the strongest, and Miki followed close behind. The others grew jealous, but Miki had never cared. She had finally found someone who saw her as more than an outsider.

She had even been there when Anna first bonded with her wolf familiar. When she claimed the raven as her own. Miki had known Anna better than anyone.

But the world had a cruel way of taking everything away.

One night, Miki had been alone, cradling the jar where she kept the butterfly, watching it glow softly in the dim light. That was when the other children came.

They didn’t want her there.

One of them slammed the jar from her hands, shattering it to pieces. The butterfly inside struggled, its glow flickering.

"Don’t think you’re special just because you got close to someone powerful!" one of the kids sneered.

Another stomped on the butterfly. "What is this? Your pet? You’ll never be one of us."

"You can’t even summon a familiar! You’re just a failure!"

They grabbed her, shoved her to the ground, hit her over and over. Their jealousy had turned to cruelty. Miki was nothing to them but an outsider.

She could have fought back. But deep down, she had never truly belonged.

As the butterfly’s light faded, something inside her cracked. That moment, she understood—

She hated them.

She hated all of them.

She no longer wanted to belong. She wanted to leave, to run far away with Anna. But before she could, everything… burned.

The orphanage. The training grounds. The children.

Flames devoured everything in sight. The night sky glowed red as screams filled the air.

By the time Anna arrived, it was too late.

Flames devoured everything.

Miki stood at the heart of the inferno, watching as the world that had tormented her crumbled into nothing. When she turned to face Anna, her golden eyes gleamed—not with fear, but with satisfaction.

Anna’s heart clenched. "What… did you do?"

Miki smiled. "Miki destroyed them all~"

A chill crawled down Anna’s spine. Her fingers curled into fists. "What did you do to our friends?!"

Miki tilted her head. "They died miserable deaths~"

The words hit harder than any blade.

Anna’s body trembled. The orphanage.... had been her home. Those people—they had been her family.

Instinct took over. Her hands reached for her familiars, ready to fight—

But the ground beneath her gave way.

Her foot slipped.

She fell.

Miki stood at the edge, watching as Anna plummeted down the cliffs. But she didn’t reach out.

She didn’t save her.

Anna could still remember the disbelief, the betrayal—the sting of wood piercing through her flesh as she crashed into the forest below.

And now, in the present, Miki stood before her once more.

Miki’s voice softened. "I searched for you after that, Anna… I couldn’t find you. Not until I discovered who you truly were."

Anna saw it now—the sorrow in Miki’s eyes, the desperation beneath her anger.

But that didn’t erase the past.

It didn’t change what she had done.

Then, movement.
A presence shifted behind Miki.

Rin.

Her gaze lingered on Anna before Miki turned to face her.

Rin’s voice was quiet, yet urgent. "Did I interrupt~? Ah, well… It seems they’re coming back. And I have a bad feeling about this."

Anna’s eyes widened.

They had found this place.

Rin let out a sarcastic chuckle, tilting her head as she shot Anna a sharp glare. "Well then, Miki—be careful who you call 'friend.'"

And with that, she vanished, teleporting away.

Silence settled between them.

Then, Miki took a step forward.

"Miki has always known, Anna~"

Her voice was soft, almost playful—but her golden eyes darkened, the eerie glow sending a chill through the air.

Miki’s smile never wavered.

"But I’m glad you didn’t run away this time."

Anna instinctively stepped back.

"So tell me—what have you been pretending for?"

The air grew heavier.

Miki’s words pressed down on her, leaving no room for escape.

There was nothing left to hide.

Anna had finally been busted.