Eternal Undying Chronicles

Chapter 60 Unraveling Darkness

Carrisa's heart remained still as she and Elizalina moved swiftly through the labyrinthine corridors, their footsteps echoing in the cold, desolate halls.

They ventured deeper, encountering chimeras along the way, but none proved as formidable as the one that had used its hypnotic effect on them earlier.

A smoldering fury burned within Carrisa's chest. What she had experienced had exposed a side of herself she hadn't anticipated, leaving her pensive.

The chimera had dredged up her deepest fear—that her enemies would not forget her simply because she had sought refuge in the mundane world. Now, with Alicarde entangled in her conflict, any misstep could doom them both.

'I must not allow my emotions to cloud my judgment. A single careless error, and it would be over for us. I must adopt a pragmatic approach, using any means at my disposal. While this world may offer us some safety, our resources remain painfully limited,' Carrisa pondered, her thoughts cold and calculating.

On the other hand, Elizalina walked in near silence, lost in her own thoughts. She did not wish to dwell on what had happened.

She had left that wretched place behind, and she vowed never to return. She had sworn it on her true name. The misery of her past was exactly that—the past. She had resolved to embrace the light of the present and move forward.

They pushed open a vaulted door, revealing a vast, deathly silent chamber. Elizalina advanced, with Carrisa close behind.

Despite the heavy vault doors, the room was surprisingly empty, save for a few dormant machines. Its fortified appearance had led them to believe they would find something of importance, yet there was nothing.

Carrisa was not so easily fooled. She strode to one side of the room and, without hesitation, thrust her rapier into the wall. A crackling sound of electricity followed, accompanied by a thin trail of smoke. The wall shifted, sliding open to reveal a hidden room stocked with various supplies—and a few startled humans in lab coats.

Carrisa smiled coldly as her gaze fell upon the researchers.

"What have we here? It appears we've stumbled upon some of your sheep, Elizalina. Be a kind shepherd and coax them into conversation."

Elizalina's lips curled into a faint smile, her grey eyes darkening into a glowing crimson as she approached the now trembling researchers.

Without a word, she unleashed her fear- ability, filling their hearts with a palpable, soul-crushing terror.

The five researchers, caught completely off-guard, stood paralyzed by the vampire's gaze. Fear consumed them, rendering them helpless as Elizalina began her methodical interrogation.

She was thorough, extracting every detail she could over the course of an hour. Unfortunately, the information was disappointingly sparse.

These researchers knew little of significance, and to make matters worse, they had regularly consumed Whitewood ash, granting them some resistance to her compulsion.

The entire exercise had proven a waste of time, but thoroughness had its merits. In the end, they learned only what they already knew—Alicarde was on the fifth floor. Rather than kill the researchers, they left them unconscious.

Disappointed but undeterred, Carrisa and Elizalina resumed their journey, cutting through wave after wave of chimeras.

Elizalina couldn't help but marvel at the relentless dedication of the alchemist behind these creations.

"It seems all they are doing is delaying us further," she said to Carrisa, her voice now more measured and composed.

Carrisa nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It is astonishing to think anyone would devote such time and effort to chimeras. There must be hundreds down here—enough to form a small army."

"Now, what do we do?" Elizalina inquired, her tone questioning, though tinged with irritation.

"We will slaughter them all. If one comes, we slay one. If ten approach, we kill ten—until every last one of them is eradicated," Carrisa replied coldly.

"An agreeable plan," Elizalina conceded with a calm smile.

Elizalina paused, glancing at Carrisa with a hint of concern. "I wonder how Amena and the mutt are faring?"

"Let us find out," Carrisa said, producing a small communication device from her dress.

After contacting Amena, they agreed to rendezvous at the fourth-floor elevator, regardless of who arrived first. Resuming their travel pace, the two women fought their way through countless hordes of chimeras.

Though the creatures posed little true threat, their sheer numbers made the task exhausting and time-consuming. By the time they reached the elevator, they had slain hundreds, their path soaked in blood. Thanks to Elizalina's hemomancy, however, neither of them bore any trace of the carnage.

They arrived at a large, vaulted chamber, with a massive, chain-bound elevator designed for transporting heavy machinery. The room was filled with chimeras—seemingly the final stand of these creatures.

For a moment, all was silent, as though both sides were steeling themselves for the inevitable battle.

Carrisa's voice broke the tension, calm but with a note of weariness.

"I sincerely hope you are the last of them, for I am growing rather tired of this tiresome chore."

"Let us simply dispatch them and be done with it," Elizalina said, her irritation barely concealed.

The battle erupted in a cacophony of magic and violence. The chimeras surged forward, but Carrisa and Elizalina charged headlong into the fray. Carrisa's rapier danced in her hand, slicing through the air with deadly precision, each strike felling enemies in graceful arcs.

Elizalina conjured weapons from the blood of the fallen, launching them at the weaker chimeras, which crumbled into desiccated husks under her control.

The floor rumbled beneath them from the intensity of the battle. As Carrisa reached the center of the room, she felt a powerful magical presence—one she knew all too well.

"Alicarde..." she whispered, her heart quickening.

Despite the overwhelming number of chimeras, his magical aura stood out like the light of the moon amid the stars. It was stronger, darker—more potent than she had ever felt from him before.

Elizalina, too, sensed the change in Alicarde. His presence was heavy, ominous—a tainted purity that sent a chill down her spine. She frowned. This was not a development she liked, especially not when she had yet to fully settle her debt to him.

Carrisa and Elizalina fought with renewed vigor, slashing and cuting through the seemingly endless waves of chimeras. Carrisa's rapier cut through the air, sending arcs of magical energy that sliced enemies from a distance.

Elizalina filled the room with a veritable storm of blood-forged weapons, each finding its mark with deadly accuracy.

After what felt like an eternity, the last of the chimeras fell. The room was a grisly scene, the floor slick with blood and littered with mangled corpses. Towers of carcasses surrounded them, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of death.

Carrisa, somewhat winded, sent out a few more powerful spells—ice, fire, and wind—clearing the remnants of any lingering enemies. Elizalina, standing beside her, gathered all the blood she could, using it to create a final barrage of lethal projectiles.

Finally, the battle was over. The room, ankle-deep in blood, was littered with the remnants of their foes. Some chimeras had their blood drained completely, while others had exploded from within. Elizalina waved her hand, effortlessly cleansing herself and Carrisa of any remaining blood.

Carrisa glanced at the destruction around them before addressing Elizalina.

"We cannot afford to waste any more time. Let us find Alicarde, then regroup with the others."

Elizalina nodded, her expression serious, as they approached the elevator.

The doors slid open, and the sharp scent of blood assaulted their senses. Outside, Alicarde stood amidst a gruesome scene, drenched in partially dried blood, his sword in hand, and a twisted smile on his lips.

Elizalina's eyes widened in horror. Alicarde's eyes, cold and distant, met theirs as he turned. His smile grew wider, unnervingly cheerful.

"Well, well, look who finally found me. Funny story—I was so ready to kill whoever came through those doors. But hey, it's just you two. Lucky you, I suppose."

His voice was disturbingly lighthearted, but the cold laugh that followed sent shivers down their spines.

Without hesitation, Carrisa rushed to him, her heart aching at the sight of his bloodied form. Ignoring the grime, she enveloped him in a tight embrace. Gently, she cupped his face in her hands and asked, "What has happened here? Are you unharmed?"

Alicarde shrugged, letting out a dark chuckle. "Nothing, just ran into a pole."

"You are covered in blood," Elizalina remarked, her voice steady yet filled with concern.

"It was a very mean pole," he replied with a crooked smile.

Elizalina stepped closer, her piercing gaze scanning his face. "You are not well, are you?"

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Alicarde's eyes, but he forced another grin. "Do I not look well to you?"

"You are bathed in blood—that hardly speaks of sound well-being," Elizalina said sharply.

"No I'm not"

"You are" Elizalina frowned.

Carrisa reached out, her fingers lightly grazing his arm. "You have awakened a true name. Pray, what transpired?" Her voice, though calm, carried a weight of concern.

For a fleeting moment, Alicarde's mask of bravado slipped. Pain and madness flashed through his eyes, swirling emotions barely contained as he gritted his teeth, seemingly trying to suppress the memory of something horrific. But in an instant, he concealed it all with a forced laugh.

"Thanks, guys, but as you can see, I'm fine. We should get out of here."

Elizalina tried to speak, but Carrisa stopped her with a gentle shake of her head. The vampire sighed, her grey eyes betraying an unspoken worry.

The ceiling rumbled as a beam of light shattered it, and two beautiful women descended from above. Alicarde immediately recognized them.

The first was a red-haired woman with a wild, almost feral beauty, her amber eyes glowing faintly with a silver hue.

The second was an expressionless maid with brown hair and deep blue eyes, her features as delicate as an exquisite porcelain doll.

"Wow, you two sure know how to make an entrance. This place does have doors and elevators, you know," Alicarde's snarky voice cut through the air.

Amena's eyes locked onto him, and she instinctively sprinted toward him, only to stop herself halfway, remembering her station as a maid.

Argint had no such reservations. She leaped into the air, landing directly in Alicarde's arms. Anticipating her, he used his innate ability to increase his weight, catching her effortlessly without stumbling.

As he gently set her down, she clung to him, inhaling deeply. "You smell different. Angrier... more hateful. Are you... alright?"

Alicarde rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me the same goddamn question?"

With a playful smirk, he added, "So you can smell emotions now, huh? Had no idea dogs had that kind of talent."

Argint frowned, her expression hardening. "I am not a dog."

Elizalina, who had been quietly observing, let out a soft, mocking laugh.

"Well, it appears even Alicarde can see you for what you are—a filthy creature. Perhaps a leash would suit you better."

Argint's glare was sharp as she shot back, "Shut up, you lecherous parasite. Maybe if you weren't so indecent, you'd pass for a proper woman."

Alicarde sighed, watching their bickering unfold with a weary gaze.

Amena stepped forward cautiously, stopping just before him. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came.

Smiling softly, Alicarde walked toward her and pulled her into a gentle embrace, whispering, "I'm glad to see you too, Amena."

Though her expression remained stoic, she buried her face in his blood-soaked robe, finding solace in his presence.

Alicarde glanced around at the grotesque scene surrounding them and exhaled. "Let's go home, guys. I can see all your questioning looks. I'll explain everything on the way, alright?"

They exchanged glances before silently agreeing.

Carrisa and Elizalina's eyes met briefly, both sensing the shift. They could tell that something had changed—Alicarde had changed. Though his snarky demeanor remained on the surface, there was a coldness and madness in his eyes that he couldn't fully hide.