The male protagonist's steadied amethyst eyes held her gaze. "Yes, let us resume our discussion." He nodded and snapped his fingers, resurrecting the sound barrier between them and others. "What would you like to know, milady?"
"Item number six…" Elaine's hands balled together to quell the instinctive trembling. The trauma and fear these vile beings inflicted had conditioned her body and mind to exhibit visceral responses to even mere references about them. "You mentioned these monsters' antics are similar to the portal creatures. Please tell me everything you know about them," she spoke slowly, hoping the black-haired young man would not notice the slight tremor in her voice.
"I understand."
"I am grateful, milord." Elaine's lips forced a thin smile.
"Showing your vulnerability to others does not make you weak, milady. You do not need to endure everything alone."
"Pardon?"
"Before I begin, I should caution you that my theories about the relations between the portal creatures and those listed on the rules do not have definite proofs. These statements are only conclusions surmised from my observations." Elias brushed over Elaine's bewildered expression to his remark and continued. "My mother used to recite many legends from the Olden Times, including stories about the portal creatures. They were born from the boundless abyss and the desire for vengeance of a Ruina."
"What is a Ruina?" Elaine quizzed. She scoured Estella's and her memories for information without success. It was an unfamiliar name that neither the book nor étoile's historical records mentioned.
"The Ruinas are forgotten Olden Gods stripped of their divinity and banished from the immortal realm. Though they now roam in the mortal world, they neither desire to interact with the lower beings nor exact revenge on their former clansmen."
"Forgive my ignorance, Sir d'Amboise, but did you not just state that the portal creatures originated from a Ruina seeking retribution?" Elaine scrunched her brows, catching onto a discrepancy in his words.
"Yes, despite most Ruinas already retired their grudges and withdrawn into seclusion for several millennia. Some still allowed resentment and malice to fester in their hearts. The Ruina responsible for the portal creatures' existence was part of those few uncompromising individuals."
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"What happened to that Ruina?"
"He was defeated and sealed away six hundred years ago."
Six hundred years ago…
"The Insidious Forest—"A sudden connection sprung in Elaine's head.
"It is his eternal confinement and tomb. Even as former gods, the Ruinas are immortal. They cannot die, only be imprisoned."
"They created that fearsome forest only to seal one individual?" Though she already suspected a nefarious association between the portal and the Insidious Forest, the current discussion with the male protagonist confirmed her hypothesis.
"He was the strongest among the rebelled Ruinas. The war from six hundred years ago had decimated almost a third of the world's population. Only after sacrificing half of the mortal realm's magic were the survivors able to triumph over him," he explained.
The gears rotated in Elaine's mind as she attempted to piece together a fragmented puzzle. Elias had recounted a buried segment in antiquity hidden from most of the world's population. Even in Estella's prior history lessons, references to the war six hundred years ago were sparse and ambiguous. Though Elaine vaguely remembered the old Archive Keeper mentioning Estella's ancestor's participation in the war during her research of Croix's history, she did not recall other facts about the period. She would need to schedule another visit to the archives when she returned.
Another critical piece in his tale was information about the Olden Gods and the Ruinas—formidable ancient beings long forgotten by their worshipers and the passage of time. When arranging the joint expedition, did the Duke and the étoile Emperor know about the imprisoned Ruina? What were they trying to find inside the Insidious Forest? What treasures enticed them so much to risk breaking the seal and plunging the world into chaos? To sacrifice so many elite knights and soldiers for what means? Even Elaine, an unrelated observer, was kidnapped into that accursed place and almost met her demise. The harrowing recollections appeared in torrents, inducing shudders throughout her body.
Perhaps the seal is already broken…Elias and his father must have realized the risks, but why did they agree to participate in such a misguided mission?
"Lady Estella, should I continue?"
The black-haired young man's question drew back Elaine's drifting thoughts. She snapped out of her reveries and admonished herself. The main characters should resolve the mysteries and troubles of the book's world, not her. Elaine's only concern should be surviving until Estella's last act and exiting the stage as the original plot dictated.
After grounding herself in her goal, Elaine refocused on the primary aim of the discussion. She needed to learn about the portal creatures to persevere through the current and future journeys. "Please forgive my momentary absentminded behavior," she apologized.
"I understand the information is foreign to you, and processing it may require time. You do not need to rush, milady," Elias said. His patient gaze assured her.
Addressing her targeted subject, Elaine asked, "If the rebelled Ruina was sealed... why did his creations persist? What is their purpose?" Even after their master's defeat, the creatures continued to roam freely, propelled by abominable intentions and ravenous hunger. They hide behind deep recesses like sinister shadows and spin their elaborate webs, catching unsuspecting prey to devour their body and steal their souls. Elaine's hands felt clammy as they clenched together tightly while her heart skittered in anticipation. She did not know whether the male protagonist's answer would help her handle the creatures, yet a tiny optimism still flickered inside her.
