A Journey Unwanted

Chapter 543: Chapter 531: Change is constant

[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Galadriel]

[Capital City]

There had been a time when the castle unsettled her.

Not out of fear, necessarily, but irritation. Or perhaps the better term for her feeling was frustration.

She had spent too much of her life within these walls for any other outcome to make sense. As the first princess, expectations had been placed upon her from an early age, layer upon layer, until they became difficult to separate from who she actually was.

Be they lessons, training on etiquette, knowledge on politics, history lessons, or training for combat and all kinds of strategy.

The expectations never truly stopped. And with that, the corridors of the castle held memories of another lecture, some expectation and a reminder of what a princess was supposed to be. More specifically, what a warrior princess was supposed to be.

Back then she had disliked the castle for that very reason.

It felt less like a home and more like a mold she had been forced into.

But time had a strange way of changing perspectives.

Now, with the world drowning beneath endless darkness and the ever-present threat of the Abyss hanging over every waking moment, familiarity had become precious. Comfort did not always come from happiness. Sometimes it simply came from recognizing the walls around you.

Astrid stood quietly in the stone hallway outside the large reinforced doors that led to Victoria’s makeshift office.

The corridors were silent save for the occasional distant footsteps of castle staff and patrolling knights.

Her blue eyes remained thoughtful.

Victoria was nowhere to be seen yet.

So she waited.

And thought.

It had been more than a month, but this was not the type of situation one simply grew used to. Despite her status and power, apprehension filled her. Even with this being a tangible threat that could still be faced, that apprehension was still present. She disliked how fearful many of Galadriel’s citizens may be.

Not everyone was a warrior, and not everyone was a spawn. There were normal people out there, good people at that. If even warriors like her tensed beneath those twisted skies, she did not want to think about how those less fortunate may act.

("I suppose I don’t really have to guess how some are taking this situation,") Astrid thought. ("Even if it’s just Veron, I see the people’s faces; it’s clear what they’re thinking. They’re all scared, and I cannot blame them. This malevolent sky irks my very being.")

"You seem rather pensive, Princess." Lukas’ voice pulled her from her thoughts.

The young knight stood beside her, concern evident in his expression.

Like Astrid, he remained fully armored despite being safely inside the castle. In recent weeks caution had become second nature. Neither of them particularly trusted stone walls anymore. Even if said stone walls were warded with potent magic.

Astrid offered a polite smile.

One gauntleted hand moved to adjust the long blue braid resting over her shoulder.

"I suppose after what we witnessed in the forest..." she began quietly, choosing her words carefully. "I cannot help but feel hopeful. Perhaps more hopeful than I should allow myself to be."

Lukas studied her expression for a moment before nodding.

"That’s understandable." His gaze drifted toward the nearest window. "After everything that’s happened, after all the losses and this uncertainty, I imagine many people would cling to even the smallest sign that things might improve."

A small silence followed.

Astrid’s smile faded into contemplation.

"Perhaps." Her arms folded across her chest, heavy gauntlets scraping against one another. "But I keep finding myself wondering what it actually means." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Lukas glanced toward her.

"What do you mean?"

Astrid looked down the hallway for a moment.

"Galadriel is covered by tears." Her voice grew quieter and more contemplative. "The skies remain swallowed by darkness no matter where you look. Every report we receive tells the same story." Her brows furrowed. "And yet that area had none."

The memory remained vivid, almost painfully so.

"I cannot stop thinking about it." She slowly shook her head. "There was no darkness overhead. No tears. That oppressive feeling lingering in the air was also absent." Her gaze hardened slightly. "That has to mean something."

Lukas nodded thoughtfully.

"It would." He paused for but a brief moment. "If what we witnessed wasn’t some illusion, then something is actively resisting the Abyss."

Astrid looked toward him. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"Exactly."

Lukas frowned. "But what could possibly possess that kind of power?"

Neither of them had an answer.

Few things in existence seemed capable of pushing back against the Abyss. And even fewer could erase its influence entirely.

Before either could continue speculating, a pair of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Both immediately turned toward the nearby stairwell.

Two familiar figures emerged moments later.

"Ah," Astrid smiled. "Victoria. Fiona."

"Lovely to see you again, Princess." Victoria returned the smile immediately, looking entirely too cheerful given the state of the world.

Beside her, Fiona offered a respectful bow that was brief and all proper.

Astrid could not help but chuckle softly.

"Honestly, Fiona." A weary smile crossed her face. "I keep telling you that you don’t need to be so formal with me."

Fiona straightened. "Forgive me, Princess." Her tone remained perfectly polite. "But with Victoria around, one of us has to maintain some level of dignity to balance the other out." The jab was not particularly subtle.

Victoria pressed a hand dramatically against her chest.

"You know, Fiona, you really should joke more often." A grin spread across her face. "I quite enjoy this less serious side of you."

Fiona’s ear twitched.

A clear warning sign.

She simply huffed.

Experience had taught her that engaging Victoria on subjects like this only encouraged her.

Victoria took Fiona’s silence as victory, naturally.

Turning back toward Astrid and Lukas, she gestured toward the large office doors.

"Well then." Her grin widened. "You two. Let’s step inside."

Without waiting for confirmation, Fiona immediately pushed open the heavy doors. The room beyond looked exactly as chaotic as she remembered; papers covered nearly every available surface. Maps hung unevenly from walls. Notes were scattered across desks, stacks of documents leaned precariously in corners, and several loose pages had somehow found their way onto the floor.

Fiona stepped over one.

Then accidentally stepped on another.

She glanced downward; the page depicted a rough sketch of a lanky Abyssal Creature covered in annotations.

She sighed.

"You really need to clean this place."

Victoria moved through the mess without hesitation, as though she had memorized every paper’s exact location.

"This is my workspace." She dropped into her chair. "I shall treat it accordingly." Her eyes drifted over the room proudly. "Besides, it’s inspiring."

Lukas blinked.

"An unrefined place like this inspires you?"

"Hush, Lukas." Victoria waved a dismissive hand. "The ladies are talking."

The young knight immediately opened his mouth, but Astrid gently shook her head; he wisely closed it again.

Victoria nodded approvingly.

"Excellent." Then her attention shifted back to business. "But seeing as you’ve both returned early, I assume you have something important to report concerning Veron."

Astrid stepped forward as her expression grew more serious.

"Yes." She nodded. "It was urgent enough that we returned immediately."

The amusement faded from the room; even Victoria sat up slightly.

"Lukas and I were conducting our usual patrol," Astrid continued. "Initially everything appeared normal. At least as normal as things can be now." She exhaled lightly. "But there were remarkably few Abyssal Creatures near Veron."

Fiona immediately frowned as Astrid continued.

"We thought perhaps it was coincidence, so we ventured further than usual." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "The strange part is that the trend continued."

Lukas stepped forward. "No matter how far we traveled, there were fewer creatures than expected."

Fiona’s brows knitted together. "A lack of Abyssal Creatures?" She sounded genuinely confused. "Of all things?" An ear twitched at that. "That’s practically unheard of. They normally congregate near populated regions."

"That wasn’t all." Lukas’ tone became more serious. "Animals were present throughout the forest."

That immediately caught Victoria’s attention.

"Oh?" She tilted her head, now fully engaged. "Animals?"

Lukas nodded. "As well as Astrothians."

"Interesting." Victoria’s eyes sharpened, her fingers tapping lightly against her desk. "Since the Abyss appeared, both animal and Astrothian activity has dramatically decreased." She leaned forward. "Most migrated to safer and more secluded territories."

Her gaze moved between the two.

"Yet you’re telling me they’re casually wandering through the region?"

"There was a reason." Astrid answered quietly.

Victoria’s tapping stopped. "There usually is."

Astrid nodded; for a brief moment she seemed unsure how to phrase it. Then she simply spoke the truth.

"There was a place." Her voice softened. "A space where we could see the sky."

A brief silence followed.

Fiona blinked. "What?"

Astrid glanced toward her; the disbelief was understandable.

Truthfully she would have reacted the same way had someone else told her.

"There were no tears." Her voice remained steady. "No darkness. Lukas and I saw the night sky."

And for a time since entering the office, nobody immediately had a response.