Free Web NovelChapter 351: Following Behind
Theo is currently in his Soul Palace.
The place he had been calling the Void before he understood what it actually was. It is simply where the soul of a mage resides. A sanctuary. The last line of defense a mage has. The more powerful the mage, the more difficult it is to destroy them completely, because the Soul Palace must also be destroyed to prevent any possibility of return.
"How did I forget about the Soul Palace? I studied it for a long time. I should have known immediately." He says it out loud, to no one.
He scoffs at himself. "Of course I didn’t think of it. How could I? I had never been here before. I didn’t know how to get here. I only ever read about it. And now here I am, with no access to my mana, and yet somehow I found my way in. Isn’t that something?"
He opens his arms wide and turns in a slow circle. "And now I’m talking to myself. It’s a good thing I’m alone. I genuinely cannot decide whether I prefer talking to myself like this, or having someone else here to talk to."
He chuckles. "I might be going a little crazy."
He looks around, taking in the darkness.
"It is very dark in here. That is strange. The Soul Palace is supposed to be the brightest place within us. So why is mine this dark? Does that mean I am a dark person?" He pauses. "Or..."
He stops. The thought forms slowly.
"Or this is not my Soul Palace at all. This is Thea’s."
A cold chill moves up his spine.
"But she is dead. Why does her Soul Palace still exist? Or is this what happens when a person dies but another soul takes up residence in the same body?"
Theo sighs. "I feel like I am going in circles. Maybe I should call the other me, so I have someone to talk to. Although the other me is also technically me. So I would still be talking to myself."
He shakes his head. "I am not making any sense."
He looks around the darkness again.
"If this really is Thea’s Soul Palace... then maybe, just maybe, I can visit Arthur’s."
The more he turns it over, the more possible it seems.
Theo nods slowly. "Yes. That is what I will do. I will go to Arthur and see if I can find my way into his Soul Palace."
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Theo opens his eyes slowly.
"Yes. I should try it now." He murmurs to himself. He gets up and pads toward the bathroom.
"But bathroom first."
The door clicks shut behind him.
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Elder Loujt peers through the small window in the door and finds the room empty. He frowns.
I know she is in there. Her mana signature is coming from this room. So why is the bed empty? frёewebnoѵēl.com
He hears footsteps approaching from down the corridor. He turns and steps aside just in time as a nurse comes to the door and pushes it open.
"Ms. Montrose? Time for your routine vital checks." The nurse enters and pulls the door closed behind her.
Elder Loujt curses himself quietly. He had not been paying close enough attention to his surroundings and missed his window to slip inside. He can only blame himself for the lapse. He was fortunate the nurse did not walk into him.
He hears a toilet flush from inside and understands.
Ah. She is in the bathroom.
He peers through the glass again. The bathroom door opens, but it swings toward him, blocking his view of Theo entirely. The nurse moves toward the bathroom and disappears behind the door as well. He can hear the murmur of voices but cannot make out the words.
Then, clearly:
"Alright, Ms. Montrose. Thank you. Remember to rest. If things continue to look good, Dr. Bennett will discharge you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Nurse." A soft, melodic voice answers.
The nurse heads toward the door. Elder Loujt steps aside quickly and watches her walk away down the corridor. He turns back and about to peers through the glass again.
And nearly has a heart attack.
Thea Montrose is standing directly on the other side of the door, right in front of him.
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Theo pulls on a sweater and walks toward the door.
He stops.
Something is not right. He feels like someone is watching him. He is not alone. He cannot see anything out of the ordinary, and yet the feeling is there. Present and undeniable.
He looks straight ahead, but there is nothing his eyes can find. Still, he knows better than to dismiss what he feels. His instincts have never lied to him.
He takes a slow breath and decides to act as though he has noticed nothing. He murmurs, "My phone," and turns back into the room to retrieve it, using the moment to compose himself. The feeling of being watched does not leave.
After a few seconds, he turns back around, crosses to the door, takes the handle, and opens it.
He steps out into the corridor and heads toward Arthur’s room.
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Elder Loujt freezes.
He is fairly certain the young woman in front of him cannot use magic. He senses nothing from her that would suggest otherwise. And yet, when Theo turns and looks directly toward where he is standing, Elder Loujt finds himself holding his breath without deciding to.
When Theo murmurs about his phone and turns back into the room, he exhales quietly. Just forgot her phone. He shifts out of the way.
He falls in behind Theo as he moves down the corridor, using the opportunity to observe him properly for the first time.
The Princess had told him that Theo was the summoner and that he had no magic. Elder Loujt had not fully believed it. How could someone with no magic summon a storm of that magnitude? Even the most naturally gifted rogue mage could not produce something that powerful without training and without mana.
And yet, watching Theo now, he finds that everything the Princess said appears to be true.
Elder Loujt has to admit it. Theo has the physique of a very powerful mage. The hair alone is telling. Natural white hair is a reliable sign of someone with extraordinary magical talent. It is not a rule without exceptions, but it holds more often than not.
The Princess’s near-white platinum blonde hair is proof enough of that. Eirbhaen El Dhaerith is exceptionally talented and will become formidable given proper training. Elder Loujt cannot begin to imagine what Thea Montrose would be capable of at full strength.
We need to reach her before her magic does.
He keeps following.
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Theo walks deliberately slowly, one hand resting on the railing installed along the hospital wall for patients who need support. He uses it, leaning into it just enough to look like he still needs it.
But not so slowly that a nurse would stop to check on him.
Someone is still watching me. I am certain of it. And whoever it is, they are a mage. They are using illusion magic, which means they are not a beginner. Illusion is not an entry level skill.
I do not think it is anyone from Maeve’s secret society. The Custodians would not approach like this. Which leaves Sonia. Someone from her group, most likely. But why are they following me?
Probably because of the storm. Sonia said I caused it and that I need to stop it. That is the most logical reason.
He reaches a long stretch of large glass windows and slows to a stop. He looks out.
Snow. Blanketing everything as far as he can see.
Liam. It has to be. He levelled up. Remarkable.
He pauses.
Or is it Sonia’s people? I have not actually asked Liam directly, and he has not said anything about it. If it was someone from her group who stopped the storm, then why are they here now, watching me? What do they want?
He sighs quietly.
One thing at a time. Whoever is watching me does not seem to mean any harm. I will deal with it later.
He pushes off from the railing and keeps walking.
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Elder Loujt follows at a matching pace, staying several steps behind. And then he realizes where Theo is heading.
She is going toward the strong mana signature. Hm, Julian Montrose’s room.
He watches as Theo stops in front of a door flanked by two Sentinels. Theo greets the Sentinel, straightens slightly, smiles faintly to herself, and opens the door.
Elder Loujt picks up his pace, trying to get close enough to peer through before the door swings shut.
He never gets the chance.
A powerful aura blasts outward from the room and catches him completely off guard. Elder Loujt is thrown backward, the invisible force slamming him into the corridor wall with a loud, solid thud that echoes down the hallway.
Both Sentinels snap to attention.
