Free Web NovelChapter 298: Silent Loom, Broken Faith
Azrynn’s yellow eyes were filled with confusion and fear. She swallowed hard before speaking again, her voice still trembling.
"I-I don’t know the details...!" she said quickly. "I was only told to guide strong people here. After we bring someone to the temple, it would usually activate and function safely. The monsters would stop attacking our village for a while. But this time... it was different. The temple was completely inactive. That’s why I tried to enter myself... and then I met you two."
Lilith’s crimson eyes narrowed.
"So because we killed the Guide..." she said coldly, "the Loom of Fate stopped functioning?"
Azrynn’s eyes widened in pure shock. Her body jerked against the threads.
"K-Killed...?!" she stammered. "You... you killed the Goddess who protects us?! The one who watches over this temple?!"
Her voice rose in panic.
"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! If the Goddess is dead, then our village—!"
"Quiet, elf."
Isolde’s voice cut through Azrynn’s panic like a blade. She stepped closer, her crimson eyes calm but firm.
"We still don’t fully understand what happened either," she said. "But the fact that you were able to enter this place so easily... it only confirms one thing."
She glanced at Lilith, then back at Azrynn.
"The Loom of Fate has indeed become inactive."
Azrynn’s breathing grew heavier. Her silver hair fell messily over her face as she stared at the two women in growing horror.
Lilith crossed her arms, her expression cold and impassive.
"...So that’s how it is," she muttered. "We killed the Guide, and now the entire system has stopped working. No wonder this place feels like a corpse."
Azrynn’s yellow eyes widened in panic. Her body trembled violently against Lilith’s threads as the reality of the situation sank in.
"M-My clan... my people are in danger!" she said, her voice shaking. "If the Loom has truly stopped working, then the monsters will attack our village again! I have to go back! I have to save them!"
She struggled harder, her voice growing more desperate.
"Let me go! Please! I have to return to my clan!"
Lilith stared down at her coldly, her crimson eyes completely unmoved.
"No," she said simply. "I will not release you."
Azrynn’s head snapped up, her silver hair falling messily over her face.
"W-Why?! Let me go! I have to save my clan! Please, I’m begging you!"
Lilith’s expression didn’t change. Her voice remained calm, but there was a sharp edge to it.
"I will not release someone who tried to kill me," she said quietly. "You attacked us without hesitation. Did you really think I would just let you walk away after that?"
Azrynn’s face twisted in frustration and fear.
"I-I already apologized! I already begged! I told you I didn’t have a choice! Please, just let me go! My people will die if I don’t return!"
Lilith’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"And I already told you," she said, her voice turning colder. "I don’t care. You tried to sacrifice us to save your own people. Now you want me to show you mercy? How convenient."
Azrynn bit her lip hard, her yellow eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked truly terrified now, not for herself, but for her clan.
Isolde stood a short distance away, quietly watching the exchange. She didn’t interrupt. Instead, her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she fell into deep thought.
’So that’s how it is...’
Her gaze shifted toward the still-open portal.
’That multi-eyed rock monster we encountered earlier... and the other creatures in this place. They weren’t attacking us aggressively. It was almost as if they were waiting... as if they wanted someone who entered this place to destroy it.’ ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Isolde’s expression grew more serious.
’If the Loom of Fate has truly stopped functioning... then perhaps these monsters are no longer being restrained. And if that’s the case...’
She glanced at Azrynn, who was still desperately begging Lilith to release her.
’...then this Dark Elf’s village might not be the only one in danger.’
Lilith looked down at Azrynn, who was still desperately struggling against the threads. A small, cold smile slowly formed on her lips.
Then she spoke in a soft, almost gentle tone, one that carried an unmistakable sadistic edge.
"Oh, that’s right," she said calmly. "What if I tie you up... and make you watch as your entire clan gets destroyed right in front of your eyes? That would be quite interesting to see, don’t you think?"
Azrynn’s yellow eyes widened in pure horror and rage.
Her body jerked violently against the threads.
"You... You monster!!" she screamed, her voice shaking with fury. "I will never forgive you! I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you for this!!"
Tears of anger and fear spilled from her eyes as she thrashed desperately, but the threads only tightened further, completely immobilizing her.
Lilith’s cold smile didn’t waver. She seemed genuinely amused by Azrynn’s reaction.
Isolde, who had been quietly observing, finally stepped forward and placed a hand on Lilith’s shoulder.
"Lilith," she said firmly, her crimson eyes serious. "Don’t play around with her."
Her voice was calm, but there was a clear warning in it.
"We still need information from her. If you push her too far, she might break completely... or worse, she might become useless to us."
Lilith glanced at Isolde from the corner of her eye. For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then she let out a small sigh and withdrew her hand, causing the blade near Azrynn’s finger to disappear.
Azrynn was left panting heavily, her silver hair messy and her yellow eyes filled with a mix of hatred and fear.
Lilith looked down at her again, her crimson eyes still cold.
"...You should be grateful to the vampire," she said quietly. "If it were up to me alone, I would’ve already started cutting."
Azrynn glared up at her, breathing hard, but she no longer had the strength to shout.
Isolde looked between the two of them, then spoke in a calmer tone.
"...Let’s not waste any more time. We still have questions that need answers."
