Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 137: Children of Mana, Part Twenty-One

{Caroline}

Caroline stormed back to her home, her frustration boiling over like a pot left unattended.

The door slammed shut behind her with a resounding thud, reverberating through the empty halls.

With an angry growl, she hurled a nearby vase across the room, watching with a mixture of satisfaction and bitterness as it shattered against the wall.

[Ugh, so... so humiliating!]

The moment played out right before her eyes. The feeling of Lianna’s hand reaching out to help her, a child of mana offering aid to someone like her...

The very thought churned her stomach with a bitter taste.

Additionally, recalling the way Enverna and Lianna fought together only served to further fuel her annoyance.

As Caroline paced the confines of her home, her mind buzzed with the memory of Enverna and Lianna’s synchronized combat prowess.

The coordination they displayed, the way Lianna gave out what seemed like orders for Enverna to follow. It was a stark contrast to the image Enverna had painted of Lianna, that of a mere pawn, a tool to be used and discarded at will.

"Maybe... maybe there’s more to this relationship of theirs than I thought," Caroline muttered to herself, her brow furrowing in thought.

She couldn’t deny the evidence before her. That fight didn’t exactly look like Enverna had been keeping Lianna at arm’s length like she said she had been.

With a heavy sigh, Caroline collapsed onto the nearest chair, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket.

She rubbed her temples wearily, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in her mind.

Just as she began to sink deeper into the abyss of her own thoughts, her phone rang, shattering the silence of the room.

Reluctantly, she picked it up, her irritation evident in her voice as she answered the call.

"What is it?"

"Caroline, thank Saren you picked up," came the urgent voice on the other end, tinged with desperation. "We need your assistance immediately. There’s been a surge in Fiend activity outside of the city, and we’re struggling to contain it."

She knew that voice.

It was a priest who’d occasionally hand her missions to do for money. This was how Caroline had been making her living lately.

Admittedly, she didn’t feel like going back out to the field right now.

"I’m in the middle of something," Caroline replied tersely, her irritation seeping into her words. "Can’t someone else handle it?"

"There’s no one else available," the voice insisted, a note of desperation creeping into his tone. "We need your expertise, Caroline. Lives are at stake."

Caroline’s jaw clenched.

"Fine," Caroline relented, her tone begrudging. "I’ll be there soon."

With a heavy sigh, Caroline ended the call, her frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Duty called, and she had no choice but to answer. With a resigned shake of her head, she gathered her belongings and prepared to face the challenges that awaited her outside the safety of the city walls.

That said, the fight she’d witnessed remained in her thoughts.

[I need to find out more about those two,] Caroline thought. [Perhaps... I should try to speak to that friend of theirs later?]

---

The air was heavy with the weight of history as Caroline made her way through the outskirts of the city, the old chapel looming in the distance like a forgotten relic of a bygone era.

As she walked, her footsteps echoed against the cobblestone path, mingling with the whispers of the wind that carried the faint scent of incense and decay.

The landscape around her was dotted with remnants of a time long past, reminders of the sacrifices made during the Great War against Telvan. A somber memorial stood tall, honoring the soldiers who had laid down their lives in defense of their homeland.

Caroline paused for a moment, her gaze drifting over the weathered stone markers, each one bearing the name of a fallen hero.

Pushing aside the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her, Caroline continued on her journey, her steps quickening with a sense of urgency. As she approached the old chapel, she could see a handful of priests gathered outside, their faces etched with solemnity.

"Excuse me," Caroline called out as she approached, her voice cutting through the quiet stillness of the surroundings. "I’m here to assist with the Fiend infestation. Can you tell me where they are?"

The priests remained eerily silent, their eyes fixed on Caroline with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

"... Did you not hear me?" Caroline asked.

Still, silence.

[Something’s not right.]

Before Caroline could react, she felt a sudden rush of movement behind her, the unmistakable sound of footsteps closing in fast.

Instinct took over, and she spun around with lightning speed, narrowly dodging a bolt of magic that had been aimed at her back.

Standing before her was a young man, his hand raised in a menacing gesture that gave him away as the source.

Recognition sparked in Caroline’s mind as she realized who he was. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Jack, the man she’d seen in that video where she’d first learned of Enverna, stood there in black robes with a hood pulled down, his empty eyes burning a hole through Caroline with their gaze.

"What is the meaning of this?" Caroline demanded, her voice tinged with anger and confusion.

He remained silent. The priests finally spoke, their voices low and ominous.

"What we do tonight we do for Saren, champion. Please, forgive us," one of them said, his words sending a chill down Caroline’s spine.

[Saren?]

Saren, god of light and wisdom whose teachings guided the faithful and protected the realm from darkness.

It was inconceivable to think that such a revered figure could be associated with anything nefarious. She had grown up hearing tales of Saren’s benevolence, stories of miracles and divine intervention that had shaped the history of their world.

[Well... Fanatical psychopaths exist, I suppose. Though... Why would they align themselves with this man, of all people?]

Before Caroline could ponder the question further, Jack launched himself at her with a ferocity that took her by surprise. She barely had time to react, her instincts kicking in as she parried his blows with a skill honed through years of training.

But Jack was relentless, his attacks, coming from a pair of daggers, came fast and furious as he sought to overwhelm Caroline with sheer brute force.

[How is he this good in melee range? Isn’t he a mage!?]

The priests joined in, their movements fluid and coordinated as they closed in on Caroline from all sides.

Despite her best efforts, Caroline found herself outnumbered and outmatched. A searing pain lanced through her abdomen as one of the priests landed a well-aimed strike with one of their own knives, the force of the blow knocking the breath from her lungs.

The blade went through her torso.

Caroline hit the ground.

The enemies around her immediately went to finish her.

"No!" Jack called out, then. "I must absorb her!"

This order made them pause.

That was all Caroline needed.

Realizing that she could not hope to win against such overwhelming odds, Caroline made a split-second decision.

With a burst of speed, she disengaged from the fight, ducking and weaving through her attackers as she made a desperate bid for escape.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she ran, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she pushed herself to the limit, holding her gaping wound.

Behind her, she could hear the sound of pursuit, the shouts of her assailants echoing through the night air.

But Caroline refused to give up. She pushed herself harder, her determination driving her forward as she raced back toward Garriden, the safety of the city walls beckoning her like a beacon of hope in the darkness.

As she ran, Caroline’s mind raced with a single thought.

[Enverna needs to hear about this.]

Whatever Jack was planning, it posed a grave threat to the safety of the city and its inhabitants.

And Caroline would be damned if she let him succeed.

With renewed resolve, Caroline pushed herself onward, her eyes fixed on the horizon as she raced against the clock to deliver her warning to those who needed to hear it most.

As Caroline’s adrenaline-fueled sprint carried her further from her pursuers, she managed to lose them amidst the dense foliage of the forest.

Breathing heavily, she slowed her pace, her thoughts still swirling with confusion and concern.

Despite the pain throbbing in her abdomen from the wound inflicted by Jack and his accomplices, Caroline pressed on, her determination unwavering.

With Garriden looming in the distance, a beacon of safety and sanctuary, she quickened her pace, each step bringing her closer to the city’s protective walls.

As she neared the outskirts of the city, relief washed over her, her fatigue momentarily forgotten in the face of her impending arrival.

With every step, she drew closer to safety, her mind already racing ahead to the task of warning Enverna about the impending threat.