Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 542 - 541- Secrets

"Mm..." Elana groaned in her sleep as her eyes fluttered open. Greeted by sunlight seeping through the slight parting of the curtains, she took a moment to realise where she was.

Memories rushed back, and she flinched as she recalled what had happened just before she fainted.

She sat up straight. Her mind felt numb.

Looking down, she realised she was wearing an oversized shirt that clearly did not belong to her.

"Are you okay?" a voice came from her left.

Elana turned and was met with an unexpected sight. "Headmistress?"

Ariana stepped closer and repeated, "I asked, are you okay?"

Elana slowly nodded before asking, "Where is the Professor? Is he okay?"

Ariana hummed and took a seat at the foot of the bed. "Yes, he is. His wounds have been healed, and he is currently taking a bath." Adrian was still feeling slightly sluggish, and despite Ariana’s suggestion that he take a nap, he chose to prioritise his work and decided to bathe to refresh himself.

Elana hesitantly asked, "Did I hurt him too badly? It’s all foggy... I can’t remember things clearly."

Ariana rested a hand on the silver-haired girl’s shoulder and said calmly, "Take it easy. There’s no need to rush into guilt. Whatever happened back then was never under your control."

Elana’s face fell, her complexion turning ashen. "But I nearly killed the Professor."

Ariana sighed, then stood and gently cupped her cheeks, lifting her chin so their eyes met. "Elana, you need to listen to me. Whatever caused that... none of us could have fought it. And from what I heard, you did not even use your full potential while trying to hunt Adrian down. That means your dormant subconscious was holding you back, preventing you from going all out."

Elana felt slightly calmer hearing that, but the image of the ice spike piercing deep into his chest refused to leave her mind.

She had hurt him. She had intended to kill him. The thought kept consuming her.

"And here I thought I would be dealing with a shy Elana."

The bathroom door parted, and the very man they had been speaking about stepped out.

Elana lifted her head and turned toward him. He was now dressed in a black shirt and black trousers.

He draped the towel over a chair and walked over to her.

Sitting beside her, he said gently, "I don’t know if this will help, but if your soul had truly rejected my presence, you would never have stopped. Deep down, you could never even think of harming me. Those bastards forced their will onto you. There was nothing you could have done about it, Elana."

Elana stared at him in silence for a moment before asking, "Professor... what is happening to me? Why can anyone control me? And w-why... did kissing you help?"

She shot a quick, nervous glance at Ariana, wondering if the Headmistress already knew.

Adrian had already told her about it. In fact, Ariana had guessed the truth the moment he revealed that Elana was suffering from the same ailment as the girl in his dream.

She did not seem to mind. She knew how important Elana was to him.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Adrian leaned back against the bed frame and said, "I can explain everything to you, Elana, but I have a feeling your opinion of me might change."

"You really think so?" Ariana snickered, her gaze teasing. "I highly doubt anything could alter her perception of you, Adrian."

Elana blushed furiously at those words but did not deny them. Even if he were to kill her right now while looking into her eyes, she would probably convince herself it was necessary and accept her fate without resistance.

Yes, she trusted him blindly.

Adrian felt a flicker of tension. He had shared this secret with no one except the four women closest to him. Elana would be the fifth.

Still, given the circumstances, with Elana likely to remain close to him and those deities possibly attempting to use her again, it was better she heard the truth from him rather than from someone else twisting it to their advantage.

So he began.

....

[Ten minutes later]

Elana sat in silence, still processing everything she had just heard from her beloved Professor.

From the Great War to the true intentions of the Darkness. Then the secret of Avirin and his connection to it.

Throughout the entire explanation, she remained unblinking and expressionless. Neither Ariana nor Adrian could read what was going through her mind.

A brief silence settled over the room before Elana finally spoke.

"So... Professor Adrian possesses the essence of Darkness, which allows him to overwrite Heaven’s authority over people like me. Apostles, to be precise."

Adrian nodded. "Yes. That is why... I had to kiss you to bring you back."

Elana hummed softly in understanding, then fell silent again.

Ariana exchanged a glance with Adrian before speaking. "Elana, what you heard today must never be repeated. If this secret gets out, no one will allow him to live peacefully."

Elana responded without hesitation. "I swear on my life, Headmistress, that I will keep this secret to myself. No exceptions."

Ariana nodded, then asked gently, "Why do you still look worried?"

Elana let out a slow breath and finally admitted, "We were taught so many things about our ancestors, our past, the war, and the deities... and now I feel like I know nothing about this world."

Shaking her head faintly, she continued, "I always believed the Acolytes were evil and the Gods existed to protect us. But no matter which side they stood on, in the end... they are all the same."

Adrian reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her entire perception of the world had shifted.

Since childhood, people frightened their children with stories of Darkness. And now she had learned that Darkness was not the true evil. It was simply a threat the deities feared to confront unprepared, so instead they turned humanity into their obedient pawns.

Ariana spoke with dry sarcasm, "My apologies for teaching false knowledge in class."

Elana shook her head. "You were as misinformed as anyone else, Headmistress."

She then turned to Adrian and asked, "Professor... what is your view on Darkness? The Gods feared it and enforced obedience because of that, but what was its purpose in coming here in the first place?"

Adrian fell silent for a moment before answering honestly. "Nytharos was meant to tell me that. That fragment of memory is still sealed somewhere deep within my mind."

He could not delve into that past, a time when Darkness was not part of this world but existed somewhere beyond, in the heavens or the abyss, waiting to descend and reshape human values.

So no, he did not know its true purpose. In the end, humanity had been forced into loyal servitude to the Deities because of Darkness.

Elana asked quietly, "Doesn’t that make you... a target for everyone? Humans and Acolytes alike?"

Ariana chuckled. "Didn’t I say so? If this ever comes to light, the world itself would corner him."

Elana understood that behind the laughter, the Headmistress was deeply worried as well. But after knowing this secret for so long, they had reached a point where they could not afford to dwell on that fear. Otherwise, they would never escape the despair.

Adrian then said, "Well, no matter how many shocking truths you have heard, we need to hurry, Elana."

She was reminded that they had originally met this morning to create a fifth grade armament. Pushing her questions aside for later, she nodded. "I understand, Professor."

Then she cast a nervous glance at Ariana, her ears turning red.

Ariana sighed. "I won’t stay here, so relax."

She stood up and said to Adrian, "Call me if you need anything. And... do not disappear somewhere again, alright?"

Adrian nodded, rose to his feet, and pulled her into a brief hug. "Take care. And do not overwork yourself," he said before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Ariana chuckled. "I should be the one telling you that."

She gave Elana one last look before leaving the room.

Once they were alone, Adrian turned to Elana. "So? Shall we begin, or would you like to rest a little longer?"

Scarlette had not given him any strict deadline. According to her, the people could survive under the new arrangement for another month.

But Adrian wanted to eliminate the danger as soon as possible. During his brief stay on her planet, he had sensed the mutant plant raising the temperature with every passing hour. If that continued, more lives would inevitably be sacrificed.

Then, Elana asked in a hesitant voice, "Profesor...umm, do you have something to restrain me?"

Adrian blinked in surprise, "Hmm?"

Elana clarified, "To prevent something like what happened in the morning please tie my arms and legs before we begin."

Adrian sighed, "You don’t have to go that far, Elana. I know they won’t attempt it once again so soon."

However, despite his assurance, Elana shook her head and said, "It’s not just because of them rather for my mental comfort too. If I knew I can’t move if they take control of me again, I would be more at peace."

Adrian understood what she meant. But having his student, restrained on the bed, naked no less....it sounded so bad that Adrian hardly believe he would be looking at himself in the mirror.

But then, "I understand."

Let’s get over this.

••••••••

A/N:- Thanks for reading. I would be happy to get a comment on the Chapter :)