Chapter 643: Threads That Refuse to Stay Separate

Chapter 642: Threads That Refuse to Stay Separate

Ronan didn’t respond immediately.

He just stared at Madam Tyler, his expression unreadable, though something quieter settled behind his eyes.

Because she wasn’t wrong.

It was a possibility.

And knowing what he knew... knowing who Sophia’s mother truly was—

Ronan felt his jaw tighten slightly.

But he said nothing. There was no point in telling Madam Tyler what he knew.

Eldric broke the silence first.

"I’ll inform Orion," he said, adjusting his glasses as he straightened. "He was the one who asked, after all, and I’ll send someone to you, Caspian, to get everything you told me recorded so more people are aware of our history."

No one objected.

Ronan nodded once, then shifted his weight slightly.

"We’ve also made progress with the corpse plant," he said.

Her attention shifted immediately.

Ronan continued, more focused now.

"Kairen will be handling the cultivation. I was on my way to meet him before I got... intercepted," he added, casting a brief glance toward his father and Caspian.

Daniel didn’t look remotely apologetic.

Ronan shook his head lightly and went on.

"We’re selecting a separate piece of land for it. Controlled conditions. No unnecessary exposure to the rest of the pack."

Madam Tyler nodded, her expression thoughtful. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"That’s wise," she said. "A plant like that shouldn’t be anywhere near the general grounds until we fully understand its properties."

"But we have someone who understands it, and we know how dangerous the plant is," Ronan told her.

"The boy... Kairen?" she asked.

Ronan nodded. "Yes. I don’t know if you were informed, but he has knowledge of the plant."

Madam Tyler gave a small nod.

"Orion said the plant may have properties tied to black magic... that’s the exact reason why we will need you to work with Kairen," Ronan added.

Madam Tyler frowned at that, and silence descended over the hall for a while. Then Daniel spoke.

"This is strange, isn’t it?" he asked.

"What?" Ronan asked him.

"Everything. But first... why now?" Daniel asked.

"I’m still confused, old man," Ronan told him.

Daniel didn’t look at him immediately.

His gaze was distant for a second, like he was lining his thoughts up before speaking them aloud.

"Why is it that now," he said slowly, "we’re suddenly questioning everything about our history?"

That drew attention back sharply.

Eldric adjusted his glasses again, blinking once.

"Because Orion asked the question," he said, as though it were obvious. "And because the information presented doesn’t align with our records."

Daniel finally looked at him.

"And why is Orion asking those questions now?" he pressed.

Eldric frowned faintly.

"...Because his mate is the Luna foretold," he replied. "That’s not exactly a small development. It makes sense that he’d want to understand more."

Daniel’s expression didn’t change.

"And that’s what he told you?" he asked.

Eldric hesitated, because Orion had not exactly told him that.

"What are you getting at?" Caspian asked Daniel.

Daniel exhaled quietly.

"I’m saying," he began, "that this isn’t just about curiosity."

No one interrupted him.

"Think about it," Daniel continued. "All of you."

His gaze moved across the room, landing on each of them in turn.

"The altar."

Ronan’s shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly.

"The writing on it," Daniel went on. "The fact that only Sophia understands it—Oculum, Dolion, the corpse plant—everything keeps leading back to Sophia, like it’s centered around her."

Ronan let out a slow breath.

"Of course it does," he said. "She’s the Luna."

Daniel didn’t look convinced.

"That’s the easy answer," he replied.

Ronan frowned. "It’s the logical one."

Daniel shook his head once.

"No," he said. "It’s the expected one."

That didn’t sit right.

Ronan’s expression tightened slightly.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

Daniel was quiet for a moment.

"I may be paranoid, but what if it’s bigger than that? The corpse plant now has ties to black magic..."

"...it always had ties to black magic. We only just found out," Ronan told him.

"And also we found out that the plague now killing most people in the other regions is tied to black magic too—the beasts in Nirvana, everything. When Sophia first arrived, Lysander and Madam Tyler spoke about seeing marks that were for a ritual... black magic too."

"And I know she’s the Luna, hence why she’s tied to many things."

He paused.

"But what if that’s not all it is?"

Ronan didn’t like where this was going.

"What else would it be?" he asked.

Daniel’s gaze lifted again, sharper now.

"What if it’s not just about her being the Luna," he said, "but about what she’s connected to?"

Caspian frowned. "Connected how?"

Daniel hesitated. "Like I said, I may be paranoid, but what if this is all linked to the Enclave? Think about it."

Ronan’s jaw tightened.

Eldric’s fingers stilled against the frame of his glasses.

"And not as separate incidents. Not as isolated events."

His voice lowered.

"But as pieces of the same thing. If I’m wrong, then fine, we move on—but I’m sure everyone here has noticed that it was only after Sophia came that the sightings of these beasts increased. The black market was suddenly destroyed. Victoria’s warriors were found in the heart of Nirvana because they wanted Dolion."

The hall was quiet as everyone absorbed his words.

"Honestly," Madam Tyler spoke up, "I have had the same thought too. But I also came to the conclusion that Sophia is the Luna, hence why things like that would occur. Hence why things like that would happen."

"Oculum did say he came because of Sophia. And honestly, I feel like we should stop questioning every other thing and start finding answers to the questions we have now—the tome of ash and vein, the writings on those rocks, the altar translations, and basically everything else. And one thing I’ll say: all this is happening because Sophia is the Luna. There is no doubt about that," Caspian told them.

Ronan didn’t say anything. He just listened quietly as they spoke, but he agreed with Caspian—everything was happening because Sophia was the Luna, because she had the gift of visions.