>>Amber

I pushed myself away from Hael and stared back at him, my hands resting on his chest

"Who is that?" I frowned while he turned his face to look at his side pocket.

He took out a three inch long magic device that looked like a coral, it was glowing and fading in purple. He pressed a button on its back, "Delphi," He answered, "Where are you?"

Delphi?

The Oracle, Delphi?

"Einar's health declined too much, so we had to make a visit back north. We're both here for a few days."

"Alright," Hael clicked the button again and the coral died down, all the glow in it disappeared and then he turned to look at me, "You said you wanted to go North, remember?"

"I did," I looked at him, "But why do I feel like you're even more eager to go than me." I only wanted to go because of Enya, but the answers I wanted from her, I already got them.

"I have someone I need to meet."

"Who?"

"Einar," He said, "Einar wellington."

"I only wanted to go because I wanted to know what happened in the original timeline. But you already told me so..."

"I want to meet Einar before it's too late."

"..."

Einar forced Hael's emotions out. That's what he told me. He helped him understand his feelings. Well maybe not Enya but I want to meet Einar now.

"Okay," I nodded, "Let's go," I also want to know what Delphi and Einar managed to do for Hael.

***

The cold hit me like a wall the moment we teleported into the north. One second, we were enveloped in the soft hum of magic, and the next, we were standing in a sea of white, snow piled high against the city walls, the bitter wind biting through my coat.

We had arrived in the northern shielded city, and now the only way anyone can travel is through teleportation since traveling here by any normal means was impossible now, not with the miasma choking the lands between the cities.

Duke Wellington's mansion stood tall against the backdrop of the snow-covered landscape, its stone walls looming, weathered from years of exposure to the unforgiving northern winds yet the building looked majestic.

Hael stood beside me, unaffected by the cold, his posture relaxed despite the ice-laden wind whipping at his fur coat.

We walked to the main gate and just as we reached it, a butler appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, bowing deeply as he approached us. "Master Hael, Saint Amber, welcome to the Duke's estate," He greeted with a slight smile. His voice was smooth and formal, not a trace of discomfort despite the icy chill in the air. "Please, follow me inside."

I was grateful for the invitation, eager to escape the biting cold. As we moved toward the mansion's entrance, I couldn't help but marvel at the way the snow crunched beneath our boots, a sound that seemed to echo in the eerie stillness of the frozen north.

The whiteness reminded me how close we were to reaching the loop.

The moment we stepped inside, warmth greeted us, a stark contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. A roaring fire in the entrance hall crackled, casting a soft glow on the polished stone floors and tall, intricately carved pillars that lined the walls. The butler led us down a long, well lit corridor.

"The living room is just ahead," He said as we passed by portraits of the Wellington family and I noticed the duke had seven daughters and two sons. In the corner of the picture Einar and Enya stood, their flaming hair color matching with the duke's while in the other corner was another redhead.

Wow

That must be Emrys. He's the youngest out of all his siblings and the next heir of the house

"Lady Enya and Lady Delphi are waiting for you." The Butler said as he opened the door for us to enter the living room.

The living room was grand, as expected, with towering ceilings and walls lined with shelves full of books. A large fireplace dominated the far wall, the fire crackling softly, sending waves of heat through the room. Heavy curtains framed the windows, but since they weren't drawn I could still see the snow-covered grounds outside.

Enya and Delphi sat near the fire. Enya was the first to stand as we entered, her deep green eyes turned soft when she looked at me "Saint Amber!" She smiled.

She was beautiful

Delphi remained seated, her delicate features framed by long, pale hair that fell over her shoulders like silk. Her smile was welcoming, "I'm so happy I finally got to meet you, Saint Amber."

"It's good to see you made it safely." Enya greeted Hael. Then her gaze shifted to me, her eyes curious. "Saint Amber," She said softly, her voice gentle but distant, "I trust the cold hasn't been too much for you?"

I managed a small smile, though I could still feel the cold lingering in my bones. "It's... definitely colder than I'm used to," I admitted, trying to keep my voice steady.

"That's the north for you," Enya said, "It's cold here most of the year."

Hael's voice cut through the warmth of the room as he turned to Enya. "Where's Einar?"

"He went out for a walk," She replied, her voice softer than before, though laced with worry. Her eyes remained fixed on the landscape outside. "But it seems his health didn't allow him to walk back." I noticed a frown come on her face when she saw something.

Everyone in the room instinctively turned to look where Enya's gaze had settled. I was surprised as I spotted movement in the snow.

There, in the distance, trudging through the snow, was a figure carrying someone in his arms.

Ahin!!

Ahin, with his big build moved with surprising ease through the knee-deep snow. His broad shoulders and powerful frame made him look even larger in contrast to the delicate figure he was holding. Einar, that seemed so small, so fragile in Ahin's arms. His pale skin stood out against Ahin's dark winter coat, his limbs limp as he rested against Ahin's chest.

The sight of it took my breath away.

Einar's head rested against Ahin's shoulder, his eyes closed, and his face drained of color.

Woah. He's holding him so tenderly.

Hael stood beside me, his brows furrowed in concern as he watched the scene unfold. I could feel the tension in his posture. Even Enya had an unmistakable look of worry on her face. Delphi, seated beside the fire, had her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white.

It seems all the people here care for Einat a lot.

As Ahin neared the mansion, the details became clearer. Einar's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, his fragile state all the more evident as he lay cradled in Ahin's arms. The sight of it tugged at something deep inside me — a mixture of sorrow and helplessness.

It seems his health really is bad.

As Ahin reached the front entrance we couldn't see them through the window anymore, so we all turned to look at each other.

"What about your progress?" Hael asked Delphi

She looked at us, her eyes covered by a white lace, "We discovered a new place." She said, "Einar had been looking for his kind for a long time."

His Kind?

I glanced at Hael

"And what did you find?" He asked

"Caelithar," She answered, "We found the land of fae. It's a place far from other lands, high above the seas."

!?!?

"Fae?" I let it blurt out of my mouth.

"Yes," Enya answered, "Einar and I are half fae, our mother was a fae."

OH!? It makes sense why she's so pretty. I mean even Einar is pretty.

"Unfortunately though," The Oracle said, "We have not yet found the solution to your problem."

My eyes went slightly wide, and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I looked at Hael. He wasn't fazed much, but he noticed my dreadful expression.

"I thought as much." He looked at me, "Taboo punishment's can not be escaped," His voice was calm, "Since they are given by fate itself."

!!!

My frown was deep as I looked down at the floor.

"Enya," Hael called out to her, "I want to meet Einar."

"I'll go check up on him." She began to walk out, "I'll call you in when he's awake." Hael nodded at her and Enya walked out.

Delphi had a subtle smile on her face, "It's very nice to know you both are together." Then her expressions seemed to drop, "I am sorry we couldn't find a solution."

I couldn't bring myself to say, 'it's alright' and neither did Hael

"We plan on going to fight Persephone." He said

"When?" The Oracle asked and Hael turned to look at me

"Whenever she's ready." His words made me stiffen up, "The sooner the better." He looked back at Delphi, "I want to end this before she's released from her cage."

Delphi looked away as she thought about something, "I fear, she might be close to that." Before I could ask her why, she pointed out the window, at the magic shield around the city, "The miasma is spreading way faster than it was in the original timeline."

Hael nodded, "I noticed that too," He let out a soft sigh as he stared into a distance, "The ground is already covered with miasma and it must already be making its way to the core." He looked back at me, "If we don't hurry, aside from Persephone getting released, we also have the problem of the planet's core dying."

!!!

"Which will eventually lead to the death of the planet."

I felt knots churn in my stomach. Hael had explained the whole story of Pen and Val to me and the witch of their birth country had made this statement to King Valenor.

I am fully recovered.

We also found out Persephone was weak to light magic and so of course, the person possessing Holy Power would be her mortal enemy.

It's a heavy responsibility. Too heavy. But if I run away from it, eventually the whole planet will die...

I have to do this.

"I'm ready," I balled my fists and looked back at Hael, "We can leave whenever."