Chapter 137: Trap
In the next split second, Seraphina's entire figure erupted in a blinding storm of blue lightning that spread out in all directions, making everything around them visible in an instant. The light was so intense that even the air seemed to slow down, as if time itself hesitated for a brief moment.
Her golden hair shimmered against the radiant sparks while her expression turned sharp, cold, and completely focused on the one thing that mattered.
Without wasting even a breath, she turned on her heel and sprinted toward Kael, her movement so swift that the hem of her gown barely had time to flutter.
Last night, Kael had foolishly taken an arrow to protect her from a wound that would never have even reached her skin. Of course, she never told him that, and neither did she correct him afterward. He had been too blinded by his own heroics to think clearly. He must have forgotten she had been wearing her armor that night, and even more so that she had already positioned herself to intercept the blow directly.
No matter how fast the arrow might have flown, piercing her armor would have been far from easy, and in the end, it would have done nothing more than leave the kind of sting that Kael had suffered through instead.
But even then, that did not mean what he did was meaningless. The fact that he had risked his life without hesitation, acting on pure instinct instead of thought, was something she could not simply ignore. What mattered most was that he had done it because he wanted to, because he had chosen to protect her without thinking twice, and even if it was reckless, she could not deny that she had felt a certain strange satisfaction about it.
Of course, that did not change the fact that she was furious at him for putting his life in danger so easily. But now, when another arrow was flying straight toward his heart, how could she possibly stand still and watch?
No matter how much she disliked him, no matter how suspicious she remained of him, it changed nothing. Saving him was something she would always do.
Within a second, she had crossed the distance between them.
As the arrow closed in, her hand reached out to intercept it, her fingers sparking with electric light, her eyes burning with cold blue flames.
Her gaze, however, was fixed completely on his face, that same stupid expression that always made her want to punch him and protect him at the same time.
But before her fingers could catch the arrow, something stirred beneath Kael's feet.
In less than a second, a few tendrils rose from the ground like living vines, coiling swiftly around his waist, his arms, and his legs, pulling him sharply aside with such force that his entire body jerked midair.
The arrow that should have pierced his heart was caught between Seraphina's fingers in midflight. Even if she had missed, it seemed Kael would have been saved either way.
"It seems I almost forgot about Arwyn," she thought quietly while straightening her stance and studying the arrow in her hand. "Still... if I had reacted a little faster, maybe I could have reached him more quickly. But how did it manage to slip past my senses so easily? Where did it even come from? It looks exactly like the last one. That archer again... the one whose position we still haven't found."
She had no answer. Her eyes lingered on the arrow for a brief moment before she tossed it aside like it was nothing.
Before it could touch the ground, a green tendril rose and caught it gently. Another one followed, curving upward with a smooth movement, then a thinner one slithered up and connected both ends of the curved vine, forming a natural bow.
The tendril holding the arrow aligned it perfectly, pulled the string back with fluid precision, and released it into the air.
The arrow flew upward with a piercing sound and vanished almost instantly into the vast sky.
Seraphina turned her gaze toward Arwyn, who was now approaching with her usual calm, her eyes carrying a faint, indifferent light.
"Sorry about that, my dear friend," Arwyn said softly, her tone almost casual. "I was forced to rely on my instincts, which is why I failed to realize that you were also sprinting to save him. If I had known, I would have gladly let you perform the grand act instead."
Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her tone quiet but composed, "It's alright."
And just then, Kael's voice broke through the air, loud and full of annoyance. "Hey, Arwyn! Would you mind letting me go already? I think I'm safe now!"
Following the sound, Seraphina looked at him and saw him hovering slightly above the ground, his waist, arms, and legs tightly bound by Arwyn's tendrils that still held him in place.
Her expression immediately darkened as she narrowed her eyes at Arwyn, her voice silent but her gaze sharp enough to kill. She thought bitterly, "You witch. How dare you touch him like that twice in a day? And why do your damn tendrils always end up around his waist of all places? Are you dying to give him a hug or what?"
Arwyn let out a tired sigh, her lips curving just enough to look unconcerned. "Don't worry... I'm not using any of my senses yet. But…"
Seraphina raised her eyebrow slightly and asked in a calm but demanding tone, "But what?"
Hovering awkwardly in the air, struggling to pull himself free from the grip of those strange tendrils, Kael stared down at the two women beneath him, his face twitching as if the situation itself was too ridiculous to handle. "What's wrong with these two? And why the hell do I always end up hovering in the air like this?"
A few seconds later, he felt the tendrils loosen their hold on him all at once, and before he could even prepare himself, his body dropped straight down to the ground.
His back hit the soil with a dull thud, a groan escaping his lips as he muttered through clenched teeth, "Be gentle next time, will you?"
Arwyn, who had just released him, tilted her head slightly and gave him a brief, almost absentminded nod, "Hmm..."
'What's with that strange look, huh?' he thought, rubbing his back.
Seraphina's frown deepened as her eyes moved toward Arwyn again, her voice cold, "You haven't answered my question yet."
Arwyn blinked slowly, her ponytail swaying lightly behind her as her gaze shifted to the side, and at that very moment another arrow appeared from the darkness, gleaming faintly under the dim light.
The arrow sliced through the air toward her, close enough that she could feel the cold air brushing against her cheek.
Tilting her head just a little, she let the arrow slip past her face by less than an inch, and before it even moved farther she caught it in midair with a sharp snap of her wrist.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke, her voice carrying a tone of light annoyance mixed with composure, "It seems I've forgotten what I was going to say to you back then. But don't you think we should be a little more focused on our current situation rather than wasting time on questions that won't matter right now?"
Seraphina lowered her gaze for a moment, then lifted her hand slightly. In an instant, a short knife shimmered into existence between her fingers as she replied with a tone that was both cold and decisive, "Yes, you're correct. But, do you have any idea where this archer is attacking us from?"
By that time, Kael had already managed to get back on his feet, brushing the dirt off his clothes and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to be doing other than watching them, but he tried to look like he was contributing somehow.
Arwyn glanced around briefly before throwing back the arrow she had caught.
As she did, one of her tendrils stretched outward and seized it, then several more followed, intertwining together to form a bow in midair. The arrow slid into the string formed by the tendrils as Arwyn pulled it back and released it in a single swift motion.
The arrow cut through the air, vanishing into the darkness without a sound or trace, as if swallowed by the night itself.
Kael's eyes widened slightly as he watched the scene unfold before him, his mind racing to make sense of what he had just witnessed. "Damn… just what else is she capable of?" he thought to himself, trying to stay composed even though his curiosity was overflowing. "Creating an entire bow out of her tendrils, not only that but firing an arrow through it like it's nothing at all… that's not something you see every day. The more time I spend with her, the more I realize how little I actually know about her abilities. Before, I couldn't have even guessed just how powerful she truly was… but now, at least, I have a small idea."
He tilted his head slightly, his thoughts continuing to wander as he tried to make sense of her power. "But what kind of tendrils does she use anyway? Are they formed by her mana or are they natural somehow? It's hard to tell since they always come out of the ground without tearing anything apart. And if they can do this much already, then what else could they possibly do?"
He had no way of answering that. Not until Arwyn decided to show him herself. And judging by her quiet, secretive nature, that would only happen when she was forced to. But Kael couldn't deny that he wanted to know more, not just out of curiosity, but because knowledge itself was a kind of strength.
Arwyn shook her head lightly and began walking forward, her voice steady and low, "Follow me."
Kael blinked once, then twice, his expression turning blank as realization struck him again. "Oh right, we're being attacked, aren't we? Then why are these two so calm about it? Is this how knights usually deal with danger? Or maybe they just enjoy it somehow. And why is this archer attacking so slowly anyway? Are they toying with us, or trying to show off their location? I can't even tell anymore. Whatever it is, as long as I keep following them, I should be fine… right? Yeah, probably."
With that thought circling in his head, Kael followed behind them once again, this time with a little more caution in his steps.
Around him, the jungle was silent except for the rustle of leaves. Every tree and root looked the same, the shadows blending together into one unbroken mass that seemed to breathe with the night.
After what felt like a long walk, the three of them finally reached the place they had been searching for. The sight that greeted them made Kael's eyes widen slightly without him even realizing it.
At the very heart of the jungle, there was a clearing surrounded by tall willow trees that formed a perfect circle, enclosing a single house within.
The house itself was long and low, built entirely of wood that seemed old yet well cared for. Its roof curved gracefully on both sides like the back of a resting beast.
In front of the house stretched a small round lake, so still that it mirrored the pale moonlight perfectly. On its surface floated clusters of pink water lilies that bloomed in quiet pride, their petals gleaming softly under the moon's reflection. Dragonflies of various colors flitted around them, making the scene even more breathtaking.
Kael found himself staring for longer than he intended, his earlier irritation fading into quiet wonder. This wasn't what he had expected at all. He had imagined some kind of haunted ruin or a broken house overrun by vines and shadows. Instead, what stood before him was a place that looked strangely peaceful, even beautiful.
He took a slow breath as he muttered to himself, "I'm not sure what kind of person would choose to build a house in a place like this."
He looked at the two women beside him whose gaze had already turned sharper than before, both of them lowering slightly into a defensive stance as if their instincts had already prepared for whatever was coming next.
Kael followed their gaze slowly and then saw what they were staring at.
In the hollow bone of the roof, five silhouettes sat quietly in a straight line, their shapes still and unmoving.
He couldn't see their faces clearly, but the outlines, the way their hair moved slightly with the wind, told him enough. They were all women, or at least that was what he believed. It did not take him long to understand what that meant.
They had stepped into a trap, and both Arwyn and Seraphina had realized it even before he did.
The problem, however, was immediate and simple. The enemy had already outnumbered them. If every one of those women was as strong as Effie, then the situation would quickly turn into a battle too difficult to handle. Especially when Kael himself would not be able to fight properly. That meant everything depended on Arwyn and Seraphina, and both would have to face them all at once. The question that lingered at the back of his mind was whether the two of them could truly handle it.
Before he could think further, Arwyn suddenly raised her voice, her tone firm but carrying a hint of challenge. "Has Queen sent you guys to welcome us?"
The woman sitting in the middle of the group stood up calmly, raising one hand where a pen rested between her fingers as she spoke with quiet plainness, "Indeed, Lieutenant. You are quick to catch on."
Arwyn's expression hardened slightly, her eyes narrowing before she asked directly, "Are you the ones who kidnapped Arienne?"
Kael turned toward her instantly, unable to stop himself from muttering, "Who even asks this type of question so directly? There's no way they'll admit it like that."
But to his disbelief, the woman shook her head once, a small smile ghosting across her lips as she said in a steady tone, "Yes, we may have. It was me to be more precise."
Kael's face turned blank almost at once, his thoughts tumbling into confusion. "She admitted it so easily. What in the world is wrong with them?"
Seraphina's cold voice then cut through the quiet air, her tone sharper than before. "Where did you hide her?"
The woman's eyes flickered for a moment before she let out a small sigh, "That I do not know. And even if I did, I am not allowed to tell you... Captain?"
Seraphina's brows knitted slightly. "You've seen through my disguise?"
The woman gave a quiet chuckle, the sound light but unsettling. "I didn't. I only knew because our leader told us you would come here eventually and that you would bring that boy with you. It was simply a matter of guessing correctly."
Seraphina tilted her head just a little, her voice even and calm. "I see."
Kael, standing beside her, leaned a little closer and whispered, "What should we do now, Captain?"
Her lips parted slightly as she replied without looking at him, "You don't need to do anything... just keep watching."
He stared at her, unsure of what she meant. "What does that even mean?"
Seraphina's voice turned colder, her words carrying an unspoken authority as she spoke again. "From what I understand from your words, you are not planning to share any information with us unless we defeat you. Is that right?"
The woman shook her head slowly, her pen gliding gently through the air as she moved it without purpose. "No. We are not here to fight."
Seraphina's tone changed slightly, her suspicion clear. "What did you say?"
The woman's expression did not waver. "We were not given any orders to fight you."
Seraphina took a step forward, her eyes fixed firmly on the woman. "Then what are you doing here?"
The woman's answer came after a small silence. "We are here to occupy you."
Seraphina's voice dropped to a calm and dangerous tone. "Occupy us? For what?"
The woman looked at her straight on. "Our leader has expressed her desire to speak with you."
Upon hearing that, a cold smile touched Seraphina's lips as she spoke quietly, "That's even better. I was already desperate to meet her. I want to see what kind of person she is, someone who makes everything dance around her fingers. And to be honest, I don't like those kinds of bosses who hide behind their subordinates until all of them are defeated."
The woman's tone did not change as she replied, "If so, you will not dislike our leader either."
Arwyn remained quiet through most of their exchange, her eyes moving carefully between each of the figures above, while Kael's expression grew darker, his thoughts more uneasy than before. He didn't like the sound of any of it.
Sure, he wanted to find Queen and defeat her if necessary, but meeting her now, in their current state, felt reckless. They were in enemy territory, surrounded and outnumbered. A confrontation at this point could easily end in disaster.
"I really am a fool," he thought bitterly. "Did I truly think finding a clue would somehow lead me straight to Arienne? That saving her would be that easy? I should've known better. If Queen was involved, she would definitely come to greet me herself. If I want to get Arienne back, I'll have to defeat her. But I can't do that. And I don't even know if Seraphina or Arwyn can either."
As he thought, his eyes drifted briefly toward Seraphina, a dragonfly passing just above her shoulder, its wings catching the soft light before his gaze returned to the woman standing in the middle.
Seraphina's voice broke the silence again, her tone steady and measured. "So, where is your leader?"
The woman's eyes shimmered, a thin cold smile curving her lips before a cold chuckle escaped her.
"Behind you."
---
(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...