Between Two Souls, Chapter 20
"Farewell, Zero. I will..."
"AARGGHHHH!!!"
Adrien screamed in pain as the brain signal calibration surged through him.
The signal locked in, lashing Adrien and Zero like a violent slap. In an instant, both vanished from the imaginary room. They were hurled back into the swirling wormhole of shifting colors, twisting and stretching as they spun uncontrollably through the vortex. Their eyes rolled back as they were flung deeper until the tunnel finally opened into a void. They burst into it with a loud impact and—
"...A..."
"AAAAARGGHHHH!" Adrien shouted in shock.
"Adrien! Calm down! Are you alright?" Erika, who was sitting beside him, rushed to hold him steady and soothe him.
Suddenly, a sharp pain throbbed in Adrien's head—as if struck by something heavy.
"Ughhh… my head. It hurts… so much… ouch…"
Adrien tried to sit up, but he couldn't. The pain intensified, his head growing heavier with every movement. Erika gently helped him back down onto the bed and advised him not to move.
"Adrien, rest for now. Vino will bring you something for the headache. That's one of the side effects of the brain signal calibration."
Just then, Vino entered the room. Though she looked worried, there was a flicker of enthusiasm in her expression. Slung over her shoulder was a small satchel.
"Adrien! Sorry for the wait! Here, I brought you some ibuprofen. Quick, take it!" she said, holding out the medicine to him.
Adrien took it without hesitation and downed it immediately. He lay back on the bed, hoping the medicine would kick in soon. Erika helped adjust his pillow, watching over him. Her curiosity soon got the better of her, and she glanced back at Vino.
"Vino, what exactly did you give him?"
"Oh, that? Ibuprofen. I learned about it in the library, and with Father Peter's help—and that magnificent lab—we managed to produce it."
"Oh, right. I almost forgot we have a top-grade lab here. I should've taken you there sooner. You love places like that, don't you? Alchemy's been your passion for years."
"Yes! I mean, elves are famous for their chemistry, right? But I've never seen a lab like this. Even the laboratories in the elven kingdoms pale in comparison. Though… thanks to that incident years ago that the Driva Family mentioned during the dance party, our name has been somewhat tarnished. Did you ever learn what caused it?"
"Oh yes… the incident that happened exactly a year before we entered Angelo Caduto Academy. People were poisoned by herbs and medicine brought in by the elves. But really, it was all just a big misunderstanding on both sides."
Vino looked shocked. She leaned in closer to Erika, eager to hear more clearly.
"Huh? Really? What actually happened?"
"Some of the ingredients used in elven alchemy couldn't be tolerated by other human races. They were poisoned—some even died. Unfortunately, The Order discovered it far too late, and by then, the discrimination had already taken deep root because of the incident."
"Why didn't you ask Adrien to clear up the misunderstanding? Or speak up when they brought it up at the dance banquet? I mean, The Order seems to have a lot of influence among the nobility. You could've even told Adrien to marry me, right?"
Vino asked sharply—angry, curious, and full of emotion. The passionate young elf pressed Erika for answers.
"It's not that simple," Erika said calmly. "I can ask Adrien to do things that are personal and don't have broad consequences. But this is different. Many nobles used that incident for political gain, gaining power and influence. Even if I argued in front of them, it would've been pointless. We can't just forcefully change public opinion overnight. But we're still trying, even if progress is slow."
Erika tried to explain gently, worried Vino might be hurt.
Vino sighed. "Sheesh… is it really that hard to explain things?"
"Yes, because not everyone can read—let alone understand alchemy. So, the best way to erase the misunderstanding is by educating people. Don't worry—more people are getting proper schooling now. It's only a matter of time before this bias disappears."
Vino gave a small smile. She reached out and held Erika's hand.
"Thank you. You and your friends have helped me in ways you don't even realize. Honestly, I've felt the discrimination easing bit by bit lately."
"It's nothing! I remember what you went through. Back in school, you were bullied even worse than I was." Erika's eyes softened. "By the way, where's Father Peter now?"
"Oh, I don't know… I haven't seen him today."
Erika stood up from the chair beside Adrien's bed.
"Vino, can you watch Adrien for a bit? I have some business to take care of."
"Of course!" Vino eagerly moved to the chair Erika had just vacated.
"Oh! Erika, can I buy some flowers from your field?"
"Haha, no need to buy. I'll give them to you for free later," Erika said as she walked off.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Erika stepped out of the room. As she walked down the hallway toward the exit, she passed Vernus and John deep in conversation. They greeted each other briefly, but upon hearing the topic they were discussing, Erika quickly picked up her pace, hurrying off to tend to her business.
The two men continued talking seriously, even as they entered the room where Adrien was resting. The conversation didn't stop.
"Vino, when is your husband going to wake up?" asked Vernus.
"Be patient a little, he just taking a nap." Vino replied.
"Hmmmph… what are you two talking about?"
Adrien, as it turned out, had been awake for a while.
Vernus stepped closer to Adrien's bedside.
"I bring troubling news, my prince. The royal envoy, Geertruide Hermann, returned carrying a declaration of war from Zelestria…"
"WHAT?!!! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!"
Adrien immediately shot up from his bed.
"It seems Zelestria took the evidence she presented as slander and insult. Most likely, the users of S.O.U.L.S on Earth are involved in the werewolf incident," Vernus explained.
"Yes, which is why you, Adrien, must track them down and probe their minds so Zero can trace the users of S.O.U.L.S on Earth and stop whatever mad conspiracy is being set in motion," John added.
"You don't have to remind me every single time, John. I'm not senile," Adrien snapped, standing up from the bed.
But something struck him.
"Wait a minute… If Zelestria plans to invade Arestiana, wouldn't they have to pass through the mountain wall belonging to the Republic of Roum? Are we going to assist the Republic?" Adrien asked Vernus.
"Yes, we'll help the Republic defend the mountain wall. But, Your Highness, I advise you not to carry that burden. Leave it to me."
"Wait, are you rejoining the military?" Adrien looked at him, surprised.
"Haha, no, I'm merely leading the Knights of St. Ares. General Phobos still commands the land forces. I was hoping to meet my junior again… but alas, it seems it'll be during wartime."
"So what am I supposed to do now? John, do you have any leads on them?" Adrien asked as he stepped away, gathering his equipment and getting ready to depart.
"Some of the werewolves have reintegrated into civil society by disguising themselves once again as humans. Luckily, a few have already been eliminated by assassins hired by Vernus…"
"Spectre?" Adrien interrupted.
"Yes, that's right. However, Spectre wasn't able to extract a single piece of information from them—they were too savage. But now that you're here, I can give you a tool that lets you read their minds like an open book."
"Oohhh, a new tool? What is it this time?" Adrien was now fully equipped.
"This is a mind-hacking device, shaped like the laptops you saw in the library. You remember those, right? Connect these wires—one to the forehead, one to the back of the head, and one to the crown. Though they look like tiny needles, don't push them in too deep. Then just wait a moment and—voilà! Their thoughts will be displayed like pages in a book on the laptop. More details are in this manual."
John took the device out and demonstrated it while explaining to Adrien.
"Oh, excellent. Anything else?"
"Oh, one more thing. This is a long-range communication device commonly used by our agents. Make sure no one sees you using it," John said as he pulled a thin glass-like slab from his pocket.
"Ooohhhh, new tech! Ummm… how do I use this thing? Press this button? Auuuvhh! It's glowing!" Adrien, curious as always, immediately started pressing it.
"That's called a handphone. I'll give you the manual. Oh, and Erika knows how to use it—you might want to ask her. Sorry I can't explain more, we need to move quickly."
"You're right. Vino, let's go hunt down those werewolves… wait—where should I even start looking for them?" Adrien turned back toward John as he neared the exit.
"For now, Your Highness should head to the palace. King Arthur is awaiting your arrival. Spectre will meet you there after his audience with the king," Vernus replied while opening the door for him.
"Wait a moment, Prince!" John called out to stop him.
"What is it now?"
"Have you tried communicating with Zero again? You might be able to call out to him—either by speaking aloud or just within your thoughts."
"Huh? That actually works? …Zero? Can you hear me?" Adrien called out into the air as though speaking to the wind, but nothing happened.
Still, he didn't give up. He tried again, this time both thinking and speaking at once.
"ZERO! ZERO!"
"Hmmmphhh! QUIET! I was trying to sleep!"
Zero's annoyed voice responded with a sigh, clearly bothered by the shouting.
"WHOA! It worked, Vino! John!" Adrien shouted with joy.
"Congrats! I hope you two can… get along. Right?" Vino added uncertainly.
"Well then, that's good news. You both will eventually learn to wield the powers of S.O.U.L.S, sooner or later. But for now, focus on the mission I gave you earlier. I hope you two can synchronize well," John advised.
"Alright then, that should be easy enough. Let's go, Vino!"
Vino, excited and touched by Adrien's concern, grabbed his husband's hand happily. The two of them left the headquarters of The Order together. However, Vernus was left behind with an uneasy feeling about the war and everything to come.
"Are you sure the prince will get along with that psychopathic serial killer? I'm not convinced at all. In fact, I'm afraid he might end up manipulated by him."
"We'll have to rely on the Ancestor Order operating on Earth to deal with that risk. Right now, we must focus on minimizing the impact of Zelestria's assault on Arestiana," John replied, striding toward the control room for the briefing.
But then...….
Vernus suddenly realized something. His expression turned to one of disbelief at John's words.
"What? What do you mean minimize?????"
......…..To Be Continued..........