Chapter 111: I Only See the Darker Side of the Future
Chaz realised that the key to this entire mystery was no longer in his daughter’s hands. Whatever Silas had risked everything for lay at the bottom of the mine, waiting to be uncovered.
And he intended to discover what could possibly be worth such a gamble.
"Listen up."
As soon as the pieces came together, he turned toward his men.
"Stop searching around the mine. Descend into the abyss, reach the bottom, and report anything unusual you find."
The order unsettled many of them, but none dared question it. The path he had pointed them toward led directly to where the dragon had fallen, and where it most likely still was waiting.
Even so, Chaz did not send them unprepared. Five B-Enhancers were assigned to lead the expedition, while a small force remained on the surface, ready to intercept the Dark Hunters should they attempt anything.
"Now let’s see what scheme you invested so much effort into, Silas Ashborne."
As thousands of soldiers and Enhancers began descending the spiralling paths carved into the walls of the mine, anticipation gradually replaced part of his anger.
He still burned with fury over everything that had happened, but even more than revenge, he wanted to uncover the truth hidden beneath the abyss.
***
Close to the mine, Darius sprinted over the top of a small hill and looked at the distant mine. From there, he watched the gathered forces begin their descent from the mine top, exactly as expected.
The moment he confirmed it, he raised his wristwatch and sent two messages.
"They are coming down."
"It’s almost your time to make your move."
Far behind him, Alfred limped forward until he finally reached his side. Although the treatment at the garrison post had eased the pain, his injured leg still limited his movements.
He glanced at the distant shadows descending from the mine before turning toward Darius. Even after everything they had survived together, the unease lingering in his heart refused to disappear.
Noticing the stare, Darius rolled his eyes.
"If you’re about to ask what happened with the red-haired guy, don’t," he said before pausing. "Give it a few more days. Everything will become clear, and you’ll all understand why I did what I did... especially you."
Alfred knew that wasn’t an answer, and he had never expected one. Even so, the doubt gnawing at him refused to fade.
He had heard Cher’s stories about how weird Darius acted in a couple of situations. She told him that when she came to the swamp, while waiting for Lara to finish her task.
After comparing everything she described with what he had personally witnessed, one question continued to haunt him.
"Are you... a prophet?" Alfred asked hesitantly, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Can you see the future?"
Darius stared at him, genuinely caught off guard. It was the first time someone had confronted him with that question so directly.
He knew he had revealed far more than he ever intended during this mission. He simply hadn’t been given another choice. The consequences of hiding his power would have been far worse.
What surprised him even more was that the question came from Alfred.
Alfred hadn’t even been present for most of the moments when Darius had relied on his hidden ability, yet he spoke as though he had pieced everything together.
That alone told Darius his ability had already become a topic of discussion among his friends.
He had no intention of hiding it forever, especially after everything they had endured together. But this was neither the right time nor the right place.
"You could say..." he replied after a brief silence. "I only see the darker side of the future, never the pleasant one."
For now, that answer would have to suffice.
As for the truth behind it, he intended to tell Silas first and let him decide whether the others should learn about it as well.
After all, Silas had witnessed most of the occasions when Darius used that ability. More importantly, he had been the first person to experience it firsthand, long before either of them had joined the academy. Even if Silas himself had never realised what truly happened back then, Darius still felt he owed him that much.
Alfred fell silent, carefully contemplating those cryptic words.
Although Darius hadn’t answered his question directly, he had answered it nonetheless, and Alfred could tell he wasn’t lying.
Darius looked back toward the mine before letting out a long sigh.
"I’ve got to admit... This mission was one hell of a ride. But it’s time to finish it and finally put an end to everything."
Perhaps he alone had known, even before setting foot here, what horrors awaited them. Yet standing here now, having survived all of it and come this close to completing their impossible quest, filled him with quiet satisfaction.
His gaze drifted toward Alfred’s heavily bandaged leg.
"Come on. We’ve got a long run ahead of us before we regroup with the others and leave this hellish place behind."
***
Inside the mine, Cher waited within one of the countless tunnels Lara’s monsters had carved beneath the mountain.
She had done exactly what her father expected.
She hadn’t fled, nor had she tried to escape. The moment she left Silas’ side, she followed the childish map Lara had sent her, reached the marked location, and disappeared into the tunnel.
There, she handed the flower to one of Lara’s Mana Squirrel Eaters, which looked as though it was barely restraining itself from devouring both the flower and the entire backpack in a single bite.
Then she waited.
Nearly half an hour later, the message she had been anticipating finally appeared.
[They are coming down.]
[It’s almost your time to make your move.]
The two messages came from Darius, notifying her that the mine forces were moving down the mine, heading towards the abyss.
"This quickly?"
Cher frowned. She had expected the deception to buy Silas and Lara far more time to finish their part of the plan. Then again, once she remembered who was leading those forces, she could only let out a quiet sigh.
She knew how capable her father was.