Chapter 15: A Survivor, A Sudden Change
As he stepped fully into view, Elias made sure to keep his hands visible and his posture non-threatening. He had witnessed the full extent of her power during the battle, and he harbored no illusions about his chances should she decide he was an enemy. He was currently incapable of taking her on.
Regardless of his previous status as a supreme Quantum Seeker, he was now a vulnerable mortal who could barely keep his footing. The key now was to present himself as a victim rather than a threat, to redirect her suspicions away from him.
The destroyed landscape around them betrayed the fierce battle that had just concluded. Smoke still rose from scorched earth, and the acrid smell of burnt dark energy lingered in the air.
General Genevieve studied Elias in silence, her instincts on high alert. She could sense no power from him. He had no aura, no trace of thaumaturgy. He was just an ordinary human. Despite this assessment, she had seen the way Drakas had reacted to his presence, the terror in his eyes. No matter how much she thought about it, the young man before her was anything but simple.
Was he an assassin sent by the kingdom, like she thought before? An agent of some hidden force? Or something else entirely?
General Genevieve’s cold gaze fixed upon him, suspicion evident in her eyes. Her grip on her flame sword tightened imperceptibly.
"You’re the one who disrupted Drakas’s ritual."
She stated this, her tone making it clear that this wasn’t a question.
Sensing her hostile tone, Elias bowed his head slightly, adopting a posture of humility.
"General Genevieve, I mean you no harm. I was only trying to survive. I’m just a captive of Drakas... he kept me as a slave, forced me to work in his mines. Just now, I was attracted by the chaos and ended up here."
General Genevieve’s eyes narrowed.