Chapter 49: Signs of Hostility
How they were going to torture such a creature for answers remained a mystery—but that wasn’t something they wanted to dwell on while fleeing. As long as the creature was in the orb and the ink was still intact, there was still hope of finding a way.
Before long, they reached their hideout, breathless and laughing from exhaustion.
Things had been far easier than they’d expected—fleeing early had been the last thing on their list. At the very least, they should have encountered a few phantoms on their way back. But no—it had been like a walk in the park.
Their rest didn’t last long. They needed to figure out how to extract answers from the creature they’d captured. Before bringing it out, they sat down to discuss their approach—how to make it speak the truth without killing it... or getting themselves killed.
They held their stances with weapons drawn, masks on, each taking up a position around the living room—Astara securing the entrance.
They exchanged tense glances and braced themselves. The moment Daylan summoned the creature back, they were on high alert, ready to react to even the slightest movement.
But the creature remained still, indifferent—just as it had been earlier. It showed no signs of hostility, as if it had no intention of fighting.
Still, they refused to lower their guard. There was always the chance it was simply too powerful to consider them a threat.
The creature turned to Daylan, its expression calm and unreadable. ’’Where are we, Master Daylan?’’
Confusion filled the room as they exchanged glances. Daylan, however, stood stunned—though he said nothing. It could have been a trap, a way to test if he truly was who it claimed.
Still, questions raced through his mind. Had he unintentionally revealed a trace of his identity earlier? Or could it read minds, just like Ael had warned him?