Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 697

Just as Miss Bevanna had anticipated, a rescue team reached the avalanche site early the next morning, having taken a long, circuitous route around the mountain. They hadn't been alerted by the servants sent for help; rather, people back in town grew worried when the tour group failed to return on schedule and sent for aid.

On their way into the mountains, the team discovered the bodies of the two servants, frozen solid. The cause of death was listed as heart failure, but Jenkins suspected something far more sinister. It was too much of a coincidence for both men to die from heart conditions simultaneously. He figured it was more likely that Quake, using some spell like "Heart Rupture," had eliminated them to ensure no one from the outside world could interfere with his plans.

With the head-sized sapphire, the heartwood of a millennium-old tree, the puppet's one remaining leg, and the Remains of Sentience soaking in a spiritual solution, Jenkins and his surviving friends began their journey home.

Although only one of the seven in their tour group had perished, the staff at the mountain villa had been nearly wiped out. The six survivors agreed that upon returning to Nolan, they would send a substantial sum of money to the families of the deceased—the only gesture of compassion they could offer.

The journey took another two days, and by the time the steam train neared Nolan City, it was late on Friday night.

The weather was clear, and through the carriage window, Jenkins could see the two otherworldly moons hanging in the sky. He was suddenly struck by a wave of longing for Nolan City, for the peaceful life he'd left behind.

For the return journey, the six of them were given a top-of-the-line VIP carriage, a form of compensation from the Mandela family, the owners of the villa. After all, they had survived a horrifying ordeal on the property, and the revelation that one of the staff members was a murderer from fifty years ago was an absolute scandal.

Each of them had a private compartment, but Jenkins, finding himself unable to sleep, had wandered into the corridor to gaze at the passing landscape.

Returning to Nolan wouldn't mean a return to relaxation; he had a mountain of tasks waiting for him. The gathering with Mr. Hood and the Corpse Gentleman was approaching. He'd also promised Miss Stuart he would attend the royal hunt in Ruen. On top of that, Papa Oliver planned to add more lessons to his studies at the start of the new year, and Jenkins himself was troubled by the fact that he could no longer use the tadpole-like script.

"Wouldn't that be a little too fast..."

He murmured to himself.

Miss Mikhail's voice came from behind. She was leaning against the doorway of her compartment, dressed only in a thin nightgown, watching him. The carriage was well-sealed and heated, so she likely wasn't cold.

"I meant that we're getting back to Nolan so soon," Jenkins said. "Can't you sleep either?"

"Yes, I'm a bit restless," she admitted. "Oh, and I wanted to apologize, Jenkins. I'm truly sorry. I'm the one who invited you on this trip, and I never imagined it would turn into... all this. But at the same time, I can't imagine how much more terrifying it would have been if you weren't here."

"There's no need for thanks or apologies, Miss Mikhail. Fate had already arranged everything."

As he spoke, the moonlight bathed his face, lending him an almost sacred aura in that moment.

"In that case," she said, "you should just call me Briny from now on. And when you see Hathaway, you should call her by her name, too. I believe we're good friends now. There's no need to be so formal."

The blonde young woman leaned casually against the doorframe, one hand toying with the ends of her hair. The sight was undeniably alluring, but Jenkins was well aware of the relationship between her and Hathaway.

One of the great annoyances of steam travel was the unsteady ride, especially over the seams in the tracks. The rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels, while initially charming, eventually grated on the nerves.

The two of them stood in silence for a while, listening to the sound of the rails. Then, Briny suddenly broke the silence.

"You like Hathaway, don't you?"

The words had barely left her lips when the train's steam whistle shrieked from the engine up ahead. Its blast was so loud it would have drowned out any reply, giving Jenkins a legitimate reason to remain silent.

He had no idea what Briny hoped to accomplish by asking such a question now. A moment ago, they had been discussing completely different matters.

Besides, for any number of reasons, this was not a question the young woman before him should be asking. She had to know he had no desire to interfere in her relationship with Hathaway. So why was she forcing the issue now?

But time doesn't stand still, and the whistle eventually faded. When the sound died away, an intense quiet descended, broken only by the sight of their two shadows swaying in the moonlit corridor. The sudden silence was almost as deafening as the noise that had preceded it.

Jenkins asked himself.

Whether he told the truth or not, he possessed powers that could make Briny believe whatever he said. But he despised the thought of using them like that. One lie would only lead to another, a web of deceit that would require constant maintenance and could poison his entire life.

The three of them would be trapped, tormenting one another in this tangled relationship until it ended in either tragedy or a miracle. Read complete versıon only at NoveI-Fire.ɴet

"Should I tell the truth?"

Whatever the truth was, his answer was bound to break a young woman's heart. He had made countless critical decisions in this world, but this was the one time he had no idea which path to take.

Even his [Unknown Path] ability offered no guidance. This was a matter that even fate itself could not decide.

Jenkins desperately wished the moonlight spilling over him could swallow him whole, hiding him from view. For a fleeting second, the shameful desire to simply escape washed over him.

He opened his mouth, managing only a single word. He watched the blonde girl, still toying with her hair. She was beautiful, stunningly so in her nightgown.

"Then... do you like me, Jenkins?"

Briny Jane Mikhail had already made her decision. That night, the choice involving the cake had shown her what she truly needed to do.

The train entered a tunnel, plunging the carriage into absolute darkness. Jenkins stood frozen in the silent blackness, unable to answer this question either.

When moonlight flooded the corridor once more, the blonde woman had already stepped back into her room. Her nightgown had slipped from one shoulder.

They stared at each other wordlessly. The silence was so heavy that even the cat peeking through a crack in the door let out a yawn.

"I'm sorry," Jenkins finally said, "I don't understand what you mean."

Perhaps he should have been more decisive, more of a man, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing their precious friendship—though he feared it might have already shattered moments ago.

"I like you, Jenkins Williams," she stated plainly. "Now, please come inside. Do you understand now?"