Intertwined fate

Chapter 49

To the clouds above soon dyed in a grayish tone, rang their bell in alarm of the incoming rain, a drenching one indeed. In no time, the only sound that exists on the land now is none other than the falling drops embracing the ground, the roof, the leaves, and the dazzling flowers, all putting on a downcast look. Yet, an enormous contrast to the calm rain is the image of the girl, as stunning as ever, racing against time in the library. She indulged in the sea of books and documents, days and nights, searching for a needle in a haystack - the clue. Yes, clues. Enough to turn the table. Enough to end the chaos. Enough to change everything, all at once. That was her goal, Evelyn, who is now yearning to make an impact in this grand scheme, giving another meaning to her life. Pages to pages, one after another, Evelyn was harnessing the power of knowledge to make the first move - releasing the invisible chains of Alderic Livius Sylvester, her brother.

After spending a whole morning searching, nothing served her purpose, nothing but useless information. Resting her head on the wooden table with piles of documents and letters surrounding it, she sighs. No matter how hard she tried, a mist seemed to block away the answer she sought. As if it had been purposely hidden away. How childish she is, wanting to help but not being able to figure out a way. She laughs to herself. The golden eyes quickly draw attention to the window. Could it be that the sky shared the same melancholy in her heart as the soothing yet gloomy sight of raindrops rolling down the glass window. Her vision became more and more blurry. Soon, she lost herself in a sound sleep.

Traversing through the realm of dreams, the image of a man resides at the end of the tunnel, drawing her attention. A few blinks from the golden eyes, she realized it was her beloved brother, Alderic. Turning his back, the black raven flipped its night-like wings onto his arms. Slowly, he steps into the darkness, ignoring the voice screaming for his name. The moment darkness captures him, the black raven flies upward, avoiding the reaches of the void. Its sharp wings cut through the darkness as a blade flew into her sight. Spreading her hands, she protects the raven in her embrace. In her hands, it exclaimed the tapping sound. A strange sound... Almost like something is tapping on the window loudly. Awoke, the sight of a large bird startled Evelyn. She approached with caution, realizing... "Orville? Why do you look so bald?" Orville, the raven, was too stunned to even continue. Its wings furiously attacked the window. Whose fault is to blame for his stress other than her brother's? How rude that comment to make to this noble raven. "My apologies," she laughs while letting the raven in, "I'm just teasing you. You are the bravest raven I have ever seen." Orville, though still angry, rubbed his head on her hand. "It's great to see you safe and sound again, Orville." She smiles softly.

Then a sudden thought came to her mind. How could she not realize? Orville was the messenger for Father and Alderic. An excuse to ease the father's fury and save the man in prison. All answers should be in the father's study room. No wonder she couldn't find anything. What was discussed between them has always been classified. "Go and find him. Be careful on your way, Orville." She says, caressing its fur for the last time. The raven hesitates for a second, then flies to the hallway, hiding in the dark corners.

Cutting through lines of rooms, she stops at the golden door. Fortunately, an important matter has required Demian's attention, forcing him to go to the castle immediately. Though, oddly, no one was guarding this place, the urge burning inside blinded her from noticing this. Behind the door, the sight of an exquisite study welcomes her. Carefully, she searches through the shelves to the desk, hoping something could help them. Then, something catches her attention. A button is hidden under the desk. With a simple touch, the dusty drawer cracks open. Resting quietly under the layer of time lies a ring. An Imperial Topaz shines brightly, its golden rays sparkling sophisticatedly. Evelyn can't help but feel something odd about this mysterious ring. Caressing its cold surface, a line filled her sight.