Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 827: Bring Him Back ()

The silence that followed was almost devastating. But Neveah did not interrupt it. This was not something she could shield them from no matter how much she wished she could.

It was a reality they had not faced in centuries but they would have to face it now, and perhaps, find a way to move past the mistakes of the past.

Xenon finally cleared his throat lightly. "We should take a look around. See what we can find."

Neveah nodded slowly. She glanced over at Jian who still stood rooted to his spot and she exhaled heavily before she carefully moved around the first remains.

She let her senses guide her through the hall. Lingering on the runes etched into the walls, she studied them one after the other.

Some, she found familiar. Perhaps she had seen something similar used by the mages or in an ancient volume. But most of the runes were new and strange to her.

There were already over a thousand runes engraved on the wall. She couldn’t tell how they were supposed to find the origin rune.

The runes were known to have a physical form. Though they didn’t know what form exactly, Garron had said they would recognize it when they saw it.

She wasn’t so certain about recognizing it, but she knew she would know it. If it was even here at all.

The runes etched on the wall still exuded the faintest traces of magical energy. Even centuries after.

That was probably the reason for the strange temperature of the underground hall. It was some kind of secret temple chamber within a temple.

There were small wooden stools upturned and some broken. They must have been set up around the circular table in the centre of the hall.

Neveah could practically picture it. The High order of Witches would gather here at dawn, even before Ebonhollow awakened. Like the rider council did. There, they would practice their magic and deliberate the future of their clans.

They would discuss affairs of such great importance, it affected the entire city and the stronghold. What tributes would please the Dragon King? How do we punish the Mer tribes from pushing their banks too close to the city during their annual wave festival?

The Fae trespassed too close to their forests. What punishment was befitting? Was it better entrusted to the Dragon court or taken into their own hands?

And then, they would discuss the most common affairs. Like who had recently welcomed a new grandchild, and what spices would be used for their upcoming festivals

Perhaps they would even envision the day they would gain independence from Dragon supremacy.

The split would be clean. They had ensured to keep their women away from Dragon Lords, betrothing them to worthy warlocks at young ages. With most being sterile as a consequence of their magic, procreation was rare enough amongst witches.

Mate bond or not, they couldn’t afford to lose females to become riders.

Neveah shook her head slightly. The images and voices faded away. The carefree laughter and the scent of spice. The brooding head of the council as most leaders were, secretly giddy watching the happiness all around him but too proud to show it.

All these thoughts...these conjured scenes, they weren’t hers. Her eyes shifted between Xenon and Jian, wondering which of their thoughts had grown so overwhelming, it slipped through the bond to her in such abundance that she could envision it herself.

They both looked perfectly fine and wandered around the hall. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Maybe it was neither, and instead the fragments of memory carried with the traces of magic in the hall.

She returned her attention to the search. Her wolf was on the surface and so was Demevirld. It wasn’t long till she found herself drawn to a strange looking rune at the far end of the hall.

The rune stood out to her because it seemed to be shaped like a crown of some sorts. She crouched down close to it, tracing the edges of the rune. Her brows were furrowed curiously and she raised a brow when the brick popped out.

"It’s a loose brick." She said aloud, drawing Xenon and Jian’s attention.

They both came over and Neveah stepped aside to allow them a closer look.

"It should open something, shouldn’t it? But nothing happened."

"Not yet." Jian replied.

He stepped back and moved along the length of the wall, as though tracing a pattern. When he got to a certain rune, he tapped on it and the brick came loose just like the other had.

He went around the hall and loosened four more bricks. As the last came loose, the runes etched on them glowed a strange sheen.

A groaning sound drew their attention to the altar at the front of the room just as a compartment became visible in the base.

Neveah exchanged a look with Xenon and Jian. Xenon stepped forward, crouching down, he pulled the compartment open and reached into it, pulling out a box, so small it fit right into the palm of his hand.

Xenon turned it over, frowning slightly. "It doesn’t open."

"Of course. It couldn’t have been that easy." Neveah murmured.

"What now? How do we even know the rune is inside?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.

"We don’t." Jian said. "We’ll get some rest and head back home. Garron will take it from here."

_______

"Xenon!"

"Xenon! Wake up!"

Neveah stirred awake to Jian’s worried calls. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, glancing over to her side to find him shaking Xenon awake.

His eyes found hers, they were wide with terror unlike anything she had ever believed possible for Jian. A cold chill ran down her spine and her insides twisted into a knot even before he said the words. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"I can’t sense him..."

He couldn’t sense him...he couldn’t...

Her blood ran cold within her veins. The icy feeling of terror that sunk deep into her had her frozen for a moment too long.

Neveah shook her head slowly. She reached for Xenon, feeling his pulse. A flicker of relief eased into her when she felt the faintest traces of it.

He was alive. But it was too faint.

"His consciousness... vanished from my mind." Jian explained better. "It has never happened before. Not since I merged his scale..."

She exhaled a shaky breath, laying a palm over Xenon’s forehead. His skin was cold to touch and the chill shocked her so much, she retracted her hand with a gasp.

"Xenon..." She whispered in quiet disbelief.

He had been trapped in his nightmares on many occasions since they left for Ebon Hollow, but it had never affected him like this. He was more often restless than still and deathly cold.

This time, it wasn’t like the other times. It was worse.

"This has happened before." She recalled quickly, glancing over at Jian. "When he went to you in his dreams and not me."

"You think..." Jian trailed off.

Neveah nodded. "It’s the only reasonable explanation."

Jian didn’t hesitate, he reached around his neck and pulled off the pendant Kaideon had given him. He put it around Xenon’s neck, securing the clasp.

His eyes met Neveah’s again, an unspoken yet unneeded plea in them.

"Go bring him back... wherever he is."