The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 205: The Hidden Truth

And taking into account Drow’s series of abnormal behaviors after arriving in the demon realm, Illiya was certain that in some timeline, the prophecy had been fulfilled.

His own fate might very well have ended in death, for some unknown reason.

As Drow, his soul-bonded partner, would never be able to accept that reality, it would naturally leave him alone and grieving.

But right now, the prophecy had not yet come true.

That meant fate had been altered without anyone even realizing it and the factor that contributed to the birth of this "Outcome Two"...

Illiya silently turned his head and glanced at the tense dark elf sitting beside him.

His lips involuntarily curled upward.

It could only be him.

"Since fate has already been changed, Drow, can you now tell me what you’ve been hiding from me?" Illiya’s tone was light as though he had not just said something so significant.

"..."

Illiya had confidently asked a question that he believed would not be refused, but to his surprise, he was met with silence.

He had never considered that his question might be ignored or rejected.

This was outside of his expectations and did not align with the script he had in mind.

He felt a bit awkward, but thankfully there was no one else present except the two of them.

Acting as if nothing had happened, he asked the dark elf the same question again.

"Since fate has already been changed, Drow, can you now tell me what you’ve been hiding from me?"

Fortunately, this time the dark elf finally responded, though not with words, but through his actions.

Illiya quietly watched as the startled dark elf slipped from a tree branch and fell to the ground.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Drow, your agility is pretty decent," Illiya said dryly, then promptly shut his mouth.

He truly did not know how to deal with the awkwardness of the moment.

Drow had just snapped out of his own memories when he was suddenly hit with a soul-piercing question from his soul-bonded partner that practically stripped him bare.

Startled, he instinctively tried to hide himself and completely forgetting that he was sitting on a tree branch.

One wrong move and he fell.

Luckily, his muscle memory kicked in, and he managed to land steadily on the ground instead of crashing down.

Only after landing did Drow realize just how embarrassing his behavior had been.

It reeked of guilt, like he was clearly trying to cover something up.

As if he had just shouted at Illiya, "Yes, look, I am hiding something. I have lots of little secrets I’m not telling you."

Damn it, so embarrassing.

For a moment, Drow stopped breathing.

The pink color spread from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears.

He shifted his feet slightly, wanting to disappear, but luckily his remaining rationality stopped his instincts from making things even more awkward.

"So, Drow, what do you say?" Illiya asked again. "There’s no need to be so shy. It’s not like I’m laughing at... I mean, it’s not like I saw you slip and fall off that tree branch."

This time, Illiya’s tone was much calmer, though if one ignored the faint smile at the corners of his lips and the content of his words, it would have seemed far more convincing.

But Drow knew that there was no escaping now. He was going to be exposed no matter what.

He also knew that Illiya had long been suspicious of his odd behavior. And now, with the prophecy from Nueronist revealed... with Illiya’s level of intelligence, it would be impossible for him not to put the pieces together.

"I..." Drow said just one word before clamping his lips shut.

His expression grew more serious, and the air around him turned cold.

If not for the nervous way his hands were clutching at the hem of his clothes, he might have completely fooled someone into thinking he was perfectly calm.

That was exactly what Illiya was thinking.

When he saw the dark elf struggling internally, he still could not help but soften.

Just like how he had doubted him countless times before, yet subconsciously chose to ignore all those strange behaviors, and time after time tolerated the dark elf approaching him.

It was the same this time.

He did not want to force his bonded companion to reveal what he had worked so hard to hide.

He could force him, but there was no need to.

"You don’t have to force yourself. If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. Wait until the moment when you truly feel like telling me, then," Illiya’s words had not even finished when he was interrupted.

"No!" Drow had at some point closed his eyes while lowering his head and not daring to look at him. His voice was hoarse, and every word that came from his mouth was filled with sincerity. "It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I’ve just been trying to figure out how to explain everything completely to you, Illiya. I don’t want to lie to you. I don’t want to let you down."

Illiya was taken aback. He had not expected to hear such a "grievance-laden" statement.

Although Drow’s expression was serious and his words were genuine, Illiya still felt that this dark elf speaking to him right now was extremely aggrieved.

Illiya almost wanted to laugh at his own thoughts.

Drow who was now fully focused on revealing what he had hidden from his bonded companion was paying no attention to his surroundings.

He failed to notice the light elf sitting above on the tree branch wearing a wide smile like a cat who had just stolen a fish.

"I’ve never wanted to hide anything from you, Illiya. I will never hide anything from you. I came from the ’future.’ I am Drow, but I’m also not Drow. I’m the future Drow, and at the same time, I’m also the present Drow."

After saying this, Drow realized it sounded wrong.