An Extra’s POV

"Ciela… is alive?"

As Rey uttered those words, looking at Kara's slightly stunned face, he realized he never actually thought about the fate that befell Esme's mother.

He never considered the implication of her being alive either—until now.

"Tell me more about this." His exhaustion instantly vanished, and the pale expression on his face brightened up instantly.

He led Kara into his abode, closing the door behind them as he listened to her explaining how she was able to piece it all together.

Talking to the Elders, narrowing it down by speaking to the Esteemed Ones, her investigation was very thorough. Still, even though Rey was very impressed that she could get such cooperation out of the Elves and pry into so much information, he wasn't really interested in her methodology

All that was relevant was the actual information on Ciela.

"You said they have her captive, right? Tell me more about that." Rey sat on his chair, opposite his bed where he told her to sit.

"W-well… yeah. In a secret chamber where only the Esteemed Elders have access to."

"And she's alive."

"Well… yeah. But it's not that simple." As soon as Rey heard this, he raised his brow and made a complicated face.

Kara took this as her queue to explain further.

"The Elves placed her in a state of Eternal Sleep. That is the highest punishment they can give to one of their own—forcing them to sleep until their life runs out and they die."

Since Elves had a no-kill Rule, they couldn't eliminate even their most severe offenders. However, by placing the perpetrators in a state akin to death, allowing nature to run its course over them, they had their own form of execution.

alive either…" Rey mumbled to himself, his fingers stroking his chin as

kind of Curse, or is it just

Closing his eyes and controlling his breath, Rey spread his senses beyond

to speak to the Esteemed Elders

************

[Moments Later]

Lord Rey… do

become tainted—corrupt and unholy. Do reconsider your

"We beg of you…"

bowed as

tree stood at the center of a large room—at the basement of the Esteemed Council Hall. It had fireflies dancing around

the worried faces of the Elves that were still pleading with

was plain, and

was nighttime. However, if one

essence, a

as well…" Rey muttered under his

to see for

he did not feel any hard bark or rough resistance. Rather, he felt a rather slimy membrane that seemed to pull him in

he pushed even

resistance at all, it only took him a few seconds to be completely

Rey was

nothing in sight but one entity. She seemed glued to the wall, completely naked, with parts of her body buried

stuck in, up to her elbow, and her legs suffered the same

hair was also sucked in,

see all of it—from her bare chest, to her slender, malnutritioned body, to the