Chapter 336
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Alec's lips twitched as he found Elysia crouched over the unconscious body of Diane Ross.
In the darkness, no less.
He wondered if this was some new game that he was playing.
Still, he wasn't too surprised to find her here, considering that he'd filled in both of his subordinates on the way to Rosier City.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" he asked dryly.
Elysia grinned brightly at him under the cover of darkness, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Well, I didn't know she'd pass out like that without any warning. I hardly did anything at all. I just killed the lights."
"Right," Alec said, disbelieving.
As much as he hated to admit it, he did know Elysia better than that.
She had a mischievous streak, and it was hidden by how innocent and cheerful she came across with her sweet smile.
If they didn't know about this side of her, they'd take her as the most innocent person on the scene.
It wouldn't be the first time someone was tricked by her.
And it wouldn't be the last.
Well, it wasn't like he had any qualms about it happening to Diane Ross of all people.
Not when he was here for information anyway.
After a brief moment of thought after dropping off Travis, he'd went out to borrow the information that the clan had gathered from the management office before coming here.
And it paid off.
He had a feeling that something was going to happen before he came here. He just hadn't known what at the time.
"Hm," Elysia said cheerfully, "well, Dominique's waiting for us in the nearby forest with One."
Alec was surprised. "I see." Elysia must have predicted that he would come here after hearing what Travis had to say.
He had to say… she sure did manage to obtain information without any sources in the Ross Clan. He was impressed.
He could've just left it to Elysia to handle Diane Ross while he went off to find the information they'd managed to extract from her mouth.
Things to think about in the future.
Elysia casually grabbed Diane by the hand, then frowned. "She's a bit heavy," she frowned cutel- she frowned.
Alec raised a brow.
He'd seen her carry things heavier than this woman all the time. But he still casually grabbed Diane from her, heading out of the 'cell'.
"Thank you!" Elysia beamed.
Alec turned his head away.
-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-
Diane awoke in a start, her body jolting off the ground. She was sweating, and the cool wind that blew across her chilled skin made her aware that something was very wrong.
Her nails dug into the hard dirt on the ground, but she disregarded the pain that came along with it.
Her breaths came out in pants, and it came out white. Evidence of how cold it was.
It was a wonder that she wasn't shivering – no. There it was.
Diane shivered, bringing up her arms to wrap around herself. She left behind streaks of dirt on her clean clothing, but she didn't care.
Her eyes darted about the place, but the only thing she could see was the darkness and the moon and stars that hung high above in the sky.
It was night-time.
Inwardly, Diane was alarmed.
She knew that it was barely after lunch when she fainted, but now it was already at night.
Not to mention, she was outside of the clan compound dungeons, and she was no longer in Rosier City.
Had the clan decided that she was too much trouble for what it was worth? Did they suddenly change their policies?
She looked around for a landmark, but to no avail.
The only thing she could see were trees, and the woman stumbled to her numb feet, shivering.
Her hand landed on one of the trees nearby to steady herself, and she snatched her hand back when she felt the bark move under her skin.
Her face paled.
She was not afraid of death, but no one ever said that it would happen like this.
Why were they playing with her like this?
Were these people even human?
Diane swallowed, her mind muddled and blank in the face of a crisis like this.
Still, she stumblingly moved forward, no idea where she was at all.
She didn't stop moving though, for there was a deep, instinctual fear the crept up her bones.
She could have fooled herself, telling herself that she had nothing more to live for, that she didn't care if she died achieving her goals, but now, in the midst of terror that ate her from inside out, the most instinctual fear surged back to life.
The cool night air continued to chill her to the bones, and Diane felt like she was made from ice and frost. Like there was nothing in the world that could possibly warm her up.
But then… but then, was this not how she felt every time she looked at her *darling* nephew?
Was this not how she felt when she looked at the children that wandered down the streets hand in hand with their loving parents?
A single laugh spilled out of her mouth, then like a dam unleashed, the laughter continued to gush out from her, unhindered. A little broken, a little hoarse, but the woman didn't notice the faint tear marks that cascaded down her cheeks.
She laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, her maniacal cries dying down. It left her hollow and broken, as she was frequently nowadays. As she always had been ever since that fateful day.
By now, she had noticed that something was very, very wrong.
The trees that seemed so far away previously loomed over her closely, and she wondered if she was losing her mind.
Their branches swayed threateningly in the still night air, the rustling from the leaves not from the wind as she previously thought, but instead moving on their own.
The instinctual fear that Diane managed to forget for the briefest moments made a resurgence as her blood pounded in her ears.
"Who's there?" Diane shouted, all false bravado.
"What do you want?" she continued to shout into the stillness of the night.
But there was no answer.
It was unnatural.
A forest should not be this quiet, never mind the time of the night. There was always something going on.
But the quietness did its job, and Diane was growing ever unsettled.
Her mind played tricks on her, giving life to the trees and plants that surrounded her.
Every few trees, one would lurch towards her, its branches brushing against her cheek, and Diane ran.
She ran and stumbled, uncaring of where she was heading.
All she knew was that she needed to get away. To get to somewhere that wasn't here.
Fear was an all-encompassing thing, and it snuck up on you when you least expected it.
Diane could have sworn that she saw glowing golden eyes watching her from afar, as well as the colours of purple and blue, but her mind brushed them off as a trick of her over-active imagination.
But she couldn't stop.
She couldn't stop.
Diane was the loudest thing in the forest, and she was a nervous wreck.
Perhaps it was the pure silence of the night that sounded so much louder than anything else.
Should she have heard footsteps, or shouting at her, she would not have been so afraid.
But now, haunted by her own shadow, Diane's mind took control.
She whirled around; her eyes wild.
"Stop it," she whispered, sinking to her feet. "Stop it!" she shouted louder.
Shaky hands made their way to her face, and her haunted eyes peeked out from below her fingers.
She rocked, and rocked…
She didn't even flinch when a vine curled its way around her leg, nor did she react when more roots curled around her body.
Almost as if they were trying to devour her whole.
Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow as they lengthened and curled in the dim moonlight.
Molten golden eyes appeared in front of Diane again, and she laughed… she laughed, broken.
She laughed and she laughed, and she laughed, the hoarse and hysterical sounds leaving her mouth without any thought.
Up in one of the tree branches, Alec's lips curled into a smile.
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Alec's lips twitched as he found Elysia crouched over the unconscious body of Diane Ross.
In the darkness, no less.
He wondered if this was some new game that he was playing.
Still, he wasn't too surprised to find her here, considering that he'd filled in both of his subordinates on the way to Rosier City.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" he asked dryly.
Elysia grinned brightly at him under the cover of darkness, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Well, I didn't know she'd pass out like that without any warning. I hardly did anything at all. I just killed the lights."
"Right," Alec said, disbelieving.
As much as he hated to admit it, he did know Elysia better than that.
She had a mischievous streak, and it was hidden by how innocent and cheerful she came across with her sweet smile.
If they didn't know about this side of her, they'd take her as the most innocent person on the scene.
It wouldn't be the first time someone was tricked by her.
And it wouldn't be the last.
Well, it wasn't like he had any qualms about it happening to Diane Ross of all people.
Not when he was here for information anyway.
After a brief moment of thought after dropping off Travis, he'd went out to borrow the information that the clan had gathered from the management office before coming here.
And it paid off.
He had a feeling that something was going to happen before he came here. He just hadn't known what at the time.
"Hm," Elysia said cheerfully, "well, Dominique's waiting for us in the nearby forest with One."
Alec was surprised. "I see." Elysia must have predicted that he would come here after hearing what Travis had to say.
He had to say… she sure did manage to obtain information without any sources in the Ross Clan. He was impressed.
He could've just left it to Elysia to handle Diane Ross while he went off to find the information they'd managed to extract from her mouth.
Things to think about in the future.
Elysia casually grabbed Diane by the hand, then frowned. "She's a bit heavy," she frowned cutel- she frowned.
Alec raised a brow.
He'd seen her carry things heavier than this woman all the time. But he still casually grabbed Diane from her, heading out of the 'cell'.
"Thank you!" Elysia beamed.
Alec turned his head away.
-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-
Diane awoke in a start, her body jolting off the ground. She was sweating, and the cool wind that blew across her chilled skin made her aware that something was very wrong.
Her nails dug into the hard dirt on the ground, but she disregarded the pain that came along with it.
Her breaths came out in pants, and it came out white. Evidence of how cold it was.
It was a wonder that she wasn't shivering – no. There it was.
Diane shivered, bringing up her arms to wrap around herself. She left behind streaks of dirt on her clean clothing, but she didn't care.
Her eyes darted about the place, but the only thing she could see was the darkness and the moon and stars that hung high above in the sky.
It was night-time.
Inwardly, Diane was alarmed.
She knew that it was barely after lunch when she fainted, but now it was already at night.
Not to mention, she was outside of the clan compound dungeons, and she was no longer in Rosier City.
Had the clan decided that she was too much trouble for what it was worth? Did they suddenly change their policies?
She looked around for a landmark, but to no avail.
The only thing she could see were trees, and the woman stumbled to her numb feet, shivering.
Her hand landed on one of the trees nearby to steady herself, and she snatched her hand back when she felt the bark move under her skin.
Her face paled.
She was not afraid of death, but no one ever said that it would happen like this.
Why were they playing with her like this?
Were these people even human?
Diane swallowed, her mind muddled and blank in the face of a crisis like this.
Still, she stumblingly moved forward, no idea where she was at all.
She didn't stop moving though, for there was a deep, instinctual fear the crept up her bones.
She could have fooled herself, telling herself that she had nothing more to live for, that she didn't care if she died achieving her goals, but now, in the midst of terror that ate her from inside out, the most instinctual fear surged back to life.
The cool night air continued to chill her to the bones, and Diane felt like she was made from ice and frost. Like there was nothing in the world that could possibly warm her up.
But then… but then, was this not how she felt every time she looked at her *darling* nephew?
Was this not how she felt when she looked at the children that wandered down the streets hand in hand with their loving parents?
A single laugh spilled out of her mouth, then like a dam unleashed, the laughter continued to gush out from her, unhindered. A little broken, a little hoarse, but the woman didn't notice the faint tear marks that cascaded down her cheeks.
She laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, her maniacal cries dying down. It left her hollow and broken, as she was frequently nowadays. As she always had been ever since that fateful day.
By now, she had noticed that something was very, very wrong.
The trees that seemed so far away previously loomed over her closely, and she wondered if she was losing her mind.
Their branches swayed threateningly in the still night air, the rustling from the leaves not from the wind as she previously thought, but instead moving on their own.
The instinctual fear that Diane managed to forget for the briefest moments made a resurgence as her blood pounded in her ears.
"Who's there?" Diane shouted, all false bravado.
"What do you want?" she continued to shout into the stillness of the night.
But there was no answer.
It was unnatural.
A forest should not be this quiet, never mind the time of the night. There was always something going on.
But the quietness did its job, and Diane was growing ever unsettled.
Her mind played tricks on her, giving life to the trees and plants that surrounded her.
Every few trees, one would lurch towards her, its branches brushing against her cheek, and Diane ran.
She ran and stumbled, uncaring of where she was heading.
All she knew was that she needed to get away. To get to somewhere that wasn't here.
Fear was an all-encompassing thing, and it snuck up on you when you least expected it.
Diane could have sworn that she saw glowing golden eyes watching her from afar, as well as the colours of purple and blue, but her mind brushed them off as a trick of her over-active imagination.
But she couldn't stop.
She couldn't stop.
Diane was the loudest thing in the forest, and she was a nervous wreck.
Perhaps it was the pure silence of the night that sounded so much louder than anything else.
Should she have heard footsteps, or shouting at her, she would not have been so afraid.
But now, haunted by her own shadow, Diane's mind took control.
She whirled around; her eyes wild.
"Stop it," she whispered, sinking to her feet. "Stop it!" she shouted louder.
Shaky hands made their way to her face, and her haunted eyes peeked out from below her fingers.
She rocked, and rocked…
She didn't even flinch when a vine curled its way around her leg, nor did she react when more roots curled around her body.
Almost as if they were trying to devour her whole.
Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow as they lengthened and curled in the dim moonlight.
Molten golden eyes appeared in front of Diane again, and she laughed… she laughed, broken.
She laughed and she laughed, and she laughed, the hoarse and hysterical sounds leaving her mouth without any thought.
Up in one of the tree branches, Alec's lips curled into a smile.
Alec's lips twitched as he found Elysia crouched over the unconscious body of Diane Ross.In the darkness, no less.He wondered if this was some new game that he was playing.Still, he wasn't too surprised to find her here, considering that he'd filled in both of his subordinates on the way to Rosier City."What exactly are you trying to do?" he asked dryly.Elysia grinned brightly at him under the cover of darkness, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Well, I didn't know she'd pass out like that without any warning. I hardly did anything at all. I just killed the lights.""Right," Alec said, disbelieving.As much as he hated to admit it, he did know Elysia better than that.She had a mischievous streak, and it was hidden by how innocent and cheerful she came across with her sweet smile.If they didn't know about this side of her, they'd take her as the most innocent person on the scene.It wouldn't be the first time someone was tricked by her.And it wouldn't be the last.Well, it wasn't like he had any qualms about it happening to Diane Ross of all people.Not when he was here for information anyway.After a brief moment of thought after dropping off Travis, he'd went out to borrow the information that the clan had gathered from the management office before coming here.And it paid off.He had a feeling that something was going to happen before he came here. He just hadn't known what at the time."Hm," Elysia said cheerfully, "well, Dominique's waiting for us in the nearby forest with One."Alec was surprised. "I see." Elysia must have predicted that he would come here after hearing what Travis had to say.He had to say she sure did manage to obtain information without any sources in the Ross Clan. He was impressed.He could've just left it to Elysia to handle Diane Ross while he went off to find the information they'd managed to extract from her mouth.Things to think about in the future.Elysia casually grabbed Diane by the hand, then frowned. "She's a bit heavy," she frowned cutel- she frowned.Alec raised a brow.He'd seen her carry things heavier than this woman all the time. But he still casually grabbed Diane from her, heading out of the 'cell'."Thank you!" Elysia beamed.Alec turned his head away.-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-Diane awoke in a start, her body jolting off the ground. She was sweating, and the cool wind that blew across her chilled skin made her aware that something was very wrong.Her nails dug into the hard dirt on the ground, but she disregarded the pain that came along with it.Her breaths came out in pants, and it came out white. Evidence of how cold it was.It was a wonder that she wasn't shivering no. There it was.Diane shivered, bringing up her arms to wrap around herself. She left behind streaks of dirt on her clean clothing, but she didn't care.Her eyes darted about the place, but the only thing she could see was the darkness and the moon and stars that hung high above in the sky.It was night-time.Inwardly, Diane was alarmed.She knew that it was barely after lunch when she fainted, but now it was already at night.Not to mention, she was outside of the clan compound dungeons, and she was no longer in Rosier City.Had the clan decided that she was too much trouble for what it was worth? Did they suddenly change their policies?She looked around for a landmark, but to no avail.The only thing she could see were trees, and the woman stumbled to her numb feet, shivering.Her hand landed on one of the trees nearby to steady herself, and she snatched her hand back when she felt the bark move under her skin.Her face paled.She was not afraid of death, but no one ever said that it would happen like this.Why were they playing with her like this?Were these people even human?Diane swallowed, her mind muddled and blank in the face of a crisis like this.Still, she stumblingly moved forward, no idea where she was at all.She didn't stop moving though, for there was a deep, instinctual fear the crept up her bones.She could have fooled herself, telling herself that she had nothing more to live for, that she didn't care if she died achieving her goals, but now, in the midst of terror that ate her from inside out, the most instinctual fear surged back to life.The cool night air continued to chill her to the bones, and Diane felt like she was made from ice and frost. Like there was nothing in the world that could possibly warm her up.But then but then, was this not how she felt every time she looked at her *darling* nephew?Was this not how she felt when she looked at the children that wandered down the streets hand in hand with their loving parents?A single laugh spilled out of her mouth, then like a dam unleashed, the laughter continued to gush out from her, unhindered. A little broken, a little hoarse, but the woman didn't notice the faint tear marks that cascaded down her cheeks.She laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, her maniacal cries dying down. It left her hollow and broken, as she was frequently nowadays. As she always had been ever since that fateful day.By now, she had noticed that something was very, very wrong.The trees that seemed so far away previously loomed over her closely, and she wondered if she was losing her mind.Their branches swayed threateningly in the still night air, the rustling from the leaves not from the wind as she previously thought, but instead moving on their own.The instinctual fear that Diane managed to forget for the briefest moments made a resurgence as her blood pounded in her ears."Who's there?" Diane shouted, all false bravado."What do you want?" she continued to shout into the stillness of the night.But there was no answer.It was unnatural.A forest should not be this quiet, never mind the time of the night. There was always something going on.But the quietness did its job, and Diane was growing ever unsettled.Her mind played tricks on her, giving life to the trees and plants that surrounded her.Every few trees, one would lurch towards her, its branches brushing against her cheek, and Diane ran.She ran and stumbled, uncaring of where she was heading.All she knew was that she needed to get away. To get to somewhere that wasn't here.Fear was an all-encompassing thing, and it snuck up on you when you least expected it.Diane could have sworn that she saw glowing golden eyes watching her from afar, as well as the colours of purple and blue, but her mind brushed them off as a trick of her over-active imagination.But she couldn't stop.She couldn't stop.Diane was the loudest thing in the forest, and she was a nervous wreck.Perhaps it was the pure silence of the night that sounded so much louder than anything else.Should she have heard footsteps, or shouting at her, she would not have been so afraid.But now, haunted by her own shadow, Diane's mind took control.She whirled around; her eyes wild."Stop it," she whispered, sinking to her feet. "Stop it!" she shouted louder.Shaky hands made their way to her face, and her haunted eyes peeked out from below her fingers.She rocked, and rockedShe didn't even flinch when a vine curled its way around her leg, nor did she react when more roots curled around her body.Almost as if they were trying to devour her whole.Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow as they lengthened and curled in the dim moonlight.Molten golden eyes appeared in front of Diane again, and she laughed she laughed, broken.She laughed and she laughed, and she laughed, the hoarse and hysterical sounds leaving her mouth without any thought.Up in one of the tree branches, Alec's lips curled into a smile.
