The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice

Chapter 85 The Unseen Strings of Fate

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Ed's breathing was uneven, his mind racing with a storm of thoughts.

Zareth and Vynesaa still had their swords drawn, their gazes sharp, bodies tense.

Fine.

"Okay," he muttered. "Fine. Let's take her to the guards."

Zareth's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good."

Vynesaa, however, didn't lower her blade.

"Before that," Ed continued, "let me just—" He gestured toward the old woman. "Let me touch her. Just once."

Zareth frowned. "Why?"

"I just want to ask her a few questions."

Zareth hesitated, then nodded. "As long as you don't try anything."

Ed didn't answer.

He simply crouched down, reaching for her.

The old woman was trembling, her body shaking violently.

"Sob... sob..."

She was crying.

Ed felt nothing.

His fingers brushed against her skin—

And nothing happened.

His blessing didn't activate.

His brows furrowed.

She was dead. He was sure of it.

So why?

Why didn't it work?

Ed pulled back slightly, watching her carefully.

Her body curled in on itself, fragile, pitiful.

She looked so... weak.

So harmless.

But he knew the truth.

This was an act.

She was playing victim card.

"Alright." Ed's voice was cold. "Answer me. Tell the truth."

"If you lie," he continued, "you'll be dead."

She whimpered.

"Well—" Ed smirked. "You're already dead now, aren't you?"

The woman sobbed harder. "O-okay... sob..."

Ed's fingers tapped against his knee.

"What are you?" Ed asked, his voice sharp. "Who told you about this false immortality?"

The old woman shuddered.

"...My ex-husband's notes," she whispered.

Ed's eyes narrowed.

"Your ex-husband?"

She nodded, her lips trembling.

"Yes."

Ed tilted his head, watching her.

Something wasn't right.

She was acting too innocent.

Like she hadn't killed anyone.

Like she was just a helpless old woman caught in something bigger than her.

But Ed knew better.

He knew what monsters looked like when they were exposed.

And they looked just like her.

A single thought entered Ed's mind.

Enough.

There was nothing else to gain.

There was no point in dragging this out.

So—

His fingers twitched.

A blade materialized in his hand.

It gleamed under the dim torchlight, cutting through the air with deadly precision.

And then—

SLASH!

(POV: Eirlys Arcwright)

A soft humming filled the room.

The warm glow of the afternoon sun spilled through the large windows of the Arcwright estate, casting golden hues over the polished floors.

Eirlys sat on the plush couch, her posture relaxed, but her eyes remained sharp—focused on the woman sitting across from her.

Eleana Arcwright, the matriarch of their family, held her phone with trembling fingers.

The screen's faint glow reflected in her eyes, her lips slightly parted in disbelief.

"...Has there been any news from the elven royalty about Caspian?" Eleana finally asked.

Eirlys exhaled.

"No," she replied, adjusting the silk sleeves of her robe. "They said that when he becomes available, they would inform us."

Silence settled between them.

Eleana's grip on her phone tightened.

Eirlys could see it.

The silent war in her mother's heart.

The years of grief, the helplessness, the guilt. And now, the disbelief of suddenly learning that Caspian was alive.

A ghost returned to the living.

A son she had mourned for.

And now—

Now, he was out there. Somewhere.

Her hands trembled, and she placed the phone on the table beside her.

She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly.

"I can't believe it..." Eleana whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it real.

Eirlys studied her mother's expression.

It was the first time in years that she had seen Eleana this vulnerable.

"...Mom."

Eleana's gaze lifted, and Eirlys leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

"How many times have you watched that video?" she asked softly.

Eleana's lips quivered.

"I don't know."

Her voice broke.

"I've lost count."

She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, inhaling a deep, shaky breath.

Her shoulders trembled.

"I thought I'd never see him again."

Her fingers clenched into her dress.

"I thought—"

She paused, pressing her lips together.

Then, with a shuddering breath, she spoke again.

"I just... want to hold him."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"To hug him. To apologize."

Eirlys remained quiet, letting her mother's emotions settle.

Eleana shook her head, her chest rising and falling unevenly.

"I just want to see him," she admitted, looking at her daughter with glistening eyes. "Is that too much to ask?"

Eirlys sighed.

"No, Mom," she murmured. "It's not."

The emotional weight in the room lingered before Eleana finally straightened, inhaling sharply as if forcing herself back into her usual composed self.

She reached for the teacup on the table, her fingers still slightly unsteady.

A moment passed before she spoke again.

"...Where are Jaxar and Eirak?" Eleana asked, her tone returning to its usual firmness.

Eirlys leaned back against the couch.

"They're probably at the school in the dukedom."

Eleana nodded.

"Make sure they're practicing properly," she said.

"They'll need to be ready for the academy entrance exam this year."

"I know, Mom," Eirlys replied. "I've already reminded them."

"Good."

Eleana finally took a sip of her tea, the warmth grounding her.

But her eyes—

Her eyes remained distant.

Still lost in a world where a boy once lost to her was now alive.

Somewhere.

And for the first time in years—

Hope burned in her heart again.