Chapter 62: Echoes of Eclipse
The heavy door of the Guild Master’s office clicked shut, sealing Marcus, Evelyn, and the horrific evidence of the Chimera inside.
Standing in the quiet corridor, Ethan paused for a brief second to gather his breath. Beside him, Rune let out a soft whine, nuzzling against his leather boot. Ethan patted the cub’s head once, adjusted his sheath, and began stepping down the grand wooden staircase toward the main hall.
The Village Elder, the chiefs, and the rescued villagers had remained grouped near the entrance. The moment Ethan appeared, dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward him. A wave of collective relief washed over their dirt-streaked faces, and before Ethan could take another step, the Village Elder hesitated briefly before stepping forward. The remaining chiefs and rescued villagers quietly followed behind him.
"S-Sir!" the Village Elder cried out, his voice trembling with emotion as he dropped to his knees.
Behind him, the rest of the villagers followed suit, bowing deeply on the stone floor. Tears rolled down clean through the soot on their cheeks.
"Thank you... thank you for everything!"
"Our families... our lives... we owe everything to you!"
Ethan stopped immediately, his brow furrowing slightly as he raised a hand to pause them. "Please, stand up. You don’t need to bow. I simply did what needed to be done."
The Village Elder slowly shook his head.
"Perhaps... but very few would have done it."
Ethan looked down at the cub beside him, who was currently puffing out his chest under the sudden wave of attention.
"Besides," Ethan added, a faint, rare trace of warmth entering his voice, "I didn’t do it alone. Rune fought just as hard to bring you back."
Hearing his name, Rune let out a proud, high-pitched yip and held his head high. A few of the rescued villagers couldn’t help but smile through their tears as the crushing tension that had followed them since the cavern finally began to ease.
Moments later, the heavy doors opened once again. Marcus descended into the main hall. His presence was overwhelming, instantly drawing the attention of every adventurer and hunter in the building.
Whatever warmth or concern Marcus had shown inside the office vanished the moment he stepped into the hall. What stood before them now was not Ethan’s uncle, but the Commander of Northwatch.
"Attention," Marcus’s booming voice cut through the quiet chatter of the hall.
The room fell completely silent.
"Guild will oversee immediate medical treatment for every injured survivor," Marcus commanded sharply, looking toward the staff behind the counter. "I am placing the Maple
River region and its surrounding territories under direct military jurisdiction. A unit of Blackraven Knights will escort every single survivor back to their homes safely."
He turned his gaze toward a group of fully armored officers standing near the entrance.
"Secure Greenwich Village immediately. Establish a perimeter around the entire eastern region and begin a full investigation. This entire incident is now classified under military command."
The authority in his voice left no room for hesitation. The Guild staff scrambled into action, and the soldiers saluted in unison.
Within moments, the orderly calm of the Guild transformed into controlled urgency. Messengers rushed to relay orders across Northwatch while Blackraven Knights assembled outside the fortress gates. What had begun as a village rescue was now a full-scale military operation under the direct authority of House Ravencrest.
By late afternoon, the investigation was in full motion.
Marcus and Evelyn arrived at Greenwich Village accompanied by a heavy detachment of Blackraven Knights. The surrounding forest was quickly secured as patrols spread through the area. While some knights documented the massacre and recovered evidence from the drained corpses, others established a defensive perimeter around the village.
Once the village had been secured, Marcus and Evelyn proceeded directly to the hidden cavern.
Standing before the concealed entrance to the cavern, Marcus silently surveyed the surrounding forest before turning toward the captain of the Blackraven Knights.
"Maintain a permanent watch over this location," Marcus ordered.
"If another member of Eclipse comes searching for this branch, capture them alive. If they resist..."
His gaze turned cold.
"...kill them."
Deep inside the hidden cavern, Blackraven Knights meticulously catalogued every piece of evidence. They examined the remaining ritual traces, scorched magical formations etched into the stone, lingering inscriptions, and the shattered artifacts scattered across the ground.
The more they investigated, the clearer it became that Ethan hadn’t exaggerated a single detail.
Comparing the site with the recovered records, Marcus and Evelyn arrived at the grim, undeniable truth: Eclipse had indeed been researching methods to forcibly awaken dormant dungeons using large-scale, forbidden human sacrifices.
Before returning to Northwatch, Marcus personally inspected the partially awakened dungeon alongside Evelyn. The signs left behind matched Ethan’s account, leaving no reason to doubt his report. Satisfied, Marcus entrusted the remaining investigation to his men and returned to Northwatch.
Back in his command office, Marcus moved quickly.
"Prepare complete copies of every recovered document and catalogued piece of evidence. Once they’re finished, bring them to me."
Once every recovered item had been catalogued and his official military report was complete, Marcus summoned one of his most trusted Blackraven Knight, Van— a seasoned veteran whose loyalty had been proven over decades of service.
Marcus handed him the sealed leather satchel containing every recovered journal, ritual record, artifact, along with the storage rings Ethan had surrendered.
"Deliver this directly to Ravenhold," Marcus said.
He paused, adding, "Ensure Lady Elena personally reviews every recovered record. We’ve confirmed Eclipse’s objective, but if there’s anything we’ve overlooked, she’ll find it."
Thick black wax bearing the Ravencrest crest sealed every satchel and storage box. Each seal represented military authority—breaking one without permission would be treated as treason. Marcus watched until the knight secured everything before giving a final nod.
Only after receiving their evaluation from the main estate would Marcus decide whether this matter needed to be brought before the Imperial Family.
Meanwhile, in the outer district of Northwatch, a quiet calm settled over the military barracks.
Ethan walked slowly through the streets of Northwatch, his blood-stained and battered appearance drawing silent, respectful gazes from the passing soldiers. He didn’t pay them any mind, making his way directly to his room.
Inside, he closed the door, sealing out the noise of the fortress.
He stripped off his ruined, blood-soaked armor and clothing, letting them fall in a heap. Bringing out fresh water, he washed away the dried blood and grime covering his skin.
Crimson water slowly flowed across the wooden floor before disappearing through the drainage channel. Beside him, Rune meticulously licked his own fur clean before shaking himself dry.
Ethan pulled out the Eternal Sovereign Blade, carefully wiping down the dark steel until it gleamed without a single speck of dirt, before resting it against the wall.
Sitting cross-legged on the small wooden bed, Ethan closed his eyes and circulated his energy. Warmth gradually spread through his bruised muscles and battered meridians as the Heavenly Sovereign Physique quietly accelerated his recovery.
The aches that had accompanied every movement slowly faded as his breathing settled into a steady rhythm. Although exhaustion still weighed heavily on his body, the Heavenly Sovereign Physique continuously repaired the damage beneath the surface. Within a few days, many of the injuries that would have taken an ordinary knight weeks to recover from would already be little more than faint bruises.
Beside his bed, Rune curled into a tight ball, letting out a soft sigh as he drifted into a deep, restful sleep. His tail flicked once before becoming completely still.
Listening to the cub’s steady breathing, Ethan stared quietly at the ceiling, letting the quiet peace of the room settle over him.
———
Far away, inside the high chamber of the black tower, the masked figure stood looking out into the slow, churning expanse beyond the window—a void between color and absolute absence.
"Did he succeed?"
The low voice carried through the quiet room without needing to rise.
Behind him, a black-robed messenger knelt at the base of the bone throne, his head bowed flat against the stone floor.
"My lord," the messenger reported, his voice tight with hidden tension. "Contact with Vael was lost three days ago."
"Lost."
"The ritual site near the Maple River has gone silent. No reports. No signal through the usual channels."
"Our scouts confirmed signs of recent fighting around the site. The village has been occupied by the Blackraven Knights, and the surrounding forest is under constant patrol. We were unable to investigate further without exposing ourselves."
The horned mask tilted slightly, the motion unhurried.
"...Then Vael is dead."
The messenger lowered his head.
"That is our conclusion as well, my lord."
The masked figure rested one hand upon the throne.
"Investigate quietly. I want to know who killed him... and what became of the research."
"Understood, my lord." The messenger bowed once more and dissolved into the surrounding shadows, ceasing to exist in the room.
The masked figure turned back toward the window, saying nothing further. Beneath his throne, ancient runes carved into the pale bone pulsed faintly—once, then again—in a slow, indifferent rhythm.