Ascension of the Dark Seraph - Chapter 159

Chapter 159: Losing Miserably Chapter 159: Losing Miserably An hour ago.

Splash!

Leandra’s shoe stomped against a puddle, splashing water.

She was running, panic and urgency could be seen evidently on her sweaty face.

Despite her breaths already being shallow, despite both her legs numbing from the burning sensation of non-stop running, despite her eyes becoming blurry from the exhaustion-she kept running, channeling what little ether she had to keep going.

Immediately after she met with Lucivar, she had gone out to search for Mirel.

He hasn’t come back, supposedly assured that he had one more day before the departure.

Once tomorrow came, Mirel would come back.

However, Leandra changed the plan-before night came, they should’ve been on the road.

Knowing that Lucivar was most likely going to make his move in the night, the most suitable time for doing bad things, she took the initiative to change the plan.

To stop whatever evil- Lucivar had in mind, they would leave before the sky darkened.

But that would all come crumbling down if Mirel couldn’t be found.

Leandra had gotten permission from Professor Aeldric to depart early.

She already contacted him and obtained the green light but the bus drivers would not drive if Mirel wasn’t with them.

Without an excuse, they would be the ones getting blamed-so there must be a reason for Mirel’s state of being.

If he’s not dead, the bus drivers would stay here and wait.

Of course, being late to depart is not a good thing.

But at least in that case, Mirel would be the one taking on the blame.

Due to that, Leandra had been searching for Mirel for hours on end without stopping.

Overhearing what Lucivar and Mirel talked about during the night in the lounge, she knew that Mirel was around the nearby hill, training.

But she had already scoured the hill-three times yet there was no sign of him.

Initially, Leandra wasn’t worried-Lucivar was still oblivious about her plan.

But now, with time running thin, she was panicking.

‘I need to find him!’ Realizing that Mirel was not near the hill-she ran back to the city with the hope that she had somehow missed him.

Hoping that he might be buying souvenirs somewhere in the market or perhaps, he was in the hotel already-packing his stuff.

Despite her hope, she could feel a sense of unease rising inside her chest.

Deep down, she knew that it was a false hope.

Leandra stopped and looked upward.

She was greeted only by the orange glow of dusk dying the heaven.

Night was coming.

And her time was running out.

Huff… Huff… Pushing herself further, Leandra scoured the main market-crowded with people.

Her blurry vision darted left and right, searching for Mirel desperately.

In the background, the voices of the merchant blurred into an indistinct hum-their laughter grating against her frayed nerves.

Despite the celebratory atmosphere of the city, her world was grim.

The city smelled of magical powders, plants, and smoldering fires.

But to her, it was suffocating.

Along the way, a flash of that night in Veloria City crossed her mind.

Such a dark sight, she didn’t want to see something like that happening in this city too.

‘No, I don’t want that to happen again!’ She squirmed.

‘If I fail, innocent people will die!’ Leandra bumped into a couple of kids playing, causing them to stumble and fall.

Gazing down at them with shaky pupils, she wanted to help them up.

She grabbed the little boy’s shoulder but sucked in a cold breath in the next second-when the little boy suddenly turned into a familiar boy, the little boy who was crying over his dead mother’s body who Lucivar left to die in the church.

Caught off guard, Leandra fell to the ground with both her eyes widened completely.

Seeing this, the young boy wanted to help her.

But this scared her, the young boy’s hand was bloodied in her eyes.

She pushed him away and began running again.

‘No…’ Leandra gritted her teeth.

‘Please, Lucivar, don’t taint this city with your evil too!’ Ignoring the exhaustion, focusing only on the feeling of restlessness and desperation in the heart, she continued her search.

“Have you seen a Hybrid, a man who was a part of my team?

Mirel-?” Leandra asked.

The passerby shook her head, already turning away.

Leandra went to another, asking the same question-but the answer she obtained was the same.

Unlike her desperation that was etched clearly on her face, the people answered her with indifference.

Every corner of the market revealed nothing but a stranger’s face.

Mirel wasn’t here.

She went to the suburbs area aimlessly, but the result was the same.

Mirel wasn’t here either.

Heck, for some reason, she couldn’t even see that many people around here.

She scoured through the entire city, checking every corner, asking every person, turning every stone, but nothing.

It was as if Mirel was swallowed by the world and disappeared without a trace.

Leandra stopped at the corner helplessly-and gazed upward to the sky, her chest tightened when she saw the sun dip lower, forcing her to press both hands against the wall.

She bit her lower lip, eyes bulging hard as she fought back the scream clawing at her throat.

Night was inches away.

‘This doesn’t make sense…’ She thought, looking at the ground with her shaken eyes.

Lucivar was winning.

‘Am I…’ Leandra thought hauntingly, the possibility stabbed her like a blade.

‘Am I going to be too late?’ And she was failing.

‘If I succeed in this, nothing bad will happen.

Is Mirel working together with Lucivar?’ Leandra thought-second-guessing everything-her mind being swept by a whirlwind of chaos.

‘Both of them are close but Mirel is not the person who is fond of this.

Ravenna?

She barely talked about anything serious with Lucivar.

Or is it Nerissa?

Did she betray me?’ “Caldaros?

The other hunters?

The damn lieutenant?

Lucivar…?

LUCIVAR KNEW NOTHING!” Leandra screamed aloud at the top of her lungs, her voice was raw-and hoarse, surprising the onlookers who were nearby.

“HE DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING!!

HOW?!” She was breaking down.

It seemed like everyone was against her and she was alone in this.

Oblivious to her, a pair of crimson eyes watched her from the shadows.

Her failure brought a smile to this figure.

Despite her best attempts, she was met with a complete and utter failure.

She could find Mirel even when the first streak of the moonlight descended from above.

Minutes later.

Leandra came back to the hotel depressed only to be confronted by the bus drivers.

“There has been a mistake,” the bus driver said, his voice echoing.

Upon hearing this, Leandra’s face lost all colors, refusing to believe that this was happening.

Her heart pounded inside her chest, ‘Please… don’t say it…’ Oblivious to her peril, the bus driver continued, “We’re not going to depart today” ‘No, this can’t be happening.

Don’t say it…’ “Go back to your rooms, tomorrow we’ll depart” ‘Don’t say it!’ “Our schedule will return back to normal since we’re missing one person…” Crack!

Leandra could hear her own heart-breaking to pieces when she heard the last sentence.

Despite knowing she had failed, the bus driver’s words landed like salt on an open wound.

Deepening the pain.

On the other hand, Nerissa caught Leandra when her legs suddenly buckled.

“Leandra!” Nerissa exclaimed, shaking Leandra’s body hard when she noticed that Leandra’s eyes had become hollow-and defeated.

It came out of nowhere.

Even Caldaros rushed in to help.

“What’s wrong?!

Are you hurt?

Why is your body hot?!” “Lucivar…” Leandra mumbled.

“I need to find Lucivar” Although it was obvious that her body was too weak to move, too exhausted to even stand, Leandra pushed Nerissa away-and forced herself to stand.

Seeing this, Nerissa fought her hand and helped her to stand, “What about Lucivar?

Is he in trouble?” “Let me come, I can help” Caldaros suddenly offered.

Upon hearing this, Nerissa shook her head, “No, this is our problem.

We’ll handle it” Nerissa didn’t want outsiders to intervene, this was a matter that involved the family.

A private matter.

In her mind, it wasn’t appropriate for someone like Caldaros or the other hunters to meddle.

“Okay, I’ll help you try and find Lucivar,” Nerissa said as she supported Leandra outside.

As she slowly made her way towards the exit, Caldaros’ eyes remained fixed on them.

“Should we intervene anyway?” A hunter asked from the side.

“No,” Caldaros shook his head as his eyes glistened with a peculiar hue, he took in a deep inhale and noticed an odd scent lingering in the air that only he could sense.

“you and the others stay here.

I can feel a deep malevolence inside the city…” … Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

Darkness took over.

Looking from a bird’s eye view, a growing shadow could be seen overtaking a street-on the corner of the city as two hooded figures walked with slow and deliberate steps.

People who were also celebrating on that corner of the city could feel the cold night wind blowing harder.

It howled like a mourning cry, biting onto their skin and making the night colder than normal.

Following Leandra’s failure was the success of another.

Lucivar’s success.

It was a total triumph.

Naturally, the hooded figure at the front was Lucivar.

He was walking down the street with a faint smirk plastering across his face and Sabrina on his side.

Not to mention, his fingers twitched wickedly-eager for what was about to come.

Murder was already under his breath.

Realizing what he had gone through, Sabrina held her head down in obedience.

Lucivar had completed his preparation and now, other than making himself grow stronger, he would also make Sabrina grow stronger.

Knowing what lies ahead waiting for them-and the fact that he made sure of it to happen with the help of his new ally-he has earned Sabrina’s further loyalty.

Soon, Lucivar arrived at quite a big abandoned citadel at the corner of the city.

The dark aura and the secluded location were perfect for a slaughterhouse.

Awaiting his arrival at the very front was a familiar figure, Ravenna.

Even from a distance, her beauty was evident-a haunting allure that defied explanation.

The moonlight caressed her features-casting a ghostly glow on her flawless skin-while the wicked curve of her lips formed a smile both captivating and cruel, a smile that seemed to be her way to boast herself to the approaching Lucivar.

She was a devastatingly beautiful woman and a formidable ally on top of it.

In Lucivar’s eyes, the moment, the citadel, and her gloating smile were a delightful scene.

On her hand, she played a key-the key to the citadel from the looks of it.

“What did you do, Ravenna…?” Lucivar mumbled in disbelief, a smile donning his face.

“Careful now,” Ravenna mumbled jokingly.

“you’ll fall in love harder if you keep looking at me like that” Upon hearing this, Lucivar didn’t answer, he only shook his head.

He stood beside her and cast her a questioning glance.

“What?” He asked, seeing the expectant look on her face.

“Do you expect a reward?” “No, not now at least.” Ravenna shook her head before turning towards the citadel, a sinister glint could be seen-crossing her eyes.

“Right now, I am more interested in watching you do your thing.

After this though, just remember that I’ll be overflowed with negative energy and I need a release” Lucivar waved his hand before he looked around, “Where’s the lieutenant?” Hearing the lieutenant being brought up, Ravenna chuckled, “He doesn’t have the guts to be here” “I see-I do not blame that scaredy cat,” Lucivar shrugged-nonchalantly, expecting the lieutenant to be absent, especially with that kind of soft heart inside his chest.

“So, how many did he manage to gather?

Do you know the number?” “Eight hundred and seventy-one,” Ravenna handed over the key.

“All in your hands” As soon as he heard the number, Lucivar’s eyes flashed excitedly.

It exceeded his expectations, surprisingly.

“Good,” He nodded and walked towards the door.

“tonight is a good night for slaughter…”