The Extra's Rise - Chapter 454

Chapter 454: Alyssara Velcroix (1)
It was the last day of investigation already and things weren’t looking good for us.

The investigation really hadn’t revealed much and I was going blank, trying to determine what to do in order to achieve my goal.

Problem was that I had no idea.

I stood on a secluded balcony overlooking the central courtyard, the weight of our impending failure pressing down on me like a physical force. Tomorrow, we would depart the Southern Sea Sun Palace, leaving behind whatever secrets it held—including the Vampire Monarch I was increasingly certain lay somewhere beneath our feet, drawing power from the Red Sun to heal.

Without evidence, I couldn’t convince even Magnus to take action. The diplomatic consequences of accusing the palace of harboring vampires without proof would be catastrophic.

“You look troubled, Arthur Nightingale.”

I didn’t need to turn to recognize that voice, smooth as silk and just as deceptive. Alyssara had appeared once again, her ability to find me when I was alone growing more unsettling by the day.

“Just contemplating our lack of progress,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral as I turned to face her.

She was dressed more simply today, in flowing robes of deep crimson that made her pink hair seem even more vibrant by contrast. Her cyan-green eyes studied me with that unsettling mixture of familiarity and predatory interest.

“Perhaps you’re looking in the wrong places,” she suggested, moving to stand beside me at the balcony rail, close enough that I could catch the faint scent of jasmine that seemed to follow her.

“And where should I be looking?” I asked, unable to keep a hint of frustration from my voice.

Her lips curved into a secretive smile. “Beneath the surface. Always beneath the surface.”

“You’ve been helping me,” I said, making it a statement rather than a question. “Guiding me toward clues, leaving breadcrumbs. Why?”

Alyssara turned to gaze out at the courtyard, her expression momentarily distant. “I don’t know,” she admitted, and for once, she sounded genuinely uncertain. “I feel as though I should. As though there’s something about you that demands my attention, my… assistance.”

“We’re strangers,” I pointed out. “You’ve known me less than two weeks. Why risk your position, your relationship with Daedric, to help an outsider investigating your home?”

She laughed softly, the sound sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “Are we strangers, Arthur? Sometimes I’m not so certain.”

I studied her profile, searching for any hint of deception. “What exactly are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” she began, then paused, seeming to struggle with her words for the first time since I’d met her. “I’m saying that when I look at you, I feel something I can’t explain. A connection, a recognition. As if I’ve known you in another life.”

My heart thudded heavily in my chest. This was dangerous territory. If Alyssara truly was Emma somehow reborn or transformed, engaging with that truth directly could lead down paths I wasn’t prepared to follow—not while the investigation remained unresolved.

“That sounds mystical for a political advisor,” I said carefully.

“Perhaps I’m more than just an advisor,” she replied, her eyes meeting mine with unsettling intensity. “Perhaps I’m something no one here truly understands—least of all myself.”

There was something vulnerable in her admission—a crack in the confident facade she typically presented. For a moment, I glimpsed something beneath the surface of Alyssara Velcroix, something that reminded me painfully of Emma.

“What do you want from me?” I asked quietly.

“What an interesting question,” she mused, tilting her head as she considered me. “What I want… is complicated. But what I can offer you is quite simple: access.”

“Access to what?”

“To the central courtyard. To what lies beneath it.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “Tonight, when the Red Sun reaches its zenith, the central chamber will be accessible. Daedric will be occupied with preparations for your departure. The guards will be at minimum strength.”

I stared at her, struggling to understand her motives. “Why would you betray your lord like this?”

“Betrayal assumes loyalty,” she replied, her smile turning sharp. “My loyalties are… fluid. And currently, something in me wishes to help you, Arthur Nightingale.”

“At what cost?” There had to be a price. There always was.

Alyssara’s gaze roamed my face, lingering on my eyes in a way that made me feel exposed. “No cost. Not yet. Consider it an investment in our… relationship.”

The way she said “relationship” carried implications I wasn’t comfortable exploring. Whatever connection existed between us—whether due to Emma or something else entirely—it was tangled with dangers I couldn’t fully comprehend.

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” I observed.

“All games worth playing are dangerous,” she countered. “The question is whether you’re willing to play.”

I weighed my options carefully. Alyssara’s offer was my best chance to discover the truth, but trusting her felt like walking blindfolded along a cliff edge. Yet what choice did I have? Without evidence, the investigation would end in failure, and the Vampire Monarch would continue growing stronger.

“How would I access the central chamber?” I asked finally.

Her smile widened, triumph glinting in her eyes. “There’s a maintenance entrance on the eastern side of the courtyard. It appears to be sealed, but the wards are illusory. Press the third stone from the bottom, where the Red Sun symbol is carved, and the passage will open.”

“And the guards?”

“Will be otherwise occupied at precisely midnight.” Her confidence suggested she’d already arranged for this distraction, whatever it might be.

I should have questioned her further, should have demanded to know why she was really helping me. But the opportunity was too critical to risk with excessive caution.

“If this is a trap…” I began.

“It isn’t,” she interrupted. “Not for you, at least.”

Before I could respond, she reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing my cheek in a gesture so familiar it made my chest ache. For an instant, her eyes seemed to soften, to become almost wistful.

“You remind me of someone,” she said quietly. “Someone I can’t quite remember, but who feels important.”

I remained still, afraid that any movement might shatter this moment of vulnerability. “Who?”

Alyssara withdrew her hand, her expression closing off once more. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Perhaps tonight, we’ll both find answers we’re seeking.”

She turned to leave, her robes swirling around her like liquid crimson. At the doorway, she paused, looking back over her shoulder. “Midnight, Arthur. Don’t be late.”

After she was gone, I remained on the balcony, my thoughts in turmoil. Alyssara’s offer seemed too perfect, too convenient. Yet her momentary vulnerability had felt genuine in a way that our previous interactions hadn’t.

Whatever game she was playing, whatever her true motives might be, tonight would bring answers one way or another. I would discover what lay beneath the central courtyard—and perhaps begin to understand the enigma that was Alyssara Velcroix.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the palace grounds, I made my decision. I would take her offer. I would follow her breadcrumbs to whatever truth lay waiting in the darkness beneath the Southern Sea Sun Palace.

Whether that truth would save us or doom us remained to be seen.