Chereads / Godseeker / Chapter 25 - Reunion

Chapter 25 - Reunion

Valentina walked towards her brother, one step at a time.

*Tap Tap Tap*

Her heavy legs made an echoing sound in the silence of the cave. The sounds stopped with her arriving in front of Zane, her eyes full of tear and locked in his.

"It really is you..." She spoke with disbelief apparent in her voice. "I..I thought you..."

"Died? I told you I'd be fine." Zane smiled and pulled Valentina in for a hug.

Valentina cried her heart out in his embrace while Zane's face was also streaming with tears.

"I also thought that you died... I found...." Zane wiped his tears and pushed her back.

"I have something for you." Zane reached inside his pocket and took something out.

He reached for Valentina's hand and gave the object to her. "I believe this is yours."

Valentina looked at her hand and saw what it was. It was the hairpin that was gifted to her on her first birthday.

"My hairpin! I thought I lost it." Her face beamed with joy.

"...It was on a puddle of blood. I found it when I returned to the town." Zane replied.

"Oh... I must've dropped it that night."

"Dropped it... On a puddle of blood...." Zane's face suddenly contorted and he chopped down on her head with his hand.

"Ow! What was that for?" Valentina glared at Zane with her hands on her head.

"How'd you drop that on a puddle of blood? I thought you also died because of that!" Zane yelled.

"Hmph! What about you!? Where were you then?" She yelled back at him.

"I went to kill the cultist back then! I succeeded too, but when I reached back to the town, it was too late." he slowly lowered his voice. He scoured the front and saw Cadell.

"Cadell, I'm sorry. I couldn't protect your parents either." He looked down.

Cadell's lips curved faintly into a sad smile and he nodded his head.

The atmosphere became heavy as silence followed.

"Ahem!"

Everyone moved their heads towards the source of sound and found Edana at the end.

She moved her chin and pointed towards her tied hands.

"Can you untie me now?" She smiled towards Zane.

Zane got goosebumps and turned towards his sister.

"Do you guys know each other?" He asked warily.

Valentina looked back at him and answered joyfully, "Yes! She's Edana. She's our sister and a Knight from the Nox Order. She took care of us after the incident in our town."

"Oh! So you really were a knight.. Haha!" Zane looked at her and scratched the back of his head.

Edana looked at Zane, her eyes ready to kill him.

"*Cough*" Zane turned his head towards Cadell, "Cadell, could you untie the rope from her hands and bring the rope to me?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Edana ran towards Zane, who hid behind his sister.

---

"I cannot believe this bastard is your brother." Edana stared at Zane, massaging her wrist, which was red with rope marks.

Valentina looked at her brother and whispered, "What did you do?"

Zane whispered back, "Nothing! I just thought she was a cultist."

"Ahem" Ouida brought everyone's attention to her.

"Hello Brother Zane! I'm Ouida, Val's friend and this is Odis, my brother." She looked at Zane and smiled brightly. "Val told me a lot about you!"

"Did she?" Zane side-eyed Valentina and she looked towards the ground, her face red like a tomato.

"Well, thank you for taking care of my sister Ouida." Zane smiled back at her and looked at Odis.

"Tch." Odis turned his head to the side which caught Zane off-guard.

"Okay, now let's get down to it." Zane started speaking again. "Where did you guys come from?"

"We came from that tunnel over there." Valentina pointed towards a tunnel.

"So we only have one path left..." He contemplated.

"Brother Zane, what about the way you came from? Does it lead to the outside?" Cadell asked him.

"Yes, it does lead outside but you'll have to climb a bit. Do you guys want to leave?" He asked.

"Yeah, we were trapped in that tunnel..." Cadell looked back at Odis, "...due to some circumstances. I'd like to leave if possible."

"Aren't you going to leave?" Valentina asked Zane with curious eyes.

"No, I'm actually searching for the base of Mayhem cultists. So I'm going towards the tunnel." He replied.

"But you guys should return. It will be dangerous. Ms. Knight, why don't you escort these kids outside?" He looked towards Edana.

Edana was about to open her mouth but Valentina beat her to it, "No! I'm coming with you!"

"No Val, it's really going to be dangerous. The cultists are not humans. You should return."

"No! You sent me away the last time too... I'm coming with you this time!"

"Ugh... Fine, but you run away if we encounter anything dangerous." Zane gave up.

"Hehe.. Come on let's go Sister Edana." Valentina sauntered towards Edana and grabbed her hands. She then pulled her towards the tunnel.

"Wai- Wait Val!" Edana resisted but it was no use.

Zane looked towards those left and asked, "What about you guys? What will you do?"

"We'll go of course!" Ouida smiled brightly. "Come Odis, let's go!" She tried to grab her brother's hand but he dodged it.

"Why should we go towards danger? I'm not going with these commoners anymore. You go ahead if you want to. I'm going outside." He started walking towards the tunnel Zane came from.

"He's right Ouida, you should also return with him. It's going to be dangerous." Zane assured Ouida.

Ouida looked at her brother's back and turned towards the final tunnel.

"No! I'm also going!" She ran ahead towards Valentina and Edana.

Now there was only Zane and Cadell left in the intersection.

"I'm guessing you're going to come too?" Zane looked at Cadell.

Cadell shrugged, "Of course." He also turned and walked towards the tunnel but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

Nervous, he slowly turned his head around.

"Cadell... I want to thank you for taking care of my sister. Hope you'll continue doing so. You're a great friend of her after all! Right?" Zane smiled at him, showing off his sharp teeth.

*Gulp*

Cadell swallowed his saliva, "Uh.. Yeah... Of course, she's a great friend!"

"Good.." Zane removed his hand from his shoulder. Cadell moved towards the tunnel like lightning. "Wait for me guys!"

Zane looked towards the tunnel and smiled.

As he walked towards the tunnel to enter it, he suddenly stopped and grabbed his head.

"Ugh!"

It was only light, but his head started ringing and he heard whispers.

"Definitely....They are definitely here.." He looked towards the tunnel with crazed eyes before entering it.