Between Two Souls, Chapter 9
"This sounds interesting, but…" Bridgette stood up.
"Sorry Erika, I have to take care of something at my restaurant. I'll be going now! Adrien, stay strong! You were so brave during the debate! Bye!" Bridgette excused herself and left the garden.
"I'll be going too, Erika. I have something I need to finish. But don't worry, I'll join you next time. I'm curious too."
Felix followed, taking his leave.
"Well, looks like it's just you and Vino. Alright, follow me," Erika said.
"To where?" Adrien asked, intrigued.
"Just follow me."
........…
The sun was directly overhead as Adrien and Vino were led by Erika out of the palace. They mounted their horses and headed toward the city, traveling through the residential areas. They took a turn onto a narrowing road and arrived at a run-down part of Adrestia. Adrien, puzzled, couldn't help but ask.
"Does the Ancestor Order have a base here? What exactly is this Order's purpose?" His curiosity was piqued.
"Be patient, you'll find out soon," Erika replied as she dismounted her horse.
Both Adrien and Vino following Erika. They navigated through the gloomy, dilapidated streets.
"Good grief, it really smells here," Adrien said instinctively, covering his nose.
The place was indeed dreary, yet there were still children playing happily in the streets, and cats busily keeping the rat population under control.
As they walked through narrow alleys, Adrien happened to spot a familiar face—an old friend whom he once helped escape hardship.
"Blake?"
The person who heard his name turned around. After bidding farewell to an elderly lady he had just assisted, he made his way toward Adrien.
"Adrien? Wow! Hello, my old friend! Great to see you again."
"Blake! How have you been? It's been four months since we last saw each other."
Adrien stepped forward to shake hands with his old friend, both laughing happily. Blake, Adrien's old friend, was a dark-skinned man with brown hair, formerly a slave who Adrien had bought and freed.
"Are you alone, Blake? Where's everyone else?" Adrien asked.
"The others either left to chase their dreams or returned to the orphanage to care for the freed slaves. The orphanage is doing well. Everyone is grateful to you."
"You deserve to lead that orphanage, Blake. Thank you."
"No, it's all thanks to your initiative and funding. I owe you a great debt. Because of you, many freed slaves now have the knowledge to live their lives. Next time, I'll take you to visit them."
"Haha, no need."
Many of Adrien's friends were once disadvantaged people, unfortunate souls, but Adrien helped them. Initially, they were suspicious of Adrien, but his sincerity won their loyalty over time.
"Ahem..."
Blake glanced toward Erika.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Come with me..."
"Wait, Blake, are you part of this Order?" Adrien asked, surprised.
"Of course. You'll understand why I joined soon enough."
Blake led the three of them into a shack. They opened the door to the hut. Adrien's instincts sensed traps within, but he remained calm, assuming it was all part of the Order's security.
DANG!!! DANG!!! DANG!!!
Erika knocked on a round iron door.
"On the heath, there blooms a little floret..." she said.
"And it's called Erika... Welcome, Lady Erika," A voice responded.
The iron door swung open. Adrien was startled to see no one behind the door in the narrow alleyway. He searched for the source of the man's voice, assuming Erika's words were some kind of passcode.
Adrien and Vino descended the stairs.
"Blake? You're not coming?" Adrien asked.
"No, I'm guarding the entrance."
Still curious, Adrien continued down the steps and asked again...
"If you're a member of this Order, why didn't you bring me here earlier?" Adrien asked.
"I wanted to, but my superior said Lady Erika would bring you here sooner or later," Blake replied.
......…
They both descended into a corridor, dimly lit until suddenly a straight line of light illuminated the ceiling of the passage. Adrien and Vino were startled, momentarily blinded by the brightness and instinctively shielding their eyes.
"Ugh, what is this?" Adrien asked as he opened his eyes, now awestruck by the lights. Vino moved closer to the source of the light, observing it curiously.
"Hey, follow me. You'll both be even more amazed once we go further," Erika said.
"Erika, where are we? Is this the future?" Adrien asked.
"You'll see soon enough."
The three of them continued down the hallway until they reached a large round door. Adrien and Vino were amazed again. Erika walked up to the left side of the door, where a blue light scanned her from head to toe.
"Welcome, Lady Erika."
The trio entered the room. The space beyond the hallway was vast, leaving Adrien and Vino speechless at the sight of advanced, unfamiliar technology.
"Woah…," Adrien murmured.
Vino, overcome with excitement, darted around the room, examining the strange devices with fascination. Her elf ears twitched up and down, eager to learn more about these mysterious objects.
"Welcome, Erika, Prince Adrien, and Vino," a voice greeted.
"B… Bridgette? I thought you were going to your restaurant. So, you're part of this Order too?" Adrien asked, shocked.
"Haha, yes. More precisely, I'm Erika's student."
"STUDENT?" Adrien repeated, stunned.
"Yep, you know, Erika is a master."
"O HO HO, okay… Master Erika," Adrien said, teasing.
Erika shook her head slightly, amused by Adrien's joke but eager to stay focused.
"Can we get back to our purpose here? Bridgette, take him to meet John. Vino, do you want to come with us?" Erika asked.
Vino, who had been sitting at the bar, turned around and replied, "No, I'm fine here."
Erika nodded, agreeing with her friend's desire to explore the base. She stepped into the room of her superior. Meanwhile, the elf girl, Vino, seemed fascinated by the robotic barista that could serve drinks. Unsure of what to order, Vino observed the robot's swift movements. Her head tilted from side to side, her eyes widened, and her ears twitched every time she blinked.
......…
The three of them entered the room.
"Hello, Adrien. I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat," John said.
Adrien sat down in front of John's desk as Erika and Bridgette excused themselves, giving him space to focus.
"Prince Adrien of Adrestia. My name is John. You must be quite confused by everything you've seen, right?"
"Yeah. Wow, this chair is really comfortable. It feels just like… uh… wait, do you have a library here? I bet there's a lot of interesting stuff I could read there," Adrien said, glancing around the room.
"Of course, Prince. But there's something more important we need to discuss first," John replied.
"Okay, I'm listening," Adrien responded, settling in.
"I'll give you a brief background on this Order. We are a group of scientists who fled from Earth. One of our creations is something called 'Souls.'"
"Wait… Earth?" Adrien asked, startled.
"Yes, in short, it's a planet much like Valkan. You can read about Earth in the library later."
"Alright, but what are these 'Souls'?" Adrien asked, intrigued.
"That's the main thing we need to discuss. You've been having strange dreams lately, haven't you?" John inquired.
"Wait, how do you know? Erika couldn't have told you. She's been with me the whole time," Adrien replied, surprised.
"We already knew. Those are the early symptoms of a Soul Connector."
"A Soul… Connector? What is that?" Adrien asked, confused.
"To put it simply, what you see in your dreams is real. The person you're controlling—or, more accurately, inhabiting—is someone else on another planet. Your soul is connected to theirs, no matter how far apart you are."
"I… don't understand. Hold on, I'll try to wrap my head around it," Adrien said, clearly overwhelmed.
"Yes, it's a lot to take in," John admitted.
"So, that person is real?" Adrien asked, still looking confused.
"Haha, you seem bewildered. But save those questions for later. There's something else you need to know."
Adrien shifted in his seat, getting more serious.
"Let me guess. This is about the werewolves, right?"
"Correct, Prince. But it's something you likely haven't considered," John responded gravely.
"Okay…," Adrien braced himself.
"The werewolves are only targeting nobles. And they weren't created by magic. They were created in a lab. In short, they are a product of science."
"Huh? Can science do that? You're saying you can create creatures with science?" Adrien asked, astonished.
"Yes. It appears someone is using these creatures to target nobles like you specifically."
"What? How?"
"Well, let me explain…"
… To Be Continued …