After the council messengers had escorted Ailson to face her trial, Eragon and Gloria finally felt a sense of relief.
The dark presence that had lingered around them for so long seemed to fade, leaving them with the hope that they could return to their lives.
With Ailson's capture, it seemed the worst was over. But as they would soon discover, their problems were far from resolved.It started the morning after the trial.
Gloria was sitting in her family's grand library at 120 Silverleaf Street, flipping through old council records. She was researching Ailson's family history, hoping to understand how someone like Ailson had become so dangerous.
Eragon had left early that morning, summoned by his dragon familiar, and Duke was off handling some important family business. For the first time in days, Gloria felt a semblance of calm.
That peace shattered with the arrival of a council messenger.The messenger was a tall, stern figure dressed in the council's signature dark robes.
His face was grim, and the moment he appeared in the library doorway, Gloria knew something was wrong."Miss Gloria," the messenger said, bowing slightly. "I bring urgent news."
Gloria's heart sank as she closed the book in front of her. "What is it?"The messenger hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"During Ailson's trial, we uncovered something far more disturbing than we anticipated. The council discovered that Ailson's parents have been involved in numerous illegal activities.
They've been experimenting on lower-grade supernaturals, conducting inhumane experiments to turn humans into supernaturals. This violates every law the council holds sacred."
Gloria's eyes widened in shock. She had known Ailson was dangerous, but her parents too? And turning humans into supernaturals? That was something she had only heard in dark tales, something forbidden for centuries. "What else?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The messenger continued, "The council has evidence of these heinous crimes, and as Ailson was being held for trial, we moved to arrest her parents. However… they escaped."