Soul Bonded [Claude De Alger Obelia x reader ]

94. Something Meant To Be

Claude closed his eyes and turned his back and continued on the path before he was interrupted. "Go back. I don't need you."

"I have come here to help." Lucas said half-heartedly. He had lost all will to go through what he promised to Athanasia. He wanted to get away from him and his sharp words.

That gave Lucas a pause. Maybe he was a coward.

"You're more of a hindrance. Go back, don't make me repeat myself."

With a conflicted heart, Lucas turned and left. His hands were shivering and his pupils shook as he repeated Claude's words which oddly overlapped with his master's words.

****

Two things blind a man to reason:

Love and grief.

Claude had both in abundance. And he could easily spot the same in another.

So when Ether questioned his judgement to send Lucas away, Claude simply shrugged his shoulders.

"His mind was in complete disarray. Even if he pretended to be unaffected, his actions said otherwise. There was no point in taking him along."

"...So you picked a fight with him to drive him away?" Ether said in exasperation. "I don't know how that child deals with you."

Claude did it because he recognised the same pride he had in that boy. The same pride that lead to his downfall and those around him. He wanted to prevent him from going down the same path.

He had all the more reason to straighten him and knock some humility in him if that boy was going after his daughter.

Claude put that off his mind and focused on matter at hand.

He slashed through the charred part of the once ancient tree now turned ash. He took a bit of effort to make a path with all the burnt gnarled roots blocking the way. At last he could see a hallow entrance in the tree, barely the size to fit a human.

Ether peered in and turned to Claude. "That's it. From here you've to move on your own. I can't go further. If I were to enter, Mother will be immediately alerted. It's best if I wait here."

Claude nodded. Admittedly Ether was a bit stunned how nonchalant the man was.

As Claude entered the hallow entrance of the burnt tree, he could feel the space distorting and bending around him.

His vision turned dark and his senses sharpened as he walked, back a little bent to fit in. Reaching on the other side, Claude stopped dead in tracks.

It was like another world. No, another dimension. As far his eyes could see-- which wasn't much because of the mist shrouding the area-- forest spread out with kinds of flora he never seen.

[Spatial Severance]

Claude tilted his head from the strange line of thought that suddenly struck his mind. But it was only thing that came to mind. It was like a dimension pocket hidden away from the world.

It took a moment for him to tear his gaze away from the otherworldly scenery and look around.

He had only taken few step when the thick mist slowly becoming more dense, blurring everything in sight. Everything was already dim, now with the mist, his sight was rendered useless. He had other senses he could rely on but having his most important sense taken away made him wry.

But suddenly, his feet halted to a stop.

Something strange had entered his sight. His fingers traced the invisible thing blocking his way. He jerked away and when he looked down his fingers had large cuts.