The Faults in Us (completed)

16~ Intruder

Ena and Vamp examined the scrolls very closely. Ena's brow was furrowed in concentration. I could tell she was struggling to translate the script. Vamp wasn't having as much trouble. I wondered what he was looking for. Confirmation that Ena was the one, probably. I hope he didn't get it. 

My gaze wandered to Claw and Kayden. They were having a quiet conversation behind me. Ena's father just glared at Vamp and her touching the precious scrolls. A small smirk of satisfaction crept across my face. It fell when I remembered that Ena might not make it out alive. 

The pair read on for a long time. The tension got thicker as time passed. Having the most powerful beings in one room for a long time wasn't a good idea, though temporarily allied. I felt a mental knock in my head. I let the person in. Surprisingly, it was Claw. 

'For your protection, you're coming back to the Claw pack with us after this. Athena will come too. Drac has something to say that can potentially affect all the paranormal species on the planet.' 

'And you know what it is?' I asked sceptically. Our gazes met. 

'No. But I trust him. When a being thousands of years old suddenly appears and warns you, learn to trust his word because the events following this day will surely be recorded in paranormal history.'

'If he's thousands of years of old, that also means he has thousands of years of experience in treachery and lying.'

 'Are you saying he's not to be trusted? Or do you still hold a grudge against him?' 

'I don't know. He's a man I just met yesterday and apparently he cared for me as a child. How do you think I should react? You would be stupid to not be suspicious.'

'This man has done unimaginable things, but that doesn't mean he's not to be respected. He has proved that to be trustworthy.' 

'Someone I don't trust is telling me that someone else is trustworthy,' I scoffed. Claw's gaze hardened. 

'I have said all I wanted to,' he said, 'come without resistance and I won't knock you out again. I have the means to do it as many times as I want.'

I sighed. 'Fine. I want to see Luna again anyway. But as soon as Vamp's done, we're leaving.'

 Claw cut the mindlink without replying. I walked over to Ena. 'What have you found so far?' I asked. She kept staring at the curly text for a few seconds and didn't reply. Finally, she sighed. 

'There's a lot of history. Things I've never read before. This particular paragraph I'm reading is about the ghoul's powers when they were just being discovered. They have evolved very much since then.' 

I nodded. 'And what anything about... that?' I asked, hinting towards the unbending spell. She shook her head. 

'Maybe it was just a rumour after all,' she frowned. 

'Don't worry about it,' I said, 'we can think about that later. Just focus on the battle now.' She looked like she wanted to argue but just nodded. 

'Drac, you see anything?' Kayden, who had been quiet this whole time, asked. Drac looked up, his lips pursed. 

'Unfortunately, it seems that time is now. I have looked at it in many ways, but the result remains the same. I apologize, Athena, but this is something even I cannot change.' 

I looked worriedly at Ena, a feeling of doom slowly creeping up on me. But she looked completely at ease. 

'Thank you, Vamp. I-'

I suddenly, the ground shook and I lost my balance. 

'All units, investigate!' Ena's father's voice echoed around the building, 'Protect the Legends and the Goddess Flame at all costs!'