21 Lady Ana

Silence reigned as both men stared at each other.

A moment later, Alex spoke up. "Come again?"

"I said eat it." Arthur casually repeated.

Glancing at the yellow rock, he turned back to Arthur.

"Like I should chew and swallow it?" Alex couldn't help but wonder if Arthur was joking.

Based on his expression, however, it didn't seem like it.

"Well, if you have strong enough teeth, then, by all means, chew, if not… swallowing it would do."

"You are serious?"

Arthur raised a brow. "Huh, what do you take me for?... This is serious business!"

"Hmm." Even with Arthur's reaction, Alex was still unconvinced.

"Ahem." Arthur quickly turned away upon meeting Alex's scrutinizing gaze. "I may joke around most times but right now, I'm serious."

Alex pursed his lips before letting out a sigh.

He reached out and picked up the Catalyst.

It felt cold to the touch but at certain times, a pulsating warmth filled it before quickly retreating.

Taking the time to study it, he noticed there were slight engravings on it.

It didn't resemble a language he was familiar with but based on his deduction, it shared a lot of similarities with Razan.

Which meant it would be possible to decipher it.

However, Alex wasn't about to waste his time on that.

As he closed his eyes, he opened his mouth and placed the Catalyst on his tongue.

Alex closed his mouth and allowed the gem to slide down his throat, causing him slight discomfort.

However, that was all that happened before he finally opened his mouth to meet Arthur's gaze.

"Now we wait?"

Arthur nodded. "Now we wait."

Rising to his feet, he remarked. "Try not to go anywhere starting tomorrow. Eyes are watching."

"Mn, I understand," Alex replied before adding. "Tell me something."

"Hmm?"

"What Wheel are you on?"

Arthur took another drag before answering in the most nonchalant way possible. "Beast."

With that, he left the basement, not waiting for Alex to ask any more questions.

Watching the old coot leave him alone, Alex took a deep breath before attempting to check if there were any changes in his body.

Needless to say, there were none.

Sighing helplessly, he muttered. "I guess we have to wait a few more days."

***

"Lady Ana, you are back." A man said as he stepped away from the bar to meet the woman that had just arrived from outside.

Dressed in a dark red gown, she wore a similar-colored hat with a black net covering her face.

Soundlessly, she walked over and without saying anything moved to the back.

The man quickly locked up before following closely behind the woman.

Soon, both were on their way down.

"Did you meet him?" The man asked while bowing slightly behind the mysterious lady.

Ana revealed a smile underneath the net covering. "I saw him from afar but that was enough for me to confirm my suspicions."

"Are you sure, My lady?"

"Mn, I've never been so sure, Arnold."

"Which means the search was fruitful."

"Indeed it was." She replied, her voice giddy with excitement. "In all my years, I have never known one as unfathomable as him. Surely he will be able to do it."

The man, no, Arnold remarked. "I sincerely hope so."

"Arnold, you are one of the oldest people I know."

"It is an honor, Lady Ana."

"Tell me… Am I perhaps doing the wrong thing?" A hint of doubt was evident in her tone.

Even her smile died down as she couldn't help but ask.

Arnold pursed his lips.

He remained silent for a moment before standing upright.

At some point, the elevator had slowed down… the reason unknown.

The lady turned to meet his gaze, waiting patiently for a response.

Stroking his beard, Arnold replied. "I believe you would do the right thing, Lady Ana. My trust in your judgment is unshakeable."

Lady Ana revealed her smile once again. "If someone heard you… they'd think you are the elder."

"Well…"

"Don't say it!" Lady Ana scowled as she stepped on Arnold's foot and turned away, a brilliant smile on her visage.

At the same time, the elevator began to move at a normal speed once again, and soon enough, a low rumble signified the arrival at their destination.

***

The sound of water violently smashing against rocks caused Alex some discomfort.

After attempting to ignore it as best he could, he could hardly take it any longer as he opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.

Turning in the direction of the sound, he sucked in cold air at the enchanting sight.

The beautiful sight of clear pristine water, cascading down a cliff, smashing crazily into the rocks below, creating a slight mist was reflected in Alex's eyes.

With a face filled with disbelief and awe, he muttered. "Where am I?"

The awe-inspiring view was enough to take his breath away but then again, he couldn't relax and was instead at high alert.

"I remember falling asleep in bed." He glanced around, taking note of the luscious green trees that stood strong and the green grass that tickled his bottom.

Taking a moment to focus his thoughts, he recalled his meeting with Arthur, after which he retired to bed.

He suddenly reached out and pinched his cheeks. With the burning sensation that followed, Alex muttered.

"…it's not a dream?"

So then how did he get here?

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before slowly getting to his feet.

After checking to find that he was dressed in sackcloth, Alex pondered on what to do.

If he took the beautiful scenery before him as the real deal, then how did he get here in the first place?

He contemplated moving around to figure things out but his cautious side felt at ease remaining in his current position.

As quickly as the thought came, he shoved it aside. "Since when did I become so cowardly?"

The situation was indeed strange but just staying in one place won't help matters!

Thus, he resolved to survey the landscape.

It wouldn't be too late to return here if he didn't find anything after searching.

He took a mental note of the waterfall's location before moving in the opposite direction from it.

Along the way, Alex didn't see anything out of place.

It seemed more like he had somehow stumbled into paradise.

He admired the beauty of nature as he kept walking.

He soon made it to a slope that led upwards but what was even more eye-catching was the naturally formed 12 stone steps that served as a staircase.

Alex took a deep breath as he climbed the stairs, one step at a time with a stern expression on his face.

At a certain point, it felt like his body had become lighter, and by the time he got to the end of the stairs, he had the strange urge to take off toward the clear blue sky.

Of course that urge didn't last for long as his attention was drawn to the site ahead.

A path was set before him and at the end of the path which was roughly 1 kilometer in length, a white square gate stood tall.

The gate had an arch at the top which was filled with strange inscriptions and at the center of the gate was a tree-like symbol with 10 distinct parts that started from the top and ended at the bottom.