Chapter 46: WHY NOW?

Eva slipped out of the room quietly, leaving Diaval asleep. She needed to find a solution to the mysterious ailment that had been plaguing her.

The library, with its vast collection of ancient tomes and magical texts, seemed like the best place to start. She made her way down the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, her footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floors.

The library door creaked open, and she stepped inside, the scent of old books and parchment filling the air. The moonlight streamed through the tall windows, casting an ethereal glow over the room.

Eva moved purposefully, her eyes scanning the titles on the shelves, searching for anything that might help her.

After a few minutes of searching, she found a book that looked promising: "Arcane Remedies and Healing Enchantments."

She pulled it from the shelf and sat down at a nearby table, flipping through the pages rapidly. Her fingers stopped on a page detailing a healing enchantment that required a spoken incantation.

She took a deep breath and began to recite the words, her voice soft but steady.

"By the light of the moon and stars so bright,

Heal my wounds this silent night.

Let green mana flow and mend,

In this hour, let my body transcend."

A soft green glow enveloped her hands, and she placed them over her cuts. The healing energy seeped into her skin, knitting the flesh back together. But as the enchantment continued, she felt a sharp pain inside her chest, and she doubled over, coughing violently.

Blood splattered on the floor, and she gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face.

"What is happening to me?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.

"Why won't this pain go away?"

She tried to focus, to push through the pain, but it was too much. She fell to the floor, the book slipping from her grasp. The moonlight beamed down on her, illuminating her pale face and the tears that glistened on her cheeks.

"I can't let Diaval see me like this," she muttered, clutching her chest. "I have to find a way to fix this."

Her thoughts raced as she lay there, feeling utterly helpless. She had always been strong, always been able to handle whatever life threw at her. But this... this was different. This was something she couldn't fight with sheer willpower alone.

"Why is this happening now?" she wondered aloud.

"Just when everything was finally going right... why now?"

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

"I have to stay focused. There has to be a solution in one of these books. I just need to keep looking."

With great effort, she pulled herself up, leaning against the table for support. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"I can't give up. Not now. Diaval needs me. I need to be strong for him."

She reached for another book, her hands still trembling.

"Maybe there's something else in here. Something that can help with this internal pain."

She flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the text.

"There has to be an answer. There has to be."

The moonlight continued to beam down on her, a silent witness to her struggle. She felt a small flicker of hope amidst the pain.

"I'll find it," she whispered to herself. "I have to."

As she continued to search, the pain in her chest flared up again, but she pushed through it, determined not to let it defeat her.

She knew that somewhere in the library, among the countless books and ancient texts, lay the answer she needed. And she would find it, no matter what.

"Diaval," she whispered, thinking of him as she fought back another wave of pain.

"I'll make sure everything is okay. For us."

Eva's eyes scanned the pages of the ancient tome, her fingers trembling with anticipation. She had been searching for hours, desperate to find a solution to her mysterious ailment.

Finally, she stumbled upon a spell that promised to heal every possible cut and wound.

However, as she read further, she discovered the cost: the more the spell was used, the more one's mortality was snipped away until they reached immortality.

At first, Eva thought it sounded like a good thing. Immortality meant she could stay with Diaval forever, protecting him and their future family. But as she read further, the detrimental sacrifice became clear.

The spell not only drained the user's mortality but also their emotional and physical connections to the world. Each use would strip away a piece of the user's humanity, leaving them increasingly detached and unable to feel joy, love, or even pain.

Eventually, the user would become a cold, unfeeling shell, immortal yet devoid of any real connection to life.

"I'll look deeper into it, but for now, I need my internal wounds healed,"Eva muttered under her breath.

Without much thought, driven by desperation and pain, Eva decided to use the spell.

She closed her eyes and began to chant the incantation:

"By the ancient power, heal and restore,

Take this pain, let it be no more.

Cut away the threads of mortal strife,

Bestow upon me a renewed life."

A bright green light enveloped her, and she felt the magic work its way through her body. The cuts on her hands healed instantly, and the internal pain she had been suffering from vanished.

She let out a sigh of relief, but the warning about the cost of the spell lingered in her mind. She could already feel a slight numbness creeping in, a hint of the detachment that would only grow with each use.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Eva left the library, feeling better than she had in days. As she walked down the corridor, she heard someone speaking in hushed tones.

She recognized the voice immediately—it was Lady Seraphina. Curious and slightly apprehensive, Eva turned the corner and found Lady Seraphina standing alone.

"Good evening, Lady Seraphina," Eva greeted her, trying to sound casual.

"Who were you talking to?"

Lady Seraphina turned to her, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, just staring at the moon and talking to myself. It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"

Eva swore she had heard another voice but decided not to push the matter. If she asked more and meddled, there wouldn't be a difference between her and the vile woman, now would there?

"It is indeed. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd take a walk."

Lady Seraphina raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Really? In your nightgown? With blood on it, no less?"

While holding her night gown lifting it up slightly and squeezing the spots with blood,

Eva's mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, um, I... I was practicing a spell earlier and accidentally nicked myself. I must have gotten some blood on my gown without realizing it."

Lady Seraphina's eyes flashed with irritation. "Practicing a spell? At this hour? You must think very little of me to come up with such a ridiculous excuse."

Eva bit her lip, knowing she needed to tread carefully.

"I assure you, Lady Seraphina, it was an innocent mistake. I meant no disrespect."

Even though Eva disliked Seraphina, she was one of the House Ladies and always gave her the respect she needed. No matter how irritating she could be.

Lady Seraphina scoffed, her tone turning bitter.

"Why did you marry that lazy noble, Diaval? He only cares about money and nothing else. You could have married my son, Adrian. He's far more capable and deserving."

'This bi-, come down Eva,'Eva thought breathing in and out slowly.

Eva straightened her back, meeting Lady Seraphina's gaze head-on.

"I married Diaval because I love him. He's kind, caring, and has always been there for me. I respect Adrian, but my heart belongs to Diaval."

Lady Seraphina's eyes blazed with anger. "You're a fool, Eva. You're wasting your life on a man who will never amount to anything."

Eva remained calm, refusing to stoop to Seraphina's level.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but my decision is final. I love Diaval, and nothing will change that."

Lady Seraphina glared at her for a moment longer before storming off, muttering under her breath.

Eva let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and made her way back to the room she now shared with Diaval.

As she entered the room, she took a moment to look at Diaval, who was sound asleep.

His red short hair, which used to be long until Lady Jade trimmed it over the years, framed his face. Diaval had always wanted to look like his father with a ponytail, but it only made him look messy. Eventually, he had accepted his short hair as his style.

His long lashes were more feminine than masculine, making him resemble his mother more than his father.

Eva smiled softly, parting the hair that covered his forehead, and planted a gentle kiss there.

"I'll always make sure, you and I last till the end of times," she whispered. "No matter what."

She climbed into bed beside him, wrapping her arms around him as she finally let herself relax.

The events of the night had been overwhelming, but she felt a sense of peace knowing that she and Diaval were together.

With a contented sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her dreams filled with thoughts of their future together.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
HeavenlyMike

4 chapters left till the end of volume 1...paving way for Volume 2, one that will be very crucial to the story, the novel he is in and as a reader that rewrote the beginning :)

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