[B3]Chapter 194: A Love That Fought Destiny (2)

Eva and her ten-year-old son were on their way back from the Great Forest of Slyvora to their small home.

Inside the carriage, Theo clutched a letter, his impatience growing with each passing minute. "Mom, how far are we from Dragon's Roost?" he asked.

"That's the twelfth time you've asked me, Theo..." Eva replied, her voice laced with amusement as she glanced at her son, who looked back at her unamused.

"But Mom, I only asked you two minutes ago, and the coachman uncle hasn't stopped. Surely we've covered some good distance by now?" Theo argued.

Eva couldn’t help but smile at his persistence. "Just sit quietly for ten more minutes, and then we’ll be picking up Lily from Dragon’s Roost," she promised, peeking out the carriage window to gauge their progress.

Her gaze shifted to the darkening sky, the clouds swirling as the wind began to pick up. "There’s going to be a storm soon," she murmured, more to herself than to Theo, as she withdrew and shut the window with a soft click.

As if on cue, within minutes, the heavens opened, unleashing a torrential downpour that drummed heavily against the carriage roof. The storm descended with fury, the winds howling around them like a wild beast. The silver wolf pulling the carriage plowed determinedly through the worsening conditions.

The storm seemed to grow in intensity, the rain like sheets of glass slicing through the air, and the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the path.

Inside the relatively safe confines of the carriage, Theo pressed his face against the cold glass, briefly mesmerized by the storm's relentless dance outside. But his attention soon shifted back to the letter from Lily, his fingers tracing the words she had written.

Eva watched her son with affection, amused by his youthful infatuation. She couldn't help but muse aloud, "Head over heels for a young lady already, huh?"

Theo looked up from the letter. "We are just friends, Mom," he defended.

Eva giggled softly. "I know, darling. I know." Her voice held a warmth that only a mother's understanding could convey. She continued, recalling his recent decision about the trip, "But just so you know, if you wanted to stay at home with Meema Elowen to meet Lily, I would have understood."

Theo shook his head. "I wanted to be with you, Mom. And Lily... she had her training. We both had our duties."

Lily, not one to give up easily, had tried to join them, but her training with her great-great-grandfather had kept her bound.

Once her training session concluded, Lily stubbornly persuaded her great-great-grandfather to allow her to visit Theo at Eva's parents' home. The old man eventually agreed, and she quickly set off for her destination.

However, upon learning that they would soon be returning home, Lily dispatched a letter to Theo, requesting him to pick her up at Dragon's Roost.

Lost in these thoughts, Theo and Eva were abruptly jolted from their reverie as the carriage lurched violently. Eva’s quick reflexes saved them from a harsh collision with the carriage’s interior; she grasped Theo tightly, pulling him into her embrace, shielding him with her body.

"Are you okay, baby?" Eva asked, her voice laced with concern as she checked Theo for any signs of injury.

Theo nodded, still gripping the letter tightly. "I’m okay," he reassured his mother, though his eyes were wide with concern as he scanned her for any injuries.

Outside, the storm continued to rage, the silver wolf howling against the tumultuous weather, its sound mingling with the roar of the wind.

Eva, her face etched with worry, tried to peer through the rain-lashed window, calling out to the coachman, "Andrew, why have we stopped?"

After a tense moment without reply, Eva’s protective instincts kicked in.

She opened the carriage door, a protective bubble of energy enveloping her as she stepped out into the storm, unaffected by the rain. Turning back to Theo, she instructed, "Wait here, Theo," with a firmness that brooked no argument.

Exiting the carriage, Eva stepped into the storm, but the rain seemed to part around her, leaving her untouched. She hurried to the front where Andrew sat motionless. Her heart sank as she discovered the coachman, a black dagger embedded gruesomely in his skull, his expression frozen in a silent scream of terror.

Eva whirled around, panic seizing her as she reached the carriage door. Without hesitation, she pulled Theo from the carriage, clutching him close as she leaped away to a safer distance. They landed lightly, Theo cradled in her arms as she had done when he was younger.

Theo, still in his mother's arms, looked up at her with wide, confused eyes. He felt the old familiar safety in her grip, but the fear in her eyes was something he seldom saw. "What’s happening, Mom?" he asked, his voice trembling as he clung to her.

Eva's eyes darted around, scanning the dimly lit surroundings. Her eyes narrowed on a figure perched nonchalantly on a nearby tree branch.

The man had dark blue hair, and a scar ran from one eye down to his chin. "Greetings, Lady Eva. My name is Alaric Rancor. It’s a pleasure to meet you today," the figure called out smoothly, his voice cutting through the storm’s fury.

Eva's voice was calm yet cold as ice as she demanded, holding Theo close, "Why would a Cosmic Sage block our path?" Her tone was controlled, the calm before the storm, her mind racing through scenarios while her primary concern was the safety of her son.

She made no move to attack, ready to defend her son at any cost without escalating the confrontation with such a formidable figure.

Her hesitation to fight a Cosmic Sage warrior was understandable. In this world, power rankings were carefully structured, each level denoting a significant leap in strength.

At Level 100, there were the Sovereigns. Surpassing the Sovereigns, the Arch-Sovereigns occupied Level 110. The Primordials were at Level 120. Above them, at Level 130, stood the Archons. Reaching Level 140, the Paragons came next. Then, at Level 150, were the Cosmic Sages.

Facing a Cosmic Sage, one of the highest ranks, was not something to be taken lightly, especially when her priority was protecting her son.

"The reason we are here is for your beloved son," Alaric continued. "The Forgotten One needs to be unsealed from their ethereal chains, and for that, we need your son. Cooperate, and you can leave unharmed."

Hearing such bold demands, Eva's heartbeat quickened, her mind racing with the grave situation they were in. The stakes were unimaginably high---her son's safety against the formidable prowess of a Cosmic Sage. Her gaze flickered to the emblem of a black raven on Alaric’s chest, confirming her worst fears about the infamous Order of the Raven being involved.

She knew the reputation of the Order of the Raven all too well---ruthless and relentless. Her eyes darted briefly to the horizon, where the silhouettes of at least two hundred figures approached. Alaric knew a mother wouldn’t just leave her son behind, so he had come prepared for the expected fight.

They are all at least Primordials, and some even Archons, she thought grimly.

The overwhelming number of enemies with such strength tipped the balance of power drastically. Under normal circumstances, Eva, matching Alaric’s rank as a Cosmic Sage, might have considered her odds fair in a one-on-one confrontation. But facing an army, with her son by her side, altered the equation drastically.

As the distance between the approaching army and them closed, Alaric politely asked, "Shall we start?"

Eva turned to her son with a soft voice. "Theo, hold on to Mom tightly... this is going to be a rough ride," she whispered, trying to assure her son even as her heart pounded against her chest with the anticipation of what was to come.

Without another word, she prepared herself, summoning her deepest reserves of power. If a battle was inevitable, she would ensure Theo’s safety at all costs.

The storm around them seemed to pulse in rhythm with her rising energy, setting the stage for a confrontation that would alter the fate of countless lives.

The young boy clung tightly to Eva as her left wrist illuminated with emerald rings, each glowing with intense energy.

Around the duo, a thick barrier of crystalline tree bark began to form, rising twenty feet tall and encasing them in a protective dome. From the outside, onlookers could only see what appeared to be a majestic tree with dense branches and lush emerald leaves.

The advancing army halted, their expressions shifting from aggression to awe at the sudden manifestation of such powerful magic.

Even Alaric muttered in frustration, "Why did she have to be a holder of the Sylvan Element?"

The Sylvan Element was both revered and feared, known for its dual capacity for creation and destruction, blending nature’s vitality with the enigmatic energies of darkness and divinity. It held a unique place among the elements as both noble and forbidden, making Eva one of the most revered figures in the Great Forest of Slyvora.

Regaining his composure, Alaric raised his arm, signaling his warriors. "Destroy this tree, but be cautious! The boy must not be harmed, and watch for her tricks!" he commanded, his voice booming over the wind.

The battle intensified around the protective dome. Elemental warriors channeled their energies, creating devastating projectiles aimed at breaching Eva's formidable barrier.

The Fireweave Mystic summoned gigantic fireballs that blazed across the sky, while the Firebeast Tamer conjured phoenixes, their twenty-foot wingspans flickering with flames. These majestic birds of fire swooped toward the tree with ferocious intent but dissipated harmlessly upon collision, their fiery forms absorbed by the tree's dampening aura that turned fierce fire into harmless wisps of steam.

Not to be outdone, the elemental wind mages called forth their own formidable arsenal. They summoned giant wind blades---razor-sharp and shimmering with deadly intent.

These ethereal swords slashed at the dome with the ferocity of a tempest, cutting through the air toward their target.

Alongside these blades, the earth mages conjured massive boulders, each a twenty-foot monolith, hurled with the intent to crush. However, when these colossal stones struck the barrier, they crashed with thunderous force only to shatter into pebbles and dust, the Sylvan shield remaining unmarred.

From above, the Thunderweave Mystic took their turn, calling down powerful bolts of lightning aimed directly at the tree. The sky overhead lit up with brilliant flashes, each thunderclap echoing like the drums of an ancient war.

Yet, these celestial strikes too were in vain; the tree absorbed the electric energy, its leaves shimmering momentarily with a spectral glow before returning to their normal verdance.

Meanwhile, the Waterbeast Tamer summoned giant hydras. These serpentine behemoths, made entirely of swirling water, surged forward with the force of a tidal wave.

Their heads snapped viciously at the barrier, yet as they collided with the tree's mystical protection, they merely splashed against it ineffectually, unable to leave even a mark on the verdant shield that Eva had conjured.

Each attempt, no matter how fierce or cleverly crafted, met the same fate. The tree stood resolute, a bastion of Sylvan power.

Alaric's expression turned sour as his army of two hundred warriors failed to breach the defenses of their seemingly indomitable enemy.

Eva, watching the relentless but futile assault, decided it was time to counterattack. With a silent incantation, she summoned her first spell.

The ground began to tremble, a low rumble growing into a deafening roar. Cracks spider-webbed across the battlefield, and from these fissures, a maelstrom of colossal vines and branches erupted with explosive force. The sheer power of the eruption sent shockwaves through the air, causing even the strongest of them to stagger.

The vines, each as thick as ancient tree trunks, surged forward like living serpents. They moved with terrifying speed, smashing through enemy defenses as if they were made of paper. The branches, heavy with thorns, lashed out in all directions, their barbed tips tearing through flesh and spilling blood across the battlefield.

Caught in the initial onslaught, several elemental warriors were swept off their feet, their bodies crushed under the relentless might of the vines. Screams of pain and surprise reverberated across the battlefield as the chaos unfolded.

Those who managed to dodge the initial strike found themselves on the defensive, scrambling to avoid the thrashing limbs that seemed to have a mind of their own.

Eva's attack was more than just a show of force; it was a demonstration of how a gentle mother who cared about her son could transform into a slaughtering force of nature if anyone dared to threaten him. Her anger knew no bounds.

The vines and branches seemed to anticipate the movements of the enemy, cutting off escape routes and herding them into tighter and tighter spaces.

The battlefield, once an open plain, was now a twisted forest of destruction. Each vine and branch became a deadly weapon in Eva's arsenal. The ground was littered with the fallen bodies of those who could not escape the onslaught.

However, all this was not enough. The elemental warriors began to redirect their attack on the vines, and this time their combined efforts started to cut through the relentless onslaught.

But for every vine they severed, more sprang forth from the ground, their numbers seemingly endless. The tide of battle had turned into a desperate struggle.

Just as the intensity of the fight escalated, beads of sweat formed on Eva’s forehead. She could feel the strain of maintaining such a relentless attack. If she continued at this pace, she risked overextending herself and losing the battle. Yet, she pressed on, knowing that her son's safety depended on her unyielding resolve.

As the battle dragged on, the enemy's forces dwindled significantly, and only about fifty remained. Even Alaric appeared weary from his attempts to slice through the torturous vines that had decimated his troops.

Just a little bit more, Eva muttered to herself, hoping this would end soon.

However, her expression darkened abruptly as she spotted dozens of new figures racing toward the battleground. They moved with astonishing speed, closing the distance in mere moments and slowing only as they neared Alaric, who seemed to regain a spark of vitality at their arrival.

"Alaric, I told you to wait for me, yet you acted prematurely," a woman with striking violet hair chided. She surveyed the scene, her eyes locking onto the majestic tree with a venomous smile.

Twenty figures around her stood respectfully silent, indicating their deference to her.

"But Vexalia, I aimed to resolve this quickly, before any reinforcements could interfere," Alaric defended himself, trying to justify his haste.

From within the protective dome, Eva's expression turned grave as she recognized the newcomer. "A Cosmic Archon," she whispered, dread lacing her words.

Vexalia, the Cosmic Archon, was a warrior of at least the 160th circle rank and posed an even greater threat than the whole force combined. Her presence elevated the danger to an alarming level.