Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian

Chapter 53

But he was wrong.

After Merida left, Owen ran investigation after investigation on the pin in a rather shortsighted attempt to locate more of the rebel bases.

Merida found his experiments a waste of time, and she was tempted to tell him that in those exact words.

However, she refrained from doing so due to his position.

The process took several weeks and produced nothing... after nothing... after nothing.

Eventually, he came to the inevitable conclusion that the only location it directed the user to was the house in Mysterium where Justin had been found.

The pin would glow brighter the closer the bearer was to a certain location, allowing the user to pinpoint the location using logic and if necessary, mathematics.

Whenever they would arrive at the location, the pin would also start to pulsate as confirmation.

Meanwhile, Merida began looking for clues from Fintan and Vespera, whom she still strongly suspected. Nobody else would follow her theory, so she had no choice but to investigate on her own.

She researched their families, asked teachers subtle questions about them, and even located their homes.

Unfortunately, she ran into her own dead ends.

Fintan and Vespera seldom talked about anything suspicious (at least that Merida could hear).

She knew that they probably had information, but was also too scared of the risks in trying to figure it out.

Every day at school, Merida had to deal with the constant judgmental stares and whispers behind her back from the other students in Level 6. People treated her like an alien, which was exactly what Sophie had felt back at her human school.

She remembered the feeling too well.

Although Merida had no issues with her courses and homework, there was a heavy weight on her heart with every step she took through the corridors.

It was a void- a feeling that bothered her more than she'd like to admit.

Justin no longer appeared in the school hallways and classrooms.

Where he was, Merida didn't even know. Was he still in confinement?

And there was a possibility she didn't want to think about.

Could he be dead?

The Councillors probably knew, but all of them turned her away when she asked.

When she finally went to check his home, she realized in horror that it had been abandoned weeks ago. She had no clue if Justin's parents knew about his fate... and she hadn't even met them!

To make things even better, Merida had the absolute delight of explaining herself to her parents.

But the quick lie she sold wasn't difficult.

It was an account of how Councillor Owen had summoned her to finalize her decision on whether or not she was going to help them.

In reality, it was also the truth.

Just that the agreement had been made a while ago.

But the most important thing was that her parents bought it- and they were practically ecstatic when Merida told them she had accepted.

"You're finally doing something right," her father crowed. "You're making us proud."

Merida's smile didn't match her eyes.