Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 28: The Last Hope

"You dare eat in here..." Elder Gu stood at the end of the bookshelf, his face turning livid with anger. He glared at them, limping towards them.

"Run!" Neven urgently grabbed Aria's hand.

"But the plates!" Aria gasped, glancing back.

"Forget them!" Neven laughed, quickening his pace.

They dashed out of the library, weaving through the bustling crowd, and burst into the dining hall. Elder Gu's shouts echoed behind them, drawing everyone's attention. The furious elder stood on the stairs, clutching the handrail, cursing them: "How dare you... I'll tell the Lunar King..."

Thousands of eyes turned towards them, filled with sympathy and surprise.

"What did you do to make him so angry?" Sable shouted, with Oak and Alexander looking on curiously.

"Long story." Neven grabbed two cloaks. "Can we borrow these?"

"Hey, that's mine..." Sable protested.

As Aria was being pulled away, she turned to Sable and said, "We were eating in the library."

A collective sigh followed them.

They stayed hidden behind the snow-covered statue of Sovereign Bastion until Elder Gu's curses faded away before slipping out. Neven draped a cloak over Aria, giving her a gentle smile. "Come on, I want to show you something." He took her hand, completely unaware that he was currently holding Aria's hand. Aria, clutching the ancient book, looked down shyly. Passing Starguard Legion soldiers glanced their way; Neven's presence always drew attention.

"Where are we going?" Aria asked.

"To the Lunar Tower," he said. "We might catch the guard change. There's something I want to show you."

In the center of the royal city, the towering Lunar Tower stood majestically in the flat square. Guards were stationed everywhere. Aria followed Neven, hiding near the tower, sneaking glances at the stern-faced guards who resembled rows of expressionless statues.

"Stop staring, they're real," Neven pulled her back.

"Which legion is this?" Aria asked curiously, noting the prominent silver crescent moons on their armor.

"The Lunarshade Legion, the royal guard of the Lunar King. They protect the city and the Lunar Tower."

"How do we get in? It's heavily guarded."

"Now, we need to find an opportunity to get inside," Neven said, watching the tower.

Soon, the guards began to change shifts. They walked down the steps in order, lining up to hand over to the new guards.

"Now, follow me," Neven whispered.

He led Aria swiftly past them, stepping onto the stairs. In the gaps between the guards, they boldly walked into the Lunar Tower. They were incredibly lucky; none of the guards noticed them.

Aria's heart pounded. "You were too reckless. What if the guards had spotted us?"

"They won't," Neven smiled.

"But if even one of them had turned around..." Aria shivered at the thought.

"That's thanks to Alpha. He suggested to the Lunarshade's Grand Mentor that the guard change should be more ceremonious," he said slyly. "Coincidentally, this highly formal procedure has a blind spot. Unfortunately for them, I found it and exploited it."

"Grand Mentor doesn't know?"

"Obviously not, or it would've been fixed long ago."

Inside the tower was a spiraling staircase, reminiscent of the Echo Tower's design. But unlike Echo Tower, whose tighter spiral accommodated rooms on each floor, the Lunar Tower was a massive vortex leading up to a bright light. They climbed the stairs to a large door adorned with interwoven gemstones depicting the northern night sky's constellations, forming a beautiful star map.