Reincarnated Into A World Of Elves As The Only Man-Chapter 64: Reason behind

Elysia’s gaze shifted to Eren, her stern expression softening immediately. Her silver eyes—mirrors of Naia’s and Lyra’s—filled with unmistakable warmth.

"Eren, dear," she breathed, her voice gentler than moments before.

Eren’s jaw tightened. "Is that how you greet your daughters? By sending attackers after us?"

Confusion flashed across Elysia’s face, followed swiftly by fury as her eyes landed on the attackers Eren still held by their throats. She dropped her helmet, the metal making a dull thud against the soft earth.

"I would never—" she began, her voice sharp with indignation.

"I did it," a voice called out from behind the formation.

The warriors parted like water around stone as a figure strode forward with languid confidence. She wore lightweight armor unlike the others, dark leather accented with silver that caught no light. Her hair was cut short, practical yet somehow enhancing the sharp angles of her face. But it was her eyes that demanded attention—pale violet and gleaming with something both ancient and unhinged.

Elysia whirled to face the newcomer, her expression thunderous. "This was never part of our accord, Kiran."

"Mother, what’s going on?" Lyra demanded, stepping forward. "What accord with Kiran?"

"Yes," Naia added, her usual calm replaced by bewilderment. "What’s happening here?"

Eren released the attackers, who scrambled away, rubbing their throats and looking toward Kiran for direction. His eyes narrowed as he studied the newcomer, confusion evident in his tense posture.

The gathered warriors shifted uneasily, hands moving toward weapons. Elysia raised a hand, stopping them with the simple gesture.

Captain Diana and Elira moved into protective positions on either side of their group. Diana’s face was a mask of cold fury, her hand gripping her sword hilt so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Elira’s usual playful demeanor had vanished entirely, replaced by a predatory alertness, her eyes tracking every movement Kiran made.

Kiran moved through the space with a predatory grace, each step deliberate as she circled the group. There was something profoundly unsettling about her movements—too fluid, as if her joints worked differently than they should.

"I was merely testing how much the Veilwalker has grown," Kiran explained, her voice musical yet discordant. She ran her tongue across her teeth in a slow, deliberate motion. "And it was perfect." She threw back her head, laughing wildly—the sound echoing unnaturally in the misty air.

Viva edged closer to Lyra, keeping her blade ready. "Who is she?" she whispered.

Lyra’s brow furrowed. "That’s Kiran—Mother’s spymaster. Brilliant but notoriously difficult... and the same one Mother insisted follow her when Eren saw the water vision."

"What’s wrong?" Lyra called out louder, addressing her mother directly.

Elysia’s shoulders tensed. "It’s a long story, dear."

"What’s going on?" Naia pressed, her usual diplomatic restraint abandoned.

Kiran’s laughter died abruptly as she turned to face them all, her expression transforming into one of twisted delight. "I love this view—seeing the royal family scattered in confusion." Her fingers twitched at her sides, an erratic rhythm that matched nothing but the chaos in her eyes. "It’s me! Yes, it’s me! All of this is me! Your mother suddenly treating Eren wrongly—it was me!"

Without warning, Kiran withdrew a small curved blade from her belt. The edge gleamed with an unnatural sheen, suggesting something beyond mere metal. Before anyone could react, she dragged it slowly across her own palm, blood welling bright against her pale skin. Her eyes rolled back in apparent ecstasy at the pain.

"Kiran, please stop!" Elysia cried out, her voice strained with pain. The warriors tensed, their bodies rigid with a tension that suggested they’d witnessed this scene before.

Blood appeared on Elysia’s palm—an identical wound manifesting without the blade ever touching her. She groaned, clutching her hand to her chest as pain flashed across her face.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Kiran whispered, her voice taking on a reverent quality as she watched Elysia’s suffering. "The connection. The symmetry."

Lyra stepped forward, her face pale but determined. "Kiran, what are you doing? You’re playing with your own life!" Her voice sharpened with both concern and anger. "Why are you doing this to yourself? To my mother?"

Kiran’s gaze snapped to Lyra, her head tilting at an unnatural angle as a smile spread across her face. "Sweet, innocent Lyra," she cooed, her voice dripping with condescension. "Always trying to save everyone. Your concern is... touching." She traced a finger along her own cheek, leaving a smear of blood. "But this isn’t about saving lives. It’s about serving a greater purpose. My life means nothing compared to what my master requires."

"Your master?" Lyra pressed, trying to keep Kiran talking while her mind raced for solutions. "Who would demand such loyalty that you’d destroy yourself?"

Kiran’s eyes gleamed with fanatical devotion. "Someone who showed me the truth of this world when I was nothing. Someone who gave me power when I was powerless." She leaned closer to Lyra, her breath hot against her face. "Someone who will remake everything you know into something glorious and terrible."

Eren’s expression darkened with rage. He lunged forward, fist aimed directly at Kiran’s face.

"Eren, no!" Elysia shouted, but too late.

Kiran smiled—a chilling expression of anticipation—as Eren’s punch connected solidly with her jaw. The impact should have sent her reeling, but she remained perfectly still, her smile never faltering.

"More," she whispered, eyes alight with disturbing pleasure. "Do it again, Veilwalker."

Eren stared in shock as Kiran showed no sign of injury. "What—"

"Eren, look!" Lyra gasped, pointing at their mother.

Elysia’s head had snapped to the side, blood trickling from her split lip—the exact injury Eren’s punch should have inflicted on Kiran. Despite her pain, Elysia smiled at her son with trembling lips.

"It’s okay," she said softly. "Just know I would never do anything to hurt you."

Something in Eren’s chest constricted at that smile—so achingly familiar yet absent for so long. His mind raced as he processed what he’d just witnessed.

"Binding magic," Rose whispered, her composed exterior betraying none of the horror in her thoughts. ’How is this possible? Such power hasn’t been seen for millennia...’

Kiran circled Eren slowly, trailing her fingers along his shoulders and arms, examining him like a prized possession. Her touch lingered unnaturally long, fingernails occasionally digging into his flesh just enough to cause discomfort.

"Never thought this day would come," she purred, her breath hot against his ear. "Centuries upon centuries my master has sought this moment. The things I’ve done... the bodies I’ve left in my wake... all for you, Veilwalker."

Rose maintained her calm demeanor, but in her mind, rage boiled. ’I will kill you, witch. I swear on my grandmother’s life.’

Captain Diana shifted her weight forward slightly, a movement so subtle only another trained warrior would notice her readiness to strike. Elira’s eyes had narrowed to dangerous slits, her fingers twitching near the handle of her knife.

"How do you know I’m the Veilwalker?" Eren demanded suddenly. "I suppose Mother told you."

Kiran’s eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. "Even before you were born, I knew you were special," she said, running her finger along Eren’s jaw, leaving a smear of her own blood on his skin. "So I tried a little trick my master taught me whenever I sensed the Veilwalker’s power." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "That fire you made when you were a little elf—the one that shocked everyone. Do you think you made it yourself?"

Naia and Lyra exchanged startled glances, clearly remembering the incident.

"I made the fire myself," Eren stated flatly.

Kiran’s laughter burst forth again, this time with a cruel edge. "I tried the same trick over every kingdom for centuries! The children I tested—oh, how they screamed as they burned from the inside out." Her eyes widened with manic glee as she pressed her bloody palm against her chest. "Hundreds of little corpses, all charred beyond recognition. But you... YOU... survived!" She laughed wildly, the sound more like breaking glass than mirth. "I’ve dreamed of cutting you open to see what makes you different. My master had to forbid me from taking you in your sleep."

Lyra’s face contorted with horror and disgust. "You’re insane," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage. "You’ve been killing children for centuries? And now you’re bound to our mother?" She took a step toward Kiran, ignoring her sisters’ warning glances. "Kiran, you know this path leads to your destruction. Whatever your master promised you—"

"Destruction?" Kiran interrupted, her smile widening to something inhuman. "No, dear princess. Transcendence." She reached out and stroked Lyra’s cheek with her bloodied fingers, leaving crimson streaks on her skin. "Your brother is the key to everything. And through him, I will be rewarded beyond your comprehension."

Lyra didn’t flinch from the touch, maintaining her steady gaze. "You once served our family loyally. What happened to you, Kiran? What could possibly be worth this madness?"

Kiran’s eyes only widened with delight at Lyra’s distress, her smile stretching unnaturally across her face. "Your ignorance is exactly why you and your kind must be swept aside. There are forces at work beyond your comprehension, princess."

"Who is your master?" Eren demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled fury. "I wish to know."

Kiran’s smile widened as she took his hand in hers, leaving sticky blood between their palms. "She has waited centuries for you, Veilwalker. She’s carved your name into her own flesh a thousand times." She snapped her fingers, and the air beside them darkened, coalescing into what appeared to be a doorway formed of living shadow.

The shadows seemed to respond to her presence, writhing with unnatural movement, reaching toward her like eager pets seeking their master’s touch.

’There is more to this world than I could have imagined,’ Eren thought, his eyes darting between the portal and his injured mother.

"I will return," he said to Elysia, his voice heavy with determination. "And I want a full explanation."

Kiran gestured sharply to the attackers who had confronted them earlier. "You six, with me," she commanded. The elves moved quickly to flank Eren and his companions, their expressions guarded but obedient. One flinched when Kiran’s gaze fell upon her, a reaction that spoke volumes about what these warriors had witnessed their spymaster do.

"You’re going to love what’s waiting for you," Kiran whispered, running her tongue along her bloodied palm. "My master has prepared such exquisite things for her favorite Veilwalker."

As they approached the portal, the humic that had been perched on Eren’s shoulder slipped silently into his robes, nestling against his chest unnoticed by anyone. Rose flicked her fingers subtly at her side, a gesture so small only the most observant would catch it.

The shadows of the portal seemed to reach for Eren, tendrils of darkness curling around his ankles. Behind him, his companions exchanged alarmed glances, weapons at the ready but uncertain how to proceed against this unknown magic.

As they stepped toward the threshold, Eren turned back once more to look at his mother. Their eyes met across the distance—a silent communication that spoke volumes. Whatever lay beyond the portal, whatever waited in the shadows, he would face it and return.

For his family. For answers. For the truth that had been hidden from him all these years.

The darkness swallowed them whole, leaving only the mist-shrouded meadow and the sound of Elysia’s ragged breathing in their wake.