Reincarnated Into A World Of Elves As The Only Man-Chapter 65: The Truth Revealed

The shadow portal vanished, taking Eren with it and leaving behind only swirling mist and unsettling silence. Queen Elysia stood frozen, blood dripping slowly from her wounded palm onto the soft meadow grass.

Captain Diana surveyed the surroundings with practiced vigilance before approaching the Queen. "Your Majesty, we should establish camp before nightfall. Your wound needs attention."

Elysia blinked, emerging from her stunned state. "Yes... you’re right, Captain."

The Moonlight warriors worked with disciplined efficiency, erecting silver canvas tents in a protective circle. Soon, a small fire burned at the center of their camp, casting long shadows across troubled faces. The Queen’s larger tent stood slightly apart, adorned with subtle lunar insignia of the royal house.

As the camp settled, Queen Elysia emerged from her tent, her palm freshly bandaged. Her face was composed once more, though strain showed in the tightness around her eyes.

"I need to speak with my daughters," she announced. "Alone."

Her gaze fell briefly on Viva, Rose, and Elira. Recognition flickered in her eyes when she saw Rose, one of the palace kitchen servants, but she made no comment on the girl’s unexpected presence far from her usual duties.

Viva stepped forward immediately, her stance defiant. "With respect, Your Majesty, I cannot leave. Eren is my Veilwalker, and I must know what threatens him."

Elysia’s expression softened slightly at the warrior’s loyalty. "I understand your devotion to my child, warrior of Thornvale, but there are family matters we must discuss first."

Before Viva could protest further, Captain Diana placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Come. The Queen will share what we need to know when the time is right."

Elira gave a quick bow. "We’ll strengthen the perimeter, Your Majesty." Her eyes met the Queen’s with familiar respect—they had known each other for years through Elira’s service to the crown.

As they filed out, Elysia called softly, "Rose."

The girl paused, turning back with watchful eyes.

"Your grandmother was a good woman," Elysia said quietly. "I promised her I would keep you safe. I’m glad you survived." Her eyes held a moment of genuine warmth before her royal composure returned.

Rose bowed deeply, her face revealing nothing before she followed the others out.

"Captain Diana," Elysia called before the captain could leave. When Diana turned, the Queen’s expression softened. "Thank you for bringing my daughters safely this far. Your loyalty to the crown does not go unnoticed."

Diana bowed deeply, a flash of surprise crossing her usually stoic features. "It is my duty and my honor to serve, Your Majesty."

Once alone with her daughters, Queen Elysia’s royal composure crumbled entirely. Without a word, she rushed forward and pulled both Lyra and Naia into a fierce embrace, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

"I thought I’d lost you both," she whispered, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "When you disappeared from the palace without a word..."

The embrace lasted several heartbeats before she finally pulled back, wiping tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers. "Where is Sorrel?" she asked suddenly, new worry creasing her brow. "Why isn’t she with you?"

Lyra and Naia exchanged glances.

"We haven’t seen her since before we left the palace," Naia answered carefully. "We assumed she was with you."

Fear flashed across Elysia’s face. "She went looking for you both when you disappeared." She closed her eyes briefly. "I hoped she had found you."

"Sorrel can take care of herself better than any of us," Lyra offered, though concern edged her voice. "Mother, we need to understand what just happened. What is this blood bond between you and Kiran? And where has she taken Eren?"

Elysia sank onto a cushioned seat near the fire, suddenly looking older and more fragile than her daughters had ever seen her.

"It began years ago," she started, her voice soft with memory. "Do you remember when you both first noticed Eren’s unusual abilities?"

Naia nodded. "The fire incident. Lyra and I saw him create flames from nothing. We told you after you returned from the council meeting."

"Yes," Elysia confirmed. "When you told me about the fire incident, I was deeply troubled. I wanted to understand how such power was possible." Her expression darkened. "What I didn’t realize was that Kiran was watching from the shadows, as she so often did." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

She stared into the flames, lost in memory. "Later that day, Kiran approached me with grave concerns about Eren’s powers. She spoke of ancient prophecies, of the Veilwalker’s potential." Elysia’s fingers absently traced the bandage on her palm. "She suggested she could help me protect Eren, but only if I allowed her to seek information beyond our borders."

"And you trusted her?" Lyra couldn’t keep the accusation from her voice.

"Kiran had been my loyal spymaster for decades," Elysia replied, pain evident in her expression. "I had no reason to doubt her then."

She paused, seeming to gather strength for what came next. "When she returned weeks later, she claimed she had found answers but that I must see for myself. The shadow portal appeared for the first time—just like the one today."

"You went through it?" Naia asked incredulously.

"I did," Elysia admitted. "Beyond that darkness was... something beyond comprehension. I saw thousands of warriors standing in perfect formation, their armor unlike anything in our realms. And then..." She shuddered visibly. "A woman approached me. I never saw her face, hidden as it was behind a veil of shifting shadows, but I felt her power—ancient and terrible—pressing down upon me."

Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "They knew about Eren. They had sensed the Veilwalker’s birth. And they made it clear what would happen if I refused them."

"What did they want?" Lyra pressed.

"Control," Elysia answered simply. "They threatened to take Eren away immediately if I didn’t comply. But more than that—they threatened war against our kingdom. They demanded I initiate conflict with Thornvale." Her eyes closed briefly in remembered pain. "They claimed Queen Elena’s ancestors would sense the Veilwalker’s power and move against us if we didn’t strike first."

"That’s why you started the war?" Lyra’s voice rose in disbelief, her face transforming with sudden fury. "All those deaths, all that suffering—it was because of threats from some shadow entity?" Her hands trembled as rage coursed through her veins. "So the war was never about the southern territories at all? Lady Aria died because of this deception! She was like a mother to me, and now she’s gone forever." Lyra’s eyes flashed dangerously. "They will pay for this—Kiran and these shadow entities. I swear it on Aria’s memory."

"Why couldn’t they just take Eren themselves?" Naia asked suddenly, her brow furrowed in confusion. "If they’re so powerful, why the elaborate schemes? Why involve you at all? This doesn’t make sense."

"I’ve asked myself the same question countless times," Elysia admitted. "I believe there are rules even they must follow—ancient laws of magic that bind them. They needed me, as Eren’s mother and Moonlight’s Queen, to willingly give him over to their influence."

"So you agreed to their terms," Lyra stated flatly.

"I made a blood pact with Kiran," Elysia confirmed, looking down at her bandaged palm. "The binding prevented me from speaking of it, from warning anyone. For years, I’ve been forced to play their game—following their directives while trying desperately to find a way to break free."

Lyra leaned forward, her eyes fixed on her mother’s injured hand. "What exactly was Kiran doing to you earlier? Why did you bleed when she cut herself?"

"Binding magic," Elysia explained grimly. "One of the oldest and darkest forms of sorcery. Our lives are linked—her pain becomes mine, her wounds appear on my body. It ensures my compliance, for if she dies, so do I."

Naia’s face drained of color, her fingers digging into the armrests of her chair. "By the gods," she whispered, horror etched across her features. "All these years, you’ve been enslaved to her will."

Lyra’s expression shifted from shock to fury, her hands clenching into fists so tight her knuckles whitened. "There must be a way to break such a bond," she insisted, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "No magic is without its counter."

"Mother," Naia said, measuring her words carefully, "during our journey, Eren explained something to us about a ritual called TUNA. He said it was connected to his abilities as a Veilwalker. Is this what Kiran intends to use him for?"

Elysia’s gaze sharpened with surprise. "Eren told you about the ritual? How much did he explain?"

"He described it as a sacred bonding between a Veilwalker and their chosen companion," Lyra answered. "He said it involves an exchange of energies that amplifies the Veilwalker’s abilities."

Elysia sighed heavily. "He told you the truth, but not all of it. The ritual is indeed an ancient tradition for Veilwalkers. I fear they intend to force Eren to perform it with someone of their choosing, corrupting its true purpose."

"How are we meant to bring him back?" Lyra demanded, frustration evident in her voice. "How can we even find him?"

"He will return," Elysia said with surprising certainty. "They need him for something greater—they won’t harm him yet. They’ll threaten him with my life to ensure his cooperation, just as they’ve used him to ensure mine."

Naia rose suddenly, her face set with determination. "I’m waiting only two days," she declared, her silver eyes flashing with resolve. "After that, I’m looking for him, no matter where that search might lead me." She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. "We abandoned him once—I won’t do it again."

Elysia reached out, taking her daughter’s hand. "Your courage honors me, Naia. But the shadows they inhabit are not places we can easily follow." She paused, her expression thoughtful. "If Eren does not return within two days, we will need allies. I will seek help from Thornvale Kingdom."

Lyra’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Thornvale? After everything that’s happened between our kingdoms, you believe they would help us?"

"I do," Elysia said with quiet conviction. "Queen Elena is wise and just. And despite our conflicts, this threat extends beyond our borders. It endangers all the realms."

"They will help," Lyra said softly, her expression warming with unexpected certainty. "I’ve seen the heart of Thornvale’s people during our journey. They are good, honorable, and far more like us than I ever believed possible. The war between us was built on lies—perhaps this crisis can forge a true alliance."

Naia studied her sister with newfound curiosity. "You’ve changed your view of them quite significantly, sister."

A faint blush colored Lyra’s cheeks. "I’ve learned to see beyond the stories we were told."

"What do we do?" Lyra asked, returning to the pressing matter at hand, her voice sharp with frustration. "Wait here while Kiran does gods-know-what to Eren?"

"No," Elysia replied, rising to her feet with renewed strength. "We gather our forces and prepare. When Eren returns—and he will return—we must be ready to protect him." Her eyes hardened with determination. "And to break my bond with Kiran once and for all."

The tent flap rustled as Captain Diana appeared at the entrance. "Your Majesty," she said with a bow. "The perimeter is secured. There’s no sign of pursuit or other threats."

Elysia nodded, once again every inch the Queen of Moonlight despite her bandaged hand and the worry etched in her face. "Good. We’ll remain here tonight and return to the palace at first light. Send word ahead to prepare for our arrival."

As Diana withdrew, Lyra and Naia exchanged troubled glances. The truth they had received was incomplete, shadowed with uncertainty and darker purpose.

"There’s more you’re not telling us," Lyra said quietly, studying her mother’s face.

Elysia’s expression remained carefully neutral. "There’s much I don’t know myself," she replied. "But what I do know is that our kingdom—all kingdoms—stand at the edge of something ancient awakening. And Eren is the key to it all."

Outside the tent, the moon rose higher, its silver light catching on the campfires and casting long shadows across the meadow. Somewhere beyond the veil between worlds, Eren faced darkness alone—while those who loved him could only wait, and prepare, and hope it was not already too late.

’We’re coming, Eren,’ Naia thought fiercely, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. ’Whatever shadows hold you, we will find a way through.’