Chapter 36: The Road That Divides
The room felt heavier than before.
Not because of the silence—
…but because everyone now understood what was at stake.
Blue stood near the center, arms crossed, his thoughts still circling the same point.
Ten days.
That was all they had.
The door opened.
Selene stepped in first.
X followed just behind her.
That alone was enough to shift the entire room.
"Everyone," Selene said calmly, though there was a sharp edge beneath it, "sit."
No one argued.
Darius remained standing near the wall.
Watching.
Listening.
Selene's gaze moved across each of them—Blue, Rito, Gus, Kin, Mira… and finally, Lirael.
She lingered there for just a moment longer than necessary.
"We've made a decision," she said.
A pause.
"We're going to the Veil."
The words settled into the room like a weight dropping.
Rito straightened slightly.
Kin exhaled.
Gus didn't move.
Blue didn't react at all.
He already knew.
Selene continued.
"But you won't be going alone."
Now the room shifted again.
Darius stepped forward.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
"He'll be leading you," Selene said.
Kin blinked.
"…Wait—leading us?"
Darius didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Selene's voice hardened slightly.
"And if this is a trap…"
Her eyes moved to Lirael.
"He will kill you."
The room went still.
Not tense.
Not chaotic.
Just… quiet.
Lirael didn't flinch.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't even look offended.
"…Very well," she said simply.
That answer lingered longer than anything else.
Kin frowned slightly.
"…You're just okay with that?"
Lirael met his gaze.
"If I intended to betray you, your concern would be justified."
A pause.
"But I don't."
There was no emotion in her voice.
Just truth.
Or something that sounded close enough to it.
Then—
She stepped forward.
"If we are going to the Veil," she said, "we need to leave now."
Selene's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Explain."
Lirael didn't waste time.
"The nearest stable entrance is not here."
A pause.
"It is two days from this location."
Kin groaned softly.
"…Of course it is."
Lirael continued.
"It lies near a human kingdom."
Selene's expression snapped instantly.
"No."
The word wasn't loud.
But it carried force.
"Are you trying to get them killed?" Selene said, her voice tightening. "Do you have any idea what kind of place Serrealla is?"
Lirael didn't react to the anger.
"…Yes."
That only made it worse.
Selene stepped forward.
"They hunt our kind for sport."
Her voice sharpened.
"They train for it. They live for it."
Rito shifted slightly.
"…So we avoid them."
Lirael shook her head.
"We won't have that option."
Silence.
"There is another entrance," Lirael continued, her voice calm, steady.
A pause.
"Closer."
Everyone looked at her.
Selene's eyes narrowed.
"…Then we use that one."
Lirael shook her head again.
"No."
This time—
Even Blue reacted.
"Why?" he asked.
Lirael's gaze moved to him.
"For the same reason they would hunt you…"
A pause.
"…others would be waiting."
The room quieted.
"That entrance leads directly into a monitored region of the Veil," she explained.
"If we go there…"
She didn't rush the words.
"…we will be discovered immediately."
Gus frowned.
"…And?"
Lirael met his gaze.
"And we will be killed."
That landed.
"No chance?" Kin asked.
"None," she replied.
Silence stretched again.
Selene crossed her arms slowly.
"…So your solution is to walk directly into a human kingdom that wants them dead?"
Lirael didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
That answer almost broke the room.
Selene's voice dropped lower.
"…You expect me to accept that?"
"It is the safest option," Lirael replied.
A pause.
"That entrance was created by Mistborn."
Now—
That changed things.
"Most Fae don't even know it exists," she added.
"It is hidden. Stable. And far less guarded."
Selene's anger didn't fade.
But it shifted.
"…And the time?" she asked.
Lirael didn't look away.
"It will take longer."
Selene's jaw tightened.
"…We don't have longer."
A quiet voice cut through the tension.
Darius.
"Then we make it work."
Everyone looked at him.
He stepped forward slightly.
His expression unchanged.
"We enter through the human kingdom," he said.
A pause.
"Then we return through the closer one."
That shifted the room again.
Selene frowned.
"…You think that's possible?"
Before Darius could answer—
Lirael did.
"No."
This time, her voice wasn't just calm.
It was firm.
"It's too dangerous."
Blue stepped forward.
"We'll decide what's dangerous."
Lirael turned to him.
And for the first time—
There was something in her expression.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Concern.
"You don't understand what you're suggesting," she said quietly.
Blue didn't back down.
"Then explain it better."
She held his gaze.
Longer this time.
But before she could speak—
Gus stepped in.
"Or…" he said slowly, glancing between them, "we trust the person who actually knows what they're talking about."
Silence.
Everyone paused.
Even Blue.
Gus looked at Lirael.
Then back at the group.
"She's from the Veil," he said.
A pause.
"We're not."
That was simple.
But it hit.
X finally spoke.
"He's right."
The room shifted instantly.
"We don't know what's waiting for you there," X continued.
"And pretending we do…"
A pause.
"…is how people die."
Blue exhaled slowly.
Then nodded.
"…Fine."
He looked at Lirael.
"We do it your way."
A small pause.
"But if there's a way back through that closer entrance…"
Lirael didn't let him finish.
"…Then we take it."
She nodded once.
"…If we plan it correctly, we can split."
Now—
The energy changed.
"Some of us return with the cure," she continued.
"…the rest create enough disruption to draw attention away."
Kin smirked slightly.
"…Now you're speaking my language."
Mira immediately turned to him.
"Knock it off."
He raised his hands.
"I'm just saying—"
"This isn't a game," she cut in.
Kin blinked.
Then smirked again.
"…Relax. I know that."
But something in her expression didn't soften.
Because beneath the irritation—
She was worried.
And for once—
It wasn't for herself.
Rito stepped forward slightly.
"…I think it works."
Everyone looked at her.
"If we're careful," she added.
Selene exhaled slowly.
Her gaze moved across the room one last time.
"…Then it's settled."
She turned toward the door.
"Get ready."
Her voice was final.
"We leave immediately."
The room began to move.
Chairs shifted.
Footsteps followed.
Voices lowered.
One by one—
They left.
Until only two remained.
X and Selene.
Silence settled again.
But this time—
It wasn't tense.
Selene leaned slightly against the table, her expression softer now.
"…It's starting again."
X didn't answer right away.
"…It never really stopped."
She let out a quiet breath.
"…Varkuun's been quiet."
X nodded.
"Too quiet."
Selene's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You think he's waiting?"
X's gaze shifted toward the window.
Toward the distant forest.
"I think he's watching."
A pause.
"Learning."
Selene crossed her arms slowly.
"…I don't like that."
X smirked faintly.
"…You're not supposed to."
She glanced at him.
"…And you?"
He didn't hesitate.
"I'm looking forward to it."
That earned the smallest reaction from her.
Almost a smile.
"…Of course you are."
Another quiet moment passed.
Then—
She stepped closer.
"Just don't let that excitement make you reckless."
X looked at her.
"It won't."
A pause.
"…Not this time."
Selene studied him for a second longer.
Then nodded.
"Good."
Outside—
The sound of movement continued.
Preparation.
Departure.
And somewhere beyond it all—
Something was already waiting.
End Chapter 36