Chapter 184: The Invitation (3)

"The Mistress? Who is that? Why would I need to meet with her? Why would I need to care?" Aiden asked, confused by the leader's enthusiastic greeting.

The glee not fading from her face, Sarah, the leader of the examiners responded instantly.

"The Mistress is the true leader of our faction. She is my leader, our wise captain, that is tasked with the burden of guiding us towards a better, more just future. She is one that has suffered in the past under the unruly, lawless, and cruel hands of civilization and took it upon herself to rid of this world of filth." 

"I see. And she would like to meet with me? What for?" Aiden continued with his inquiry. It was just too sudden, he just met and talked with Sarah the other day. Getting in touch with the one behind the scenes was just way too fast to be natural.

Giving a wry, troubled smile, Sarah began to explain the events from yesterday.

"You see, yesterday I have met with the Mistress to get the information that you requested in exchange for your cooperation in the upcoming… events. Things happened, she heard about your feats and became interested. She is the one that will be able to give you the information you seek. She is willing to work with you, but first, she wants to talk with you one on one, face to face."

Although Aiden felt the explanation was short, and there were some crucial parts left out, what was important to him was that he now had a goal. If he could get the information he needed by meeting with this woman, it didn't matter to him, he would do so.

"Okay. That sounds reasonable." He replied after a few moments of thinking. "When will we meet? Where do I need to go?"

Upon hearing the question, Sarah's smile turned slightly wider, donning the facial traits of a grin now. With an elated, happy tone she spoke.

"Well, if you are willing, we could go right now. She is waiting for you at this very moment."

Surprise settled on Aiden's face hearing this unexpected answer.

"Now? How? Is she somewhere in the building?" Subconsciously he sent out another wave of pulses trying to scan the inner features of Sarah's office, only to be met with intangible barriers made of energy blocking all of his attempts.

As if she was capable of sensing his energy signatures, Sarah's grin turned cheekier, as she remarked.

"Now now Aiden, why would you think that? She is far from this place, but thanks to her incredible powers, we can meet with her if you are willing. You just need to agree to it and she will take you."

She spoke, then paused to give a moment for Aiden to process the meaning behind her words. However, before he had the chance to speak, Sarah quickly added.

"Don't worry, she will also take you back here once you are finished. I can assure you, there is no danger involved in the travel, although she might test your skills a little… I can't say for certain. You see, she likes to be certain of the quality of her assets…"

Giving the invitation a few moments to think it through, Aiden saw no issues with just meeting with this mysterious leader. Even if he were to be 'tested' in some way, the benefits he could gain was tremendous. The possibility of finding a clue about the location of his main quest was of the utmost importance. The failure would mean his life in this world coming to an end. With a scythe like that hanging above his head constantly, giving him enormous pressure every moment, the cost of working with a shadowy leader with some warped sense of justice was a small price to pay. 

Also, why would he care about the world of humans? Apart from the weak connections, he made with the select few individuals, he doesn't feel any belonging. As long as the ones he cares about can be saved, he wouldn't bat an eye for the rest, it has nothing to do with him.

"Fine, I agree with your request. Let me meet with her." Aiden nodded after thinking it through.

"Excellent!" Sarah clasped her hands with excitement upon hearing Aiden's answer. She pulled a dark, familiar-looking glass crystal from the depth of her desk and presented it to Aiden. Just like the one his master, Number 3 used back in the underground arena, this one also had a black viscous smoke-like substance swirling inside of it, filling every inch of the crystalline container.

"You should just crash the crystal in your hands once you are ready. The Mistress will then open a gateway that you can then cross through to meet with her in a place of her choosing, where she is already expecting you." Seeing the concern surfacing in Aiden's eyes, she added with a friendly smile. "Don't worry though, I am almost certain she is at the mansion, waiting for you in the Study Room. That's where she usually meets with her guests."

Although he had many more questions, not just about the meeting or the origins of the woman she kept referring to as 'The Mistress', Aiden also wanted to know more about the fact they also had these crystals… Did they have a connection with her master, or the group, the Organization behind her? Still, he decided to keep these for himself for now, and just voice them once he is face to face with the woman on the other side.

Taking the crystal from Sarah's palm, he raised his right hand in front of him. Taking one last look at Sarah who kept giving him a friendly smile, they nodded at each other one last time, before Aiden decisively crushed the crystal in his hands. 

The dark viscous substance was released, it slowly levitated in the air, before stopping at around Aiden's eye level at arm's length. Suddenly, its calm state turned violent, and it began to rapidly swirl and whirl in the air, rapidly forming a black vortex made out of energy. Its edges began to blur, merging with the particles in the air. A moment later it began to slowly expand, slowly reaching towards the ground and creating a form of a gate, a doorway barely big enough for Aiden to fit through.

A few seconds passed before the gateway was finally formed, and while it looked familiar, it also had a strange, unique quality to it. First, its shape was slightly different from those that Granny and Number 3 formed, it had a wider arch at its top, and at the very top, there was a face looking down at him, a sort of unnatural being lording over the created magical tunnel. The surface of the gate wasn't the same either, while it had the same dark quality that the other one had, you could vaguely see into this one, and see a long, cylinder-shaped tunnel spiraling inside, seemingly to eternity.

Taking a few steps forward, Sarah walked to Aiden's right sight. Looking at him with the same, friendly, inviting smile, she gestured for him to step inside.

"Step through the gate Aiden. You will be instantly taken to the other side, you have nothing to worry about. This is a very high-level spell, not many are capable of such feats in the entire continent. The fact that she is willing to spend such a cost just to invite you for a talk… It shows how much she values you already. Go through, I will await your return here."

Hearing her words, Aiden looked at her with a surprised expression.

"You're not coming? How come?"

Sarah, simply shook her head, not giving any explanation. Instead, she urged him again.

"Come on, go through. The Mistress is waiting."

With no other choice in the matter, Aiden could only acquiesce and nod at her words, before turning his attention towards the portal in front of him. Keeping his vigilance at its peak, he continued sending out energy pulses not trying to map out any previously unregistered detail but to be aware of all sudden movements and motions. He couldn't be certain if all of this wasn't simply a very elaborate trap carefully designed to catch him off-guard.

However, there were no signs of danger, there were no dangerous vibes from anything. Sarah was friendly and had an expectant, almost reverent look on her face as she kept looking at him and the gateway that was formed from the crystal. 

'Here goes nothing… I guess.' He sighed inwardly, before taking that first step that marked the beginning of a long, and dangerous cooperation with the one that everyone just referred to as 'The Mistress' or The Madame. She, who is one of the tendrils reaching out from the shadows… She, who had suffered enough, and is ready to enact her twisted vengeance and justice upon the city, the kingdom, and even the world.

She, who holds many secrets, even for Aiden...