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nLotus appeared as a silhouette and acted quickly.

nWith a wave of her hand, the vortex closed, and the mirror returned to normal!

nChad and Aubrey heaved a sigh of relief after seeing this.

n‘I didn’t expect him to have a Dark Spirit like Vale…’ Aubrey commented in her mind.

nAs she thought of asking the Dark Spirit about what she knew about the vortex just now, a pulse of Arcane Energy occurred at the mirror.

nSoon, the mirror’s surface rippled, and its glass suddenly appeared like a threshold to realms beyond.

nChad squinted after seeing what was going on.

nLotus, the Dark Spirit, had just closed the vortex, but now, it was forcefully opened by the being behind the mirror.

nAnd as it turns out, it was actually Mennena, the ArchFey, who had returned. Her presence was both ethereal and unsettling, and Chad and Aubrey exchanged silent glances.

nThey suddenly recalled Professor Shirley’s lessons where they had to call for Mennena. The also recalled the ritual prayer they used to call for her.

nEsteemed ArchFey of the Third Era, the 13th Warden of the Spirit World, the current Spirit of the Pristine Mirror, grant me your audience… In accordance with the vow, a practitioner of the Darkness Path will find the light within the darkness, and it’ll outshine even the darkest of shades.”

nThey still memorized this prayer, and Mennena was considered to be a very useful and knowledgeable spirit who could give any advice on any subject matter there was.

n‘It this really Mennena? Why does it feel different?’ Chad muttered. Mennena still looked the same.

nHer face was veiled—a dark gossamer that obscured her eyes. Her mouth curved, showing her lips painted the color of darkness… Her skin held the translucence of moonlight, and her hair cascaded like silver water.

nNonetheless, they both knew that Mennena’s eyes was special as this was taught to them by the Professors.

nThough hidden, her eyes were called Concealing Eyes which contained ancient knowledge. They held the weight of many oaths and vows where she had become mediator…

nAside from this, they only knew that Mennena was bound to mirrors… It was as if her existence was intertwined into every pane of glass, every polished surface in the world.

nChad’s calmed himself for a few seconds before he finally spoke…

n“Is that you, Mennena?”

n“Yes,” She replied softly.

n“I’m sorry for surprising the two of you. I just thought of inviting the two of you to my realm…”

nAubrey’s mind raced. She had no idea why they would even go to her realm.

nMennena, the Spirit of the Pristine Mirror, was no ordinary Fey. She held dominion over reflections, illusions, and the fragile balance between light and shadow. She knew more about her than Chad as her existence was further studied in their eighth year in the Academy.

n“Why do you want us there?” Aubrey asked. “And what happened to Mrs. Evelyn’s husband?”

nMennena’s gaze shifted for a moment as if she was in thought.

n“The mirror,” she said, “was a prison. It was used in a previous ritual and it still had remnant energy… I believe that a Demon Saint used this summon Evil Spirits. Your husband, Mrs. Hawthorne, glimpsed them. He sought answers, but the remnant Evil Force of the mirror ensnared him…”

nChad stepped forward. “And now?”

nMennena’s veil fluttered. “He wanders,” she said. “Between worlds. Lost. I offer a choice—to find him, to unravel the mirror’s secrets. But the Spirit World is treacherous. It demands a price.”

nAubrey’s mind raced. She felt that something was off from this.

n“We didn’t call for you or used our Ritual Prayer” she said. “Why appear now?”

nMennena’s mouth curved—a half-smile.

n“Perhaps, the mirror sensed your need, and I noticed your familiar aura…” she replied. “And your prayer—it lingers. Even if the prayer was done ten years or even fifty years ago…”

nChad and Aubrey shuddered after realizing this… They knew that praying on Mysterious Entities was dangerous but they didn’t expect that Mennena, the one their Professors encouraged to call, would be such a terrifying figure!

nChad’s shadow shifted—an acknowledgment from Lotus. The Dark Spirit stood guard, its tendrils intertwining with the mirror’s frame.

n“Will you help us?” Aubrey asked.

nMennena’s eyes—those veiled pools of secrets—held their fate. “Bring me the Golden Key of the Shadow Immortal… Allow me to borrow it for a day,” she said. “And I’ll help her husband find his way home.”

nAubrey was confused as soon as she heard the Mennena words.

nHowever, Chad was stunned.

nHis mind raced. He heard about it from the Time Manipulators. It was mentioned to him while they were training in the castle grounds.

nIt was an item that Shane had obtained in the Remnant of Celestial Realm. It was needed by the Time Manipulators in order to open the Celestial Prison Realm!

nThe Golden Key was a precious relic from the Celestial Realm.

nThere was no way that Mennena would request for it so casually as if it was just a common artifact.

n“Mennena, the ArchFey, sought the key. But why? To free someone imprisoned in the Celestial Prison Realm?” Chad’s mind raced through the legend he heard from the Time Manipulators and his Dragon teachers—the tales of celestial beings of the higher realm.

nNonetheless, the Golden Key was an important item, so he knew that Vale’s Avatar would not hand it over. Even the Time Manipulators in his command wouldn’t do so as well.

nChad squinted at Mennena.

n“Are you in the Prison Realm?” he asked.

nHe just thought that Mennena’s real body was somehow imprisoned and needed the Golden Key to free herself!

nHowever, her reply was unexpected.

nMennena’s eyes—veiled, half-seen—lit up.

n“Ohhh,” she said, “so it’s true that he has the Golden Key. As expected.”

nHer voice held a hint of amusement. “My information is still reliable, though I can’t enter the Immortal’s castle.”

nShe chuckled. It seemed that she was only confirming a piece of information from Chad! One of the Vale’s trusted aides!

nHe certainly fell into a simple trap, but he didn’t care about it anymore. At the very least, he also confirmed that Mennena could not do anything inside the castle’s protection.

n“Why do you need the key?” He asked again. “And who are you trying to free?”

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