The Bookkeeper

Chapter 180: Beyond a Hint

"He's... a villain?"

His words echoed in the stillness. Raiden's vengeful purpose was absolute, but this represented his only route home. He'd accepted the risk of failure, but not the guarantee of it.he unbreakable force couldn't allow.

And if Klein had encouraged him so strongly, and not for his journey back home, then what was the reason? But this was only the beginning of his bewilderment... why exactly was the Huntress pursuing him?

This was his solitary abyss. None of his comrades knew his reasons for seeking the pages, and this wasn't knowledge he was willing to divulge. He had to navigate this isolation alone.

He could feel his brain throbbing against his skull, his hands tangling through his hair in frustration as he searched for something to cling to. Something to offer him, even a shred of hope.

The room felt silent, his head leaning back against the sofa, his eyes darting across the ceiling above as he tried to absorb the warmth in the quietness and ease his mind.

However, not long after, a nerve-wracking sound broke from the stone gate behind Raiden, cutting through the silence, and his head jerked in its direction.

Behind it was Noelle, panting as she gripped her knee. Raiden's expression darkened from seeing her alone. An uneasiness swept through him as her condition seemed strange given the carefree expression she'd carried moments before.

"Th—

Raiden's confusion began melting away, consumed by the puzzle before him. Noelle hadn't spoken to him in days, and with that panic threading her voice, something was definitely wrong.

"The pages... they are gone!" The words rushed through her heavy throat.