Chapter 1383: Mysterious Figure

Bertrada wanted to get rid of Adam as soon as possible, he annoyed her, and to do so, she had to play by the rules and check his past. It was a standard security measure that had paid off several times.

However, Bertrada could not have expected Adam to use this technique against her. No one had ever dared to be so brazen before. He acted quickly and decisively, so Bertrada did not even have time to react when Adam closed his eyes and delved into her past.

Sure, the mirror’s purpose was not to show everything about another person’s past, but rather the most important or tragic moments.

In Adam’s case, the mirror chose the day he became the Phantom, when he killed the Silver Weaver in a fight for his life.

“Let’s see what you’re afraid of, Bertrada.”

For a moment, a multitude of fragments — memories, surrounded Adam as he noticed familiar places in some of them.

He saw fragments of an island, a dark sea, and a majestic spire glowing with bright energy.

However, in the next moment, only ruins remained in its place, the tower in which he now stood, and the corpse of some creature the size of an island.

Everything happened too quickly for Adam to examine the fragments in detail, but he understood the big picture.

‘I see…’ Adam nodded weakly. ‘So she remembers when the White Spire was still alive? And this monster. It’s definitely a Lord, a very strong one. However, if it destroyed the White Spire, then Bertrada couldn’t have killed it. She’s too weak for that. Then… Who did it?’

Step.

At the same moment, a single step sounded that caught Adam’s attention.

He flinched, as did Bertrada, who was much younger at the time of this memory. Here, she was not an arrogant woman with a constant frown, but an insecure girl who was now trembling with fear.

Bertrada’s teeth were chattering not only because of the sight of the island drenched in the blood of an ancient creature, as well as part of her hair, but also because of the figure in front of her.

For some reason, no matter how much Adam wanted to, he couldn’t make out who this figure was, but he could clearly see a few details.

It was a tall man in a long coat with a wide fur collar. He exuded a powerful, crimson aura, the same color as his long hair that reached the middle of his back.

Step.

The man took another step as his hand fell on Bertrada’s pale face, leaving a bloody mark on her skin.

Then, the man took one last look at the wreckage of the White Spite, nodded slightly, and disappeared in a single leap, easily reaching the dark clouds.

…

“NO!” Bertrada exclaimed, snatching the mirror from Adam’s hand. “You mustn’t see this!”

However, as soon as she met Adam’s gaze, she realized it was already too late.

“You… You saw everything? You saw him… right?”

Adam nodded weakly.

“I did. But who is he?”

Bertrada waved her hand. “Forget it. You can do whatever you want, but I’ll never tell you about it. The time will come and you’ll find out for yourself… I don’t want any trouble with him… just… don’t do it, please.”

Her words made Adam feel uneasy. Now, he was looking not at the present Bertrada, but at her frightened version from the past.

‘Just one mention of this man puts her in such a state? Who is he anyway? A monster or a phantom? And if he’s a phantom, why have I never heard of him? If he’s a monster, what faction is he from? Renegades? Free End? Befallen Crown?’

In the end, Adam shook his head and decided not to press her. He could see that Bertrada didn’t want to talk about it, and if he tried to find out more about the situation, it would only cause him problems.

“Is that all?” Adam asked after a long silence.

Bertrada nodded, her shoulders hunched.

“Yes… Give me a few seconds, and I’ll take you back. When you return to Norax, tell him that I will spread energy throughout the Forgotten Mills in the next few hours.”

“Actually,” Adam began, forcing Bertrada to turn toward him. “I have one request before I leave.”

“Agh? What else do you need from me?”

In response, Adam pointed to Mona, who had been standing quietly to the side the whole time.

“She. She deserves more than just being your host. It’s not just my opinion, but also that of the White Spire that remains on this island.”

Bertrada’s frightened expression from the past instantly disappeared, replaced by a furious grimace.

“WHAT? What the fuck are you talking about? Mona works for me of her own free will! What’s more, she’s always been here, at the White Spire! It’s always been her choice and hers alone!”

Mona’s eyes darted from side to side. She didn’t understand what was going on here and what she was supposed to do.

What would be the right decision in her situation?

But soon Adam gave her a hint.

“Well, Mona simply had no other choice until this moment.” Adam shrugged and took the dark fragment out of his pocket.

This fragment was similar to the ones he received after passing trials, but it was different in that it was created specifically for Mona.

“Here.” Adam showed the fragment to Mona. “This thing will allow you to contact the Part of White Spire. What to do next will be up to you. You can become stronger by using its guidance and power, or maybe even help create another artifact on this island, who knows?”

That was enough for Bertrada and Mona to understand what was going on, and Bertrada was the first to take action. She lunged forward in an attempt to snatch the fragment from Adam’s hand.

He knew she would try to do that. The Part of White Spire had warned him.

So…

Whoooosh.

Adam threw the fragment right at Mona at the last moment.

Now, it was up to her to decide what to do: continue to serve Bertrada or try to go her own way?