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Evan glanced again in the direction where the cult had headed. “This is why no one could track the Nightshade freaks. Fuckers are hiding inside an Enclave Passage.”

The tree trunk stretched with a creak as the mouth opened. “You don’t seem afraid of them.”

“Well, under different circumstances I’d have been a little nauseous,” Evan’s face darkened. “But they took my friend, so right now, I’m just pissed.”

A hum stirred from the tree, echoing as if the trees behind him had joined in on the conversation.

Evan blinked away the murderous look from his face. He had to get back to Xen, no matter how mortifying the reunion would be after fleeing like that. “Grandpa, how do I get out of this Enclave Passage?”

“I’m not your grandpa! Stop calling me that!” The branches trembled as the tree scolded Evan.

Evan turned a deaf ear and continued. “If you don’t tell me a way to get out, I’m afraid someone from the outside might break in.”

The tree chuckled. “Silly child, this Enclave Passage has been unbreached for centuries. No one can—”

“I bet a demon can.” Evan pocketed his hands, a thoughtful look on his face. “Perhaps…an Eternal?”

The tree froze, along with its innumerable leaves. Along with several other trees nearby, as if they all had ears.

Is this whole forest alive?

“An…Eternal?” The talking tree whispered, shock evident in its voice. “Are you talking about the Abyssal Trinity?”

“The youngest of them, yes,” Evan said. “If you don’t let me out, he will break in. And let me warn you, I won’t be able to stop him,” Evan spoke with such confidence that he almost surprised himself by how convincing it sounded.

Whatbreak in? Whatstop him?

Xen had probably taken the relic from the temple by now and wandered off to who knew where with his Hellguard servant in tow. Even though Evan had run away before actually digging out Reth, he had helped to break the curse of the Hellguard and to find the relic. That definitely had to count, right?

And if it did, that meant the conditions of the blood bond were fulfilled. Which also meant the bond should be released by now. That finally meant that Xen had no compulsion to come to Evan’s rescue anymore.

For some reason, Evan’s expression soured.

“What are you saying, child?” The tree asked, hesitantly shaking off Evan’s threat like a joke. “The youngest King of the Demons hasn’t been sighted in ages. He has most likely perished by now.”

Some trees around them hummed in approval.

Well, they weren’t wrong. Xen had been imprisoned in a containment mirror, so naturally no one had seen him. The trees looked like they’d breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Xen had perished. Would they choke Evan with their branches if he told them he was the one who’d released the King of Demons from his containment?

Evan didn’t want to find out, so instead, he asked, “How long has it been since he was sighted?”

Just how long had Xen been in that mirror?

The tree went silent as it pondered, then said, “Around three centuries ago.”

A small furrow dented the skin between Evan’s eyebrows.

Three centuries…

Three centuries ago, the Hellguard was cursed. Three centuries ago, Reth was placed in the Old Temple. And coincidentally, three centuries ago, Xen disappeared.

What the fuck happened three centuries ago?

Just as he was about to ask, a rumble shook the skies, and the earth beneath his feet quaked in fear.

“What—what is happening?” The tree grumbled in fright.

Some small plant screeched from behind. “The array! Someone is trying to break in!”