For some time now, wherever Chris went, Oriana followed.
Chris had no choice but to focus on finding Emily.
Not only did he search across the East Coast, but he also sent Lynx to investigate Middleton.
Before long, news arrived from Middleton.
Lynx called Chris.
“Master, after my investigation, I discovered that a year ago, a girl named Emily appeared in Middleton. This Emily caused a lot of trouble, provoking several families. However, the conflicts were resolved by two powerful guards by her side.”
This description perfectly matched Emily’s personality, as Chris knew her.
Chris asked, “Lynx, where is Emily now?”
Lynx responded, “After staying in Middleton for a month or two, she headed to the East Coast.”
Chris was stunned.
He hadn’t expected Emily to truly come to the East Coast.
Despite having Bull Parker search extensively, Emily could not be found anywhere on the East Coast.
This left only one possibility: Emily Silverstone never made it to the East Coast after all.
Chris instructed, “Lynx, keep investigating Emily’s whereabouts. Inform me immediately if you find anything.”
“Understood!” Lynx replied without hesitation and dove back into the investigation.
Particularly, Lynx focused on tracing Emily’s route from Middleton to the East Coast.
If he could determine whether Emily had actually arrived or encountered trouble along the way, her location might become clear.
Soon, Lynx brought more information.
“Master, according to my findings, Emily was last seen near Mount Cinderfall.”
Chris frowned and muttered to himself, “Emily went near Mount Cinderfall? Could it really be a coincidence?”
Mount Cinderfall was known to house the entrance to Aethelgard, and Emily’s disappearance in the same area seemed far too coincidental.
Chris immediately shared this update with Oriana.
Upon hearing the news, Oriana urged, “Chris, take me to Mount Cinderfall.”
Though reluctant, Chris agreed. Before departing, he briefly informed Esther.
Chris and Oriana then boarded a plane and flew to Mount Cinderfall Airport.
Mount Cinderfall City was famous for its namesake mountain, drawing millions of tourists annually.
At the airport, Chris was greeted by Lynx and his team, who had already arrived ahead of him.
Lynx reported, “Master, based on my investigation, Emily disappeared shortly after arriving in Mount Cinderfall City.”
Chris frowned again.
If Lynx was correct, Emily had been missing for almost a year.
Where had she been? Could she have been abducted?
But Emily wasn’t alone-she had two elite guards, Rhys and Griffin. With their strength, it was nearly impossible for anyone to kidnap her.
Chris turned to Oriana and reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’ll find your sister.”
Oriana, visibly anxious, murmured, “Could Emily really have gone there?”
“Where?” Chris asked, puzzled.
Oriana took a deep breath and replied, “Chris, don’t ask too many questions. Just drive me somewhere.”
Without pressing further, Chris drove a rugged SUV as Oriana directed.
They soon found themselves on a winding mountain road leading into the wilderness of Mount Cinderfall, far from the main tourist areas.
The isolation was striking, and Chris couldn’t help but wonder if Emily had truly ventured here.
Suddenly, Chris’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen-it was Lord Valerian.
Chris hadn’t spoken to Lord Valerian since quelling Daniel Williams’ rebellion. The unexpected call suggested he might have found Aethelgard’s entrance.
Answering the call, Chris immediately heard Lord Valerian’s excited voice.
“Chris, I’ve found the entrance to Aethelgard!”
“Where is it?” Chris asked.
“It’s along a secluded mountain road near Mount Cinderfall,” Lord Valerian replied.
Chris froze for a moment.
He realized he was already driving on one of Mount Cinderfall’s remote mountain roads.
“Where are you now?” Chris asked.
“I’m deep within Mount Cinderfall, in an undeveloped area surrounded by mountains,” Lord Valerian said.
“Send me your location. I’ll come to you,” Chris instructed.
After hanging up, Chris received Lord Valerian’s coordinates and saw they were only a short distance away.
He couldn’t help but feel speechless-Aethelgard’s entrance was practically right in front of him.
Turning to Oriana, Chris noticed her worried expression. It seemed increasingly likely that Emily had entered Aethelgard.
Aethelgard, inhabited by powerful Aetherbinding practitioners, was an incredibly dangerous place for someone like Emily.
After driving for another hour, the road ended. Chris had no choice but to park and continue on foot with Oriana.
They noticed dozens of abandoned vehicles scattered around-mostly Land Rovers and Hummers. Some had clearly been left for years, even decades, their frames rusted and broken.
It was obvious that the owners of these vehicles had entered Aethelgard and never returned.
Chris glanced at Oriana and saw a look of familiarity on her face. She seemed to know this place well, suggesting she had been to Aethelgard before.
Both of them moved quickly, their steps sure and steady. Oriana remained silent the entire time, her focus unbroken.
Finally, Chris couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Miss Silverstone, do you think Emily went to Aethelgard?”
Oriana didn’t answer, pressing forward without a word.
After half an hour of climbing deeper into the mountains, they reached an area where Chris spotted Lord Valerian waiting for them.
Seeing Chris, Lord Valerian exclaimed, “Chris, the entrance to Aethelgard is at the mountain summit!”
Without hesitation, the three of them began the steep ascent.
At the summit, Chris noticed his phone had lost all signal. Even satellite connections seemed blocked in this remote place.
The summit was densely forested, and despite their efforts, they couldn’t immediately locate the entrance to Aethelgard.