When the Moon No Longer Answers the Wolf Chapter 21

Aurora got straight to the point. "What's this trial you mentioned?"

Victor sighed. "Aren't we friends? Aren't you concerned about me at all?"

Seeing Aurora's indifferent expression, he dropped his smile and said seriously—

"I was too lazy. I've been hiding in that valley for years."

"After my first trial, the world's will judged me as unqualified. I've never been able to fully master the ritual's power."

"To face the trial again, I had to wait for the next person to walk the path of the ritual. When the celestial gate opened, I was also judged as a trial-taker and brought in."

Aurora frowned in thought. "I've never heard of such a way to undergo a trial."

"In a world of countless wonders, this is nothing."

Aurora nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What was your last trial? Did you figure anything out?"

Victor threw his hands up. "No. If I had, I wouldn't still be going through trials."

"What did you do to make the world's will judge you as unqualified?"

"The same as now. I ate, drank, and played my way through life. Then I died and went back."

Aurora lost interest in prying further. Victor was a man you could never see through. He was like a drifting cloud—seemingly pure and harmless, but impossible to grasp.

As they were talking, another sound came from outside—a pebble hitting the window.

Kaelen’s voice followed. "Aurora, it's me."

Aurora sighed in frustration. Why did everyone have to climb through her window at night? Couldn't they talk during the day?

She had just arrived and was unfamiliar with the place. She didn't want to alert the guards, so she had no choice but to open the window for Kaelen.

The moment Kaelen entered, he saw Victor lounging in a chair. He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"It's late. It's not appropriate for a stranger to be here."

Victor looked surprised, raised his eyebrows, and pointed at himself, then at Kaelen.

"And you're not?"

Kaelen was about to say that he, of course, was not. He was Aurora’s family.

For some reason, the words got stuck in his throat.

"Is my relationship with her something you can comment on? Who do you think you are to compare yourself to me?"

Victor sneered, about to retort.

Aurora, annoyed, stepped between them.

"Neither of you want to go back, do you?"

"If you don't, then leave. Don't bother me here."

Kaelen had clashed with Victor many times and knew he was shameless. He decided not to argue with him further, to avoid upsetting Aurora. He turned to her.

"Have you figured out anything about your trial?"

"No."

Kaelen was about to say more, but Aurora showed him the door. "Kaelen, you should go. Go back to your own world. You were never supposed to be a part of this."

"We have to go through this trial, but you're different. You can leave at any time."

Kaelen was incredulous. "You're kicking me out for him?"

Aurora couldn't be bothered to explain. Kaelen never believed her anyway.

"Everyone has their own cultivation. Please don't interfere with my trial."

"You know how important this is."

"Kaelen, don't meddle in my affairs. I don't want any more complications between us."

The composure in Kaelen's eyes shattered like a dried riverbed, cracks forming, revealing glimpses of hurt and sorrow.

"Aurora, I would never hurt you."

"You already have."

Kaelen became agitated. "It wasn't intentional!"

"No, it was. But it was for your own good. I just wanted to preserve our relationship. I'm your elder. I see things you don't. Isn't it better for us to be family forever?"

Aurora nodded. "Of course, I will always see you as my uncle. Don't worry, you will always be my uncle."

Kaelen opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Everything Aurora said was right, everything he had once wanted. So why did it sound so jarring now?

"Aurora, you haven't thought it through. I'll come see you again."