Chapter 172: The Ones Behind The Scenes
[Gate Manifestation canceled.]
"Tsk."
The cloaked figure lowered their hand, the crimson glow of the message window reflecting in their narrowed eyes before vanishing entirely. The chamber was plunged back into a cold, oppressive darkness, save for the dim moonlight filtering through the high stone slits.
"I was so close," the figure muttered, their voice echoing softly against the damp walls. "If that damn old man hadn’t intervened and ruined everything..."
A fleeting moment of irritation crossed their features, but it dissolved just as quickly into a low, detached sigh. Anger was a useless emotion, a waste of energy. They leaned back, crossing their arms as they stared into the open space where the rift had briefly begun to tear.
"Well... at least I learned something useful."
A small, amused smirk pulled at the corner of their lips as they recalled everything they witnessed.
"She actually got married and is living happily," the figure murmured, the words dripping with a mocking sort of fascination. "I suppose that explains why her surname changed from Morvain to Everly..."
The smirk widened into a sharp, cruel grin. The shadow beneath the hood shifted as their eyes gleamed in the dark.
"This actually makes things much easier."
A happy life meant attachments. Attachments meant leverage, vulnerabilities, and predictable paths. A husband was just another tool to be used, another lever to pull when the time came to break her completely.
The figure raised a single hand, palm facing upward. The ambient mana in the chamber curdled, turning pitch-black and freezing cold as it pooled over their skin. The shadows along the floor began to writhe, stretching upward like reaching fingers until they coalesced into a small, formless shape resting on the figure’s palm, a spirit of pure darkness. It shifted restlessly, its void-like eyes fixing entirely on its creator.
"I have a mission for you," the figure whispered.
Leaning down, the individual spoke to the creature in a low, muffled undertone. The precise instructions were swallowed by the shadows, a quiet murmur of calculated malice detailing exactly where to go, who to watch, and what to do. The spirit tilted its formless head, absorbing every word with absolute obedience.
When the figure finished speaking, the darkness spirit gave a silent, fluid nod. It melted off the figure’s palm, dropped to the floor, and sank directly into the stone, leaving no trace behind.
Left alone once more, the figure stood perfectly still for a heartbeat, looking at the spot where the spirit had vanished.
"Enjoy your peaceful little marriage while it lasts." A low chuckle vibrated from beneath the hood. "Because the next time will be the last."
Then, with a casual step backward, their own form dissolved into the surrounding gloom, blending seamlessly into the shadows until the chamber was entirely empty, leaving only the cold corpse on the floor as evidence of their presence.
───────
Kalmira City.
Central Medical Center.
Third Floor. Room 321.
The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor fractured the silence of the hospital room, accompanied by the faint hum of life support equipment.
Two hospital beds sat side by side.
On one, Ethea lay motionless under the sheets, her face pale as she drifted into a deep unconsciousness. On the other, Soren lay heavily bandaged, his chest rising and falling beneath a web of tubes and wires.
Both carried a frown on their brows, their expressions taut with the stress of the battle they had barely survived. Yet, as if instinctively sensing each other’s proximity through the haze of their comas, their breathing gradually synchronized, and the tension in their features softened.
However, this peace did not last long.
From the gloom beneath Ethea’s bed, the shadows began to curdle and stretch. Without a sound, a formless shape detached itself from the floor and rose into the air, condensing into a small, shifting ball of pure darkness. It floated effortlessly, its surface rippling as it hovered over its target.
The sphere drifted lower, stretching out thin tendrils of shadow toward her.
Just as it hovered inches away from her face, a sinister voice echoed through the room.
"Stop."
However, bound by its creator’s commands, the spirit ignored the warning. It lunged forward, attempting to sink directly into Ethea’s forehead.
Thump.
The moment it touched her, a faint ripple shimmered across her skin. The spirit was instantly repelled, bouncing backward through the air as if it had slammed into a solid mirror.
Confused, the creature hissed silently. It gathered its form, swirling with greater density, and drove forward again.
Thump.
The result was identical. But it didn’t give up and tried once more, throwing its weight against the invisible barrier, only to be violently rebounded into the air.
Realizing something was wrong, the dark spirit paused, hovering erratically. It cautiously scanned the room, its head snapping from side to side to locate the source of the interference. Finally, its gaze locked onto the darkest corner of the ceiling.
There, melting out of the shadows, was another entity of pure darkness. But unlike the intruder, this one had a sharper, more defined shape and a set of glowing scarlet eyes gazing back with mocking amusement.
The intruder froze, its surface quivering unevenly under the pressure of that intense glare.
Before the sphere could retreat, the crimson-eyed spirit expanded, its edges sharpening into jagged claws as it descended from the ceiling. In an instant, the lights guttered out, swallowing the room in a suffocating blackness. Only those two red eyes remained, staring menacingly.
A low murmur vibrated through the shadows, carrying a note of dark satisfaction.
"Sorry, buddy, but this is the end for you."
"Hr..."
The sphere lashed out, whipping thin tendrils of darkness forward in an attempt to pierce the other spirit. But its attacks simply dissolved upon contact, melting harmlessly into the massive entity without leaving a scratch.
Despite sharing the same dark element, the gap in their power became apparent.
And realizing that, the sphere rippled violently, shuddering with terror as the claws closed around it. It tried to shrink away, yet there was nowhere to run. The crimson-eyed spirit hurled forward, opening a void within its form and swallowing the sphere whole.
As the intruder vanished into the dark, a mocking chuckle resounded across the void.
"Don’t blame me for this. Blame your stupid master for thinking he could outsmart mine. Haha!"
