Seres’s eyes turned vacant and dull, as if she were a marionette.
Subconsciously, she took the cold dagger handed to her.
Before her stood “Olivia,” her twisted smile seeming to carry a strange, bewitching power that controlled Seres’s every movement.
Her hand rose uncontrollably, the sharp tip of the blade slowly aiming at her own heart.
“Yes… that’s right… just like this… soon it won’t hurt anymore… and we’ll be together forever…”
The smile on “Olivia’s” face grew even more radiant, her eyes gleaming with fanatical light as she urged her on.
In Seres’s heart, only one faint thought remained.
Aetin…
I’m sorry…
I might… break my promise…
Then, under “Olivia’s” expectant gaze, Seres’s hand gripped the dagger tightly and began to forcefully, slowly stab toward her heart…
At that moment, a sharp black shadow tore through the night sky like lightning and suddenly pierced “Olivia’s” chest.
It was a Black Sword, its blade enveloped in an ominous dark aura, precisely thrust from behind, penetrating “Olivia’s” illusory Spirit.
“Olivia’s” pupils instantly shrank to the size of a needle tip.
In disbelief, she lowered her head and stared at the black sword tip protruding from her chest, radiating waves of destruction.
Seres was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Her hand holding the dagger loosened, and the deadly weapon, formed from condensed magical power, fell with a soft “snap” onto the bedsheet before dissolving into scattered points of light and vanishing without a trace.
Behind “Olivia’s” gradually fading transparent figure, a boy with short black hair silently appeared without a sound.
He maintained his sword-thrusting stance, his gaze as cold as frost.
“Aetin… classmate?”
Seres tentatively called his name, her voice full of incredulous shock.
She had clearly seen him leave—how could he suddenly be here?
“Olivia” felt the Black Sword piercing through her body and initially paid it no mind, since she was a magical construct of Spirit and ordinary physical attacks were useless.
However, in the next moment, her expression froze abruptly.
For the first time, genuine terror appeared on her face—she realized her body was being eroded and disintegrated by a destructive force.
The magic composing her Spirit was dissipating rapidly, like ice and snow melting under blazing sunlight.
This Black Sword was strange—it could harm and even destroy magical Spirits!
“Olivia” spun around wildly, her twisted face full of hatred.
She glared fiercely at Aetin holding the sword and spat through clenched teeth:
“You bastard…!”
I was so close to succeeding! Just one last step!
Aetin looked at her expressionlessly, his eyes unmoving as if dealing with nothing more than garbage.
With a flick of his wrist, he decisively pulled the Black Sword from “Olivia’s” body, his voice calm yet final.
“Falsehoods belong to oblivion.”
As the sword left her, “Olivia” let out a resentful screech.
Her figure shattered like a broken mirror, fragmenting inch by inch, and finally vanished into a wisp of blue smoke, leaving no trace behind.
***
Meanwhile, in a luxurious Mansion on the other side of the City, inside an opulently decorated room, a Mature Woman with dazzling golden hair suddenly awoke from meditation, her eyes snapping open.
Her well-maintained face instantly twisted with raging fury as she slammed her fist onto the expensive Redwood Teatable.
With a loud “Bam,” the solid table splintered, wood chips flying.
“That damned bastard!”
Her eyes blazed with anger, her chest heaving violently as she bared her teeth.
“I was so close… so close to success! Just one last step!”
She ground her teeth as if each word dripped with venom, casting the most vicious curses into the empty room.
“I will make sure you… suffer worse than death! Those bastards who killed my brother!”
“Are you alright, Seres?”
After “Olivia’s” figure completely dissolved into the air, Aetin flipped his wrist and retracted the strange Black Sword.
The blade transformed into a streak of black light before vanishing into his hand.
He quickly approached the bed and steadied Seres, who remained frozen and expressionless.
Seres’s gaze stayed fixed on the spot where “Olivia” had disappeared, her eyes empty as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.
She murmured softly, almost like sleep-talking:
“Olivia… disappeared? Again…”
“Seres! Snap out of it! Look carefully. That was never a Soul or ghost. It was magic—an Illusion formed purely from concentrated magical power!”
Seeing her state, Aetin firmly yet gently shook Seres’s shoulders, trying to bring her back to her senses.
With Aetin’s prompting, Seres’s unfocused gaze slowly refocused.
She carefully watched the lingering points of light still fading in the air.
Indeed, those glowing fragments were not the Soul remnants she imagined, but clearly the energy residues pulsating with magical power, sparkling like shattered glass before fading into nothingness.
“Aetin… classmate… what… what exactly happened? I… I don’t quite understand the situation.”
Seres lifted her head, eyes filled with confusion and lingering fear, instinctively grabbing Aetin’s arm.
“Although we don’t know who the mastermind is yet, it’s clear that the ‘Olivia’ that appeared just now was merely an Illusion meticulously crafted using advanced magic. Its purpose was to exploit your guilt and fear toward Olivia to intimidate you, and even…”
Aetin explained patiently.
“To induce you to commit suicide.”
“Suicide?”
Seres repeated the word in disbelief, lowering her gaze to her trembling hands.
It was only now she realized, too late, that she had truly picked up the dagger and aimed it at her heart…
If not for Aetin’s timely arrival, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
A cold chill suddenly shot up her spine.
“At that moment… I don’t know what came over me…”
She recalled the feeling, her voice trembling with fear.
“It was like… some invisible magical force was driving me, controlling my actions and thoughts… making me unable to resist…”
Upon hearing this, Aetin’s brow furrowed deeply.
This was even more troublesome than he had anticipated.
It seemed that Illusions like that could not only mimic appearances but also possess the power to manipulate the mind…
“Aetin… classmate… you… you already left, didn’t you? How did you suddenly appear here?”
Seres suddenly remembered the crucial question, looking up at Aetin with bewilderment.
“Sorry, Seres, I lied to you. I never actually left—I just deliberately created the illusion that you were alone.”
Aetin’s face showed a trace of apology as he candidly revealed the truth.
“I suspect that whoever’s lurking in the shadows only reveals themselves when they confirm you’re isolated and at your weakest. Leaving you to face these things alone… I’m sorry.”
Seres shook her head firmly after hearing this.
Rather than blame, a relieved smile gradually spread across her face.
She opened her arms and hugged Aetin tightly, burying her face in his chest.
Her voice was muffled but filled with gratitude.
“It’s nothing… really… I should be the one thanking you. Thank you, Aetin… thank you for not really leaving… thank you for saving me once again…”