The grand hallway of the estate had become a theater of nightmares. The Black-Red Gem pulsed behind Lord Verican like a dying, angry star, casting long, distorted shadows that clawed at the walls.
Malric sat slumped against a marble pillar, his head in his hands as he fought the lingering mental fog. Jessica was beginning to stir in Marley’s arms, her silver eyes fluttering, free of the red pin-prick but clouded with exhaustion.
"Marley, get them to the far end of the hall!" Marin commanded, her shield raised. "The gem’s pulse is getting stronger—if they stay too close, he’ll just snap the hypnosis back on!"
The Thief’s True Name
Robert Atten didn't hesitate. He stood beside Marin, his daggers spinning in a lethal, rhythmic blur. For the first time, he didn't look like a rogue; he stood with the poise of a man reclaiming his soul.
"You speak of tools, Uncle," Robert said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. "But you forgot that this gem was never meant to be a leash for the innocent. You murdered my parents to turn our family's history into a slaughterhouse. I am Robert Atten, the rightful heir to the name you dragged through the mud."
Verican laughed, a dry, rasping sound. "Names are for the dead! There is only the Gem and the will to use it!" He gestured toward the artifact, and a wave of pressurized crimson energy slammed into the floor, cracking the marble between them.
The Montclair Defense
Marin and Robert moved in a synchronization that defied logic. Marin—the pride of the Montclair line—was the wall. She planted her feet, her heavy shield absorbing Verican’s kinetic blasts. Robert was the liquid shadow, darting around the periphery to strike at the Uncle’s guard.
"He's drawing power directly from the core!" Robert shouted, parrying a strike from the Uncle’s cane. "We have to break the link!"
Inside the vault, the gem flared. Suddenly, the mansion guards—the ones still under the hypnosis—began to pour into the hallway. Their eyes were glowing red, their movements robotic.
"We're being flanked!" Marin roared, swinging her claymore to knock back three guards. "Malric! I need a counter-measure!"
The Scholar’s Fury
"Not... today," a voice croaked.
Malric Montclair stood up, leaning heavily on his staff. His face was pale, but his eyes were burning with a cold, academic fury. He hadn't just been recovering; he had been calculating the magical frequency of the hypnosis.
"Jessica, I need a 'Light-Burst' at the highest frequency you can manage!" Malric commanded, his voice regaining its authority.
Jessica stood up, shaking off her dizziness. She looked at the man who had tried to turn her into a puppet, and her silver eyes turned to ice. "With pleasure, Malric."
As Jessica unleashed a blinding flash of pure, silver magic, Malric slammed the base of his staff into the floor. He didn't fire a bolt; he fired a Harmonic Counter-Pulse. The blue energy from the Montclair staff met the crimson energy of the Atten gem. For a heartbeat, the two powers locked in a shrieking struggle.
The Final Strike
"Now, Robert! Marin!" Malric yelled, the strain making his nose bleed. "The shield is down!"
Marin threw her shield with everything she had, the heavy metal disk spinning like a saw blade and knocking Verican off balance.
Robert saw his opening. He didn't go for his Uncle—he went for the source of the nightmare. He launched himself into the air, a streak of black leather. He reached the floating Black-Red Gem and, with a roar of pure, cathartic rage, drove his daggers into the center of the core.
CRACK.
A massive shockwave of pure mana erupted. The red dots vanished from the eyes of every guard as they collapsed to the floor. The gem lay in worthless, dark shards.
The Choice
When the light faded, Lord Verican was slumped against the pedestal, his power withered. Robert stood over him, his dagger at the Uncle’s throat. The silence was absolute.
"Kill me, then," Verican wheezed.
Robert looked at the shards, then at Marin. He saw the Montclair honor in her eyes—the same honor he had once thought was a fairy tale.
"No," Robert said, sheathing his dagger. "Death is too easy. You’re going to spend the rest of your life in a cell, watching me rebuild everything you tried to destroy."
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyqvSWlmA5
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtrHn3ghHv
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXW9fTpsT1
and then Add to home screen.