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151 - A Difficult Choice
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-11-12 22:00:57GILDEON
Strong magic surrounded him, pulsing from the fog. It thickened, humming with energy until he realized he was no longer in the churchyard, nor was it a night.
He stood slowly, finding himself inside a grander church. Tall, arched windows let sunlight stream in, casting colored patterns on the stone floors. Ornate wooden pews were filled with people listening to the parish priest—a solid, imposing old man. At the back sat a young man in a black robe, his curly hair and sharp eyes strikingly familiar.
It was Vergilius.
Gildeon felt suspended in time, searching for the present Vergilius or his copies but finding none. Had the fog brought him back to the past again? What was Drusden up to now?
He moved cautiously as the communion began. Young Vergilius assisted the priest, his eyes warm and innocent. A young woman approached. Gildeon noticed the faint smile exchanged between her and Young Vergilius. The old priest caught
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 152 - Beyond Dangerous
GILDEONPresent Vergilius seethed beside him, dark eyes fixed on Father Jean. Young Vergilius stood frozen. Shock and confusion etched on his face, likely not expecting the old man to betray him, let alone accuse him of defiling the woman he loved.Young Vergilius tried to deny the accusation as guards dragged him away. But his word meant little against the ironically respected priest. There was clearly no way to save his skin. Charlotte’s father appeared, enraged. He beat Young Vergilius nearly to death.The scene shifted. Gildeon found himself in a dank prison cell. Young Vergilius slumped against a filthy wall, surrounded by rats, stripped of his robe and collar. Bruises marred his face and body, and each breath was visibly painful. His expression cycled between anger, despair, and frustration. He muttered a broken prayer, running his hands down his face before looking up, teeth gritted.“Why have you forsaken me, my Lord?&
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-13MAD END'S DECEPTION 153 - Three Strikes
GILDEONHe watched the next scene unfold. Young Vergilius, now a vampire, stood in the old priest’s depraved chamber. The sick bastard had gathered another group of young women, some already naked on his bed.The old man paused halfway through removing his robe and turned to the doorway. “Vergilius, is that you?” he exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. “Word reached me that you had escaped, you ingrate! Bold of you to show your face here after you nearly sent me to meet our Lord.”“Our Lord?” Young Vergilius scoffed, glancing at the naked girls. “You dare invoke His name while committing such a profane act, you old wretch.”Without waiting for a response, Young Vergilius launched himself at the old priest, hurling him across the room. His mouth latched onto the man’s neck, and the wet sound of blood being drawn filled the air as the girls around them screamed, too terrified to move.Gildeon watched as Young Vergilius nearly drained the p
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-15MAD END'S DECEPTION 154 - Marked Bride
GILDEONThree strikes.He had only three moves left before his body would give out. He needed to conserve his remaining energy—to fight the enchanted poison coursing through him while ensuring he would still be alive for the next few hours.Gildeon had to bet everything on these final attacks.“Overconfident, are we, salamander?” Vergilius said, a wry smile curling his lips.Gildeon shrugged. “I just like my odds.”Vergilius looked composed, but the way his fingers brushed the brim of his hat told Gildeon that the elder vampire’s fight was nearing its end. Even so, Vergilius would certainly want to drag Gildeon down with him.‘He can only try,’ Gildeon thought.His chest heaved, hot steam slipping through his gritted teeth in a hiss. The battle haze enveloped him. Fire surged in his arms, crackling as it burned from within. Swiftly, he unleashed a torrent of flame
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-19MAD END'S DECEPTION 155 - Needed Me Alive
GILDEONAnger and disappointment burned in his chest. “We had a plan for this, Roselia,” he growled, his gaze hardening on the witch. “What the fuck happened?”“Drusden set a trap in the fog, My Lord.” Roselia stared down at her trembling hands, caked with dirt and blood. “An efficient one… to capture Miss Arah.”“You were supposed to use your fog.”Her head snapped up. “If I used it as a barrier for Miss Arah, those witches would’ve taken me down right then and there.” She pointed to her chest. “They had their orders—I saw it plain in their eyes.” She shook her head and sucked in a shaky breath. “I made a choice.”His jaw clenched. “To give up Arah instead?”“My Lord, that barrier was never going to hold for long,” she said firmly. There was a subtle hint of hurt in her eyes that made Gi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-20MAD END'S DECEPTION 156 - How We React
ARAHShe woke in Alaunus’s infirmary, feeling both weak and oddly rejuvenated. Had they brought her back? Her head throbbed, memories swirling but refusing to take shape. The last thing she could recall was a force—something overwhelming, wrapping around her senses. Then, nothing but darkness.Sitting up, she looked down at herself. She was dressed in fresh clothes—one of her own dresses. Her Gorgon amulet was gone. Blood and dirt had been scrubbed away, leaving no trace of the battle she’d fought earlier. She froze as the realization hit her.Drusden’s coven...They had captured her.Arah tried to scramble out of bed, but every time she reached for the edge, her hand recoiled as though she were plunging it into ice-cold water.“You’re awake, Lady Arah.”She flinched, her gaze snapping to the door as Vienna entered, carrying a tray of food and drinks. The witch was all c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-21MAD END'S DECEPTION 157 - Before This Night Ends
ARAHShe tried to resist stepping closer to the stone bed for as long as she could, but Vienna’s bangle held her in an iron grip. Her hands gripped the edge of the bed, knuckles turning white as she pushed back. But it was a damn struggle. It was as though an invisible wall pressed against her from behind, threatening to crush her if she didn’t give in.“You’ll only hurt yourself if you keep fighting it, Mrs. Ayadi,” Drusden’s voice rang out from behind her. She glanced back, her eyes sweeping over the red hooded robe he wore. Noticing her stare, he glanced down at himself and smoothed his hands over the fabric. “Ah, this is just a formality,” he said with a shrug. “Not my usual style, but necessary.”“I won’t give you people what you want!” she protested, clinging hard to her resolve. Every second she could buy felt vital. Gildeon had to get here in time.&ldqu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-22MAD END'S DECEPTION 158 - Another Memory
ARAHGildeon was finally here. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest—a chaotic mix of joy at his arrival and relief at escaping the harrowing void. She felt as though she’d been reborn—only for a wave of dread to crash over her at the thought of how close she had likely come to death mere seconds ago.“Lokius, come with me,” Drusden commanded, a crazed smile spreading across his lips. His lack of concern set Arah on edge. “We’ll handle the salamander. You two,” he said, gesturing to Vienna and Alaunus, “stay here. The gate has been opened. Continue the ritual.”Arah’s gaze flicked to the hovering fog spiral. Was that what he meant by the gate? It had tried to lure her in and shatter her sanity. Did this mean she was still compromised?Drusden brushed the back of his hand against the side of her face. She whimpered, shrinking away from his touch.Smirking, Drusden sai
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-23MAD END'S DECEPTION 159 - Taste of Freedom
ARAHShe was standing on a farm. The morning air was sharp and cool, carrying the smell of damp earth and manure. In the distance, a herd of cows grazed lazily, tearing into the grass, their low, rumbling moos punctuating the quiet.A man stood a few yards away, working with a pitchfork to gather loose hay into neat rows. His faded plaid shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, stretched across his broad back as he leaned into each motion. His hat—an old, fraying straw thing—was pulled low, concealing most of his face.From the modest farmhouse, a beautiful woman emerged. Her blonde hair was tucked under a scarf tied neatly at her chin. Her skirt was simple and practical, reminding Arah of the countryside outfits she’d seen in old movies. She cradled a woven basket in one arm.The man straightened, looking up from his work, and smiled. Arah could tell by the warmth in their gazes that they were a happily married couple.“I’ve already f
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-28
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 195 - Are You Magical Too?
ARAHShe checked herself in the mirror, smoothing down the pink dress covered in little floral prints—it matched the theme for tonight. It was her first time going to a bachelorette party, and everything she knew about them came from movies.And in those movies, there were usually male strippers.She’d asked Mabel if there’d be any. Mabel had just giggled and said “no” over the phone, but in that coy way that didn’t really feel like a no.That made her a little nervous.Arah wondered how Gildeon would take it if he found out she went to a party where half-naked men were out there flaunting their abs and grinding to some sexy music. Would he be annoyed? Jealous? Pissed?The thought made her smile as she stepped out of her room and passed by the study. She paused at the door, resting her hand against it, picturing Gildeon inside—still in his cocoon, still asleep.The first time he’d finally let her in, she hadn’t known what to expect. The study room had felt weird. Empty, no furniture,
MAD END'S DECEPTION II: CAYLAO FESTIVAL ARC. 194 - It's Just A Dream
ARAHShe slipped the cardstock with her printed Clover Wish design out of the binder, tore it into pieces, and dropped them into the bin. Then she pulled out a few more flash sheets—ones with patterns that looked a little too much like real sigils—and tossed those out too.She couldn’t risk setting something off again and starting another coven war.A month had passed since the incident. Life on Caylao Island had returned to normal, as if nothing strange had ever happened. The townspeople had been spared that horrific memory thanks to Roselia’s bewitching fog. If it hadn’t been for that, Arah likely would’ve lost her friends too after they found out she wasn’t human.She looked up at her friends gathered in the waiting area, swapping theories about what really happened at Baccayo Prison that night.“I heard Sharko’s gang was involved,” Mabel said, swirling her straw in her milk tea. “Maybe they tried to break out some of their old members.”Tonio grimaced, mid-chew on a massive bite o
MAD END'S DECEPTION 193 - Let It All Go
GILDEONThey brought Arah to Roselia’s farmhouse. She was still out cold, and it would likely take her a few days to recover. Roselia had set up the back room, lit herbs that filled the air with sharp smoke, and circled Arah with crystals humming with healing energy.Gildeon switched on his dragon sight. Arah’s aura flickered, blue-green, faint. But something else swam through it—streaks of deep, electric blue that came and went like a second heartbeat.Gildeon hadn’t seen that on her before, but maybe they were remnants of some buried power. Something that had awakened when her life hung by a thread—something she’d used to wipe out both Zylas and Drusden.The aftermath of that fight still gnawed at him in strange ways, but none of it mattered for now. Answers could wait. He’d talk to Arah when she woke up.Gildeon pulled the blanket over her shoulders, then glanced at Ghulik, who was curled on a cushion near the bed, snoring like an old man, his belly swollen.Before leaving the Bacc
MAD END'S DECEPTION 192 - Drusden Was Dead
GILDEONThe monster that had been Drusden let out a growl that made the air tremble. Its massive fist crashed down, shattering the stone floor, jagged cracks splintering out like veins. Gildeon staggered back, the ground quaking beneath him.He needed to get to Arah—fast. But his attacks were useless against this colossal Fog Drusden. His flames and claws struck nothing but air, doing little more than disrupting the mist. Meanwhile, every swing of its massive arm and stomp of its enormous foot shattered the makeshift walls and cracked the floor beneath him.He had to find its weakness. But even when he used his dragon eyes, he couldn’t find anything.Gildeon leaped back repeatedly, leaving decoys in his wake until the giant beast fixated on them. The distraction worked. With the creature’s attention elsewhere, he slipped into the shadows, making his way toward Ghulik and Roselia.Roselia was still unconscious, but her aura was slowly returning.“Master, Ghulik used last power to heal
MAD END'S DECEPTION 191 - So Much Regret
DRUSDENHe had wagered everything he had left on this battle. Half his soul remained with the titan form he had unleashed against Gildeon, while the other was committed to harvesting Arah’s power.When all his comrades had fallen, he thought everything was lost—that he was fighting for nothing but survival and revenge. But then he had found a way to exploit the weaknesses of both Gildeon and Arah. And with that, an opportunity had emerged.This would be his last chance to complete the mission.For the sake of his fallen witches, he had to claim victory.The air shimmered with the sylph’s power—cool, electric, alive. It curled around him, thrumming against his skin. Even half of her essence would be enough to ignite the ascension, to send him spiraling into a euphoria of accelerated evolution.From a human who became a powerful witch to a witch on the brink of ascending to a higher mortal state—only one step remained. Zylas had to carry him up to the Shamibar to complete his transforma
MAD END'S DECEPTION 190 - My Past Self
ARAHThe talons dug into her ribs, tight enough that she could barely breathe. Every movement sent sharp jolts through her side. Above, the wind roared past—a cold, biting force that turned her breath ragged and thin. She could feel the heat of the dragon’s underbelly, a stark contrast to the freezing air, like the sun trapped in scales.The wings beat in a steady, monstrous rhythm. Each downward stroke sent a tremor through her body, making her stomach lurch. The sheer power of it swallowed everything else, drowning out even her own pounding heart.She twisted, trying to turn her head, but the grip was unyielding. “Where are you taking me?” she yelled at the beast.Dragon Zylas answered with a roar—a gut-rattling sound that made her ears ring. Around her, the fog was still thick, high up in the sky. She couldn’t see anything else. Were they still above the prison compound?She struggled against the talons again, but it was futile. Not even her tattoos could help her now. They had sun
MAD END'S DECEPTION 189 - About to Go All In
GILDEONThe apparition stalking toward him wore Commander Haemos’s shape. The details wavered and blurred, but Gildeon could still make out the rage-twisted expression on the ghostly face. Haemos’s fog sword flashed through the mist, a broad arc aimed straight at him.Gildeon shot backward, his eyes darting to Arah. She was squaring off against a spectral enemy of her own. He already knew Drusden was using their fears and regrets against them. But who could be Arah’s demon?Gildeon tensed, ready to rush to her side, but Fog Haemos cut him off, blade slashing in a tight swing. He ducked, but not fast enough. Steel bit into his shoulder. He grunted, blood spilling onto his hide. He’d been too distracted by Arah to harden his dragon scales in time.With a snarl, he wrapped his clawed hand around the fog blade, yanking it free from his shoulder. Agony rippled through him, but he didn’t flinch. Muscles strained as he drove the sword back into the ghostly figure, the force sending Fog Haemo
MAD END'S DECEPTION 188 - We'll Go Home
ARAHThe moment her fingertips brushed his beastly face, a cold shock slammed into her, so sharp it stole the breath from her lungs. Her vision blurred, darkness swallowed her whole, and before she could resist, her eyes fluttered shut—When she opened them again, she was somewhere else. Her breath hitched as she took in the sight around her.Corpses.Men. Women. Children.Her people.Arah’s stomach twisted. Sylph bodies lay scattered across the blood-streaked ground. Their lifeless blue eyes stared into nothing. Some bore deep claw marks, some were nearly split in two, and others had been brutally ripped apart, as if a pack of rabid wolves had torn through them.The village lay in ruins, smothered by the stench of death. Salamander warriors moved through the carnage, their heavy footsteps crunching over bodies—as if to ensure no one had survived.Tears welled in her eyes. This wasn’t a noble battle. This was a massacre.A few feet away, she spotted Gildeon in his leather armor. His b
MAD END'S DECEPTION 187 - Remember Me
ARAHFear coiled around her ribs like a vice.“I-it’s me,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.Gildeon didn’t flinch. His lips remained curled back, exposing sharp teeth. His expression was predatory, enraged. In his eyes, she was someone else—an enemy.What had Drusden done to him?She tried to choke out his name again, but her throat tightened, the pressure crushing her windpipe. Her pulse pounded—a frantic drumbeat against his grip. The steam curling from his scaled body rolled over her in suffocating, blistering waves.How the hell was she supposed to stop this?Through tear-blurred eyes, Arah caught a flicker of movement—an outline shifting, pulsing like a mirage behind Gildeon. Her eyes widened as she remembered her creature-helper.Gildeon hissed, his body tensing as his free hand shot back, claws poised to seize whatever had latched onto him. The creature clung to his neck, jaws clenched, its form flickering in and out of focus.The grip around Arah’s throat sl
