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56 - Jumping to Conclusions
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 57 - Burn With the Rest
GILDEON“Why did Master choose this job?” Ghulik’s raspy voice cut through the room as he lounged on Gildeon’s desk, looking like a mole rat ready for a witch’s sacrifice. “Ghulik is bored, Master!”If Gildeon had his way, he’d have Ghulik shadow Arah nonstop until this witch business blew over. But with her always keeping Barky by her side, even in the studio, it wasn’t possible. Any confrontation would just confuse her. Besides, Gildeon had needed Ghulik for more critical tasks these last few days.Ghulik spewed a string of curses, taunting the students and mocking them one by one. No one could see or hear him anyway. Eventually, the goblin tired of his own antics. He vanished from the desk, crawling under the chairs of every girl in a skirt.Gildeon let out a slow, controlled breath and turned to the whiteboard to write something briefly, masking the sudden dead air.‘Get out of there, or I’ll burn your eyes,’ he warned telepathically. ‘I already told you to stop doing that.’The g
MAD END'S DECEPTION 58 - Chaotic Mystical Energy
GILDEONA thick silence blanketed the class. It could’ve been the confident look on Lexi’s face, the conviction in her voice, or her bold words that had everyone on edge.He watched her for a moment. This wasn't shallow defiance or a whim—she meant every word.Then she giggled, the playful sound cutting through the quiet. Tossing her black hair over her shoulder, she rested her arm on the back of her chair, glancing around with an amused glow in her eyes.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound intense,” she said coyly. “Come on, loosen up, guys!”The bell rang.Murmurs and soft laughter rippled through the class.“Let’s wrap it up here.” Gildeon straightened up and clapped his hands. “We’ll continue the discussion next class. Have a great day, everyone!”“Bye, Sir!” the students chorused.Chatter filled the room as students grabbed their things. Some guys whispered about Lexi. Chairs scraped the floor, pens clattered, bags zipped, and feet shuffled out.Gildeon walked behind his desk
MAD END'S DECEPTION 59 - Hit So Close to Home
GILDEONNot long after, they were driving toward La Calma. He glanced at the snoring goblin through the rearview mirror. Ghulik was sprawled on the backseat, hands interlaced on his chest, one ankle casually resting on the opposite knee.One of these days, he might need to put Ghulik into hibernation to prepare him for a potentially intense battle. Gildeon would need his utmost help more than ever.Turning his attention to the man sitting next to him, he asked, “Is that a tattoo?” He gestured briefly at the tip of exposed black ink below Nowak’s shoulder blade.The old professor stared blankly for a second before uttering an “Oh!” as if he’d just remembered what it was.Nowak pushed aside the collar of his white shirt under the blazer. “You're very perceptive, Mr. Ayadi,” he said, though Gildeon already knew the tattoo's placement from Arah's records.“But yes,” the professor added. “A spur-of-the-moment decision. It’s not really me.” He chuckled. “Seems some women these days like men
MAD END'S DECEPTION 60 - Another Man
GILDEONThis conversation wasn’t supposed to affect him, but Nowak’s words tightened around his gut like a noose. Memories of Arah broke through his mental barriers: the resentment in her words, the hurt in her eyes every time she was desperate for clarity. She’d been patient with him for so long, and in that regard, he had to agree with Nowak.But their situation wasn’t as simple as most human marriages.The Arah he’d been living with was merely an echo of someone he knew nothing about. It was pointless to even think about who and what kind of person she was before her fall behind the Mad End’s Wall. All sylphs were the same—no sense of individuality, just soldiers loyal to their duties to a fault.What would happen when her memories returned? Would she still be the same woman he’d come to know, the one he’d spent time with?Doubtful. Arah would be a stranger then. She’d probably try to kill him on the spot.A loud noise from outside jolted him back to the present. They were passing
MAD END'S DECEPTION 61 - A Puppet Wife
ARAHThe cabin was right where Mabel had said it would be—off the empty road, nestled beside the river. It was at least a mile from any other houses or establishments. Only the gentle sounds of water, chirping birds, and rustling leaves reached her ears. The heat had subsided, and the sun was about to set.Gildeon had come home late again last night and slipped out early this morning. He’d left a note, about dealing with threats and keeping them safe. She believed that. But the picture Mabel had shown her gnawed at her, every fiber telling her something else was going on. Each time she remembered that image of her husband standing so close to another woman, it felt like a needle was being dragged across her chest.Arah was getting tired of Gildeon always keeping her in the dark.Her eyes widened as she spotted his car parked under the shade of the trees.“He’s here?” she murmured, slowly pulling into the front yard and parking her scooter beside the car.Her pulse quickened, the grave
MAD END'S DECEPTION 62 - He Had to Choose
GILDEONFrowning, he stared at the plain black home screen, his thumb restlessly tracing along the phone edge. It hadn’t been a minute since Arah hung up on him. It shouldn’t have bothered him.But it did.“You really need to wise up about women, My Lord,” Roselia’s voice cut through, sighing and shaking her head just within his line of sight.“If she gets upset again, I can bring her more flowers from your farm,” he muttered absently, half his mind still on the phone, the other half on Arah’s confounding words—“not coming home starting tonight”—as if she’d overheard his exact conversation with Roselia earlier.He shifted in his chair, pocketing the phone. His gaze lingered on the red vines coiled tightly around his dragon-shifted arm, leeching his energy and funneling it into Roselia. She sat on her heels on the cold stone floor, inside a ritualistic circle, her own arm bound by the same writhing vines. Tendrils snaked between them, pulsing with a faint black-and-gold glow as they fe
MAD END'S DECEPTION 63 - Do You Love Him
ARAHTonight, she just wanted to drown her frustrations in something strong, to let the burn wash them away. But it had been almost an hour, and still, there was no sign of her friends. She grabbed her phone and called Cora first. Her shoulders slumped when she heard Cora had to bail—something about babysitting her niece.Next, she tried Mabel, who also apologized. Her fiancé had suddenly gotten sick, and she couldn’t leave him. Arah would have called Tonio, but he was off the island.Sighing, she bit her lip and stared at the walls adorned with artwork and photos of tattooed skin. For a moment, she weighed her options.Screw it. She shut down her studio and decided to get a drink alone. It was better than staying home, moping around like an idiot, waiting for a husband who obviously wasn’t coming back tonight. She seethed again, remembering how he hadn’t even bothered to chase after her earlier.“Roselia can keep him for all I care!” she muttered, jabbing a hair stick into her curly
MAD END'S DECEPTION 64 - Never Let You Feel Sad
ARAHHer head felt foggy, but his words cut through the haze. ‘Do I love him?’ The question echoed in her mind.“I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t, right?” she replied with a forced grin, reaching for the bottle and taking a quick, desperate gulp.“I’m asking about how you feel now,” Jeric said, his tone serious.Arah froze mid-sip, her eyes dropping to her wedding ring. She set the bottle down, her thumb brushing over the smooth gold band. It felt like both a lifeline and a shackle. She’d been so focused on making her marriage work that she hadn’t considered how she truly felt about Gildeon.Confusion washed over her like an icy wave. Without the memories of how they used to be, without knowing the real him, without that deep connection...How could she even know?She was deeply attracted to Gildeon, obsessed with the way he carried himself with quiet confidence. Being next to him made her feel like she could brag about him all day. His every touch made her feel alive and crave
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