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59 - Hit So Close to Home
Last Updated:
2024-08-09 23:05:16
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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
Last Updated : 2024-08-10MAD 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
Last Updated : 2024-08-13MAD 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
Last Updated : 2024-08-15MAD 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
Last Updated : 2024-08-16MAD 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
Last Updated : 2024-08-19MAD END'S DECEPTION 65 - Husband And Wife
GILDEONHe wasn’t supposed to leave Roselia yet, but Arah had been battering at the edges of his mind all day. He needed to see her tonight, or he’d lose it. She wasn’t at home or in her studio, though her scooter was parked outside.Gildeon had Ghulik track her scent, which led them to a bar on the beach strip. The goblin then disappeared into the crowd—probably to gawk at women or hunt for couples making out in dark corners.Shaking his head, Gildeon scanned the area. He immediately spotted Arah’s blue curls, a bright splash amidst the sea of gyrating bodies. Colored lights bathed the scene, casting shadows on her slender arms raised overhead.Gildeon stood there, catching glimpses of Arah through the shifting crowd. Heat surged through him as he watched her—seductive, free, sweat glistening on her smooth skin. Her curves, tightly wrapped in maroon, swayed with each move. She danced as if lost in her own world, owning the space, oblivious to everything.A burning desire ignited with
Last Updated : 2024-08-20MAD END'S DECEPTION 66 - Too Much to Ask
GILDEONGhulik’s snores grated in his ear, loud and guttural. He had no idea how the goblin had managed to get himself drunk. Meanwhile, Arah sat in silence beside him, staring out the open window. Gildeon kept his mouth shut, giving her space—at least until she sobered up. She had never drunk this much before, and it was a miracle she hadn’t accidentally conjured a tornado right in the middle of the bar.The truth was, he didn’t really know what else she was capable of. Sigilmaker sylphs were a rare presence in Shamibar, and all he had were the assumptions he’d made from observing Arah so far.He stole glances at her now and then, the night breeze whipping at her flushed face and tangling her messy curls. Even in this state, she looked mesmerizing. The hem of her dress had hitched up her creamy thigh, and the thought of her riding him right there in the car filled his mind. It took all his willpower not to pull over and fuck her senseless.To tamp down the heat rising within him, he
Last Updated : 2024-08-22MAD END'S DECEPTION 67 - Give in, Arah
GILDEONHer words hit him square in the chest. Part of him wanted to tell her he had never meant to hurt her—that he still cared, even if he’d failed to show it.But the confession lodged in his throat, choked by all the things left unsaid.Another tear rolled down her cheek, and something inside him stirred. Without thinking, he bridged the gap between them, his hand reaching out to brush the tear away with his thumb. His gaze bore into her blue eyes, still simmering with resentment yet tinged with hope. They reminded him of that sylph girl from long ago, the same fire in their eyes.And he had made them both cry.Gildeon parted his lips, ready to let Arah in—not completely, but just enough to lift the weight pressing down on him.But then his rational side yanked him back hard. ‘Remember what's at stake,’ the voice in his head snapped. ‘You're not here to fucking play the role of a real husband.’“You’re tired. Get some sleep,” he said, his tone distant as his hand dropped from her
Last Updated : 2024-08-24
Latest chapter
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
