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71 - I Married Him
Huling Na-update:
2024-08-29 16:00:48ARAH
She watched as he sat up and pulled out his notebook.
“I’ve spoken to Miss Jessie Greene’s friends. They mentioned she stopped by here a few weeks ago for a…” He flipped through his notes, scratching his temple. “Clover Wish tattoo. Is that correct, Mrs. Ayadi?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“And that’s the same tattoo Paul Hernandez had, correct?”
She nodded, hesitating. As if sensing the question forming in her mind, he added, “The coroner’s office showed me the photos right before his body was stolen.”
Her mouth fell open. Given the long delay for Plumber Paul’s supposed public funeral, she'd already suspected the rumor was true. But hearing it confirmed by a law enforcer made it all the more real. The image of that beastly hand in the video flickered in her mind, raising her suspicions once again. But her focus snapped back to Agent Durante as the rustling of papers grew loud from his direction.
“So did Elise McKinney,
Kaugnay na kabanata
MAD END'S DECEPTION 72 - Hisses and Squelches
ARAHThe next morning, she wasted no time. After ensuring Gildeon was at school, she drove straight to La Calma. With each mile closer to the cabin, her heartbeat quickened, drumming louder in her chest. Agent Durante’s suspicions might just be grasping at straws, but a gnawing thought lingered: what if he truly knew more about her husband than she did?That thought terrified her. What if she uncovered something... worse? Could she face that?She had once abandoned her search for the truths and secrets surrounding her husband. But this time was different. It wasn’t just her marriage or their hidden past on the line—innocent lives were at stake. Her clients’ lives. She couldn’t turn a blind eye now.When she arrived, she circled the cabin, listening intently for any sound inside, making sure even Roselia wasn’t there. Her next move was swift and calculated. With steady hands, she picked the lock on the cabin door, finding it easier than breaking into Gildeon’s study.Inside, she search
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-01MAD END'S DECEPTION 73 - I'm Not the Enemy
ARAHShe stepped back quickly. “Please… don’t come any closer,” she muttered, her breath quick and anxious.Gildeon paused mid-step, but his serious expression didn’t waver.This moment took her back to the day she’d woken up after the accident, her mind a blank slate. Gildeon had been the first face she saw. She’d been terrified of him—those reptilian eyes, that stern expression, that imposing posture that made her feel so small and powerless.It felt just like that now, as if she were back in that day, knowing nothing—not a single thing—about the man who claimed to be her husband.Her hand trembled in the air. “These people…” Her voice faltered, barely holding together. “Are you the one doing this to them?”She didn’t know why she still clung to the hope that he might be innocent. Or that if he tried to talk his way out of it—just like he usually did—some part of her might choose to believe him.But Gildeon said nothing, and her heart sank. There was no denial, not even a flicker of
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-01MAD END'S DECEPTION 74 - Don't Test Me
GILDEONHe perched on the back of the chair, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the view outside. Branches swayed, and leaves rustled in the breeze. A few dead ones drifted down, landing on the stone table. The wind had toppled the fruit picker, leaving it sprawled on the ground—a small but telling echo of the stumble in his plans.Arah’s discovery of the supernatural wasn’t something Gildeon had anticipated happening so soon.Now, there was no avoiding it.He glanced at her, still asleep on the couch. Barky lay beneath her, casting cautious looks his way as if he were a threat. He and the dog had never been fond of each other, but when it came to protecting Arah, that was one thing they could agree on.The morning light softened Arah's face. Her disheveled blue hair spilled over the cushion, a few curls stubbornly clinging to her rosy cheeks. He wanted to brush them away but couldn’t risk startling her—not when she could wake up at any second.‘You must've been in shock,’ he thought, noticin
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-02MAD END'S DECEPTION 75 - Trust Me, Arah
ARAHHer hand stayed wrapped around the knife’s handle, resting on the couch’s armrest. She wanted to believe that Gildeon wouldn’t hurt her—if he had intended to, he would’ve done it already instead of bringing her home unrestrained. But she wasn’t about to lower her guard, not while she was still trying to figure out what he had used to sedate her.Was it the same golden claw from the beastly hand in the video… or from her dream?Her mind was a mess. She needed more time to make sense of it all.“The truth,” Gildeon said, shifting forward and propping his arms on his thighs. “Magic and witches are real. You don’t have to believe it yet—just listen.”This time, she didn’t dismiss the idea right away. She had asked for the truth, so she would hear him out first and decide what to do with it later. Pulling Barky closer, she tangled her fingers in his soft brown fur, thankful for his presence. Having him here made her feel a little m
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-02MAD END'S DECEPTION 76 - Make Her Believe
GILDEONHe tightened his grip around Barky’s neck, feeling the tension of muscle and tendon. The dog squirmed, a muffled whimper caught in its throat, and then—crack. Barky’s final breath escaped like air hissing from a punctured tire.It was over in an instant.The dog’s body went limp, the warmth fading from the fur under Gildeon’s hands. No pulse, no life. Just stillness.Gildeon expelled a heavy breath.Across the room, Arah stood frozen, her blue eyes wide and glassy with shock, fixed on Barky. The color had drained from her face, her hands hovering near her mouth. Gildeon waited for something—a scream, a cry, a word—but nothing came.Silence hung in the air, tension thick, the weight of what he’d done anchoring in his gut like a stone. He released the dog and stood slowly, stepping aside, a pang of unease seizing his chest. Barky had been innocent. Harmless. A lo
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-03MAD END'S DECEPTION 77 - Confusion and Anger
ARAHAs soon as she heard the rumble of Gildeon’s car fading down the road, she rushed to her room, grabbing the tattoo kit from the cabinet. Every step back to the living room was frantic, her heart thudding in her chest as she scrambled to organize her tools. Her gaze kept darting toward Barky, lying still on the floor—as if by some cruel trick of fate, he might vanish the second she looked away.Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision and making her mind spin. She nearly knocked her machine off the table and huffed in frustration.“Pull yourself together, dammit!” she scolded herself, pressing her hands flat against the table to calm the tremors. She took a few deep breaths, in and out.Wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand, she then proceeded to clean a patch of skin on her right thigh. There was no need for a stencil—every detail of her design was engraved in her mind, and she trusted in the skill of her hand.The buzzing of the tattoo machine filled the roo
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-03MAD END'S DECEPTION 78 - Wasn't a Bluff
GILDEONHe couldn’t figure out why Arah had been so restless until he heard the siren in the distance. Faint at first, then growing louder, closer, slicing through the stillness of the morning. His narrowed eyes drifted to the dirt road. It wasn’t long before the cars came into view. The first one he recognized immediately—Durante’s.The police car following behind made his gut clench, a low hum of tension settling in his chest.Why were they here?He pushed to his feet, his body on high alert. Could this be about the captives? He and Roselia had already released them yesterday, altered their memories, and scrubbed the basement clean. Even if law enforcement had somehow questioned those four, they wouldn’t have found anything to tie their disappearance back to him.But with Durante leading the charge, he knew better than to get comfortable.“Gildeon…” Arah began, rising to her feet, but quickly pressed her lips together as if biting back the words. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes dar
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-04MAD END'S DECEPTION 79 - Too Much Alike
GILDEONBile rose in his throat. He hadn’t expected Arah to betray him so easily. Had she met with Durante yesterday? He remembered the agent leaving his card, so she must have called him after Gildeon left the house.His stomach clenched. Could he really blame her? After everything he’d put her through, she probably saw him as nothing less than a monster. The thought felt like sharp teeth tearing through his chest.He pushed the feelings aside and focused on the situation. Something didn’t add up. There was no way Durante could have secured an arrest warrant this fast based solely on Arah’s word. There had to be more at play.Durante continued, “But we’ll handle it from here.”“Can I come to the station too?” Arah asked.“We need to take your husband into custody and process him first, Mrs. Ayadi,” Durante replied, casting a sidelong glance at Gildeon. “I suggest you stay home for now.”As Durante turned away, Officer Castillo gently pressed Gildeon’s back, nudging him forward. Just
Huling Na-update : 2024-09-04
Pinakabagong kabanata
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
