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墨書 Inktalez
The Magic Castle remained shrouded in the night, its walls damp and the stone bricks cool to the touch.
Luna stood at the end of the Emerald Corridor, the wind howling in her ears, exhaling a hoarse breath that felt like an ominous warning.
She turned her gaze toward the direction of the grand hall, where behind the ancient bronze archway lay the source of the storm she was about to unleash.
With measured steps, she descended the tower, each footfall on the Stone Steps echoing like a drumbeat in her heart.
Time was short; everything had to begin immediately.
In the living room, flames flickered and danced.
Aelia sat with her back to the door, her figure straight as if she were a statue frozen in time.
Beside her were the Three Brothers. Though they were siblings, at that moment they resembled comrades ready to face an enemy back-to-back.
Luna entered with her back straight, her golden curls slightly tousled by the wind, yet her small face bore an unsettling calmness that belied her age.
“What I have to say,” Luna's voice was clear and steady, “you all better listen closely.”
The gazes of those present fell upon her. Despite her small stature, her words struck like stones cast into a lake, impossible to ignore.
“The Magic Castle is no longer a safe haven. Father's return... is just the beginning of a series of disasters.” Her large eyes held a sharpness that was not meant for someone of her years. “Leonard is hiding even deadlier secrets.”
Aelia froze, while Pale's elegant face twitched slightly. “...What did you say?”
“Mother, he has been keeping a woman outside, and there’s a child as well. The girl’s name is Luna, and she has recently been brought in—right to the West Tower.”
A stillness enveloped the room, almost solidifying the air for a second, while the flames flickered as if they had suddenly choked, crackling loudly.
“Are you saying… this is true?” Aelia’s voice was soft, but each word felt like a knife to the heart.
“I saw it with my own eyes. Also, I can see remnants of magic; he intends to use the protective array of our Magic Castle to reverse Lingmai and turn the Glorious Demon Fortress into a new Container for his Lona Bloodline.”
Aelia’s hand trembled, and the sound of her shattered cup echoed on the carpet. Her gaze was no longer gentle but filled with a stark clarity born from the ashes of a broken Huan Meng: “I can’t believe… I trusted his deep affections all these years.”
“Time waits for no one, Mother,” Luna said, looking at her with urgency in her eyes, speaking quickly yet firmly. “If you wait until he acts before turning back, it will be too late.”
Aelia lowered her head, her eyelashes quivering like branches struggling under the weight of snow in the wind. “Alright. I won’t run away, nor will I trust him anymore.”
She stood up slowly and removed the Family Crest Ring from her finger. “The Glorious Demon Fortress is Aelia’s home and my sanctuary. If Leonard dares to betray me, I will make him pay—he won’t even be able to spit out a single drop of blood.”
Luna nodded and turned to her older brother.
“You… must stand up again.” She looked at him; he sat in his chair, crippled by Magic Backlash, his In Hand staff already shattered, his eyes dull like stagnant water.
“I had bad luck back then,” he spoke softly, his voice muffled and restrained. “The Magic Pattern severed my senses; an explosion destroyed my right arm's perception. I can’t recover from it.”
“You haven’t recovered because you’re afraid of failing again!” Luna met his gaze unflinchingly, without mercy. “You were once the most brilliant Mage, brother; you shouldn’t confine yourself to memories. Do you think Spell relies only on the body?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, and a fragment of a broken Magic Pattern glimmered in her palm like shards of blazing light, dancing as it reflected on his face.
"Etch this inscription onto your auxiliary artifact, and I will teach you to reshape the Magic Circuit using a mental link. The magic backlash is merely a lock; it can both seal and give birth anew."
The elder brother stared blankly at the wisp of azure light, a familiar spark igniting in his eyes.
He clenched his fists and asked softly, "Do you really think I... can still make it out?"
"I don't think so; I know you must," Luna replied gently, yet her words carried weight.
He finally nodded, once, then twice, as if turning back for himself as well.
"I'll start repairing the artifact tomorrow," he said, the darkness in his eyes dissipating, the still waters finally rippling.
The Second Brother had remained silent until now, but suddenly he stood up, his brow furrowed, as if a long-suppressed emotion had found its release.
"I was deceived by Kai Yi!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the table, causing the flames to flicker and the cups to rattle.
"He... tricked me into seizing that Illusion Forest Stone years ago, claiming it was a path to mutual cultivation. But behind my back, he had already signed an agreement with the enemy nation to exchange my spirit stone for his brother's advancement Passage. I even helped him set up a Lightning Array!"
He gritted his teeth, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned white. "How foolish I was! He was my most trusted brother."
But Luna, sitting beside him, lifted her gaze gently and said, "Emotions are useless. Do you have any clues in his grasp?"
The Second Brother gasped. "I... have some recorded formations of Curse Marks that I've kept with me. Can you... understand them?"
"Piece of cake," Luna chuckled lightly. "Not only can I understand them, but I can also turn the formations he used against him to devour his own spiritual power. As long as he dares to approach the Magic Castle again, you can make him offer up his life willingly."
Second Brother let out a slow breath, the pain that had lodged in his throat finally easing a bit.
He lowered his head and said earnestly, “Thank you, Luna…”
“Don’t mention it,” Luna replied, looking at each of them with a light yet undeniable tone. “Save your strength to win.”
The air fell silent for a moment, and the flames in the brazier flickered higher, as if responding to the storm that was about to rise.
Aelia tightened her cloak and suddenly glanced toward the door. “Qin Si, prepare the horses. I need to go to the West Tower.”
As soon as she spoke, Brother San, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly looked up. His eyes seemed to ignite with a complex and unknown emotion.
In the next moment, he slowly rose to his feet.
Luna merely turned her head to look at him, a barely perceptible smile playing at the corners of her lips—
“Have you finally figured things out?”
Magic Castle remained shrouded in the night, its walls damp and the stone bricks slightly cold.
Luna stood at the end of the Emerald Corridor in the tower, the wind howling around her, carrying a hoarse breath that felt like an uncontainable warning.
She turned her gaze toward the great hall; behind that ancient bronze archway lay the source of the storm she was about to stir.
She descended the tower slowly, each step on the Stone Steps echoing like a drumbeat in her heart.
She didn't have much time; everything had to start immediately.
In the living room, the flames flickered lightly.
Aelia sat with her back to the door, her figure straight like a statue frozen in time.
Beside her was Three Brothers. Though they were called siblings, at that moment they resembled comrades facing a common enemy.
Luna walked in with her back straight, her golden curls slightly tousled by the wind, yet her small face bore an unsettling calmness that was not typical for a child.
"What I have to say," Luna's voice was clear and composed, "you all better listen carefully." The gazes of the others fell upon her; such a small body spoke words that struck like stones thrown into a lake, impossible to ignore.
"The Magic Castle is no longer a safe place. Father's return... is the prelude to a series of disasters." A layer of sharpness that belied her age lingered in her large eyes. "Leonard is hiding even more deadly secrets." Aelia froze, while Pale's elegant face twitched slightly. "What did you say?"
"Mother, he has been keeping a woman outside, and there is a child as well. The girl's name is Luna, and she has recently been brought in—right here in the West Tower." Silence enveloped the room like a thick fog, almost solid. The flames crackled as if startled by an unexpected cough.
"Are you saying... this is true?" Aelia's voice was soft, but each word felt like it tore at her heart.
"I saw it with my own eyes. Also, I can see certain things; they are remnants of magic. He intends to use the protective array of our Magic Castle to reverse Lingmai and turn the Glorious Demon Fortress into a new Container for his Lona Bloodline." Aelia's hand trembled, and the sound of shattering glass echoed on the carpet. Her gaze transformed from its usual gentleness to one of clarity born from the ashes of a broken Huan Meng. "I actually believed his deep feelings for so many years."
"Time waits for no one, Mother," Luna looked at her, speaking quickly yet firmly. "If you wait until he takes action before you turn back, it will be too late." Aelia lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling like branches burdened by snow in the wind. "Alright. I will not escape or believe him any longer." She stood up slowly and removed the Family Crest Ring from her finger. "The Glorious Demon Fortress is Aelia's home and my sanctuary. If Leonard dares to betray us, I will make him pay—a price he cannot fully repay."
Luna nodded and turned to her elder brother.
"You... must stand up again." She looked at him; he was seated in a chair, his legs weakened by Magic Backlash. His In Hand staff lay broken beside him, his gaze dim like stagnant water.
"I had bad luck back then," he spoke softly, his voice muffled and suppressed. "The Magic Pattern severed my senses; an explosion destroyed my right arm's perception. I can't recover from it."
"You haven't recovered because you're afraid of failing again!" Luna stared at him unflinchingly. "You were once the most brilliant Mage, brother; you shouldn't confine yourself to memories. Do you think Spell relies solely on the body?" As she spoke, she raised her hand, and a fragment of a broken Magic Pattern glowed in her palm like radiant shards of light, dancing across his face.
"Etch this inscription onto your auxiliary artifact; I will teach you how to use mental links to reshape your Magic Circuit. Magic backlash is merely a lock—it can both imprison and give birth to new life." He stared blankly at the azure light in awe as sparks of familiar brilliance ignited in his eyes.
He clenched his fists and asked softly, "Do you really think I... can still make it out?"
"I don't think so; I know you must make it out," Luna replied gently but with heavy conviction.
He finally nodded, once, twice, as if he were also turning back for himself.
"Tomorrow morning, I will start repairing the equipment," he said, the darkness in his eyes dissipating, and the still waters finally rippling.
Second Brother had remained silent until now, but suddenly stood up, his brow furrowed, looking as if a long-suppressed emotion had found its outlet.
"I was deceived by Kai Yi!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. The flames flickered violently, and the cups rattled slightly.
"He... he tricked me into seizing that Illusion Forest Stone back then, claiming it was a path to mutual cultivation. But behind my back, he had already signed an agreement with the enemy nation, trading my spirit stone for his brother's advancement Passage. I even helped him set up the Lightning Array!" He gritted his teeth, his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. "How foolish I was! He was my most trusted brother." But Luna, sitting beside him, gently lifted her gaze and said, "Emotions are useless. Do you have any clues in his possession?" Second Brother gasped, "I... I have some recorded arrays of Curse Mark that I've kept with me. Can you... can you understand them?"
"Easy enough," Luna chuckled lightly. "Not only can I understand them, but I can also turn the arrays he used against him to consume his own spiritual power. As long as he dares to approach the Magic Castle again, you can make him offer his life willingly." Second Brother slowly exhaled; the choking pain lodged in his throat finally eased a bit.
He lowered his head and said earnestly, "Thank you, Luna..."
"Don't mention it," Luna looked at each of them with a tone that was light yet firm. "Save your strength to win."
The air fell silent for a moment; the flames in the brazier licked higher as if responding to the storm that was about to rise.
Aelia tightened her cloak and suddenly looked towards the door. "Qin Si, prepare the horses. I need to go to the West Tower." As soon as she spoke, Brother San, who had been silent for a long time beside her, suddenly raised his head. His eyes seemed ignited with a complex and unknown emotion.
In the next moment, he slowly stood up.
"Mother... my brothers and I were wrong," he said softly, his voice tinged with undeniable self-reproach and guilt. "We always thought we were exceptionally talented when we were just wasting time. Luna is right; magical backlash is merely a lock—it can imprison but also give birth to new beginnings. I... have decided to start my cultivation anew."
Aelia turned to look at him as Brother San continued, "I will begin from the basics and find back that part of myself who was once obsessed with magic to the point of neglecting everything else. Mother, elder brother, Second Brother... please believe me; I can rise again." Luna tilted her head towards him, a barely perceptible smile forming at the corners of her lips. "Have you finally figured some things out?"
Brother San nodded, determination shining brighter in his eyes. "Yes, Luna. I will show you that Brother San can achieve something great too." Aelia stood up and gently patted Brother San's thin shoulders. "Very well; you all make me proud. Luna, what do you suggest?"
"The Magic Castle is already fraught with danger," Luna surveyed everyone with a resolute tone. "We need to strengthen the Protective barrier around the Magic Castle as soon as possible. Elder brother will be responsible for repairing the staff; Second Brother will prepare the Curse Mark arrays; Brother San will start from scratch and gradually improve his Magic Water level. Qin Si, you can help me gather Magic Materials inside and outside the Magic Castle to ensure we have enough resources." Qin Si nodded firmly, determination flashing in his eyes. "I will assist you wholeheartedly, Master. The crisis at Magic Castle cannot be taken lightly."
Lucius stood up and declared loudly, "I will lead the guards of Magic Castle to strengthen defenses and ensure that external enemies cannot take advantage of any weaknesses. The safety of Magic Castle is my responsibility."
Everyone nodded at each other, their eyes filled with resolve and determination.
The flames in the brazier danced more fiercely, as if cheering for the impending actions of their masters.
Aelia tightened her grip on the Family Crest Ring and whispered, “We cannot let Leonard succeed. Glory Magic Castle is our shared home.”
Luna looked at everyone, a slight smile gracing her lips. The firelight reflected off her Luna, and her soft golden curls fluttered gently in the night breeze.
She took a deep breath and said softly, “Then let us together embrace this storm.”
Aelia inhaled deeply, nodding with determination in her eyes.
She turned and walked toward the door, with Qin Si following closely behind.
Brother San suddenly stopped, turning back to look at Luna, gratitude filling his gaze. “Thank you, Luna. We will make the Glorious Demon Fortress rise again; we won’t let you down.” Luna smiled faintly in response.
The flames flickered in the hall, their intensity illuminating the faces of those gathered and kindling the hope within their hearts.
Luna spoke softly, “Take care.” At that moment, the night was as dark as ink, and the future of the Magic Castle was quietly brewing new hope and strength in this silent night.
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