Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The sky above the Glorious Demon Fortress changed color since last night.
Silent clouds piled up, pressing the entire sky down, as if an invisible claw was slowly crawling over the fortress's peak.
From time to time, black lightning danced among the clouds, not falling but lurking like a venomous snake, hissing from high above.
The edges of the magical barrier shimmered with ripples that twisted and dissipated, resembling glass filled with cracks, on the verge of shattering.
In Aelia's room, Luna was nestled in her arms, her bright, innocent eyes wide open as she reached out to catch a passing enchanted butterfly outside the window.
She did not understand the heavy atmosphere surrounding them, nor could she feel the gradually twisting magical veins.
"Get your shoes ready... You've been feeling cold lately..." Qin Si whispered as he draped a heavy magic cloak over Aelia.
Aelia's complexion glowed with a pearly hue under the magic light, her eye sockets slightly reddened, but she merely shook her head gently.
She had not closed her eyes all night; her gaze was weary, yet when she held Luna's small hand, her grip was surprisingly strong.
The warmth of the baby in her arms was her last solace amidst the storm of the Magic Castle.
"She doesn't understand... she's still too young..." Aelia murmured, her voice soft as falling leaves.
But there was no longer any resentment in her eyes; instead, there was a calm determination that approached the stillness before a storm.
The fortress was no longer as orderly as it once had been—magical lamps on the walls often extinguished quietly, cracks appeared faintly on the reliefs of the magic arrays, and even the fire runes in the pot of hot soup frequently failed.
The elders were whispering in the corridor, their faces lined with age and weariness. They sought help from the temple, but received no response.
On the hillside of the North Side of the Castle, Leonard was personally leading a group of elite Mages stationed at the site of magical surges.
Since the previous day, Shadow Rifts had been continuously appearing in that area, with whispers emanating from the cracks, resembling distant wails from a deep pit, sending chills down one's spine.
"Form the formation!" Leonard commanded, gripping his Scepter tightly.
The accompanying Mages quickly arranged themselves, but just as they activated a defensive Magical Fluctuation, it was as if something had swallowed it whole, dimming in an instant.
"The aura... it's corroding our magic!" a young Mage shouted in panic.
"Use the Holy Fire Spell!"
"The Holy Fire is also being suppressed!"
Leonard gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Above them, a massive shadow swirled within the clouds.
He had never witnessed such an abnormal Dark Magic; even during the Western Blood Battle years ago, he had never encountered magic so cold, so utterly devoid of reason.
"My Lord of the Fortress, the magic stones in the castle are starting to fall!" a Knight rushed in, blood still fresh on his face.
"Damn it!" Leonard roared, drawing the Dragonbone Dagger hidden within his cloak. "Seal off the South Tower and gather the Magic Rune Army! We must defend the Core Magic Array at all costs!"
But before his voice could fade, the air trembled violently once more.
A shadow swept through the air, and the ground instantly collapsed into a vortex.
Meanwhile, the elder brother stood beneath the Library Tower, his injured leg trembling slightly in the wind.
He watched as the Magic Flow within the fortress gradually thinned, turmoil churning within him.
"The magic... it's draining abnormally," he murmured, a flicker of battle intent igniting in his eyes that had long been dulled by the Magic Backlash.
"This isn't natural depletion. It's erosion," Second Brother said beside him, shedding all his usual playful demeanor, his expression unusually grave.
"You shouldn't use magic anymore... you can't handle it," the elder brother frowned.
"But this time, I must act," Second Brother replied with a smile that was cold as steel. "The Glorious Demon Fortress was upheld by Mother; I cannot stand by and watch it fall."
Inside the West Wing of the Demon Fortress, Qin Si hurriedly pushed open the heavy doors of the temple, only to be met by a chilling draft that stung her senses.
She raised her eyes—the Central Magic Crystal Lamp dedicated to the God of Magic was dim, like a dead star.
"How could this be—" she stepped forward, her heart sinking heavily.
The divine face of the statue bore an additional fine line compared to usual. As she moved closer, she noticed that beneath the seemingly solemn Metal Lotus Seat, there were cracks appearing, from which dark liquid slowly seeped out.
She stumbled backward, her fingertips trembling as she tried to ignite a light rune, but no flame would catch.
"The Fire Rune... it's useless..." Her throat tightened.
In the corner of the temple, the once-suspended floating spirit flowers drooped like they had been struck by frost, wilting and hanging down.
These were the purest sensors of magic, yet they had withered away silently.
“Third Young Master! Third Young Master!” She struggled to find Brother San.
Brother San stood in the corner, one hand propped against the stone wall of the temple, his face paler than that of the Trial Golem.
He took a step back, crushing a fallen petal of the spirit flower beneath his feet.
“It has come in,” he said quietly.
“What?” Qin Si could hardly move.
Brother San looked up, his expression unusually calm. “It has already entered… This corruption did not start from the outside; it has been inside the fortress all along.”
Before he finished speaking, a maniacal laughter echoed from afar, sweeping through the temple's Emerald Corridor like a ghostly wind.
Aelia stood by the window with Luna in her arms, gazing toward the northern mountains. The Demon Thunder reflected shadows rolling in her eyes, as if an apocalypse were imminent.
Luna reached out a small hand, gently grasping Aelia's hem and murmuring softly, as if calling her name.
Aelia lowered her head, studying the infant's face intently, her grip on her tightening even more.
“Even if the sky were to fall… I will never let you go,” she whispered softly, as if speaking to herself, yet her words were filled with a fervent vow of unwavering determination.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from downstairs, with someone shouting, "The statue did not respond! The Glorious Demon Fortress has been cursed!"
A shard of the window frame suddenly shattered, sending wooden splinters flying. Luna gasped and dove into Aelia's chest.
Aelia looked up abruptly, a glint of cold light igniting deep within her eyes.
She gently raised her hand to remove a broken Magic Seal hanging in Jin Nang, just as she was about to speak—
The door was burst open.
The Temple Guard Captain stumbled in, pale as death and panting heavily, his voice laced with urgency and fear. "Madam! Something has happened! Someone collapsed on the Holy Rank in front of the temple… He said, 'The Glorious Demon Fortress is untrustworthy'… and then he just—he just died..."
Aelia remained still, but Luna's fingers silently tightened around her Hair Tips.
The wind swept through the Door Gap, carrying with it a faint whiff of blood and decay.
The chilling words "The Sanctuary is untrustworthy" echoed in the already tense atmosphere of the Glory Fortress hall, each Broken Syllable striking like a hammer against the fragile hope that remained.
The guard breathlessly recounted how that person had died on the sacred steps, igniting a storm of fear and suspicion.
The Top-Level Protective Magic that had been relied upon for generations within the Fortress Walls—once as solid as rock—now lay shattered like the Bo Bing beneath their feet.
A wave of unease swept through the fortress, whispers among the people gradually transforming into angry shouts.
Panic, primal and intense, gripped the hearts of the residents tightly.
The silent and hidden fear that once enveloped them had now found an outlet and a target.
What was once their sanctuary, the steadfast belief in the Sanctuary, had become the focal point of their anger.
A group of rioters began to gather, their faces twisted by fear and rage.
The air was thick with chaos, as people desperately sought to do something—anything—to reclaim control from the invisible force known as In Hand, which was tightening its grip on Glory Fortress.
The crowd surged toward the Sanctuary like a raging torrent, filled with fear and despair.
Their cries for divine intervention went unanswered, and their faith had soured into bitter resentment.
The once-revered statue of the Magic Goddess, serene and benevolent in appearance, now seemed to mock them with its silent indifference.
The first stone was thrown—a small rock hurled by a trembling hand.
Then another, and another, until a barrage of stones and debris rained down upon the statue, chipping away at its resolute visage.
The echoes of stone striking stone, the cries of the terrified Qian Jiao, and the roars of the angry intertwined to create a symphony of despair.
Amidst the chaos, young Lucius appeared pale yet resolute. He pushed through the frenzied crowd toward Aurea.
Gently, he took Luna from her arms; amidst the noise, his voice was barely a whisper.
“Come with me, quickly. There’s someone you need to meet.” He dared not look directly into Aurea's eyes, a flicker of fear betraying his forced composure.
Lucius led Aurea and Luna through a secret passage, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and decay.
They arrived at a forgotten courtyard, overgrown with weeds and shrouded in the shadows cast by towering fortress walls.
A solitary figure stood in the center of the courtyard, enveloped in darkness.
The air around him shimmered with a red glow, an unmistakable dark energy radiating outward like the coldness of a grave.
As they approached, the figure turned to face them.
His face was obscured by the deep shadow of his hood, but when he spoke, his voice carried an extraordinary power.
"Corruption runs deep," he said hoarsely, each word laden with a chilling weight.
"The source... lies at the heart of the fortress. Beware the whispers in the shadows... they seek to consume all light."
He revealed fragmented truths, issuing mysterious warnings about betrayal from within and a force older and more malevolent than anything they had ever encountered.
He spoke of an impending darkness, a wave of shadows that would not only engulf the fortress but devour the entire kingdom.
Luna nestled against Aurea, her wide eyes fixed on the figure, as if she understood more than her young heart could comprehend.
As his final chilling words faded into the air, the cloaked figure began to dissolve, transforming into a wisp of black mist that vanished into the cold atmosphere.
The stench of decay intensified, momentarily numbing their senses before dissipating as quickly as it had appeared.
Those who witnessed the scene recoiled, their faces filled with fear and disbelief.
In the courtyard, silence had reigned until the mysterious figure's proclamation shattered it, now replaced by gasps and whispered prayers.
Yet Luna remained nestled in Aurea's embrace, extending a small hand toward the place where the figure had vanished.
In the air, a dark and powerful presence flickered faintly, the residual energy sending chills down her spine.
It disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a disquieting certainty: something truly evil had once been there.
This was no ordinary Black Magic.
It was… different.
Colder, older.
It felt… intelligent.
This was a chilling realization, one that stirred unsettling ripples within her, far beyond what a child could comprehend.
Another, fainter presence of magic lingered at the edge of her awareness.
It was a whisper of light, pure and protective magic, so subtle that it could easily be overlooked beneath the overwhelming weight of that darker force.
She became aware that this was the true magic of the goddess, a desperate warning.
A silent cry for help.
But why was it so faint?
Where had its strength gone?
Questions swirled in Luna's mind, intertwining with the lingering fear and confusion.
What was the darkness that threatened to consume them all?
Why did it feel as though it lurked within the very stones of the fortress?
Who was the true enemy?
And… could they be stopped?
“Mom,” Lucius's voice trembled with fear, breaking her thoughts.
“We need to… we need to go back. Now.” He looked at Aurea, his eyes wide and filled with pleading.
“Something… something is not right.”
Comment 0 Comment Count