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墨書 Inktalez
Aelia sat upright in the high-backed chair, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest, producing a crisp sound. Her gaze was hollow and cold, as if the sound was echoing in her heart.
On the wall, Leonard's portrait remained handsome, yet at this moment, he appeared strangely unfamiliar, sending waves of coldness through Aelia. Qin Si stood behind her, his clenched fists trembling slightly, Aelia's white nails nearly digging into his flesh.
Outside the hall, the eldest brother paced back and forth in the room, anxiously awaiting news from Luna. He felt the restlessness of magic within him, like a caged beast yearning for freedom. The second brother sat motionless in the tower, tightly gripping the Locking Heart Stone that Luna had given him; his fingertips turned white from the pressure as if he were holding onto a lifeline, hope flickering in his eyes.
Brother San stood by the window, gazing at the distant Training Ground, Luna's words echoing in his ears. His heart was torn and hesitant, like a ship lost at sea, swaying uncertainly in the storm. Lucius sat in the garden, sipping bitter tea, his gaze deep and contemplative as if lost in thought.
Suddenly, the study door creaked open, and Leonard stepped out, his face pale and his eyes flickering. He scanned the room before finally resting his gaze on Aelia. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Aelia, we need to talk."
A flicker of cold laughter crossed Aelia's eyes as she slowly stood up and glared at Leonard. Her voice was as frigid as ice. "Talk? How dare you come to me? You betrayed me and this family, and now you want to talk?"
Leonard's face grew even paler as he swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure. "Aelia, please listen to me. This is all a misunderstanding. I... I just wanted to secure more benefits for our family."
"Benefits?" Aelia's voice trembled with emotion; tears shimmered in her eyes but her anger surged stronger. "Is your so-called benefit worth trading my happiness and that of our children? You kept a woman outside and let her bear your child—do you think I'm a fool?"
Leonard lowered his head, unable to meet Aelia's gaze. He spoke softly, "I know I was wrong, but it was only temporary. I will make it right. Aelia, please give me another chance."
Aelia suddenly stood up straight again, glaring at him with tears in her voice. "Make it right? You damned well better! I will never trust you again! You have betrayed me time and again; I’ve had enough!"
Hearing the argument from outside, the eldest brother hurriedly pushed open the door and stormed into the hall, glaring at Leonard. "Father, you have gone too far! Aelia's mother has sacrificed so much for this family; how could you treat her like this?"
The second brother rushed over from the tower as well, determination flickering in his eyes. "Eldest brother is right, Father; you must take responsibility for your actions."
Brother San stood at the doorway with a complex expression; after hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped forward. "Yes, Father; we always thought you were the pride of our family; we never expected you would do something like this."
Leonard's face turned an ashen gray as he glared angrily at his sons. "And you all side with your stepmother against your own father?"
"We believe in the truth!" The eldest brother's voice was deep and resolute.
In the hall, arguments erupted one after another; the tension in the air was thick enough to squeeze water from it. Luna stood aside watching everything unfold with growing anxiety in her heart. She knew that if they couldn't resolve this issue quickly, chaos would ensue within Magic Castle.
Taking a deep breath to muster her courage, she stepped forward and said loudly, "Enough! Everyone needs to calm down!"
At her words, everyone turned to look at Luna. Aelia’s expression softened slightly.
Luna nodded firmly. "I know you're all very angry and hurt right now, but anger won't solve anything. We need to calm down and think of a way to resolve this issue once and for all."
Aelia nodded slightly; a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. "What do you suggest?"
Luna thought for a moment and slowly said, "I know the plot in the original story. Leonard betrayed us because he was coerced by a force known as the 'Shadow Demon.' If we can find evidence of the 'Shadow Demon,' we can make his betrayal justifiable and ensure he receives the punishment he deserves."
Leonard's face turned extremely grim as he stepped forward, shouting, "Nonsense! You’re trying to frame me!"
Luna met his gaze fearlessly, her voice firm. "I can understand your situation at that time, but you cannot harm innocent people out of selfishness. If we can find evidence of the 'Shadow Demon,' it will not only prove your innocence but also protect this family."
Aelia's expression grew complicated as she looked at Luna. We cannot let this family be destroyed by Leonard's actions.
"Qin Si, go prepare. I want to investigate this matter," she commanded.
Qin Si quickly acknowledged and left the hall in haste.
Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Brother San all nodded in support.
Leonard's expression darkened further; he felt as if the air around him was thickening, making it hard for him to breathe.
Just as everyone was preparing to take action, in the garden, Lucius quietly stood up, his gaze deep. He set down his teacup and slowly walked toward the hall.
At that moment, Luna suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look toward the garden. She softly asked, "Lucius, are you going to join us?"
Lucius halted, meeting Luna's eyes with a cold smile. "Do you really think I would support someone who betrayed our family?"
As Lucius stepped into the hall, sunlight streamed through the garden's vine-covered door, casting a golden glow on his Deep Purple cloak.
His pace was unhurried, as if a storm was about to break after a calm before the tempest.
He scanned the room slowly; his eyes, usually filled with casual amusement, were now as cold as ice formed over millennia.
"I once believed that while the Glorious Demon Fortress was not perfect, it at least possessed basic dignity and justice." His voice was low but resonated like a stone thrown into still water, sending ripples throughout the room. "But now it seems I was indeed too naive."
Leonard's face changed dramatically. "Lucius, do you know what you're saying? I am your father!"
"Precisely because you are my father that I am disappointed," Lucius replied steadily. "I respected you as my father and hoped to take pride in you, yet I watched you trample on Mother’s trust and attempt to cover your selfishness and betrayal with 'interests.' Do you think all of this is worth hiding?"
At these words, the atmosphere in the hall shifted once again.
Brother San, who had previously harbored some doubts, tightened his lips upon hearing Lucius's words, while Second Brother's hope burned even brighter.
Only Eldest Brother remained seemingly composed; however, his fingers trembled slightly at his side from clenching them tightly.
Leonard’s eyes reddened with barely contained emotion.
He roared angrily, "Have you all gone mad!? This matter is not as complicated as you think; it’s Aelia being petty! It’s Luna stirring up trouble!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he swept his sleeve violently through the air, creating a weak gust that sent several scrolls flying off the table. The scrolls scattered across the floor with an irritating rustle.
"What does a little girl know? She fabricates baseless accusations and incites you all to join her! You’re all acting like you've been bewitched!"
The distance between everyone subtly widened due to his words; even Qin Si couldn't help but frown and mutter softly, "This person... is no longer who he used to be."
Luna stood in the center of the hall, her eyes clear like a spring lake, unaffected like a Morning Star.
She did not retort but gently waved her hand. A faint blue Halo rose from her palm like a transparent crystal ball, tendrils of magical energy spiraling out like vines into the air.
"Since you say I’m fabricating stories, let’s talk about evidence."
She spoke calmly, but the unwavering determination in her voice made the magic in the air shudder. The scene of Leonard's Last Night gradually became clear—deep in the woods, under the moonlight, a middle-aged man in a black robe climbed over a vine wall, skillfully avoiding the patrols of the Magic Castle, heading straight for a side hall.
"This is the night three days ago. You left the Magic Castle under the pretense of 'summoning the family elders,' but you did not attend the meeting. Instead, you went to meet Leonard's Concubine," Luna stated. As her words fell, a flash of blue light illuminated Leonard's Last Night again, revealing the black-clad woman holding a small infant in her arms, lips slightly parted. "You named him 'Xiao Ryan'... you forgot to change his father's surname."
A sudden silence enveloped the room. The eldest brother's gaze turned icy as frost, while Second Brother's lips trembled as he muttered, "It's really him... he admitted it himself."
Brother San swallowed hard and took a step back in silence.
Leonard's face had already turned from ashen gray to waxy white.
"I—You... you tampered with this! This isn't real!" he shouted like a frantic child, his tone betraying an uncontainable fear.
Aelia slowly stood up. Her eyes showed no tears, as if they had long dried up into a desert, devoid of any outlet for sorrow.
She stepped forward and gently picked up an image that had blown to the ground—a picture from years ago when they were together as a family during Leonard's Last Night—Leonard stood at the center, his hand resting on her shoulder, with three boys still dressed in their Training Robes behind them.
She smiled softly but with an icy chill. "I thought I could hold onto your last shred of conscience and leave behind a complete home for our child in this Magic Castle... it seems I was too foolish."
"Aelia, let me explain; it was truly the Shadow Demon—!"
"Be quiet." She interrupted him, locking her gaze onto his eyes. "Now you mention 'Shadow Demon,' does that mean everything Luna just showed was your illusion? Is your newborn also a facade? You can't even come up with a decent excuse for your crimes."
Leonard clenched his jaw, standing rigidly as if using all his strength to support his spine.
But that authority had already crumbled in the eyes of everyone present into ruins—a broken beam swaying in the storm.
"We once stood shoulder to shoulder against external enemies and managed the Glorious Demon Fortress together; you were once the man I admired." Aelia slowly brushed dust off the image before tossing it into the fireplace. The old painting quickly turned to ashes in the flames, reflecting her cold and piercing gaze.
"From this day forth, you and I shall have no more ties as husband and wife."
The hall fell into dead silence.
As flames flickered up, they illuminated Luna's Lucius. She glanced at Lucius, who had yet to step fully into the hall.
Lucius placed his hands behind his back and walked closer with steady footsteps that echoed through the space. He spoke slowly, "Did you think only Mother wanted to sever ties with you?"
His tone was calm but struck like lightning against old wood.
Outside the hall, a night raven landed on the mottled railings and suddenly cawed loudly, startling the wind and lifting a corner of the heavy curtain.
In that breeze, Aelia's cloak and Luna's golden hair fluttered together. She turned her head to look at her eldest brother and Second Brother still standing afar; her lips moved slightly but she had yet to speak.
In the next breath—
The eldest brother stepped forward.
He moved slowly beside Aelia; his Magic Robe swayed slightly with his motion, revealing glimpses of silver-gray fabric through gaps like weathered rock layers frozen by wind.
He stood next to Aelia with hands clasped before him; magic crackled softly between his knuckles like thunder suppressed within bloodlines, ready to burst forth at any moment.
Though older than others, he stubbornly stood tall and straight; his silhouette resembled a military flag fluttering in the wind. All attention in the hall shifted towards him instantly.
"I should have stood by your side long ago," he said with a voice like dull stones striking against walls—his tone was hoarse yet unwavering. "This Magic Castle was built by Mother; it is not a playground for selfish desires. From this day forth, I will fight for Mother, for Luna, and for those who truly deserve protection."
Aelia's eyes trembled slightly, the suppressed emotions nearly breaking free in that moment. She did not respond, merely nodding, her gaze as deep and solemn as the Twilight forest.
Following her, Second Brother stepped forward. His stride was less resolute than that of his elder brother, tinged with a hint of cautious doubt, yet his eyes shone with an unprecedented brightness. He held the Locking Heart Stone tightly in his palm, its warmth penetrating his bones, reminiscent of Luna's words from that night in the tower, igniting the last flicker of hope within him.
"In these years, I have lost faith and questioned the meaning of magic. But Luna... she has shown me hope once more." Second Brother paused, clenching his jaw, a layer of shame rising in his eyes. "This time, I will not be manipulated by anyone again, nor will I stand by Error's side. Mother, please allow me to fight for you."
His voice trembled slightly but was sincere enough to move anyone who heard it. Aelia looked at this child who had once been consumed by pain; a glimmer of emotion welled up in her eyes but did not fall. She took a deep breath, pushing those feelings back down into her chest.
Brother San hesitated for a moment, raising an eyebrow with a hint of defiance at the corner of his mouth. He was the youngest among them, once regarded as a genius in their father's eyes and the future light of the Glorious Demon Fortress. Yet it seemed that this very "talent" had caused him to lose himself.
He lifted his head and walked to Luna's side, determination shining through the struggle in his gaze. "I once thought that as long as I was strong enough, no one could deny me. Yet I became the first to be abandoned by Father." He let out a cold laugh and shook his head in self-mockery. "Since he is no longer worthy of admiration, I will take a gamble: to follow you all and fight for whatever dignity remains in the Glorious Demon Fortress."
With those words, the three brothers stood in a line, their figures aligned and their presence formidable. Initially silent, three currents of repressed yet intense magical energy gradually converged above them like rolling thunder—silent yet imposing.
The hall fell into silence for several breaths, as if even time itself hesitated to disturb this unspoken vow. Qin Si stepped back two paces; her palm was already dampened as she pressed her fingertips against her wrist to calm her excitement.
She looked at Luna—the little girl who could barely write her name yet could stir up storms with a flick of her small hands—her heart filled with mixed emotions but growing ever more resolute. "Miss... no, Luna, if you are willing to lead us, we old bones would not mind taking another Reincarnation."
At that moment, all eyes turned toward Luna—the infant who appeared to be only a few months old yet stood at the center of the hall where light and shadow intertwined. One hand still cradled the shimmering Blue Light; her expression was calm yet steady as a mountain.
She did not rush to speak but slightly turned her face toward the window where the sunset cast golden rays upon the distant tower's Castle Spire. The sunlight tinted her light gold hair; within her exceptionally clear eyes reflected every inch of ruin and hope within the Magic Castle.
Lucius stood slightly behind her, arms crossed over his chest. His tone was indifferent yet carried an almost imperceptible respect: "Next, it’s up to you, Sister."
Luna gently nodded and then suddenly drew that orb of Blue Light into her palm. As magic surged forth, the air around them seemed to resonate with a low hum. She took a step forward like an omen seeking its path.
No one questioned her anymore because the Destiny of the Glorious Demon Fortress had quietly turned to its next page under her fingertip…
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