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Chapter 6: Blood in the Shadows
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
Malik's eyes narrowed, lightning flickering along his veins. He stood in a clearing, the stench of blood still clinging to the air from his last hunt.
Then he heard it—barely a whisper. A heartbeat that didn't belong to him. Another, then another. Twelve in total.
"…So they've come." Malik's lips curved into a cold smile.
The air rippled, and from the darkness emerged twelve hooded figures. Their movements were soundless, their eyes cold. They carried no banners, no insignias, but their killing intent suffocated the night.
One stepped forward, voice like steel.
"Target confirmed. White hair. Violet eyes. Host of the forbidden virus. By order of the King, you are to be erased."
Malik tilted his head. "The King…?"
Another assassin chuckled, low and mocking.
"You don't even know, do you? You're not just a mistake, boy. You're the spark of Chaos itself. The old kings left the prophecy behind: When Chaos rises, the multiverse falls. You were never meant to live."
The words struck Malik like thunder. For a heartbeat, silence. Then his expression hardened, his aura crackling with violent energy.
"…So that's why. That's why my family died."
He raised his hand, biomass tendrils writhing, lightning scorching the ground. His violet pupils glowed like stars.
"You think prophecy decides me? No. I decide me."
"Kill him!"
The assassins struck as one.
Blades gleamed, shadows surged, and spells ripped through the clearing. Malik blurred, his speed tearing the air apart. He weaved through blades, parried spells with tendrils, countered with fists that shattered bone.
But the assassins were no beasts—they were killers trained to exploit weakness. A blade cut deep into his side, another pierced his leg. Malik staggered, his blood dripping into the earth.
"Too slow." An assassin's dagger aimed for his throat—
⚡ CRACK!
Malik's body erupted with lightning, his perception slowing the world again. He caught the blade barehanded, tendrils snapping around the assassin's throat.
"Too weak."
He tore the man apart.
The battle raged, brutal and savage. Malik's regeneration barely kept pace with the wounds he took. Each assassin fell one by one, devoured into his virus. Their skills became his, their strength feeding his evolution.
Finally, only one remained, trembling in horror. Malik dragged him up by the throat, violet lightning burning his flesh.
"Tell me… everything about this prophecy."
The man choked, fear overriding his will. "Th-The King knows! The prophecy says you're the Child of Chaos! If you live… if you reach your peak… the multiverse itself will collapse! That's why… that's why we must—"
His words ended in a scream as Malik's tendrils pierced his skull.
When it was over, Malik stood amidst the corpses, his breath steady, his body glowing faintly stronger than before. His white hair shimmered under the moonlight, his violet eyes colder than ever.
"…Child of Chaos?" He spat the words, his voice low and dangerous.
"Then I'll show them what chaos really is."
---
Far away, within the Aderenle estate, Nabila stood drenched in sweat. Her palms were torn, her breath ragged.
Across from her, Nyx stood untouched, a phantom in the moonlit courtyard.
"Again," Nyx commanded.
Nabila raised her sword, trembling. "I… can't—"
"You can. Again." Nyx's gaze was merciless. "The daughter of Aderenle cannot beg for strength. Grip it. Carve it into your bones."
Nabila clenched her jaw, fury and determination warring within her. Each strike was sharper, heavier, her aura swelling little by little.
But when Nyx caught her blade barehanded and sent her sprawling again, Nabila finally broke, tears stinging her eyes.
"Why… Why must I suffer this? Why must my fate be chains?!"
Nyx's expression softened, just slightly. She knelt, meeting Nabila's gaze.
"Because the world fears strength it cannot control. If you want freedom, Nabila, then you must become untouchable. Only then will your voice matter."
Nabila's tears fell silently. In her chest, a spark of resolve flared.
"…Then I'll become untouchable."
---
In the Aderenle manor, Lord Aderenle sat alone, wine untouched, his face grim. His wife entered, her eyes sharp with restrained fury.
"You would sell our daughter like livestock?" she hissed.
His shoulders trembled. "Do you think I wanted this? The King commands—how can I oppose him without dooming us all?"
"By being her father first!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "She is not a pawn in their game, she is our child! If you let them chain her to that monster, then you are no husband of mine, and no father of hers!"
His fists shook. His heart was torn. Between loyalty to the throne… and love for his daughter.
And outside, under the moon, Nabila stood once more, sword in hand, Nyx's words echoing in her ears.
If you want freedom… become untouchable.
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