Despite her attempt to appear composed, the way Veda spoke about Liora—no, Evangeline—was laced with deep regret. It was the type of regret that could only co from soone who had once believed in another person wholeheartedly, only to watch them spiral into darkness.
But sothing still didn't add up.
Adrian knew the broad strokes of Liora's story, but he needed more. There was sothing nagging at him, a faint unease that gnawed at the edges of his mind, as if he had overlooked a crucial detail.
"Liora..." Adrian murmured, his tone more reflective, "I can't help but feel there's more to her than just ambition. What was she like… before the incident? Before she beca consud by this desire for control?"
Veda's expression softened, a hint of sothing warr flickering in her eyes for a mont. "Liora was brilliant," she began, her voice quieter now, as if recalling a distant mory. "She was confident, driven, and fearless—traits that made her a remarkable student. But beneath that brilliance was a hunger for knowledge that never seed to be satisfied."
She paused, her fingers lightly tracing the stone wall beside her, as if grounding herself in the present. "She had a way of handling things—always quick to act, always one step ahead. When she saw an opportunity, she seized it without hesitation. She used to say, 'Strike the iron while it's hot,' and she lived by those words. That was how she handled everything, from her studies to her… experints."
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Adrian frowned, sothing in Veda's words triggering a ripple of realization. He could feel the pieces shifting in his mind, connecting in ways that made his stomach drop. 'Strike the iron while it's hot... seize the opportunity...'
He suddenly straightened, eyes widening in alarm as the full picture ca crashing down on him.
"She's going to make her move…" Adrian muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper at first.
"Sh*t!" But as the realization sank in, he cursed out loud, the urgency in his voice startling even Veda.
"Damn it!" He fumbled for his communication device, hands moving frantically as his heart pounded in his chest.
Veda's brow furrowed, watching him with a mix of concern and confusion. "What is it?" she asked, her tone still guarded, but now tinged with curiosity. "What's wrong?"
Adrian's mind was spinning, connecting the dots that had been nagging at him since the beginning. "I think… I think the whole city is in even greater danger than we realized," he said, his voice tight with urgency as he tried to get a signal through on his device. His fingers hovered over the bracelet, anxiety twisting in his chest as he thought about the ticking clock.
"She's about to make her move, and if I'm right, it's going to be catastrophic."
Veda's eyes sharpened as her gaze bore into Adrian, her earlier calm now replaced with a more serious edge. "What do you an?" she asked, her voice low. "What is she planning?"
Adrian's eyes flickered, his mind racing as he considered the possibilities. "If Liora—Evangeline—was always one to seize opportunities, then she's not just hiding in the shadows anymore. She's been waiting, watching, and now that the chaos from today's incident has thrown everyone off guard…" He trailed off, a cold chill running down his spine.
Evangeline probably witnessed everything, with the city's main forces and powerful individuals being injured, unable to fight, everyone thinking it was over, and maybe the situation on the principal's side is worse as well.
He didn't though much about her since she was supposed to move when the academy's exam was at its climax...
But, now he was sure about it.
"She's going to strike soon," he finished, his voice heavy with certainty.
"...Or already did." He gritted his teeth as he was unable to connect with anyone.
Adrian's heart raced as he attempted to connect his communication device, frustration growing with every failed attempt. There was no response from anyone. Not the academy, not those near the gate, not even his closest allies, even Aria. A cold dread settled into his stomach, a gnawing fear of what could be unfolding right now beyond his reach.
No one was answering.
His chest tightened, and his mind spiraled with the worst possibilities. Had sothing already happened? Were they all—
Veda suddenly tensed beside him, her composed expression cracking for the first ti. She turned her head sharply, her gaze snapping toward the far side of the mansion. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darkening as if she could sense sothing he couldn't.
Adrian's breath caught in his throat as he watched her, the sudden shift in her deanor filling him with an imdiate, sinking dread. "What is it?" he demanded, his voice rough.
Veda's jaw clenched before she muttered, her voice low and ominous, "It seems… you're right. Soone's here."
Adrian's eyes widened as his heart lurched, dread surging through his veins like ice water. "Already?" He didn't need to ask. He knew exactly what she ant. There were trespassers—the real ones.
The ones who had destroyed Veda's barrier unlike them who had a special token.
"Tch." Before Adrian could react, Veda clicked her tongue in frustration, and with a swift snap of her fingers, several holographic screens materialized in the air around them. Each screen displayed various parts of the city, showing several unfamiliar and familiar figures.
'Where are the others?'
'Hm?'
Adrian's pulse quickened as his eyes darted to the largest screen directly in front of them. It showed the mansion's entrance, but what made his blood run cold wasn't the trespassers lurking in the shadows. It was the woman standing at the main gate, illuminated in stark clarity, completely still.
She was draped in a flowing, dark veil that concealed most of her face, her form exuding an unsettling elegance. She wasn't trying to hide. No, she was standing there 'waiting', her posture calm and composed, as if daring soone to challenge her.
But what made Adrian's heart nearly stop was the way she was looking straight at them—through the screen. Her gaze locked onto theirs with eerie precision, as though she could see them, feel them watching.
Adrian's throat tightened.
There was no doubt in his mind who this woman was.
He already recognized her, her real self...
"Evangeline…" he whispered, his voice barely above a breath, the na falling from his lips like a curse.
At the exact sa mont, Veda's voice rang out beside him, her tone sharp with bitterness.
"Liora…"
The two nas hung in the air like a grim echo, both spoken in unison, both carrying the weight of dark history and betrayal.
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