"Okay," Ava said with a small nod. "At least I tried."
She turned to leave, ready to go back and reconsider her approach, when—
"Master!"
A panicked male voice suddenly rang from outside.
Ava barely had ti to react before the door slamd open, and a man stumbled inside, breathless and frantic. His face was pale, eyes wide with urgency.
Behind him, four others rushed in—two n and two won, all appearing equally distressed. Their robes were dusted with dirt as if they had traveled in haste, and their faces carried the weight of sothing grave.
Ava's heartbeat quickened. She knew these people—not personally, but their reputation preceded them.
The mont she laid eyes on their dark, flowing robes embroidered with the delicate yet ominous sigil of a blooming lotus at midnight, she understood.
These were the Lotus Guards, Daoist Midnight Lotus's most trusted n and won.
Warriors of unshakable loyalty and formidable strength, they existed in the shadows, sworn to protect and follow their master's every command.
Her suspicions were confird when the man at the front took a shaky step forward, his face pale and stricken with disbelief.
"Master! Is it true? Are you really married already?" His voice wavered, barely more than a breath. His entire body trembled as though the weight of those words crushed him, his eyes desperately searching Katherine's face for a denial.
Katherine's lips curled into a gentle, knowing smile.
"Not yet," she answered calmly, her gaze steady. "But I've found soone I love. Soone with whom I will share my life." She swept her eyes over them, gauging their reactions. "You should all be happy for . From now on, you will serve both and Riley with the sa devotion you have shown alone."
The air grew thick with tension. A suffocating silence settled over the group as the guards exchanged uneasy glances. So lowered their heads in acceptance, but one among them refused to remain still.
"No!" the man's voice rang out like a thunderclap. "I can't accept it! I won't accept this, Master!" His breathing grew ragged, his hands clenched into trembling fists.
His spiritual energy lashed out in an uncontrolled storm, warping the air around him. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sheer force of his emotions.
Ava instinctively stepped back, her pulse racing as she felt the raw power he unleashed. This was not the reaction of a re servant protesting out of loyalty—it was the cry of a man whose heart had been shattered.
"Know your place, Marshall." Katherine's voice was unwavering, her expression betraying not a single trace of emotion. "You are nothing but my servant."
With a single, fluid motion, she raised her staff. The mont it moved, the very air seed to bow to her will.
BANG!
A deafening explosion of force sent Marshall crashing to his knees. Dust and debris swirled around him as his body trembled violently under the invisible pressure weighing him down. But even then, he did not stop.
His fingers dug into the cracked stone beneath him as he forced his broken body forward. His breaths ca in short, painful gasps, and blood dripped from his lips, yet his resolve did not waver.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed through the silent courtyard. His body crumpled further, but still, he dragged himself closer—inch by inch, his determination defying reason.
"Marshall, stop!" one of the guards pleaded, horror evident in his voice.
But Marshall did not stop. His devotion, his longing, his madness—all of it consud him.
"Master… please…" he choked out, his voice barely audible. His trembling hand stretched toward Katherine as if reaching for sothing forever beyond his grasp.
"Master! Please have rcy!" The remaining guards, unable to bear the sight, fell to their knees, bowing their heads deeply. "We beg you—spare him! He has lost himself in his emotions, but he has followed you loyally for years. We cannot watch him perish like this."
Katherine's gaze remained cold, but there was a flicker of sothing beneath the surface. Was it pity? Regret? Or simply restraint?
Her heart was not made of stone.
"Take him and leave." Her voice was firm, absolute. "Return only when he has regained his sanity—and not before."
For a brief mont, silence stretched between them all. Then, one by one, the guards lowered their heads in gratitude.
"Thank you, Master."
Without wasting another second, they rushed forward, gathering Marshall's broken body with utmost care. He was barely conscious now, his breathing shallow, yet his fingers still twitched as if wanting to reach for Katherine one last ti.
Then, as swiftly as they had arrived, the guards vanished into the night, their presence fading like shadows retreating at dawn.
Ava exhaled slowly, realizing only now that she had been holding her breath. She turned her gaze toward Katherine, but the woman's expression remained unreadable.
Had she truly felt nothing as she watched her most devoted follower destroy himself before her very eyes?
Or was there sothing deeper hidden behind that mask of indifference?
***
The day passed in a blur, and before anyone realized it, night had already fallen. The once-vibrant hues of sunset had faded into a deep, star-speckled sky, casting long shadows over the courtyard.
The torches lining the hall flickered in the cool evening breeze as the Lotus Guards finally returned.
But only four of them ca back.
Katherine's sharp gaze imdiately swept over them, her expression calm, unreadable. The absence of one weighed heavily in the silence between them.
One of the guards, Sebastian, stepped forward. His usually steady voice carried a rare note of hesitation. "Master… we're sorry, but Big Brother Marshall said he won't co."
Katherine stood still for a mont, as if considering his words. Then, with a quiet sigh, she turned her gaze toward the distant horizon.
"I see," she murmured.
There was no visible sadness, no anger—only acceptance. But those who knew her well could sense the subtle shift in her aura, the unspoken understanding that sothing had changed irreversibly.
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