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墨書 Inktalez
The morning light was cool, spilling in like mercury, inch by inch from the high window into the room. In the desolate interplay of light and shadow, the man slowly closed the already signed divorce document in his hand, as if burying a memory in a coffin.
Leonard's gaze lingered on the book spine, lost in thought for a long while. Just as he tucked the thin paper away into the deepest corner of the bookshelf, the door was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang.
A voice, sharp and cold like an ice pick, pierced through the room: "You have indeed... been pretending all along."
It was Luna.
She stood there, her small figure almost enveloped by the morning light. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, and her little face showed no trace of the innocence typical of a child; only a calmness that cut through the fog.
Leonard's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back, but quickly steadied himself.
"What are you talking about?" His voice was hoarse as he tried to dismiss her words coolly, but Luna's next statement cut him off completely.
"You've been keeping that woman named Minnieya outside, even giving her a small castle and providing her with magic crystals and potions every month. Their child is about to be born." Each word was like a blade stabbing into the heart of this magic castle.
In that moment, the air around them seemed to freeze.
Outside the study door, a figure swayed slightly, gripping the door frame tightly. The hand adorned with a sapphire ring trembled gently.
It was Aelia.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, and when she caught sight of Leonard's suddenly pale face, she felt as if struck by lightning.
"So... it’s true." Her voice was hoarse, unrecognizable to herself.
"Aelia!" Leonard's voice trembled as he rushed forward to grasp her hand, but she abruptly pulled her arm away.
"You... how could you..." She covered her mouth, fighting back tears, but her eyes sparkled with countless shattered illusions.
In that moment, countless memories surged in her mind—his smile when he shielded her from a beast's claws when they first met, the cloak he draped over her as night fell, his frantic run through falling snow to take her to see the aurora...
Those moments of tenderness and those vows had now turned into needles, piercing one after another into her heart.
"No, at least lie to me for a lifetime." She managed to utter those words painfully while stepping back uncontrollably.
She never imagined that within this castle she had protected for half her life, behind those lips that once kissed her forehead lay another tenderness meant for someone else.
She wanted to cry out in pain but found herself unable to make a sound; tears swirled in her eye sockets as if they would burst forth and break through the dam of destiny at any moment.
Luna looked down at this scene with no excess emotion on her small face—only a faint sigh as if awakening from a dream.
But she knew—this was just the beginning of the upheaval.
In the afternoon hours, the sky darkened like it had accumulated countless bitter silences.
The elder brother sat in the corner of the courtyard on a wicker chair, his Twin Legs covered by a gray blanket sewn with Magic Patterns. His knuckles were pale, and his body leaned at an awkward angle.
He hadn't truly slept in a long time; the Magic Backlash tormented him, and his Lingzhi was often chaotic. When he heard Luna mention the ancient Forbidden Book, "Wheel Rotation Contract Technique," a spark ignited in his dim eyes.
"You mean... you know how to lift the curse?" His voice was low, but it carried an unsettling desire. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Luna scoffed, casually tossing aside the candy wrapper in her hand, her little nose wrinkling in disdain. "Unless I’m so bored that I don't care about my life."
Though her tone was youthful, it radiated a confidence that boldly confronted the adult world. The elder brother looked at this child who shouldn't possess such composure; his throat tightened as a flicker of long-lost warmth quietly stirred within his heart.
"But this Dispel Spell... is there a risk?"
"If you don't try, you'll forever be like a crooked branch stuck in the corner of the house, unable to bask in the sunlight," Luna said, taking a bite of candy and mumbling through her mouthful.
He closed his eyes, as if recalling the light that once belonged to him. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded, his eyes reflecting not just hope but rather... an ambition to break free from Destiny.
Meanwhile, in the tower room of the Magic Castle on the West Side, Second Brother squatted on the floor piled high with magical Remnant Pages, muttering to himself. His gaze was no longer as clear and sharp as it once had been.
Ever since he had been betrayed by his closest friend and sent into that confined forbidden realm, he felt as if he had shattered into pieces—unable to piece himself back together and no longer trusting anyone.
When Luna walked through the door, he didn't even look up.
"Don't bother me. You all are disappointed in me; I'm disappointed in the whole world."
"You’re not disappointed; you’re just naïve and got slapped awake. You can’t handle it, so you hide and cry," Luna said as she navigated around a pile of precariously stacked manuscripts and walked straight up to him, tapping the blue-gray Magic Crystal in her small hand.
Second Brother raised his Awareness and looked at the Magic Crystal; it was as if he had been struck by an Electric Current.
"This is... 'Locking Heart Stone'?! It’s been broken?!"
Luna placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly. "I have the method to break it. Three years ago, you rushed through that restriction too quickly and ended up trapping yourself instead. I’ll help you; just cooperate with me, and we can be free in three days."
Second Brother stared at her blankly, his Lips trembling slightly. Deep within his once desolate eyes, a glimmer of hope slowly Emerged.
"Why... are you helping me?" he asked softly.
Luna walked over and placed the Magic Crystal in his palm, her tone flat: "To redeem my life."
"You were supposed to die in Chapter Seventy-eight of the plot; if I don’t save you, you should exit the stage. Since I’m involved in this game—naturally, I’ll clean it all up."
Second Brother was taken aback as he looked into her light-colored eyes that held an unsettling clarity not typical of a child.
After a long while, he murmured, "So there really is a glimmer of hope."
The evening breeze billowed the curtains of the Magic Castle, as if it held many secrets it yearned to share.
At the end of the corridor, the dim light flickered, and Luna stepped back, clutching an oddly colored Nuclear Crystal.
Behind her came the sound of urgent footsteps.
It was Qin Si, who jogged a few steps to catch up with her. "Miss, the Third Young Master is looking for you."
Luna paused, turning her head slightly to smile, though there was an enigmatic chill in her expression.
"Have you finally figured it out..." she said softly before turning and stepping into the long corridor where Red Glow intertwined with rising mist.
In the distance, a figure stood by the dimly lit hollow window, not turning around but speaking softly:
"Luna—let's talk."
As she turned the corner of the corridor, beneath the intricately carved window woven with Magic Vines, light and shadow danced in a mottled interplay.
Brother San—Xieran—leaned against half-open wooden doors, idly playing with a heavy Silver Badge in his hand.
His Lucius was hidden within the light and shadow, Mei Yan handsome yet tinged with restlessness and weariness.
"You've come," he said without looking back, his tone casual as if inviting an old friend to watch a dull play.
Luna stopped, her delicate boots making no sound on the carpet. She blinked and casually tucked the slightly warm Nuclear Crystal into her sleeve.
"Weren't you the one who said 'Geniuses need no lessons; they only need to gaze at the stars'? Why suddenly want to talk? Did a star kick you?"
Xieran finally turned his head; the face once hailed as the brightest youth of Magic Castle now bore an indescribable fatigue.
He forced a smile: "I just... can't stand your little adult demeanor."
"And I can't stand certain people who lie on top of the tower all day comparing who can slack off better," Luna interjected bluntly, standing directly opposite him and tilting her chin up.
Xieran snorted softly, tossing the badge into a nearby potted plant by the window and shrugging. "In the end, you just want me to turn around and study magic hard, right? Sorry, being talented is my original sin; pressure is just my excuse for not studying."
"You should write a book titled 'How I Successfully Wasted My Talent by Being Stubborn.'"
Luna rolled her eyes, her voice sweet yet laced with irritation. "Have you forgotten? Back at Trial Grounds, you dragged me out from under that Raging Fire Spirit; now you're saying stars are too far away to bother looking at? Should I blame you for letting me see them?"
As her words hung in the air, silence enveloped them for a moment.
Xieran was taken aback.
This Little One... actually brought up something he had once said to "hit" him with it.
That phrase had come from him when he was ten years old, full of vigor and only seeing magic and glory ahead.
But now, he resembled a child who had fled in panic, huddled beneath the halo of his past, seeking refuge.
"I didn't understand back then..." he mumbled, his voice dropping a notch.
Luna slowly stepped in front of him, frowning. "Isn't it a bit ridiculous that you dared to speak when you didn’t understand, but now that you do, you’re afraid?"
Xieran's gaze wandered, his lips moved slightly, but in the end, he merely lowered his head to gaze at the open window.
The wind blew in, carrying the distant sounds of battle from the Training Ground outside, causing Youth's Fingertip to tremble slightly.
He had once been the brightest spark amidst those sounds, but now he was losing even the courage to ignite a flame.
"Everyone outside says you're Scar from the Magic Castle, a 'Fake Prodigy' wasted by your talent."
Luna said lightly.
"You—"
"But do you know what I tell them?" The little girl tilted her head to look at him, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
"What do you say?"
"I say you're just quietly brewing, waiting to unleash a thunderstorm that no one expects." She licked her lips; the warmth of the Nuclear Crystal still lingered on her Fingertip, much like her stubbornly firm belief.
Xieran shuddered, his throat catching for a moment.
After a brief pause, he covered his face, forcing a bitter smile that turned into a sigh. "Do you know why my Fire Magic is so chaotic that it borders on madness?" He slowly opened his hand, revealing an old burn scar on his Palm.
"No one ever told me the truth before—I simply don't suit pure Fire Element. Everyone thought I was only fit to practice it because it looked bright enough and seemed 'genius'."
Luna fell silent for a moment.
"You are suited for Wind and Fire Intertwined, mastering the Composite System of floating energy waves. No one cares if it's strong; as long as it looks 'impressive.' Tell me, is that magic? Or is it just a stage play?"
Xieran seemed to have held these words back for countless years; at that moment, expressing them made him feel lighter all over.
But Luna snorted lightly: "So are you fighting for them or living for yourself? You're old enough not to figure this out?"
He looked at Luna, this young girl whose innocence had long since dulled.
Suddenly, he felt ashamed—he saw his own weakness and how this child, who should have been protected, repeatedly carved out paths for them.
"I... I'll try again."
He gritted his teeth and forced out these words, low yet no longer restless.
Luna patted his shoulder and smiled mischievously like a true child: "Hmm, otherwise you'll really end up pinned on the top of my 'Slacker Wall,' never to be overturned."
In the depths of the Demon Fortress Master’s residence, Qin Si leaned against the Carved Stone Pillar, his gaze fixed intently on the tightly closed study door.
Her brows furrowed, and with a slight pressure of her fingertip, she could feel the skin on her palm break slightly, even through the thin silk gloves.
"The lady actually cried for an entire hour over such a man."
Her lips tightened, suppressing her anger.
That room, once filled with laughter, was now replaced by silence and oppression.
She watched as Aelia's eyes turned red, yet she stood up as if nothing had happened to deal with the affairs of the fortress.
"How outrageous..." she muttered through clenched teeth.
"Minnieya... Leonard... that pair of shameless lovers."
A fierce wind blew in from the dry well flower corridor, carrying a hint of musty book covers, as if mixed with long-suppressed resentment.
She slowly exhaled, her gaze growing colder, and a firm resolve began to take shape in her heart.
"If the lady is unwilling to seek justice herself, then I will collect the debt for her."
In the back garden of the Magic Castle, clusters of fiery red maple leaves whispered in the wind.
Lucius leaned against the bench, watching the restructured battalion in the Knight Training Ground sweat profusely as they rehearsed the Magic Array.
"It seems this fortress would be better off collapsing sooner," he murmured, turning to look at the servant who brought snacks. "Where is the Young Miss?"
"She just went towards Xi Tower."
Lucius nodded slightly and said softly, "She truly is... steadier than anyone else. Like someone who can hold the wind in their palm."
He lifted his teacup with a half-smile.
Finally, someone in this family had heard those cries for help that had never been voiced.
Meanwhile, in the main study.
Leonard rubbed his fingers along the edge of a scroll, his knuckles twitching with extreme tension.
He stared at the Contract Copy bearing Elysia Hibel's name, his expression dark as old bronze.
"When a woman knows too much, she becomes... uncontrollable," he muttered through gritted teeth.
He had always believed that everything was in his palm, but now not only was Aelia possibly drifting away from him, but even his three sons seemed to be gradually turning away from him as well.
And then there was Luna.
This tiny creature who looked like nothing more than an infant had managed to prick the entire game like a hedgehog.
"I can't wait any longer."
He suddenly stood up, his sleeves sweeping through a wave of Magic Fluctuation. Through the hidden Magic Circle embedded in the bookshelf, an eerie blue glow danced on the table, as if waiting for new instructions.
"Notes, memories, her clues," he said in a low voice, his finger sliding toward the activation core.
Suddenly, the light flickered slightly, carrying an unsettling aura.
Leonard's gaze turned cold as he pressed down on the stone.
As the light wave spread out, he abruptly turned his head and saw Aelia's Image tilt slightly at an angle.
He stared at the slanted corner, his expression complex.
"—Perhaps there is still hope," he said hoarsely, yet it felt like laughter trapped in layers of ice.
In the next moment, a barely perceptible "click" came from behind the Image.
The sound was faint, as if it had emerged from underground, yet it felt like Destiny was slowly drawing back a curtain to reveal a new scene.
The Magic Castle was enveloped in a strange tranquility, reminiscent of the calm before a storm.
Luna's small figure darted through the corridors, clutching the oddly colored Magic Nuclear Crystal in her hand. A warmth pulsed from her fingertip, akin to a beating heart.
She looked up at the overcast sky outside, taking a deep breath and catching the humid scent of earth mingled with a faint bloody smell wafting from afar; it was coming from the Knight Training Ground.
She seemed to hear her heartbeat—steady and powerful—like the pulse of the Magic Castle itself and her own.
Luna licked her lips, a subtle smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
In the hall, Aelia sat upright in a high-backed chair, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest, producing crisp sounds that echoed against her heart.
Her gaze fell upon Leonard's Image on the wall; his handsome face looked strangely unfamiliar now, sending chills down her spine.
Qin Si stood behind her, his clenched fists trembling slightly; Ailya's white nails nearly dug into his flesh.
Her elder brother paced restlessly in the room, anxiously awaiting news from Luna; he could almost feel the agitation of magic within him—a caged beast yearning for release.
The Second Brother sat idly in the tower, tightly gripping the Locking Heart Stone Luna had given him; his fingertips turned pale from exertion as if he were clinging to a lifeline, hope glimmering in his eyes.
Brother San stood by the window, gazing at the distant Training Ground while Luna's words echoed in his mind; he struggled within himself, hesitating like a lost ship swaying amidst turbulent waves.
Lucius sat in the garden, sipping bitter tea with a deep gaze as if pondering something profound.
Suddenly, the study door creaked open with a "squeak," and Leonard stepped out, his face pale and his eyes flickering uncertainly.
He surveyed his surroundings before finally locking eyes with Aelia and said hoarsely, "Aelia, we need to talk."
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