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墨書 Inktalez
"He... he's gone," Luna whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the rising wind.
Lucius's heart sank, an ominous premonition coiling around it like a cold vine. He grabbed Luna's thin shoulders urgently and asked, "Luna, be clear, who is gone? What happened? Where is Mother?"
Luna's small frame trembled slightly as she looked up at Lucius, her bright blue eyes filled with terror, as if she had witnessed the most horrifying thing in the world.
"Uncle Leonard... he’s missing. Mother... Mother..." Luna choked on her words, tears rolling down her cheeks like pearls strung loose.
Inside the manor, in the lavish reception room, the air was so heavy it felt as if it could drip with moisture.
Lady Aelia sat slumped on the soft sofa, her face pale as paper; even her delicate makeup could not conceal the despair and pain in her eyes. She clutched a letter tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white as the paper rustled under her trembling grip.
Luna stood quietly to the side, watching Lady Aelia with a mix of emotions swirling within her. She knew this storm would come eventually; she just hadn’t expected it to arrive so suddenly and violently.
Taking a deep breath, Luna tried to steady herself. She walked over to Lady Aelia and gently tugged at her sleeve, speaking in a tender voice, "Mother, Luna knows a secret..."
Lady Aelia lifted her head, gazing blankly at Luna as if she hadn’t heard what was said.
Luna repeated herself, "Mother, Luna knows a secret, a secret about Uncle Leonard..."
The words fell like a stone into a calm lake, sending ripples across the surface.
Lady Aelia snapped back to attention, grabbing Luna’s hand tightly and asking urgently, "What secret? Tell me, what is it?"
Luna hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to reveal the truth to Lady Aelia. She leaned closer and whispered into Lady Aelia's ear about Leonard and his concubine.
At first, Lady Aelia did not believe Luna; she thought it was just nonsense from a child. But as Luna recounted the concubine’s name, address, and various details clearly, doubt began to creep into Lady Aelia’s mind.
Deep inside her, an unsettling feeling began to spread like a beast lurking in the shadows, ready to devour everything she held dear. She bit down on her lips, struggling to control her emotions.
"Qin Si!" Lady Aelia suddenly called out loudly.
Qin Si, Lady Aelia's personal maid—a clever and capable woman—quickly appeared at the door of the reception room.
"Madam, what is your command?"
"You must investigate Leonard's whereabouts immediately; find out who he has been in contact with and where he has been going," Lady Aelia ordered coldly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Yes, Madam." Qin Si bowed respectfully before turning to leave the reception room.
Silence fell over the room once more, broken only by the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace.
Lady Aelia held Luna tightly in her arms, her body trembling slightly.
Luna could feel the pain and struggle within her heart. She gently patted Lady Aelia's back, silently offering her comfort.
As night fell, the manor was shrouded in a somber atmosphere. Qin Si had not yet returned, and Lady Aelia's anxiety grew stronger by the minute. She paced back and forth in the room, glancing out the window from time to time as if waiting for something. Luna sat nearby, seemingly calm as she played with a toy from In Hand, but inside, she was filled with worry. She knew that once Qin Si brought back solid evidence, the Glorious Demon Fortress would face a tremendous storm.
Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks broke the silence in the room.
“Madam, it’s me, Qin Si.”
Lady Aelia hurried to the door and opened it. Qin Si entered with a grave expression, followed by a tall man.
“Madam,” Qin Si said in a low voice, “I have found out that Lord Leonard…” She paused and glanced at the man behind her before continuing, “He indeed has a concubine outside, and…”
“And what?” Lady Aelia asked anxiously.
Qin Si took a deep breath and said, “And he has a child with that woman…”
Lady Aelia felt as if struck by lightning; her body swayed dangerously close to falling. Luna rushed forward to support her, her own expression turning serious.
“That child…” Qin Si glanced at the man behind her and continued, “That child is him.”
The man stepped forward and bowed deeply to Lady Aelia. “Madam, hello, my name is…”
“Enough!” Lady Aelia interrupted him sharply, trembling as she pointed at him with a hoarse voice. “You… get out! I don’t want to see you again!”
The man's expression changed, but he silently exited the room. Qin Si followed suit, gently closing the door behind her.
Only Lady Aelia and Luna remained in the room. Lady Aelia slumped into a chair, tears streaming silently down her face as she covered it with her hands, letting out a painful sob. Luna watched her, filled with helplessness and heartache. She knew that this storm had only just begun…
The next morning, Luna woke up early and walked to her brother's room, gently knocking on the door.
“Brother, are you awake?”
“Come in, Luna,” her brother's voice sounded weak.
Luna pushed the door open and saw him sitting on the bed in meditation. His face was still pale, but he seemed to be feeling much better.
“Brother, I have an idea…” Luna approached her elder brother and whispered, “Perhaps I can help you lift the curse of the Magic Backlash…”
The room was enveloped in silence, with the magical lamp casting a soft blue light that illuminated his face, revealing both its frailty and determination.
In this quiet moment, Luna's words pierced through the years of gloom that had settled in his heart like a ray of dawn from the future.
“You mean that ‘Beng Ling Hua’ can alleviate the Magic Backlash?” He trembled slightly as he examined the Magic Circle she had drawn on paper, “But that flower has long been extinct.”
“It was mentioned in the original book,” Luna replied, her eyes sparkling with clarity. “In the forgotten cave south of Jing Yu Valley, there still exists one. As long as we retrieve the flower and use the Breaking the Curse Heart Seal Array to dispel the source of the curse, you will no longer be bound by the backlash.” Her voice was like a gentle spring breeze—soft and sweet yet imbued with unshakeable strength.
Her brother stared at her for a long moment before letting out a low chuckle.
His laughter no longer carried the bitterness it once did; instead, it was tinged with a long-lost light.
“I thought I would spend my life sitting in this chair, watching my magic rot away from my body,” he said, tucking the Blueprint into his chest. A fierce flame ignited in his eyes. “Luna, thank you. From now on, whatever you choose to do, I will stand by your side.”
Luna smiled softly, resembling a little kitten that had just been petted—obedient yet mischievous.
“You need to stay alive first, brother; I still need you to face off against the villains.”
The next day, the young girl once again slipped into the study and found her second brother deep in thought over a difficult spellcasting problem.
A stack of scrolls lay scattered across his desk, and he looked utterly exhausted as he rubbed his temples, his eyes bloodshot.
This was a sign of being ensnared by Illusion Magic.
Layer upon layer of deeper controlling chains tangled with his thoughts.
Luna hurried to his side and placed her small hand over his. A gentle glow emanated from her—this was the Heart Awareness Technique she had learned from the original book, capable of briefly breaking the Illusion Magic's hold on one's mind.
In an instant, Second Brother looked up sharply, shock filling his eyes.
“…I can’t believe I’ve been deceived by him for six years.” He spoke with a smile tugging at his lips, but his eye sockets betrayed him as they reddened uncontrollably. “I always thought he was my most trustworthy brother; little did I know he used Controlling Thought Technique behind my back to confuse my judgment. It made my Magic Circle logic consistently flawed, leading me to believe each failure was due to my own lack of intelligence.”
Luna smiled gently but childishly: “It’s okay; now that you see through him, you can still be very smart.”
Second Brother looked at this sister who should still be learning to speak in Yi Ya and felt a lump in his throat; he couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
“You’re so young; how come you seem more like an adult than I do…” He patted Luna’s head, determination slowly returning to his gaze. “I will settle this score personally with him—and I will regain control over my magic without being manipulated by anyone again.”
As time passed minute by minute, on the mountainside behind the manor stood a figure chopping at wooden stakes repeatedly.
It was Brother San.
Ever since awakening his Huan Huo talent, he had become engrossed in the easy path of creating illusions through magic and had gradually neglected various foundational practices; now he couldn’t even rank on the tower list.
“Do you know your talent will actually devour your will?” Luna stood beside him, her small voice remarkably clear. “Every time you skip past physical training using Huan Huo, it plants laziness and delusions in your Awareness.”
Brother San paused mid-motion as sweat trickled down his cheeks; he gazed into his sister’s dark eyes.
In that moment, he seemed to see another version of himself—a clear-headed, diligent self who no longer sought shortcuts.
“Are you saying that what I thought was ‘convenient’ is actually magic contradicting me deep within my Awareness?”
“Little Brother San, it’s not too late to practice now; as long as you’re willing to start over,” Luna naturally took hold of his hand. “I will help you brew Heartgrass Fragrance so you can train while suppressing Huan Huo’s erosion on your spirit. It’s still possible for you to become a true Mage.”
After a long while, that once carefree and unserious face finally grew solemn.
He nodded, nodding heavily.
"I will retrain; I want everyone to know that I am not a useless person living in a fantasy."
In the room of the three brothers, three distinct yet equally fervent fires ignited.
They believed their family was destined to decline, yet a child wrapped in swaddling clothes reignited all hope.
But in the Reception Room, another storm was brewing.
Qin Si entered quietly, her eyes filled with the weight of rain-soaked lotus flowers.
She took out a letter, a Magic Transfer Contract, and a blurred Magic Image—on it was Leonard conversing intimately with a woman dressed in foreign robes, and the child in his arms bore an uncanny resemblance to Lucius in his youth.
When Aelia received the letter, her Fingertip nearly froze.
She tore it open; each word felt toxic, almost corroding the heart completely.
"Aelia," the Letter began so plainly, "I have made new arrangements; we need not entangle ourselves any longer."
Her Lips turned pale, her gaze emptier than ever before; the affection of those years instantly became a joke.
From the day she married into the Magic Castle, she managed the household, assisted in governance, and raised a son—was there anything she did not give her all for?
She thought that at least in Leonard's heart, her presence would not be so easily replaced.
"I have been his shadow for most of his life; now he can just sweep me away with a single sentence?"
Aelia suddenly clutched her collar as if trying to tear away the hypocritical Fake Mask that shrouded their marriage.
The room was not cold, yet she trembled with chill.
From her lips to her Fingertip, from her heart to her bones, everything felt like Ice Cracks.
Luna said nothing; she simply walked quietly to Aelia's side and hugged her tightly.
In that moment, she was not the reincarnation of the Grand Sorcerer of the Magic Realm; she was just a child trying to get closer to her beloved family member in pain, sharing some of that burden.
Aelia remained still for a long time until suddenly her expression tightened, and she slowly stood up.
"Prepare the Horse-drawn Carriage." Her voice was barely audible yet carried an inexplicable sense of impending storm, "I want to see him."
Luna looked at Aelia's straightened back, her heart skipping a beat.
Aelia smiled faintly, her voice sharp as Blade Edge: "Let him admit it all himself."
The Magic Crystal above the Dome of the hall emitted a faint cold Blue Light.
Aelia entered wearing an ink Azure Magic Robe; the hem brushed against the stone Ground, producing a subtle yet chilling sound of friction.
Her footsteps echoed in the empty Magic Castle Hall like low drums of war.
Leonard sat at the head of the table, lightly swirling a cup of Light Gold dragon wine between his fingers, his gaze languid yet tinged with unpleasant amusement.
As Aelia approached step by step, Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"You found out so quickly... just as expected of you."
His tone was relaxed, with a hint of mockery at the end. Aelia's anger seemed to solidify into something tangible, her purplish-red magic slightly overflowing, her gown billowing like a Fire Tongue in the wind.
"You admit it," she said, her voice low yet sharp as a blade. "You have betrayed not just me, but the entire Magic Castle."
"Betrayal?" Leonard scoffed, a slow smile curling his thin lips. "Aelia, you’ve been living in old dreams for too long. The Glorious Demon Fortress can no longer be sustained by our generation; do you think I sought another path for no reason?"
He stood up calmly, his gaze icy. "You lack the ability to handle the situation in the Imperial City, but I do. Every step I take is for our future."
"Is that including allowing a bastard to take Lucius's place?" Aelia sneered, the fire in her eyes nearly burning everything around her. "Your so-called future is sacrificing Our Child? Making the entire Magic Castle lose its glory?"
"That child's talent surpasses Lucius's," Leonard replied, his tone steady and cold as frost. "I no longer wish to place my hopes on the old Bloodline. He is the one who can lead our family into the next era."
It was as if he spoke not of betrayal but of a transaction destined to be right. Aelia trembled as she pulled a letter from her sleeve and slammed it at Leonard's feet. The envelope rolled a few times before coming to a stop, as if even the words on the paper were blushing from humiliation.
"You think I would just stand by and watch you destroy us?"
She raised her gaze; in that moment, her eyes were like blades cutting through the air, crackling magic gathering in her palm. The temperature in the hall plummeted sharply, an overwhelming Killing Intent pressing toward Leonard's Mei Xin.
Leonard narrowed his eyes; in an instant, an invisible magical barrier quietly unfolded. He showed no fear and simply said, "If you want to destroy everything now, then go ahead and try."
The air between them solidified, urgent footsteps echoed from the Emerald Corridor, yet no one dared to approach. The servants retreated in fear, trembling spreading through their hearts.
Aelia stared at him for a long time before suddenly letting out a cold laugh, abruptly retracting her magic; the Magic Aura dissipated instantly but was more chilling than any attack could be.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "You chose your future—then I will protect my honor."
She turned and left, her Magic Robe stirring up a chilling wind. In the deepest recesses of the Magic Castle’s library, Luna was flipping through yellowed ancient scrolls page by page.
Her fingertip suddenly paused, and a glint of ominous light flashed in her dark eyes.
"True magic does not compromise due to betrayal," she murmured softly, holding an ancient Star Map in hand that finally began to emit a mysterious Red Glow.
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