Back at the apartment, Laura lay unconscious on the sofa, a soft blanket tucked around her shoulders. The healing potion Lucien had given her was working—her breathing was steady and deep, and the tension had left her face.
Lucien sat in one of the chairs while Anna, Daniel, and Illyana occupied the remaining seats. The living room felt smaller with everyone gathered together, especially with Natasha standing near the window, her arms crossed as she surveyed the group.
"Romulus had gone missing after his last fight with Logan," Natasha said. "They're old enemies. Been hunting each other for decades."
She looked directly at Lucien. "SHIELD has cleaned up the area. Good as new. No evidence left behind."
"Thanks for the cleanup," Lucien replied simply.
"The people living in that area were hunted by Romulus and his group for sport before they attacked your group," Natasha continued. "That's why the streets were empty. He cleared out an entire neighborhood just to play his games."
Lucien nodded, processing this information. It explained the eerie silence, the absence of normal city life. Romulus hadn't just been targeting Laura—he'd been terrorizing innocent people for entertainment.
"Are you alright?" Natasha asked, studying his face carefully.
Lucien considered the question. The scene had been brutal, even by his standards till now. The way he'd dismantled Romulus's followers, the methodical violence he'd inflicted—it should have bothered him... but the fact was, it did not. Something had changed inside him on the day he got the system.
"I've grown used to it," he said finally. "It feels like people just want to die."
His thoughts drifted briefly to Nathaniel Essex, still out there somewhere, still working on whatever twisted project required the blood and the genetic material of so many mutants. "And there's one more who will die soon."
Natasha stayed silent for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Can't say much about it," she said eventually. "I've killed thousands of people myself over the years."
She straightened. "Actually, I don't really think I should lecture you at all. You never killed someone without a reason. I can trust you to keep it like that, right?"
Lucien nodded without hesitation. "Always."
"Good. We are still locating Nathaniel. I'll inform you when we do." Natasha headed toward the door. "Till then, take care of yourselves. And if anything else like this happens, call immediately."
After she left, Lucien turned his attention to Anna, who was flexing her fingers and examining her hands with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"The powers have begun to fade already," Anna said, noticing his gaze.
"At least we experimented a bit," Lucien replied. "Romulus died within two minutes. You kept his powers for more than an hour."
Anna smiled slightly. "It's good that they're fading. I don't want my nails to get messed up because of these claws."
Lucien smiled a bit... She was just a girl after all.
She rubbed her temples and winced. Lucien noticed right away.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"My powers also absorb memories," Anna explained. "They're like watching a movie; they don't affect my mental state permanently, but it's like having a thousand-year-long film uploaded to your brain. The memories are already fading, but it's... a lot."
"That's actually a useful perk," Lucien said thoughtfully. "Being able to access someone's knowledge and experiences could be invaluable in the right situation."
"Maybe," Anna agreed, though she didn't sound entirely convinced.
Lucien turned to look at Illyana, who had been unusually quiet since they'd returned home. "You teleported them away from Romulus's group, didn't you? That's how they ended up on that street where I found them."
Illyana nodded. "We were cornered a few blocks away. I managed to get us out, but before I could teleport again, you showed up."
"Thank you," Lucien said sincerely. "If you hadn't gotten them away from that initial position, things could have been much worse."
"No worries," Illyana replied, but her tone was distracted.
That's when Lucien noticed it—a thin red line had appeared on Illyana's forehead, glowing faintly like a fresh tattoo.
"Illyana," he said carefully, "there's something on your forehead."
"What?" Illyana's hand shot up to touch her forehead, her fingers tracing the line. Her face went pale when she felt it. "No, no, no..."
She rushed to the mirror hanging on the wall, studying her reflection with growing horror.
"He knew I wouldn't do it," Illyana whispered, her voice filled with dread. "So he left a portal spell."
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, moving closer to get a better look.
Illyana turned away from the mirror. Her usual confidence was completely gone. The usual Illyana was nowhere to be seen. She looked younger suddenly, scared in a way that made everyone want to protect her.
"I guess... I guess it's time to tell you everything," she said, sinking into her chair.
Illyana took a deep breath and began to speak, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.
During the nine years she'd been missing, she explained, she hadn't been on Earth at all. She'd been trapped in a dimension called Limbo.
That ruler was Belasco, a powerful sorcerer who had yanked her from Earth at the age of eight when she had accidentally created a portal. Her portals use Limbo to shorten the distance between two places.
He'd claimed she had potential and forced her to be his apprentice.
"He forced me to learn sorcery," Illyana said, her hands clenching in her lap. "Day after day, year after year. I became very good at it because I had to. It was the only way to survive in that place."
"But he never let me go," she continued. "Even when I'd mastered everything he tried to teach me, even when I could create portals and do everything he taught me, he kept me there."
Daniel leaned forward. "Why didn't he just keep you forever then?"
"Because he had a bigger plan," Illyana replied bitterly. "One day, out of nowhere, he told me it was time to return to Earth. I couldn't understand why he'd finally let me go after all those years."
Her voice grew darker. "Then he explained. He wanted me to open a portal from Earth to Limbo so he could invade the planet. He'd been training me, preparing me to be his gateway between dimensions."
Anna gasped. "That's why you disappeared for so long. He was grooming you to be his weapon."
"Exactly. And as I use more of my powers—powers that are connected to Limbo—this spell activates." Illyana touched the red line on her forehead again. "He knew I might refuse to open the portal willingly, so he left this as a backup plan. The more I use my abilities, the more complete this spell becomes."
"When it's complete?" Lucien asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.
"It opens a gateway between Earth and Limbo. Belasco and his armies pour through, and Earth becomes another conquest. Though I doubt he could deal with a planet full of heroes. But, right now, there are very few heroes... a perfect time for him to strike."
The room fell silent as everyone processed this information. Finally, Lucien spoke.
"Don't worry about it," he said firmly. "Just focus on living your life. If the day comes when this Belasco tries to invade, I'll take care of him."
Illyana stared at him. "You don't understand. He's incredibly powerful. He's ruled Limbo for who knows how long. He has demon armies at his beck and call—"
"I don't care," Lucien interrupted. "I just know that if he dares to harm you or as a matter of fact, if anyone dares to harm any of you, they will get the same treatment I served today."
Illyana's eyes filled with tears, though she blinked them back quickly. "Thank you."
Lucien smiled and said, "Now get back to your rebellious self. We all like her more."
Three days passed in relative quiet. Lucien continued his training with Natasha, the others pursued their studies, and Laura recovered fully. The red line on Illyana's forehead remained, but it didn't seem to be growing.
Then the day arrived.
Lucien stood in an abandoned industrial area on the outskirts of the city, far from any populated areas. The location had appeared in his inventory, along with a special dungeon key that felt different from any he'd used before.
He was dressed practically—black cargo pants, a black fitted t-shirt, and combat boots. Everything was designed for mobility and durability in whatever lay ahead.
The key materialized in his hand, pulsing with energy that seemed to resonate with something deep inside him. As he activated it, reality began to tear open in front of him.
But instead of the familiar blue portals he was used to, this one was red. Deep, crimson red, like fresh blood or molten metal.
Lucien smiled as he stared into the red gate. He'd never encountered one like this before, but he knew what it meant. This wasn't just another dungeon—this was the road to his transformation.
"A red one, huh?" he said to himself, feeling anticipation build in his chest.
He stepped toward the portal, his heart racing with excitement rather than fear.
Whatever was waiting inside the crimson gateway, whatever trials or enemies lay beyond, they were his stepping stones on his path to become the Shadow Monarch.
.....
POWER STONE GOAL: 700 ( 1 Extra Chapter)
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