Chapter 24 — The Unleashed Wrath
The air vibrated like a snapping string. Everything in the guild's plaza seemed to freeze at once — the murmurs, the crumble of debris, even the beating of hearts.
Yusel held Lyra as though displaying a trophy; beside him, Lucien laughed with the glacial calm of someone who no longer expected resistance. His words, cold and sharp, echoed among the ruins.
> "It's time to leave. These pathetic insects are no longer worth my time," Yusel said with contempt.
"Let's go, brother-in-law," Lucien replied, chuckling. "The wedding will be soon enough."
But their expressions changed when a new pressure descended upon the place — an aura so overwhelming it drew involuntary gasps and forced everyone nearby to take cover. They turned toward its source, and what they saw froze the smirks on their faces.
Selene emerged wrapped in fury, her figure outlined by a crimson light that seemed to bleed from her very skin. Her red hair flared wildly, alive with fire; a single horn jutted from her head, dark and gleaming — proof of what had long been hidden. Her eyes burned with two flames — emerald green fused with searing red — and tongues of fire licked up her arms and legs, scorching the ground with every step. Each breath made the air tremble.
Yusel didn't bother to hide the hunger in his gaze.
> "I said it before," he muttered with feverish fascination. "That power… I want it for myself."
Lucien scoffed.
> "That filthy creature? Don't make me laugh."
Lyra, chained but still conscious, spat out her words filled with rage.
> "Stop insulting Selene, you bastards! You're nothing but cowards!"
Lucien laughed cruelly, his tone sharp as a blade.
> "My dear fiancée… do you prefer that wretched being? That thing neither demon nor elf — just a half-breed? They're slaves, nothing more. You'll see how easily I tear her away from you."
Selene clenched her teeth. Pain and fury laced her voice, but she did not falter.
> "You will not take Lyra," she said — and though her voice trembled from exhaustion, her resolve was absolute.
She moved without hesitation. The world narrowed to a single point — her, the injustice before her, and the need to shatter it.
Lucien raised a barrier of pure light: a shimmering wall meant to block any attack. It gleamed, perfect and solid — until Selene's wrath smashed through it. Her fist, wreathed in fire, struck with such force that the barrier shattered like glass. Lucien was hurled backward, crashing into the guild wall and collapsing, stunned.
For an instant, the impossible had happened — divine protection, broken by rage alone.
Yusel roared, his face twisted between disbelief and fury.
> "How dare a bastard touch a noble?! You'll pay for that!"
From his hands, a sword of ice materialized — long, flawless, its edge gleaming like a frozen star. He held it with lethal grace.
Lyra, still bound, tried to stop him.
> "Brother! Don't hurt Selene!"
Yusel sneered and struck her across the face. The slap echoed like a verdict. Lyra stumbled; the light around her dimmed, and the magic shielding her faded as if her very breath had been stolen away.
A prison of ice formed around her, locking her in place. The humiliation burned more deeply than the blow itself.
Yusel hurled his sword. Selene barely dodged — the blade grazed her shoulder. He pressed on relentlessly, each strike faster, heavier, more brutal than the last. Selene fought back with what strength remained, her movements fueled by defiance more than power.
When Yusel finally saw an opening, his blade descended in a killing arc. Selene saw the edge coming toward her throat — felt death in its chill — and in that instant, a shadow leapt between them.
Arthus.
With a desperate cry, he threw himself in front of her. The clash rang out like thunder, shaking the plaza.
Yusel growled.
> "Another fool getting in my way. Brave, Arthus — but I doubt you'll last another breath."
Arthus, panting, wiped the blood from his mouth and met Yusel's glare.
> "Idiot," he spat. "You think I'll surrender that easily?"
Then the air itself grew heavier. Something ancient pressed down upon them — an aura that made even stone pulse with unease. Yusel's lips curled into a smile, cruel and proud.
> "Finally," he murmured. "You've awakened. Show me your true strength."
And then Lyra appeared beside him.
But she was no longer the helpless girl from before. A radiant light burst from her chest, pure and blinding — a miniature sun. The brightness forced everyone to shield their eyes.
Lyra stood tall before her brother, her voice trembling but resolute.
> "Brother! Stop hurting my friends. I told you I'd go with you… so leave them alone!"
Yusel blinked, momentarily caught off guard. But his reply was venomous.
He snapped a pair of enchanted shackles around her wrists. Instantly, the brilliant aura faded. Lyra's body went limp, drained of magic.
> "What… what's happening? Why can't I use my magic?" she gasped.
"These cuffs suppress power," Yusel said coldly. "You won't be doing anything."
Desperation turned to rage in Selene's eyes. With her last ounce of strength, she screamed —
> "Leave Lyra alone!"
Her sudden attack caught even Lucien off guard. He retaliated, raising a beam of concentrated light. The blast struck Selene full-force, sending her crashing to the ground.
She lay motionless, blood staining the earth, her breathing shallow.
Lucien's lips curved into a smile of vile satisfaction.
> "That filthy mongrel dared touch me. Let her suffer. She'll die slowly."
Arthus saw her fall and erupted in rage.
> "I'll kill you both!" he shouted, rising to his feet.
Then — the unthinkable.
A sword appeared from nowhere and pierced Arthus through the back. The sharp, wet sound of steel through flesh silenced everything.
Arthus froze, disbelief written on his face. Blood spread across the ground as his strength left him. He collapsed, his eyes dimming into stillness. No one saw who struck the blow — only the horror that followed.
Yusel looked down with disdain. Calmly, like a victor collecting the spoils of war, he turned away.
> "Trash," he muttered. "We're done here. Let's go, Lucien."
Lucien, still smirking, nodded. Together they dragged Lyra — weeping and broken — away from the plaza.
Selene, barely conscious, watched them leave. Her hand reached out weakly, trembling, but strength abandoned her fingers. Rage mixed with helplessness until it became pain itself.
---
Back to the present.
The guild master's chamber was silent as a tomb.
Kael clenched his jaw so hard that the veins in his neck stood out. His voice was a blade.
> "I won't forgive them," he said, each word a hammer. "They'll pay for everything they've done."
Selene, barely able to speak, lifted her gaze. Her eyes burned with the fury of the humiliated — the will to destroy.
> "This time," she whispered, "I won't fail again. We'll bring Lyra back… and I'll burn them all."
Kael looked at her, the weight of his vow as heavy as death itself.
> "Get ready. Arthus, the others — everyone. We prepare for war. We'll annihilate that cursed kingdom."
His voice left no room for doubt. It was the sound of war drums.
Then — the door burst open with a loud crack.
A figure blocked the threshold, and a voice rang out — firm, commanding:
> "Wait! …You're not going anywhere."
To be continued…