At this moment, he was looking at the other side of the room, at the huge portrait of his wife, Emilie, hanging on the wall. In the painting, her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her smile was so gentle it seemed capable of melting all the ice and snow in the world. That had once been the only light and warmth in his life, and the anger in his heart slowly subsided.
"It's all for you, Emilie," Gabriel's voice echoed in the empty room, filled with a possessive tenderness and a cold determination. "I swear, no matter the cost, I will bring you back."
Nooroo tremblingly flew out from his collar, her tiny purple body appearing so helpless under the immense shadow. "Master…" she said in a weak voice, "The miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir are the most powerful. Possessing both of them can indeed grant the divine power to fulfill any wish. But… this power comes with a price. For every wish fulfilled, there must be an equivalent…"
"Price?" Gabriel suddenly turned around, his recently calmed emotions flaring up again. His icy gaze pierced Nooroo like a knife, interrupting her. "Isn't my current price great enough?! I lost my wife; to protect my son, I confined him in this cage; and I, I can only live like a ghost in a world without her! I've already lost everything, what more price am I afraid to pay?!"
His roar made Nooroo shrink into a ball, no longer daring to make a sound.
Gabriel took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Anger solved nothing. He walked back to the control panel and pulled up combat footage of Ladybug and Cat Noir, slowing it down and analyzing it again and again.
His finger traced Ladybug's figure on the screen. "Ladybug… the power of creation," he murmured to himself. "Her 'Lucky Charm,' and the final 'Miraculous Restoration'… This power subverts causality, creates things out of nothing, and can even reverse destruction. It's… fascinating."
His gaze then turned to Cat Noir. "Cat… the power of destruction. That ability called 'Cataclysm,' although he didn't use it, in the spellbook, it's pure, merciless entropy, capable of turning everything into dust."
Creation and destruction… yin and yang… Gabriel closed his eyes, his mind working rapidly. Today was his first attempt; he lacked experience and greatly underestimated the hidden power of Paris. A high school student he casually picked, filled with negative emotions, actually brought out these two most troublesome enemies simultaneously.
"They are still new," he reopened his eyes, his gaze regaining the absolute calm and sharpness characteristic of a top designer and business magnate. "Their coordination is still a bit rusty, and their use of their abilities is far from optimized. Especially Cat Noir; he seems to… enjoy the process of combat more than pursuing efficiency."
This was his chance.
"Moreover," a cold curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, "their biggest weakness is that they must hide their identities. They are ordinary people living in the sunlight, with families, friends, and their own lives. As for me… I don't have that concern."
Hawk Moth was merely a tool he used to achieve his goal, a mask he could discard at any time. Besides, he wouldn't leave this house, so no one would trace his true identity.
"Nooroo," he said coldly, "from today onwards, I want to know about every single event in Paris that can trigger strong negative emotions. I want more Akumatized Butterflies; I want stronger warriors. I will use endless chaos to test them, to wear them down, until the day they reveal their weaknesses. One day, their miraculous will become the sacrifice for Emilie's resurrection."
He looked at his wife's portrait again, the cold obsession in his eyes now burning into a fierce, reckless flame. The tranquility of Paris, from today onwards, would cease to exist.
Meanwhile, on the sprawling rooftops of Paris, a black figure leaped and weaved with astonishing speed. The residual warmth of adrenaline had not yet faded from his veins, and the feeling of the free wind on his face was so real and exhilarating. Adrien… no, Cat Noir, had never felt so alive.
But as the familiar outline of his mansion, like a white fortress, drew closer, the flame in his heart extinguished inch by inch, replaced by a familiar coldness and repression.
He skillfully landed on his room's balcony, silently pushed open the window, and slipped inside. The room was as quiet as ever; in the vast space, there was only the sound of his own breathing. He leaned by the window, taking one last look at the dazzling city nightscape outside, his eyes filled with reluctance.
"Plagg, transform back."
He whispered. With a flash of green light, the cool Cat Noir suit instantly vanished, and he transformed back into the wealthy young master, Adrien, dressed in a refined shirt and trousers.
"Ah—! Give me cheese! Camembert! I feel like I'm about to collapse!" The small black kwami, Plagg, flew out of the ring and immediately headed for Adrien's emergency stash hidden under the sofa cushion.
Adrien walked tiredly to the sofa and sat down, watching Plagg devour a large piece of pungent cheese. He smiled helplessly: "Today… was really thrilling."
"Thrilling? I saw you having a blast!" Plagg mumbled, chewing on the cheese, "Especially when you saw your partner, your eyes almost turned into hearts, 'My Lady'~ Tsk tsk tsk." He mimicked Adrien's tone, with an exaggerated expression.
Adrien's cheeks flushed slightly. "She… she's amazing," he countered in a low voice. "She's brave, smart, and… very beautiful."
Ladybug's resolute blue eyes were still clearly imprinted in his mind. It was a light he had never seen in anyone around him.
"Yes, yes, amazing lady," Plagg rolled his eyes. "But seriously, we were lucky today; our first mission was a success. Even though you got beaten like a punching bag."
"Hey!" Adrien protested in dissatisfaction. "That stone monster was too unfair; he grew bigger when hit. But speaking of which, how did that classmate named Kim come up with that method? It doesn't seem like something someone with his simple mind would think of."
Plagg shrugged: "Who knows. Human minds are always so complex. Maybe it was a moment of inspiration? But that's not important. What's important is…" He flew in front of Adrien, unusually dropping his playful expression. "What are you going to do, kid? You went out today and experienced what it's like to be a hero. Can you still comfortably remain confined in this cage?"
Adrien fell silent. He looked at the expensive and hollow furnishings in his room—the climbing wall, the game console, the huge screen… None of it compared to those few minutes of running freely on the rooftops.
"I don't know…" He shook his head in confusion. "My father… I don't want to disappoint him."
"But he disappointed you," Plagg pointed out incisively. "He kept you here, deprived you of the right to make friends and go to school. That's not love; that's control."
Adrien's heart was stung by those words. He couldn't refute them.
"Sigh…" He let out a long sigh and buried his head in the soft sofa cushion. Once the taste of freedom had been savored, it could never be forgotten. The identity of Cat Noir was like a door to a new world, and everything outside that door held a fatal attraction for him.
He knew he could never go back. His life could no longer be a stagnant pool as it had been before.
On the other side,
In the girls' changing room, a red figure silently climbed in through the half-open transom window, landing steadily on the floor.
Beep!
The last speck of light on her earring also extinguished.
"Tikki, transform back."
Marinette softly chanted the spell. The dazzling pink light faded, and the red-and-black polka-dotted suit that brought infinite courage disappeared. She transformed back into the ordinary girl wearing pink pants and a T-shirt.
Her body felt as if all strength had been drained from it. Her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor, leaning against the cold locker, gasping for breath. The tension, excitement, and adrenaline from the battle all receded, leaving behind only endless exhaustion and lingering fear.
"Marinette! You did it! You really did it!" The little red kwami, Tikki, flew out of her earrings, circling her excitedly. "You were amazing! Your first battle was so perfect!"
"I… I almost messed it up…" Marinette's voice was still trembling. She hugged her knees, remembering Stoneheart's massive body and wild power. Her heart still pounded. "I couldn't find his Akuma Butterfly. If it weren't for… if it weren't for that classmate named Kim suddenly shouting, I wouldn't have known what to do…"
"But you seized the opportunity, didn't you?" Tikki flew in front of her, rubbing her small head against her cheek, her tone gentle and encouraging. "Bravery isn't about not being afraid, Marinette. You proved that today. You were trembling with fear, but you still stepped up, didn't you?"
Marinette remembered herself in the locker room, determined to transform. She remembered the feeling of fighting alongside Cat Noir. She remembered the indescribable sense of accomplishment when she finally purified the Akuma Butterfly and restored everything.
A faint smile involuntarily appeared on her pale face.
"Hmm…" She nodded gently. "That feeling… it wasn't bad."
"And," Tikki blinked her big eyes, "you're Paris's hero now, Ladybug! That name sounds wonderful!"
At the thought of this, Marinette's face instantly flushed. "Don't… don't say that, it's too embarrassing." She waved her hands frantically. "And Alya even recorded it! Oh my god, what if someone recognizes me? My voice, my figure…"
"Don't worry, the miraculous's magic will protect your identity. To others, Ladybug is Ladybug; it will be very difficult for them to connect her to you," Tikki comforted. "Now, you should go out. Alya must be frantic."
"Right! Alya!" Marinette snapped out of her daze, quickly scrambled to her feet, and tidied her messy clothes and hair. She took a deep breath, trying to conjure up an expression of post-disaster terror, then pulled open the locker room door.
"Ah—! Saved! Is… is it safe outside?!" she cried, "stumbling" out with exaggerated acting.
"Marinette! You're finally out! Are you okay?!"
A familiar voice rang out, and Alya immediately rushed over and hugged her. "You scared me to death! It was such a mess just now, where did you run off to? I couldn't find you anywhere!"
"I… I was too scared," Marinette leaned into Alya's embrace, her voice still trembling with "lingering fear." "As soon as that monster rushed in, I hid in the locker room cabinet and didn't dare come out… until I heard it was quiet outside, then… then I dared to…"
"It's okay, it's okay, it's all over," Alya patted her back, comforting her. "You don't know how cool it was just now! Two superheroes appeared! They defeated the monster and fixed everything! I recorded it all! Look!"
Alya excitedly pulled out her phone, about to show her her masterpiece. Just then, Mayor Bourgeois's announcement of an early dismissal interrupted their conversation.
The two followed the crowd out of the gymnasium. Marinette looked at her classmates, who were still excitedly discussing "Ladybug" and "Cat Noir," and a strange and complex feeling welled up in her heart. She had become the hero of her own story, but she had to listen to others' accounts as an observer.
She saw Alya run to show the video to the Mayor Bourgeois, saw Ivan and Kim reconcile, and also saw the scene of Jaden comforting Mylène.
When she saw Jaden, Marinette's heart skipped a beat. This new transfer student was truly special. He always maintained an unusual calm during the most chaotic times. Just now, when everyone was panicking, it was he who pulled Alya back from danger, and it was he who organized everyone to hide. Now, he was using such a gentle and methodical way to resolve Mylène's emotional knot.
He had a unique charm, like a magnet, making people want to get close and understand him.
At Mayor Bourgeois's command, the gates of Francois Dupont High School opened, and students poured out like a tide, each face filled with the excitement and thrill of surviving a disaster.
"Did you see her? That red female hero! She was so cool! That yoyo could do anything!"
"I prefer that handsome Cat Noir! Although he talks a lot, he's so witty! And his body is amazing!"
"Paris will have a lot to talk about now! Superheroes and supervillains! Just like in the comics!"
Various discussions rose and fell; everything that happened today was destined to be an unforgettable experience for them for the rest of their lives.
In the crowd, Chloé walked beside her father, her usual haughty expression on her face, but her ears were secretly listening to the discussions around her. When she heard that most people were praising Ladybug, she curled her lip disdainfully and said to Sabrina beside her, "Hmph, what's so great? It's just good luck, isn't it? If I had that kind of power, I would have instantly killed that rock lump as soon as I appeared, no need to be so troublesome."
Sabrina quickly echoed, "Exactly, exactly, Chloé, you're definitely a hundred times better than her!"
Mayor Bourgeois just smiled, listening to his daughter's words, and said nothing. He knew in his heart that the abilities of those two heroes were far from being "just good luck." He could already foresee that the future of Paris would be completely different because of the existence of these two heroes.
After getting her phone back, Alya treasured it in her pocket. After bidding farewell to Marinette, she practically ran all the way home. Her mind had already constructed the entire framework for the "miraculous Blog"; she wanted to become the most professional superhero news reporter in all of Paris, and even the world!
Ivan, accompanied by Kim's repeated apologies and the company of Marc, Nathaniel, and others, slowly walked out of school. He looked back at Mylène behind him. Mylène seemed to feel his gaze and also looked up, and with the encouragement of Rose and Julie, she gave him a shy but incredibly sincere smile.
Ivan was stunned, and then, a simple and warm smile miraculously appeared on his always-tense face. Perhaps, this disaster today was not entirely a bad thing for him.
Jaden walked unhurriedly with the flow of people. After saying goodbye to Mylène, Alix, Rose, and Julie actively walked over to him.
"Um… Jaden," the most lively Alix spoke first, her blue eyes sparkling. "Today… thank you. You were really amazing."
"Yes, yes," Rose nodded repeatedly, her short golden hair swaying with her movements. "You were so calm at the time! Even more reliable than… than Cat Noir!"
Julie, who was usually very shy, also gathered her courage this time, looked up at Jaden, and said softly, "When you comforted Mylène… you were very gentle. Thank you."
Facing the girls' sudden thanks and compliments, Jaden just smiled faintly. The smile was shallow, but like the afternoon sun in spring, warm and not dazzling.
"I just did what I thought I should do," his voice was as calm as ever. "In that situation, panic wouldn't solve the problem. I'm glad everyone is okay."
His nonchalant attitude, far from making the girls feel distant, only added to his mysterious appeal. He was like a deep whirlpool, calm on the surface, but containing unimaginable power and wisdom within.
The girls wanted to say something more, but Jaden had already reached a fork in the road.
"I'm going this way. See you at school tomorrow." He waved to them, then put his hands back in his pockets, turned and walked into another alley, leaving them with a dashing and solitary figure.
"Wow… he's so cool…" Rose cupped her face, sighing softly.
"Mm…" Julie and Alix nodded in profound agreement.
The seed of "goodwill" that Jaden had planted in their hearts today had just begun to sprout.