OPERATION: BARRIER

The shock in the room was palpable as everyone stared at Damian, who seemed entirely unfazed by the situation. Jay, who had been hurled across the room by the unseen force of Damian's spatial armament, slowly picked himself up from the floor. He was bewildered by what he had just witnessed but cautious about revealing too much about his own abilities.

The room was charged with tension, and Jay didn't want to make any rash decisions. He had seen Damian in one of his glimpses of the future, and he was certain that this was the same boy. However, Damian was still a mystery to him, and Jay needed to tread carefully.

Jay decided to approach the situation with caution. He knew that Damian's spatial armament had something to do with Aether, but he didn't want to confront Damian directly about it. Revealing too much about his own knowledge could backfire, and he couldn't be certain how Damian would use that information.

Instead, Jay came up with a different idea. He asked Damian if his Barrier magic had the capability to trap other beings or objects. Damian nodded, confirming that his Barrier magic could indeed be used for that purpose.

"Would you be willing to help me with something?" Jay asked, choosing his words carefully.

Damian hesitated for a moment, considering the request. He had known about his father, Michael Ayden, but Jay's mother, Crystal, seemed like a wonderful person. What if there was a way for Michael to stay with both of them?

While Damian now viewed Jay as somewhat naive, he couldn't deny the bond they shared as half-brothers, both having the same father. After a moment of contemplation, Damian nodded. "I'm willing to help. What do you have in mind?"

Jay explained his plan to Damian, which would involve Aria, Siena, and Damian's Barrier magic. They would put this plan into action the following day.

As the day came to a close, the group had their plan carefully laid out, and Damian asked Siena about her Bloodline, particularly her connection to the Basilisk. He had been studying about it for a long time and was eager to learn more.

That night, as Jay walked through the palace's hallways, he heard noise coming from the palace bar. Curious, he headed there and found Deryl helping Michael, who was clearly drunk, onto his feet. They seemed to be heading somewhere else, and Jay watched them for a moment before turning to leave.

He eventually reached his room and prepared to sleep. However, just before he could drift off, he found himself in the void, standing there naked. Clara appeared before him.

"You know I don't like being here, especially when you see me like this," Jay said, feeling a bit vulnerable.

Clara sighed. "How long are you going to keep ignoring me?" she asked.

Jay crossed his arms. "For as long as I want."

Clara pressed on. "I said I was sorry, okay?"

"What's your reason for bringing me here?" Jay asked, still cautious.

"Since you're here, I'll take advantage of it," Clara said. "One of the events I saw in your future glimpses has materialized today, but it seems to have caused a rift between my parents," he continued.

Jay sighed, feeling the weight of the situation.

"Does this mean we're on good terms again?" Clara asked.

"Whatever...I just want answers," Jay said.

Clara's eyes sparkled with hope. "Yay!" she exclaimed.

"So, do you think Damian will be the cause of the dark future I saw?" Jay alleged.

"Like I said before, future glimpses given by the Ethereal Gaze can materialize but sometimes alter. Damian could be a victim or a pawn in the events," she explained.

"I see... then I'll have to keep my senses heightened during his stay here.

I intend to prevent that dark future, no matter the cost."

The next day, the plan was set in motion. Michael watched helplessly as Crystal prepared to leave the castle with Jay. Despite Eleanor's attempts to convince her to stay, Crystal was determined to go through with her decision.

Crystal, her voice trembling with concern, asked Michael, "Where is Jay? We can't leave without him!"

Michael, his face filled with worry, replied, "I don't know where he is. He was here a moment ago."

"Jay! Jay!" Crystal called out, her voice growing more desperate with each shout, but there was still no response.

Suddenly, Siena rushed into the room, her face pale with fear, and she struggled to catch her breath. Gasping for air, she managed to say, "Something's happened to Jay!"

"What? What do you mean?" Eleanor asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Siena pointed in the direction of the garden, her voice trembling as she explained, "I saw him... something strange happened to him. We need to go to the garden, quickly!"

Panic and worry gripped everyone's hearts as they followed Siena, rushing out of the palace towards the garden. They exchanged anxious glances, their thoughts filled with fear for Jay's safety.

Aria stood there in Jasmine's room, taking in the sight of the elegant woman before her. Jasmine lay in her bed, her form a work of art. Her silk-white pajamas clung softly to her curves, accentuating her graceful figure. The blankets covered her modestly up to her ankles, leaving her long, slender legs on display.

Jasmine's black hair flowed like a waterfall, cascading from her head and spilling over the silk sheets in a mesmerizing display. The sun's rays danced on her hair, making the strands glisten as if they were woven from pure silk. A few locks of hair brushed over her delicate, pointy ears, enhancing her ethereal charm.

Aria, momentarily entranced by Jasmine's beauty, gathered her composure and gently approached the slumbering woman. She knew there was no time to lose.

"Excuse me, Miss Jasmine," Aria spoke softly, her voice a gentle melody in the room. "Something terrible has happened to Damian."

Jasmine slowly stirred from her sleep, her hazel brown eyes blinking open. Confusion clouded her features as she tried to make sense of Aria's words.

"What do you mean, something terrible?" Jasmine inquired, her voice carrying a note of concern.

Aria took a step back, gesturing for Jasmine to follow her. "He's in the garden. Please, come with me. You need to see this for yourself."

Jasmine, still groggy from sleep but now filled with a sense of urgency, nodded and followed Aria out of her room, her heart pounding with worry for her son.

The garden was filled with shocked and horrified onlookers, some struggling to hold back their nausea as they covered their mouths in disbelief. Crystal felt a sense of déjà vu, as if history were cruelly repeating itself, and her eyes welled up with tears once more. It was like losing her son for the second time, and the pain was unbearable.

Michael, standing beside her, noticed the mix of anger and profound sadness building up within her. He felt an intense urge to comfort her, to make things right, but he was at a loss for words.

Jasmine, who had just woken up to this nightmarish scene, was equally overwhelmed with emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed at the tragic spectacle before her.

"Damian!!!" she cried out, her voice filled with anguish, and without hesitation, she followed Crystal and Michael, racing toward the nightmarish tableau.

The horrifying event that had befallen them was surreal and unprecedented. Jay and Damian were suspended in mid-air, impaled by cruel rock spikes, victims of the deadly Spirecore. A collective feeling of helplessness washed over the witnesses, knowing there was nothing they could do to reverse the cruel fate that had befallen the two young boys.

Suddenly, a large, intricate blue magic circle manifested beneath the feet of Jasmine, Crystal, and Michael, emitting a brilliant, bluish light. Deryl, swift to react, shouted for everyone to step back, his authoritative voice cutting through the chaos. The people and palace staff obeyed, retreating hastily.

Deryl moved swiftly toward Michael, ready to intervene, but he found himself halted, an unseen force blocking his path.

"Barrier magic?" Jasmine exclaimed, her fingertips grazing the air, where a light blue aura met her touch. She was astounded by the sudden manifestation of this magical shield.

As the others watched in astonishment, the mysterious barrier held its ground, preventing anyone from approaching the suspended bodies of Jay and Damian. Their lifeless forms dangled in the air, cruelly displayed like marionettes in a puppeteer's macabre show.

Then, in a final, eerie twist of fate, the corpses of their sons began to vanish into thin air before the anguished eyes of Jasmine, Crystal, and Michael. The scene became increasingly surreal, leaving the onlookers speechless, horrified, and filled with a deep sense of dread.

Amidst the crowd of stunned onlookers, two figures finally lowered their hoods, revealing their identities to the astonished assembly. It was none other than Jay and Damian, whole and alive, their grins evident beneath the shadows of their hoods.

With their veiled faces now exposed, they began to explain the elaborate ruse they had orchestrated. Their plan had been to lower the veil of the Barrier to stop Jay's mother from leaving, creating the illusion of their own impalement to achieve this dramatic effect. The revelation left the audience in a mix of astonishment and admiration for their cunning.

"The Barrier won't be uplifted until the matter is sorted," Jay declared with a newfound air of authority, his arms crossed confidently.

Jasmine, Crystal, and Michael attempted to muster anger at their sons' elaborate charade, but in the end, their admiration for the plan's clever execution outweighed their frustration. They decided it was time to address the underlying matter at hand.

Michael, ever the responsible father, offered an explanation for the events that had transpired years ago during their stay in the Demon Continent. He admitted that he and Jasmine had gotten drunk that night, and the consequences of their actions became apparent only after their return to the Sentient Continent. Jay chimed in, expressing his long-held desire for a sibling and his genuine affection for Damian.

"You don't mind having two wives, do you, Dad?" Jay teased with a mischievous grin.

Jasmine, turning to Crystal, also offered her apologies. She acknowledged that Crystal had done an excellent job raising Jay and commended her for her maternal skills. She even offered to leave if that was what Crystal wanted.

But Crystal's heart had softened since the night before, and she was now more open to the idea of Michael's extended family. She admitted that her initial anger had clouded her judgment, and she expressed her willingness to welcome Jasmine and Damian into their lives.

"No, it's okay. Your family seems wonderful, and yesterday, I was too angry to think straight," Crystal admitted. The two women hugged warmly, and then they both turned to Michael, embracing him as well. Michael smiled and kissed their foreheads, savoring the moment.

"I now have two beautiful and wonderful wives," Michael said with affection.

Jay couldn't help but think to himself, "Hate to say it, but my old man has a harem now. Kinda jealous, not gonna lie."

With the matter resolved and newfound bonds formed, Jasmine turned to Damian, who had been reading a book throughout the discussion. She asked him to lift the Barrier. Damian complied, and the shimmering shield dissolved, allowing everyone to return to their normal duties within the palace.

Some of the butlers and maids assisted Crystal in returning her belongings to her room. Jay, Damian, Aria, and Siena high-fived each other before departing, leaving a puzzled Deryl behind.

"Why was I even under the Barrier?" Deryl muttered to himself, his question going unanswered amid the bustling activity.

/// NEXT CHAPTER: MANA STABILIZER///

Edited by: JJ

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I eagerly await your feedback and comments on the book's progression. Your insights and thoughts are invaluable in shaping the narrative, and your Power Stones are the beacon that keeps my creative flames burning.

:)