9: Takeover

Niva appreciated Jino's word, and she felt a great bond with him, possibly because they got closer after what just happened, but Niva vowed to protect him from harm.

Jino was leading him to another house his father had in the forest to rest and plan anything from there, as they walked side by side, Niva asked him about his story.

Jino paused for a moment before responding.

"Well, there isn't much to tell. It's always just been me and my dad. He came from a renowned clan, but he was kicked out because my mother was one of the elder's daughters and he didn't approve of my dad. After I was born, they kicked both my dad and me out of the clan. I don't know who my mother is or what clan my father is from, but my father taught me his stealth skills, which is how we earn a living by following others and gathering information. He raised me all on his own..." Jino trailed off, tears gathering in his eyes.

Niva embraced Jino, and he broke down in tears. After a while, Niva broke the silence.

"Jino, from now on, I'm your big sister, and you're my little brother," she said, looking into his eyes.

Jino felt an indescribable feeling but managed to respond, "Aren't we the same age?"

Niva chuckled, "I'm taller than you."

"That's not fair, and I'm still growing," Jino pouted.

Niva helped him up, and they continued towards the cabin. "Sure, I hope you're ready for what I'm about to show you."

Jino looked at her confused.

After emerging from the abyss, Niva initially had no intention of sharing her story with anyone. However, with recent changes and the realization that she had been too young and naive to see the true nature of the Arcanum clan, she knew that simply charging in would not be enough. So, as she confided everything to Jino, from her painful childhood in the Arcanum clan to the murder of her parents and her own death and resurrection in the abyss, she old him she planned on taking revenge.

Jin was taken aback by her revelations, but what truly left him astounded was Niva's incredible powers. Souls emerged from the ground as Niva's eyes turned dark, her entire aura becoming simultaneously eerie and intimidating. Despite knowing that Niva was special, Jino had never imagined that she could possess such extraordinary power. He almost fainted watching smoky figures coming out from under Niva and surrounding her.

"Holy sh*t!" Jino cried out, stepping back and falling on his butt in shock.

Niva turned to him, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Pretty crazy, huh?" she said.

Jino nodded, still in shock. "Yeah, I've never seen anything like it."

As the souls emerged from the ground, Niva's eyes began to glow with an otherworldly intensity. Her aura was suffused with an eerie energy that sent shivers down Jino's spine. The souls were drawn to her, as if she had some sort of connection to the afterlife that he couldn't comprehend.

He watched in awe as Niva commanded the souls with a flick of her wrist. They swirled around her like a whirlwind before she sent them back into the ground. Jino realized that Niva's powers were far beyond anything he had ever seen before.

He wondered if her brush with death in the abyss had something to do with it. Perhaps it had unlocked some sort of hidden potential within her. Whatever the case may be, Jino knew that Niva's powers were both awe-inspiring and frightening.

He couldn't imagine what it will be like when she takes revenge on the Arcanum clan. Hopefully they piss themselves and die from shock.

However, Jino knew that they needed to be careful. The Arcanum clan was not to be underestimated, and they would need to come up with a plan that took into account Niva's powers as well as their own strengths and weaknesses. With a deep breath, he turned to Niva and said, "We'll figure this out together."

Niva nodded in agreement, "I have just the plan, and our friend Ham is where we'll begin."

Jino raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Ham? But he's just a merchant aka bandit leader. What does he have to do with the Arcanum clan?"

"From what I heard in town, it looks like Ham has his bandits up in the mountains blocking any other merchants coming in, and they've even resorted to stealing from the village and kidnapping women for their own purposes."

Jino's expression darkened, "Yeah, that's known throughout the village, but there's never anything anyone could do. Not the clans, not the guardsmen. As long as their pockets are getting filled, they don't care what happens to us."

"I figured as much," Niva said. "Let's change that today."

Jino led Niva to Ham's bandit hideout, which was exceptionally lavish for mere bandits. It was a whole castle, with high walls, great posts, and it looked sturdy. Niva studied the fortress, taking note of its layout and defenses.

"Change of plan," Niva said as they approached the gate. "We're going to take over the castle."

"Yeah, that sounds goo- what?!"