The Collapsing Household

The weight of her words settled upon him like a crushing burden, causing Gideon's expression to darken with sorrow. He had thought he was offering Udeit a chance at a better life when he heard about the Lason Tribe's annihilation.

"What do you mean killed my wife?" Gideon asked with seeming confusion.

"You didn't know?" The woman's devilish laugh echoed as realization struck the Baron's mind. "Your adopted daughter has poisonous blood. That's the innate and dangerous talent that the Lason Tribe secretly has." She paused. "We wiped out the tribe in hopes that this hopeless little girl would seek our help in the future - but our plans were ruined when you gave her unnecessary hope." the woman's tone started from playful but ended with mad.

"Udeit... poisonous blood?" Gideon murmured, his voice barely above a whisper but he finally realized now how her wife suddenly died. "The Lason Tribe... wiped out in hopes of... of manipulating her?" The Baron's heart sank with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

Gideon turned to Udeit who was now on the ground, crying. Her eyes seem as if they contain confusion and understanding at the same time.

Udeit discovered this fact about her blood after being cut by a rose's thorn in the garden. The rose died slowly, including the other roses that had touched her blood. What she did not know was her adoption and the fact that she unknowingly killed the Baroness.

Udeit was terrified about the truth but it was the young lord, overhearing this, who bore the brunt of the woman's words behind Udeit. Anguish and betrayal flashed across his features as he realized the truth behind his mother's deat. He looked at his father and the to Udeit, asking for help internally.

Malvasius found himself engulfed in a whirlwind of confusion and betrayal. How could he reconcile the loss of his beloved mother with the presence of the girl who had caused her death?

In that moment, the bonds of trust and loyalty that had once bound them together as a family seemed to fracture and splinter. The young lord stood to grapple with the painful realization that everything he had believed in had been built upon a foundation of lies and deceit. Then, he looked at Gideon, filled with anger.

"My son, I'm sorry," Gideon whispered as he looked at the lost Malvasius. But for him, everything is clearer. The unexplained death of her wife after the annihilation of the Lason Tribe. "This is not Udeit's fault, these evil woman and whatever is backer her is the cause of this misfortune." He stood with eyes filled with compassion.

It may have exposed their dark past but it also exposed the depths to which their enemies were willing to stoop for their relentless pursuit of power. The thought that a lot of people had been sacrificed in a calculated attempt to manipulate an innocent child filled the Baron with outrage.

"Ready for more?" the woman mocked his determination as she grinned menacingly.

"Allen, support me!" He yelled as he addressed the King's Representative.

"Yes, Baron!"

The woman darted forward with her twin daggers, eyes filled with joy but an aura filled with bloodlust. She used her agile movements to close their distance is

instantly, but before she could land a hit, the Baron swings his sword to intercept her in advance with a series of expertly executed slashes and parries.

His stances gave little to no gaps. The woman patiently waited for any blind spots by dodgding his sword, but once she was able to find some, Allen's spear would interrupt her movement.

Deeming Allen as an annoyance, she switched her attention to him, executing a stab, but the Baron distracted her with his sword dance.

Allen stood his ground, his spear held aloft in an offensive and defensive stance as he focused on aiming to create a distance between the woman and the Baron, using the length of the spear as he swung, thrust, and jab.

Together, Gideon and Allen moved like one entity. Their movements were coordinated and synchronized, giving the woman a hard time to counterattack.

The Baron glanced at Udeit with pride and determination. He believes that adopting her was not a mistake and that he would choose to do so again if needed. She has become a symbol of hope and love triumphing in hopeless times, much like a rose filled with thorns, the symbol of the barony.

Gideon and Allen was so emersed with fighting the woman that they were unable to notice that the surroundings became quiet.

"I think you may have forgotten something, old man," she pointed out as she let out a witchy laugh.

With this, Gideon looked around and saw the four guards on the ground, lifeless. The assassins that were fighting with them are now in pursuit of Udeit.

"Udeit!" He yelled his lungs out, momentarily diverting his attention. That's when the dagger of the woman pierced his chest.

"Father!" Malvasius yelled from a corner as he ran towards the direction of his father.

"Allen, stop him." He said weakly.

"But..."

"Go now!"

Allen followed the order and instantly moved his body toward Malvasius to stop him from his tracks.

"No! Let go of me." Malvasius released an empty order as he watched his father being stabbed multiple times by the grinning woman. It was a nightmare he wished he could wake up from. His anger towards his father is now ling gone, replaced by worry. But then groans suddenly echoed behind him.

"What?!" The woman expressed her confusion as she watched the assassins die inside a purple mist.

***

The harrowing truth unfolded before Udeit. The weight of her guilt and despair bore down upon her with force, crushing her spirit beneath its onslaught.

She had always carried the burden of her poisonous blood, a curse that had marked her since she discovered it when she were four years old. But to learn that she was also responsible for the death of the Baroness, the woman she believed to be her mother, was a truth too agonizing to bear.

With each passing moment, Udeit felt the young lord slipping further and further away from her, his once warm affection replaced by a cold indifference that left her feeling utterly alone. Her tears streamed down her cheeks like rivers of sorrow but her sobs remained unheard through the loud room.

"Udeit!" Gideon's voice rang out like a thunderclap, his desperate plea a stark warning of the danger that loomed before her. But Udeit did not hear it, in fact, couldn't hear anything anymore.

In that moment of despair, she felt her consciousness drifting away as if she had been cast adrift in a sea of darkness, with no hope of ever finding redemption or forgiveness.

From her body, a mist oozes out. The assassins saw this but deemed it unimportant, too late for them to realize that this choice was the biggest mistake of their lives.

The assassins who had sought to strike down Udeit was welcomed by the mist and found themselves ensnared in its deadly embrace. Their desperate cries for mercy drowned out by the suffocating grip of the poisonous fog. They gasped for breath, masks became useless, and bodies wracked with convulsions, it became painfully clear that there would be no escape from the merciless fate that awaited them.

"What?!" The woman said, as the last echoes of the assassins' cries faded into the eerie silence of the hall.

***

Fai found himself ensnared within the insidious grasp of Qor's mind control. His mind is clouded by the sinister influence of the young girl's natural sorcery. He struggled against the invisible shackles that bound his thoughts and actions. Each attempt to cast a spell was thwarted.

"Oh? I have never met anyone who can withstand my power until now." Qor said playfully, in contrast to the eerie eyes.

"Udeit!" Fai heard the Baron's yell and instinctively looked at the unconscious Udeit. She wanted to create a defensive barrier but the silent struggle that raged within his mind is too much for him to handle. Years of experience thrown to the trash by a little half-Illithid that was born for who knows when. For the first time in his life, he felt powerless.

"What?!" The voice of the woman echoed and he felt his mind became clearer and clearer. Fai saw the purple mist grew larger as the assassins fell lifeless.

"She's awakening." Fai declared.

"Hahaha fate is in our favor bitch. You can't touch her now!" The Baron said roughly as he catch his breath, blood flowing out from his chest.

"Oh really? But don't misunderstood, old man. We don't need Udeit anymore," she declared, her voice dripping with malice. "A bigger fish has willingly dived into our aquarium." The Baron and Allen unanimously glanced at Fai with fear. Both of them struggled to comprehend the full extent of her meaning. But it was clear that the woman viewed Fai as a far greater asset than Udeit, one whose power and influence could be wielded to further their dark agenda.

The Baron realized the gravity of the situation. Fai, his trusted friend and ally, had unwittingly become ensnared in the woman's twisted web of deceit and manipulation. Whatever plans she had in store for him, it was clear that they posed a grave threat to everything they held dear.

The Baron knew already but he did not know how much this evil woman knew about the true identity of Fai.

"Fai," she sneered, her eyes gleaming l. "Reveal your true form."

As the woman's demanded, a sense of unease settled over those gathered. Fai's heart raced with fear and uncertainty, knowing that his true identity was now at risk of being exposed to the world.

With a heavy heart, Fai knew that he had no choice but to comply with the woman's command. Though every fiber of his being rebelled against the idea of revealing his true form, the insidious grip of Qor's mind control left him powerless to resist.

With a deep breath, Fai closed his eyes and focused his will, summong the form that lay dormant within him. And as the transformation took hold, a dazzling light enveloped him, obscuring his form from view.

When the light finally faded, a handsome middle-aged man stood in Fai's place, dressed in a flowing white hanfu that billowed around him like clouds. His hair, once dark and unassuming, had grown long and lustrous, now gleaming with a silver-white sheen that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the hall.

The Baron watched in silent awe as Fai's true form was revealed, a testament to the mysterious powers that lay hidden within him. Though he had suspected that Fai was more than he appeared, the full extent of his abilities still remained a mystery.

Before they knew it, a teacup hit the laughing woman right in the head. Qor was flabbergasted at the sight of her mother receiving a hit out of nowhere and momentarily weakened her hold of Fai. Everyone twisted their head as they track the direction of the teacup to see Austin standing vigorously.

"How could you do this to my friends?! You ugly bitch!" Austin yelled. Allen couldn't help but laugh at the remarks that came from the innocent child.

Fai seized this opening. With a flick of his finger, he whisked Gideon, Allen, and Malvasius away in a flash of light.

"Fa..." Gideon tried to scream Fai's name but he already vanished from the hall after a whooshing sound, leaving behind only confusion and disbelief in their wake.

The evil woman's fury reached a boiling point as she realized what had happened, her enraged cries echoing through the air. Her momentary shock giving way to fury as she turned her wrath towards Austin that caused the opening.

With a snarl of rage, she lunged towards him, intent on exacting her vengeance upon the young boy who dared to defy her.

But before she could, Austin felt a sudden sensation of weightlessness, as if the ground had been ripped out from beneath him. In the blink of an eye, he found himself transported from the chaos of the hall to the safety of his own home, his surroundings swirling and shifting in a dizzying blur.

As he struggled to make sense of what had just happened, Austin realized that he had been teleported by Fai, whisked away from danger in the nick of time. Relief washed over him as he took in his familiar surroundings, grateful to be out of harm's way once more.

A cacophony of crashing and clattering as shattered glass, splintered wood, and metal debris raining down was heard after a loud boom. Austin struggled to make sense of what had just happened and was barely standing in the middle of their kitchen. He looked around and realized that the room was in chaos, as if everything had been abruptly displaced away from him.

He recalled the scene from the Baron's chateau before he was whisked away from danger in the nick of time. Relief and worry washed over him as he looked at his familiar surroundings, while thinking about Fai who was now fighting the enemy alone.

He vomited from the dizziness and nausea as he held his breath to try and calm his racing heart. The events of the afternoon had shaken him to his core, causing his body to tremble. He couldn't put things together with his jumbled mind, he had a lot of questions but no one was there to answer them.

The commotion from the kitchen echoed through the house and caused Austin's mother to be jolted awake from her slumber. Rushing to investigate the source of the noise, she found Austin vomiting his stomach out, his face flushed with fear, confusion, and urgency.

"Austin?! What happened?" Neve did not mind the destroyed kitchen, her priority would always be her son's well-being. "Are you hurt?" She rushed to his side and examined his perfectly unscathed body.

"Mama! I need to get back to Fai! An evil woman killed everyone. The woman tried to stab me, but I was suddenly here." With a quick explanation from Austin about what happened in the chateau until being teleported by Fai, his mother's eyes widened in understanding.

Realizing the danger they were all in, she wasted no time in grabbing a bag and motioning for Austin to follow her. With a sense of urgency, Neve, dragged Austin outside their house and ran in the direction of the night's district.

"Where are we going?" Austin stopped and looked at his panicking mother.

"We need to flee, right away. It's not safe in the barony anymore," Neve explained.

"What are you talking about?" Confused and rebellious, he asked Neve. With a resolute expression, he added with a voice filled with conviction. "Mama, I have to go back. My friends need me," he declared, his gaze unwavering.

"Austin..."

Without another word, Austin tried to dash back towards the chateau, but a wall of ice was suddenly conjured in front of him. Flabbergasted and confused, he looked around. The people around them were terrified.

"Ice? Isn't that the magic of the fallen Kingdom?"

"The b**ch can use the lost arcane of ice? We should report this to the Baron!"

"A spy! A spy against the Empire!"

"There's a spy in our midst!" People around began to panic.

"Mama?" confused, Austin couldn't say anything but his endearment towards his mother.

"Austin, we have to go!" Realizing the danger of Austin returning to the chateau, Neve's maternal instincts kicked into high gear. She knew she had to stop him, no matter what it took. Austin, who had his foot frozen, couldn't reply.

With a determined expression, Neve reached into her pocket and retrieved a small vial containing a powder. This was no ordinary substance, it had been given to her by Fai himself, who had foreseen the possibility of Austin attempting reckless things like before when he tried to face Hässlich to save the slaves. She recalled the conversation she had with Fai, during which he had confided in her about his identity.

Without hesitation, she approached Austin, her movements swift yet gentle. "I'm sorry, Austin," she murmured, her voice filled with a mix of love and concern. "But I can't let you go back there. It's too dangerous." With a swift motion, she blew the sleeping powder at Austin. Watching as Austin's eyelids grew heavy and began to drift into slumber, Neve caught him in her arms, holding him close and whispering words of reassurance. "Don't worry, Austin. Everything will be okay."

With Austin now safely asleep, his mother turned her attention to the task at hand. She knew they needed to flee, to escape from the danger that threatened them. And with Fai's foresight that guided her, she was determined to keep her son safe, no matter what.

"Catch the spy!"

"Stop her!"

People tried to stop her, but she would conjure a wall of ice to stop them or freeze their feet on the ground. If she failed to stop them using ice, she would intimidate them using fire.

As the people around her failed to apprehend her, she found herself lost in memories of the past. The Kingdom of Brücke had formed an alliance with the Empire, a reality shared by most nations to avoid facing destruction. The Eisen Kingdom, however, met a different fate, having refused the alliance due to the Empire's unjust demands. Neve clenched her teeth, vividly recalling the devastation wrought upon her homeland by the imperial forces.

"What's that?" One of the people chasing after Neve yelled, switching everyone's attention towards the chateau.

With Austin securely cradled on her back, his mother's pulse quickened as she gazed at the distant chateau, enveloped in a swirling purple mist. Above, the sky began to churn in a clockwise motion, while the surrounding clouds darkened ominously. Neve sensed the temperature plummeting rapidly as the wind intensified, its whispered warnings of imminent danger growing stronger.

Amidst the confusion, people fell into silence as a sudden disruption shattered the air—a brilliant ray of light cutting through the thick mist, casting its glow upon a small clearing below. Descending like a celestial arrow from the heavens, the beam scattered leaves and dust particles in its wake as it descended upon the chateau. Upon reaching the ground, it erupted into a deafening explosion of light.

Neve staggered as the blast wave's force abruptly pushed and pulled her off balance, causing her and those nearby to tumble, with Austin clinging to her back. Despite the chaos, she regained her footing swiftly, refusing to yield to the disruption. Without a backward glance, she resumed her sprint, propelled by determination, leaving the tumult behind.

Those who witnessed the spectacle initially believed that the mist had been dispelled by the light. However, they soon realized this was not the case—it merely dispersed the mist in the vicinity. From the heart of the mist, a renewed thickness began to form, engulfing everything in its path once more.

The beam of light dispersed and only a brilliant silver light emanated from within the mist continued to shine, casting an eerie glow over the surroundings.

The golden glow of the sunset blended beautifully with the purple mist, creating an enchanting illusion of a sunset bathed in purple hues. The white light still enveloped the chateau, but the mist gradually encroached upon it, expanding and engulfing the surroundings with each passing moment.

With a sense of urgency driving her forward, she raced through the streets, her footsteps echoing against the cobblestones. No one chased her anymore due to the beholding danger. And along the way, she encountered other people who had also caught sight of the mysterious situation, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty.

"What's happening to the chateau? Where's the Baron?" People started to question their safety as faint screams started to emanate from within the mist, growing louder and more desperate. Buildings and houses vanished from sight, consumed by the swirling darkness, while the air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding.

She remembered the evening when Fai paid her a visit in the nightlife district, causing a commotion throughout the entire establishment. This occurred the night before Fai's initial visit to their home. By then, she had already discovered Fai's true identity. She never imagined that the Legendary Wizard would take an interest in her son. Despite her attempts to inquire, Fai refused to divulge any information, simply stating that she would understand when the time came.

From then on, Fai would regularly update her on the sudden fluctuations of magicules in the vicinity and their worsening condition. Initially, she struggled to grasp the concept because her knowledge was limited to mana, the essence magians use for arcana arts. The notion of magicules in the surroundings was unfamiliar to her, but she trusted Fai's guidance that had enlightened her, knowing he was the Legendary Wizard.

With Fai's influential support and her persuasive efforts, they succeeded in convincing her master to prepare for any potential predicaments. And true to their foresight, their preparations proved prescient as events unfolded precisely as they had anticipated, akin to the fulfillment of a prophecy.

Panic rippled through the streets as the city's residents recoiled in fear, their voices rising with each passing moment. Screams intensified, spreading through the streets like wildfire. In their rush to escape, people stumbled over one another, their faces twisted with fear as they scrambled desperately for safety.

The once orderly thoroughfares devolved into chaos, with people pushing and shoving in a frantic bid to escape the encroaching darkness. Mothers clutched their children tightly, their eyes wide with terror, while elderly residents struggled to keep pace with the frenzied crowd.

Amidst the chaos, Austin's mother fought to stay upright, her grip on her son never faltering as she navigated the tumultuous sea of bodies. With each step, she felt the weight of the situation pressing down upon her, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and determination.

But even as she urged herself forward, she couldn't shake the nagging sense of dread that lingered at the edge of her consciousness. For as the mist continued to expand, swallowing everything in its path, she knew that they were running out of time, and that their only hope lay in finding safety before it was too late. After some time, she arrived at a building in the night's district.

The panic intensified, driving people to abandon all sense of reason in their desperation to escape the looming threat. Some stumbled and fell, trampled beneath the feet of the panicked throng, while others simply ran blindly, heedless of the danger that lurked around every corner.

With Austin's presence a comforting weight against her back, she pounded on the merchant's door, her voice urgent as she called out. Prayers echoed through the streets, whispered pleas for protection and guidance in the face of the unknown.

"Finally, you're here! Everyone else is already running towards the carriage that we prepared outside the city," the man said as he led Neve, who was carrying Austin. "To be honest, I didn't trust Fai at first, but seeing that thing, I knew right away that this place was done for."

"Thank you for helping, Ed." Neve said as they walked towards the backdoor.

"Certainly not. If not for your warning and Fai's, I would have lost everything I hold dear," Ed dissented, his tone grateful yet firm. "Speaking of Fai, where might he be?" he inquired.

"According to Austin, he's currently in a confrontation with an evil woman at the chateau."

"He'll be fine — We will have to use the waterways to the rendezvous to avoid the chaotic streets. It will be a pain in the nose, so you better cover it." Ed recommended.