18. The Dark Mage Part 2

"Selene!" the voice called.

Selene turned her head toward the voice and frowned when she saw Gray approaching her.

Mylia also caught sight of him. "What is everyone doing? How could they let anyone in here?"

"Mylia, focus," Kamiel reminded her.

Bang! Bang!

Dark tentacles attacked Rain's shield. After each strike, the tentacles smoked from contact with the Power of Light.

Commander Rain watched the Dark Beast approaching them.

Selene smiled at Gray, who stared at her in disbelief and horror.

"You are just in time, my dear. Help me with these villains that have invaded my home," she said sweetly.

Gray glanced at the Pacifist and then at the dark beast before looking at Selene again.

"It... I... Selene, what..." Gray stuttered.

Selene stopped smiling and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tsk, a year is just too short to conquer the Chosen One..." she muttered to herself, then held out her hand.

"It cannot be helped. Then at least, I will kill you." She said that aloud.

Five green dots glowed on Selene's fingertips, and five light arrows flew toward Gray. Gray stood there like a fool for a moment before his instinct overrode common sense, and he dodged to the side. His mind may have been confused, but his survival instincts were stronger.

Boom! Boom!

Huuuaaaammmmm...

Selene looked at her howling beast that the Pacifists had hit. A hole appeared in the beast's body, and one of its tentacles was destroyed.

Mylia held a staff towards the beast, which was touched by both her, Kamiel, and Gillen. Another large white ball of energy gathered on the staff.

Selene was furious; she could not concentrate on so many things at once. She looked at the people she controlled who were still in her grip. Half of them were unconscious; the dark beast had crushed some. She decided they were useless to her now and siphoned back their power. The remaining victims fell to the ground, and Selene lost interest in them.

She turned again to look at Gray, but a maw full of sharp teeth appeared before her eyes. Quickly, she moved out of the way.

Crunch!

The fanged mouth bit into the air, and a large white and orange cat, as big as a Bengal tiger, landed on the ground.

The cat immediately began to run again and jumped at Selene. Claws and fur began to glow white. Selene swung her arm, which flashed green, and blew the animal away from her. She whirled around and flew toward Gray, who was still kneeling on the ground where he had landed.

Something hit her in the back, sending her to the ground. The impact on the ground did nothing to her, but she felt a pain in her back and immediately rolled over, only to be impaled by a white glowing spear in the place where she had been standing before.

The raccoon ran and jumped on the back of the big cat, which ran towards her as fast as it could.

Selene dug her fingers into the ground, and more tentacles shot up into the air around her, attacking the oncoming enemies. She turned back toward Gray, who followed her with his gaze.

Meanwhile, Rain held the Dark Beast at bay with the help of Mylia and Kamiel. His shield had grown into a wall almost as high as the monster itself.

Selene rose into the air and raised her arms above her head. Green light began to gather in her hands. At that moment, she felt a strange chill in her hand. She looked at it in confusion and realized that one of her arms had been cut clean, and black blood was oozing out.

She frowned and looked at the person some distance away, who smiled mockingly as he waved her severed arm around. "Mori. What the hell are you doing?"

"Not much. You have already lost. So I am taking something from you with me," replied Mori.

"You... how about you help me instead?" she growled.

Mori shook his head. "You'll take care of your own shit. Bye-bye." Just as quickly as he had appeared, the scoundrel disappeared.

Selene frowned at her severed hand and gritted her teeth. "I guess I have no choice then."

Selene made up her mind and flew towards her beast. Black and green energy began to swirl around her body and pierced into the beasts like arrows. The Dark Beast became momentarily motionless, and Selene's face appeared on its forehead. The beast raised all its tentacles and slammed them onto the shield, causing it to crack under the powerful blow. Rain fell to one knee, gasping heavily.

Mylia and Kamiel immediately touched their commander to restore his strength, and the shield began to heal once again. However, the beast did not give them a chance and struck again.

Shattering!

The shield shattered into shards, and the three were thrown backward. Suddenly, black tentacles emerged from the ground and tangled their bodies, pinning them to the ground.

The Dark Beast swung its tentacles, swatting the cat and raccoon aside as they attempted a sneak attack. Then, it started to charge toward Gray.

*****

Gray was in no position to do anything. He could only watch the entire fight unfold; his mind was a mess. His consciousness was locked in a struggle with a dark curse that insisted everything was fine and he should follow Selene. However, no matter how powerful the curse was, it couldn't easily override what he had witnessed with his own eyes. This left him in a state of complete confusion.

As the dark beast charged towards him, with Selene's face looming above, his gaze was shaky. Memories flooded his mind. His first encounter with Selene was during prom season last year. He had been accompanying Elizabeth when they unexpectedly crossed paths with Selene on their way to the wine. He bumped into her in a moment of clumsiness, causing her dress to spill. It was an awkward and memorable first meeting.

The next encounter took place at a youth gathering in a newly blossomed garden hosted by one of the young ladies. Somehow, it ended with him taking Selene for a spin on the pond. That day, Elizabeth acted recklessly and pushed Selene into the water.

A storm brewed in his mind. One memory after another flashed before his eyes. He saw Elizabeth pushing Selene, followed by a scene of Selene gripping Elizabeth's arm and falling.

He witnessed himself and Elizabeth riding out, with Selene's horse suddenly spooking. He rushed to Selene's aid, hearing Elizabeth calling after him. He rescued the frightened Selene, then only to see her pricking her horse with a needle, causing it to become frightened.

At the next ball, he stood before Selene, defending her from an angry Elizabeth holding an empty glass. But then he saw Selene speaking to Elizabeth before 'accidentally' knocking her own hand against Elizabeth's wine glass, causing it to spill. Selene immediately burst into tears.

His memories began to flicker and stutter, resembling a broken record.

He saw Elizabeth at the execution.

Elizabeth Died

He saw his own sword, with which he stabbed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Died

He saw Elizabeth chained in her prison cell, staring at him, her eyes glowing purple with hatred.

Elizabeth Died

He saw Elizabeth falling off the cliff and Selene, who looked like she was trying to hold her back, but an evil smile shone on her face.

Elizabeth Died

Elizabeth Died

Elizabeth Died

Gray's nose began to bleed, but he remained oblivious to it. He just stared blankly ahead. Why was he suddenly seeing so many scenes of Elizabeth's death? And why did each scene feel like a searing, agonizing stab to his heart?

He clutched his head, tears streaming down his face alongside the blood.

"No... no....," he whispered, his voice filled with despair.

Your mind has been 60% free from the curse. You have activated your bonus: The Chosen One.

Gray's mind suddenly became much clearer. He turned his gaze towards the approaching Dark Beast, which was nearly upon him. "Die, my dear," he heard Selene's voice say. The beast raised its tentacles, preparing to strike.

But at that moment, Gray was enveloped in a radiant white light.

Screams filled the air.

*****

At that moment, Eliz slowly drifted asleep when she was abruptly jolted awake by muffled cries. She blinked and immediately sat up, her senses on high alert.

Curiosity compelled her to approach the door, and she cautiously opened it. The cries grew louder, echoing through the corridors. However, her progress was halted as the temple guard stood outside her door, blocking her path.

He turned to face her. "My lady?"

"What is happening? Whose screams are those?" she inquired anxiously.

"Please, do not be alarmed. Bishop Dominic has initiated the process of freeing the guests from the curse," the guard explained reassuringly.

"I see. Thank you for informing me," Eliz nodded, closing the door again. She sank back onto her bed, intending to resume her relaxed state. However, before she could, a series of system windows popped up before her eyes, one after another, until her head was spinning.

Update!

You helped expose Selene as a Dark Mage.

Reward: Bonus - Potential

Potential - You can see a character's potential

Visitor number changed to - 228

Update!

You helped to eliminate the Dark Mage, Selene.

Reward: 1x Revive.

Visitor number changed to - 198

Update!

You did not eliminate Dark Selene with your power.

Failure: Visitor number changed to 211

5% of your mana will be sealed

Update!

You helped remove the curse from the original main characters of Everybody Loves Selene.

Reward: 1x Replay Sequence with no loss of Bonuses or Achievements.

Visitor number changed to - 180

Update!

None of the original main characters are in any relationship with you.

Failure- Change visitor number to - 199

Your mana manipulation will be reduced by 2%.

Update!

You survived the Second Story Sequence.

Reward: 1x Revival.

Achievement: Coordinator

Coordinator - People who follow you have 3% more success, your actions are more precise, you notice details more easily

Visitor number changed to - 143

Eliz rubbed her eyes momentarily, trying to regain her focus as the sudden surge of information subsided. As her vision cleared, she began scrolling through the news updates.

A wide smile formed on her face, and soon laughter bubbled up from within her. "Haha! Finally! Yes!" She exclaimed, triumphantly pumping her fist into the air.

However, her relief was tempered by a lingering sense of disappointment. The message she had eagerly anticipated had not arrived. She glanced around, a hint of frustration evident in her voice. "Oh, come on! Isn't it over yet?"

The system may have heard her complaint but showed her something she didn't want to see.

Quest Updates !!!

Main Quest (Priority Increased)

Description: Reveal the truth about the story of Everybody Loves Selene

Reward: End of cycle

Failure: Restart the cycle

Secondary Quest

Description: Survive the Third Sequence

Reward: Ability to choose

1x Revive

Random Bonus

Failure: In case of Revival: Permanent Bonus or Achievement removed

In case of no Revival: Death

Side Quest

Description: Keep Eren on your side until you leave for Blue Rose Estate.

Reward: Random Bonus

Failure: Death of Eren

Quest Chain: 1/7

Description: You have encountered a Cursed Item with Dark Magic and triggered a Hidden Chain Quest. Find all 7 Cursed Items and destroy them. Destroy the cursed object.

Reward: Achievement - Dog Nose

Dog's Nose - You can sense the presence of Cursed Items in your surroundings within five meters; your nose is more sensitive, and you can follow the scent if it is no more than an hour old, dogs like you.

Eliz groaned.

"Selene was a Dark Mage! What other secrets do you want me to reveal? Damn it! Screw it!"

*****

The Pacifist unit regrouped and immediately called for assistance. Mages hurried to the scene to tend to the injured. A radiant white light emanated from each Pacifist member, causing the dark patches on their bodies to peel away like old skin.

Commander Rain surveyed the aftermath left by the Dark Manipulator. The writhing tentacles had dissolved into sickening black pools, as had the dark beast itself. However, at the center of it, all lay the remnants of Selene, now reduced to blackened human remains.

The team split up to remove the remnants of the dark substance while Rain and Mylia approached the unconscious young man.

"My, my. That was quite an explosion," Mylia remarked, observing the young man.

"Hmm. It looks like we'll be gaining a new member in our ranks," Commander Rain nodded in agreement.

*****

Mori found himself in a dark cave, illuminated only by the faint glow of moss. The cavern was devoid of any notable features except for a pool of black matter. Mori whistled softly, waving Selene's severed hand in his palm; he walked towards the pool. The eyes of a yellow cat glowed from a shadowy corner.

"What are you doing?" the cat questioned, its voice hinting at hostility.

Mori halted his steps and turned to face the feline. "What does it look like, you filthy cat?"

Grrrrr

A growl filled the air, dripping with animosity.

"Do you wish to meet your demise, you decaying corpse?"

Mori barked mockingly before tossing the severed hand into the black pool. The hand floated briefly on the surface before swiftly being pulled under as if some unseen force had dragged it down.

Yawn

Another voice, laced with drowsiness, interrupted. "Are you two arguing again? You're both insufferable."

"Selene has perished," Mori announced.

Silence permeated the cave for a moment before the sleepy voice sighed.

"Again?"

"Ha! That foolish cow! I knew we shouldn't have left her unattended!" another voice said.

Mori's grin widened. "I grew weary of waiting. I am more of a quick-action kind of guy."

A voice emitted an amused snort. "I wouldn't boast too much about that, Mori boy."

Mori's grin faded, and he glanced toward the new voice. "Shut the hell up."

"What now?"

Mori shrugged his shoulders. "I wonder what? We are going to keep going. Only because of Selene we won't have to stay in the shadows so much. The Festival of Lights is coming up soon. That's where I reaaaaaally wanted to go."

The sleepy voice chimed in again, this time sounding slightly more alert. "The Festival of Lights, huh? It has been a while since we attended one of those."

Mori nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Indeed, it's been far too long. This time, we won't be lurking in the shadows. We'll revel in the chaos and make our mark."

The yellow cat's eyes narrowed with intrigue. "Are you suggesting we make a grand entrance? Stir up some trouble?"

Mori smirked. "Exactly. Let's remind everyone why they should fear the darkness. It's time to bring chaos and fear to the Festival of Lights."

The sleepy voice let out a low chuckle. "I must admit, that does sound rather tempting. Count me in."

Mori turned his attention to the other voice that had snorted earlier. "And what about you? Care to join in on the fun?"

There was a pause before the voice replied, filled with a mix of amusement and resignation. "Oh, why not? It's been too dull around here, anyway. Count me in, but don't expect me to hold back."

Mori grinned, satisfied with the responses. "Excellent. Let the Festival of Lights become a festival of darkness this year. We'll make sure they remember it for a long, long time."

The trio, Mori, the yellow cat, and the other voice, disappeared into the shadows, their plans for chaos and mayhem set in motion. The Festival of Lights would never be the same again.

And thus, a new chapter of darkness began, painted against the backdrop of vibrant lights and unsuspecting revelers.