ONLINE: Blades of Eternity - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: THE WILL TO AVENGE

“Big sis, where are you going to?” At the front yard of the mansion was an expanse of meticulously manicured gardens, each blade of grass cut to perfection. A stone pathway, flanked by vibrant flowerbeds filled with roses and lilacs, wound its way through the lush greenery, leading to the grand entrance of the mansion. Tall, imposing wrought-iron gates stood at the edge of the property, their intricate designs casting shadows across the cobblestone drive.

In the midst of this idyllic setting, a scene from the past seemed to play out in vivid detail. A younger version of Kelvin, no more than five or six, stood beside his older sister, who was perhaps is 10 or so years ahead of him.

Kelvin’s hair was tousled, and his eyes held a mischievous glint as he clutched a small wooden sword, but he wasn’t waving it playfully. Instead, he asked with a curious look on her face.

“You don’t have to worry little Kel, am just going to partake in some test” His sister, taller and with an air of grace, watched over him as she answered with a gentle smile, her long hair cascading down her back.

“That’s right Kelvin. You don’t have to worry”

Their father, the Dark Saint suddenly spoke up as he appeared in the prime of his youth, his features sharp and defined. He exuded an aura of power even then, though it was tempered by the warmth in his eyes as he looked upon his children. Dressed in a dark, regal coat that flowed behind him, he knelt to ruffle Kelvin’s hair, a rare moment of tenderness in his otherwise stern demeanor.

“Ok then! But who will play with if you go?” Kelvin replied with a sad expression on his face.

“You don’t have to worry Kelvin, I will play with you” The Dark Saint who is named Bowel answered with a tender smile on his face.

“Really!!?” Kelvin exclaimed with a surprised and excited expression on his face.

“That’s right Kelvin, Dad will definitely play with you” Kelvin’s sister quickly answered with a light smile on her face.

“Hooray!!!” Kelvin eventually exclaimed in ecstasy as he leaper up in joy. As for Bowel and Kelvin’s sister, they just watched with a warm expression on their faces.

Around them, a few other middle-aged men stood in the background, their faces familiar but harder to place. They were clearly men of importance, their postures respectful yet relaxed in the presence of the Dark Saint. The air was thick with an unspoken camaraderie, as if these men shared a bond forged through years of trust and loyalty.

The sun bathed the entire scene in a golden light, casting long shadows that stretched across the pristine lawn. The mansion itself loomed in the background, its grandeur evident in the tall, arched windows and the ivy that climbed its stone walls. It was a picture of a time when Innocence was still in the family of three before something really tragic occurred in it…

The study room of the Dark Saint was a place of quiet power and somber elegance, filled with the aura of a man who wielded immense influence. The walls were lined with towering bookshelves, each shelf overflowing with ancient tomes and scrolls bound in leather and adorned with intricate designs. The scent of aged parchment and ink hung in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of incense burning in a silver holder on a side table.

A large, dark wooden desk dominated the center of the room, its surface polished to a gleam but cluttered with papers, maps, and a few mystical artifacts that glowed faintly in the dim light. An ornate chair, upholstered in deep burgundy velvet, was positioned behind the desk, its high back carved with symbols of power and protection. The room was illuminated by a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its crystal prisms casting soft, flickering light across the room, making the shadows dance along the walls.

The Dark Saint stood by the large window that overlooked the mansion’s front yard, his back to the room. His hands were clasped behind him, fingers tapping rhythmically as if he was trying to contain the storm of emotions swirling within him. His usually stern face was creased with worry, a rare expression for a man known for his unyielding composure.

A messenger stood near the desk, his head bowed low, barely daring to breathe as he delivered the devastating news. “My lord, your daughter’s life crystal… it has shattered. She was taking the test in the southern region, and… we have lost contact with her.”

The words hung heavy in the air, the finality of them sinking deep into the Dark Saint’s soul. He remained silent for a moment, the tension in the room thickening with each passing second. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and filled with a controlled fury, “Find out what happened. Spare no resources.”

‘Big sis…?’

Unbeknownst to him, Kelvin had been eavesdropping from behind the slightly ajar door, hidden in the shadows of the corridor. The boy, usually so full of life and mischief, felt the weight of the world crash down on him in that instant. His heart pounded in his chest as the reality of his sister’s fate hit him like a physical blow. His knees buckled, and he pressed his hands over his mouth to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape, tears welling up in his eyes.

The ornate rug beneath him felt like it was slipping away, much like his sense of security. The world he knew—one where his sister was always there, watching over him, guiding him—was suddenly shattered, just like her life crystal. Kelvin felt an unbearable mix of sorrow and guilt, the latter gnawing at him because he had been helpless, unable to protect her.

The Dark Saint, still unaware of his son’s presence, remained lost in thought, his mind already strategizing on how to respond to this tragedy. But in the silence of the study, a silence that should have been unbroken, the faint sound of Kelvin’s muffled cry finally reached him. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition crossing his face as he turned toward the door, realizing with a jolt that his son had overheard everything.

‘Oh no….’

Kelvin, sensing his father’s movement, fled down the hallway, the heavy, oppressive weight of his grief following him. The study room, once a place of knowledge and power, now felt like the epicenter of a devastating loss, the kind that could break even the strongest of hearts.

‘Even if you are now a corpse, I will still find you big sis’ Kelvin thought weakly yet in a determined manner right after recollecting the painful part of his memories that he holds so dearly today.

Right now, Kelvin found himself in a secluded area far removed from the chaos of the Pace Setter Academy. The place was eerily quiet, enveloped in the kind of silence that seemed to absorb all sound. Tall, twisted trees loomed overhead, their thick branches intertwining to form a canopy that blocked out the sky, leaving the forest floor in perpetual twilight. The ground was covered in a soft layer of moss and fallen leaves, muffling his footsteps as he moved deeper into the shadows.

The air was damp and carried the scent of earth and decay, with a faint metallic tang that hinted at something unnatural. Patches of fog clung to the ground, swirling around the gnarled roots that protruded from the earth like the fingers of a buried giant. Here and there, strange, luminescent mushrooms grew in clusters, casting an eerie glow that provided the only light in the dense gloom.

In the center of this secluded area, a small, still pond reflected the dim light, its surface so smooth it resembled black glass. The water was unnaturally dark, as if it held the secrets of the forest within its depths, and no breeze disturbed its surface. Surrounding the pond were large, jagged rocks, their surfaces etched with ancient, cryptic symbols that pulsed faintly with a dark energy.

The place felt otherworldly, a hidden sanctuary for things best left undiscovered. It was as if the very air hummed with a strange, foreboding power that made Kelvin’s skin prickle. Despite the quiet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched, that the shadows themselves were alive and waiting for him to make a wrong move.

‘I need to hurry up, I don’t have much time left with me’ Kelvin thought with an urgent look on his face as he tries to stand on his two feet. But right at that moment, something unexpected happened.

“Argh!!!”

Unexpectedly, He fell to his knees, clutching his chest as the orb’s chaotic energy roiled with him. It felt as though his blood had turned to fire, burning him alive from within. His veins throbbed painfully, and his skin shimmered with a faint, sickly glow as the orb’s power fought to escape it’s human vessel. Sweat poured down his face, but it did nothing to cool the searing heat that consumed him.

“Ahhh!!!”

Kelvin screamed, his voice echoing through the silent forest, a raw, primal sound that spoke of agony beyond comprehension. He clawed at the ground, his fingers digging into the soft earth as if he could somehow ground himself, but there was no escape from the torment. The chaos orb, now fully awakened was lashing out at him for daring to wield it’s power so recklessly.

‘Big Sis….’

For a moment, he thought he saw the figure of his sister in the distance, her face soft and full of concern. But when he reached out, his hand passed through empty air. She wasn’t there–no one was. He was alone in this cursed place, left to suffer the consequences of his ambition and the dark path he had chosen.

‘No! I won’t give up!! Not now, not ever!!!’ Kelvin suddenly thought as his eyes suddenly turned bloodshot. And with a desperate attempt, Kelvin finally stood upright on his two feets. Right after that, he began to move slowly yet steady across the dense forest while enduring the bone chilling and the flesh ripping pain the orb is giving him