'I'm just a baby, I'm just a baby,' Shadow thought after hearing the ominous words coming out of the EL member.
Note// Did you get the reference up there :).
"Zer'thal veyr nux—kael drath ven'kor… thyr!"
'I understood less than nothing, impressive skill.' Shadow tried to ease his mind of what's coming.
The tall EL member began chanting ancient words. Suddenly, a sphere of light burst from his hand and shot toward Shadow, engulfing him.
"You see, this is a magical spell used to identify cursed people. When it hits a cursed person, the cursed mark start glowing red," he said.
"But nothing is happening right now."
A voice from the audience echoed through the hall, voicing what everyone was thinking.
"That's because…" the tall EL member didn't finish his sentence. In a blink of an eye, he rushed toward Shadow, grabbed his mask, and threw it to the ground.
Gasp!
Gasps of surprise spread through the hall.
Shadow didn't have time to react and was now exposed, his face revealing a large black vein pulsating with red energy. It was so hideous and repulsive that some in the audience looked away in disgust.
"Brother!" Mia called out. She had been silent the entire time, watching everything unfold, unsure how to react.
Even Selene was stunned. Her nephew was actually cursed. "I can't believe it… this can't be true…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, but Marcus heard her. He held her hand to comfort her, though he too was shaken.
Elena and Thorn were desperately trying to think of an excuse, but nothing came. They knew this might be the end they had been delaying for so long.
'Fuck, I need a plan… I REALLY need a plan… WHY DON'T I HAVE A PLAN?!' Shadow screamed internally, realizing there was no way out. He quickly grabbed his mask and put it back on.
Seeing that the truth was now exposed, the tall EL member conjured a small dagger of light and shot it at Shadow with incredible speed.
Before it could reach him, blue lightning intercepted it, shattering it into pieces. The attack came from Thorn.
Before anyone could react, two lightning-shaped blue vines descended from above, pinning the tall EL member to the ground. His face was crushed into the floor as blood spilled everywhere.
It was Elena's spell.
"How dare you!" Elena roared.
"How dare you try to kill a member of the Stormgard family in front of us—let alone my son!"
"Arghhh!"
The man's painful cries echoed through the hall, making everyone gulp at Elena's terrifying power.
"What is the meaning of this, King Raven?! Are you part of this? Hiding a cursed human and attacking a member of the Eternal Light faction is a crime under the laws of the Vael Empire and the allied kingdoms! If you do nothing, are you part of this?!" the short EL member shouted in panic, trying to save his partner.
"Nonsense. Know your place," King Raven roared in denial. He then gestured to Magnus, the Stormgard patriarch, to take action.
'Kings always say 'Nonsense' right before nonsense escalates.' Shadow's inner thoughts were in a turmoil but wisdom never left his side
Magnus, still confused by the situation, didn't know what to do. Hiding or protecting a cursed one was a forbidden crime. Yet Thorn and Elena openly attacking an EL member left him with no clear path.
"Elena… that's enough," he finally said.
At the family head's order, Elena stopped and released her spell.
The tall EL member collapsed, his face unrecognizable from swelling and blood. Despite being a strong mage, he was nothing in front of the Stormgard family.
His partner rushed to him and quickly gave him a healing potion. The man slowly regained consciousness, much to the short man's relief.
They both stood and turned toward Magnus.
"What is the meaning of this, Patriarch Magnus?! Explain yourself!" the tall EL member said furiously, though his eyes still flickered with fear toward Elena.
"As my son and his wife have already said, none of our family knew Shadow was cursed. Every doctor who examined him found no such condition based on his symptoms. And regarding your earlier attack—you should be thankful you still have your head. It does not matter whether Shadow is cursed or not; you have no authority to execute anyone in our territory. Only a member of the Stormgard family has the right to punish its own," Magnus said calmly.
His words landed like a blade, filling the hall with tension.
Elena and Thorn knew it was useless to argue further. This situation could easily turn the Stormgard family against the entire Eternal Light faction and its allies. Deep down, they knew this day would come—they just didn't expect it to be today.
Then, a thought crossed Elena's mind.
She faced Magnus and King Raven before saying, "If my son is an evil being, then it is my duty as his mother—the one who brought him into this world—to end it.'
"Forgive me, my love…" Elena whispered while directly looking Shadow in the eye.
Before anyone could react, a blue circle of lightning formed in front of her.
"Forgive me…" she repeated softly, looking at Shadow.
Then she released it.
A massive explosion erupted.
"Nooooo! Mother!" Mia screamed.
"Elena, stop—!" Selene tried to move, but it was too late.
"Shadow!!" Derek, Iris, and the rest of the Stormgard family shouted.
When the smoke cleared, blood stained the ground.
Shadow lay motionless.
Dead.