[Scene:] A black fortress perched on a frozen cliff at the edge of the Arctic Circle.
1.1 The Solitude of the Abyss
The wind howled like a knife, lacerating the polar fortress known as "The World's End." This was a secret sanctuary Alistair had constructed years ago, severed from all connections to the Thorne family's Core Algorithm.
Inside the fortress, the hearth fire flickered. Alistair sat by the bed, his black shirt partially open. The black markings from the divine light burns remained hideous on his back, but he had no time to care.
He reached out with a trembling hand, attempting to grasp Eleanor's. However, his fingertips passed straight through her palm—Eleanor's body was becoming semi-transparent, like a dissipating phantom.
"No… do not do this." Alistair's voice was hoarse, carrying a tremor of near-begging. Those eyes, which once calculated the fate of nations, were now filled with an unprecedented terror.
Through the Blood Symbiosis, he could feel her life force slipping away like sand, and he was powerless to stop this supernatural fading through his algorithms.
1.2 The Broken Awakening
Eleanor slowly opened her eyes, her gaze hollow as she stared at the ceiling.
"Tutor," she spoke softly, her voice ethereal as if coming from another dimension. "Look. This is what you wanted. You stitched me into your soul, but my body is rejecting this filthy contract."
"I will save you. Whether I must beg the Baglio Family or exhume the most forbidden graves." Alistair leaned down, pressing his forehead against her cold, transparent brow. "I will not let you vanish, even if I must use my own blood to fill your void."
"It's useless." Eleanor gave a hauntingly beautiful smile. "I am your 'prescription.' The ingredient has withered; the medicine is spent. Are you saving your life, or my soul?"
1.3 A Humble Quest
Alistair stood abruptly and retrieved an ancient communicator. This was someone he had sworn never to contact—the "Exile" of the Thorne family.
"I will exchange all the underlying logic of the Thorne Core Algorithm in my possession," Alistair growled into the communicator. "Tell me how to stabilize a Fated Sacrifice that is 'nullifying.'"
A raspy laugh came from the other end. "The proud Seven Lord is actually begging? The price is your 'Status.' You must sacrifice all your supernatural privileges as the heir and become a total mortal. Are you willing?"
Alistair didn't hesitate. He glanced at Eleanor, who was almost invisible on the bed, and uttered a single word:
"Trade."
1.4 Sudden Crisis
At that moment, the fortress's outer defense system shrieked a piercing alarm.
It wasn't the Council.
The holographic screen displayed a group of mysterious figures in deep purple robes, an "Ouroboros" embroidered on their chests.
"It's the 'Old Gods Council,'" Lydon rushed in, his face ashen. "Tutor, they must have caught the scent of the Eye of Samos's collapse. They want to seize her soul-stone while she is transparent!"
Author's Note:
Thank you for your continued support! 3.53k viewers is a beautiful milestone. This chapter opens a new arc of "Redemption and Sacrifice": Alistair strips away his cold exterior, willing to give up all power to keep his vanishing lover. This "falling from grace" for love usually evokes deep sympathy from readers. In the next chapter, the battle against the Old Gods begins!
BY : KHChing