Chapter: The Crack in the Seal
The wizard's fingers were inches away from Meera.
Just before his skin could touch her—
A blinding white flash erupted.
The sound came a fraction of a second later.
A wet, horrifying sound.
The wizard screamed as his arm was cleanly severed, falling to the ground in slow motion, blood spraying across the air.
A cold, calm voice echoed through the street.
"Touch her…
and die."
Sam had arrived.
Before anyone could react, Sam raised his hand. Phoenix Fire burst forth, swallowing the screaming wizard in an instant. Flames wrapped around him like a living creature, burning not just flesh—but existence itself.
The remaining two wizards panicked and began chanting spells, desperately trying to extinguish the fire.
Sam looked at them with absolute indifference.
"It's Phoenix Fire," he said calmly.
"It stops only after it finishes burning someone."
The fire did not fade.
The two remaining wizards attacked.
One slammed his staff into the ground, summoning crushing earth magic, the ground rising to pulverize Sam. The other unleashed a white light spell, sharp and divine, aimed straight at his chest.
Sam smiled.
Not a human smile.
A devilish smile.
His eyes turned completely crimson red.
He lifted his hand—and fire exploded around his body, forming a blazing armor. Both spells were incinerated mid-air, erased before they could touch him.
The wizards froze.
They looked at each other in disbelief.
Sam began walking toward them.
With each step, the air trembled.
He formed a massive fireball, so intense that nearby objects started melting and burning. The street itself began to glow.
Just as Sam prepared to launch the attack—
He suddenly coughed.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
The fireball shattered and dissolved instantly.
Sam staggered, clutching his throat, collapsing to one knee.
The seal around his neck began to glow violently—unstable, pulsing.
He had crossed the limit.
He had used more power than the seal allowed.
One wizard shouted in panic,
"Kill him! Now! Before he recovers—otherwise he'll slaughter us all!"
Both wizards rushed toward Sam.
But then—
Meera moved.
Her unconscious body jerked violently as she gasped awake.
Her hair changed instantly—from deep black to divine white, glowing with frost-like light.
She rose into the air, fury distorting her face.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SAM!"
Her scream shattered the night.
The entire area froze.
Ice spread across the ground, walls, and air itself. Meera raised her hand—and from nowhere, two massive ice lances formed, piercing straight through the wizards' abdomens.
Both fell dead instantly.
Silence.
Meera's power faded—and her body collapsed.
Sam caught her before she could hit the ground.
He stared at her, shocked.
"I suspected it…" he murmured.
"But it's true. Meera has hidden power… power she can't control."
He held her tightly.
"I'll have to be more careful from now on."
Sam took Meera home and healed her using a controlled healing spell.
When Meera woke up, she immediately hugged him tightly.
"Sam! Are you okay?" she cried. "You vomited blood! What happened to you?!"
Sam gently held her shoulders.
"Relax," he said softly. "I just took a small hit. Nothing serious."
She looked unconvinced.
"And those people… who were they? Why did they attack you? And how did I suddenly gain that much power?"
Meera lowered her eyes.
"I don't know who they were," she admitted. "But whenever my emotions go out of control… something inside me awakens."
Sam nodded calmly.
"Don't worry. Everything is fine now."
They fell asleep together.
A few days passed.
Life returned to normal—or so it seemed.
One day, Meera compared Sam to her friends' husbands.
"They bring roses, take their wives on romantic dates…" she complained. "And my husband? Calm stares and savage replies. Sam, do you even know how to make a woman happy?"
Sam folded his newspaper calmly.
"I keep you so comfortable," he replied, "that you can afford to complain freely. Isn't that enough?"
Meera scoffed. "Forget it."
Sam looked genuinely confused.
"I honestly don't understand. Do women like roses more… or diamonds? That's why I don't give gifts."
Meera glared at him. "Was that a compliment or an insult?"
Sam ignored the question.
"You know there's a festival in the city," he said. "I was thinking—you, Ruhi, and I could go together."
Meera froze. "Wait… are you serious?"
"Why?" Sam asked innocently.
She stared at him in shock. "My husband… behaving normally? Did the world end?"
Sam looked awkward.
They went together.
At the festival, Ruhi ate candy, Meera shopped, and both of them dragged Sam onto rides.
On the roller coaster, everyone screamed.
Sam didn't move an inch.
Meera laughed. "Are you human or a statue?"
Sam replied calmly, "Handling you is harder than any roller coaster."
Suddenly—
Sam felt it.
A presence.
Nearby stood a bald, monk-like man, wearing dark robes, staring at them with a disturbing smile. His aura was overwhelmingly negative.
From behind him emerged 10–15 soldiers, spears in hand, surrounding Sam, Meera, and Ruhi.
"Who are you?" Sam shouted. "What do you want?"
The monk chuckled. "Such impatience. You'll die soon anyway."
"Leave now," Sam said coldly. "Or die."
The monk laughed again.
Sam stepped forward.
Phoenix Fire erupted around him.
He struck.
One soldier burned to ashes.
Another threw a spear—Meera froze it mid-air and shattered it, killing the soldier instantly.
Sam slaughtered the rest with terrifying efficiency.
Only the monk remained.
Darkness suddenly swallowed the area.
Sam's fire burned—but it felt like the power was being absorbed by a void.
Illusions appeared everywhere.
Suddenly—
The monk appeared behind Ruhi.
He struck.
Ruhi collapsed.
That was it.
The seal cracked.
For three seconds—
Sam's true power erupted.
Black-gold divine flames consumed the sky.
The world trembled.
Everyone felt it.
The monk screamed in terror,
"This… this isn't human… WHAT ARE YOU?!"
The army dissolved instantly.
The monk collapsed, shaking.
Sam lifted Ruhi gently, wiped her blood away.
Then he forced his power back down.
He tortured the monk for answers—but before he could speak, the monk bit into poison hidden in his nails and died.
Sam stood among corpses.
Two attacks… both targeting my family… and they don't even know I'm the God Slayer.
Then who are they? And what do they want?
I'll remove my seals if I must.
Anyone who comes near my family… will be erased.
Days passed.
Meera grew suspicious.
One night, she confronted him.
"You're not normal," she whispered. "Your fire… your eyes… everything. I need to know the truth."
Sam replied calmly.
"I don't lie to you. The truth is more complex than you imagine. But trust me—I am a good man."
Tears fell from Meera's eyes.
"I can't answer everything yet," Sam added. "When the time comes, I'll tell you everything."
She held his hand.
"I'm your wife. If you ask me to wait—I will."
A faint smile appeared on Sam's face.
The Eyes Awaken
After the seal cracked, Sam made a decision.
He awakened a new ability—
Magic Eyes: Illusion Arts
With a single glance, he could implant illusions directly into the minds of his enemies—ending battles without bloodshed, without breaking seals.
For the sake of his family…
He would become more careful.
More dangerous.