Ascend or Be Consumed의 모든 챕터: 챕터 91 - 챕터 100

“I could only bring back what the house was willing to return. You are the only one who could fully restore it.” Lucan revealed and gestured for me to step inside. I sighed heavily and stepped inside. The moment I crossed the threshold, the air changed. Something inside me snapped open like a door I hadn’t known existed. The room blurred, and the present bled away. I was standing in the same house, but in the past. With a face I knew belonged to the usurper. Warm light spilling through the windows, the scent of rain and steel in the air. My hands were different. Older. Stronger. I was packing my bag with trembling fingers, and my heart was hammering as I fastened the straps. “Dominic,” I whispered. The name left my lips like a prayer. Outside, the wind howled against the shutters. The bond between us pulsed faintly. He was in danger. We were bound by dark magic and I could feel his presence flickering in my mind, weak and distant. I couldn't shake off the terror. I could

“You lose your Core, you lose your will and your power to reshape yourself and the world. If you become such a waste, forget about reaching the Apex. You’ll be cut—” High Chancellor Veylor’s words replayed in my head like a curse. Each one of them hurt deeper than I wanted to admit. I clenched my fists, the anger rising hot and sharp in my chest at him for saying it, at Lucan for standing there as if silently admitting with him, and at myself for letting it hurt this much. If my soul wasn’t the same as hers, their precious, long-lost woman, would they even look at me twice? Would they still fight because of me, make promises that sounded like devotion but felt like debt? I doubted it. Whoever she had been, she was far stronger than anything I could ever imagine. Yet she left me nothing. No guide, no instructions on how to become her. So why do they expect me to be her? Just because we share the same soul? But she was me… wasn’t she? I wanted to remember everything, believing th

The crowd quieted when the guard taking down names barked, “Anyone else?” His tone echoed off the stone walls and pierced through the anxious murmurs. That was when it hit everyone: all the Ascendants had already registered, and the fearless Initiates who didn't mind the rules had already put down their names. The rest of us were what remained. “Of course the Ascendants knew,” Naryssa grunted beside me, her voice edged with frustration. “Look at them. They’re watching to see who panics first.” I didn’t respond. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides. Perhaps they were forced not to reveal or share rumors about it. The only before who was powerful enough to do that was High Chancellor Veylor. He was an expert in pushing people beyond their limits. When I think of that wicked dragon, my suppressed energy reacts in an explosive way. I longed for him but I also couldn't think of why I should. Was he jealous earlier? Why did he ask Lucan to stay? Why did he want me to come back

“He's my mate.” I could feel Maureen’s presence stir at the back of my mind the moment those words left my lips, and now she was giggling like a hormonal teenager. Technically, we still were. Young adults, maybe. But her giddiness made it hard to keep a straight face. “You are so blessed to be Juno’s mate, Instructor Lucan,” Willow said warmly, pulling me out of my thoughts. Lucan’s hand found mine. His fingers threaded through, firm but tender, and his thumb traced slow circles against my palm. The touch sent a soft shiver through me. He looked straight into my eyes. “I know,” he said quietly, his voice deep and sure. “More blessed than I ever deserved.” I gasped softly. I felt nervous and happy at the same time as his words repeated in my head. There was no teasing in his tone, no performative charm, just love and sincerity. He sounded so raw and unguarded that I wanted to pull him into my arms and comfort him. Willow chuckled softly. “Then you'd better treat her well. I kn

High Chancellor Veylor’s piercing blue eyes flicked to me, the faintest trace of amazement softening his domineering expression. Then the corner of his mouth lifted not quite a smile, but close. “Remember my last move?” he asked. The image flashed in my mind, I recalled the precise turn of his wrist, the gleam of the blade on the edge of the water, and the quiet strength behind the strike. I nodded once. “Yes.” “Good,” he said simply. He raised his hand, and the air around us flickered with shimmers of his power. Soon, he showcased three swords before me. They were suspended in midair and each one of them looked unique, ancient, and humming with quiet, extraordinary power. The first one looked like it was forged from steel found in the deepest current of the moon. It was radiant, and sharp. The second was forged from shadowed steel. Its surface was as dark as storm clouds before rain. Runes faintly pulsed beneath the metal and I gasped softly as I watched its blade glint. The