Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Darian didn't answer.

But for the first time, Ivaim thought he saw something flicker in the man's cold, resolute expression—something almost human.

A faint trace of sorrow lingered there, like a man burdened by a path he hadn't chosen but one he was determined to follow nonetheless.

"I don't want to do this, Ivaim."

Darian said softly, flicking his hand.

A shimmering white whip materialized, snapping toward Ivaim with precise but restrained force—not to harm, only to hold him back.

Ivaim didn't hesitate.

[Lucky Leap] activated, propelling him backward just in time to avoid the crackling strike.

'Close one...'

Ivaim muttered, eyes narrowing.

Flipping a coin between his fingers, he infused it with ominous energy and hurled it toward Darian, activating [Whisper].

"Catch it."

Darian's brow furrowed slightly, but the command was difficult to resist.

His hand rose involuntarily, fingers closing around the spinning coin.

A surge of dark misfortune pulsed through his body, like venom seeping into his veins.

Ethereal chains materialized around him, twisting to bind his limbs.

Darian gritted his teeth, tugging at the bindings.

"I don't want to hurt you. Please, just step aside."

He urged, his voice strained but sincere.

Ivaim vaulted forward, baton raised high to capitalize on the opening.

The enchanted metal gleamed, poised for a decisive strike.

But Darian moved with quiet determination.

With a smooth motion, he conjured a polished, ethereal mirror from thin air.

Its surface shimmered like liquid silver.

"Forgive me..."

He murmured as the mirror shattered into countless fragments.

One shard reflected Ivaim's attack perfectly, redirecting the blow back toward him.

A dull, bone-jarring impact struck Ivaim's back.@@novelbin@@

He stumbled forward, biting back a curse.

"Dammit..."

Ivaim hissed through clenched teeth.

'He's got the same skills as the Master of Cruelty... just a lot nicer about it.'

Darian tugged fiercely at the chains wrapped around his waist, shattering them with sheer will.

The links dissolved into shimmering sparks.

"You don't understand..."

Darian said quietly, stepping forward.

"I have to go. If you keep stopping me, this will only get worse for both of us."

Ivaim's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, that's not happening."

The whip flickered between Darian's hands like lightning.

Its every movement echoed with controlled, deliberate energy, meant to subdue—not harm.

Ivaim danced backward, narrowly avoiding each lash as it gouged deep scars into the ground.

"You really need to learn some restraint..."

Ivaim quipped, flipping his baton with casual defiance.

"I'm trying."

Darian said earnestly, his voice steady but tinged with weariness.

"But you're making this difficult."

The whip lashed out again, angling low toward Ivaim's legs.

Instinct kicked in.

[Lucky Leap] activated, launching Ivaim upward into a graceful arc.

The whip sliced through empty air beneath him.

Twisting midair, Ivaim threw another coin, its edge gleaming ominously.

"Catch."

Ivaim muttered, activating [Coin of Fortune].

Darian moved to sidestep, but fate had already intervened.

His boot caught on uneven ground, causing him to stumble just enough for the cursed coin to graze his shoulder.

A wave of chaotic energy pulsed through Darian's body, briefly disrupting his focus.

Ethereal chains flickered back into existence, this time steadier, more precise.

They surged toward Ivaim like serpents.

Ivaim twisted out of the way with near-impossible luck guiding his movements.

The chains missed by inches, tangling around a broken stone pillar instead.

Both combatants paused for a breath, eyes locked.

Sweat glistened on their brows, the air between them thick with tension.

"You're persistent..."

Ivaim admitted, wiping sweat from his brow.

"And you're stubborn..."

Darian replied, his voice gentle but resolute.

"Please... just let me go."

Neither moved, neither willing to yield.

The air shifted.

A sudden chill brushed against Darian's skin as shadows thickened unnaturally.

Above them, a thin black veil shimmered into existence, folding itself around the environment like dark silk.

The air turned heavy, suffocating.

Darian's eyes widened. Danger.

Instinct kicked in.

A luminous chain coiled around his arm, crackling with ethereal energy.

With a forceful yank, he pulled himself backward, retreating from the encroaching veil.

'The Black Veil Master... How did she follow me here?'

Ivaim, undeterred, activated [Lucky Leap], soaring forward like a streak of fortune-guided light.

"Fuck, stop trying to escape!"

He muttered under his breath, aiming to intercept Darian before he could escape.

But Darian was prepared.

His body flickered like a mirage as he pivoted sharply, opening his arms wide in a peculiar stance—like he was bracing for a hug.

Ivaim's instincts screamed at him to stop, but it was too late.

Invisible forces wrapped around him like crushing vines.

His breath hitched as pressure constricted his chest, limbs locked in place by an unseen embrace.

"The hell is this?"

Ivaim grunted, struggling against the binding force.

Before Darian could respond, a soft, haunting melody floated through the thickening shadows.

The eerie lullaby carried notes that shimmered with both beauty and menace.

It seemed to curl into their minds, lulling them into a drowsy haze.

Darian's eyelids grew heavy.

His movements slowed as sleep crept through his senses like a numbing fog.

'No... I have to stay awake.'

Gritting his teeth, Darian summoned a shard of glass from thin air.

Without hesitation, he drove it into his palm.

A sharp sting cut through the spell's hold, pain snapping his senses back into focus.

Blood trickled from the wound, but Darian's mind was clear again.

He flicked his hand, summoning a gleaming mirror rimmed in silver light.

Its surface shimmered like rippling water.

"I'm sorry..."

Darian said softly, his voice tinged with sympathy.

The mirror expanded, forming a gateway filled with swirling light.

The veil's oppressive tendrils lashed out, sensing his attempt to escape.

Darian spun the mirror, its surface absorbing the dark energy like a shield.

With one last glance at Ivaim, still bound by the crushing force, Darian stepped into the shimmering portal.

The mirror folded in on itself, vanishing with a burst of radiant sparks.

The crushing force around Ivaim suddenly dissipated, dropping him to his knees. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

He gasped for breath, his chest aching.

"Damn it,]..." Ivaim muttered, forcing himself to stand.

His muscles ached, and his mind raced as his eyes flicked toward the faint residue of energy where Darian had disappeared.

The air still felt heavy, charged with the tension of their encounter.

Above him, the Black Veil Master emerged from the swirling black veil, stepping silently as though she were born of shadows themselves.

She was impossibly calm, her presence chilling in its quiet intensity.

She stood next to Ivaim, her long cloak flowing like liquid darkness.

Her voice, when it came, was a soft whisper.

"He escaped..."

Ivaim exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"Yeah, looks obvious enough..."

His voice was low but edged with frustration.

He glanced over at her, eyes narrowing as he tried to piece together the puzzle.

"He knew about the curse from the start. He wasn't surprised at all when I tried to intervene."

The Black Veil Master didn't respond at first.

She was still, like the night around them, studying the space where Darian had vanished.

Ivaim's frown deepened as he tried to make sense of everything.

"But what puzzles me even more is that.."

He continued, his voice gaining a touch of impatience.

"Why would Neli be willing to sacrifice her son like that? I know she's desperate, but this... it doesn't make sense. Is her husband really so important to her that she'd rather let the child she raised bear this curse?"

The Black Veil Master turned her gaze to him, her eyes like dark pools, reflecting the faintest hint of sorrow.

She let the silence linger for a moment, as if pondering the weight of his question.

"The human heart..."

She began slowly, her tone almost mournful.

"Has always been complicated, Ivaim. People don't always make sense, not in ways we would understand. Sacrifice is not always about logic. It's about desperation, fear... love in ways we can't always see."

Ivaim clenched his jaw, frustration building again.

"But it doesn't add up. She's letting her son be cursed for someone who—what?—might not even make it out of the Coliseum alive? Is that the kind of world we're living in now?"

The Black Veil Master's eyes softened, but only for a split second.

"The heart isn't bound by reason. It's messy, unpredictable. Some would call it selfish, others would call it selfless. You're asking questions that don't have answers, Ivaim."

Ivaim exhaled sharply, his gaze hardening.

"I don't care about those answers right now. I care about stopping this. We need to get to the Coliseum, fast."

He stood up straighter, his mind already calculating their next move.

"We've wasted too much time here. Trying to convince Darian to help... it's useless. He's already made up his mind. He plans on accepting the curse willingly. He's going to face whatever comes, regardless of what we do."

The Black Veil Master tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.

"You're sure of that?"

Ivaim clenched his fists, trying to steady his thoughts.

"I saw it in his eyes. He's not afraid. He's resigned to it..."

His voice dropped to a low murmur.