Chapter 104: Ravaged

“How has it taken so long to talk…”

Azalea went down to the basement to find Mia, leaving Aurora alone outside the door waiting.

The two had been inside for quite some time, yet no sound of conversation could be heard from within.

Aurora couldn’t help but be curious about what they were discussing.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to listen in just a little?

With that thought, Aurora pressed her sharp ears lightly against the door.

Still, no sound came through.

“What on earth are they talking about?”

Inside the room, the floor was already soaked with fresh blood.

Leonora lay collapsed in a pool of it, a deep hole piercing through her abdomen, from which thick, dark blood still flowed relentlessly.

Her pupils had long since dulled, lifeless—a clear sign she had been dead for some time.

Loralbel stood beside the corpse, her icy, sharp gaze fixed on the fallen girl.

As if unable to vent her rage fully, she raised the spear in her hand and stabbed viciously again at Leonora’s heart.

But this only caused the already dead girl’s body to twitch slightly, producing no anguished cry that Loralbel hoped to hear.

“Is that all you’ve got? I thought you could hold out longer.”

She crouched down, one hand resting against her cheek, speaking with a trace of irritation, “If you died, Sister would be upset.”

“Looks like I’ll need a more… balanced approach.”

She sighed.

Standing up, she pointed the spear’s tip at Leonora’s body.

Her voice quickly began chanting. Soon, golden and black magical energy intertwined, flowing along Leonora’s spilled blood back into her body.

Her wounds slowly started to heal until there was not a trace left.

Yet despite the healing, the figure on the floor remained a corpse. Though the body could be fully restored, the soul had long since departed.

After finishing this, Loralbel glanced at the spear stuck in the wall—inserted during the stabbing.

Leonora’s flesh had been forcibly pulled from the spear, but what was pinned to the wall was not her body, but her soul.

The transparent figure of Leonora remained impaled on the wall. Now a soul, her eyes were vacant and dull, but when Loralbel stood before her, an expression of sheer terror appeared on her face.

Seeing this, Loralbel smiled.

“Looks like the imprint has finally taken hold. The soul’s fear of me.”

With one hand, she gripped Leonora’s neck, and with the other, she pulled the spear out from her body.

“Remember my face.”

She leaned close and spoke in a low voice, “I will be your eternal nightmare. I will be the fear etched deep within your soul…”

Clutching her neck, Loralbel slowly walked back to Leonora’s body.

She threw the soul onto the corpse, then gripped the spear, piercing both soul and flesh together.

The soul and body began to merge. After a moment, the body started to breathe steadily.

Leonora suddenly awoke, and upon opening her eyes, she saw Loralbel’s delicate face.

Fear crashed upon her heart like a raging tide.

The terror of the person before her was unlike anything she had ever felt, as if she were staring at a demon straight from hell, its horrifying visage branding fear deep into her soul.

Every time she saw her, it was like a scream from the depths of her soul warning her—stay away, fear her, submit to her.

“Demon, don’t come near!!”

Leonora scrambled back, curling up into a corner.

She raised one hand to shield her eyes, refusing to see even a single part of her.

“Looks like it’s working.”

This method was something Loralbel only used when interrogating demons or cultists.

She etched their fear of her onto their souls, then used that fear to bend them to her will.

With this, interrogations became far simpler.

She yanked Leonora’s hair, forcing her to meet her gaze.

“Listen carefully. You’re not allowed to appear before me ever again. Nor are you to appear before Aurora.”

“If I see you again, I will tear your soul to pieces. Understand?”

Her tone was calm, as if she were stating an ordinary fact.

But to Leonora, it sounded like a demon growling softly at her.

At this moment, tears uncontrollably streamed down Leonora’s face.

Her body shook violently, and a faint yellow liquid stained the floor beneath her.

She nodded shakily twice, and only then did Loralbel release her.

The stench of blood in the room was suffocating. Loralbel frowned as she looked at the bloodstains around them.

“Sister will be angry when she sees this…”

She extended her hand, fingertips gathering dark magic. With a gentle stroke, the entire room was restored to pristine condition.

“There’s one more thing.”

She looked again at the cowering girl on the floor and slowly approached her with a dagger drawn from behind her back…

*****

‘Thud!’

The door was suddenly kicked open.

Leonora, covered in blood, dashed out.

She clutched a silver dagger tightly, her eyes filled with terror.

“Wait…”

Aurora reached out, trying to catch her, but Leonora was too fast and slipped past before she could touch her.

“What’s going on…”

Suddenly remembering her sister was still inside, Aurora looked back and saw her clutching her abdomen, blood still pouring out.

“Sister!”

Panicked, she rushed to her side. Just as she was about to tear off her dress to staunch the bleeding, Loralbel stopped her.

“No need, Sister. I can heal with magic.”

She dramatically took a deep breath and began casting a healing spell on herself.

“What exactly happened just now?”

“I don’t know. We were talking normally, and suddenly she pulled out a dagger and stabbed me.”

“I noticed she has tendencies toward self-harm. I guess she must be mentally unstable to act this way.”

“Is… that so?”

Aurora was half convinced, since she also suspected the girl had mental issues—otherwise, why would she harm herself?

But the only thing confusing her was how her own sister, a holy knight, ended up injured by that girl.

“I’ll report this to Albert. Keeping her in the academy will only endanger more people.”

Loralbel said again.

She stood slowly; the wound on her abdomen was fully healed.

“Hmm.” Aurora nodded, still feeling something was off, but she agreed it was too dangerous to ignore.

She helped Loralbel up to take her to a room to rest, but then her eyes caught a strange color.

“Sister…”

“What is it?”

“Has your magical energy always been black?”

*****

“Hah…”

Leonora finally stopped after running an unknown distance.

She sank to her knees by a tree, crying out in despair.

“I’m sorry… Aurora… I’m so sorry…”

That red-haired woman—the witch—was far more dangerous, far more twisted.

Aurora was still by her side, and sooner or later, something terrible would happen.

But she had no way, no power to save her…

That helplessness filled her with pain and guilt.

She cried for what felt like hours until dusk settled.

Every time the red-haired woman’s face appeared in her mind, overwhelming fear flooded her heart.

But Aurora was still with that woman—the person she cared for was still by the demon’s side.

Could she really give up on her…?

“Aurora… I will save you… my Aurora…”

“There must still be a way… there must…”

In the darkness, her red eyes began to shine with golden light.

A golden magic she had never possessed before poured steadily into her body…