All Chapters of THE FORGOTTEN SON-IN-LAW : Chapter 81 
				
					- Chapter 90
				
275 chapters
				Chapter Seventy
			
The chamber lay in ruins.Cracks spiderwebbed through the walls, and dust hung in the air like a suffocating veil.The new crystal floated silently at the center, its faint, steady pulse the only sign that the fragment of the Master remained contained.Selene sat on the cold stone floor, her body trembling from exhaustion.Her hands still smoked faintly with residual magic, the smell of burned shadows clinging to her like ash.Adrian sat beside her, breathing heavily, blood streaked across his cheek and collar.His hand was warm and solid in hers, grounding her in the midst of chaos.For a few heartbeats, there was only silence.Then Keeper Vael’s hollow voice cut through the stillness.“You have done what was necessary,” he said, standing as calm and unshaken as if he had not just witnessed the near destruction of his sacred prison.“The fragment is bound once more.”Selene’s head snapped up, her tired eyes blazing.“Bound?” she hissed. “Barely. It broke free because you didn’t warn 
				Chapter Seventy-one
			
The crystal split open with a sound like screaming glass.Crimson light burst forth, searing the air and forcing Selene to shield her face.The oppressive heat stole her breath, and the taste of iron filled her mouth.Adrian pulled her close, his body a barrier against the violent surge of energy.Even through his protective hold, she felt the pulse of darkness like a second heartbeat, pounding against her ribs.“Selene—” Adrian’s voice was hoarse, urgent. “We have to move!”They dove aside just as the crystal exploded, shards flying like knives.The shockwave knocked them both to the ground.When Selene looked up, her stomach turned to ice.At the center of the shattered dais, the Master’s essence rose — no longer a faint wisp of shadow, but a towering figure formed of smoke, bone, and writhing tendrils of darkness.Its body was unfinished, constantly shifting, as though reality itself refused to contain it.Two hollow eyes burned with crimson fire, locking immediately onto Selene. 
				Chapter Seventy-two
			
It wasn’t like closing her eyes or falling into sleep — it was absolute, a void so complete that Selene couldn’t even tell if she had a body anymore.At first, there was only silence.Then, like a drop of ink spreading through water, a voice coiled through the void.“Little Queen.”“Always fighting. Always bleeding. Always afraid.”The Master’s tone was smooth, almost gentle, and that terrified her more than its rage ever had.Selene flinched, instinctively reaching for her sword — but her hand met only empty air.No shadows answered her call. No warmth of Adrian’s touch anchored her.She was alone.“Where… am I?” Her voice sounded small, swallowed by the vastness around her. “Where you belong,” the Master purred.“Inside yourself. Inside me. There is no difference.”Selene’s breath quickened, though she had no lungs here to breathe with.“No,” she whispered. “You’re dead. We destroyed you.”A low, throaty laugh rolled through the darkness, vibrating inside her chest.“Destroyed? No,
				Chapter Seventy-three
			
The room was dim and silent except for Selene’s ragged breathing.The heavy scent of herbs hung in the air, mingled with the faint metallic tang of blood.A single candle flickered on a nearby table, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone walls.Adrian sat at Selene’s bedside, one hand resting gently over hers.His other hand gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were white.Her awakening had brought him relief — but not peace.The memory of her scream, of watching the Master’s darkness pour into her, still replayed in his mind like a fresh wound.Selene stirred, her fingers curling weakly around his.“Adrian,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.He leaned closer. “I’m here.”Her eyes fluttered open, haunted but defiant.“He’s still inside me,” she murmured.“I drove him back, but… he’s waiting. Watching.”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Then we’ll rip him out. Whatever it takes.”Before Selene could reply, the door creaked open.Vael entered, his wooden mask fir
				Chapter Seventy-four
			
The monastery loomed behind them, its towers dark against the blood-red dawn.Cold mist rolled over the broken courtyard, swallowing the shattered statues and cracked stones.Adrian adjusted the strap of his sword across his back, his eyes scanning the horizon.Beside him, Selene walked with slow, careful steps. Though she was conscious and moving, her body was still fragile, and Adrian stayed close enough to catch her if she faltered.Vael followed a few paces behind, his wooden mask hiding his expression.The silence between them was tense, brittle — like glass ready to shatter.They had left the monastery under the cover of early morning, moving fast and quiet.The Master’s mocking laughter still echoed in their minds, a promise and a threat all at once.Adrian’s hand tightened on Selene’s.“Stay close,” he murmured.Selene gave a small, tired nod. “I’m fine.”Adrian didn’t believe her, but he didn’t push. Not yet.By mid-morning, they reached the forest at the base of the mountain
				Chapter Seventy-five
			
The night settled over the abandoned village like a suffocating blanket, the air thick with the stench of smoke and decay.Adrian wiped his blade clean on a torn scrap of cloth, though no amount of cleaning could remove the sticky black residue that clung to the edge.The fight was over, but there was no sense of victory.Selene sat near the ruins of a well, her body hunched forward, trembling from fatigue.Her shadows swirled faintly around her like wounded serpents, reacting to her ragged breathing.Adrian knelt beside her, resting a steadying hand on her shoulder.“You pushed yourself too far,” he said softly.Her lips trembled in a bitter smile.“Better me than you. Besides… I had to try. Those people deserved more than just… dying like that.”Adrian’s chest tightened at the haunted tone of her voice.He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, that they couldn’t save everyone — but the words felt hollow, false.Vael stood near the edge of the square, his staff planted firmly in th
				Chapter Seventy-six
			
The hall was silent for a single, fragile heartbeat — the moment before a storm.Adrian’s blade hovered over Marcus’s chest, the red glow in his former friend’s eyes pulsing like a heartbeat.Marcus’s breathing was ragged, broken by guttural snarls and gasps of pain.Selene’s hand tightened around Adrian’s wrist, trembling.“Adrian,” she whispered. “If you hesitate—”Her voice broke, but she didn’t finish. She didn’t have to.Adrian’s eyes locked on Marcus’s, searching desperately for some sign of recognition — of the man he once knew.The man who had laughed beside him in battle, who had bled and fought for their cause, who had sworn loyalty not just to him but to the dream they shared.“Marcus,” Adrian choked out. “It’s me. Fight this. Please.”For a heartbeat, the red glow in Marcus’s eyes flickered.And then—“Kill him,” the Master’s voice hissed inside Adrian’s mind, dark and gleeful.“Strike him down. Prove to me you are no different from me.”Adrian’s teeth clenched. His whole 
				Chapter Seventy-seven
			
The night gave way to a pale gray dawn as they left the ruined village behind.No one spoke.The only sounds were the soft crunch of boots on withered grass and the distant whisper of wind through dead trees.Adrian walked at the front, his shoulders tense, every muscle coiled like a spring.His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready for danger at a moment’s notice.Behind him, Selene moved silently, her shadows hugging close to her body like restless sentries.She was pale, her face drawn from exhaustion and grief, but there was a dangerous clarity in her golden eyes.Vael followed at a measured pace, his wooden mask revealing nothing, though the faint tremor in his voice when he finally spoke betrayed his unease.“This path… it is older than the village,” Vael murmured.“Once, it led to the temples of the First Kings. Now, it has been defiled.”Adrian didn’t glance back. “Defiled how?”“By the Master’s corruption,” Vael replied grimly.“See how the earth cracks, how the air fee
				Chapter Seventy-eight
			
The forest erupted in chaos.Shadows surged like a living tide, the corrupted soldiers moving with terrifying precision.Their eyes glowed crimson in the moonlight, and their guttural war cries shattered the silence.Adrian pivoted, his sword blazing with ash, cutting down the first wave with brutal efficiency.Selene’s shadows coiled around her like a storm, forming blades and spears that lashed out in every direction.Vael stood at the center, his staff glowing, chanting spells that rippled through the air like shockwaves.Each incantation held the corruption at bay — but just barely.“Fall back to the ridge!” Vael shouted over the din.“We need higher ground!”Adrian gritted his teeth, parrying a jagged blade.“No! If we give them the ridge, we’re done for.”Selene’s voice cracked through the chaos, fierce and desperate.“Adrian, there’s too many!”The enemy pressed closer, their sheer numbers overwhelming.Adrian’s sword carved an arc of silver light through the darkness, but ever
				Chapter Seventy-nine
			
The cave was cold and damp, its jagged walls echoing with the steady drip of water.It wasn’t much of a refuge, but it was hidden, and after the ambush, that was all they could afford.A single lantern burned in the center, casting trembling shadows across the trio.Adrian sat with his back to the wall, sharpening his blade in slow, deliberate motions.Each rasp of steel on whetstone sounded like a promise — or a threat.Selene sat across from him, knees drawn to her chest, hugging herself tightly.Her golden hair was tangled and dirty, her face pale beneath streaks of grime and dried blood.Vael moved between them, laying out scrolls and maps, his staff propped against a rock.He looked old, older than Adrian had ever seen him, but his eyes burned with determination.Selene broke the silence first, her voice hoarse.“She’s still in there,” she whispered, more to herself than to either man.“I saw it in her eyes. For just a heartbeat, it was her. My Liora.”Adrian’s jaw tightened.He