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The Dark Warlock's Game The Journey - The Woman in the Dirt
"Are you alright?" Vardy asked, rushing to Elyra as she stumbled slightly, her breath coming in ragged gasps.Elyra clutched her chest, shaking her head weakly. "I... I'm losing breath due to the chains I was locked in," she sobbed, her shoulders trembling as though the mere memory of captivity was enough to drain her strength.Vardy’s expression softened. He reached out, steadying her with a firm grip. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," he assured her, his voice gentle.Elyra nodded, sniffing dramatically, leaning into his support just enough to make her seem fragile but not weak. "Thank you," she murmured. "You don’t know what this means to me."Ferah, standing nearby, watched with narrowed eyes, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her fingers tapped against the hilt of her blade, suspicion clear in her gaze.Selene, leaning against a rock, scoffed. "I don't trust her."Elyra looked up, eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Why would I lie? I barely escaped with my life. Do you think this."
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 63: A Kiss of Deception
The night was quiet as usual.Everyone was asleep, or at least, they should have been.Elyra sat just outside the cave, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her expression was unreadable, her dark eyes fixed on the space ahead of her.Her plans were intact. Everything was going as expected.She heard the footsteps before she saw him. Slow, steady, measured."What are you doing outside?"Vardy’s voice was low but curious as he approached.Elyra remained silent for a moment before standing, turning to face him. "You're such a nice person," she murmured, her voice carrying something softer, something almost admiring.Vardy smiled slightly, a small, amused curve of his lips. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."Elyra took a slow step forward, closing the space between them. The air felt heavier, charged with something unseen. Her fingers traced along the edge of her sleeve, where a hidden rune lay pressed into the fabric."Not bad," she whispered. "Just... unexpected."Vardy tilted his he
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 64: A Rift Amongst Them
Everyone was gathered, their eyes darting between Luthor, who stood rigid with anger, and Elyra, who sat, her leg crossed."I saw her," Luthor spat, his voice tight with rage. He pointed a trembling finger at Elyra, his eyes burning with conviction. "She’s a traitor."A heavy silence followed his words.Elyra blinked, her expression unreadable. "What?" she whispered, her voice small, delicate.Luthor turned to the others. "She sneaks out at night. She’s been meeting with Dean’s men! I heard her say it! She’s spellbound Vardy, and she’s leading us into a trap!"Ferah stiffened, her grip tightening around her blade. Selene raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Tracy glanced toward Vardy, her expression unreadable.Elyra, however, let out a soft, heartbroken laugh. "That’s ridiculous," she said, shaking her head. "Luthor, do you even hear yourself? You think I’m working with Dean? After what he did to me?"Luthor’s fists clenched. "I know what I heard."Vardy exhaled, stepping between the
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 65: A Message in the Night
The night was quiet as they ran.Their focus was solely on the figures moving ahead of them.Elyra walked closely beside Vardy, her movements confident, her hand occasionally brushing against his. She whispered something to him, and though he didn’t respond, he didn’t pull away either.Luthor clenched his jaw.They had to stop this."Vardy!" Tracy called, making them both pause.Vardy turned slowly, his expression unreadable."You need to go back," he said, his voice low.Selene stepped forward, keeping her tone light, casual. "We’re not going back."Vardy’s gaze darkened slightly. "This isn’t your fight."Tracy took a careful step forward. "We’re here to support you, no matter what."For a moment, Vardy just stared at them. His fingers twitched at his side as if something inside him was warring against itself.Elyra placed a hand on his arm. "We don’t need them, Vardy," she murmured.Luthor saw the way Vardy stiffened slightly, the hesitation in his eyes.That was their opening.Tracy
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 66: Spellbound
"My father should be in there," Elyra said, pointing toward the dark mouth of the stone cave.The entrance yawned open before them, its depths swallowing the light of the torches they held.Vardy took a step forward, his grip tightening around his sword. His expression was unreadable, his gaze locked onto the cave."I’ll go in first," Luthor said suddenly.The others turned toward him, startled.Elyra’s fingers curled at her sides. This wasn’t part of the plan.Vardy frowned. "No, I’ll….""I should check if it’s safe," Luthor interrupted, his tone firm. "You’re the strongest among us. If something happens, we’ll need you out here, ready to fight."Selene and Ferah exchanged quick glances. They had planned for this moment, to stall, to keep Vardy from walking into whatever trap Elyra was leading him into.Elyra, however, stiffened. She forced herself to keep her expression neutral, though her mind raced. If they delayed any longer, things could spiral out of control.Vardy hesitated."
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 67: The Aftermath of the Betrayer
"We can’t hold them!" Ferah shouted.Vardy cursed under his breath. They were losing. "Fall back!" he ordered.Without hesitation, the group broke away, moving fast through the trees.Blades clashed behind them, shouts filled the air, but they ran, their bodies burning with exhaustion. This was far from over.Vardy stormed into the hideout, his breathing ragged, his fingers still curled into tight fists. The moment he entered, he slammed his staff against the wooden table, making everything on it shake.His eyes, once clouded with Elyra’s spell, now burned with something sharper.Rage. Frustration. Regret."I let her slip away!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the dimly lit space.The others stood in silence for a moment, catching their breath from the exhausting escape. Blood, sweat, and dirt stained their clothes.Ferah, leaning against the wall with a blade still clutched in her hand, sighed. "Calm down, Vardy," she muttered. "We’ll track her down."Vardy shot her a glare. "
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 68: The Path Forward
Vardy sat at the farthest corner of the cave, his back pressed against the stone wall. His staff lay beside him, untouched, his fingers loosely curled against his knees.The cave was dimly lit and his body was still tense from the battle, his mind swirling with everything that had transpired.Elyra’s betrayal. His own foolishness.How close he had been to losing everything.He exhaled slowly, staring at the ground."I don’t know what to do again right now," he admitted, his voice hollow.A soft shuffling of boots approached.Ferah knelt beside him first, resting her arms on her knees as she studied his expression. Tracy stood close behind, arms crossed, concern evident in her eyes."You shouldn’t blame yourself," Ferah said.Vardy let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "That’s easy for you to say."Tracy sighed, sitting down beside him. "You were under a spell, Vardy. She manipulated you, twisted your thoughts. That’s not your fault.""But I still let it happen," Vardy muttered, hi
The Dark Warlock's Game Chapter 69: The Guardians
The morning was still, Vardy and his group stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the ruins ahead.The ancient structure loomed over them, its once-great towers now shattered.Vardy tightened his grip on his staff."This is it," Selene muttered, stepping forward. "The heart of the Altanas."Ferah let out a low breath. "Doesn’t feel like much of a heart anymore."Tracy crouched beside a broken pillar, running her fingers along the cracks. "There’s something still alive here," she murmured. "Not alive in the way we understand, but… awake."Luthor exhaled sharply. "That doesn’t sound comforting."Selene smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "It shouldn’t be."Vardy studied the entrance, an archway, once grand, now barely standing. A labyrinth.They were walking into a trap set by time itself.Vardy turned to the others. "Stay close. We go in fast, we stay quiet, and we don’t touch anything we don’t need to."Selene nodded. "Agreed."With one last glance at the outside world, they s
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Chapter 106: A New Haven
“I’ve been thinking,” Tracy said as they walked. “What do you think we’ll find when we finally confront the Aegaon? What if they’re not what we expect? What if they’re not behind all of this?”Vardy glanced at her, a little confused. “I don’t know what we’ll find. But I do know this, whatever happens, we won’t be caught off guard. We’ll go in prepared. And we’ll keep our heads. The truth is out there, and it’s waiting for us. We just have to find it.”Luthor, who had been quietly walking alongside them, spoke up then, his voice low. “And we’ll find it together. No matter what it takes.”“We have to always be on the lookout.” Selene muttered.Vardy nodded.This journey, this mission, it wasn’t just about uncovering the truth about his parents. It was about understanding the world around him.And so, the four of them walked on.The Aegon would not be easy to find, nor would the truth come easily. But together, they would uncover it. As Vardy stood atop the hill, the early morning sunli
Chapter 105: I’m Leaving Haven
Vardy turned back to the boy, who was still looking up at him with those wide eyes. The boy’s face was streaked with dirt. “What’s your name, kid?” Vardy asked gently, crouching down to meet the boy’s gaze.“I’m Jorin,” the boy replied quickly, his voice eager. “My sister, she’s inside. They said she’d never make it. But now... now, she’s getting better.”Vardy smiled, his heart aching for the boy. “I’m glad we could help,” he said, his voice soft but firm. He reached out, touching Jorin’s messy hair. “Tell me about your family. Where are you from?”Jorin’s eyes brightened even more, and he immediately launched into a story. “We came from the east. My dad used to work for one of the old Altana families, but after they started... doing bad things, he left. We ran, and we didn’t know where to go. We heard about this place, so we came here. And now... now we have a chance.”Vardy listened carefully, intrigued by the boy’s story. He could hear the underlying fear in Jorin’s voice, the y
Chapter 104: The Secret Society
Vardy followed Elyra through the narrow streets of the city, his mind racing with questions. They were venturing into a part of the city he didn’t recognize, the buildings growing older.Elyra seemed unshaken, as though she had walked this path a hundred times before. Her gaze never wavered.Finally, they stopped in front of a tall, crumbling structure that seemed like little more than a forgotten relic. The building was squat, with a heavy, iron door that looked as though it hadn’t been opened in years. It looked abandoned, a place that would be easy to overlook, but Vardy sensed that Elyra had brought him here for a reason.Without a word, she stepped forward and pushed open the heavy door with a creak that echoed.Vardy hesitated for only a moment before following her inside, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, just in case.The inside of the building was dimly lit. As Vardy’s eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the faint outlines of large figures gathered in the corners o
Chapter 103: Vardy’s Resolution
“Tell us what’s next!” a man added, his voice trembling, waiting for response.Vardy swallowed hard. He wasn’t ready for this. He hadn’t come here to give a speech. He hadn’t come here to be a leader. But here he was, surrounded by the very people he was fighting for. Their hope, their belief in him, it was overwhelming.“I will fight,” he said, his voice gaining strength as he spoke. “I will fight for every single one of you, for every person who has suffered under the Altanas. But this fight isn’t just mine. It’s ours. We all have a part to play in this revolution. We will rise together, and we will take back what is ours.”The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing through the market square. The applause was deafening, and Vardy could feel their expectations settle on his shoulders. He had just made a promise, a promise that he wasn’t sure he could keep. But as the crowd continued to chant his name, Vardy realized that he no longer had a choice.He wasn’t just Vardy anym
Chapter 102: At the Market
Vardy nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Someone has to. And if no one else is going to do it, then it’ll be us.”There was a brief pause, and then Luthor stood up, crossing his arms. “Alright, then. I’m in. If this is what it takes to finally bring them down, I’m with you, Vardy. We’ll fight until the last breath if we have to.”Tracy, after a long moment of contemplation, stood as well. “If you’re really going to do this, then so am I. I don’t care what it takes. We’ve come this far, and I’m not backing down now.”Vardy’s gaze softened as he looked at each of them, his friends, his allies. They had been through so much together, and now they were ready to risk everything for this cause.“Thank you,” Vardy said, his voice thick with emotion. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”Selene smiled softly at him. “We’re in this together, Vardy. We’ve always been in this together.”Luthor chuckled. “Well, it looks like we’ve got a revolution to start. Let’s get to wor
Chapter 101: We need Allies
"Every city has its leaders, Vardy," she said, her gaze steady as she met his. "We just need to find them. The ones who won’t be blinded by power. The ones who’ll keep the fire burning for the right reasons."Vardy nodded, though the worry still gnawed at him. "It’s not just about finding leaders, Selene. It’s about making sure they won’t betray us when the power starts to get to their heads."Then we keep them close," Tracy said, her voice firm. "We build a network. We bring the right people in and keep them accountable.""That’s a risk in itself," Vardy muttered. "I can’t be everywhere at once, Tracy. If things go wrong, if this thing spirals out of control… I won’t be able to stop it."Luthor clapped him on the shoulder. "Then we stop it together. You’re not alone in this, Vardy."But even Luthor’s reassuring words couldn’t erase the unease in Vardy’s chest. He had started this fight, but he had no idea how it would end."Do you think," Selene began hesitantly, her voice barely abo
Chapter 100: The Rebel
“Vardy, look at me." Selene called, her gaze still locked to him.Her voice was steady, cutting through the storm raging in his mind.But the moment her fingers brushed against his skin, a violent force exploded from the pot, and Selene was thrown backward.Her body slammed against the stone wall with a sickening crack before she collapsed to the ground."Selene!"Vardy’s world snapped.The whispers howled, furious at the interruption.Vardy’s vision turned red.The room darkened. The relics around him pulsed, the walls vibrating with a hidden force.Vardy turned his gaze back to the pot of Calabash.The source.The whispers sensed his intent."NO!"A surge of black energy shot toward him, trying to stop him.But Vardy was faster.With a roar, he lunged forward, raising his sword. With all his strength, he smashed it into the pot.CRACK!The artifact shattered.Dark energy screamed as it burst into the air. The room shook violently, the pressure lifting all at once, as if a great weig
Chapter 99: The Fall of Dean’s Chamber
“Vardy, what are your plans for Dean’s chamber?” Luthor asked before they left.Vardy turned, his gaze darting round the whole place. It was where Dean had taken as his possession, where he hid most of his things, his secret items.“We need to get these people to destroy this place, because this is too dangerous,” Selene said, darting around before settling his gaze on Vardy.“What do you mean? I should endanger their lives for my personal gain?” Vardy asked a bit skeptical of what Selene meant.Selene heaved and strode closer to Vardy, who was now down on his horse.“I mean, this is too dangerous for you, Dean would have thought so well and knew that one day, you'll surface.” Selene said and continued, “Dean is very smart and predictable.”“Do smart and predictable go together?” Tracy asked, moving closer to them, her eyes piecing deep into Vardy's.“We just have to be careful, especially Vardy.” Selene said finally, her arms akimbo.Vardy’s fingers curled into a fist. "That place n
Chapter 98: A Heavy Decision
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Vardy said firmly, his voice filled with resolve. “We need to find out everything we can about the System. We need to prepare for what's coming.”Luthor, who had been silently listening nearby, stepped forward. “You’re not alone in this, Vardy. We’ll help. Whatever it takes.”Selene and Tracy, who had been standing at the edge of the group, moved closer. “We’re with you,” Tracy said quietly, her voice steady. “This is our fight too.”Vardy nodded, his heart swelling with ease. He had led them before, and they had followed him. And now, in the face of an enemy greater than any they had ever known, they were still with him.“We’ll gather our allies,” Vardy said, his voice firm. “We need to strengthen Haven, prepare for the worst, and start seeking out every scrap of knowledge we can find about the System. We’ll face this head-on. Together.”Aria’s expression softened slightly, though she didn’t look entirely relieved. She knew the path ahead woul
