A knock on the door interrupted the moment, followed by Solace's voice, smooth and confident. "It's time to fulfill the contract."
Celestia pulled away from Raven with a playful smile, her fingers trailing over Raven's chin as she winked at her. Rising from the bed, she tilted her head, eyes narrowing with feigned curiosity. "What contract?" she asked, the words dripping with amusement as Solace entered the room
Without saying a word, Solace reached into his sleeve and withdrew a neatly rolled parchment. He unfurled it with a swift motion, revealing the contents. Celestia snatched it from his hand, her eyes scanning the document. She blinked in disbelief before looking up at her brother, her expression momentarily faltering. "I-is this real?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual, a hint of surprise lacing her words.
Solace's crimson eyes glowed with a faint, eerie light, his lips curling into a small grin. "Indeed. He signed it himself."
Celestia's gaze flickered back down to the contract, her fingers tracing the fine print. "I see you've added a little... clause," she murmured, the corner of her mouth twitching into a sly grin. "If you find me dead, the deal still goes through. Clever. Which one would be more entertaining, I wonder? A fake death, or... returning?"
Solace's eyes darkened, his gaze unwavering as he met hers. "What do you think would be better?"
Celestia's eyes widened, the sudden flicker of realization passing through her. But it was gone in an instant, replaced with a calm, calculating look. She nodded slowly as the System activated, flashing a new task before her.
━━━『 Villainous System 』━━━
Next Destination
Title: Moving to a new land for more opportunities.
Task: Make your way to Azura Port, Nyxterra.
Rewards:
Fear Immunity
Celestia's lips curled into a wicked smile, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Well," she started, her voice smooth and confident, "returning would be more practical, but a fake death does have its own charm, doesn't it? Let's go with that one and see how things unfold."
She exhaled, her grin widening as she turned her attention back to Solace. "My next destination will be Nyxterra. There's a lot I need to do there, so I don't have time for this... contract nonsense. You'll have to step up and take the head of the family while I'm gone. Should be interesting, don't you think?"
She paused for a moment, studying her brother's reaction, before she added with a knowing look, "Try not to disappoint me."
"Whatever you say," Solace replied, his voice cold and indifferent. A smirk spread across his face, and before Celestia could say another word, he vanished, dissolving into a burst of light that left the room feeling eerily still.
Raven remained silent for a moment, her gaze locked on the spot where he had just been. But soon, her focus shifted back to Celestia. She stood from the bed, her movements deliberate, a sense of unease in her eyes as she walked toward her. "What do you mean by next destination? And why there?" Raven's voice was low, laced with concern. "That place... Nyxterra. A world of eternal twilight, forgotten horrors who were banished to the land, a land filled with spies, and assassins. They lurk around every corner..." She stopped in front of Celestia, searching her face for answers, her eyes vulnerable in a way that Celestia hadn't seen in years. "Why would you go to a place like that?"
Celestia regarded her for a moment, her expression softening, yet there was no hesitation in her response. "You think I'm scared of something like that, Raven?" she asked, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips, though the underlying seriousness of her words didn't escape her. "Nyxterra may be like that, but that's exactly why I'm going."
Without another moment's hesitation, Celestia turned, her boots clicking sharply against the floor as she made her way down the grand hallway. The echoes of her footsteps reverberated off the stone walls, marking the inevitable departure. She reached the stairs and descended quickly, her mind already focused on the next steps of her journey. The front door came into view, and as she pushed it open, the cool air of the early morning greeted her, the world beyond the estate waiting for her next move.
Eclipse, her trusted horse, was already waiting by the door, his dark coat gleaming in the dim light. He whinnied softly as Celestia approached, her hand gently patting his side before she mounted. With a firm nudge of her heels, the horse broke into a steady gallop, carrying her away from the estate, her thoughts fixed on what lay ahead.
Back in the room Raven had once occupied, the silence felt suffocating. Raven stood by the window, her hands gripping the edges of the frame as she watched Celestia ride away, her heart heavy with frustration. The sight of Celestia's retreating form was like a knife twisting in her chest.
"Damn it..." Raven muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible. "I had just gotten her here too." Her eyes narrowed in a mixture of longing and anger as the distance between them grew. "If that idiot hadn't shown up, everything would have been perfect." Her words were bitter, each one dripping with unspoken regret.
She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to suppress the growing storm within her. But as the sharp taste of blood filled her mouth, she couldn't ignore the rising tension anymore. "I need her... in my future. She's the only piece I've been missing..." Her voice trailed off, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, but the frustration remained, gnawing at her insides.
"I told you..." came a quiet voice from the shadows of the room. Solace emerged, his presence like a dark cloud. He was seated in an armchair, his expression unreadable. "One wrong step."
Raven's eyes widened as she spun toward him, taking an involuntary step back. Solace was watching her intently, his gaze sharp and piercing. "Trying to use my sister, were you?" he asked coldly, his tone laced with a hint of amusement.
As Solace rose from the chair, a laugh escaped him—unnatural and chilling. It wasn't a sound of amusement, but a venomous, hollow laugh that seemed to reverberate through the air. The moment it ended, the room seemed to grow darker, the air thick with tension. His eyes glowed a deep crimson, a warning that Raven should have heeded long ago. The moment Solace extended his hand, golden light shot out, sealing the door with an unbreakable barrier.
Raven's breath caught in her throat as she rushed toward the balcony door, her fingers fumbling to grasp the handle, but it was useless. The golden light sealed it shut, trapping her inside with him. Panic flared in her chest as she realized there was no escape.
Solace's expression twisted into one of disdain, the weight of his words suffocating. "The only reason I've let this wretched estate stand for as long as it has was because I knew my sister liked you," he said, his voice dark and filled with a venom that matched the burning intensity of his gaze. "I tried to put aside my ideals, my goals. I even tried to ignore the fact that I wanted to kill every last one of you." He stepped closer, his aura oppressive. "But it seems that Celestia... will have to find someone else. You will not live to see another day."
Raven's heart raced as she tried to summon flames to defend herself, but they were no match for the power that surrounded Solace. White-hot flames erupted around the room, devouring her own fire with ease, before reaching out to consume her. Lightning arced from the air, striking her with brutal force, while the flames burned away at her skin, slowly, relentlessly.
His eyes locked onto her as she struggled to fight back. But it was futile. He lifted her into the air by her hair, his grip like iron, before focusing all his power into his fist. Spirit-flames, golden light, and lightning surged through him, coalescing into a devastating blow. When his fist collided with her stomach, the impact was bone-shattering. Her body was torn in two, consumed by the flames that burned away her flesh and melted her bones.
The heat of the flames and the force of the strike was so intense that the very air seemed to tremble. The estate around them shook, and the ground seemed to quake beneath their feet as Solace stood over her, watching as her body disintegrated before him.
With a single motion, he slammed the door to the room open, flames erupting around the entire house as he walked through the corridors. His footsteps were heavy and deliberate, the sound of his large boots echoing like the toll of a death knell. He made his way to the throne room, where Duke Valen sat, unaware of the storm that was about to descend upon him.
As Solace entered, he lifted his foot, and the massive doors of the throne room exploded into dust, consumed by white flames. The entire room was engulfed in an intense inferno, the heat rising so quickly that the air seemed to shimmer.
Duke Valen stood, his eyes flashing with defiance, but Solace was beyond reason now. "It's time to pay the price." Solace's voice dripped with venom and disgust as he stepped forward.
The Duke laughed, his voice mocking, "Do you truly think you can defeat me, boy?"
Solace's eyes narrowed. His voice was cold as ice, and for the first time in years, he tapped into a power he had sworn never to use again. "You think you were strong enough to survive in my domain? You were nothing. You only existed because I allowed it."
Duke Valen's confidence faltered, his eyes widening as his entire life began to replay in front of him. Every failure, every betrayal, every loss. It was as if the very fabric of his existence was being unraveled. Then, with a sharp slap, Solace snapped him out of his reverie.
"Now you will die without understanding exactly why," Solace muttered coldly. He grabbed Valen by the throat, his hand glowing with white flames. As the fire consumed him, Valen's screams filled the room. But Solace was relentless, pouring lightning into his skull, bringing Valen back to life again and again, only to watch as the Duke endured endless torment.
With each cycle, Valen's body began to crack, the flames and lightning eating away at his form until nothing remained but a burnt shell of the man who had once been in power. Solace's grip tightened, his hand glowing with golden light. With a final, brutal squeeze, Valen's throat exploded, his life snuffed out in an instant. Solace lifted his boot before slamming his foot down upon his head causing an explosion of blood to spatter across the room.
Solace stared down at the broken body with utter disdain before turning away, his expression disgusted. "Pathetic," he muttered. With a snap of his fingers, flames erupted from the estate, consuming everything in its path, reducing it to nothing but ash.
As Solace vanished in a burst of golden light, the entire estate crumbled, its destruction complete. The last of Duke Valen's legacy was erased, and the future that had once seemed so secure for his family was now nothing more than a memory.