Chapter 265: Inevitable Fate
"You have finished your work," the shadow said, its voice a chilling whisper laced with sinister satisfaction, reverberating eerily through the night air.
The assassin shuddered uncontrollably at the demonic resonance hidden within each word.
"Wh-Who are you?" he stammered weakly, desperately trying to rise, only to find himself paralyzed by an unseen, malevolent force radiating from the creature.
Ignoring his futile attempts at resistance, the shadowy figure continued smoothly, amusement evident beneath its chilling tone. "I was fortunate to find that girl in the marketplace—recognizing the Draconic bloodline flowing through her veins was unexpected luck indeed. Your involvement has been unsurprisingly helpful."
Fear surged through the assassin’s veins as realization dawned painfully clear: he had been used, manipulated by forces beyond his understanding. "Wait—I—I didn’t—" he gasped desperately, voice trembling, pleading for mercy, recognition, anything that might spare his life.
But before another word could escape him, shadows beneath the demonic figure expanded rapidly, tendrils of darkness lashing out hungrily, coiling around the assassin’s helpless body with suffocating force.
He struggled fiercely, terror wild in his eyes, but the shadows consumed him mercilessly, slowly dragging him down into an abyssal pit conjured from pure darkness.
"Vepar will be quite interested in seeing your memories," the shadow murmured coldly, almost thoughtfully, as the assassin’s final, despairing scream vanished entirely beneath the relentless tide of darkness.
***
Back within the Helstorm Estate, the atmosphere was drastically calmer, though still heavy with tension. In Orion’s spacious room, soft lantern-light cast warm, gentle illumination over the walls lined with books and the polished wooden furniture.
Orion lay silently upon his expansive bed, his draconic form still imposing even in restful unconsciousness, scales gently reflecting the soft glow from the room’s muted lighting.