Chapter 194. An Unlucky Soul
Cassius walked forward with an unhurried grace, his steps echoing faintly. Before him knelt a man, not bound by iron or chain, but suspended in a far crueler prison—space itself. Reality refused to acknowledge him.
He was not held within the world, but kept out of it, as though banished from existence. Every time one looked at him, he seemed to blur at the edges, caught between presence and absence.
Cassius’s frame stopped just a foot away from the phantom prisoner. His gaze was calm—impassive, yet piercing. His voice followed, soft and devoid of hostility, but firm with intent.
"Are you a user of Amethyst Lightning?" he asked. "If yes... then do share what you know about the element."
The man didn’t look up. He didn’t stir. Not even a twitch of a finger or the lift of an eye. But the air shifted—and then a voice echoed, within the minds of both Cassius and Kaelira.
"Haha... You’re an amusing one, aren’t you? But don’t you have any manners?" the voice said. "Shouldn’t you say please before asking a favor?"
Cassius tilted his head slightly, almost intrigued. A small smile crept across his lips.
"You look like a prisoner to me," he replied casually. "Why would I waste my manners on someone who’s chained and helpless? You couldn’t control yourself. Committed some crime. And now you expect civility? Maybe in your next life, old man."
The voice remained still for a beat. And then it returned, quiet. "You’re right... but if saving people by chaining myself is a crime, then yes, I’ve committed one. I don’t deserve your respect."
Cassius let out a short, humorless scoff. "Don’t act like a martyr now. Weren’t you the one singing songs of sacrifice when you locked yourself away? The grand hero, making the noble choice for the world’s sake."
Silence.
And then, laughter—dry, cracked, and echoed.