Chapter 269 - 268. Vile Intentions (3)
The urge to storm into the Pope’s quarters and rip his deceitful head from his shoulders clawed at me. My vision burned, narrowing to focus solely on the image of his smug, conniving face and the twisted satisfaction he must have felt while orchestrating this.
"Did that dark mage come to you last night?" I asked, my voice low and edged with barely-contained wrath.
The boy sniffled, his small frame trembling, but he didn’t answer. His silence was answer enough.
I exhaled heavily, my breath misting in the unnaturally cold air. The rage swirling within me mixed with an unfamiliar sensation—a tightness in my chest, sharp and unrelenting. It was as though something caged deep within me was rattling against its prison, demanding release.
I released a sigh, forcing my clenched fists to relax before I hurt myself or terrified the boy further. But the weight in my chest didn’t lessen, and I realized with a bitter pang that it wasn’t just fury. It was a fierce, protective ache—an emotion so overwhelming it threatened to undo me.
This child, this innocent soul who had endured far too much already, was now being forced to endure even more. And for what? Because of the whims of corrupt men and their unholy ambitions?
No.
I would not allow it.
A storm of cold rage surged through my veins, threatening to drown me in its overwhelming tide. The very air around me seemed to chill, the oppressive fury within twisting the atmosphere into an unbearable stillness. My mind screamed to tear down the walls of this accursed Temple, to destroy every trace of the corruption that had ensnared this innocent child.
But amidst the chaos raging within me, I felt a soft warmth against my hand. It was a faint, hesitant touch, like a flicker of light in the darkest abyss. My burning eyes shifted downward, and I met his gaze.
The child’s fingers trembled as they rested on mine, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and concern. They were like mirrors, reflecting the monstrous visage staring back at him—a visage I barely recognized as my own.