Chapter 29: Knight’s Trial Elixir
Kai’s Lorne POV
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Evelina’s raw, tear-soaked confession: "I seek nothing but revenge. Revenge against those who took Prudee away from me. Revenge against Mudrel." My heart ached for her, for the depth of her grief. But a cold, analytical part of my mind also registered the chilling intensity of her words, the shift from innocent ambition to vengeful resolve. It was a dangerous path, one that could consume her.
My gaze, fixed from my hidden vantage point, watched as she slowly, deliberately, raised the Knight’s Trial Elixir to her lips. I still remembered the system’s warning:
[ WARNING: KNIGHT’S TRIAL ELIXIR - DETECTING CORRUPTED MANA SIGNATURE ] and [ RECOMMENDATION: DO NOT CONSUME ].
I had tried to warn her, to dissuade her, but the allure of power, the desperate need for strength, was a powerful motivator. And now, she was going to drink it.
Should I use ’Pause & Observe’? Freeze time, rush down there, snatch the vial from her hand? The thought flashed through my mind, quick and desperate. But then, the counter-argument, equally swift and chilling, came. Pause & Observe was subtle, yes, but it was still an active override. What if someone else was watching? What if the system, already at a 9% Glitch Coefficient, malfunctioned and the pause wasn’t perfect? What if Evelina herself registered a flicker, a momentary distortion? It would risk exposing my abilities, and by extension, my true identity as an imposter. It would raise suspicions that could put my very life at risk, far more than the corrupted elixir might put hers. I couldn’t afford that. Not now. Not when I was still trying to navigate this treacherous new existence.
No. Pause & Observe was too risky for this. I needed a different approach. If anything truly dangerous happened, if she started to collapse, if her body began to react violently, I would use Scene Override. It was a more drastic measure, but it offered a complete, undeniable alteration of reality, a way to get her to safety without directly exposing my powers in the moment. It was my emergency button.
With a heavy heart, I watched.
Evelina hesitated for only a fraction of a second, her eyes squeezed shut, a silent prayer or a desperate resolve passing across her face. Then, with a fierce determination, she uncorked the vial and brought it to her lips. The green liquid, thick and viscous, flush down her throat in one gulp.