The cold marble floor of the Agreste Mansion reflected the luxurious yet hollow crystal chandeliers, their brilliant light unable to penetrate the human heart.
The heavy, carved door slowly closed behind him, shutting out all the noise from the outside world.
Adrien followed Nathalie, his footsteps echoing hollowly and solitarily on the polished floor.
He subconsciously looked up at the landing of the stairs, but it was empty.
There was no anticipated, judgmental waiting, nor was there the stern gaze that could freeze the air.
"Gabriel has other important matters to attend to," Nathalie said, as if reading his mind.
She stopped, turned around, her voice as steady and calm as ever, like a precisely operating machine. "Dinner has been sent to your room. Please rest early after your meal."
"...I understand," Adrien lowered his head, his golden bangs concealing the disappointment in his eyes.
He didn't ask another question, simply turned silently and walked down the corridor leading to his room.
That silhouette was a stark contrast to the radiant, confident supermodel on the runway; at this moment, he was more like a prisoner bound by invisible chains, each return to this so-called "home" a routine trip back to his cell.
The room was as spacious as a small apartment, with a meticulously manicured garden and the brilliant nightscape of Paris outside the French windows.
A dinner prepared by a top chef was laid out on the dining car, from pan-seared lamb chops to truffle risotto, each dish as exquisite as a work of art, emitting an enticing aroma.
However, Adrien merely glanced at it indifferently, his heart unmoved.
He had no appetite at all at this moment.
He walked to the sofa and sat down, burying his face in the soft cushions, then, in a faint, almost prayer-like whisper that only he could hear, he called out the name he missed most at this moment, over and over again.
"Plagg...?"
"Plagg, are you there?"
"...Come out and eat some cheese, I specifically saved the best for you..."
He waited, hoping that in the next second, the little black creature would, as usual, "whoosh" out of the ring, exclaiming, "Where's my stinky cheese?" and energetically pounce on him.
That feeling of being needed, of lively noise, was the only warmth he found in this cold mansion.
But there was nothing.
The silver-white ring lay silently on his finger, unresponsive.
Inside, it was as if a universe of dead silence slept, and no matter how he called, he received not the slightest response.
A deep sense of powerlessness and panic, like cold seawater, slowly engulfed his heart.
What exactly happened to Plagg?
What did Jaden do to it that left an elemental spirit representing "destruction" so weak that even its favorite food couldn't rouse it?
Adrien gave up calling in frustration. He stood up, took off his clothes, and walked into the bathroom.
Scalding hot water gushed from the showerhead, drenching his smooth, powerful young body, creating a misty white fog.
He closed his eyes, letting the water wash over his skin, his golden hair, as if to rinse away the day's exhaustion, failure, and the increasingly heavy shackles of "powerlessness."
Meanwhile, at the other end of the mansion, was Gabriel's office area.
This was less an office and more a solemn sanctuary. Outside the huge circular French windows, Paris at night was like a spilled plate of jewels, shimmering with a hazy light.
Inside, the sole and eternal protagonist was the gigantic portrait of Emilie, hung in the center, occupying an entire wall.
The woman in the painting, Emilie, had long, radiant golden hair, and her pale green eyes were as gentle as spring lake water. A serene and mysterious smile always played on her lips, as if she was quietly gazing through the canvas at this world she had long since departed.
Gabriel stood before this portrait, his back straight yet solitary.
His gaze was focused and infatuated as he looked at his wife in the painting, his voice deep, as if speaking to her, yet also as if declaring to himself.
"Emilie... it's almost time. I've found a new... possibility.
An unprecedented pawn.
As long as I can utilize him well, as long as I can control the power within him that even I cannot comprehend, you will surely return.
This time, I will never fail again."
The crisp sound of high heels on the floor approached, and Nathalie's figure appeared at the doorway.
She didn't interrupt, simply stood there quietly until Gabriel emerged from his contemplation.
"Gabriel."
"Has Adrien returned to his room?" Gabriel turned around, the hint of warmth on his face instantly vanishing, replaced by the cool, ruthless fashion emperor.
"Yes, he has returned," Nathalie replied, then she frowned slightly and calmly voiced her concerns. "Gabriel, regarding Jaden... I have a premonition that he may not be so easily controlled by you."
"I know."
A cold smile, devoid of any warmth and filled only with pure calculation, curved Gabriel's lips. "How could a bird accustomed to the sky willingly stay in a cage?"
He walked behind his desk, hands resting on the surface, body leaning slightly forward, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
"This transaction is less about restraint and more about deepening an imprint in his heart.
No one is willing to be a lamb to the slaughter, especially someone like him, with immense power and desire hidden within.
The more I restrict him, the more I prevent him from interfering, the more he will experience the taste of 'powerlessness.'"
Gabriel's voice echoed in the empty room, carrying a cruel insight into human nature.
"For the girl named Rose, he didn't hesitate to make a deal with me; for his friends, he willingly underwent Akumatization.
His heart is filled with 'bonds' he wants to protect. And these 'bonds,' which are normally his source of strength, will become his most fragile weakness in the face of absolute power disparity."
His eyes gleamed with fanaticism: "When he discovers that without my power, he can protect nothing; when he repeatedly watches his friends fall into danger while he must stand by idly... he will crave power more than anyone else.
At that time, he will truly understand that in this world, only power is the sole truth."
"When those 'bonds' have grown deep enough and numerous enough in his heart," he slowly looked up, gazing at Emilie's portrait again, his voice filled with obsessive devotion, "that will be the day he willingly serves me, and the day you... return."
Nathalie was silent for a moment. Her rationality told her the risks of this plan, but her loyalty to Gabriel made her suppress all doubts.
However, there was still one fundamental question.
"But, Gabriel... do we really have to believe what that Black Cat miraculous spirit said? The power of 'destruction' being used for 'healing' itself violates the fundamental laws of the miraculous."
"The facts are already before us, Nathalie," Gabriel's voice became somewhat ethereal, as if he was lost in a crucial memory. "We have no choice but to believe.
Because we have... witnessed that 'miracle' with our own eyes."
His thoughts instantly returned to that moment before, the moment that allowed him to see the light of hope again from the depths of despair.
Outside the circular window, the Parisian night had fallen, but no lights were on inside the room.
Thousands of white butterflies rested silently in every corner of the lair, motionless, as if even they sensed their master's bottomless despair.
Gabriel sat dejectedly on his high platform, his transformation already undone.
He was still wearing his crisp white suit, but at this moment, he looked utterly defeated. He leaned back in his chair, completely broken.
Failed.
Failed again.
And in an unprecedented, humiliating way.
He had been used as a pawn by the "champion" he had chosen, manipulated by Ladybug with clumsy schemes, and even after obtaining the Black Cat miraculous, he still failed at the last hurdle.
The fire of hope was completely extinguished in his heart, leaving only cold ashes.
He looked up, staring blankly at the huge window, all light gone from his eyes.
Emilie... perhaps, I really... will never see you again.
Just then, a slight sound came from the entrance of the lair. Nathalie's figure entered, her face showing an unusual mixture of shock and excitement.
In her hand, she held her ever-present tablet computer.
"Gabriel."
Gabriel didn't turn around, simply said in an utterly exhausted voice: "Leave me alone for a while, Nathalie."
"No, Gabriel, you must see this!"
Nathalie's tone was uncharacteristically urgent. She quickly walked to the platform, held up the tablet, and exclaimed, "It's Rose's medical report... It... It's completely changed!"
"What?!"
These two words, like a thunderclap, broke through the chaos in Gabriel's mind. He spun around abruptly, leaped from the platform, and in a few strides, rushed to Nathalie, snatching the tablet from her hand.
The screen displayed the internal medical system database of Paris Central Hospital, showing Rose's electronic medical record.
Gabriel immediately saw the latest report. But he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
This was wrong! This was completely wrong!
He distinctly remembered Rose's archived medical history.
It clearly stated: [Diagnosis: Leukemia].
Treatment plans, chemotherapy records, various horrific blood test results... everything proved that the girl's life had been hanging by a thread.
However, when he looked at the latest record again, the content had undergone a drastic change.
[Today's Visit Record]
[Chief Complaint: Mild fatigue, occasional dizziness.]
[Diagnosis: Temporary discomfort caused by mild viral cold.]
[Doctor's Orders: Rest, drink plenty of water. No special treatment needed, discharged herself in the evening.]
The fatal "leukemia" diagnosis had disappeared! As if... it had never existed!
"What... what is going on?!" Gabriel's fingers trembled slightly from the force.
"Did the hospital make a mistake? Or did someone tamper with the data?!"
"I've already confirmed it," Nathalie's voice also trembled with disbelief. "I personally called her attending physician.
That doctor... he doesn't remember Rose ever having leukemia.
In his memory, Rose was just a student who occasionally came in for a cold.
I checked all the hospital's server logs; there's no trace of any data being altered. It's as if..."
"It's as if... she was never seriously ill," Gabriel finished her sentence, muttering.
A chill, accompanied by a more fervent, ecstatic flame, simultaneously rose from his feet, instantly engulfing his entire body.
Why?
He didn't understand.
He couldn't comprehend.
Jaden used the power of "destruction" to erase the disease; that he could accept.
But why were everyone's memories and all medical records also Rewrite/Alterationd?
This was no longer within the realm of "healing"; this was a... a higher-dimensional "overwrite" of reality! A power to... create new history!
Except for them, the few individuals at the center of the storm, the entire world accepted this "new reality" that "Rose never had leukemia."
"Perhaps... we can get the answer from the Akuma Butterfly, Gabriel," Nathalie reminded him softly.
Gabriel suddenly looked up, hope rekindled in his eyes—no, it was a burning ambition, more terrifying than hope.
He looked at Nathalie and nodded heavily. "You're right."
"Transform."
He extended his hand, and a pure white butterfly lightly landed on his palm.
He gently covered it with his other hand, and Akuma energy instantly infused it.
He gazed at Nathalie, his eyes filled with unprecedented trust and reliance.
"Nathalie," his voice was solemn and powerful, "you have always been my most trusted supporter, my closest companion.
Now, I need your wisdom to unravel this ultimate mystery for me."
He released his hand, and the Akuma Butterfly, tainted by dark energy, fluttered gracefully, slowly and steadily flying towards Nathalie, finally merging into the black-rimmed glasses she always wore on her nose.
"All-Knowing One," his voice echoed in the lair, "I grant you the power to discern all secrets.
Find out all the truths about Jaden for me!"
Black energy, like ink dripping into clear water, rapidly spread across Nathalie's lenses.
Her normally calm and sharp eyes were now covered by a deep, flowing stream of data, filled with countless glimmer, and in the depths of her pupils, it was as if the information galaxy of the entire universe was reflected.
Her body trembled slightly, then returned to absolute stillness.
Her expression became hollow and indifferent; she was no longer Nathalie, but an extension of Hawk Moth's will, a ruthless vessel existing only to seek the truth—"All-Knowing One."
"Begin," Hawk Moth's voice echoed in the empty lair, filled with an uncontrollable, morbid excitement.
The "miracle" that had overturned all his perceptions was now before him, and he urgently needed an explanation, an answer that would put his grand plan back on track.
"Command confirmed," the All-Knowing One's voice rang out, flat and monotonous, devoid of any human emotion, like a sophisticated artificial intelligence reading a report. "Beginning target retrieval: Jaden."
Before her eyes, a torrent of information invisible to ordinary people was surging.
Countless fragmented data about Jaden's life in Paris—student files, surveillance footage, social network information among classmates—flashed like cards in her mind, converging, analyzing, and reassembling.
"Target Jaden, identity: Eastern transfer student, currently enrolled at François Dupont High School.
Parents' information unknown, background exists behind an information barrier, unable to trace further."
His voice was flat, "Core characteristic one: extremely high mental resilience.
During three Akumatizations, the target did not lose his self-awareness.
His subjective consciousness formed a unique symbiotic relationship with the Akumatization energy; he was able to remain clear-headed and actively guide and utilize the power bestowed upon him."
Hawk Moth's breath hitched.
Despite being prepared, hearing it from Nathalie's own mouth, in an undeniable tone as if proclaiming a truth, still shook him to his core.
It wasn't just "not losing memory," but "remaining clear-headed" and "actively utilizing" the power.
This meant that his Akuma Butterfly power, which he prided himself on for manipulating hearts, became a tool that Jaden could casually pick up and use.
He went from being a chess player to a… servant delivering weapons.
"Continue." Gabriel squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, suppressing the humiliation and unease in his heart.
"Attempting to retrieve the true identity of the miraculous holder…" The All-Knowing One's voice paused for a moment, and His eyes, covered by data streams, seemed to hit an invisible wall emanating a soft red glow, "…Retrieval failed.
The power of the Ladybug and the miraculous Cat provides a high level of shielding against information probes.
Unable to obtain the true identity of its holder."
This outcome was within Gabriel's expectations; if it were that easy to find, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble. His main concern was the core question.
"Then, answer my most important question." His voice trembled slightly with excitement, "How… how did he use the Cat's 'destruction' power to Rewrite/Alter Rose's history?
That power even affected the world's perception!
Can this power… save Emilie?
Can I… can I also use this power?!"
He rattled off his deepest desires and questions, leaning slightly forward with excitement, staring intently at the All-Knowing One, awaiting the answer that would determine his fate.
The All-Knowing One fell silent.
The data streams in His eyes began to surge at an unprecedented speed, as if trying to parse a cosmic-level problem beyond His capabilities.
Countless contradictory symbols, incomprehensible laws, and chaotic causal chains exploded in His mind.
"The essence of the power is… Rewrite…" He stammered out a few words, His voice for the first time showing a hint of stuttering and confusion,
"He is not using 'destruction'… he is using 'destruction' as a pen, the world as paper… he is…" Suddenly, His words abruptly stopped.
An anomaly, in that instant, descended without warning.
It wasn't a loud bang, nor a strong flash of light. On the contrary, it was a "loss."
Sound… disappeared. The faint collective hum of tens of thousands of butterflies flapping their wings in the lair, Hawk Moth's hurried breathing, Nathalie's own voice—all sounds were completely extracted in an instant, and the entire world fell into a disturbing, absolute silence.
Colors… were fading. The huge circular window reflecting the Parisian nightscape, the brilliant lights outside the window, seemed to be covered by a gray curtain, rapidly losing all color, turning into a black-and-white silent film.
Immediately after, even this black and white began to blur, boundaries dissolved, and the entire space seemed to be devoured by a "nothingness" from a higher dimension.
The air became viscous, like solidified amber, making every breath incredibly difficult.
Gabriel was horrified to find that he couldn't move, not even his eyeballs.
He felt as if he was no longer a living person, but a meaningless portrait frozen on a canvas.
The only thing he could "see" was the black-rimmed glasses on Nathalie's face.
"Snap!"
A crisp sound, like shattering glass, abruptly echoed in the absolute silence.
The Akuma butterfly, imbued with Hawk Moth's power, was forcibly squeezed out of the lens without any warning!
It flapped its wings in terror, seemingly wanting to escape, but in the face of that invisible force, it was as tiny as a speck of dust.
No explosion, no burning. The Akuma Butterfly, right before Gabriel's eyes, like an ice crystal thrown into the scorching sun, silently decomposed and dissipated from its edges, turning into the purest nothingness, leaving no trace of energy residue.
Nathalie's body swayed violently, the data stream in His eyes instantly disappearing, restoring clarity.
He stumbled back a step, holding His forehead, His face filled with the shock and bewilderment of having survived a catastrophe.
"Sir… wh-what was that just now…?" He asked in a choked voice, trembling with fear.
Gabriel was equally unable to comprehend what was happening before His eyes; His mind was a mess.
His Akuma Butterfly… His proud power, just like that… erased? Without even a chance to resist?
Just then, a voice, a voice that belonged to neither of them, resounded in this eerie space.
The voice was ancient and profound, as if woven from the extinction and rebirth of countless stars, each syllable carrying the weight of the universe, resonating directly in the depths of their souls.
"Insignificant usurpers, your prying has disturbed My slumber."
Gabriel and Nathalie abruptly looked in the direction of the voice.
In the very center of the lair, in the space devoured by nothingness, darkness was gathering and condensing in an incredible way.
A vast, indescribable silhouette was slowly emerging from the background of that void.
It was too big.
Its head alone was over ten meters high, almost touching the dome of the lair.
Its main outline vaguely resembled a feline, but it was certainly not any known life form on Earth.
Its body was jet black, yet it wasn't the black of matter, but a pure "void" capable of devouring light.
A layer of eerie green glow surrounded its body, like will-o'-the-wisps from another world.
On its head were a pair of jagged, obsidian-like horns.
Its face bore two huge, vertically slit pupils burning with emerald green flames, looking down at them indifferently.
And directly above those eyes, in the center of its forehead, another vertically slit pupil of the same size slowly opened, the three eyes forming a stable, unsettling equilateral triangle.
In the center of its torso, a bright green orb pulsed slowly, like the most dazzling star at the birth of the universe, each pulse radiating billions of tiny specks of light, illuminating its even more terrifying body.
Countless arms extended from its sides, some stretched out, some clenched, as if holding the power of life and death over countless worlds.
And behind it, several pairs of huge, demonic bat wings slowly unfurled, obscuring the entire sky above them.
Gabriel, the man who made all of Paris tremble, was now as tiny as an ant before this destructive demon god, seemingly stepped out of creation myths.
"Who… who are you?" He used all his strength to squeeze out this dry question from his throat.
The colossal being, its three emerald green cat eyes slowly rotated, focusing on Gabriel.
There was no anger in that gaze, no killing intent, only a pure indifference that spanned the river of time, as if a god was looking down at a speck of dust that would not cause Him any emotional fluctuations.
"My name is Plagg."
The grand voice resounded again, "I am 'destruction' itself."
Plagg… the Destruction Spirit… Gabriel and Nathalie's minds simultaneously flashed back to the tiny, palm-sized black mini-cat that flew out of the ring, clamoring for cheese, during Jaden's brief transformation in the clothing store.
That image, compared to this cosmic-level catastrophe before them… "This… this is impossible…" Nathalie muttered, logic and cognition completely shattered in that moment, "That spirit… clearly…"
"That was merely an appearance, condensed from a sliver of My power that leaked out during My slumber."
The colossal Plagg seemed to hear His thoughts, His voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of lazy impatience at having His peaceful sleep disturbed, "And now, what you see is My true form."
It seemed to lose interest in explaining its form, its three eyes simultaneously turning to Gabriel, the grand voice imbued with a sense of judgment.
"You seek answers from that youth, so I will tell you."
"That youth is different from you mortals. The essence of His soul is 'Rewrite.'
When He wields My power, 'destruction' is no longer an end, but becomes an eraser He uses to wipe away old realities."
The colossal Plagg slowly said, "Destruction creates a vacuum, and the world does not permit the existence of a vacuum.
Therefore, when He destroys the concept of 'illness,' a new reality, 'illness never existed,' will naturally fill that void.
This is the truth of the 'miracle' you have witnessed."
Gabriel's heart pounded frantically, blood rushing to His brain because of this shocking secret.
Rewriting reality! This was the true power of a god!
"If…" His voice became hoarse with extreme longing, "If I also use the Cat's power… can I do it too?!
Can I also Rewrite/Alter reality like him?!"
"No."
Plagg's answer was concise and direct, like a cold, massive hammer, smashing down hard on Gabriel's hopes.
"Why?!"
Gabriel couldn't accept this answer, He roared almost uncontrollably, looking up at the colossal demon god, "He is just a boy!
And I am an adult who has weathered countless storms!
If it's about obsession, I can stand against the whole world to resurrect my beloved; is my obsession weaker than his?
In terms of intelligence, perseverance, and determination, in what way am I inferior to him?! Why can he, and I cannot?!"
He poured all His pride, all His pain, all His unwillingness into this question.
The colossal Plagg, its enormous body slowly leaned forward, its three eyes slowly approaching, until they were almost level with the tiny human on the ground.
In that instant, Gabriel felt as if he was being scorched by three green suns, every corner of His soul seen clearly.
"Because," Plagg's voice, for the first time, carried a hint of emotion, a mockery bordering on pity, "your meager obsession, your so-called determination to 'stand against the world,' in the face of His innate 'qualification' to overturn cosmic laws…"
It paused, seemingly searching for a suitable word.
"…is far from enough."
These four words, sharper than any weapon, instantly pierced all of Gabriel's self-esteem and pride.
He stumbled back a step, His face ashen.
Impossible… This is impossible… "Then… then if I want to resurrect my beloved…" He grasped at the last straw, asking with a trembling voice, "What should I do?"
"The only way," Plagg's voice returned to its ancient indifference, "is to gather My miraculous and the miraculous of 'creation,' combine us both, and summon the ultimate power—the 'Wish.' "
"The Wish…" Gabriel repeated the name.
"However," Plagg's tone shifted, His voice becoming incredibly cold, "you don't seem to understand the true cost of 'wishing.' "
"The moment you make a wish to the 'Wish,' " It slowly stated a cruel cosmic law, "in order to realize the reality of 'the resurrected beloved exists,' this universe you are in, all its fundamental laws, all its causal connections, will be instantly destroyed."
Gabriel's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Immediately after, a new parallel universe, consistent with your wish, will be created to replace the destroyed old universe.
The you in that world will get the beloved you desire, and you, the wish-makers, will continue to live in that 'new' world with this memory."
Gabriel's mind went blank, He felt as if He heard the sound of His worldview collapsing.
He latched onto the most crucial, most terrifying word.
"…another me?"
His voice was as light as a breeze, "You mean… even if I succeed, even if I resurrect Emilie… the person who is with her will only be… another me from a parallel universe?
And not the current me?"
The colossal Destruction Demon God, its three emerald green eyes quietly watched him, as if looking at a poor wretch who finally understood the rules of the game.
It uttered the last two words, pronouncing the ultimate, most absurd death sentence on all of Gabriel Agreste's efforts.
"Correct."