Lana Ares descended from the night sky like a falling star.
Her light-step technique left faint trails of silver mana behind her boots as she landed gracefully at the edge of the blood-soaked clearing. She had never met Aden Vasco in person. All she knew were the rumors.
But right now, all she could see was his back.
The tall frame. The blood-drenched red Vasco robe clinging to broad shoulders, chiseled abs. The aggressive sword stance that screamed pure killing intent. For one terrifying heartbeat, the silhouette looked exactly like him.
Lana's breath caught.
She stepped forward slowly, mana already swirling around her fingers in a defensive spell.
Then Aden turned his head.
Their eyes met.
The same sharp jawline. The same cold, piercing gaze. The same way he held the sword like it was an extension of his body. In that split second, Lana Ares saw Duke Ed Vasco standing right in front of her — the Monarch of Death, the man who had fought beside her during the brutal eastern war years ago. The man who could end lives with a single swing.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Instinctively, a bright blue defensive barrier flared up around her, crackling with archmage power.
"Ed…?" she whispered before she could stop herself.
The illusion shattered the moment she blinked. No, But the resemblance was so cruel it made her stomach twist.
She quickly regained her composure, voice ringing with authority.
"Stand down, Aden Vasco. Do not make this any more difficult than it already is."
She knew the truth in her bones. If Aden was even a fraction of the swordsman his father was, he could slaughter every guard here before they could scream. One slash from that stance and the clearing would turn into a graveyard.
Aden didn't move at first.
His mind was a storm.
An Archmage. The pinnacle of magic. Running was now impossible. Fighting her head-on was suicide. The only path left was the one he hated most , surrender or die trying.
He raised his sword higher, muscles screaming, red aura flickering weakly around the blade again. The guards who had gained a spark of hope the moment Lana appeared now watched their hope die on their faces.
Lana's eyes narrowed.
Then she pulled out a rolled decree from her robe, the Vasco Senate seal glowing faintly on the wax.
"By the authority of the Vasco Senate," she read aloud, voice steady but heavy, "Lucius Aden Von Vasco is to be taken into immediate custody and await trial for the murder of Claire Remes. Effective immediately."
The words hit Aden like a hammer.
Rage boiled up so fast it burned away the pain.
The news couldn't have spread this fast. Claire wasn't even confirmed dead yet. The banquet was still going. There was no way a formal decree had been prepared in minutes… unless it had been written long before tonight.
This wasn't justice.
This was a setup. Nurtured from the very beginning.
Exactly like the book had shown.
The Vasco Senate - the same people who had stripped him of his position this morning - had already decided his fate.
Aden's grip tightened until the hilt creaked.
His core creaked with aura even if it caused excruciating pain in the process.
His voice came out low, shaking with pure fury.
"…So that's how it is."
Lana saw the shift in his eyes. She instantly strengthened her barrier, mana surging. She was sure he was about to strike her.
Aden raised his sword high above his head, muscles coiled like a spring.
Then, in one brutal motion, he brought it down.
Not on her.
The blade slammed into the throat of the last surviving assassin who was still weakly breathing on the ground. The sword stood upright, quivering, buried deep.
The man gurgled once and went still.
Silence swallowed the clearing.
Aden slowly released the hilt. He raised both hands behind his head, fingers interlaced, and lowered himself to his knees in the blood-soaked dirt.
He surrendered.
The guards stared in stunned silence. Their mouths hung open. Some even let out shaky breaths of relief, shoulders sagging as the tension drained from their bodies. They had been seconds away from dying.
Lana Ares watched Aden kneel, her barrier slowly fading.
She had expected a blood bath. She had expected the same monstrous drive she once saw in his father. Instead, she saw something far more dangerous - a quiet, broken resolve.
"Captain," she said softly, almost regretfully, "take him into custody. Gently."
The captain nodded quickly and motioned to his men. Chains were brought forward.
As they approached Aden, Lana stepped closer. She could see it in his eyes now - distant, cold, like he had already accepted a much larger war.
She wanted to say something. She knew it in her heart that this was all a delibrate plan by the Senate, But the words died in her throat.
His eyes were too far away. Like he was already looking past tonight, past the trial, past everything.
The guards locked the cold manacles around Aden's wrists. Blood from his wounds smeared the metal.
Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows over the massacre. The red Vasco robe looked almost black now, soaked through. Aden's head was slightly bowed, but his back remained straight, refusing to break completely.
In the distance, the faint music from the banquet hall still played, completely unaware of the blood that had just been spilled to protect its lies.
Lana Ares stood silent, watching Aden being led away.
She whispered to herself, barely audible:
"What kind of monster are you trying to turn your son into.. Ed?"
The night wind carried the words away.