My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

The magic gathered in her hand, condensing into a dense sphere of power, yet Abellona could not bring herself to unleash it. She didn’t understand why.

She had been raised in the Imperial family. From childhood, she had been taught to be decisive, to understand that there were moments when hesitation could cost thousands of lives. She understood exactly what could happen if what Linga knew ever became public.

Even so, he did not budge.

He simply stood there and accepted his fate.

What could he possibly do against her? To someone in the sixth class of advancement, Linga was no different from an ant beneath her feet. They stood on completely different planes of existence. If he tried to run, she could move faster than the speed of sound, and the force generated by her movement alone would be enough to tear his body apart.

”Are you staying because of your family, or because you’ve accepted death?” she asked, her hand still raised.

Linga was silent for a moment before answering.

”Both.”

His voice was calm despite the situation.

”I cannot abandon my family. Even if I could escape, I know I wouldn’t get far. I was in the war. I know the power of those in the higher classes of advancement. I know I wouldn’t escape, at least not for long.”

He lowered his head slightly.

”So if I must die, then I would rather die with some dignity.”

Abellona slowly lowered her hand.

Even though she knew what the correct choice was logically, her heart refused to accept it. She stared at Linga’s face, wondering why she couldn’t simply do what she had been raised to do.

’Have I grown weak?’

She took a slow breath before speaking.

”Listen very carefully, Linga Felt. You will never speak of what you know. Not to me. Not to anyone. The moment you do, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Linga’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he slowly nodded.

”I understand. Thank you.”

Abellona turned away, but after taking a few steps, she stopped.

”I came here with some people. I need you to tell them something different. If you can’t come up with a convincing story, I’ll kill you.”

Linga smiled faintly and nodded.

”You are very kind, Princess. Thank you for your mercy.”

Abellona bit her lip.

She didn’t see it as mercy.

She felt weak.

It should have been a simple choice. If she killed Linga, everything would remain quiet. Even if Emilia suspected something, she would have no way of uncovering the truth.

Yet she couldn’t do it.

She vanished in a spray of red sparks, leaving several sonic booms behind her as she crossed the distance. When she landed in front of Linga’s house, the force of her arrival stirred the dust around her feet.

She walked to the door and knocked.

Linga’s wife opened it, and Abellona entered after giving her a curt nod.

Inside, she found two children gathered around Emilia and Terra.

”Whoa, really? I tried to do my hair like that, but it’s so hard, and my brother always messes it up,” a little girl said excitedly to Emilia.

”So what do you think? Do I look prettier with my hair in a ponytail?”

She gathered her hair in one hand and turned around, proudly showing Emilia.

A little boy stood behind her clutching a wooden horse.

When Abellona saw him, she lowered her head slightly.

Children.

They didn’t know anything.

Emilia smiled and gently pinched the boy’s cheek, playing with him. He looked to be only seven or eight years old.

Her son.

Godric the Second would have been around that age now.

Abellona’s thoughts began connecting pieces she had never considered before.

She had never discovered where Godric was. She had only gradually concluded that Damon was Amon based on the loose evidence she had accumulated over the years.

But if he was...

She suddenly remembered something.

It was when they had gone to give Emilia their condolences and promised to help find her missing child.

Damon had promised that he would return her child to her.

Return.

Not find.

He had chosen his words carefully.

Abellona wasn’t even sure whether she remembered the conversation correctly, but now...

Her heart sank.

There was no way Damon would have done such a thing.

First, he killed Godric to avenge his parents, but he did it as Amon because, at the time, he was still a commoner without the backing of his grandfather, the Grand Duke. He had neither the influence nor the protection he possessed now.

After that, at some point, he must have met Xander and taken his child.

But Xander had not resisted.

Even more strangely, to this day, he had made no effort to search for his son.

That meant he already knew where his son was.

What Abellona couldn’t understand was why Xander would give Damon his son if he hated Amon so much.

Then again, perhaps Xander didn’t know Amon’s true identity.

Whatever had happened, it was complicated. It had been built upon events that had taken place long before any of them were born.

Emilia had mentioned a secret contract.

Then there was Damon’s deal with Xander.

What exactly had they agreed upon?

Abellona kept her expression calm as Emilia looked at her, silently asking whether she had found Linga.

Abellona nodded.

”I found him.”

Emilia immediately looked ready to ask more, but before she could speak, Abellona gently caught her arm.

”Wait for him.”

It wasn’t long before Linga entered the house.

He gave them a respectful greeting before taking his seat.

Soon, they were gathered around the small dining table that belonged to the family.

Linga told his wife and children to go out and run a few errands. His wife understood immediately. These people were clearly nobles, and powerful ones at that. Whatever they had come here to discuss was not something the family needed to hear.

Once they had left, Linga sat across from them.

Emilia nodded toward him, her expression composed.

”Greetings, Linga Felt. I am Emilia Hightower, Lady of House Ravenscroft, and this is my sister, Terra Hightower. I’m sure you’ve already met the Third Princess.”

Linga nodded solemnly.

These were all enormous names.

The Hightowers were a powerful noble house, while Emilia was now the head of House Ravenscroft, another great house of the empire.

Linga suddenly felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

”It is a pleasure to meet you. This humble one is Linga Felt, a nameless commoner.”