https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-242-The-Real-Challenge-Is-Yet-to-Come-/13685105/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-244-Are-You-Going-to-Violate-the-Contract-/13685107/
Chapter 243
The sky above the castle glowed with a pale light, the air thick with tension. In the courtyard below, the moonlight shimmered on the stone path, turning it into a silver ribbon stretching into the darkness. Only the faint rustling of the wind stirred the silence, whispering through the branches of the ancient trees. At the edge of the courtyard, a tall, hooded figure stood motionless—its presence like a shadow woven from mist and sorrow.
In the distance, a silhouette flickered across the moonlit sky, a fleeting shape that vanished in an instant. The figure turned its head slightly, the hood casting a deeper shadow over its face. For a moment, it seemed to watch the spot where the shadow had disappeared—only a small, unremarkable figure, barely visible against the sky.
It was a boy.
The hooded figure also looked up, its gaze sweeping the empty sky. Then, slowly, it lowered its head and began to move forward, its steps silent on the stone. The figure was unmistakably human—though something about it felt… wrong.
A sudden, sharp crack echoed through the air, like a whip snapping in the distance. The figure flinched, turning sharply toward the sound. A single streak of lightning split the sky, illuminating the courtyard in a flash. The hooded figure stepped back, shielding its face as a wave of heat washed over it. The moonlight, now fractured by the storm, cast jagged shadows across the ground.
The figure raised its head again, eyes scanning the darkness. It was not alone.
A second figure emerged from the shadows near the castle wall—tall, cloaked, and moving with purpose. The first figure turned toward it, and for a moment, their gazes locked.
"Stay still," the second figure said, voice low and calm. "The others are coming."
The first figure hesitated. Then, slowly, it nodded.
"Right," it replied. "I’ll stay."
The second figure stepped forward, its hand brushing the edge of the cloak. As it passed, a faint glow pulsed beneath the fabric—like a heartbeat.
The first figure turned back to the sky, its eyes searching. It was no longer just watching. It was waiting.
Time passed. The wind died down. The storm moved on.
The first figure remained motionless—its face still hidden beneath the hood. But beneath the silence, a quiet voice whispered inside its mind.
It’s coming. It’s always coming.
Then, from the distance, a new sound—soft, almost musical. A low hum, like wind through a hollow reed. The figure stiffened.
It turned slowly.
There, at the edge of the courtyard, a single figure stood in the moonlight—tall, pale, and impossibly still. Its eyes were closed. Its hands hung loosely at its sides.
The first figure stepped forward.
"Who are you?" it asked.
The figure in the moonlight opened its eyes.
They were red.
And then, without warning, the world went dark.
—
The next morning, the courtyard was empty.
No footprints. No traces.
Only the wind, whispering through the trees.
And the faint, lingering echo of a name—spoken not aloud, but in the silence between heartbeats.
"…Wade."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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