Chapter 349: Clara is dead!

Words : 2057 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 349: Clara is dead!Chapter 349 "Mum, I’m ho..." he stuttered as a wave of sinister energy hit him. In a flash, he dashed into the house with astonishing speed, and there he saw the source of the ominous aura. An individual stood in the house, wearing a strange, menacing mask. "Welcome, Grey. I have been waiting for you," the man said calmly. Immediately, Grey was on guard. Lightning danced and crackled around his hands as his eyes scanned the living room in growing panic. The sofa was overturned, furniture shattered, and shards of broken vases littered the floor. But Grey didn’t care about any of it. All he cared about—desperately—was finding his mum. His gaze swept across the entire room, frantically searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found. "Who are you? Where are my mum and sister? What do you want?" Grey asked through clenched teeth, his voice trembling with fury as he eyed the masked man from head to toe. His gaze paused on the mask. It was a void of expression—crafted from an obsidian-like material that devoured light itself, making it seem as though the man’s face had been erased from existence. Strange, ancient runes pulsed faintly along its surface, shifting like whispering voices trapped beneath the black shell. A twisted, elongated grin stretched far too wide to be human, frozen in a grotesque mockery of laughter. The hollow eye sockets were bottomless pits of darkness, and from within, faint embers glowed like dying stars. Wisps of black mist curled from the edges, slithering through the air like the mask was alive and breathing. When the man spoke, his words didn’t come from the mask’s unmoving mouthpiece. They crawled into the air, vibrating with an eerie, unnatural presence. "Easy with the questions, boy," he said smoothly. But that only made Grey angrier. The lightning around his hands intensified, crackling louder, illuminating the room with arcs of blue and white energy. "I will only ask this one last time," Grey growled, his voice filled with deadly intent. "Who are you? And where is my family?" "I wish to speak with you, so calm your head down," the man replied, visibly irritated. Grey had already heard enough. He was about to dash forward, rage consuming him, when shadows rippled across the living room floor—and from within them, a figure slowly rose. Grey froze. "Mum?!" he muttered in disbelief. Clara knelt limply on the floor, her body half-naked. Her clothes were torn in several places, bruises and deep cuts riddled her skin. A strange, milky liquid stained her trembling form. Her eyes, red and weary, lifted to meet Grey’s gaze. "What... what did you do to my mum?!" Grey roared in anguish. The wind in the room responded to his rage, howling violently. Furniture lifted and slammed into the walls, shattering instantly. "Isn’t it obvious?" the masked man said with a dark chuckle. "I must tell you, kid, your mum is quite delicious. I enjoyed every single moment with her... to the core." The words were like daggers. Grey’s fury erupted as he became a blur of lightning. A bolt surged through his hand as he zipped forward, ready to pierce the man’s chest. But just before impact, the man and Clara sank into the shadows and vanished. Grey skidded to a halt, breathing heavily, eyes darting everywhere. "Over here," the voice echoed behind him. Grey spun around to see the masked man rising from another patch of shadow. Clara was beside him again, her form barely holding upright. Grey prepared to strike, but the hiss of a blade slicing air stopped him. A sword—formed from condensed shadow—hovered inches from his mother’s throat. "Take a single step," the man warned, "and you’ll be orphaned instantly." Grinding his teeth in frustration, Grey slowly unclenched his fists and inhaled deeply to steady himself. "Fine. What do you want?" he asked coldly, his gaze flickering between the assassin and his wounded mother, who winced in pain. "Now you’re talking," the man said with satisfaction, stepping forward and leaving Clara behind. Grey didn’t budge. His posture stayed firm, eyes locked on the approaching figure, analyzing every move. "You’re quite the difficult person to track," the masked man said, his head tilting as if examining Grey like a rare artifact. "Two years. Two freaking years of searching... and nothing. Not even a trace. Then you decided to put on a little show and reveal yourself to the whole damn world." "Searching for me?" Grey narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you? What do you want with me and my—" Suddenly, his voice faltered. His eyes widened in horror. He spun around as a new thought hit him like a freight train. His pulse spiked, panic taking over. "Where’s my sister?" he shouted, frantically scanning the room. "Where’s Jesse?!" "Sister?" the assassin asked with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged dismissively. "It was only that pretty woman I saw here." Turning to glance at his mother again, Grey’s blood began to boil as he took in the full extent of her condition. She subtly shook her head, her weary eyes pleading with him—communicating something he understood instantly. ’I can’t do anything against this bastard for now. That sword is still hovering in front of Mum,’ Grey thought, clenching his fists so tightly that sparks of lightning began dancing around his fingers, crackling with restrained fury. "Now, back to the matter at hand," the assassin said, his voice smooth and deliberate as he fixed his gaze on Grey, who turned to face him, still seething. "I’m part of the Twelve Zodiacs," the man continued, "an elite force in an organization I’m sure you’ve been nosing around lately." "Organization? What organization?" Grey asked, narrowing his eyes. "The Otherworlders," the man said calmly. And just like that, Grey’s mind spun. ’The Otherworlders? Wait—the Otherworlders? The group that’s been going from world to world, conquering them one after another? The same group even the First Mage feared?’ His heart pounded like a war drum. "Judging by your expression," the assassin said with a sly smile, "you know of us." He took a step back, then opened his arms wide as if welcoming Grey into a twisted brotherhood. "Let me get straight to the point," he said. "We want you to join us. Face it—your powers, your potential—it’s as if you were crafted specifically for us." He took a breath, his tone now persuasive. "Think of it, Grey. Your name would be feared across every continent. You’d finally become the Supreme Mage you dream of being. You would command fame, wealth, power... and most importantly—backing. No one, not even the Emperor, could dare touch you or your family. All you have to do is say yes. Join the Otherworlders." "No, Grey!" Clara suddenly shouted, summoning strength from the depths of her pain. She ignored the shadow sword hovering just seven inches from her throat. "Don’t listen to them! You were never born to be a killer, to bring sadness and ruin to others," she cried, her voice cracking. "Joining them would mean you’d be destroying entire worlds—entire families. You’d become a monster in the eyes of countless people. Please... this isn’t who you are." "Don’t listen to her, Grey," the assassin interrupted sharply, his voice now forceful as he noticed Grey wavering. "Sure, you have four affinities—but despite that, people still look down on you because of your status, don’t they? You’ve revealed your power to the world, and mark my words—the Emperor will come for you. That’s what humans do. They don’t want anyone stronger than them. But us? In our organization, we honor strength. We celebrate it. We value firepower—and you’ve got it in abundance." "Grey, please!" Clara pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Think of all the people who’ll suffer if you join them. They know how powerful you are—that’s why they want you. But you’re more than just magic. You’re hope! You’re our second line of defense after the Emperor. If you fall to them, they’ll finally conquer this world." "Enough," the assassin growled, cutting her off coldly. "You have no choice here, Grey. Join us—good. Refuse? I have orders to kill you... and your entire family." Clara didn’t flinch. Her voice trembled but carried immense strength. "I don’t care what happens to me," she said fiercely, "but I care about you. Don’t stray from the path, Grey. Think of your friends. Think of the people you’ve saved at the academy. Think of the world that will rise against you if you choose their side!" Grey just stood there, hands tightly clenched, eyes blinking rapidly as his mind raced, trying to assess what he should do. ’Joining them would mean I’m going against the world. The First Mage put his absolute trust in me—he made me the key to fighting against this organization. If I turn now, I’ll be betraying that trust. But... Mum is in danger. Going against them could mean her death. But joining them would ensure Mum and Jesse’s safety. What do I do?!’ "You don’t have much time, Grey—and neither do I. Make your choice. Now," the assassin said, his voice cold and unforgiving. "Don’t listen to him, Grey!" Clara screamed, her voice hoarse with desperation. "I’d rather die than let you stray onto the wrong path!" "Time is ticking, Grey." The assassin clicked his boot against the tiles. "Make. Your. Choice." ’What do I do now? Should I join them? At least Mum’s life would be spared... and then I can escape with her somehow.’ Grey bit his lower lip in anguish, but as his gaze drifted back to his mother, he froze. He saw the bruises. The torn clothes. The milky, unholy substance staining her body. ’No... Can I really let her live like this? Can I let them go unpunished just to save her?’ "GREY! Don’t do it!" Clara begged, tears pouring freely as she shook her head. "Please, I beg of you... listen to me, my son." Grey’s fists trembled. His entire body tensed with fury. "Grey..." the assassin said again, voice low and threatening. "What is your choice?" "Grey, please," Clara said weakly, "let me die. Don’t do wh—" Her words were abruptly cut off. The assassin’s eyes twitched beneath the mask, his voice rising in anger. "You keep chanting about death every single time. It’s making my ears bleed. You want to die so bad? HERE!" He snarled the final word, and with a flick of his hand, the hovering shadow sword darted forward—aimed directly at Clara’s throat. "NO!!" Grey roared, his voice thunderous with panic as lightning surged around him. The ground beneath his feet exploded in a burst of mana, stone cracking under the sheer force of his power. In a flash, he launched forward, the wind howling in tandem with his cry. For Grey, the world slowed to a crawl. Each heartbeat was a drum of dread as he dashed toward the blade, arm outstretched. His fingers trembled with urgency as he pushed himself harder—faster. "Wind Magic!" he cried, the spell bursting forth. The howling gale around him surged, doubling his speed, whipping his crimson hair like a flame in a storm. He was getting closer. The sword was only inches away from Clara’s throat. And then... he reached it. A slow smile of hope began to curl on his lips as his fingers touched the blade—but in that very instant, it slipped through his grasp like smoke between his fingers. Like sand slipping through clenched fists, the blade transformed into an intangible shadow. Grey’s eyes widened in horror. "No!" he screamed, helpless. The sword passed straight through him. And with a sickening, slicing sound—it slammed into Clara’s neck. Grey’s world shattered. His mother’s eyes widened, her body jerking as if caught mid-breath. Blood trickled down the curve of her neck as she swayed—left... right... Then, like a falling petal, she collapsed with a thud that echoed louder than thunder in Grey’s ears. "NOOOO!!" Grey howled, falling to his knees, the lightning around him exploding outward in chaotic bursts of grief and rage. __ {A/N} Hey Magus Legion! I want these two Chapters I will upload to sink in so I won’t say much than for you all to enjoy it ????

Chapter 349: Clara is dead!

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