Chapter 411 Confronting Alvara Teraquin

Chapter 411 Confronting Alvara Teraquin

Things were rapidly spiraling out of control.

Alvara, as I had feared, had already succumbed to her inner turmoil and snapped completely. The situation had escalated far beyond what anyone could have anticipated. What surprised me most was Cylien's unexpected awakening during her battle with Alvara. In the heat of their conflict, she had managed to wound Alvara, but in doing so, she unintentionally triggered Alvara's deep-seated trauma, pushing her over the edge.

If not for Dentiel's timely intervention, Cylien would have undoubtedly met her end at the hands of Alvara, who, in her frenzied state, had no reservations about killing. This was no longer the behavior of a mere villainess; Alvara was rapidly transforming into the Major Antagonist she was always destined to become. Her actions had become increasingly ruthless, and she had begun to show no mercy, not even to her own kin.

Alvara had already defeated Cylien in her awakened form, leaving her broken on the ground, and then proceeded to send both Rodolf and Lykhor flying with little effort. It was clear that her power had grown to terrifying levels. Thank God Rodolf had refrained from fighting her seriously; had he done so, the situation would have escalated into a bloodbath. In truth, Roda deserved much of the credit for preventing such a catastrophe. Her timely words had reached her uncle, reminding him of what truly mattered. Rodolf cared deeply for his niece, who was just a year younger than him, and their close relationship played a significant role in defusing the tension.

Meanwhile, Victor was doing his best to reason with Alvara, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. It didn't surprise me—she had already disregarded Connor's words, so it was only natural that she would ignore Victor as well.

I cast a quick glance toward Cyril, who was watching the chaos unfold with an unsettling calm, as if he were enjoying the spectacle. Then, I looked at Elizabeth, expecting her to step in. Yet, despite the escalating danger, she remained motionless, her arms crossed over her chest. She seemed to have reached the answer that any intervention on her part might only make matters worse. And though she kept her emotions well-hidden, there was something different about her—something unsettling. She was gradually reverting to an older, more distant version of herself, far removed from the person I had first met nearly eight months ago.

My brother had done everything he could to help her, and it had worked for a while. But he had left too soon.

'At least try to take some responsibility, big bro,' I muttered to myself with a sigh.

As I watched Alvara lash out at Celeste, who narrowly dodged the attack with her newfound power, I smiled a little.

I clenched my left hand, feeling the familiar warmth of the amber emblem glowing beneath my skin. With a swift motion, I summoned Aegis.

"Cut it out, Alvara! You've done enough for today, don't you think?!"

It's rare to see Celeste this angry. But Alvara's response was only a cold, deadened gaze, and I knew what was coming next.

Without a second thought, I leaped from my seat, propelling myself toward Celeste. In one fluid motion, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to my chest. With my other hand, I raised Aegis, its protective amber energy flaring to life shielding both of us.

-BAM!

The attack that had been aimed at us was met by Aegis, the shield absorbing the brunt of the force and dispersing it harmlessly. The air crackled with the remnants of the energy, but we remained unharmed, sheltered within the protective barrier.

"Amael?" Celes looked up at me.

She appeared genuinely pleased to see me, but I noticed her eyes were slightly teary, likely because of what had happened to Cylien, and perhaps Alvara as well. Don't cry already...

A smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. "Aren't you cuter when you're not hiding your true feelings, Freydis?"

"...!" Her gaze instantly turned murderous.

"Enough." A powerful voice rang out from above.

I glanced up to see Kendel Teraquin hovering above us.

"Today's session is over," he said.

Alvara's gaze shifted to her brother before she turned away, her soft mint-green hair brushing lightly against my face as she moved past me.

Lykhor and Allen followed closely behind her, their expressions tense.

"You're always late, aren't you, Kendel?" Cyril laughed snarkily before rising from his seat and walking away.

Kendel shot Cyril a brief look before turning his attention to me. His gaze lingered for a moment, assessing, before he directed his focus back to the staff accompanying him.

I had half-expected Aerin to show up, but it seemed she had gone to check on her sister's condition instead.

"Amael..." Celeste's voice pulled me back to the present.

"Hm?"

"Thanks..." She murmured with a forced smile.

"You should go see Cylien. The others have already gone to see her," I suggested.

John, Amelia, Elizabeth, Selene, and Roda had just left.

"Yes." She bit her lip, nodded, and turned to leave.

As I watched her walk away, my eyes drifted back to Alvara's retreating figure. My gaze fell upon the golden umbrella she had abandoned on the ground. You are really making it hard.

I should maybe let her die or...just kill her after all.