Chapter 276 276 Don't be a fool

Chapter 276 276 Don't be a fool

Madeline's voice echoed around Selina, seeming to come from everywhere at once. "Stop this madness, Selina! Our plan hangs in the balance."

Selina ignored her, frustration mounting as she slashed blindly at the mirage. "I won't let you escape, Monica!" she yelled, her voice reverberating.

The ornate walls of the Russell castle entrance blurred into a disorienting maze. Smoke coiled around Selina like grasping tendrils as she turned in circles, straining her senses.

There - a flash of movement. Monica dove through a gap in the illusion, her footsteps light and quick.

The smoke curled around Selina, obscuring her sight.

She swung her sword in frustration, the icy blade slicing through the haze but finding no target. Madeline's illusory maze made it hard for her to attack.

Gripping the hilt of her sword tightly, Selina closed her eyes and focused her senses. She listened for any sound of Monica moving through the mist. A footstep, a rustle of clothing - anything to reveal her location.

There! The faintest scuff of a shoe on stone. Selina's eyes snapped open and she thrust out her hand, sending a spear of ice shooting toward the noise.

A gasp followed by silence - she had missed.

Clenching her jaw, Selina stalked forward, peers trained on the smoke. It had begun dissipating and she could make out glimpses of the castle entrance through the swirls. She just needed Monica to make one wrong move.

"Don't be a fool, Selina," Madeline's voice echoed around her. "Walk away now and we can still salvage this."

Selina paused for a bit trying to find the strength and power within her.

Drawing on her newfound strength. Power pulsed through her as she grasped the Ice Dragon Sword, its icy blade glinting with malice.

"You can't run forever, Monica," she called out, her voice resonating through the fading illusions. Selina's pursuit was relentless - she would not let her quarry escape so easily.

Monica's breath came in panicked gasps as she sprinted through the mist. Selina was upon her now, she couldn't rely on smoke and haze. She had to act fast.

A taunting laugh echoed around her. "Did you really think you could deceive me?" Selina's disembodied voice was accusatory, the tension palpable. "I am your master, Monica. And you can't hide from me."

Monica's mind raced, plotting her next move. She couldn't outrun Selina's rage. Confrontation was inevitable. "I just need an opening", she thought. "Some way to catch her off guard."

Selina stalked forward, eyes blazing with icy fire. Her fury had transformed into singular purpose.

"You can't escape me, Monica!" She swung her sword in an arc, ice shards flying forth. Monica dove behind a pillar, the frozen daggers shattering around her.

"Why do this?" Monica called out, panting. "We are friends, Selina!"

Selina hesitated a bit hearing that, as reality of what she was doing flickered across her face.

In that moment of little moment of indecision, Monica struck. Her hands emitted a blinding flash of light, disorienting Selina.

Blinking away the glare, Selina exhaled in frustration. "More trickery, Monica?"

She flourished her sword, arcs of frost slicing through the air. Monica weaved between them, barely maintaining her balance on the icy floor. She knew she was outmatched in direct combat.

As Selina closed in, Madeline tried to reweave her illusion, blanketing the room in smoke once more. Taking the precious seconds of cover, Monica slipped behind Madeline, collecting her focus.

From her vantage point, Selina spotted Monica and Madeline attempting to hide behind a large statue. She knew it was time to capture them once and for all. Monica and Madeline huddled together behind the statue, their ragged breaths pluming as Selina circled like a predator encroaching on cornered prey.

Her footsteps echoed ominously through the vast castle entrance hall. Gripping the Ice Dragon Sword, she could feel its power resonating up her arm, fueled by her rage. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

With a feral cry, she swung the blade in a sweeping arc. "AHHHH"

Daggers of ice rocketed forth, encircling Monica and Madeline in a blur before fusing into a solid, impenetrable barricade. The cage sang with magical energy, sending vibrations through the stone floor.

Selina's voice reverberated with restrained violence. "You can't flee from me. Now, you're mine." She moved closer, the reflection of her prey glinting in her icy eyes.

Monica's composure shattered. She slammed desperate fists against the unrelenting crystal. "Please, Selina, it doesn't have to end like this! I never meant to hurt you!" Her sobs echoed unheeded.

Madeline quaked, her breath coming in panicked gasps that fogged the air. "What have you done?" she choked out. "This can't be part of the act..."

Selina's expression was carved from merciless ice. "Beg all you want. But no words will thaw my frozen heart." She raised the glinting sword, the killing strike poised. "Now you will pay."

Monica's scream cut through the frigid air like a knife, her terror evident as the icy cage ensnared her and Madeline.

Crystalline walls glistened, reflecting the desperation etched on their faces, while frosty clouds formed with each frantic breath.noVE-lb-1n

Initially, she was overwhelmed by fear, but as Madeline turned to her, urgency lacing her voice, a switch flipped in Monica's mind. She refocused her attention, her wide-eyed panic gradually giving way to determination.

"We must think fast, or we won't escape this frozen prison," Madeline implored, her words resonating with a sense of urgency.

Monica nodded, her expression now a blend of concern and steely resolve. "You're right. We have to appeal to Selina's reason before her anger consumes her."

Beyond the glacial bars, Selina's voice seeped, cold and unyielding. "Your pleas are futile. You will pay for your transgressions."

Madeline and Monica knew they had no choice but to appeal to Nora, their tactics thwarted by Selina's overwhelming might. Desperation filled Madeline's voice as it echoed within the ice prison. "Nora, we need your help! Selina has lost control!"

The words reverberated through the unyielding walls, a desperate plea for intervention. Nora, who had initially observed passively, now understood the gravity of the situation. She couldn't stand idle as her mother and Monica faced imminent danger within the icy confines.

Determination surged through Nora as she stepped forward, resolving to act. Her silence transformed into unwavering resolve as she spoke, her voice commanding attention. "This ends now, Selina. Release them."

Selina, her anger unabated, regarded Nora with a venomous glare. "Stay out of this, Nora. This is between me, Monica, and your mother."

Monica, her voice trembling with fear, added her plea to Nora's intervention. "Nora, please, Selina is going out of plan. You have to understand."

Nora nodded her head in understanding, her eyes focused on selina as she extended her arms, her fingers weaving intricate patterns through the air, she couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation.

The weight of the situation bore down on her, and the doubts in her mind seemed to grow louder with each passing moment. "Can I really do this?" she thought "Selina's powers were legendary, and here I am attempting the impossible".

But amid the fear, Nora found an inner wellspring of determination.