Chapter 199
“What…?”
Had she misheard?
Ysaris stared at Trienne’s beaming face, her mind refusing to process his words. As she stood frozen, he cheerfully elaborated:
“Not sure if they need to actually face death or just believe they’re dying—never been on the receiving end myself! But strong conviction of impending death seems to trigger it.”
“That’s—”
Even with the explanation, she was speechless. Her lips parted several times before she managed a strangled reply.
“Unacceptable.”
This was madness. She’d object to this insanity even if performed on a stranger—how could she stand by while they did this to Mikael?
“It’s far too dangerous!”
“Mama?”
She crushed Mikael against her chest, pressing his face into her shoulder to block his ears. His tiny hands patted her arms in protest, but she couldn’t indulge him now.
“Absolutely not! How could you—”
“Calm down, Your Majesty.”
Trienne sighed theatrically.
“There’s no real risk.”
“No risk? You’re talking about bringing him to death’s door!”
“Ah…”
He scratched his chin, voice flattening.
“Have you forgotten who I am?”
“Trienne. Mage. Dark mage. That’s all I know—is there more?”
Clap!
He smacked his palms together.
“My apologies! You’re unfamiliar with dark magic—no wonder you’re misunderstanding.”
“Explain. In terms I can grasp.”
“Gladly!”
His finger twirled excitedly in the air.
“Dark magic doesn’t manipulate mana like conventional spells—it harnesses life force. This lets us influence living beings directly, though the conditions are… particular.”
So far, so understandable. But then his lecture spiraled.
“A master can control organisms, steal lifespans—isn’t it beautiful? No wonder frightened fools drove us out! Even Eastern curses derive from—”
“Get to the point about Mikael.”
Trienne pouted but obliged.
“We won’t truly endanger him. The mind just needs to believe it’s dying.”
His grin stretched unnaturally wide.
“We’ll simulate death… without touching a hair on his head.”
“What—?”
Before she could react, snap—four men swarmed in, pinning her down.
“Mikael!”
They wrenched her son away as she screamed, veins bulging in her neck.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
“WAAAAAH!”
Mikael wailed in the arms of a black-robed figure. Amid the chaos, Trienne calmly took the sobbing child and declared:
“Time for His Highness to become special.”
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