Chapter 581: Realisation
(An unknown holding cell, The Twelfth Elder’s POV)
*Groan*
The Twelfth Elder groaned as he regained his consciousness, his head feeling heavy as if it were weighed down by molten iron.
His eyelids flickered open, and the first thing he saw was the single bulb swaying above him, its dim light carving long shadows across the damp stone walls of the holding cell.
*Drip*
*Drip*
Water dripped steadily from the ceiling, each drop echoing sharply in the suffocating silence, as it was only then that he realized that he could not move.
Thick ropes bound him to a steel chair, cutting into his wrists and ankles, the cold bite of the metal frame digging into his back.
*Pull* *Rattle*
He tugged once, twice, but the knots refused to give, and the sound of his own restraints rattling only sharpened the sense of confinement.
He lifted his head, scanning the cell.
Only to find that there were no windows, no cracks, nothing but those slick walls and a single reinforced door bolted shut.
He was by all means in a prison cell, where no commoner could reach easily.
"The hell...." He muttered, before his eyes finally laid on the four figures sitting across from him.
Mu Fan sat with her hands folded, her posture rigid, as she actively avoided looking into his eyes.
Beside her, Su Pei remained perfectly still, his face utterly expressionless, as if carved from stone.
Further down, Viper leaned back casually, his white mask gleaming faintly in the bulb’s glow, his calm presence somehow more unnerving than the cell itself.
And finally in the center, framed by them all, was Leo, the Shadow Dragon.
Leo sat upright, his eyes locked on the Elder, as he looked at him with pure hatred emanating from his eyes, however, the narcissistic elder failed to notice it for now.
"Have you gone completely insane, Skyshard?" The Twelfth Elder thundered, his voice booming against the stone walls, louder than the dripping water, louder than the rattle of his chains.
"What is the meaning behind this... Release me this instant!" He demanded with his jaw clenched, as rage began to swell in his chest.
*Pull* *Screech*
He pulled hard against his binds, the chair screeching across the floor, as he glared burning holes into Leo as if sheer indignation alone would be enough to shatter this betrayal.
But the room remained silent.
No one answered.
Not Mu Fan, who lowered her eyes further into the shadows. Not Su Pei, who remained a statue. Not Viper, whose calmness behind the mask was impenetrable. And not even Leo, whose stare alone pressed heavier on the Elder than the ropes holding him in place.
For a full two minutes nobody spoke, as the Twelfth Elder struggled against his binds and barked like a dog for all of them to release him, unless they wished to suffer the consequences, however, regardless of his threats, none of them budged.
"You know.... You truly are a work of art, Twelfth Elder." Leo said eventually, as he sat up from his chair and walked up to the Twelfth Elder, before squatting just in front of his face.
"All of us wondered how you would react after waking up..... whether you will be scared? Whether you will be remorseful? Or whether you will go into shock and begin hyperventilating.
However, none of us predicted you to wake up with this sort of self-righteous anger...
Congratulations, you have set the bar even lower than all of us expected." Leo said in a flat tone, as he saw the Twelfth Elder’s face contort in confusion.
"What are you talking about Skyshard? I’m warning you now! Unless you let me go this instant, this won’t end well for you!
I’m an Elder belonging to the Council!
If you so much as land a hand on me, even if you are the Shadow Dragon, you shall be tried for high treason!" The Twelfth Elder threatened, as Leo let out an amused chuckle.
"Ha—"
"Hahahaha!"
Leo laughed, as he turned and looked into Dupravel’s and Su Pei’s eyes, wondering if those two could believe what they were hearing, before turning and planting a tight slap across the Twelfth Elder’s face.
*PAA!*
The crack resounded through the cell, sharp and merciless, as the Elder’s head snapped to the side.
His black hair scattered loose, and a bright red imprint bloomed across his cheek, each finger perfectly etched into his skin.
For a moment, he froze..... jaw hanging open, as no words left his lips and his breath got caught halfway in his throat.
Then slowly, he turned his head back toward Leo, eyes wide in stunned disbelief, as though he could not comprehend that someone had dared to strike him.
At this moment, the proud fury that usually burned in his gaze faltered, replaced by raw humiliation, as his false sense of authority crumbled under the weight of that single blow.
The ropes at his wrists rattled as he stirred, but his usual arrogance wavered, leaving only silence in its place.
"Here, I dared to hit you. Go do your worst.
I’m waiting.
Try me!
Go on!
Make me suffer the worst consequences!
COME ON!" Leo urged, as he inched closer and closer, even tilting his cheek to offer a free shot, which he knew the other party couldn’t take.
"I—T-t-t-that," The Twelfth Elder stumbled through his words, unable to form a cohesive sentence, as for the first time since opening his eyes, he saw the hatred in Leo’s eyes, and realized the extent of madness behind his expression.
His throat bobbed as he tried to swallow, yet the words came out broken and weak, stripped of the confidence he usually wore like armor.
The fire in his eyes dulled as the crushing weight of the situation pressed down upon him, and only now did the silence in the room feel suffocating, for no guard came rushing in, no authority stood behind him, and no title shielded him from the raw hatred blazing in Leo’s stare.
He tried to hold Leo’s gaze, but the longer he looked into those eyes, the more his insides twisted, for there was no mercy there, no restraint, only a predator that had bared its fangs and was waiting to rip him apart.
"You... you wouldn’t dare..." he muttered, though the words no longer carried the thunder of command, but the trembling echo of denial.
Leo leaned in even closer, his voice low, almost a whisper, yet more terrifying than any roar. "Wouldn’t I? You think this room, this moment, this meeting is still happening in your little council chamber? You think your power stretches in here? No, Elder. Here, there is only me... you, and your crimes."
The Elder’s chest rose and fell sharply as his breath quickened, each inhale shallow, sweat beginning to bead along his temple despite the chill in the damp air.
His mind spun, reaching desperately for a solution to this predicament, but without his guards and his sense of security in his title, he realized he could do nothing much on his own.
Especially when he couldn’t even move a muscle or circulate any mana.
"Crimes.... What crimes?" He said, hoping to play innocent, but no-one seemed to be amused by his words.
"This is a set-up! A misunderstanding!" He argued, but Leo just kept staring into his eyes unflinching, as only now did he realize the true extent of his predicament.
At this moment, as his frantic thoughts clawed their way back to Luke and the crimes he had committed against the Skyshard Family, the truth finally clicked, and the terror blooming in his chest could no longer be hidden.
The proud mask he wore shattered completely, his shoulders shrinking, his eyes darting with the hollow panic of prey that had just realized why the predator had chosen him.
And seeing that flicker of fear at last, Leo’s lips curved into a cold, satisfied smile, for his prey had finally understood the reason behind its captivity.