Uphemia originally didn’t want to pay attention to her, but felt the oppressive gaze of the black-robed Wizard beside her.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, she pitifully pulled a strand of hair from her head, biting her lip.
When the hair touched the Celestial Ball Crystal, the magic power fluctuations throughout the room became chaotic.
The nebula within the crystal began to coalesce into specific symbolic images, each exuding a disturbing aura.
"The first symbol..." Chloe’s voice became ethereal like a dream:
"A delicate porcelain doll, locked in a luxurious cage.
The doll’s eyes hold no life, only hollow obedience.
The cage’s owner comes to admire this collection every day, but never thinks of giving it true freedom..."
In the depths of the crystal, a blurry image began to emerge.
It was a person dressed in an ornate gown, trapped in a canary cage.
The doll’s face was identical to Uphemia’s, but the eyes had no shine of a soul.
"This symbolizes the relationship of control and being controlled," Chloe explained:
"In the eyes of your creator, you are forever just a piece of art to play with."
"The second symbol..."
The scene switched, showing a beautiful flower, but its stem was covered with sharp thorns.
Its roots inserted deeply into the rotten soil, absorbing nutrients of death.
No matter how hard it tried to grow upwards, it could not escape the foul land...
This symbol made Uphemia’s breathing become rapid.
She understood it represented the unbreakable connection with the King of Blood, the kind of deep-rooted bond in her bloodline.
"The third symbol..." Chloe’s voice started to tremble.
It was a massive spider web, with an ugly spider sitting at the center.
The spider was slowly devouring the prey trapped in the web.
But it wasn’t in a hurry to kill the prey; instead, it wanted the prey to slowly die in despair, enjoying the thrill of controlling life and death...
The images in the crystal, guided by the Prophet’s intent, became clearer and more terrifying.
The spider had a human face, distorted and deformed, but still recognizable as Aiden’s visage.
And the prey trapped in the web was Uphemia herself.
"No... this can’t be..." Uphemia’s voice had completely shattered:
"Father, he... he cares for me, he gave me strength, gave me identity..."
"But also gave you shackles, gave you a curse," Ron calmly corrected:
"Your so-called Tier One Talent is merely a man-made counterfeit.
I’ve checked related materials; genuine bloodline control abilities are far stronger than what you presently exhibit.
The reason you can manifest this ability is because of those runic marks embedded deep in your bloodline, isn’t it?"
These words completely shattered Uphemia’s last psychological defenses.
She trembled, sitting back down on her chair, her entire being collapsing like a puppet whose strings were cut.
"However..." Chloe’s tone suddenly changed, and a new symbol appeared in the crystal:
"I saw another possibility..."
This time it was an ancient Key, its shape extremely complex, as if composed of various runes and geometric patterns.
As the Key began to rotate, all surrounding chains and bonds started to dissolve.
"The Key to liberation... the power of reversal..." Chloe’s voice carried hope:
"If one can master this Key, all cages will transform into weapons, all shackles will become strength."
The last symbol made Uphemia’s eyes light up instantly.
"This also symbolizes liberation and rebirth." Chloe’s voice carried a certain inducement:
"Under specific conditions, all bonds may be broken. But this requires courage, wisdom, and... the help of allies."
After the divination ended, the blind girl almost collapsed on the back of her chair.
The intensity of such prophetic interpretation was a huge burden for her.
Uphemia remained silent for a long time.
Her fingers kept stroking the emblem on her chest, a gesture akin to seeking comfort or making one last farewell.
"I want to know..." The White-haired Witch’s voice became unusually hesitant: "Who exactly stands behind you?"
Ron answered cautiously:
"The support behind us, once you truly decide to join, you will naturally know.
But I can tell you, there are two Great Ones."
Great Ones! Hearing the term, the heartbeat of the White-haired Witch skipped a beat, and the balance in her heart began to tilt slowly...
"What if I refuse?" Uphemia asked.
"Then you continue your current life, until one day you find yourself becoming like those divination images."
Ron’s words were cold, but it was the most truthful answer:
"The choice is in your hands, Uphemia. We have only provided another possibility."
The White-haired Witch fell into long contemplation again.
Her gaze wandered between Ron and Chloe, as if evaluating something.
Eventually, she took a deep breath and made a decision:
"I need to consider, and... I need some additional assurance."
"What kind of assurance?"
"If the plan fails, if Father finds out about my betrayal..." Uphemia’s voice began to tremble:
"I hope you can... give me a dignified ending."
This request left Ron and Chloe in silence.
"That day won’t come," Ron eventually promised: "We will succeed."