The villagers’ expressions were filled with terror. This was the first time they had ever seen Forte with a face like that. The once kind and gentle Forte now looked like a complete maniac.

  This was the side of her that had remained hidden for so long. The side that made her feared across the world by others who had reached the Second Awakening. This was Forte.

  Forte raised her left arm and formed her fingers into the shape of a gun. A ball of light gathered at her fingertips as she muttered one word:

  “Bang.”

  The ball of light shot from her hand at incredible speed, piercing the blonde-haired man’s chest. Again, she spoke:

  “Bang.”

  Another ball of light formed at her fingertips and launched, this time piercing his shoulder. Her shots were absurdly accurate, targeting the man’s vital points.

  The shot to the shoulder hit the thoracoacromial artery, and the shot to the chest pierced the thoracic cavity, collapsing one of his lungs. These were critical areas—fatal if not treated quickly.

  The man gasped for air, on the verge of death. Forte hadn’t wanted to go this far, but her life—and the lives of her children—were on the line. Even the villagers could have been in danger. Who knew what these men might have done?

  Just then, the second cloaked man tapped the blonde-haired man on the shoulder and chest. Instantly, the gasping stopped. He returned to normal.

  The second man had the ability to heal, and had just saved his comrade from the brink of death.

  The blonde-haired man stood and looked at Forte with newfound respect. Now he understood why she was so feared. The precision and lethality of her attacks were extraordinary. With just a few light bullets, she had nearly killed him.

  He knew now—he couldn’t hold back anymore.

  He smiled grimly and spoke his first incantation.

  “Come to me, the dead.”

  Suddenly, countless figures began appearing around Forte. From the sky, it looked like one person standing against an entire army. The sheer number was overwhelming—but they weren’t real.

  They were illusory soldiers, illusions of people who had died in the past. The man was using them as mental weapons to fight Forte.

  “Kill her,” he commanded.

  The soldiers charged. Some wielded weapons, others fought with fists. Some ran, others flew.

  Forte let out a maniacal scream and slammed her blood-red double-sided spear into the ground. She then pulled a jade stone from her pocket and crushed it. This was part of her emergency plan—to ensure her children’s escape.

  She had no expectation of surviving this battle. And she didn’t want her kids to see her like this—especially not dying. She had coordinated with someone from a different sanctuary in case this exact moment came.

  Behind her children, a portal began to form.

  She opened her palm and fired a destructive ray of light, obliterating a wave of the incoming soldiers.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  As others closed in, she snatched up her spear and lunged toward them, slicing one of them down instantly.

  A chaotic scene unfolded.

  Like the maniac she had become, Forte was on a killing rampage. She moved too fast for the eye to follow. Illusory soldiers fell in all directions—some with small balls of light through their skulls, others split open by her spear, others having their throats torn open. In mere seconds, dozens were dead.

  The scene was brutal—unhinged. If someone saw her now, they would never think she was a normal person.

  And despite everything…

  Forte was smiling.

  Her face was smeared with blood. Her grin was wild, unrelenting. Her speed began to falter, and her attacks slowed. She had expended too much energy—but there seemed to be no end to the soldiers.

  Suddenly, her children heard a voice in their minds. Time seemed to slow as Forte’s words echoed within Rhosa, Rhitta, and Deniz.

  **“Rhosa, Rhitta, and Deniz… thank you. I did everything I could to protect and raise you. You three changed me into the person I am today. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you, but I did everything I could. When I ran away, I knew it was a selfish and reckless decision. I knew my past would catch up to me eventually. I couldn’t hide forever.

  In order to care for you, I kept contact with someone from a different sanctuary than the one I came from. I trust them with my life—and now, I trust them with yours.

  If we meet again in another life—if reincarnation is real—I would always choose to be your mother. Even now, facing death, I don’t regret my choice. If I had to do it again, I would. Without question.

  Deniz… please take care of them. I love all of you. Become strong—not just for me, but for each other. Don’t let anyone control you. Always stick together.

  Thank you… and I will always love you.”**

  Rhitta and Rhosa had tears streaming down their faces. These were their mother’s final words. They had never imagined they’d hear something like this, especially at just fifteen years old.

  They felt helpless.

  They couldn’t help her. They had no power. No strength. If they had even a little, they might have been able to support her in some way.

  Just then—something happened. Something that neither man nor even Forte herself could have predicted.

  It was triggered by pure emotion.

  Anger. Grief. Helplessness. Devastation.

  All of it surged through Deniz—and he snapped.

  His eyes glowed with a brilliant mix of blue and brown, and an immense aura burst out from him. It was unbelievably strong for a child who hadn’t even learned to control synergy.

  Tears fell from his eyes—and with them came murderous intent.

  He hated that he was powerless. He hated that his mother was fighting alone. One of the most important people in his life was sacrificing herself for him—and he couldn’t do anything.

  In that moment, Deniz acted on instinct. He moved as if possessed. As if something within him had taken over.

  He raised his arms into a bow-and-arrow stance.

  A massive bow of yellow light formed behind him, drawn back with a glowing energy arrow. This was Deniz’s first awakening.

  His power.

  Tears of blood flowed from his glowing eyes as the arrow launched—shattering a massive portion of the illusory army.

  But the power was too much for his body to handle. Deniz collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness.

  Everyone froze—even Forte and the two men.

  This… this was unthinkable.

  Forte looked toward him and smiled.

  “Become strong, Deniz.”

  Those were the last words he heard from her before blacking out completely. Forte believed in him. She knew now—he could protect his sisters. He would become someone great.

  Rhitta and Rhosa caught him before he hit the ground. They had no idea what they had just witnessed—but it was like nothing they’d ever seen before.

  Suddenly, two hands reached from the portal and grabbed Rhosa and Rhitta, pulling them through to safety.

  But the cloaked man wasn’t about to let Deniz escape.

  “That boy…” he muttered, impressed.

  He teleported in an instant, grabbing Deniz just before he crossed the portal’s threshold. He intended to capture him—use him.

  Rhosa and Rhitta, already through the portal, looked back—only to realize they were no longer holding onto Deniz. They tried to run back, but the portal closed.

  Forte saw everything.

  Her plan—her carefully constructed escape plan—had failed.

  If she had sent them away sooner—before the battle, before the men arrived—everything would have gone perfectly. But now…

  Her children had been separated before her very eyes.

  Only one emotion burned through her now:

  Rage.

  A devastating aura and overwhelming killing intent erupted from her like a tsunami.

  But just then, while she was caught off guard, the blonde-haired man appeared behind her and struck her on the neck.

  He had been waiting for this opening—to incapacitate her.

  He hadn’t wanted to kill her. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have hesitated—but this was Forte.

  The illusions vanished.

  Now, only the two men, Forte, and the unconscious Deniz remained in the village—alongside the terrified villagers.

  “Our mission is done. Let’s return,” said the blonde-haired man.

  The two flew into the sky and vanished.

  A series of tragic events had unfolded.The siblings had been separated.What’s going to happen to Forte and Deniz?