476: 8.76 Fated Lovers (Part 1 – The End)

8.76 Fated Lovers (Part 1 – The End)

As if the universe wanted to toy with him further, an ear-deafening crack resounded in the air and the next second, the chains holding Lu Yizhou captive broke into pieces. 

Ellen's lashes trembled, shadowing the crimson eyes beneath. He certainly knew why this happened because he was the one who had created the chains.

The stronger he was, the tighter the chains would be. It was to ensure that his power would not go on mad rampage. And the only possibility why it could break… was only one. 

— Because there was no power holding them together anymore. 

Ellen finally turned in time to see Lu Yizhou's limp body falling from midair. This scene would be one that he remembered until the end of the time. The soft ray of moonlight encased his descending figure. All around him, the broken chains glittered like falling stars, turning the whole scene into one straight out of a dreamy painting. It was as if all the brightness in this world had converged around him.

Ellen vanished from his spot only to capture Lu Yizhou in time before his body could crash to the ground. Lu Yizhou's male form was undeniably broader and larger than Ellen and hence he should have been able to carry Lu Yizhou easily.

Yet at this moment, as he held the person in his arms, the small weight suddenly became heavy, so heavy that Ellen's legs gave up on him and he fell on his knees with a resounding thump, all the while holding the other person secure.

The body in his arms was thin and slender, his skin so pale it was a bit frightening. A few cuts marred his unblemished skin and his clothes were stained with blood in a few places. Yet at the moment, Ellen could see nothing other than his eyes that were tightly shut and his chest… that had stopped moving. 

The man in his arms was completely still, devoid of any signs of living.

However, Ellen was the master of this place. Despite being unconscious, he could still detect the arrival of others into his territory and that's why he could save Lu Yizhou in the nick of time when he almost died earlier. No one could leave without his permission and so far, he had not detected the withdrawal of Lu Yizhou's soul yet.

'Soul Swapping Ritual' was a forbidden magic. And every forbidden magic required a great price to pay, not only for the caster but also with the sacrifices. The caster would need more and more blood to activate the array. The more they did it, the more obsessed they would be. It was a lethal drug, once you dipped your hands in it, you wouldn't be able to wash yourself clean anymore. 

As for the sacrifice… Once the mark had been engraved into their flesh, once they offered their blood, they would be forever bound and never be free anymore…

Lu Yizhou had willingly offered himself as a sacrifice and in exchange, he would forever be trapped in Ellen's lifeless body. 

"Foolish…" Ellen tremblingly cupped the man's cold cheek. It was his own body yet for some reason, he could vividly picture Lu Yizhou's features. After all, this was the person he had noticed ever since the first time 'she' stepped into the mansion. Ellen's voice was so small that it was barely a whisper. "You told me you've got a plan… You told me not to look back. Where's the plan you are talking about? Huh? You big liar…" His voice broke in the end. Gently, he tugged Lu Yizhou into a tight embrace as though wanting to meld their bodies together, his head slowly dropping to rest on the crook of Lu Yizhou's neck. 

In the next second, a quiet sob rang out amidst the silent space.

As if that was the key needed to open the lock to Ellen's heart, all the repressed emotions within him exploded all at once. 

A heart-wrenching cry rang out as though the sound was squeezed out from the narrow space between his ribs, so rough and desperate that it no longer resembled a human anymore. It went on and on until his voice turned hoarse and his body shook like a helpless leaf amidst the wrecking storm. Bloody tears slid down his cheeks and the crimson in his eyes intensified into an eerie glow.

Debris started to fall from the ceiling and the ground vibrated violently as if it was going to split into two in the next second. At the same time, Baines' corpse burst out into flame. In the matter of seconds, he rapidly turned into a charred ash that was entirely unrecognizable.

Deep in the cathedral that was slowly falling apart, Ellen held Lu Yizhou tightly and screamed, screamed and screamed like it could alleviate the agony in his heart even for a bit. Beside him stood two translucent figures — Ellie and Ella. Both of them had a sorrowful look on his face. Slowly, their body transformed into two wisps of light that were immediately sucked into Ellen's body. 

As soon as the three people merged into one, the crimson in Ellen's eyes morphed into luminous intense gold that blazed in mad determination. "From the moment you willingly became my sacrifice, your life and death has belonged to me. I will save you… This time, it will be my turn to save you!"

A strange phenomenon happened in the next moment. The night sky cracked and the full moon rapidly lost its lustre. Darkness began to creep into every part of the world, devouring and consuming like a hungry beast. Whenever it went, all the plants withered and the living beings lost their lives. A huge tornado swept through and all the houses were rooted out from the ground into a pile of wreckage. 

The end of the world was coming.

Without this person in his arms, Ellen did not feel like staying for even one more second.

Securing the lifeless man tightly in his arms, he stood up and walked down the aisle, not even looking back at the collapsing pillars and the split ground. His expression was cold and resolute as he strode out of the cathedral into an unknown space.

Unbeknownst to him, a card flew out of his pocket before fluttering gently to the ground.

[[Skill Card 'Fated Lovers (SSR)

You have helped Master and Madam Knox found each other again after the black witch's wicked scheme. Now they are very much in love and in exchange, they will grant their blessing to ill-fated lovers so that they can also be together forever like them. Remaining uses: 0/1]]

The card that had lost its usage rapidly disintegrated into dust and at the same time, the forbidden array engraved on Lu Yizhou's chest also disappeared as if erased by a greater, invisible force.

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Master and Madam Knox were a very loving couple. They loved each other so much and their everyday life had been nothing short of bliss. But unfortunately, entering the fifth year of their marriage, Madam Knox was still not blessed with a child yet.

Madam yearned for a child very much. With the presence of children, their little family would be complete. 

Madam's health had always been fragile and Master cherished her very much. Knowing his wife's plight, naturally Master was willing to do anything to give her what she wanted. They sought many famous doctors all over the mainland, receiving more treatments than they could count, only to be disappointed again and again. Their effort had not bore any fruit.

"Maybe we aren't destined for a child in this lifetime," Madam muttered to her husband with a sad smile.

Master Knox was rich, had a great reputation and most importantly, a very dedicated husband. How could he bear to see his wife so distressed? He had always been able to grant Madam's every wish and he refused to back down like this! They had tried every conventional method to no avail and perhaps… it was time to switch to unconventional ones.

Master Knox ordered his most trusted servant, Baines, to search for a way. It was unknown where Baines had gone but one day, he returned and presented a small vial to Master and Madam Knox. Baines' eloquence convinced the couple, making them trust in the servant's capability. 

Master Knox excitedly told his wife, "My wife, I have a hunch that we will be successful this time!" His words sparked hope in Madam. Anyway, she had consumed so many medicines before, what was one more? 

Bearing the great hope, Madam drank the unknown potion in the vial and two months later, her pregnancy was confirmed.

The couple was ecstatic and their life became even happier. Master became even more attentive to his pregnant wife and he loved his child very much, even though it had not been born yet. 

On a certain day in winter, Madam Knox gave birth to a very adorable little girl. They named her Isabella. Ella was her nickname. 

On top of being the most adorable baby in the world, Ella was also very smart and sensible. She never cried, never threw tantrums and was very obedient. She learned to speak, stand up and walk faster than other children her age. Not only that, she was also interested in reading many books that were inherently more complicated and unsuitable for toddlers. In the end, Master Knox dedicated a part of the library for her and filled it with fairytales.

But Ella never liked fairytales. She was three that year. With a serious expression unbefitting of her age, she stated, "Fairytales are foolish."

At first, Master and Madam thought that they had given birth to a little genius. But gradually they realized that something was off with their beloved little girl. At night, Ella often talked alone under her blanket. She read books and discussed it with a quiet voice as though there was someone there beside her. 

It was not uncommon, they surmised. After all, children would always go through a phase where they would conjure up an imaginary friend. Master and Madam only thought that Ella was lonely. But alas, Madam's health had been deteriorating ever since she gave birth to Ella and it was not possible to conceive another again. 

"Do you want a sibling? A little sister or a little brother?" Madam Knox asked her one day, intrigued. Ella's imaginary friend still had not disappeared and she was already four. Madam began to consider adopting another child for Ella to play with. 

Yet at that time, Ella stared at her with a strange look and replied with her delicate voice. "Mommy, what are you talking about? I already have a Sister. I don't want another one."

Sister. Madam Knox started to be familiar with that term since then. 

Ella often talked to her 'Sister' under the blanket. She read books with her 'Sister' and it got to the point where she deliberately left an empty seat beside her and insisted on sharing her food with her 'Sister'!

Madam Knox was alarmed. Was this normal? She had no experience in raising a child before so she could only discuss it with her husband. They brought Ella to multiple doctors, but no one could tell what was wrong with her. The medicines she consumed did not work and she talked more and more about her 'Sister'. The more Madam heard about it, the more frightened she was, especially when Ella started to behave strangely. She did not merely talk about her 'Sister' but also acted like her!

One moment, she would babble adorably about her recent drawing and the next moment, her face would calm down and she would talk like an adult! There was only one person yet it was like Madam was talking to two! 

Master and Madam were shocked by this new change. Was this possession? Had Ella been possessed by a ghost? They tried many things to set Ella back to normal, starting from inviting an exorcist to clean their house, consulted with a lot of specialists and even forbid Ella from talking about her 'Sister' yet nothing worked! 

They were afraid. Who was this 'Sister' and what did she want with Ella? What if… What if she intended to replace Ella and occupy her body?!

Madam Knox was so plagued with worry that she often fell sick. Whenever Ella switched back and forth to talk with her childish and mature voice, Madam Knox was so anxious that she burst out into tears. 

She tried to slowly persuade her daughter. "Ella, my dear, can you… can you please ask your Sister to leave?"

Ella's eyes widened in disbelief, sadness and anger. "You want Sister to leave? Why?! I know you don't like Sister but how can you throw her out?! Ellie is also your child!"

"No!" Madam Knox blurted out in a spur of the moment. "She's not my child!"

In the next second, Ella's face smoothened out and her lips crooked into a strange smile. "I am not your child? Mother… you're the one who gave birth to me." She took one step after another to corner Madam Knox. "You're the one who raised me and all of a sudden, you don't want me anymore?" Her face twisted, golden eyes shimmering with sadness. "What have I done wrong for you to treat me like this…?"1

Colors drained from Madam Knox's face. Seeing such a look on her otherwise innocent and adorable Ella, Madam Knox could not accept it. For the very first time, she found out that… she seemed to be afraid of her own daughter. 

The revelation was too much for her and she soon succumbed to illness.

From thereon, Ella's condition did not improve. Instead, she started to throw tantrums as long as Madam and Master talked unfavorably about her Sister. Once, Master Knox lost control of himself and slapped her daughter. 

He just… He just could not bear it anymore! The originally happy household had become a source of fear and nightmare. His wife was ill, so was her daughter. And the source of it all was Ellie! Master Knox wished that he could get rid of her so everything could return back to normal!

Master Knox regretted his action as soon as Ella ran out crying. He blamed himself for losing control yet he was also afraid of Ellie…

However, that day he found out that there was something — no, someone even more terrifying. 

Before Master Knox could coax her daughter and apologize for his action, Ella suddenly returned with a look he had never seen on her before. Master Knox's blood ran cold at the frosty look on Ella's delicate features, so cold it was like she was looking at a stranger. And when she opened her mouth, what came out was a voice he had never heard before. It was, unmistakably, the voice of a young man. 

"You slapped Ella and hurt Ellie, how are you going to take responsibility for that?"

The fireplace crackled, enveloping the room with a golden glow and casting Ella's reflection to the wall behind her. Yet instead of the little girl with twin tails, what Master Knox saw was a tall reflection of a teenager!

Horror filled Master Knox's eyes. "Who… Who are you? What have you done to Ella?!"

"My name is… Ellen." That voice seemed to have crawled out from the pit of Hell, every word striking Master Knox's heart like a drum. "And I am the only one who can protect Ella and Ellie. You'd better keep yourself in check or I will make you suffer the consequences. Remember, I am not as softhearted as the two of them."

That was the first and last time Ellen had appeared yet somehow, his presence had embedded fear so deep in Master Knox that he had difficulty facing her daughter like normal. Fear, anxiety, anger and confusion messed with his mind and turned him into an irritable person. Not only did he push her daughter away, he also lost his temper with his beloved wife.

Exactly what had happened? How could everything turn out like this? How… How could their adorable daughter turn into a… monster?

Right, the potion! There must be something wrong with the vial he brought back!

Once again, Master Knox ordered his servant, Baines, to search for the origin of the potion. And that was when Maureen started to play her part.

Maureen had infused dark magic into the potion to do an experiment. She wanted to see the effect of dark magic on an unborn fetus and coincidentally, she crossed paths with Baines who sought her help. With the injection of dark magic, the fetus would grow stronger and smarter than an ordinary child and not only that, they might even be a black witch from birth! 

Ella was not her only guinea pig but she was the most successful one! The others were all born as a stillbirth or died before the fetus could fully form. Only Ella could grow up until the age of ten and did not show any signs of weakening! That was simply marvelous!

She bid her time and when Baines came to her for help once again, she deliberately pretended to be a doctor and visited the Knox Family. However, there was just something she failed to calculate — her twin sister, Irene! 

Irene had a hunch that her sister was up to no good and insisted on trailing after her. Together, they entered the Knox Family as doctors and imagine how shocked she was to see Ella for the first time! 

She was a white witch who was very sensitive to dark magic. And from Ella's body, she could sense a very intense dark magic as if it had been engraved into her flesh and bones! The dark magic was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. She could sense Maureen's magic but on top of that, there was another layer of magic, one so formidable that it sent shivers down her spine. And Ella was still a ten years old child at that!

Irene knew that her sister had a hand in it and tried to stop her before everything was too late. She sacrificed her witch core to seal Maureen's power and knowing that her sister would not repent, Irene forced herself to kill her so that she could not harm another again in the future. Using the last bit of her strength, she cast a blessing to the pitiful young girl to protect her from the power of darkness.

When she left the mansion to recuperate, she failed to realize that… there was someone she had overlooked. 

Baines. 

The old servant who looked weak could actually set Maureen free! Maureen herself had never paid attention to Baines because in her eyes, he was only a weak puny human but he could actually break through Irene's confinement? How?!

On that day, Baines gave her an offer. "Let's work together. You can do whatever you want with this family. You can even use them to attract many people here to become your source of power. One day, your sister will definitely return here. Don't you want to see her face when she realizes that everything she has done was futile?"

Maureen raised a brow and gave him a skeptical look. "What's in it for you?"

Baines simply showed a mysterious smile. "I only want one thing. Connect my lifeline to Miss Ella. I can even become your puppet. With this, everything will become yours and you will be invincible."

The more Maureen thought about it, the more beneficial it was. She definitely would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Now that this person had offered himself to her, how could she refuse? She had no idea what kind of grudge Baines had with this family enough to harm them like this but… did she care? They were standing on the same side, and that was all Maureen needed to know. She threw her head back and laughed out loud. "Deal!"

However, just as Maureen was going to carry out the procedure to connect Baines' life to the Miss, she suddenly found out that… the little girl had broken her soul into three. Maureen was shocked but when she thought about it, it was not weird. After all, the little girl had her magic in her and also, she could be considered a mutation for absorbing dark magic even before she was born. 

First — Ella, the weakest and most protected one. She also received Irene's blessing and in return, became untouchable to Maureen and Baines. This soul was the purest of the three.

Second — Ellie, the big sister who was ready to do anything to protect Ella. Her soul was a gray one.

And lastly — Ellen. The protector of the other two as well as the ticking time bomb. All of the dark magic was concentrated on him and his soul was so black that Maureen was amazed. This was her masterpiece! Fortunately at that year, Ellen had not gotten so powerful yet otherwise Maureen was afraid that he could really do it. After all, his potential was boundless!

After contemplating for a while, Maureen decided, "I will tie you together with Ellen." Baines would be her puppet and hence, she could control Ellen easier this way. It was just like throwing down two birds with one stone!

Against her excited and scheming look, Baines only showed a courteous smile. He bowed his head and placed his right hand across his chest. "As you wish, My Lady."

Maureen might have been saved from Irene's seal yet at that moment, she failed to realize that she had yet stepped into another trap. This one was more terrifying than the other.

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Part 1: Terror in the Knox Family — The End

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