Chapter 84: Labyrinth
Adrian's sudden appearance sent a chill down Lyra's spine as the shadowy flames danced around him. His laughter echoed through the room, filled with malice and twisted amusement. "Well, well, well. If it isn't our little alchemist, Lyra," he taunted, his eyes glinting with a predatory hunger.
Clara stepped forward, her fists clenched in defiance. "We won't let you take her, Adrian!" she shouted, her voice filled with a fierce determination.
But Adrian merely chuckled, his gaze flickering between Clara and Lilith. "Oh, but you see, both of you would make fine suspects as well. Young and pure, just the way my lord likes them."
With a snap of his fingers, Adrian summoned his ghouls, their twisted forms emerging from the shadows like nightmarish puppets. Lyra's eyes widened in horror as she recognized one of the ghouls as Esther, the girl from the journal.
"How could you do this to her, Adrian?" Clara demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and disgust.
Adrian shrugged, a cruel smile playing across his lips. "Oh, I love all my minions, including dear Esther. She serves me so well, don't you think?"
Lilith shook her head, her eyes filled with a deep revulsion. "How can you abuse your powers like this, Adrian? And at Ashborne Academy of all places? This is supposed to be a place where Sanguines and humans coexist in peace!"
But Adrian merely laughed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Oh, please. Don't tell me you actually believe all that nonsense about coexistence. Ashborne Academy is nothing more than a breeding ground for vampires to gain more power, and for humans to learn their place in the hierarchy."
As the ghouls closed in on the three girls, Lilith summoned her love essence technique, attempting to ensnare Esther's mind and break Adrian's control over her. But to her horror, she found the ghoul's mind completely blank, an empty vessel bound to Adrian's will.
"Of course you can't influence her," Adrian sneered. "She is my slave, and she will only listen to me."
Clara, seeing the danger they were in, unleashed a series of explosive blasts to keep the ghouls at bay. "Be careful not to hurt them, Lilith!" she cried out, her voice filled with desperation.
But even as they fought, Adrian's power continued to grow. With a twisted grin, he conjured another shadowflame bolt, the dark energy crackling and pulsing with a malevolent hunger.
Surrounded by ghouls and faced with Adrian's overwhelming power, Lyra and her friends found themselves in a desperate position. They knew that they had to act fast if they were going to survive this encounter and stop Adrian's dark ritual.
But even as the shadows closed in around them and the ghouls pressed ever closer, Lyra refused to give up hope. She knew that they had come too far to fail now, and that the fate of Ashborne Academy and all those within it rested on their shoulders.
With a deep breath and a silent prayer to whatever gods might be listening, Lyra readied herself for the fight of her life. She would not let Adrian win, no matter what it took. She would protect her friends, and she would bring an end to this nightmare once and for all.
The final battle had begun, and Lyra was determined to emerge victorious, no matter the cost.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone