Chapter 29: Revenge? Or love?
WRITER’S POV
“I was the one who placed the vision in your head,” he said, walking toward her.
“I was also the one who worked with the Elders of Vacuità to place Morwenna in an eternal sleep.”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“I’ve also been the one telling you to remember, because I needed you to remember that day—the day you saw your mother drenched in blood—and take revenge.”
His eyes softened.
“Don’t you want to avenge your mother, Lua? Although she doesn’t remember you, she used to call out your name in the middle of the night… She would wake up in tears.”
Luana’s jaw clenched.
She couldn’t understand why Queen Morwenna would do this. She seemed like a nice person, but she poisoned her mother—her own friend. Because of her, her mother was in a cursed sleep.
“She needs to be punished. She needs to pay,” Luana said through gritted teeth.
“That’s my daughter. Yes, she needs to pay, and the only way to do that… is to kill her son.”
Luana looked at him, her expression turning worried.
“No. We can’t kill Ric.”
“Why can’t we? That’s the only thing that could break her.”
Massimo took a long look at his daughter, his eyes widening just slightly.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Her heart quickened.
She didn’t answer.
“Then this is going to be hard, huh? And here I thought this would be a father-and-daughter thing.” He laughed dryly. “Guess I’m doing it alone.”
Luana's eyes shot up. "What are you doing?” she asked.
With the snap of his fingers, he teleported them from the study room to the training grounds of Witchesville.
His face transformed into his younger self. He had made himself appear older so he could pose as a tutor. Since the incident with his wife, he had never truly aged. His handsome features still remained.
“What are you going to do?” Luana asked nervously.
“You’ll see.”
“Invoco tutti i poteri dell'universo!”
The sky rumbled.
The earth shook.
Lightning struck, and the sky turned dark gray.
Students poured out to see what was happening.
He turned to her, his dark hair waving wildly in the wind.
“I’ll ask you one last time, Lua. Do you want to get revenge for your mother?”
“Yes, I do,” she answered without hesitation.
“Will you kill Ricardo?”
She hesitated, her palms sweaty.
“No,” she said firmly.
Massimo sighed.
“You made your choice.”
He took off his coat, a sinister smile forming on his face.
“They should be here any minute now.”
Just then, at the edge of the field, Ricardo appeared with Harry, Stefano, and Morwenna.
“Luana!” Ric cried.
“Ric!” she cried back.
She wanted to run to him, but Massimo blocked her path.
“Is this how you want to get revenge? By meeting the enemy?” he asked coldly.
Luana glared at Morwenna.
“I’m not meeting her. I’m meeting Ric.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go.”
“Why?”
She tried to move, but he blocked her again.
“Muoviti!”
With a gush of wind, she pushed him back just enough to run.
“Alzati!”
Massimo’s cold voice rang through the air.
He forced her to stand in place.
She couldn’t move, no matter how hard she struggled.
Ricardo launched ice magic toward him, but Massimo avoided it effortlessly.
Harry and Stefano attacked with fire, but he evaded every strike without lifting a finger.
Fiona suddenly appeared beside Luana.
“Master,” she called.
Luana turned, and for the first time, she felt relief.
“Fiona! I need you to free me!”
“I can’t, Master.”
“Why not?” Luana asked desperately.
“Your father is too strong. You can’t stop him. He has allies in vampire, mermaid, and other territories. He will get what he wants, and we must support him. Stop resisting, Master.”
“He wants to kill Ric!”
Luana looked toward the battlefield.
Massimo didn’t even look like he was trying.
Fiona suddenly drew a ring around Luana’s feet with her finger.
“Sigilla e copia!”
The ring glowed a bright purple.
“What did you do?” Luana asked fearfully.
Fiona didn’t answer. Instead, she walked over to Massimo.
“It’s been completed, Supreme Lord.”
Supreme Lord.
Luana’s heart dropped.
The highest-ranking and most powerful wizard.
“Thank you, Fiona.”
Massimo pushed the others away, sending them crashing forcefully to the ground.
He pulled Morwenna toward him from where she stood and flung her away violently.
She hit a tree.
“Mother!” Ric cried, fury flashing across his face.
He tried to fire magic at Massimo, but nothing happened.
“Your magic is gone, dear boy,” Massimo said calmly.
Ricardo couldn’t believe his ears.
“What?”
But Massimo paid him no attention. His focus remained on Luana.
“My dear daughter… you are going to watch me kill your precious love with your own powers.”
The blood drained from Luana’s face.
So that was what Fiona did.
A copying spell.
“Didn’t you ever wonder why I never taught you earth magic? It’s because your mother was an Earth Witch, and earth magic is already inside you. All you have to do is activate it.”
“No… please don’t,” Luana cried.
“I’m sorry, Lua.”
He controlled Luana’s movements, forcing her hands upward.
A long green vine burst from the ground. Thick thorns covered its surface.
Using Luana’s power, he wrapped the vine around Ricardo’s neck, squeezing aggressively.
“Noooo!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
Massimo forced her to tighten it more.
And more.
And more.
Blood trickled down Ricardo’s neck.
He was slowly losing consciousness. Without his magic, he was no different from a human.
“I love you, Luana,” he whispered weakly.
Then his body went still.
“Noooo!” Luana cried.
Her vision blurred.
And the last thing she remembered was Ric’s bloody neck.