Chapter 259 Have I failed?

Chapter 259 Have I failed?
Aria's pov
“No!”

Alpha Thalric's roar, his claws bursting from his fingers and he lunges toward Thallia, but his body jerks to a halt, frozen mid step by Mr Benson's magic. 

Thallia remains on her knees, both hands clamped over her head as though she is trying to keep her skull from splitting apart. Her screams grow louder, breaking and cracking until they become hoarse, while blood begins to trickle from both nostrils and stains her lips. 

What is happening?

At this point I’m even more confused.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr Benson bellows, his voice drowning out every other sound as he glares at Alpha Thalric. "Are you defying me? Have you forgotten what is at stake? Have you forgotten what I can take from you? Get back in your fucking place."

"Vibe..." Thalric fixes his eyes on the white haired Councillor instead. "Please... don't do this. Stop. You're hurting her."

Vibe gives no indication that he hears him. His glowing eyes remained fixed on Thallia, his expression empty, almost detached, as though he had buried himself somewhere inside her mind. The white sigil spread farther across his skin, becoming brighter until it hurt to look at.

Thallia's screams became ragged sobs that dissolved into shrill cries of agony. Blood streamed from both nostrils now, dripping down her lips and chin before splattering onto the stage beneath her knees. She clawed at her own temples so desperately I thought she would tear the flesh from her face just to make whatever nightmare she was trapped in finally stop.

"Vibe!" Thalric bellowed again. "Look at what he did to Nerezza! Look at what he's making us do. He is murdering innocent children.”

Thallia lets out another scream that makes my ears ring, her entire body folding over. She claws helplessly at the ground beneath her, fingers digging grooves into the stage. Even Lux goes silent inside me, listening to a pain so profound that rage gives way to horror.

"It will never stop," Thalric continues. "He'll never keep a promise. You know that. He'll never release Damian.”

At the mention of Damian, something flickers across Vibe's face. His glowing eyes shift away from Thallia and settle on Thalric. The brilliant white sigil dimmed, and the eerie glow faded from his eyes.

Thallia collapses sideways onto the stage, sucking in desperate breaths between violent sobs, as she crawls back to her lover's body. 

Then a sharp flash of white explodes behind Vibe and he jerks. Both hands fly to his throat as his eyes widen and he crumples onto the floor with a heavy thud. Only then did I notice Mr. Benson standing directly behind him, with his hand raised. He lowers it with maddening calm, watching the councilor's corpse settle on the floor before glancing at the others.

Thallia’s cry increases and Thalric’s eyes glow even more as he looks down at his friend’s body on the floor. There is now a significant decrease in the power I feel from the council members. 

"What a waste," Mr Benson says, looking down at Vibe. "It appears you've all decided to behave like amateurs today."

Revulsion churns through me. The man is killing his own councilors as if they are nothing. Is this the almighty council? The thing that is supposed to be an honor to join? They can’t even disagree with the president without risking their lives. They are prisoners wearing expensive clothes, and Mr Benson is their executioner.

"I'm going to give you one final chance to do your jobs, Thalric," Mr Benson says. "Fail me again and you're next. Silena."

He gestures towards her and Councillor Silena tears her eyes away from Vibe's body, hurrying toward Mr Benson and places her hand on his shoulder, her face completely drained of colour. 

At that moment I launch at him again but he and Silena vanish into thin air, leaving me to slash through empty space. 

Fuck.

We’re going to need another strategy if he keeps disappearing like this. 

Mr Benson suddenly appears behind my father, who has been tending to Professor Claude. 

No!! 

No no no. 

I start running across the stage the moment I realize what he is about to do. He grins at me like he is enjoying himself just before his magic snatches my father to his feet. 

I shift back before I reach them, not caring that I'm completely naked in front of the entire academy. Nothing matters except the man who chose me when no one else would.

"I'll be okay, baby girl. Finish the job. You can do this,” Alpha Roderick says. 

Mr Benson didn’t seem to like that. His smile disappears, and my father winces and I know that the magic around him has tightened.

"You can certainly try, Aria," Mr Benson hisses and they both disappear. 

My legs give out beneath me and I fall to my knees.

It’s my turn to scream.

I have failed.