Chapter 39: Dabaras Anger 2
Liam stood in the center of Dabara's personal battle hall, blood still dripping slowly from his nose and the corner of his mouth. The faint smile on his face hadn't faded even after the brutal exchange. He looked at his open palm, streaked with crimson flow of blood, and slowly stretched his fingers as if examining something unfamiliar.
"I myself don't know why I did it," he said quietly, voice steady despite the pain still echoing through his body. "Was it because of anger? Or because I liked it?" He paused, then continued with a small shrug.
"All I know is that it was exhilarating."
Using both arms, he brushed his disheveled hair back, smearing the fresh blood from his forehead across his scalp and through the strands. The red streaks made him look even more feral under the dim reddish glow of the floating lanterns.
Dabara stared at him like he had just witnessed someone who thrived in the deepest taboos. The vice-principal's wild grin slowly faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look. For a long moment, the only sound in the vast chamber was the faint hum of the runes on the walls.
"White Myrtle," Dabara finally spoke, his voice low and authoritative, "take this one to the punishment grounds. He shouldn't be let there for two months."
White Myrtle's expression widened in visible surprise. She stared at Dabara, hesitation clear in her elegant features. "My lord… are you sure of this request?"
Her question brought deep rage flashing across Dabara's face. His aura flared violently for a split second, making the air in the hall grow heavier. White Myrtle immediately lowered her head and stretched her hand toward Liam in a silent command to follow her.
Liam glanced once more at Dabara, then turned and walked toward the doors without resistance. As he and White Myrtle left the battle hall, Dabara watched his back with narrowed eyes.
"For me to totally control this one, I have to break his ego," Dabara muttered to himself, still staring at the closing doors. "At the end, we all have our own use, child. What is yours?"
He pressed a hidden button on the side of his table. A small orb materialized in front of him, glowing softly. Inside the orb, a beautiful woman appeared, sitting elegantly with a glass of wine in her hand. It was Lady Vera.
"Lady Vera," Dabara said, bowing his head deeply, "I have sent that one to the punishment hall as you commanded."
He kept his head lowered, voice laced with regret. "I should have listened to your orders from the very beginning."
Lady Vera cut in sharply, her tone cold but amused. "Raise your head. It is not something to show regret over."
She took a slow sip from her glass before continuing.
"Even though you didn't know, I already anticipated something like this would happen. He has been raised deep under Helga's wings. That kind of loyalty mixed with his nature… it was only a matter of time before he acted."
She laughed lightly, a rich, melodic sound. A bottle of wine suddenly flew into Dabara's room through a small spatial rift, landing perfectly on his table.
"Anyway, he has taken care of those pesky villagers. Honestly, he handled it quite alright."
She drank a full cup of wine in one smooth motion, then shook the glass gently. "You see, those villagers have been sacrificing our students to the tree in the name of a fallen god. I noticed the pattern long ago but kept banning direct missions against them." She then smiled "but my curiosity got the best of me ,I wanted to see how the boy would react when he discovered the truth himself."
Dabara's eyes widened in realization. He covered his mouth with his hand, shock clear on his face. "Don't tell me…"
"Yes," Lady Vera said calmly, still swirling her wine. "I was the one who placed that mission there specifically to test him."
"Wait… so he didn't commit any crime against Devil Blade?" Dabara asked, deep shock coloring his voice.
Before he could even stand to stop Liam from being taken to the punishment grounds, Lady Vera spoke again with a gentle, slightly drunk smile. "Do not bother. He has already entered the punishment grounds."
Dabara froze, his hand halfway to the communication orb.
In the corridor outside, Liam walked silently beside White Myrtle. The elegant woman said nothing as they descended deeper into the spire, heading toward the infamous punishment grounds, a restricted area known for breaking even the strongest students.
Liam, felt no regret. The exhilaration from the village still lingered in his veins like a dark thrill. Whether it was anger or something deeper, he didn't care to examine it too closely right now.
The heavy doors of the punishment grounds loomed ahead, dark and imposing. White Myrtle stopped before them and turned to Liam.
"You will remain here for two months," she said simply. "Lord Dabara's orders."
Liam nodded once, his expression now gentle. He stepped forward without hesitation as the doors began to open, revealing a dark, oppressive space filled with chains, suppression arrays, and the faint screams of past prisoners echoing in the distance and voices of demonic temptations.
As the doors closed behind him, Liam's calm voice echoed softly in the empty corridor.
"Two months… plenty of time to grow stronger."
Back in the battle hall, Dabara sat heavily in his chair, staring at the orb where Lady Vera continued to drink with a satisfied smile.
The vice-principal leaned back, a complex mix of frustration, curiosity, and reluctant respect swirling in his chest.
"That boy…" he muttered. "He's going to be either the greatest weapon Devil Blade has ever forged… or the one that destroys us all."
Lady Vera laughed again, raising her glass in a mock toast.
"Let's see how long it takes for him to break… or to break everything around him."
The punishment grounds swallowed Liam whole, but the blind boy from Daveron walked into the darkness with the same gentle expression.
Two months of isolation and suffering awaited him.
But for Liam Heart, pain had always been just another teacher.