Chapter 52: Old acquaintances and Newer Bondings

Lucien sighed deeply, his face expressionless but serious. “We both know you won’t, Ophelia.”

One of the S-tier Visors who had come with him suddenly began unleashing his energy, as if preparing to attack Ophix.

Lucien noticed this immediately and spun around, shouting, “Don’t!”

But it was already too late. The moment the Visor showed his aggressive intent, the Black Witch’s glowing eyes snapped toward him, and in that instant, his flesh began peeling away piece by piece, as if it were being melted by molten lava. Within seconds, the S-tier Visor had been reduced to nothing more than a mass of burnt flesh. Even his bones had melted into a semi-liquid state that simply flowed across the ground.

Fear instantly gripped the remaining Visors behind Lucien, and they began frantically stepping backward, trying to put distance between themselves and the terrifying woman.

“My God!” Lucien said, covering his face with his palm in disappointment. “You’re still as crazy as ever.”

With fury still blazing in her violet eyes, Ophix clenched her outstretched hand into a tight fist and the vehicles she had been holding in stasis above their heads immediately crumpled together like crushed aluminum cans, as if some invisible car crusher was compacting them with tremendous force.

Then she flung her fingers outward, and the mangled remains of their vehicles went flying out of her compound and onto the open road with a thunderous crash.

“You don’t get to call me that name anymore,” she said coldly. Then, turning to leave, she added, “Get out of my property, boy!”

Lucien immediately called after her. “What if I told you we might finally have a chance at breaking the curse?”

Ophix stopped mid-step and tilted her head slightly backward, revealing the side of her face with those glowing eyes. “What?!”

…

Back at USOV headquarters, there weren’t any dimensional breaches to handle for most of the day, so the agents mostly stayed inside the facility. Of course, the crowd of reporters and journalists outside had only continued to grow larger throughout the day.

The full Team C was now gathered together with Liam in one of the training rooms, though they were mostly just having casual conversation rather than actually training.

“You know, today feels like a perfect day to go out to a nice restaurant,” Sarah said, already daydreaming about how the evening should unfold.

“Yes, let’s do it!” Elaine agreed enthusiastically. “I could really use a break.”

“After 8PM then?” Amir asked, since that was the official closing time for USOV agents, except for a few teams that worked overtime for the bonus pay or recognition.

“Yes, after 8PM,” Elaine confirmed.

“You both are coming, right?” Sarah asked, looking first at Silas, who was busy on his phone and barely paying attention, then at Liam, who just stared off into space without offering any input.

Silas raised his head and shrugged. “Sure.”

Liam however, hesitated. “Um, I sort of have to go home. Don’t want to leave Yae alone by herself.”

“You must be fun at parties,” Sarah said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

Elaine then asked with genuine concern, “She told me yesterday that she’s a Cale University student. Why hasn’t she gone back to school yet?”

“After what happened to her, she didn’t feel ready,” Liam replied, understanding his sister’s situation completely. “And with all the changes in her life right now, I’m not sure she’s ready yet.”

“But come on, man,” Amir said persuasively. “An hour or two with your friends won’t hurt.”

“Yeah, hotshot, don’t be such a party pooper,” Sarah added with a grin on her face.

Liam sighed in defeat. “Alright, alright. I’ll come with you.”

…

Back at Ophix’s mansion, she and Lucien sat in one of her many rooms. The space was magnificent, with ornate coffered ceilings, detailed moldings, and arched alcoves decorated with dark, atmospheric paintings.

The room was anchored by striking red velvet furniture—two large sectional sofas and a matching area rug that created a bold contrast against the predominantly dark color scheme. An ornate crystal chandelier provided warm ambient lighting, while tall windows with heavy curtains framed one side of the room.

Ophix sat on one of the sofas while Lucien sat on the opposite side, leaning forward intently, and it looked like they already had a conversation going.

“Even if this kid has that name, his bloodline could already be too diluted to matter,” she said with furious concern, wondering if Lucien had lost his mind.

“I’ll take the chance, Ophix. I’ll take it,” Lucien said, completely convinced that his plan would work.

“I can’t believe you came all the way down here on the slim possibility that he’d be able to kill the family heads,” she said, now visibly annoyed by what seemed like complete stupidity to her. “Did old age make you stupid, Lucien?”

Lucien sighed, rubbing his fingers against his forehead in frustration, but said nothing as Ophix continued her tirade. “And from what you tell me, he doesn’t even possess the mana quality of a god,” she said with a bitter chuckle. “He would die within a mile of any of the Thirteen. It’s a complete waste of time.” She shook her head in disappointed resignation.

Lucien finally spoke up. “I know it sounds bizarre and foolish, but this one time, Ophelia, just trust me!”

“I thought I told you not to—” she stopped herself mid-sentence and chose not to complete what she was about to say. Instead, she just sighed heavily, then took one long look at him and saw that familiar determination burning in his eyes.

For just a split second, she saw a memory flash before her—a much younger Lucien with those same determined eyes, and unwavering resolve. She shook her head and said resignedly, “So what exactly are you planning?”

…

Evening soon arrived, and the official work hours for USOV agents ended at 8 PM. Some agents made their way out in pairs, while others stayed behind for overtime work. Team C and Liam were among those heading out for the night.

“So where are we headed?” Amir asked as they walked toward their team’s SUV.

“Giovanni’s,” Elaine announced. “Oh, and dinner’s on me,” she added proudly.

Sarah immediately cheered, “Now that’s my team leader right there!” She pointed her index finger toward Elaine with exaggerated enthusiasm.

They all chuckled softly as they piled into the car. Elaine took the passenger seat, Sarah squeezed in between Amir and Liam in the back, and Silas took the driver’s seat.

With everyone settled in, Silas drove off toward the road, heading to Giovanni’s Ristorante for what promised to be a well-deserved evening out

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