CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER 90: CLONE

The atmosphere inside Elsa’s room had thickened—warm, humming, alive with the energy John had poured into the protective seal around her. The faint golden light still wrapped around his hands, pulsing in slow waves that matched Elsa’s weakened heartbeat. Merlin watched him with a mixture of awe and disbelief. John’s power wasn’t just strong—it was unusually responsive, almost emotional, as if it understood the situation as deeply as he did.

John exhaled softly, keeping his palms steady on Elsa’s skin. "We need time," he murmured, his voice low, heavy with concern. "I can feel the seal stabilizing... but before we trust it, Merlin, we have to be sure. Absolutely sure. I want to know that this seal—" he nodded toward the shimmering barrier, "—is numb now. Completely silent. I don’t want the corrupted seal waking again because of my warrior power."

Merlin nodded slowly. "You’re right... we must be certain before pushing further." His eyes wandered over Elsa’s still face, the pale lashes resting like frost on her cheeks. He swallowed hard. "Her body can’t endure another backlash."

John’s jaw tightened, something fierce and protective sparking inside him. "Then let’s test it. Properly."

A faint smile touched Merlin’s lips, said, "I already have an idea."

John raised his eyes, patiently waiting.

"We will make a clone seal," Merlin said, stepping away from the bed. "A perfect mimic of the corrupted one... but without attaching it to anyone. On the other side of the room, I will construct a small version of the dark seal." He pointed to the corner where the shadows gathered. "Then you will face it. Your seal against its influence. If your power can suppress it, overwhelm it, and silence it..." His eyes softened. "Then we know you can protect her."

John exhaled, relieved that Merlin understood his concerns completely. "Good. I don’t want to guess. I need to know."

"Then let us begin."

---

The Clone Seal Ritual Begins

Merlin stretched his hands out, murmuring a line of ancient words. Dark symbols formed in the air, drifting like smoke before settling into a circular shape on the floor. The moment it touched stone, the air thickened, humming with a cold, sharp force.

John felt it immediately—his own seal reacted with a soft vibration, sensing a threat.

Merlin glanced at him. "Feel that? Even a small fragment of this corrupted seal has a presence... strong enough to poison the life of my daughter."

John’s chest tightened at his words. He lowered his hand toward the glowing circle, letting his energy stretch out like warm light.

Before touching the seal, he whispered, "Merlin... while we do this, tell me something."

Merlin arched a brow. "What’s he saying?

"You and my father... you fought together, didn’t you? You healed him many times?"

A faint, nostalgic smile touched Merlin’s worn face. "Ah. Yes. Eric... your father is one of the most stubborn warriors I have ever healed. He would break bones faster than I could repair them." He chuckled. "Many times I told him to rest. Many times he ignored me."

A small warmth stole into John’s heart. "That sounds like him."

"Oh, it is him." Merlin continued shaping the clone seal, but his voice softened. "Your father protected our lands countless times. He faced nightmares and monsters without fear. Many warriors fell... but Eric always returned, even if he was bleeding or half-conscious." He paused. "I have saved his life in every great war. And I would do it again."

John averted his gaze. "He never told me the details."

"Because he wanted you to grow without the weight he carried." Merlin smiled gently. "Just as I wished Elsa would grow without mine."

-

Elsa — The Girl of Light and Burden

John turned his head slightly toward Elsa. Her breathing was shallow, but she looked peaceful, as if she trusted the two men standing over her.

"Tell me about her," John whispered. "You said she was always... soft?

Merlin’s face changed-deep love mixed with deep fatigue.

"Elsa..." he began quietly. "She was born gentle. Soft in heart, soft in words. But her powers... they were never soft. From childhood she had the potential of a warrior, a magician, and even a healer. She was blessed—and cursed—with too much talent."

He took a deep breath.

"And such children... do not grow peacefully."

Slowly, John looked up at him.

"I tried to raise her strong," Merlin continued. "Not because she wanted battles—but because the world would demand strength from her. She cried the first time she healed someone. She fainted the first time she saw blood from war. But she grew. She learned. She pushed herself. She wanted to protect our village. She wanted to protect the people she cared about."

His voice faltered.

"I didn’t, do you know, ever think she’d end up like this. Hurt... sealed... fading."

John felt something heavy settle in his chest—a protective ache he didn’t understand, something deeper than simple worry.

"You’re not alone," John whispered. "I’m here too."

Merlin looked at him, eyes aglow with exhausted gratitude.

---

Confronting the Seal Clone

The clone seal on the floor finished forming—dark runes circling in a faint, pulsating glow. It radiated a strange, cold malice.

"John," Merlin said, stepping back, "it’s ready."

John inhaled deeply, letting the warrior’s energy rise within him. Golden threads of light wrapped around his arms, swirling softly at first, then sharpened with purpose.

He clapped his hands, concentrated, then reached them out toward the seal of the clone.

Instantly, the dark seal reacted-its runes lit up, hissing like some sort of awakened creature.

John didn’t bat an eyelid. His light expanded around his hands, steady, warm, unwavering.

"Push it," Merlin instructed. "Don’t attack it. Overwhelm it with purity."

John nodded and breathed out. His seal grew brighter, spreading across the floor like a sunrise. When the golden energy touched the dark seal, the clone hissed louder, trying to resist.

John pressed harder.

Warmth versus cold.

Light against darkness.

Life against corruption.

Gradually, inch by inch, John’s seal began to swallow the clone.

Merlin’s eyes widened. "Incredible... your power isn’t just strong. It adapts. It reads the enemy. It compresses the darkness rather than fights it violently."

John remained silent-his concentration total.

He finished with a final pulse, and his seal closed completely around the dark one, silencing it.

The room fell silent.

Merlin stared at him, incredulous. "John... you suppressed it. Completely."

John exhaled shakily. "Then I can protect her."

---

After the Test — A Moment of Truth

John’s hands trembled slightly, not from weakness but from the emotional weight of everything happening. Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

"John... I’ve lived long, fought long, healed thousands... but I have never seen a sealing ability like yours. Not at your age. Not with your heart."

John swallowed. "I just... I just want to save her."

Merlin nodded. "Then we proceed. Confidently."

They both looked toward Elsa’s sleeping form.

The golden seal wrapped around her pulsed softly, alive, alert-just waiting for the next step.

Merlin spoke softly, "Now that we know your seal can overpower the corruption... we can safely begin the full restoration. Slowly. Carefully." John took a step closer to Elsa, his heart so full, so heavy, and determined. "I’m ready," he whispered. And for the first time since entering the room... Merlin thought that finally, they could have hope.

John drew a slow breath and placed his glowing hands gently at Elsa’s sides. The golden aura around his palms pulsed softly, like living light responding to the warmth of her fragile body. Merlin stood close, watching every movement, afraid even to blink.

"Begin slowly," Merlin murmured. "Let your energy touch her core... do not force it."

John nodded, eyes fixed on Elsa.

He allowed his warrior aura to expand, forming a soft ring of light around her waist and chest. As his energy sank deeper, touching the threads of her spirit—

Elsa’s heartbeat moved.

A faint tremor.

Then a second, stronger pulse.

John’s eyes widened. "Merlin... she’s responding."

Merlin leaned forward quickly. "Yes... yes! Her spirit recognizes your energy. Keep going—she’s accepting it."

John pushed more carefully, guiding his aura to reinforce her heart, knitting warmth into the cold parts of her soul. The seal he created wrapped gently around the corrupted wounds inside her. Light seeped into fractures no healer had reached before.

For a moment, it felt like her entire body was trying to breathe again through him.

But as John attempted to close the deeper layer of the corrupted seal, a sudden resistance hit him—hard and violent. His energy recoiled as if burning against something ancient and cruel.

John gasped. "It’s... pushing back."

Merlin’s face hardened. "That is the inner core of the cursed seal. Even your power cannot erase it so easily."

John tried again, sweat forming at his temples. Every time his aura reached the deepest wound, Elsa’s heartbeat flickered—alive one moment, then dangerously faint the next.

"I can stabilize her," John whispered through clenched teeth, "but not completely. Something darker is still inside her."

Merlin lowered his head slowly.

"Yes... we will need more than power.

We will need a way to break what was never meant to be broken."

Then..