CHAPTER 1457: THE NIGHTMARE

Suddenly, a harsh wind swept in from nowhere, howling like a wounded beast. The trees bent and groaned, their leaves rattling in a furious chorus that sent a chill through every heart.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, a deep rumble rolling through the earth as though something monstrous stirred beneath. Confused cries rang out, and everyone there glanced upward to the darkening sky, then downward in alarm.

Without warning, thick roots burst from the soil with violent force, snapping like whips. They coiled around legs and torsos, dragging men into the air like helpless prey caught in a hunter’s snare.

Screams broke out as the roots constricted, bones crunching under the crushing pressure until bodies collapsed in grotesque bursts. From the shadows, more vines slithered upward, winding around necks, choking the air from their lungs.

Panic erupted. Swords flashed wildly, hacking at the roots in desperation, but for every tendril cut, two more emerged, stronger and more relentless. The garden became a writhing maze of wood and blood.

The Grand Minister’s face drained of color. His eyes bulged in horror as he turned toward Mevissa, only to freeze. The girl he once thought weak and helpless was no longer there.

Standing in her place was something...different.

Amidst the slaughter, Mevissa’s steps were slow, deliberate. She moved through the carnage without flinching, her gaze fixed on Ezra’s lifeless body surrounded by his own pool of blood.

His body lay motionless on the ground, blood still flowing from his neck, warm and fresh, yet his gentle smile still lingered on his face. He looked almost peaceful, but she knew better.

She knew that in his final moment, the last thing he wanted was for her to see his dreadful expression. She knew he was trying to ease her pain. How pathetic that even to the end, he still tried to protect her. But what had she done for him? She just cried and begged...She doesn’t deserve him; she never does.

Her knees gave way. She sank beside him, pulling his body into her trembling arms, clutching him as if her embrace could will life back into him. Tears spilled freely, her voice breaking as she whispered, "I should never let you close..."

The Grand Minister’s breath hitched, then it dawned on him that all the plants in the garden were affected by Mevissa’s tumultuous emotion. Thus, there was only one solution, sharp and simple: remove the source, and the terror would end.

The grand Minister then shouted in urgency, "The goddess has been possessed! Kill her before she kills us all!"

The knights hesitated only briefly before their fear drove them forward. Swords raised, they charged at the woman they had worshipped only hours ago.

But just as their blades were about to strike, colossal roots erupted from the ground, coiling upward like serpents. They wrapped around Mevissa in a protective wall, hissing and snapping as more roots speared outward, skewering the knights mid-stride. One by one, their bodies were lifted high, dangling grotesquely like macabre offerings.

The Grand Minister staggered back, his mind consumed by dread. He turned to flee, but roots shot up, entwining his legs and hoisting him into the air.

Dangling helplessly, he could only watch as Mevissa rose slowly to her feet, her sorrowful gaze still fixed on Ezra.

With a wave of her hand, roots shifted tenderly around Ezra’s form. They enveloped his body in a cocoon of wood and leaves, sealing him in as though nature itself mourned him. Then, with a subtle motion of her palm, a fruit fell into her hand.

It was no longer the radiant red gem it had once been. Now it gleamed with a deep, velvet darkness, like blood that had dried and thickened, and it was not brimmed with light, no this one seem absorbing the light. Mevissa, for the first time, her lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Her glowing eyes turned toward the Grand Minister. The vines around her body slithered, carrying her forward as though she were a queen borne on a living throne. He writhed in terror, his voice cracking.

"Fo... forgive me, please, Goddess! I was wrong—I know I was wrong!" he begged, his arrogance shattered, his dignity reduced to trembling whimpers.

Mevissa tilted her head, her voice soft yet venomous. "Don’t you like my fruit so much?"

His face twisted, pale and wet with tears. "No—please, no! Forgive me!"

"Why reject it now?" Her voice dripped with false innocence, her smile honed like a blade. "Didn’t you once crave my blessing—my fruit? Wasn’t it my fruit that granted you wealth, power, and authority? So why hesitate now?" She pursed her lips, feigning sorrow. "It almost makes me sad, you know."

"I’m sorry!" he sobbed, like a child stripped bare. "Please—I beg you! Mevissa, please."

But the woman who had once shown mercy was gone. Her eyes burned with madness as she whispered, "Mevissa? Oh... I am not Mevissa anymore." Her voice fell to a hushed, venomous tone. "Mevissa is dead."

"No—no, Mevissa, this isn’t you... You are kind, generous, merciful!" he pleaded, though deep down he already knew his words were in vain.

Her lips curled into a cruel grin. "But this... this is what you made me. Can’t you see? The kind, sweet little Mevissa is gone—you killed her. And in her place, I remain. I am the terror you bred, the monster you created. I will haunt you, all of you, even in your dreams... I will become your nightmare. I am Zalchana."

With a single thrust, she shoved the dark fruit into his mouth. The Grand Minister gagged violently as the fruit’s dark juice consumed him.

His skin split open, bark ripping through flesh until his arms became jagged wooden claws. Vines writhed from his back like whips, lashing wildly as his face twisted as his body turned into half-human, half-gnarled wood, his one eye glowing white and the other swallowed by moss.

His chest burst open with a crack, roots surging outward like diseased veins, spraying sap as thick as blood. His legs fused into a trunk, yet he moved with terrible speed, lurching forward with the strength of a beast.

When he roared, it was no longer a man’s cry—it was the guttural bellow of a beast. With a savage swing of his claws, he shredded the roots binding him and dropped heavily to the ground, landing on his feet like a predator.

Mevissa stood unnervingly calm as the vines slithered, pushing him closer to her. The monster bowed its head ever so slightly, as though recognizing its master.

Her lips curled into a sneer. "Now your outside finally matches the filth inside."

The creature rumbled low in its throat, a sound that carried grim agreement.

Mevissa’s expression hardened into ice. "Go. Rampage. Kill them...Kill them all." Her voice was colder than steel, sharper than winter.

The monster hurled a roar into the sky and leapt away. Moments later, the night was split with screams.

Mevissa lifted her face to the sky, a broken chuckle spilling from her lips before spiraling into a wild, chilling laugh that echoed across the garden. At her cry, the roots convulsed and swelled, tearing through the earth. They lashed out with brutal force, splintering pillars, shattering walls, and reducing stone to rubble—like waves pounding cliffs until they crumbled into the sea.

Lory watched as everything dissolved into chaos. The blessing of Zalchana had twisted into a curse, corrupting the land itself; every fruit rotted into venom, and every bite turned man and beast into mindless monsters.

Yet the people refused to see their own sins. Blind and proud, they pointed fingers at one another, blaming anyone but themselves, never realizing they were all accomplices in birthing this calamity. And soon, war erupted, and not only against the monsters but also against each other.

A moment later, the vision faded, leaving only the silent ruin behind. Slowly, Lucas opened his eyes. His gaze met Lory’s, and for a heartbeat, neither spoke.

"Welcome back," Lory said softly.

Lucas released a long sigh. "Yeah... I’m tired."

"Me too," Lory whispered in agreement.

Their joined hands slipped apart as their bodies swayed, ready to collapse helplessly to the ground. Seeing what was about to happen, Zhao Li Xin moved like lightning with one arm sweeping Lory against his chest while his other hand caught Lucas’ arm before he could fall.

Zhao Li Xin sighs in relief after managing to stop them from falling on time. Then with steady care, he eased them both down, laying them gently upon the ground.

Zhao Li Xin uncorked a vial of mana potion, drank a mouthful, then pressed his lips to Lory’s, transferring the liquid directly. Only when a faint flush returned to her cheeks did he reach for another potion and signal Jade to give it to Lucas.

Jade accepted it with a puzzled look, staring at Lucas’s face for a moment as if unsure what to do. Then, with all the grace of a clueless child, he shoved the bottle into Lucas’s mouth, so hard it almost knocked out his teeth.

"Ugh!" Lucas groaned, but the protest faded as color slowly crept back into his face. The potion was working.

A minute later, both of them stirred awake. Lory’s eyes fluttered open, only to find herself nestled in Zhao Li Xin’s arms. Her lips curved into a mischievous smile as her gaze lingered on his handsome face.

"Such a sight to behold~" she murmured.

Zhao Li Xin chuckled at her teasing. "I could say the same about you."

Meanwhile, Lucas blink few times before he manage to awake, but only to find a round, chubby face staring down at him far too closely. He groaned, then suddenly felt a slight pain in his teeth.

"Ugh... why do my teeth hurt?" he muttered, running his tongue over his front teeth with a wince.

"Awake?" Jade asked, jabbing a plump finger right into Lucas’s forehead.

Lucas squinted at him. "Oh... hi, Jade..."

Zhao Li Xin helped Lory sit up, his brows furrowed with concern. She massaged her head, then turned to Lucas."You okay, Luc?"

"Yeah..." he answered weakly with a sigh. "I just need two days off."

"I need six layers of strawberry cheesecake," Lory added matter-of-factly.

"You always need that," Lucas quipped.

Lory’s mouth curved downward in mock annoyance before she turned to Jade, who sat obediently between them as though enjoying their banter.

"Did Zalchana conceive you while that happened?" she asked softly.

Lucas straightened and studied Jade with intrigue. "It had to be, right?"

"I can’t imagine how she felt when she realized she was pregnant..." Lory’s gaze lingered on Jade, her expression touched with sadness.

"Well, we’ll need to look into it more. But not now—I’m beat." Lucas dropped his face against his knees.

"Duh... You think I’ve got the energy for that?" Lory rolled her eyes.

"Let’s go back, then," Zhao Li Xin said gently. "We still have a paint exhibition to prepare for."

"Yeah, but not now. Let me rest first," Lucas muttered, slumping back onto the ground before closing his eyes.

"Five-minute power nap," Lory declared, snuggling into Zhao Li Xin’s embrace before drifting off herself.

It didn’t take long before both siblings were softly snoring in unison. Zhao Li Xin watched them, their breaths rising and falling together as if they shared the same heartbeat.

With a quiet exhale, he shifted carefully, finding a better position so Lory could rest more comfortably in his arms.