CHAPTER 492: CONCLUSION OF SECOND TEST

Esme gritted her teeth out of anger. As much as she wanted to turn Isaac’s insides into a bloody mush with her power, for some reason she couldn’t activate any of her magic and now she was sure that it was because of the magic that Isaac had used. But how? She had never heard of any magic that could nullify her own magic and seeing how Isaac can do it so easily despite being a newcomer in magic means that he was taught by Arabella. But how?

Does that mean Arabella was much formidable than she had originally assessed?

That she could even create magic just like how Circe once did?

Flying. Blood Magic. Nullification.

Arabella was even a step ahead with her magic, creative enough to make impossible possible as if she was performing miracles.

What’s worse was that Esme began to feel fear. If before she had always looked down on Arabella, now she felt a great fear from her insides, fearing what Arabella could do with that power she hold and if even worse that none of them could hold her back anymore.

The woman quickly darted her eyes toward Morpheus. Her green eyes brim with hope and prayer, a hope that still burns despite the fact that Morpheus had been apprehended so easily by Arabella.

Isaac could tell that Esme wasn’t going to lose her trust in Morpheus, at least not until she sees by her own eyes how Morpheus loses on Arabella’s hands.

This sort of trust was odd to Isaac, it’s as if she knew there was a hidden trump card that still hadn’t been used and knew that trump card was succeed against his mistress. Worried, Isaac turned to Cassius who was still in his spot. He didn’t move to stop Esme and had instead told him because if he had acted then everyone would wholly focuses on him, which would only put his hidden identity to jeopardy.

But he wondered if Cassius was sure that Arabella would still hold up against Morpheus’s hidden move.

And just as that thought slipped into his head, Isaac raised his hand and slapped his own cheeks.

This was unbecoming of him.

Why did he doubted Arabella’s power over Morpheus’s? Over the man who would always sacrifice his own people. Over the man who struggled so hard to own his own mistress.

Isaac strengthen his resolve and hopefully looked at Arabella, knowing for certain this time that his mistress wouldn’t lose. She would never lose, especially to Morpheus.

Meanwhile, Arabella who had been left alone with the bound Morpheus sighed and slowly bent down.

She could see that his eyes were still gleaming with anger and frustration, believing he hadn’t lost and that he still have enough time to overturn the tide.

It wasn’t pure confidence, it was certainty.

"I did not expect this from you, Arabella," Morpheus said, like an adult commending a child for being able to do a small little trick. This was enough for her to be certain how Morpheus had never truly believed in her. Yet the fact he wanted her so terribly for his plans meant that somewhere in his heart though he didn’t trust her, he trusted her power. "You are always a quick learner but it does put a smile on my lips on seeing how adept you are in magic. This is even more than what those other witches could do. Even Circe would be surprised as you have made what was impossible during her time possible."

"I should be flattered," Arabella noted, "But is that how it is in your head every day when you look at me?"

"Sorry?" Morpheus frowned when he didn’t understand her words.

Arabella kindly continued, "You always compare us together in your head," with a soft sigh she then looked down on her hands that were also now red with blood. Though when she swept her hand to the air the blood separated from her skin and floated above, creating a new layer of red.

"Is that why you have done all these tests? Part of you is jealous of whether Circe is still in my heart," whispered Morpheus. He almost broke into a wide smile that sparkled, showing just how excited and happy he was that Arabella had felt jealous toward Circe.

Even though that was the truth at all.

It seemed that Morpheus had the problem with his own image. He believes that in people’s head he revolves around it. That everyone would think about him, love, admire, and that was more than just narcissism. It felt more like a delusion that he made sure was real because of the long years he spent in this place, locked up and revered by all the other sorcerers living in this castle.

"If I deny your words, you wouldn’t even trust me so what’s the use of denying," she hummed under her breath and it was so faint that he couldn’t hear.

"I never compared you two, I believe in you," Morpheus glimmered his green eyes and even though his silver haired was red with the blood that sticks from her attack earlier, he still looked graceful. Though that grace stuck like a sore thumb when compared to his heinous smirk as he manipulated his words, "Circe never cared once about her sorcerers but I know you’re different than her. You care about us, you are much stronger than her, and that you will become the true witch that we need. Don’t you care about the sorcerers too? You care for them enough that you wouldn’t want to see them suffer again, locked in this castle forever... for our eternity!"

"I do care," Arabella confirmed that part. She had seen and talked with other sorcerers here other than Isaac. Some of them blindly put their faith into Morpheus but they were all people just desperate to live a normal life that was stolen out of them.

Innocent, poor souls.

"But that is because they care about me as a human too," she continued while staring at Morpheus’s green eyes that was filled with nothing but darkness of envy, greed, and jealousy. "Do you see me more than just my power, Morpheus?"

"Of course,’ he knotted his eyebrow, "I have only ever seen you as you, never as your power. What have made you grow doubtful of me? There has never been trust that I felt coming from you, Bella."

"Maybe because you have never given me a reason to trust you, Morphy," she answered back, knowing how whenever he called her name by nickname it felt as though he was trying to minimize her worries and anger, as if she was just a child compared to him.

"I wondered after hearing the story about Circe. Did she leave because she truly wanted that human man or were you a part of that reason?" She continued her question which immediately made him stunned.

He lifted his head, slow and his eyes wide.

"What have you heard about Circe?" He demanded with his teeth clashing tight.

"Do you not know?" She looked confused when his eyes met hers. "Circe leaves a lot for me to read in her library."

"Lies. She has never written anything about herself in the library. I have read all her books, none have I missed reading, and all her lines I could repeat them as I have them memorized by heart."

’Memorized by heart but you can’t tell how in between the lines she would always warn me about you."

"What?"

This time he truly was shaken by shocked. Shaken so much that his lips were trembling.

"What had she said?"

Now it was less of a panic more of curiosity.

Arabella could never truly pinpoint what was it that Morpheus felt for Circe. Anger or hatred would have been easy to notice but that wasn’t all.

It felt as though it was the anger of an eldest child after seeing how his mother’s love had been stolen and shared by the second child.

It was also the greed he had in his eyes that seemed to be burning with fury that he couldn’t completely monopolize Circe’s power while also feeling jealous as he wasn’t able to compare to Circe in term of pure prowess.

Or maybe, it was all of that emotions in one.

"A lot. She told me of how truly insecure you are deep in your heart. How you were never loved and how you believe that all the trust those sorcerers given to you was love. Well, you aren’t wrong there. Their trust toward you comes from love perhaps, another form of love, but instead of honoring their trust, you have betrayed them."

And this time, Morpheus’s eyes shook in deep rumbling horror.

"What have you found out?" He demanded, his anger that had slipped from his mouth now felt mixed with fear.

She smiled in a jolly, "Something close to the fact that we were never locked here because of Circe. Rather... you. If I tell this to everyone here... do you think they will still blindly trust you Morpheus? Or finally they snap from their own h blind faith and finally see you as the monster you are?"