Neo stared at the empty space where the assassins used to be. Just gray dust and red ash settling on the damp stone. He swiped his hand, closing the glowing blue interface. The light vanished, plunging the room back into gloom.
He felt different. His body was incredibly light. The persistent ache in his muscles, a constant companion of his fragile physique, was completely gone. But his mind felt heavy. He had just slaughtered eight elite killers and consumed their life force.
'I am not the same person I was an hour ago,' he thought, looking at his hands.
He turned his attention to the corner of the room. Caelum and Lyra were awake, the residual effects of the sleeping powder wearing off. They stared at him with wide, terrified eyes, huddled together stood a few feets away.
Neo walked over slowly. He made sure to keep his hands open and visible, letting the dark red miasma fade entirely back into his core. He dropped to his knees in front of them.
"It's over," Neo said. His voice was quiet, steady.
Lyra didn't hesitate. She threw herself forward, wrapping her small arms tightly around his neck. Caelum was stiffer, but a second later, he crawled forward and grabbed the edge of Neo's tunic. The boy pressed his face against Neo's chest, his small shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Neo wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them close.
He didn't speak. He just sat there in the cold dirt, running a hand over Caelum's dark hair and Lyra's white curls, letting them cry it out.
After a few minutes, their breathing slowed.
Neo pulled back slightly, looking at Caelum and lyra straight in their eyes.
"Listen to me. Both of you."
They sniffled, looking up at him.
"The bad men are gone. But we have to make a promise right now," Neo said, his tone dead serious.
"You cannot tell Mother or Father about the red light. You cannot tell them what I did."
Caelum wiped his nose, confused.
"Why? You saved us."
"Because the red light is dangerous," Neo explained simply.
"If the people outside know about it, they will send more bad men. Worse ones. They will come for you again just to get to me."
He wasn't entirely lying. The Emperor was deeply paranoid. If word reached the capital that the Draven heir possessed a primordial, soul-eating power, the entire Imperial army would march south by morning. He would be labelled as a monster.
"If they ask," Neo continued, looking back and forth between his siblings,
"you tell them a trap triggered. A bright blue explosion hit the door, and the bad men ran away. I woke up, found you, and we then ran away. Do you understand?"
Lyra nodded slowly. Caelum hesitated, looking at the piles ofbash on the floor, but then he nodded too.
'Good kids,' Neo thought.
He stood up, pulling Lyra into his arms. Before, lifting his sister would have strained his back. Now, with his Strength is increased tremendously, she felt as light as a feather. He offered his free hand to Caelum. The boy took it without complaining.
They walked toward the destroyed entrance of the bunker. The heavy iron door was gone, replaced by a jagged, blackened hole. They stepped over the rubble and entered the dark, narrow tunnel leading back up to the estate grounds.
The walk was silent. Neo kept his senses extended. With his Intelligence and Mana Capacity so high, his perception effortlessly covered the entire underground network. He felt no remaining enemies. Just cold earth and stone.
They reached the surface, pushing open a concealed stone door that led into the lower gardens.
The estate was in absolute chaos.
Torchlight cut through the darkness. Knights in heavy plate armor were shouting, running in organized formations across the lawns. The perimeter was ablaze with defensive wards, casting a harsh golden light over the snow.
"Over there!" a harsh voice yelled.
A knight pointed his halberd at them. Within seconds, a dozen heavily armed guards surrounded them, their weapons lowered but ready.
Before anyone could speak, a massive pressure dropped over the garden.
Cassian landed in the center of the knights, cracking the paving stones under his boots. His silver eyes were wild, bloodshot, and frantic.
He saw the twins. He saw Neo.
The Duke dropped to his knees on the freezing ground. "Neo..."
Sylvia arrived a second later, riding a rapid current of wind magic over the guards. She didn't say a word. She just crashed into them, wrapping her arms around all three of her children and burying her face into Neo's shoulder. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
Neo let his muscles go limp. He forced his breathing to quicken. He let the adrenaline crash, playing the part of the exhausted, traumatized thirteen-year-old.
"We're okay, Mama," Neo whispered, letting his voice crack just enough to sound fragile. "We hid."
Cassian pulled them all into a crushing embrace, his massive arms shielding them from the cold.
"You're safe. I've got you."
Later, inside the secure inner keep of the mansion.
Healers fussed over them. Neo sat on a plush chair near the fireplace, a thick wool blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He let the healers bandage the superficial cuts on his face, pretending to wince when they applied the salve.
Internally, he actively suppressed his massive mana core, forcing it to mimic the weak, depleted signature of a normal Apprentice. With his new stats and soul manipulation, hiding his true power was completely effortless. To the healers, he registered as a magically exhausted child.
Cassian stood a few feet away, interrogating the captain of the guard.
"We found the bunker door destroyed," the captain reported, his voice low but tense.
" We found Mana residue. It matches the Young Master's mana signature. But there were no bodies inside. Just ash and scorch marks."
Cassian looked over at Neo.
Neo looked down at his hands, making them tremble slightly.
"I woke up. They were hurting Caelum. I just... I pointed my hand and used the cannon spell on the door. It was really loud. When the dust cleared, the men were gone."
Cassian's jaw tightened.
"They fled when their cover was blown."
He bought it. It was the only logical explanation. A thirteen-year-old Apprentice mage couldn't kill eight elite shadow assassins. The killers must have retreated when the vault was breached, using the explosion to cover their escape.
Neo nodded slowly, pulling the blanket tighter around his neck.
He looked across the room. Caelum and Lyra were fast asleep on a large sofa, guarded by Sylvia. They hadn't said a word about the red light.
Neo leaned back into his chair, staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace.
He was safe. His family was safe. But as he sat there, feeling the terrifying, quiet power resting deep within his soul, he knew the truth. The dynamic of the world had shifted.
He wasn't the hunted anymore. He was the predator.