NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: Shocking Revelation...
While Ethan was on his way to the portal...
Far away, in a dimly lit room at an unknown location;
A man stood, his silhouette broad and commanding even in the shadows.
His physique was nothing short of monstrous — towering height, every muscle carved with the hardness of steel, as though sculpted by war itself. His presence alone seemed to press against the walls, heavy and suffocating. His hair was dark, streaked faintly with silver at the temples, and his eyes — even in the low light — gleamed with a cold, piercing sharpness that could strip a man's will bare. His face was chiseled, severe, and devoid of softness, as if it had forgotten how to smile. His very breath seemed to ripple the air.
This man… was Gareth Drakethorne. The Labyrinth Overlord. And more than that — Ethan's father.
Kneeling before him on one knee, with head bowed in deep respect, was a woman clothed entirely in black.
Her outfit hugged her body like a second skin — lightweight, flexible, but layered in subtle protective armor plates built for silent killing. Straps crisscrossed her slender waist, and a pair of slender daggers were sheathed at her thighs.
Her marvelous figure couldn't be hidden even by the assassin's garb — every curve, every line, radiated dangerous grace.
And her face… when the faint light caught it, it was breathtaking. Sharp yet delicate features, lips soft but tight with discipline, and eyes that, beneath their lowered lashes, burned with a hidden fire. This was actually Mia!
Ethan's adopted sister.
And daughter of the Drakethorne family.
Gareth's voice broke the silence — deep, heavy, each word falling like the tolling of iron bells.
"You will watch over him from the shadows."
His tone was absolute, brooking no question.
"You will let him fight his battles. Face his enemies. Bleed if he must."
His eyes narrowed, cold as frozen steel. "But if the vipers move in the dark… if assassins come for his head… you will strike. Quietly. Without fail."
His voice dropped lower, heavier.
"His growth is his own. But his life… his life is mine to safeguard."
A pause.
Gareth's voice cut through the silence again, heavy like stone grinding against stone.
"Let no blade reach him. Let no poison touch his lips. Do this, and remain unseen. Even from him."
His golden eyes narrowed, sharp as a drawn sword. "Your service ends at the borders of this world. When he steps into the Great Labyrinth… he walks alone."
His words hung thick in the air.
"No shadows will be able to protect him there. Not even mine."
He took a step closer, looming over her kneeling form. "You will watch his crossings — every time he enters, every time he leaves. And you will report everything to me. No detail is too small. No movement unseen."
Mia's fist clenched against the cold floor.
"Yes, Father. I understand."
Gareth's gaze lingered a bit longer.
"You were the one who asked for this. You swore you'd be the blade in the dark for him."
His voice lowered, dangerous.
"Do not fail me."
The weight of his words pressed against the room like a storm cloud.
Mia's head lowered even further, her voice soft but unwavering. "As you command, Father. I will protect him. No enemy shall touch him. I will not fail, even if it costs me my life."
Gareth's gaze lingered on her for a beat longer, sharp and unreadable.
Then he turned, the conversation finished.
As Gareth turned away, the oppressive weight in the room seemed to ease — just a little.
Mia remained kneeling, her head still bowed, until the distant echo of his footsteps faded into silence. Only then did she rise, smooth and controlled, like a shadow peeling away from the floor.
Her eyes, once hidden beneath lowered lashes, now gleamed with quiet intensity. Not a trace of hesitation, not a hint of weakness — at least on the surface. But deep beneath that icy calm, something twisted.
'Protect him…'
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides, tightening into fists before she forced them to relax.
Ethan.
Her younger brother.
Her foolish, reckless, stubborn brother…
The same brother who had now decided to foolishly throw himself headfirst into the dangerous world outside.
She had always prided herself on being the closest to him — closer than anyone else, even his own blood relations. Out of all the siblings, she had always been the one by his side. That fact had been her pride, her comfort.
But recently, Ethan had changed.
The Ethan she knew would never do this. The Ethan she knew would never leave the safety of home to wander Nexa's treacherous lands.
Why?
Why?!
Why would he want to go out there — to that cursed, unpredictable world — when he could grow stronger right here inside the Labyrinth? Where Gareth's shadow kept him safe, where no outside threat could touch him?
It made no sense.
None!
And that singular question had gnawed at her, restless and bitter, since last night. Ever since Ethan revealed his intent to leave during dinner.
'For what reason…? For what reason would he be drawn to that world…?' Her thoughts spun in circles.
Painful memories clawed their way back — flashes of things she had buried deep, things she never wanted Ethan to see, never wanted him to feel.
Her teeth ground together as she clenched her fists tight enough that her nails bit into her palm. 'Maybe… just maybe… he doesn't know. Maybe once he sees how dangerous Nexa really is, he'll want to come back…'
It was a weak hope, but it was the only thread she had.
And yet — Gareth's command echoed in her ears like iron chains. 'Remain unseen. Protect from the shadows. Obey.'
As much as she wanted to appear before Ethan, to grab him by the collar and drag him back home herself…
She couldn't.
Breaking those orders wasn't just disobedience. It could endanger Ethan's life.
And that — that was the one thing she couldn't allow. The one outcome she feared more than anything else.
Her throat tightened.