NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Illusion?
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.
And now, it was her burden — no, her duty — to ensure that no hidden blade, no silent threat, no lurking assassin ever got close to him. Assassins aren't the only threats, she's to protect him from this threats
But deep inside, beneath the weight of duty and the iron discipline drilled into her by Gareth himself…There was something else.
Something raw, unspoken, buried for years beneath assassin training and Drakethorne pride.
A part of her that wanted more than just to guard him from the shadows. A part of her that wanted to stand before him, to look him in the eyes, and be the shield he saw — not some ghost haunting his steps.
But that part… she shoved it down, swallowed it whole, and forced her breathing to steady.
For now, she would watch.
For now, she would protect.
Even if it tore her apart inside.
Her jaw clenched, the only crack in her perfect mask of composure.
But she shoved the feelings back down. Locked them away.
'This is not my role. I am the shadow. The dagger unseen.' She exhaled slowly, centering herself, letting the assassin's cold calm flood back in. Her next breath was silent. Her heartbeat steady. Her mission clear.
Without another word, Mia turned and disappeared into the darkness — as silent as death itself.
Because when Ethan stepped into the world beyond, he wouldn't walk alone.
Even if he never knew it… her shadow was already watching.
She hadn't always been Mia Drakethorne.
Years ago, she had been nothing but a nameless child in the slums of Nexa. An orphan, unwanted and discarded — until he found her. Gareth Drakethorne.
Gareth had picked her up from the slums.
A stray. A nobody.
The Labyrinth Overlord. The man whose very name made the world tremble. And yet, on that day, he spared a glance for a starving girl with nothing but hatred and survival in her eyes.
She was half-dead when he found her.
He took her in. Not out of pity — no, Gareth Drakethorne never acted out of softness. He saw potential. A blade, unsharpened.
And he forged her into a weapon.
Under his brutal tutelage, Mia learned everything. The art of killing. The patience of shadows. The discipline to slit a throat and vanish before the blood even hit the floor. She was molded perfectly — loyal, deadly, unbreakable.
Gareth taught her everything she knew.
How to kill. How to disappear. How to survive in a world where weakness meant death.
Under him, she became a blade — sharp, precise, and loyal only to the Drakethorne name.
But then came Ethan. The boy who treated her like a real sister. The only one who smiled at her when everyone else only saw the assassin Gareth had created. And against every law of reason, against every wall she'd built… she came to love him.
Not as a mission. Not as a duty. But something far deeper.
And now, knowing Gareth she knew Gareth would call for someone to watch over Ethan, so she stepped forward. She asked for the mission. Personally.
Gareth had plenty of people he could choose from. The best assassins. The most loyal knights. But even in the Drakethorne family, spies had wormed their way in. One wrong move, and Ethan's life would be forfeit.
Gareth knew this. Which is why Mia was his only choice. She was the most trustworthy. She had no ties, no hidden loyalties — her blade belonged only to Drakethorne.
And more than that… she would kill the world before letting harm come to Ethan.
****
Meanwhile, at another location…
Ethan could be seen stepping out of a portal, his boots pressing against the soft earth beneath him.
Graham was nowhere in sight. From this point onward… this journey was his and his alone.
He took a breath, eyes scanning the world before him. What greeted him was an endless stretch of greenery — a vast grassland that seemed to ripple with the wind. Tall blades of grass swayed gently, brushing against each other like waves across an emerald sea. Wildflowers peeked here and there, splashes of color scattered across the green. The sky above was wide and open, the morning sun hanging low but bright, casting golden hues over everything.
It was… quiet.
Too quiet.
No towns, no people.
Not even the distant shapes of beasts.
But unknown to Ethan, this place — despite its calm appearance — was heavily guarded from the shadows. Layers upon layers of security woven so seamlessly into the landscape that not a single sign of life could be seen.
Ethan's brow furrowed.
'Strange… this place isn't on the map.'
The grass rustled softly in the breeze, but something about it felt off.
Still, he didn't waste time. Lifting his gaze, he looked toward the sun, measuring its position in the sky. It was still morning here… just like it was back in the Labyrinth.
Using the sun's angle and the knowledge he'd drilled into his head from studying the map last night, Ethan quickly deduced which direction was north… and which way he needed to go.
Even if the portal had brought him to a place that wasn't what he expected… Even if the terrain didn't match any marked location…
He'd already chosen his path. He wasn't going to waver now.
Without hesitation, he turned toward the north and began to walk. His steps were steady, deliberate.
But then —
After only a few dozen meters… the world around him shifted.
The endless green began to melt away. The soft grass underfoot turned brittle. Cracks spread out across the ground like veins. In the blink of an eye, the vibrant grassland transformed into a barren wasteland — dry, cracked earth stretching endlessly in every direction. The air grew heavy, the sky above dimmed, losing its color.
Ethan's eyes widened, sharp with realization.
'An illusion…'