Chapter 91: ⁹¹: loyal

"Alpha, please don’t get close to it," Ryan said, pulling me out of the dreadful trance my memories had dragged me into.

I looked up from the glowing orb and saw that all the guards had surrounded me now, their expressions tense as they watched the strange object beneath the rubble.

"What is this?" I heard a gasp from behind me. I turned around and saw the head of the Investigation Department, Mr. Jayes, staring at the orb in disbelief. I knew this would be shocking for everyone except me.

Something like this shouldn’t even exist anymore. Dark magic had been forbidden for centuries, and yet here it was, sitting beneath the remains of my intelligence bureau as though it had been waiting for me to find it.

I didn’t answer him. I already knew how dangerous this orb could be if it was left here, and I had to destroy it as soon as possible.

I moved my hand forward, preparing to lift it from beneath the rubble.

"Alpha, it could be dangerous!" Mr. Jayes exclaimed, alarm flashing across his face. "Please let our department handle it."

Almost on cue, one of the officers from the Investigation Department stepped forward, seemingly intending to inspect the orb.

"Stop." My voice came out sharp enough to make him freeze. "It is extremely dangerous for you to touch. Keep your distance."

The officer instinctively took a step back.

"But, Alpha—" Mr. Jayes started again, but I stopped him midway by raising my hand.

"I know what I’m doing, Mr. Jayes." I turned toward the surrounding guards. "All of you, step back. I don’t want anyone unnecessarily close to this thing."

Then I looked at Ryan. "Ryan, make sure there is nobody within ten meters of this area until I give you permission. I don’t care who they are. No one comes near."

Ryan nodded without questioning me this time. "On it, Alpha."

He immediately turned toward the guards and began ordering them to move farther away from the rubble.

I turned back toward Mr. Jayes. "Is it confirmed that there is no one underneath this rubble?"

Mr. Jayes nodded quickly. "Yes, Alpha. All seventy-five people who were working on this floor have been rescued. They’re either already at the hospital or currently being transported there."

I let out a quiet breath of relief. "Good." At least I didn’t have to worry about someone being trapped beneath the debris.

I pointed toward the perimeter. "You too. Make sure you’re outside the ten-meter radius."

Mr. Jayes hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping back.

I turned toward the orb again. It’s faint red glow was pulsing beneath the broken concrete, almost as if it were alive.

I could feel the dark magic radiating from it. That same dreadful presence. That same power I had encountered before.

My jaw tightened. I remained completely still until Ryan finally gave me the signal that the area had been cleared.

Only then did I move toward the orb again. My hand slowly reached beneath the rubble. I was almost relieved that Mr. Jayes had stopped me earlier.

I might have been able to withstand the orb’s power, but the people surrounding me couldn’t.

Just as I had expected, the moment I moved my hand closer and closer to the orb, I began to feel its immense repelling force.

My heart tightened with the same familiar constriction I had felt years ago. Just remembering those days was enough to make my hands tremble.

I clenched my hand into a fist, forcing myself to regain control before slowly opening it again.

I have to do this. Last time, I had been too late to discover the cause. This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake, I wont let that thing happen to the innocent people caught in this trap this time.

Not caring about the enormous force pushing against me, I moved my hand forward.

The closer I got, the stronger the pressure became. It felt as though the orb itself was trying to reject my existence, refusing to let me anywhere near it.

But I didn’t stop. Finally, my skin touched its burning surface. The moment my fingers wrapped around it, the orb reacted violently.

Its crimson glow intensified as dark energy surged around my hand. The heat bit into my skin, and the orb seemed to dig into my flesh as though desperately trying to fight against my powers.

Pain shot through my hand as its energy tore into my skin. Yet I didn’t pull away. I

refused to even wince. A faint smile touched my lips.

"You made this too easy for me."

The orb’s dark magic had no power against my blood. It had practically dug its own grave. The moment my blood touched its surface, the crimson glow began to shrink.

The destructive red mist that had surrounded me all far and wide, exactly till the radius I had calculated and predicted, vanished.

The pressure disappeared with it. The orb stopped resisting. I tightened my grip for one final second before its glow completely died.

Then I let go. I straightened slowly, exhaustion immediately washing over me.

Destroying the orb had been easier than I expected, but that didn’t mean it had cost me nothing. These things fed on the vitality of their enemies.

Even though my blood gave me an advantage against them, destroying one still drained me considerably.

I looked down at the object lying uselessly among in my bloodied hand now. Its terrifying red glow was gone. Now, it looked no different from an ordinary piece of rock.

"Alpha, are you all right?" Ryan’s voice reached me first, followed by the countless hurried footsteps of the guards and Investigation Department officers.

I looked up just as Ryan approached me.

"Goddess! Your hand is bleeding, Alpha!"

He immediately reached for my hand, his expression turning alarmed as he noticed the blood running down my palm. Before I could say anything, he imidately took the now-useless orb from my other hand and placed it away from me.

"Alpha, why did you touch this if it was so dangerous?" he demanded, pointing toward the now destroyed, burned ground around us.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Knowing how dangerous it is, you still just took it from my hand?"

Ryan froze for a moment. I couldn’t help but smile.

That was Ryan. He could spend an entire day lecturing me about safety, but the moment he thought I was hurt, he wouldn’t hesitate to put himself in danger.

I shook my head slightly. "You really wouldn’t think twice about risking your life for me, would you?"