Chapter 99: The Sacrifice

For several seconds, neither sister moved.

Lumi could feel Celestine’s fingers trembling around hers, although her twin’s expression remained composed. The four Guides watched them expectantly, as though they genuinely believed one of them would volunteer to die simply because they had been asked.

Then Celestine slowly released Lumi’s hand.

"Celestine?"

Before Lumi could react, Celestine stepped forward and raised her hand. "Stay close."

Lumi’s eyes widened, "Celestine, what are you doing?!"

Her sister didn’t look back. Instead, she lifted her other hand, and a translucent barrier suddenly formed around them, its surface shimmering faintly as it expanded to cover both twins.

It was a defensive Guiding ability, one Celestine had mastered through years of training. Although Guides weren’t known for their offensive strength, a sufficiently skilled Guide could use their energy to create protective barriers, shielding themselves and others from external attacks.

Celestine had no intention of letting these people touch Lumi.

If they wanted a sacrifice, she would offer herself first. She could still find a way to escape later, but she couldn’t risk letting them discover Lumi’s real ability.

"Celes, no!" Lumi grabbed her sister’s arm from behind. "You can’t just—"

"Stay behind me, Lumi." Celestine’s voice was firm.

"But—"

"Please."

That single word silenced Lumi more effectively than any command could have.

Celestine finally turned her head, offering her twin a small, reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Trust me."

Lumi stared at her, her throat tightening.

She wanted to believe her sister had a plan but the barrier surrounding them trembled faintly under the pressure of the four Guides’ combined presence, and Lumi couldn’t shake the dreadful feeling that her sister was preparing to face something she couldn’t overcome.

The broad-shouldered man studied Celestine’s barrier before chuckling.

"Well, well. How generous of you, Miss Pei." His eyes moved toward Lumi, lingering on her for a moment before returning to Celestine, "However, I don’t recall asking you to protect your sister."

He raised one hand.

A concentrated surge of energy struck the barrier.

Crack!

Celestine’s eyes widened as a thin fracture appeared across the translucent surface.

"Impossible..." she whispered.

She immediately poured more Guiding energy into the barrier, reinforcing the damaged section before the crack could spread. The protective dome brightened, its surface rippling as it struggled to withstand the pressure.

But the man merely smiled.

"You really are talented. It’s a shame that all that talent will be wasted on such meaningless resistance." He gestured toward the other three Guides. "Break it."

The woman with neatly pinned hair stepped forward, followed by the two remaining men. Their combined energy struck the barrier from different directions, sending violent ripples across its surface.

Celestine gritted her teeth, her hands trembling as she struggled to maintain the defence.

"Celestine!" Lumi reached for her, trying to support her arm even though she had no idea how to help. "Stop! You’re using too much energy!"

"I said stay behind me!"

The barrier shuddered again.

Another impact landed against its surface, and the fractures spread rapidly, branching across the dome like a spiderweb.

Celestine’s breathing grew uneven. She had trained for years, and her Guiding energy was among the strongest in her generation, but maintaining a defensive barrier against four experienced Guides was pushing her beyond her limits.

Then came the final strike.

CRASH!

The barrier shattered into countless fading fragments of light.

Celestine staggered backward, barely managing to remain standing, while Lumi instinctively caught her arm.

Before either sister could recover, the broad-shouldered man strode forward and seized Celestine by the wrist. "Got you."

"Let go!" Celestine twisted violently, attempting to free herself, but another Guide immediately grabbed her other arm.

Lumi lunged forward, "Don’t touch my sister!"

She caught Celestine’s hand and pulled with all her strength, refusing to let go even when the woman holding her twin yanked her backward.

For a brief moment, the sisters remained locked together, neither willing to release the other.

Then the broad-shouldered man turned toward Lumi.

"Enough." He shoved her away.

Lumi lost her balance and crashed onto the cold floor, pain shooting through her palms as she tried to break her fall.

"Lumi!" Celestine’s voice rang through the basement.

She immediately fought harder, struggling against the two Guides holding her as she tried to reach her sister.

"Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!"

The man looked down at Lumi, his expression devoid of sympathy. "Your usefulness is nothing more than that of a mere sacrifice. So stay down and wait for your turn."

He turned toward Celestine, tightening his grip on her wrist.

"You, on the other hand, should be proud. Not everyone gets the opportunity to contribute to a future in which Guides will rule this Empire. Your sacrifice will help us overthrow the Sentinel-dominated order and establish a world where Guides finally stand at the top."

"Go to hell!" Celestine spat.

The man’s expression hardened. "Take her away."

"No!" Lumi scrambled to her knees and reached for her sister again, but one of the men seized Lumi by the shoulders and forced her down onto the cold floor, pinning her arms behind her back before she could get up.

Celestine struggled against the two Guides holding her, her face paling as she watched her sister being restrained. "Let me go!"

"Stop moving. You’re making this unnecessarily difficult."

"Then let us go!"

The man holding Celestine scoffed before exchanging a glance with the broad-shouldered Guide. "Enough playing around. We should begin with the one who volunteered."

"Agreed."

The three Guides dragged Celestine toward the center of the basement, where a large circular formation had been carved into the floor. Strange symbols surrounded its edge, their lines interlocking in a pattern Celestine had never seen before.

"Wait! What are you doing to her?!" Lumi tried to wrench herself free, but the man holding her pressed her back against the floor.

"Stay still!"

She ignored him, twisting desperately to reach her sister.

Celestine looked back at her, her expression filled with fear, but she still tried to reassure her twin with a strained smile.

"Lumi, don’t worry about me!"

How could she not worry?!

Three grown adults were dragging Celestine toward a strange formation on the floor and the four Guides clearly had no intention of explaining it.

The men threw Celestine onto the center of the formation.

She landed hard on her knees, her palms striking the floor as she tried to push herself up. Before she could escape, a transparent barrier rose around the circle, forming a dome that sealed her inside.

Celestine immediately pressed both hands against it. "Let me out!"

Her Guiding energy surged against the barrier, but the transparent surface barely rippled.

"Celestine!" Lumi’s eyes widened in horror as she watched her sister desperately search for a weakness in the enclosure.

The broad-shouldered man approached the circle and inspected the barrier with satisfaction before turning toward the others.

"Now, we should call the Leader."

The word sent a chill through both sisters.

The Leader.

Celestine stopped struggling for a moment, her gaze darting toward the basement door.

Lumi followed her eyes, her heart pounding as she desperately searched for a way out of their predicament. Her sister was trapped inside that strange circle, and Lumi herself couldn’t even free her own hands.

Were they really going to die here?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor beyond the basement door.

Everyone turned toward the sound.

The footsteps grew closer, steady and unhurried, until a familiar voice suddenly rang through the basement.

"What is happening here?"

Lumi froze and Celestine’s head snapped toward the doorway.

Standing at the entrance, his expression filled with confusion as he took in the strange scene before him, was their older brother.

Rei Pei.

Then hope flickered in both the twin’s eyes.