Chapter 129:What do you want from me?

Chapter 129: 129:What do you want from me?

Naomi gently shook her head. "Even if my people look down on me when I return, at least I won’t be alone like I am here. My family is there. I won’t be so terribly lonely. But seeking revenge without my essence... that is nothing short of a death wish."

​Anah chucked softly, her mismatched eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Well then... had you chosen vengeance, I wouldn’t have bothered retrieving your core. But since you’ve chosen to run back home instead..."

​She raised a hand, and a swirling blue-black rift tore open in the air a few feet away, humming with spatial energy.

​"Not only will I send you back, but I will also return what was stolen from you." Anah’s palm glowed with a warm, golden radiance. A pulsing sphere of pure liquid light—Naomi’s Mermaid Essence—materialized, floating and spinning eagerly in mid-air.

​With a wave of Anah’s hand, the golden essence shot across the room, merging directly into Naomi’s chest.

​"You can steadily assimilate it once you’re back in your ocean," Anah instructed coolly.

​Naomi’s silver eyes widened in utter shock. Warmth and power instantly flooded her broken body. Tears of profound gratitude spilled down her cheeks as she repeatedly bowed her head to the floor. "Thank you... thank you so much!"

​"Don’t thank me," Anah replied, a sly, dangerous smile touching her lips. "I am hardly a merciful soul. You had better leave right now—if Nova tracks you down here, she will tear you apart."

​Naomi froze, staring at Anah. "She isn’t Nova..." Dragging her newly restored body up, she bowed one last time. "I will never forget your kindness."

​Without another second’s delay, Naomi stepped into the swirling rift. The portal snapped shut behind her, erasing all trace of her presence.

​Left alone in the bloody apartment, Anah let out a low, dark chuckle. "Rather than wasting a life, a live pawn is far more useful down the line," she murmured, her gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "I did us a favor today, Nova. Don’t go blaming us." With a flash of blinding light, she vanished into thin air.

...​Trison’s Mansion...

​CRASH!

​An expensive porcelain vase shattered violently against the floor. Trison slammed a heavy fist onto the leather sofa, his face flushed red with rage, his jaw clenched tight.

​Clark descended the grand staircase, his eyes sweeping over the scattered debris. "What happened?" he asked flatly, taking a seat opposite him.

​Trison drew a deep, ragged breath, trying to reign in his temper. "She failed."

​Clark’s brows knit into a tight crease. "Nova..." He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "Nova is just a human girl. How could a high-tier entity like Naomi be defeated?"

​"It’s complicated," Trison growled, rubbing his temples. "What do we do now?"

​"You handle Cassian and Alan," Clark replied coldly. "I will deal with Nova myself."

​Before Trison could answer, Clark’s phone vibrated violently in his pocket. He pulled it out, and the moment he saw the caller ID—Dora—his icy expression instantly softened. He answered, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello," he murmured gently.

​"How are things going over there? Should I come over?" Dora’s voice echoed urgently through the receiver.

​Clark glanced at Trison, lowering the speaker volume before answering. "I’m... still working on it. Don’t come here. I promised you I would bring her to you, and I will," he assured her, his voice tight with buried anguish.

​"Make sure you don’t hurt her, okay?" Dora’s tone shifted into breathless, ecstatic excitement. "Be gentle with her—she’s so delicate. Oh, and buy a massive bouquet of red roses when you bring her! I’m going to propose to her in the most grand way possible!"

​Every word stabbed through Clark’s heart like a serrated blade. His fist clenched so hard his phone creaked under the pressure. "Mhm... I... I’m getting busy now. I’ll call you later," he forced out before abruptly ending the call.

​Tossing the phone onto the cushion beside him, Clark buried his face in his hands, exhaling a heavy, broken breath.

​Trison watched him with narrowed eyes. "Clark—"

​"I’m going out," Clark cut him off, standing up abruptly and walking toward the exit without another word. The heavy double doors slammed shut behind him.

​Trison stared at the closed doors for a moment before pulling out his phone and dialing his subordinate number. "Find Alan’s exact location right now," Trison ordered sharply.

​"Boss, he’s currently at the school," a voice reported.

​"Kidnap him," Trison commanded. "Listen carefully—he’s unnaturally sharp and skilled in combat. You won’t take him in a direct fight. Have one of our skin-shifters wear the face of his fiancee. I’m sending you her photo now. Use her appearance to drop his guard."

​"Understood, Boss."

​Trison hung up and immediately transmitted Nova’s high-resolution photograph to the strike team.

​A lethal, sadistic smirk spread across Trison’s face as he put the phone away. "Nova... let’s see how you protect your precious little fiance," he whispered. "And as for Cassian... our debt isn’t settled yet. But first, let’s break Alan."

​...The Academy...

​The sunlit courtyard of the academy was filled with students moving between lectures.

​"School is so exhausting lately," Alan muttered under his breath as he walked down the paved pathway, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. A warm, fond smile touched his lips. I miss my Snow so much. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

​"Alan!"

​Alan stopped dead in his tracks. He turned toward the voice.

​A short distance away, "Nova" was approaching him. She was waving her hand enthusiastically in the air, giggling with childish delight. "Surprise!" she chirped, beaming at him.

​Alan’s brows knitted together tightly.

​Under normal circumstances, seeing Nova show up unannounced would have filled him with pure joy. But as his eyes locked onto her, every single alarm bell in his trained mind started ringing violently.

​Something is wrong.

​The posture was off. Nova always stood with absolute, effortless grace but this woman with Nova’s appearance had a slight, barely perceptible slouch in her shoulders. The smile was entirely wrong as well. Nova smiled with a mature, subtle elegance; this woman’s grin was overly animated, exaggerated like a theater actor’s. Even her laugh sounded shallow, lacking the rich, calm warmth that he knew intimately.

​And then there was the way she had just addressed him.

​"What did you just call me?" Alan questioned, his tone flat as he took a step backward.

​The fake Nova froze for a fraction of a second, a fleeting flicker of confusion crossing her eyes. "Didn’t she call him by his name? Dammit, those idiots didn’t give me enough detailed intel on how this girl acts!"

​Forcing another cheerful grin, she stepped closer. "Alan, of course! What’s the matter with you?"

​Alan’s fists clenched inside his pockets. Out of the corner of his eye, his sharp gaze scanned the perimeter. A row of dark, tinted SUVs was parked along the curb fifty yards away. Near the treeline, three men in casual clothes were pretending to hold a conversation, but their body language was rigid, their eyes constantly flicking toward him.

​It was an ambush.

​Alan’s eyes narrowed, but his face remained a mask of innocent confusion. "Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t call me by my name anymore?" he commented smoothly, setting a trap.

​The imposter’s smile faltered, panic rising behind her eyes. She quickly tried to recover. "Ah... look at me! I’ve been so stressed preparing for exams that my brain is completely scrambled! Of course... I was supposed to call you..."

​"Raymond," Alan completed the sentence for her, his voice deadpan.

​The fake Nova took the bait instantly, letting out a relieved, awkward laugh. "Yes! Raymond! I’m sorry, Ray, I’m just still not used to using your middle name!"

​A chilling, dangerous atmosphere settled over the courtyard.

​Alan fell completely silent, his blue eyes darkening as he stared at the lady wearing his wife’s face. The deception was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt.

​"What do you want from me?" Alan asked softly, his body coiling like a loaded spring.