cles and aunts whom she once held in high regard didn’t interfere and watched from the sidelines with snickering smiles as she fell deeper and deeper into the web of lies their children had prepared.
Their smirks were like daggers, twisting deeper as each false testimony piled on.
She realized too late that they were just as involved in everything.
Her parents were people of important positions and usually didn’t have the time to attend clan events.
But she felt that her strict father, even if he had been present, would not have interfered. Would he have helped? She doubted it.
He would have simply considered this a test for her to overcome and display her abilities as the potential future head of the clan.
In this time of war, there was no place for weaklings. Support would be provided when necessary, but individual ability was valued above all else.
So, things escalated, and even the elders had to get involved in the conflict.
Later, her cousins proposed a death duel, where opponents were allowed to kill each other without consequences. It was a barbaric duel that was highly frowned upon by her clan members.
Naturally, the elder opposed this as well since it was idiotic for potential powerful exorcist seedlings to battle each other to death over trivial, childish matters.
However, the elder was later pressured by her uncles and aunts and had to permit the duel to take place.
It was then that Evelyn realized how deeply rotten her family truly was.
Evelyn’s trust in her cousins and other relatives hit rock-bottom after that. They really wanted to kill her to seize more power and control in the clan’s future.
She had always considered them her family, but they wanted to drown her.
Each betrayal chipped away at her faith in blood ties, leaving nothing but bitterness.
She wondered if this was all there was to relationships in this world. Were all the people she was close with like this?
Only maintaining relationships with her for their own benefit, with no mutual feelings of growth or familial love?
Was this how families in other major clans were too?
She thought of her friends—Oliver, Daniel, Amber, Alphonso…
Were their clans like this too?
Were their siblings also after their lives to gain more power?
She shook her head. She doubted it was this bad for others.
But she felt that Oliver and Nadia from the Mystic Purge Clan must have faced similar situations to hers.
From the infamous rumors of cold-blooded nature and the intense power struggles in that clan, she felt it was highly likely that those two had also been constantly targeted by their relatives.
From what her elders had told her about the clan, Nadia was most likely to succeed as the next head of the Mystic Purge family. Maybe she had her own special circumstances.
That only left Oliver. Of all the others, Evelyn felt Oliver was the most normal, just like her. In a way, whenever she compared them, she found that Oliver matched her vibe the most.
He had a calmness about him that reminded her of herself, or at least who she used to be.
He was neither overly cautious nor overly reckless.
He was just like…
Just like her sister.
For a moment, she felt a strong sense of familiarity with Oliver. Unlike her, he was stronger and always had this friendly and approachable demeanor.
Not to mention, he was good with crowds and had a great deal of charisma, just like her sister.
She suddenly realized she had a lot to improve. Her eyes turned determined as she thought about what Oliver would have done in such a scenario.
Would he have suffered a setback and become depressed?
Would he have been swallowed by defeat? Let them win by sinking into despair?
No. He would have hardened his will even more and moved forward with even greater vigor.
Her blood began to boil as adrenaline pumped through her body. If he could rise after falling, why couldn’t she? If he could do it, then what was her excuse?
If she wanted to achieve her goal and bring peace to this world, she could no longer afford to be depressed by such trivial matters.
There were going to be countless people trying to obstruct her path toward her goal. She would have to rise above them, utilize their schemes, and turn them into stepping stones.
Her hands tightened into fists. She wasn’t going to let them bury her.
She had promised herself to reach a level where she could stand on equal footing with her sister and Oliver. There was no way she was backing out now.
She took a deep breath and glanced at her fake siblings, then at their parents in the audience—her so-called uncles and aunts.
Their expressions were ironic, completely opposite to what they had been at the beginning—anger, panic, desperation…
Yet all they could do was watch despite all that. The duel was sacred, and the elders were witnesses. No one was allowed to interfere once it began until the winner chose to end it.
“Evelyn! Stop right now!”
One of the middle-aged women shouted in desperation as she looked at the girl and then at her son lying before her.
“Ha…” Evelyn couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh.
She didn’t feel anger. Just… pity.
“Evelyn! What do you mean? There’s no need to go so far between siblings,” a man said in a loud, overbearing voice that reverberated throughout the arena.
“Siblings?” She muttered the word, finding it laughable now.
“Noisy,” Evelyn mumbled. Her eyes darkened, tired of the hypocrisy surrounding her. How hypocritical of them to say this now.
Even though her tone was low, in the silent stadium filled with exorcists, everyone could hear what she said.
“You!” The man’s expression changed as veins popped on his forehead.
Evelyn ignored the man and raised her hand high. Joining her index finger with her middle finger, she formed a seal.
It looked as if she was about to make the final move.
But suddenly, the winds in the arena intensified, and a rumbling sound filled the stadium. It was as if an earthquake was happening.
The sky seemed to darken, the atmosphere shifting as something ancient and powerful stirred.
Evelyn was also distracted by this unexpected event.
Then, a very old and aged voice sounded in the arena, making everyone tremble.
“Stop.”
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