NOVEL NEXT Chapter 676: Stelia Oso
"You're wrong," Yun-Jin whispered, her voice trembling. "You… you've been poisoned by them. The Black Bulls. Ty. All of it."
Her words hit JJ like a hammer, but Ty stepped forward, his voice low and measured. "You don't know what you're saying, Yun-Jin. Stand down before you do something you'll regret."
Yun-Jin's gaze snapped to him, her eyes alight with anger and betrayal. "Regret? Do you have any idea what I've lost? What we've all lost? And now this?" Her trembling hand pointed at JJ. "You, of all people, JJ. After everything we've been through…"
Her voice cracked, but the trembling stopped as she steadied herself. The air around her seemed to thrum with power, and faint wisps of pink and gold light began to swirl around her. Ty's eyes narrowed. Her Power Dynamics Marker (PDM) was activating, and the glow was growing unnaturally bright.
"JJ didn't betray you," Ty said, his tone sharp. "She's trying to survive. Just like you."
Yun-Jin let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Survive? Is that what you call this? You're a demon! The kingdom trusted you, trained you, and this is how you repay us?" She pointed a trembling finger at Ty, her body shaking with restrained emotion. "Lt. Daemon trusted me, and I trusted you! You destroyed it all!"
JJ took a step forward, her fists clenched. "Don't you dare twist this, Yun-Jin! The kingdom let Daemon die. They're the ones who brought him to that battlefield, knowing what was coming. Do you think they care about you?"
"Don't," Yun-Jin snarled, her voice sharp with warning. "Don't you dare speak his name." The golden and pink light around her intensified, wrapping her in a swirling cocoon of energy. The ground trembled beneath them, cracks spidering out from her feet.
Ty moved like lightning, aiming to get behind her and harmlessly knock her out. But Yun-Jin's instincts surged, her PDM flaring to an unprecedented level. She spun around, her blade of golden light materializing in an instant, slicing upward in a radiant arc. A blinding explosion of light filled the corridor as Ty felt searing pain rip through his hand.
When the light subsided, Ty staggered back, cradling his arm. Blood spattered the ground as he looked down at his severed hand, the wound clean but raw.
"What the hell?" Ty whispered, his voice trembling in shock. He leapt backward, planting himself on the edge of the wall to regain his bearings.
Yun-Jin's voice cracked as she screamed, tears streaking her face. "I trusted you, Ty! Dammit! You of all people!" Her breath hitched, her voice raw with emotion. "Did my tears mean nothing? Did Daemon's sacrifice mean nothing?"
Ty's eyes softened despite the pain. "Yun-Jin, listen to yourself. You're not thinking straight. I didn't betray you."
But she wasn't listening. The golden light surged again, crackling with untamed energy. Her PDM was beyond control, feeding off her emotions. The energy lashed out, splintering the walls and sending chunks of stone cascading to the floor.
"Yun-Jin, stop!" JJ's voice cut through the chaos, desperate and commanding. But Yun-Jin's sobs turned to a guttural cry as she raised her hand for another strike, her trembling body consumed by the power she couldn't control.
In a flash, JJ darted forward. She slammed her hands together against Yun-Jin's back with all her strength, the sound echoing through the chamber like a thunderclap. The impact knocked the wind out of Yun-Jin, her body stiffening as the golden and pink light began to flicker."You're wrong," Yun-Jin whispered, her voice trembling. "You… you've been poisoned by them. The Black Bulls. Ty. All of it."
Yun-Jin crumpled to the floor, her golden blade shattering into sparks that dissolved in the air. JJ stood over her, chest heaving as she stared down at her unconscious friend. The chamber was eerily quiet except for the faint hum of residual energy crackling in the stone.
Ty leaned against the wall, his breathing ragged. Blood continued to seep from his severed hand, painting the ground a vivid crimson. "She's... she's stronger than I thought," he said between gritted teeth. His voice trembled with both shock and a pang of regret. "I didn't want this."
JJ turned to him, her face hard, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of concern. "She left us no choice," she said firmly, though her voice carried the weight of guilt. "If we didn't stop her, she would've killed you. Or me. Or herself."
Ty nodded, but the tension in his jaw didn't ease. He glanced at his hand—or what remained of it—and let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah, well, she sure made her point."
JJ knelt by Yun-Jin's side, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "She wasn't wrong, you know," she said quietly. "We've all lost something to this kingdom. To this fight. It's tearing us apart."
Ty pushed off the wall, his expression darkening. "And yet, here we are," he muttered, stepping forward despite the pain in his arm. "Still marching toward the madness."
He crouched next to Yun-Jin, his good hand hesitating before finally resting on her shoulder. "She'll wake up soon. We need to move before that happens."
Ty gritted his teeth as he clutched his bleeding stump, the searing pain making it nearly impossible to think straight. He leaned against the cold, cracked stone wall, his breath shallow and rapid. "Give me a moment, will you?" he muttered to JJ, his voice hoarse. "Watch the door."
JJ nodded, glancing back toward the corridor. Her posture was tense, her fists still trembling from the confrontation with Yun-Jin. "Y-yeah, of course," she stammered, sparing a brief glance at Ty before scanning the darkened hallway.
Ty inhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. "Hey—hey, creature thing," he murmured under his breath. "You think you could do the thing you did back on the serpent? You know, gluing my hand back?"
The world around him shifted almost immediately. Ty's eyes rolled back as he felt himself pulled inward, the cold stone replaced by the warm, radiant glow of the blue sphere. Within the swirling energy, the creature that shared his body stood before him. It was identical to him, yet its eyes burned with an otherworldly intensity, its movements fluid and predatory.
"Really," the creature scoffed, its voice a mix of disdain and amusement. "It is pathetic how you manage to do nothing without me. I should let you wallow in your pain, just to teach you a lesson."
"Save the lecture," Ty snapped, his voice cutting through the glow. "Are you going to help or not?"
The creature tilted its head, studying him for a moment before letting out a low, exasperated sigh. "I am only doing this because I need to protect my vessel. Don't think this makes us allies."
With a sharp flick of its hand, the creature summoned an ethereal flame, its glow matching the energy of the sphere. The flame danced along Ty's severed wrist, searing away the blood and raw flesh. Ty winced, the pain sharp and electric, but he gritted his teeth and stayed silent. The creature's focus never wavered as it formed a shimmering spectral construct—a perfect replica of Ty's hand—before fusing it to his arm with a burst of light.
"There," the creature said, its tone devoid of empathy. "Try not to lose this one."
Before Ty could retort, the sphere dissolved, and he found himself back in the corridor. The cold air hit him like a slap, and he stumbled slightly, catching himself against the wall. He flexed his new hand experimentally. It felt... different. Lighter, almost too perfect, but functional.
JJ turned to Ty, her eyes wide, scanning him for any signs of pain or weakness. "You okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Ty flexed his new hand experimentally, the faint glow of the ethereal construct fading as he nodded. "Yeah," he muttered. "Just needed to fix up the wound quickly. Let's go ahead and get moving."
As JJ and Ty rounded the corner, they found themselves facing a massive spiral staircase carved from smooth obsidian stone. The steps seemed to stretch endlessly upward, vanishing into the dim glow of the upper levels.
"You sure this is the right way?" Ty asked, glancing skeptically at the daunting climb.
"Yes," JJ replied, her voice firm. "It should lead us to where Rui is being held. And maybe," she added, her tone softening, "we'll find Fernando too."
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Ty shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I doubt Fernando's anywhere near here, given our current location. But hey," he said, his voice light but tinged with sincerity, "keep those hopes up."
They ascended the stairs in silence for a moment, the only sounds the faint echo of their footsteps and the distant hum of machinery. Ty broke the quiet, his voice subdued. "My chest... it's hurting for Yun-Jin, though."
JJ's expression tightened, and she nodded slowly. "Yeah, same," she admitted. "But there's nothing I can do about it now. Whether they're guilty or not, everyone's hurt me at some point. I just hope she can find her vengeance against Osalf—for me, if nothing else. I'm just... not strong enough to face him."