Chapter 198

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Chapter 198: Lillian Betrayed

In ‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍those mirrors, countless versions of them were still walking.

reader preview #6499bbbb9f44 (issued 2026-07-20).

Ryan and Rex followed the middle path for a very long time. The scenery around them did not change in the slightest—the same mirrors, the same light, the same narrow corridor. Turn one corner, and there were still mirrors. Turn another, and still more mirrors.

Rex was starting to grow irritable.

“How big is this damned place?” he muttered. “We’ve been walking for almost an hour, haven’t we?”

Ryan said nothing. He kept his eyes on the mirror ahead, probing the way with the short knife in his hand.

Then they heard a sound.

Very faint. Very far away.

It sounded like someone crying.

Rex stopped and tilted his head, listening.

“Did you hear that?”

Ryan stopped as well.

The sound came in fits and starts from the fork to their left. It was a woman’s voice, crying, shouting something—

“Help... help...”

Rex’s face changed.

“It’s the young miss!”

He lunged toward that path at once, but Ryan grabbed him.

“Wait.”

Rex’s eyes had already gone red with panic. “Wait for what? That’s the young miss! She’s calling for help!”

Ryan stared down the branching corridor without speaking.

The voice went on, growing clearer, more desperate. A woman’s sobs, broken by ragged words—

“Help... Rex, save me... she... she’s trying to kill me...”

Rex tore himself free of Ryan’s hand and charged into the side passage.

Ryan frowned and followed.

After taking two turns, they saw her.

Someone was curled up in the corner where two mirrored walls met, covered in blood. Long golden hair hung in disarray across her face, matted together in sticky strands. Her clothes were ripped in several places, exposing torn flesh beneath. The wounds were deep, and blood was still seeping from them, staining a broad patch of the mirror beneath her red.

The most horrifying part was her face.

Several gashes crossed it from forehead to cheek, the flesh split open, as if carved by something sharp.

Lillian.

She lifted her head. The moment she saw them, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Rex... Ryan...”

Her voice was so hoarse it was almost impossible to make out, but the relief in it—the relief of someone who had survived disaster and suddenly seen the people she trusted—hit Rex like a hand squeezing his heart.

“Young miss!”

Rex rushed over and dropped to his knees before her, fumbling helplessly. There were too many wounds. There was blood everywhere. He did not know where to touch her, what wound to cover first. His hands hovered in the air, shaking badly.

“Young miss, you... what happened to you? Who did this?”

Lillian seized his sleeve and broke into sobs so violent she could hardly breathe.

“Vera... it was Vera... she’s trying to kill me...”

Rex froze.

“Vera?”

“She’s been lying to all of you this whole time!” Lillian cried. “She was never injured at all! She was pretending all along! She’s too strong, too strong... We found the exit, over there... I said we should come back and get you, that we should all leave together... and then... then she attacked me...”

She raised a trembling hand and pointed at the wounds on her face.

“Look. These are her wind blades... she wanted to kill me... she thought I was dead...”

Rex’s eyes turned red.

Not with anger, but with something deeper than anger—pain, guilt, the desperate urge to take those wounds onto his own body instead of hers.

He fumbled into his clothes and pulled out potion after potion, pouring them over Lillian’s wounds one bottle after another. His hands were shaking so badly that much of the liquid spilled, dripping across the mirror and onto his own fingers. The potion ran over the reflective surface, glimmering faintly in the light.

“It’s all right now, young miss, it’s all right...” he babbled. “I’m here, I’m right here...”

Lillian leaned into him, trembling all over.

Ryan stood a few steps away, watching the scene unfold.

His brows were knit tightly together.

“You found the exit?” he asked.

Lillian looked up at him, her eyes still wet with tears.

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s over there, not far if you take the right path. When we found it, I was so happy. I said we should go back for you, that we should leave together... and then... then she attacked me...”

She broke down crying again.

“I never thought... I never thought she was hiding herself so deeply...”

Ryan was silent for several seconds.

“Then where is she now?”

Lillian sniffed and said, “She... after she cast that spell, she thought I was dead, so she left... maybe... maybe she’s already gone out through the exit by now...”

Rex clenched his teeth so hard the muscles in his jaw stood out.

“That bitch,” he forced out through gritted teeth. “She dared to hurt you... she dared...”

He gathered Lillian into his arms, very gently, very carefully, as though he were holding something fragile and precious.

“Don’t be afraid, young miss. I’m here. I won’t let her hurt you again.”

Lillian collapsed against him and cried even harder.

Ryan watched them, his frown deepening.

From what little he had seen of Vera, this did not fit.

She had chosen to go with them because she did not trust Parker’s group. Along the way, she had caused no trouble. When it was time to act, she acted. When it was time to stay silent, she stayed silent.

Would a person like that really turn on her companions just because of an exit?

And beat someone into this state?

He remembered Vera’s gray-green eyes.

They had looked clear, bright, clean—not like the eyes of someone who would stab an ally in the back.

But the wounds on Lillian were real. The cuts were neat, too neat. They did indeed look like the work of wind-element magic.

Ryan said nothing.

Rex had already helped Lillian to her feet. Her legs were injured as well, and she limped badly, forced to lean most of her weight against him. Rex supported her with one arm, his sword in the other hand, and his face was more serious than Ryan had ever seen it.

“Ryan,” he said, “let’s go. Let the young miss lead us to the exit.”

Ryan looked at him, then at Lillian.

Lillian met his gaze. Her eyes still glittered with tears, but there was determination in them.

“It’s over there,” she said, pointing toward the fork on the left. “I’ll take you to it.”

Ryan nodded.

“Let’s move.”

The three of them headed down the left-hand passage.

Lillian leaned heavily against Rex, walking slowly. Rex moved carefully and steadily, checking every foothold before taking it so that she would not stumble.

Ryan walked behind them, but his eyes never left the golden figure ahead.

In the mirrors, all the Ryans did the same, their gazes fixed on that back.

Light kept rebounding from mirror to mirror, dazzling the eyes.

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