Chapter 125: End Of The Second Act [1]
Chapter 125: End Of The Second Act [1]
Thinking back on it all, each pathway, each tragic descent, there were two characters whose choices and corruption ultimately sealed the fate of so many.
Two protagonists who, in their own way, became the roots of decay that crept into the story's fabric, poisoning the lives of everyone they touched.
And one of them was Rylan Voss.
The forgotten, discarded child of the Voss family.
A man who, in every playthrough, began his journey clinging to an ideal of virtue, moral clarity, and unwavering principles.
Only to eventually abandon all of it in his obsessive pursuit of power.
Rylan's story always started with promise.
As the moral bastard son of House Voss, he had no real claim to their legacy or fortune, which was something that gave him a relatable underdog appeal.
In the game, he was the character that symbolized hope for justice in a dark world, someone who wanted to fight for the commoners against the noble elite.
It was part of why he'd initially been cast as one of the protagonists, after all.
But the further I delve into those memories, the clearer it becomes how his slow descent into darkness was inevitable.
He was nothing without power, and it twisted him, corrupted him.
Rylan believed that he could still cling to his righteous ideals as he clawed his way up the social ladder, using any means necessary.
But it was a fool's hope.
Power devours all, and Rylan's gradual compromise of his beliefs, his willingness to sacrifice anyone who stood in his way, ultimately left him hollow.
He sold his soul for strength, but even that wasn't enough.
The real tragedy?
The more he tasted power, the more he thirsted for it.
In the end, Rylan became nothing more than a husk, filled with rage and obsession.
A mere pawn for those stronger than him, a puppet to his own darkest impulses.
I remember one of the most brutal Acts—one set against the backdrop of a massive war.
One that splintered the continent into factions, pitting everyone against each other in a desperate, bloody conflict.
Greed and desperation fueled the chaos, with every group pursuing their twisted vision of a "just" outcome.
Rylan, caught in the middle, was both a catalyst and a casualty of that war.
In that Act, Rylan was the architect of a faction that had quickly grown influential within the academy.
Officially, his faction was a rallying point for those who wanted to change the world, offering support to students who were against the Empire's oppressive rule.
He spoke passionately about freedom, about unity, gathering followers who believed in his vision of a new world order.
But those idealistic speeches masked the rot beneath.
What most of his followers didn't realize was that his faction was sustained through deals with underworld syndicates, bribed nobles, and illicit trade.
The academy became a political war zone, with students manipulated, exploited, and discarded like pawns in Rylan's game.
I still remember the way the story painted that descent.
The once-noble ideals he'd fostered curdling into something dark and twisted.
The ambition that once sparked admiration now igniting fear and suspicion.
Rylan would do anything to stay in power, sacrificing even his most loyal followers to keep his grip on the fractured empire.
Friends, lovers, allies—all of them were mere stepping stones in his path.
And eventually, those who stayed by his side learned to fear him.
Those who didn't? They were simply removed, without question.
The academy grounds became a slaughterhouse, where trust was a weakness and loyalty a lie.
Students who defied him vanished mysteriously, and anyone suspected of treachery was dealt with swiftly.
Money became the backbone of his operations, and the students who followed him soon found themselves indentured to his demands, their pockets emptied and dreams shattered.
Rylan fed on their desperation, offering them protection for a price.
And for a time, it worked.
He controlled everything within the academy: the resources, the alliances, the very lives of those who crossed his path.
It was a horrific sight, one that left an indelible mark on every character who witnessed his cruelty.
But then, he wanted more.
More than just the academy, more than just influence.
Rylan became a dealer in souls, aligning himself with forces far darker than anyone had anticipated.
Greed and ambition blinded him, and he sought out the forbidden, the profane—reaching out to the very heart of corruption itself.
That was when he forged a pact with the Demon God.
What little light had been left within him was snuffed out, replaced by a thirst for control so all-consuming that it left him nothing more than a vessel for the Demon God's insidious influence.
In secret, Rylan became one of the Demon God's lieutenants.
But he kept his role hidden well.
To the academy and to his followers, he was still the ambitious, powerful leader.
Behind the mask, though, he was merely a puppet, carrying out orders, feeding the Demon God's influence into the world.
And that's when the true horror began.
With the academy as his base, he became a conduit, a point of entry for demonic forces to seep into our world. Continue your adventure with m|v-l'e -NovelBin.net
His influence spread like a disease, consuming all in its path.
The corruption didn't stop there.
Those who followed him, even unwillingly, became tainted, their minds twisted to serve his will, to perpetuate the Demon God's influence.
Students, teachers, even some of the highest-ranking academy officials—none were safe from his insidious reach.
His faction, once built on promises of justice, became a cult of madness, where fear and cruelty ruled supreme.
If I allow Rylan to live, he will become the catalyst for a nightmarish episode in the academy's history.
He will light the match that plunges the academy into a warzone, spiraling into endless violence and destruction.
And it won't just end there.
Rylan's actions will draw in the Empire, the various noble houses, and even the Constellations themselves.
Heroes, villains, bystanders—no one will remain unscathed as the power struggle pulls the entire continent into chaos.
His alliance with the Demon God means that he is a ticking time bomb, a harbinger of an impending doom.
I've seen what happens when that darkness takes root, when it spreads beyond the academy's walls, engulfing everything in its path.
The Constellations themselves intervene, drawn into the fray, as the world becomes a battlefield for forces far beyond human understanding.
And it all begins here, at the academy, with Rylan as the match to that powder keg.
I knew what I had to do.
Rylan cannot be allowed to live.
His very existence is a threat, a knife poised over the neck of this world.
If I eliminate him now, I can prevent that dark episode from ever coming to pass.
And I won't stop until every corrupted root has been cut out.