Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives-Chapter 371: Safe Doesn’t Exist Anymore [Part 1]
Warlock Ch 371. Safe Doesn't Exist Anymore [Part 1]
The night crept slowly over Haven City, bringing with it a thick blanket of uneasy silence. It was the kind of quiet that crawled under the skin and sat there, making even the bravest magus glance nervously over their shoulder.
In a narrow alley, cloaked figures moved hastily from the back entrance of a grand, yet unmarked building—one known only among a select few. This building had no signs, no welcoming lights, only silent sentries in shadows and wards so dense it made breathing feel difficult. Tonight, however, even these wards seemed insufficient.
Councilor Hendrik stepped hurriedly down the stone steps, pulling his hood tighter over his head. Beside him, Councilor Amelia matched his pace, her usually proud demeanor visibly shaken. Hendrik kept glancing around, eyes darting nervously at each shadow as if expecting something horrible to leap out.
"I still don't understand it," Amelia hissed quietly, her voice shaking slightly. "They're rank S magus. How can three of our best just vanish?"
Hendrik shook his head, his eyes wary. "That's exactly what terrifies me. Rank S don't simply vanish. They fight, they scream, they burn their attackers to ashes. Yet, nothing."
A younger senator walking behind them quickened his step, whispering hurriedly, "Perhaps they've betrayed us. What if they've sided with Prince Cedric?"
Hendrik turned sharply, eyes cold. "Watch your mouth, senator. Accusations like that without proof can make you vanish next."
The senator recoiled, falling silent, pulling his cloak tighter around him as if that could somehow shield him from unseen danger.
Amelia cast a worried look at Hendrik. "Still, what else can explain it? Three powerful magi gone without a single trace. No blood, no signs of struggle. Nothing."
Hendrik exhaled slowly. "Magic can do terrifying things, Amelia. Perhaps even erase existence itself. Ralvek has already accused several of his allies of betrayal, hasn't he? Perhaps this chaos is exactly what he wants."
The senator behind them spoke again, quieter now, "And what about Damian and Cassius? The spies say their manor is impenetrable. Even high-level assassins can't get close without dying."
Hendrik laughed bitterly. "Cassius built that place to withstand wars. Of course assassins fail. But sending them serves another purpose—it keeps Damian's group trapped inside. Without testimonies, our narrative remains intact."
Amelia shivered visibly. "I don't like this. Playing politics is one thing, but this—"
"This is survival," Hendrik cut her off sharply. "Damian is dangerous. Cassius even more so. If they publicly reveal what we've been hiding, everything collapses. Our allies will turn their backs. The entire council system crumbles."
They hurried past a dim lantern hanging from an ancient, crumbling stone wall. The senator glanced nervously around, feeling eyes on him from every shadow. "So, what now? If they are trapped, why do I feel as if we are the ones under siege?"
"Because we are," Hendrik growled, quickening his pace. "Ralvek's paranoia is spreading. He's purging his own supporters, thinning his ranks. It's like the damned man enjoys chaos."
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Amelia clenched her fists. "And if he turns on us?"
Hendrik's eyes hardened. "Then we fight back. Ralvek needs us just as much as we need him—for now."
They reached the end of the alley, pausing at the edge of a wide street bathed in the faint glow of enchanted lamps. The senator behind them spoke up once more, nervously glancing over his shoulder. "What about the public? If they find out about the missing magi—"
"Which is exactly why no one can know," Hendrik snapped. "The search teams are working silently. The public must remain ignorant."
Amelia exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly. "We're running out of time, Hendrik. Damian and his allies won't stay silent forever."
Hendrik's voice lowered dangerously. "Then we make sure they don't speak again."
Far above, on a rooftop cloaked in shadow, a figure crouched quietly, watching the senator with a cold, calculating gaze. Damian's scout—a shadow servant—remained unseen, untraceable. It observed, listened, and reported back.
"Did you feel that?" Amelia hissed suddenly, stopping abruptly.
Hendrik paused beside her, eyes narrowing. He glanced around carefully, scanning the dark corners, the deep shadows. "Feel what?"
"Something…" she whispered, her voice taut, "like we're being followed."
He shook his head, but his own heart was pounding harder now. "Impossible. The wards would have detected anyone. We're safe."
"You really believe that?" Amelia shot back quietly, eyes wide. "Three Rank S magi vanished without a sound. Safe doesn't exist anymore, Hendrik."
Hendrik's jaw tightened. She was right. Paranoia crept into his thoughts, wrapping icy tendrils around his spine. "Fine. Let's take a detour through the market square. More open ground. If someone is following, we'll trap them there."
She nodded tersely, and they quickened their pace. Shadows flickered and shifted as they moved, making every darkened doorway look like an ambush. Amelia felt her pulse quicken, her mana crackling just beneath the surface, ready at a moment's notice.
They reached the edge of the market square, dimly lit by a single, flickering streetlamp. Hendrik stopped again, glancing around carefully, eyes narrowing.
"Ready?" he whispered.
"Ready," Amelia replied, her voice firm.
In one swift movement, they turned, mana flaring around them, spells at the ready. Amelia's hands ignited with brilliant white flame, while Hendrik's palms sparked with crackling electricity.
But no one was there.
Just shadows. Silence. Emptiness.
Hendrik frowned, lowering his hands slowly. "Maybe it was nothing."
"Or maybe we missed them," Amelia whispered, still staring into the darkness, unsettled.
Suddenly, the air around them shifted, heavy and dark. The streetlamp flickered violently, casting bizarre, twisted shadows across the square.
"What's going—" Hendrik began, but his words were swallowed by a surge of darkness that burst up from the ground.
The world around them seemed to distort, gravity pulling them down as an icy coldness seeped through their bones. Amelia struggled to move, her limbs slow and sluggish. "What the hell is this?" she cried, panic rising in her voice.
"Magic—high-tier!" Hendrik gasped, desperately trying to raise a defensive barrier.
