Chapter 33: The True Festival Descends

Scholar Dwayne, still haggard from his battle with the earth dragon, found the trio standing over the immobile form of the Mayor.

He sighed in relief, his voice hoarse with concern as he asked, "Are you all okay?"

Garrett, ever shameless, puffed out his chest. "Of course, we are! I protected everyone. If it wasn't for my rock techniques, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

Alice rolled her eyes, a playful smirk curling her lips. "Oh, really? Is that why you were screaming about cheaters and nearly getting impaled by those blood spikes?"

Garrett flushed, his bravado faltering. "I was just...providing moral support. Besides, you weren't exactly graceful dodging those spikes either."

Alice shot back, "At least I wasn't boasting about my stone skin while getting skewered!"

The two continued to bicker, their banter a mix of genuine annoyance and fond teasing. Ruchir watched them with a weary smile, the tension of the battle slowly easing from his body.

Dwayne chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you're all safe. We did it together. That's what matters."

Garrett huffed, still red-faced. "Yeah, yeah. We all did our part, I suppose."

Alice's teasing grin softened. "We did, Garrett. Even if you were a bit of a drama queen."

Garrett grumbled, but there was no real bite in his words. "You just wait, Alice. One day, I'll be the hero, and you'll be the one getting teased."

Dwayne's heart warmed at the sight of their camaraderie. Despite the bruises and blood, the bond between them was unbreakable.

Suddenly, they turned their attention to the Mayor. They needed answers. Ruchir stepped forward, his voice firm. "Mayor, why did you do this? Who provided you with the blood crystals and the blood refining technique?"

The Mayor, despite his defeat, laughed crazily, his eyes wild with madness. "Power," he spat out. "It's all for power."

He began to narrate his story, his voice a mixture of bitterness and regret. "When I was a child, I took the entrance exams for the Four Great Academies but failed. Dejected, I returned to my hometown, only to find my family in ruins. Our property and farm were confiscated."

The trio listened intently, their expressions somber.

"I asked the neighbors why this had happened," the Mayor continued. "They told me my father, who was a waiter, had accidentally dropped a plate of food on the Lin family's young master. He had offended him."

"Even after my father begged and my mother sold all her jewelry to appease him, he was still not satisfied. He used his status as one of the students of the Four Great Academies to bribe the constable to frame them and confiscate our livelihood."

"He even bribed the judge at the county office. My parents couldn't endure the insult and committed suicide, leaving behind a note for me. They said they hoped I would reach my goals someday but wouldn't be able to witness it."

The Mayor's voice cracked, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I cried for a whole month, almost turning into a beggar. But then I heard the news of the Lin family's young master achieving good results in the academy's advancement exams. "

"At that moment, I decided I would study hard and take revenge with my own hands."

He paused, taking a shuddering breath. "I passed the imperial examination on my third attempt at the age of 25 and joined the county office as a low 9th grade official. "

"Slowly, I made my way up to become the Mayor of Tensura City. But even after reaching this position, I felt helpless. I couldn't take revenge because the Lin family's young master was a supernatural powerhouse. "

"With my own innate talent, I could never achieve this in my lifetime."

"So in the end, I chose this path."

Ruchir, Garrett, and Alice fell silent, absorbing the weight of the Mayor's tragic story. The room was filled with a heavy, oppressive silence.

Dwayne broke the silence, his voice filled with a mixture of understanding and sorrow. "This is the real world," he said, looking at his students.

"Sometimes, it pushes people to the brink, making them do unspeakable things in the name of power and revenge. But remember, it is our choices that define us, not our circumstances."

Garrett, who had been boasting just moments ago, now looked at the Mayor with a mix of pity and disdain. "But...all this suffering, all those lives lost. How can any of it be justified?"

The Mayor's laughter turned bitter. "Justified? Perhaps not. But when you have nothing left, when the world takes everything from you, you cling to whatever shred of power you can grasp. You do whatever it takes to survive, to make those who wronged you suffer."

Alice, usually quick to retort, was silent. Her eyes were filled with a mix of empathy and horror as she looked at the Mayor.

Ruchir, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. "Your story is tragic, Mayor, but it doesn't excuse the pain you've caused. There were other paths you could have taken, other ways to seek justice."

The Mayor's eyes, filled with madness, softened for a moment. "Justice? Justice is a luxury for the powerful. For the rest of us, it's just a word."

Scholar Dwayne stepped forward, placing a hand on Ruchir's shoulder. "We can't change the past, but we can ensure that we don't become like him. We must remember our humanity, even in the face of despair."

The room fell silent again, each person lost in their own thoughts. The Mayor's story was a harsh reminder of the world's cruelty, but also a lesson in the importance of choices and the paths one chooses to walk.

Garrett, breaking the silence with a sigh, muttered, "What a mess."

Alice gave him a small, sad smile. "Yeah, but we'll clean it up. Together."

Scholar Dwayne nodded, his eyes filled with pride and resolve. "Together. We'll face whatever comes next, as a team."

With that, they turned their attention back to the Mayor, who lay defeated but still defiant.

His story had given them a glimpse into the darkness that could consume a person, but it had also strengthened their resolve to fight against it.

"Let's get out of here," Scholar Dwayne said, his voice firm. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

As they were about to leave the room, a strange sound echoed behind them. Turning back, their eyes widened in horror at the sight before them. Garrett, in shock and fear, clasped his hands together and began to pray fervently, "Evil ghost, stay away from me!"

Alice, ever practical, kicked him in the shin. "Get serious, Garrett! Now's not the time for this!" They started arguing, their voices rising in the tense atmosphere.

The Mayor lay on the ground, his mouth wide open. Blood oozed from his body, not in the usual manner but as a mist. The crimson fog swirled and gathered in the air, slowly condensing into a figure.

As the shape took form, details became clear: a man with a fair complexion, wearing a black suit and holding a cane stick. His eyes were an eerie, piercing red, and his extraordinary demeanor exuded an unsettling mix of elegance and menace.

Dwayne and Ruchir took their stances, ready for whatever came next. Ruchir, his voice tight with anxiety, asked, "Scholar Dwayne, what is happening? Do you recognize this phenomenon?"

Dwayne's eyes narrowed as he studied the figure. "I'm not sure, Ruchir. This is unlike anything I've seen before.

The Mayor's blood...it's forming into something sentient. This could be the work of dark magic, or perhaps a blood demon."

Garrett, in disbelief, almost fainted. His face pale, he shouted, "Ghost! This is a real ghost! We're doomed! This is it! I knew it! We're all going to die here!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Garrett, will you shut up and focus? Panicking won't help us now!"

The figure fully formed, standing tall and ominous. His fair complexion contrasted starkly with his red eyes, which glinted with a malevolent intelligence.

He adjusted his black suit casually, as if the situation were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. His cane, topped with a gleaming silver handle, added to his sinister aura.

Dwayne and Ruchir remained poised, their weapons ready. "Stay alert," Dwayne warned. "We don't know what this entity is capable of."

Ruchir nodded, gripping his calligraphy brush tighter. "I'm ready, Scholar Dwayne. We'll face this together."

The figure finished his adjustments and sharpened his gaze upon the group. With a chilling smile, he spoke, "Oh, little ones, what's the hurry? The night is still long, and the true festival is about to begin."

His voice was smooth and mocking, sending shivers down their spines. Garrett, barely able to stand, mumbled incoherently, "Festival? No, no, this is bad. This is really bad. Why did I even come here? I should've stayed home."

Alice shot him a glare. "Garrett, pull yourself together! We need you to focus!"

The figure's smile widened as he stepped closer, the mist of blood still lingering around him like a sinister aura. "Yes, the true festival will begin now," he repeated, his tone dripping with malevolence.

Dwayne and Ruchir exchanged a glance, their determination solidifying in the face of this new threat. "We won't let you harm anyone else," Ruchir declared, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.

The entity chuckled, a low, dark sound that echoed through the room. "Brave words, little ones. But bravery alone won't save you."

Dwayne tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes never leaving the figure. "We'll see about that. Prepare yourselves!"

As the tension mounted, the figure lifted his cane, the silver handle gleaming ominously in the dim light. "Let the festival commence," he intoned, his red eyes blazing with anticipation.