Chapter 31

Ivanna's vision blurs as Overseer's grip tightens around her throat. Her consciousness drifts, slipping away with every passing second. The burning pain in her lungs barely registers now.

In the fading light of her mind, a memory surfaces—her big sister, Su Ah.

"Big sis… I hope you can be proud of me,"* she thinks, her weakening heart aching more than her body. *"You always had so much courage. No matter how much they tortured you, you never broke. You endured everything… and still managed to smile."

Tears well up in her eyes, but they don't fall.

"I wanted to help you. I wanted to hug you just once more."

But the last time they had seen each other, Su Ah does'nt recognized her anymore.

She had changed—her warmth stripped away, replaced by something cold and empty. Like a machine without a heart.

"I prayed for you every night," Ivanna thinks, her last desperate wish forming in her mind.

"I don't care if I die here. But please… please, let someone save you, big sis."

"Thank you… for being a sister to me."

As Ivanna's consciousness drifts, she remembers the first time she met Su Ah. Back then, she was just an intern—newly deployed at the hotel where Su Ah worked as a manager.

Ivanna had always been alone. An orphan who clawed her way through life, doing every kind of part-time job just to survive, just to finish her studies and earn a diploma.She had no one to rely on. Her relatives never checked on her, not even when her father passed away.

Then, when life became unbearable, her mother fell into depression… and eventually, she took her own life.

Ivanna had no family. No home, no warmth, no one to share her burdens with.

And then…there was Su Ah.

A woman who, despite her own hardships, treated Ivanna like a younger sister. Someone who looked out for her, guided her, and made her feel like she mattered.

"Meeting you… was a blessing," Ivanna thinks as darkness starts to take over.

"I'm really unlucky… I bring disaster to those around me."

Ivanna's thoughts grow heavier as her consciousness fades.It's almost funny, in a cruel way—how someone like her, cursed with misfortune, has wings that make her look like an angel.

An angel should bring hope, should bring light… but all she has ever done is bring pain to those she loves.

"Maybe if you never got to know me… if you never got close to me… you wouldn't have suffered."

Her heart aches at the thought. Su Ah, her big sister in everything but blood, always protected her. Always fought for her, endured pain for her. And now, Su Ah is lost—turned into someone unrecognizable, stripped of the warmth Ivanna once admired.

"I'm really sorry, Big Sis… for bringing you nothing but misfortune."

A tear slips from the corner of her eye. She doesn't even know if it's from the pain in her body or the pain in her heart.

---

"Leave her alone!"

My voice tears through the air, raw and furious.

A scorching heat surges through my body, something dark, something primal. My vision blurs, but when it sharpens again, everything looks different.The world around me seems distant—as if I no longer belong to it.

I feel it. The change.

My skin burns, but instead of pain, there's power—overwhelming, intoxicating. My once human form shifts, dark shadows wrapping around me like living armor. My eyes—I can feel them shift, turning fully black with crimson streaks like the fires of the abyss.

An unnatural growl escapes my lips. It doesn't even sound like me anymore.

Overseer pauses for the first time, his grip on Ivanna loosening slightly. His expression—twisted amusement—shifts into something else.

Surprise.

But I don't care.

I lunge. Faster than before, faster than my own thoughts. I am no longer bound by limits. No longer human.

I am something else.

---

Milena feels the surge of energy rippling through the air, an overwhelming force unlike anything she has sensed before. The Core. It's reacting violently, pulsating with raw, unrestrained power.

Her eyes widen in realization. This energy—it's connected to Su Yan.

Reaching out with her telepathic abilities, Milena desperately tries to locate her. But the moment she establishes a connection, an immense pressure crashes down on her mind like a tidal wave. The sheer magnitude of Su Yan's power sends shivers down her spine.

"This is bad…" Milena mutters, clenching her fists. This isn't just an awakening—this is Su Yan's first Hybrid transformation.

But something is wrong. This power… it isn't normal. It isn't just a hybrid awakening—it's the power of a transcendent.

Milena's heart pounds. If Su Yan cannot control it… it will destroy her.

Milena hears Kaelen's voice echo in her mind, steady yet urgent.

**"Child, connect me with my other half. Can you do it?"**

She clenches her jaw, understanding the weight of his request. Kaelen, still trapped in the subspace, is bound by an immense force—a restriction so powerful that even he cannot break free. But despite his limitations, his concern for Su Yan is unwavering.

Milena closes her eyes, focusing.

"I will try," she responds, determination settling in her heart. "But the power keeping you bound is beyond anything I've dealt with before."

She reaches out, extending her consciousness, searching for the bridge that ties Kaelen and Dylan together. If she can just establish a link… even if Kaelen cannot physically reach her, perhaps his presence alone could bring Su Yan back from the abyss before it's too late.

Kaelen lets out a low chuckle, his voice echoing through the telepathic link.

"It's still strange talking to myself like this," he muses.

On the other side, Dylan barely spares a moment for conversation, dodging a blazing strike from Scorch. He grits his teeth, countering with a sharp kick that forces his opponent back.

"What do you want?" Dylan asks, irritation lacing his voice.

Kaelen doesn't hesitate. "You already know. Su Yan's power is unstable. If she loses control—"

"I know,"Dylan interrupts, his voice tense. "I can feel it too. But my hands are full right now."

He blocks another attack, flipping back to gain distance."I'm fighting one of Overseer's lieutenants. If I slip up, I won't even make it to Su Yan."

Kaelen remains silent for a moment before speaking again, his tone grave.

Tang Su Yan unleashes another strike, her fist colliding with Overseer's defense like a thunderclap. The sheer force of the impact sends shockwaves through the air, cracking the ground beneath them. Her movements are faster, stronger—unfamiliar yet instinctual, as if this power had always been inside her, waiting to awaken.

Overseer stumbles back, forced onto the defensive. Yet, instead of frustration, a twisted amusement flickers across his face. His smirk widens, and his eyes gleam with excitement.

"I love your wildness, my beloved," he purrs, blocking another blow with his arm. Though he manages to hold his ground, the strain in his muscles is evident. "My hands are full just fending you off—how exhilarating!"

Su Yan does not respond. She doesn't need to. Her body moves on its own, striking with such speed and precision that even she struggles to comprehend it.

Overseer lets out a breathless chuckle, his voice thick with anticipation. "Yes! More! Let yourself be consumed by the darkness. Let your power take over your body!"

His laughter echoes through the battlefield, but Su Yan remains unfazed. The power within her surges, raging like a storm, untamed and relentless.

For the first time, she feels unstoppable.