Unbroken Will, Unseen Threat

Derek's eyes snapped open.

The world was still.

For a moment, he expected the illusion to twist again, to pull him back into another false reality—but nothing changed. The suffocating weight of artificial perfection was gone, replaced by the cold bite of night air and the rustling of unseen creatures in the distance. The damp scent of the forest returned, grounding him in the present.

It was over.

He exhaled slowly, his breath curling in the air like smoke. His fingers twitched, still expecting to find something—anything—unnatural lingering in his body after what he had just endured. But there was nothing.

His mind was intact.

His pulse was steady.

And that was when it truly sank in.

They tried to break me.

The witches—whoever they were—had reached into his mind, tried to drown him in the past, to drag him down into his own memories and fears. And yet, he was still here. Standing. Whole. Untouched.

recalling all of those memories frustrated him but even that couldn't prevent a dry chuckle from escaping his lips. "That all you've got!!!?". his blood was boiling, He wanted more . but his sole answer was ,silence.

His gaze drifted across the darkened treetops, searching for unseen eyes in the shadows. They were watching. He could feel it.

They had expected him to crumble. To kneel.

They had underestimated him. but he could feel it there was to it more to come.

Rolling his shoulders, Derek tested his body. His strength was still there. His mind, though weary, was sharper than ever. The void had done far worse to him than a carefully crafted illusion ever could.

But now what?

He wasn't foolish enough to think they would just let him go after this. No, they had put him through that for a reason. it was a kind of a trial because if they wanted him dead they would have shown up as they did earlier. And if they weren't showing themselves yet, that meant one thing: they were deciding what to do with him.

He smirked, clenching his fists. "Take your time, ladies."

The fire he had made earlier had long since died, leaving only faint embers in the dirt. With a sigh, Derek crouched beside it, gathering his thoughts. He had no idea how long he had been trapped in that illusion, but his body still felt as though only minutes had passed.

The night stretched on, silent and waiting.

Then—

A shift in the air.

Derek stiffened.

He wasn't alone anymore.

back to the Queen's castle, a few minutes ago, in the magic amplified chamber Silence hung over like a thick mist. The flickering candlelight barely illuminated the tension settling between the gathered witches.

The illusion had collapsed.

Derek was still standing.

And that was not what they had expected.

Mei Duskbloom stood at the center of the room, her iridescent eyes narrowing as the magic threads of her illusion dissipated. "Unbelievable," she murmured, her voice laced with something between admiration and frustration. "Even after increasing the intensity, he never lost himself in the vision."

Nymeria Nightveil remained composed, but a slight tilt of her head betrayed her intrigue. "His mind is stronger than it should be," she said, her silver gaze flickering toward the Queen. "Far stronger than we anticipated."

Selene Thornweave tapped a slender finger against the armrest of her chair adorned with an enchanted golden ring . "No ordinary man could resist an assault of that scale," she mused. "Even seasoned witches have crumbled under Mei's illusions."

Across from her, Valeria Stormrune scoffed. "You speak as though we should be afraid," she said, arms crossed. "If anything, this proves he's worthy of consideration."

Nyx Vesperia, draped in midnight-blue robes, exhaled softly. "Worthy? Or dangerous?" she countered, her deep obsidian eyes unreadable. "A mind that refuses to break is a mind that is difficult to control."

The chamber fell into a pensive silence.

Then, the Witch Queen spoke.

"He is unlike any intruder we have encountered," she said, her voice calm yet absolute. "He has walked through darkness and emerged unshaken. The era of peace is ending, new powers are emerging, and he might prove to be a wild card in the future."

A slow, knowing smile curled her lips. "And that makes him valuable."

A ripple of unease passed between the council members. Even those who had been in favor of observing Derek seemed unsettled by the Queen's certainty.

Nymeria was the first to break the silence. "You intend to let him stay?"

The Queen's blue eyes gleamed. "For now."

And so, their decision took shape.

back in the forest

Derek tensed.

The air itself seemed to shift, thickening with an unseen pressure. Something was emerging.

From the darkness, a figure stepped forward—tall, imposing, effortless in her grace. Her raven-black hair cascaded down her back like liquid night, untouched by the wind. Piercing silver eyes glowed, undimmed even by the forest's shadows. Her cloak, woven from black and indigo, shifted unnaturally, as if it were alive, a thing made of shadows and whispers.

Power radiated from her. Not the kind that crackled like unstable magic, nor the overwhelming force of sheer brute strength—but something colder, more absolute. An authority that did not demand submission, because it was already an unshakable fact of reality.

Derek's instincts screamed.

This was not like the witches he had encountered before. This woman was different.

Stronger.

For the first time since waking in this world, Derek felt something stir in his gut. Not just tension. Not just uncertainty.

Something dangerously close to fear.