chapter 177 betrayal

The Death of Trust – Black Mist's True Face

Cute Mist stood in front of Black Mist, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

She still carried that same childish confidence, that reckless charm that had kept her alive all these years. She still believed.

She believed that no matter what, Black Mist would never betray her.

She was wrong.

The room was silent. The elders watched with cold amusement, their expressions carefully neutral. They had already won. Now, they just had to see it unfold.

Black Mist finally spoke.

"You disappointed me."

Her voice was calm. Emotionless.

Cute Mist blinked, the smirk on her face faltering for the first time.

"What?"

Black Mist stood up slowly, her gaze never leaving Cute Mist's. "You stood there and watched Mirsha get humiliated. You watched as our guild's authority was questioned. And you did nothing."

Cute Mist frowned, confusion flickering across her face. "I—what? Mirsha isn't some helpless kid. She got herself into that mess. Why should I—"

"You defied the elders."

Black Mist's voice was sharp now, cutting through Cute Mist's words like a blade.

"You chose to stand against the guild, against me."

Against me.

Cute Mist took a step back, her stomach twisting.

She stared at her sister, searching her face for any sign that this was a joke, some kind of test.

But Black Mist's expression remained cold. Empty.

Not angry. Not disappointed.

Just… distant.

As if she were looking at a stranger.

Or worse.

As if she were looking at someone already dead.

---

The Breaking Point – Cute Mist's Heart Shatters

The realization hit her all at once.

The distant looks. The whispers behind her back. The way the elders had been so confident when they called her here.

They planned this.

She planned this.

Her own sister.

The pain was instant, like a knife twisting in her chest.

Cute Mist felt sick.

"You're kidding, right?" she laughed, but the sound was hollow. "C'mon, sis. You're joking. You always act tough in front of these guys, but you wouldn't actually—"

"Enough."

Black Mist's voice carried finality.

And Cute Mist realized…

This wasn't a joke.

This wasn't an act.

This was real.

The one person she had always trusted had never trusted her back.

And the worst part?

Black Mist didn't even look angry.

She looked bored.

As if Cute Mist wasn't even worth her time anymore.

As if she had already stopped being her sister.

As if she had already stopped mattering.

---

The Last Words

Cute Mist's hands trembled. She opened her mouth to speak, to beg, to fight, to do something—anything— but she already knew the truth.

It wouldn't matter.

Nothing she said would change this.

Black Mist had made her choice.

And now?

Now, Cute Mist had to face it.

A bitter smile formed on her lips.

"So, that's how it is, huh?" she whispered.

Black Mist didn't answer.

She didn't need to.

The silence said everything.

The Exile – A Sister Cast Aside

The council chamber was suffocatingly silent.

Cute Mist's words lingered in the air—"So, that's how it is, huh?"—but they might as well have been spoken to a wall.

Black Mist didn't react.

The elders didn't react.

It was as if her presence no longer existed.

Then, finally, Black Mist spoke.

"Leave."

Her voice was cold, distant—not a suggestion, not a warning, but an order.

Cute Mist flinched.

For the first time in her life, she felt something she never expected to feel from Black Mist.

Disgust.

Not at Black Mist—from her.

Like she was a problem that needed to be removed.

Like she was nothing.

---

The Breaking of a Bond

Cute Mist took a shaky breath, forcing out a smirk. "Oh, I get it. You're just trying to scare me, right? Give me a little wake-up call?" She laughed, but it sounded empty. "C'mon, sis. You're not serious—"

Black Mist raised a hand.

The room fell deathly still.

The elders watched in eerie silence, as if they had seen this coming long before Cute Mist had.

"I said, leave," Black Mist repeated.

This time, her voice held something new.

Finality.

No second chances.

Cute Mist's smile broke.

She stared at her sister—her leader, her family, the one person she had never thought would turn on her.

And in Black Mist's cold, empty gaze, she finally saw the truth.

She was serious.

This wasn't a test.

This wasn't a warning.

This wasn't a game.

She was done with her.

Cute Mist's stomach twisted. "You really mean it," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Black Mist didn't answer.

She didn't need to.

---

The Final Blow – The Price of Betrayal

An elder leaned forward, smirking.

"This isn't a punishment, Cute Mist," he said smoothly. "It's an opportunity."

Another elder chuckled. "Consider yourself lucky. If Black Mist wasn't so… merciful, this could've ended much worse for you."

Cute Mist clenched her fists.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to fight.

She wanted to say something, anything, to make this stop.

But then—

Black Mist spoke one last time.

"There's nothing left for you here."

And that was it.

With those words, everything ended.

The guild she helped build.

The reputation she had fought for.

The sister she had loved unconditionally.

Gone.

Just like that.

Cute Mist felt her heart break into a thousand pieces.

But she swallowed the pain.

She would not cry.

She would not beg.

She would not give them the satisfaction.

Instead, she took a deep breath, raised her chin, and turned around.

And without another word—

She walked away.

A Cruel Offer – The Last Humiliation

Cute Mist had already turned her back on them.

Her heart was in pieces, but she refused to let them see her break.

She would leave with her pride intact.

But just as she was about to step through the grand doors of the council chamber—

A voice stopped her.

"Wait."

She froze.

Slowly, she turned her head, only to see one of the elders smirking at her. He leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, as if he was enjoying himself.

"Perhaps we were too harsh," he mused, stroking his chin. "After all, mistakes can be forgiven… if the guilty party is willing to repent."

The other elders chuckled.

Cute Mist's stomach twisted.

She knew where this was going.

But the elder wasn't done.

He tilted his head, his smirk widening. "Beg."

Silence.

The word echoed like a gunshot.

Cute Mist stiffened, her breath catching.

"Get on your knees," the elder continued, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Apologize for your failures. Admit you were wrong. Swear loyalty to the guild… to your sister."

His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Maybe then, we'll reconsider your punishment."

---

A Moment of Weakness – The Temptation of Pride

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

For the first time since this nightmare began, Cute Mist hesitated.

She wanted to spit in his face.

She wanted to curse them all.

But then—

1,000 million credits.

Her position.

Her home.

It would all be gone.

Her entire life had been built inside this guild.

If she left now, she had nothing. No allies. No resources. No future.

And Black Mist…

Black Mist was still silent.

Watching.

Waiting.

Would she stop this if Cute Mist begged?

Would she save her?

Or had she truly abandoned her?

Cute Mist's hands shook.

A deep, bitter part of her whispered—just do it.

Bow your head.

Say the words.

Swallow your pride.

Maybe… maybe she could still fix this.

Maybe Black Mist didn't want to do this. Maybe she was waiting for an excuse to take her back.

Maybe…

---

The Choice – Breaking the Chains

Then, Cute Mist made the mistake of looking at her sister.

And in Black Mist's eyes, she saw it.

Nothing.

No regret.

No hesitation.

No hidden sympathy.

Black Mist was not waiting for her to beg.

She was waiting to see if she would break.

And in that instant—everything became clear.

This was never about forgiveness.

This was never about a second chance.

This was a test.

They wanted to see how much they could take from her.

They wanted to see how low she would fall.

They wanted to see if she was truly worthless.

And Cute Mist…

She was done.

Her trembling stopped.

Her breath steadied.

She smiled.

And then, she laughed.

Not a forced, bitter laugh. A real one.

The elders frowned.

Black Mist's eyes narrowed.

Cute Mist turned around fully, facing them all with a grin. "You almost had me," she admitted, shaking her head. "For a second, I thought you were serious."

She placed a hand on her chest, as if calming her breath. "Beg? Me? In front of you lot?" She let out a low whistle. "Wow. You really think I'm that desperate."

The elder's smirk faltered.

Cute Mist's eyes turned sharp. "Let me tell you something."

She took a step forward.

"I may have lost everything today. My guild. My rank. My so-called 'family.'" Her gaze flickered to Black Mist for a moment before she looked back at the elders.

"But I'd rather have nothing than be a pathetic dog licking your boots."

The air crackled.

The elder's smirk was gone. Now, he was scowling.

Cute Mist let her smirk widen. "So, thanks for the offer, old man. But I think I'll pass."

She turned around again, striding toward the door.

And this time—

No one stopped her.