Astrovoid Shower- Celestial University Book 2: A Bully Romance

Chapter 23: Shadows of Betrayal

Snatching Cree's staff and coating his hands into an ebony claw, both of them gave Lorena a nod as they flew past her at Cluster ready to fire both of them.

"Triangulum Australe!"

Her triangular prism trapped Cluster's limbs. Both of them raced to Cluster, slashing through them, ripping off their caged and frozen limb respectively.

Cluster groaned out in pain while he went to absorb their essence, stealing their energy.

"Hercules," quickly patching her ally up.

Destroying the limbs, Sehki went for the punch. Ainsley and Rigal quietly cheered to watch his slap, knee, and crash him, merging earth and fire into his makeshift cannon to crack his mask.

"Let's dismantle your cluster of terror," finishing him off with a volley of blows before going to strip and absorb their Void essence.

The Regal Void's tongue wrapped and strangled Sehki's body, slamming him into the floor. Twin and Ram stumbled over to Cluster's side, picking them back up, the former holding up Calypsa.

His body fizzled out from all the physical strife, barely able to fight his restraint.

"All that energy you mustered trying to play the heroic royal, gone to waste," taking their underlings and devouring parts of their body. Sehki watched them hide their squirms as their flesh was ripped and stolen as Calypsa seemed more drained and tired than usual, licking up what she coughed.

Cluster's hands slowly cracked and unmangled back and forth, wheezing and taking a deep breath.

"All of your allies willing to fight have fallen or fled," kicking him aside. "The other heirs aren't here to save you. And now, it's time for you to stop fighting your fate," lifting him up.

Lorena, Cree, Candy, no I won't let their efforts be in vain, spotting his teammate's staff and kicking it away to Calypsa, nudging her to do something. I have to stall for now.

"So," recalling his conversation with the Planetary Presidents, "all this effort and you almost got beaten by a bunch of barely legal adults and professors. Great job, Cluster," snickering, "glorious leader of the Astrovoids!"

"You laugh now, child. Yet you're just as naive as your parents."

"So you're the one who falsified the rumors to the Planetary Presidents? Why, was your past job not paying enough? If you're going to kill me, might as well show what's under that mask. Are you a Void masquerading as a fae, or a fae who transformed into a Void?"

Laughter was not the expected response.

"How cute. You think your parents were innocent? Why not ask the person who gave me that intel in the first place?"

"Because you're not standing in a mirror?"

"Oh how naive you are. Your closest ally has been standing right near you all this time."

Everyone else around was dead or gone. Sehki's eyes only darted to the person shaking her head at him.

"No."

Calypsa's voice cracked more than he had ever heard before. "He's lying!"

"Turning two people against each other? I already know your deal."

"Which one?"

His face stretched at that immediate response. "There were more?"

"He's speaking out of his rear!"

"How else would I know which child was auditioned by the other world leaders to infiltrate their children's group? Did you ever assume why she was so close to all of you?"

"He's lying, your parents allowed my family to live there!"

"Does he know why? If you're telling the truth, let him know."

Curiosity and concern dripped down his face, their eyes matching waiting for her response.

"She's the one who leaked your family harbored Voids so that hers would be spared from the other kingdoms when they learned the truth."

"Sehki, you have to believe me: I never told you about my parents, "speaking hastily. "They're dead!"

"Because the Voids your parents were housing killed hers! How fitting. You betrayed the world, she betrayed you, and both of you paid the price. A match made in Hades itself."

His head tilted to both of them, unsure of who to trust.

"Sehki, you're smarter than this: my parent's death was not your fault! Don't you think I would've told you that?"

"Or, did she not tell you? She would occasionally meet up with an affiliate who used Coma Berenices to take her memories so she couldn't even remember why? A spy's not truly genuine until they actually believe their own lies."

His brain was already heating up. "Then why would she try to rat my parents out?"

"Voids can take on the appearance of their victims. Hers were going to be the first ones to demonstrate that to your family. Could you blame the little child for wanting to protect her dear old mom and dad?"

Calypsa's head shook like an earthquake. "Don't fall for it, there's no proof!" She struggled to pull against Twin's grip, who was slowly feasting off her magic.

"Here's the proof itself," Cluster proclaimed, kneeling down to show him a younger image of a Void in a tube being watched by a younger version of his dad, a woman who looked oddly familiar, and a nearby staff smaller than the one he was the most experienced with.

"Cluster...is telling the truth?"

"Her goal since was to awaken your powers to gather the data of the constellation Quermas hid from his peers. With your about ripe, the Astrovoid Shower will soon commence. Thank you, Calypsa. You're free."

"Tell me he's not lying!"

Twin let her go. Left speechless, Sehki could only watch her head stare up at the sky, accepting her guilt. He looked around, at his unconscious allies.

All because he trusted her.

"So is this the part where you kill me?"

"Killing you was never the purpose," as Voids emerged from a switch they forced Sehki's hands to touch, surrounding the young male. "But this time, we don't need your spirit. Sacrificing your soul is the key to our salvation," charging a blade of light, winding their hand back.

"Perish."