Azure Echoes.

Chapter 27: Blood Ties and Betrayal

Lian's arms tightened around Zeng's body, pulling him closer as he felt the last warmth slip away. The room faded into a haze as he cradled Zeng's lifeless form, a roar of grief and rage rising within him. His gaze lifted to meet the leader, who stood in eerie awe, captivated by the scene before him.

For a long, silent moment, neither of them moved. The leader's eyes held a strange light as he looked upon Lian, a mixture of fascination and something darker, almost reverent.

"Why?" Lian's voice came out low and fierce, his words laced with venom. "Why didn't the relic drain my energy instead?"

The leader chuckled, stepping closer, his gloved fingers stretching out toward the relic that now pulsed with an ominous black and blue light, casting an otherworldly glow on the darkened hall. "Oh, Lian. The relic doesn't want you because you don't possess the Azure blood like he did," the leader said, gesturing briefly to Zeng's still form. "And more importantly, because we're bound by blood."

Lian's eyes narrowed, a flicker of confusion mingling with his fury. "Bound by blood?"

The leader's smirk deepened, a glint of pride shining in his eyes. "Yes. It's time you learned the truth, Lian. You come from this organization, from me. Venom—your true name—was given to you by me the day you were born. Your father was one of us. He was supposed to carry on our legacy, to perfect and complete our work. But he abandoned it all, leaving us behind... leaving me behind."

Lian's mind raced, trying to reconcile this shocking revelation. "You... you knew my father?"

The leader's expression hardened. "He was my brother. We grew up together, trained together, but when he ran, he left us in disgrace. He tried to start anew, to give you a 'normal' life, far from this... far from me." He laughed bitterly. "But like father, like son. It seems leaving me wasn't enough—he had to take you with him, leaving me to rebuild what he'd abandoned."

Lian's gaze dropped, the weight of these revelations pressing down on him, yet the fury bubbling inside him only grew. "You dragged me back here, all for some twisted sense of loyalty?"

The leader's smile returned, thin and cold. "I've waited years to see you step into your true destiny, to reclaim the birthright your father denied you. You were always meant to stand by my side, Venom. Your talents, your resilience... your ability to create poisons that surpass even my wildest expectations—you're a perfect match for the legacy he left behind."

The relic flickered ominously, drawing the leader's attention once more as he reached out his hand, pausing inches from its glowing surface. Lian tensed, his fists clenching tighter around Zeng's lifeless form as he watched.

"What are you doing?" Lian demanded.

The leader's smirk grew as he glanced at Lian. "Oh, I'm merely... completing what we started," he replied, his voice reverberating with satisfaction. "With Zeng's Azure essence finally absorbed into the relic, the full power of the Azure line is mine to wield. And with it, our organization will become unstoppable. I will become unstoppable."

He pressed his hand against the relic, and an eerie hum filled the air as the relic wrapped it's energy around his hand, its dark light growing in intensity. Shadows danced along the walls as the energy from the relic began to pulse through the room, feeding the energy to the leader.

Lian forced himself to look away from Zeng, his heart hammering with a newfound resolve. "This... all of this," he whispered to himself, his gaze hardening, "it's not over. Not yet."

As the leader became lost in his reverie, basking in the power coursing through him, Lian gently laid Zeng's body down, his mind racing. He had one last chance—one last shot at tearing down this twisted legacy and ending the suffering the Black Veil had caused.

Straightening, he locked eyes with the leader, his voice cold and steady. "You may think you've won," he said, his words like a hiss, "but this legacy ends with you. You'll pay for everything you've done."

The leader laughed, the sound echoing around them. "Oh, Lian," he sneered. "You've always had a defiant streak, but now? It's too late. The Azure power is in my hands. And you, my dear Venom... will join me whether you like it or not."

But Lian's resolve only hardened, his grief transforming into steely determination. The leader had made one mistake: he'd given Lian a reason to fight back with everything he had. And Lian was prepared to bring every ounce of that fury crashing down upon the Black Veil.