Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine-Chapter 54: Preparing for the War: Part-2

Pride, Leo, and Valra sat in the quiet living room, the light dimmed by the descending dusk outside. The atmosphere had shifted—no longer relaxed or playful. A quiet seriousness hung between them as they discussed the war.

Valra sat upright as she began

"From what I’ve studied... most past wars didn’t take place in this world. The relic... it creates a separate space for it. A realm just for the battle. Unique. Isolated. Different every time. You can’t track it. You can’t predict it. The only rule is—it exists solely for war."

Leo exhaled slowly, nodding. That complicated things. Even if they were ready, the battlefield itself could work against them.

Valra continued,

"So we stay together. No matter what happens, we stick together until the end. That’s our best shot at surviving."

"So far, here’s what we know," she added after a pause, counting off her fingers. "Kai, the Master of Wrath. We’ve already encountered him. Then there’s Ophis, the Master of Gluttony—"

"And Greed," Leo interrupted, "whose master is still unknown."

Valra nodded. "Yes. And the other two... we know nothing. The Master of Lust and the Master of Sloth. Not even their champions have shown up yet. No trace, no clues."

Her voice dropped into a thoughtful murmur. "They’re hidden pieces... and that makes them the most dangerous."

Leo leaned back, resting his elbows on his knees. His mind was racing, but he didn’t let it show. "Still... no point in wasting energy worrying about enemies we haven’t seen. We should focus on the ones we do know."

Pride nodded in quiet agreement, arms crossed.

Their conversation slowly shifted to planning—strategizing against Nergal, whose strength and rage were already familiar, and against Gluttony, who had manifested as a grotesque, bat-like creature. Each required a different approach, and time was already working against them.

As they spoke, hours passed unnoticed.

At some point, Leo tilted his head toward Valra. "I need a few things. Can you ask your Champion to get them for me?"

Valra nodded with hesitation, "I... I can do that. Just tell me what you need."

In her mind, however, Envy’s voice exploded almost immediately.

/...Now I’m your errand boy? Running favours for your lover? Seriously? Talk about gratitude. If I hadn’t pushed you, you wouldn’t have even made it past his door—let alone into his hea—/

/Envy!/

/Tsk, fine, fine... unbelievable. Can’t believe this is happening, Master./

Valra rolled her eyes and ignored his complaints. Despite his grumbling, Envy still did the work.... Always.

Soon after, Raphael arrived from the kitchen, placing steaming dishes on the table with a satisfied smile.

"Food’s ready. Wash up, all of you!"

Everyone stood and headed to wash their hands. Leo stayed behind to help her with the table, quietly assisting as they laid out plates and serving spoons.

Finally, everyone took their seats around the table. The scent of warm spices and grilled meat filled the room. Silence reigned for the first few bites, the food speaking for itself.

"So?" Raphael asked the two girls with a slight smirk. "How is it?"

Pride simply nodded, her voice soft. "It’s good."

Valra, however, lifted her eyes with sincerity. "I’ve never eaten something this tasty before."

Raphael smiled proudly. "Oh? I’m glad to hear that."

Valra beamed, sneaking a glance at Leo. He smiled back at her, subtly amused. She was clearly trying to make a good impression on his aunt—and she wasn’t being subtle about it either.

It was painfully obvious.

And Raphael, of course, noticed. She took one look at Valra’s glowing face, then at Leo’s smile, and her inner voice immediately screamed:

’These girls... danger!’

Something primal inside her sent a warning flare straight to her brain.

Still, she kept smiling.

Dinner continued with small talk, but soon shifted toward more personal questions. Raphael turned her attention toward Pride.

"So, Cael, right?... You said you’re his partner. What does that mean exactly? Where are you from? What do you do? Which school are you in?"

Her questions were rapid and oddly intense.

Leo, without missing a beat, jumped in to answer.

"She’s a partner in the new project I’ve been working on recently. Since it’s a school project, I couldn’t tell you about it until the sports festival. She’s from a neighbouring city and hasn’t been going to school because her parents couldn’t afford it, so she’s working part-time with me."

He crafted answers so smoothly, so flawlessly, that even Valra found herself blinking in disbelief.

He was lying. Effortlessly. Without flinching. Every sentence came out naturally, convincingly, as if he’d rehearsed the role.

He knew his aunt wouldn’t sit around when he brought an unknown girl to their house.

Valra stared at him in surprise. ’He’s good... I need to be careful around him,’ she thought. She was genuinely impressed—and mildly disturbed.

Eventually, the plates were cleared, the dishes cleaned, and the energy in the house dropped.

Raphael yawned, eyes heavy. She hadn’t truly rested since the incident at the school, and now it showed. Her steps slowed as she turned to the trio.

"You kids... have you informed your parents? If not, I’ll go ahead and—"

Before she could finish, Valra suddenly leaned forward without a word, her expression calm and oddly serene. From her lips, she blew out a gentle puff of golden dust—soft, shimmering, and almost invisible.

Raphael blinked once, her eyes catching the faint glint of the dust in the air. Her face slowly relaxed.

Her eyes drooped halfway.

Her body slumped forward without resistance, her head tilting as she fell gently onto the table with a soft thud. Her breathing steadied, slow and deep, her chest rising and falling in peaceful rhythm.

She had fallen fast asleep, completely unconscious.

Leo stood up immediately, his chair scraping slightly. His brows drew together, and his voice was low and tense. "Valra... what the hell did you just do?"

Valra met his glare with complete calmness. Her golden eyes held no guilt or hesitation.

"Don’t worry, Leo," she said softly. "It’s just a sleeping dose. Completely harmless. She’s not in any danger."

She paused, brushing a strand of her long brown hair back behind her ear as she glanced at Raphael.

"She needed this rest. She was clearly exhausted, running on nerves and guilt, constantly worried about you. This way, she can finally sleep peacefully. Her body and mind needed it more than she realized."

Leo didn’t speak right away. His jaw tightened, and he looked from Valra down to his aunt lying motionless on the table.

She looked so peaceful now.

No tension on her face. No stress in her expression. Just calm, as if she had finally been allowed to relax.

Leo slowly let out a breath, his shoulders sagging. Then, carefully, he bent down and cradled her body in his arms.

Without saying anything further, he turned and carried her to her bedroom in silence. The door creaked softly as he entered. It was the first time he’d ever stepped into her private space.

He looked around.

It was plain. She didn’t have much—a small shelf with a few books, a neat stack of folded clothes, and a simple bed in the corner. No personal decorations. No photos. Just... quiet simplicity.

He walked to the bed and gently laid her down, adjusting her head on the pillow. He reached for the quilt and tucked her in softly, making sure she was warm. Then he noticed her glasses slipping from her face. He carefully removed them, folding them neatly and placing them on the bedside table. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

He leaned down slightly, his gaze fixed on her face.

"Sleep well, Raphael,"

He whispered, barely audible, as if afraid to wake her.

He stood there for a long moment, just watching her. Something tugged inside his chest.

He wasn’t sure what would happen to him anymore.

He had come to this world for a reason. A reason that still felt like a mystery—clouded, heavy, written by something beyond his control. No matter how hard he tried to run from it, fate dragged him back into its grasp.

Leo clenched his jaw softly.

He knew it better than anyone—fate didn’t care about what you wanted. Even if he tried to hold on to a family, to stay, to be happy... fate had its own cruel path.

He raised his hand and gently brushed aside a few strands of her hair from her forehead. His fingers lingered on her skin for a moment, then he bent down and pressed a quiet, tender kiss to her forehead.

"If I come back alive..." he whispered, a small, sad smile tugging at his lips, "I’d love to tease you more."

*****

Meanwhile, far away in the dark and towering castle, the night was filled with cold silence. On a massive throne made of twisted black stone, Dracula sat, his crimson eyes settled on the two figures kneeling before him.

His daughter, Ophis, had her head bowed in loyalty and fear.

And beside her, Camaztoz, silent and tense.

Dracula tapped his finger against the side of his throne and addressed,

"My daughter, you already know what’s at stake. Do not disappoint me."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"This war is yours to win. Take the Relic before the others do. Bring it to me."

Ophis lifted her head slightly. Her voice was strong, though laced with pressure.

"Yes, Father. I will not fail. I’ll win this."

Dracula nodded once, slowly.

"Failing to do so," he added, his tone darkening, "and I will end you. Just like I ended, your siblings who let me down."

His voice cracked through the room like a whip, and at the same time, an invisible wave of pressure flooded the chamber. The air thickened. The stone floor trembled slightly.

It wasn’t just directed at Ophis—Camaztoz felt it too. His eyes widened, breath tightening in his throat as his muscles tensed.

Ophis gritted her teeth. Her body trembled as she forced herself not to collapse under the weight of her father’s power. She clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her palms, and managed to nod.

"Y-Yes, Father!! I... I understand!"

Dracula’s lips curled into a cold smirk. He leaned back slowly, his power retreating just as suddenly as it had arrived.

But then, something shifted.

A strange pulse—gentle but deep—rippled through the hall.

Dracula’s eyes sharpened. He turned his head toward the open windows of his throne room. A faint vibration filled the air.

Camaztoz flinched. He looked up, his instincts tingling.

"The Relic... It’s revealed itself, Master,"

He muttered, almost reverently.

Dracula stood from his throne without a word, his cloak trailing behind like smoke. He walked toward the open balcony, stepping out under the night sky.

And there it was.

A beam of pure blue light ascended from the earth, reaching toward the heavens. It shimmered like liquid sapphire, beautiful and terrifying all at once, dancing against the darkness above.

Only those chosen—Champions and Masters bound by them—could see or sense it.

The Relic had awakened.

Dracula’s smile twisted with hunger and confidence. His eyes gleamed.

"Well then..." he whispered, voice low and sharp like a dagger. "Hunt them all."

Behind him, both Ophis and Camaztoz stood, heads lowered in obedience, though Ophis glanced once more at the sky and saw only darkness.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦