Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives-Chapter 245: Different Story

Warlock Ch 245. Different Story

Aria was leaning against a column near the edge of the ballroom, her sharp eyes fixed on the trio. Her expression was unreadable, but there was something in her gaze—intensity, curiosity, maybe even anger. Her focus, however, lingered the longest on Damian.

He was just like him. Kaelan.

Aria's chest tightened as the thought took root, refusing to be ignored. The way Damian stood, the way he moved—it was uncanny. Even now, watching him laugh with Evelyn and Cassius, his body language was eerily familiar. She could almost hear Kaelan's voice, teasing and lighthearted, blending seamlessly into theirs.

It was the same.

Kaelan had always been at ease with Evelyn and Cassius. They'd been a team, a family of sorts. Seeing them now, so natural even in the midst of this formal charade, made Aria's stomach twist. Because she was supposed to be part of that too, once. She was supposed to be closest to Kaelan.

But that was a lifetime ago. A different story entirely. One that didn't end the way it should have.

Aria glanced down at her glass, swirling the dark liquid absently as memories flooded her mind. Back then, things had been simpler—or at least, they seemed that way now. Kaelan had been her anchor, her constant in a world that often felt overwhelming. And then… everything changed.

They had taken separate paths.

She had chosen to pursue magic as a mage, a path that demanded discipline and loyalty to the system. Kaelan, on the other hand, had become a warlock—a choice that immediately set him apart. Their paths diverged, and before she realized it, a gulf had formed between them, one that only grew wider with time.

Her grip tightened on the glass. 'It wasn't just the paths,' she thought bitterly. 'It was me.'

She'd made choices. Choices that she regretted more than she cared to admit. When the senators had turned their attention to Kaelan, labeling him a threat, she had sided with them. She let herself be manipulated, fed half-truths and lies that painted Kaelan as dangerous, untrustworthy.

And she'd believed them. She had fought him. Fought against him, over and over again, until one day, he was gone.

Disappeared.

Her fault.

The realization burned, even now. She had pieced the truth together too late—discovered the lies, the manipulation, the cruelty of the senators only after Kaelan was gone. Whether dead or simply lost, she didn't know. But the guilt? That was eternal.

Her gaze drifted back to Damian. She didn't know if it was true—if he really was Kaelan reborn. It didn't make sense. Victoria had a grudge against Kaelan, didn't she? If Damian truly was him, wouldn't she want to kill him?

Her heart ached at the thought. And yet, if it was him…

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought. 'He's not Kaelan.' He couldn't be. But the senators… they were still watching him, still circling like vultures. If they suspected anything, if they believed Damian could become a threat, they wouldn't hesitate to act.

And that was why she stayed. Why she played their games, sat through their tedious meetings, pretended to be one of them. Because someone had to keep an eye on them. Someone had to make sure they didn't destroy another Kaelan.

"Aria," a smooth voice interrupted her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

She turned to see Senator Ralvek approaching, his pale face impassive but his sharp eyes gleaming with curiosity. Behind him were two other senators, their expressions carefully neutral.

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"Senator Ralvek," Aria said evenly, inclining her head slightly. "How can I help you?"

Ralvek's lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I was curious about your thoughts on tonight's announcement. Victoria's little… heroes."

Her eyes flicked toward Damian, Evelyn, and Cassius. "They seem competent. They handled Varak and Seraphis, didn't they?"

Ralvek hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, but at what cost? Outsiders meddling in vampire affairs—it sets a dangerous precedent."

"Perhaps," Aria replied, her tone carefully measured. "But Victoria wouldn't have involved them without reason."

"Reason or desperation?" one of the other senators muttered, his tone dripping with disdain.

Ralvek waved a hand dismissively. "Regardless, they're here now. And Victoria has tied her name to them. That makes them our concern."

Aria's gaze hardened slightly. "If they've earned her trust, shouldn't that be enough?"

Ralvek's smile widened, though it remained as cold as ever. "You're quite protective of them, Aria. Why is that?"

She held his gaze, refusing to flinch. "I simply prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict. We have enough enemies without turning on each other."

Ralvek studied her for a moment longer before nodding slowly. "Of course. Wise as always."

His gaze lingered, as if he were testing her, waiting for her to reveal something more. Aria held her ground, her expression calm and unreadable. She had spent decades perfecting that mask, and now was not the time to falter.

Another senator, a woman named Lenira, stepped closer. Her crimson dress shimmered as she moved, the deep neckline and delicate lace giving her an air of understated menace. "Wise, perhaps," Lenira said, her voice smooth and slightly mocking, "but don't you find it curious, Aria? Victoria's so-called heroes… doesn't it feel like they've come out of nowhere? Almost as if they were planted here."

Aria turned her head slightly, meeting Lenira's piercing gaze. "I don't see it that way. They've proven themselves capable, and Victoria is nothing if not strategic. If she trusts them, then they've earned it."

Lenira raised a delicate eyebrow. "Trust? Or convenience? You know how she is when it comes to protecting her own position. Perhaps these three are nothing more than pawns in her latest game."

Ralvek chuckled softly, his voice as smooth as silk. "Pawns or not, they're in the game now. And we should be paying attention. Especially to him." His gaze flicked meaningfully toward Damian.

Aria's stomach tightened, but her face betrayed nothing. "What about him?" she asked, her voice even.