## Liam''s Perspective


    My golden energy surged through my veins as I advanced on Dudley. His ck tendrils disintegrated against my aura like paper in me.


    "This isn''t possible!" Dudley stumbled backward, panic shing across his face. "The technique was supposed to be unbeatable!"


    Iughed coldly. "Nothing is unbeatable, Dudley. Especially not parlor tricks like this."


    From the corner of my eye, I caught Dominic Ashworth watching intently. His eyes narrowed, calcting my every move. I knew he was measuring me, weighing my worth as a threat.


    Let him see exactly what I was capable of.


    I channeled my energy into my right hand, forming a condensed sphere of golden light. The air crackled around it, heavy with raw power.


    "You want to see real strength?" I thrust my palm forward. "Let me show you!"


    The energy st shot forward, carving a path through the air. Dudley raised his ck shield desperately. The two energies collided in a spectacr explosion of light and darkness.


    For a moment, his defense held. Then cracks appeared in the ck energy, spreading like fractures in ss. Dudley''s eyes widened in horror just before his shield shatteredpletely.


    The force sent him flying backward. He crashed into a stone column, his body crumpling to the ground.


    "Is that all?" I called out, letting my golden light pulse brighter. "I''m disappointed."


    Julian''s smug expression had disappeared, reced by something colder and more calcting. He exchanged nces with Dominic, a silent message passing between them.


    Dudley pulled himself to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth. "You think... you''ve won?" He spat crimson onto the ground. "I''m just getting started."


    The ck energy around him changed, bing more fluid, more alive. It moved like smoke with purpose, swirling in hypnotic patterns.


    "Your physical strength is impressive," Dudley said, his voice eerily calm now. "But I wonder how strong your mind is."


    The darkness expanded, forming a dome that engulfed both of us, cutting off the spectators from view. Inside this shadow realm, only Dudley and I existed, his features barely visible in the gloom.


    "What is this?" I demanded, my golden light providing the only illumination.


    "A little trick I''ve been saving." Dudley''s voice seemed toe from everywhere at once. "Let''s see how you handle it."


    The darkness condensed, taking shape. First a silhouette, then details emerged—flowing dark hair, delicate features, a slender frame.


    My heart stopped.


    "Liam?" Isabelle''s voice, perfect in every detail. "Is that you?"


    My golden energy flickered as my concentration wavered. "This isn''t real," I growled, as much to convince myself as anything.


    The illusion of Isabelle stepped closer, her movements identical to the woman I loved. "What are you doing here? Have youe to save me?"


    "Stop this," I snarled at Dudley, though I couldn''t see him anymore. Only her.


    "She can''t hear you," Dudley''s disembodied voice replied. "But I''d be careful what you do next. Your attacks might hurt more than just me."


    The Isabelle illusion reached for me, her eyes filled with hope and fear. "Please, Liam. I''ve been waiting for you."


    My hand trembled. Logically, I knew this couldn''t be her. Isabelle was still captive elsewhere. This was just Dudley''s trick, his ck energy creating a perfect illusion.


    Yet I couldn''t attack. Couldn''t bring myself to strike, even knowing it wasn''t real.


    "What''s wrong?" Dudley taunted from the darkness. "Hit her. Destroy the illusion. Unless... you''re afraid?"


    The fake Isabelle touched my face. Her fingers felt real, warm. "Why aren''t you saying anything? Don''t you love me anymore?"


    "I..." My voice caught in my throat.


    In that moment of hesitation, pain exploded in my back. Dudley had materialized behind me, driving a de of ck energy between my shoulder des.


    I dropped to one knee, golden light flickering wildly. The Isabelle illusion knelt before me, looking concerned. "Liam! You''re hurt!"


    "Pathetic," Dudley''s voice came again as another strike hit my side. "The great Liam Knight, undone by a pretty face."


    I tried to focus, to remember this wasn''t real. But the illusion was perfect—her scent, her voice, even the tiny scar on her left palm that she''d had since childhood.


    "Why aren''t you fighting back?" The false Isabelle asked, tears forming in her eyes. "Don''t you want to save me?"


    Another blow struck me, then another. I was being battered from all directions while frozen in ce by a ghost.


    "Do you know what happens to men who can''t protect the women they love?" Dudley''s voice was cruel now. "They watch them suffer."


    The illusion of Isabelle suddenly contorted in pain, ck energy webbing across her skin like veins. Her scream pierced through me, more devastating than any physical attack.


    "Stop!" I shouted, my golden light flickering wildly. "She''s not part of this!"


    "But she is," Dudleyughed. "She''s your greatest weakness. The Guild has known this from the beginning."


    The fake Isabelle reached for me desperately, her body wracked with pain. "Why won''t you help me, Liam? It hurts..."


    My mind knew it was fake, but my heart couldn''t process the difference. All I could see was Isabelle suffering while I did nothing.


    Dudley''s attacks continued, relentless and precise. Each blow weakened me further as my concentration shattered.


    "This is your future, Knight," Dudley''s voice whispered. "Watching her suffer until she dies. And you''ll be powerless to stop it."


    The illusion of Isabelle copsed at my feet, her body wracked with spasms. Her eyes looked up at me, filled with betrayal. "You promised to protect me..."


    Something inside me broke. My golden light dimmed to almost nothing as despair crushed me more effectively than any physical attack. I knelt there, watching the woman I loved suffer, knowing I had failed her again.


    "Yes," Dudley emerged from the darkness, standing over me triumphantly. "Now you understand. All your power means nothing if your heart is weak."


    The spectral Isabelle reached for me onest time, her fingers brushing against mine. "Liam... why..." <strong ss="ref-73012c">Content sourced from * – My Virtual Library Empire.</strong>


    Suddenly, a new voice cut through the darkness.


    "Knight! It''s not real! Snap out of it!"


    Frederick Cohen''s voice. Distant but clear.


    "It''s bewitchment!" he shouted. "He''s using dark energy to manipte your mind!"


    The illusion flickered briefly. Dudley whirled around, cursing. "Silence him!"


    I blinked, Frederick''s words prating the fog in my mind. Bewitchment...


    The false Isabelle clutched at me. "Don''t listen to him, Liam. I''m real. I need you."


    I looked into her eyes—those perfect, familiar eyes—and saw something I''d never seen in the real Isabelle. Fear. Not for herself, but fear of being discovered.


    This wasn''t her.


    "No," I whispered, rity returning. "She would never beg like this."


    My golden energy surged back, stronger than before. The illusion flinched away from the light.


    "The real Isabelle," I said, standing up despite my wounds, "would tell me to kick your ass."


    Dudley''s face contorted with rage. "It doesn''t matter! The damage is done!"


    Heshed out with a desperate attack, but I caught his wrist easily. My golden energy flowed into him, disrupting the ck power that surrounded him.


    "You made one mistake, Dudley," I said, my voice steady. "You showed me what I''m fighting for."


    I struck him with everything I had, golden light exploding from my fist as it connected with his chest. The dark dome around us shattered like ss, dissolving into wisps of ck smoke.


    We were back in the arena, Frederick standing at the edge of the circle, breathing hard as if he''d been fighting his own battle. Julian and Dominic looked furious.


    Dudleyy on the ground, the ck energy around him fading rapidly. He looked smaller somehow, diminished.


    "You actually saw through it!" Dudley snarled, blood bubbling at his lips. "It wasn''t supposed to be possible. As long as you''re affected once, you''ll be trapped in an endless state of bewitchment. But what a pity... it''s been ruined by this bastard!"


    I turned to Frederick, gratitude in my eyes. "Thank you."


    He nodded grimly. "I saw your energy changing. Knew something was wrong."


    Julian stepped forward, his face a mask of controlled fury. "Impressive, Knight. You''ve proven yourself... resilient to certain tactics."


    "Is that what you call it?" I spat. "Psychological torture?"


    Julian smiled thinly. "Information gathering. Now we know exactly how far you''ll go for her." He nced at Dominic. "And how easily you can be manipted because of it."


    I moved toward Julian, my hands clenched into fists, but Frederick caught my arm.


    "Not worth it," he muttered. "Not yet."


    Dudley coughed, drawing my attention back to him. "You think... you''ve won? This was just a test. Now they know..." He smiled through bloodied teeth. "Now they know exactly how to break you."