The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne exchanged a knowing glance with Mr. Wolf by her side, silentlymunicating their shared resolve.

If it cto that, they'd have no choice but to destroy the Millennia Aegis.

Nothing mattered more than human life.

With the deadline looming, Abigail refused to wait any longer, launching a full-on assault on the two. To her, as long as they still breathed, they could serve her grand purpose; individual lives held no value.

Success would absolve her of all past deeds, no matter how dark.

Percival's powers were constrained, yet the Millennia Aegis within him surged with endless energy.

Vivienne, with her powers channeled into her silver needles, joined forces with Percival to withstand Abigail.

Even within the magic circle, Abigail found no advantage.

One protected by the Millennia Aegis, the other unaffected by the circle.

Abigail's attempts to counter grew more desperate, but leveraging the circle's focal point, she narrowly evaded their attacks multiple times.

Seizing the moment, Vivienne and Mr. Wolf cornered her with nowhere to flee.

Suddenly, the sky darkened-an ominous sign.

Abigail Ephemeral ceased her attack, a strange gleam in her eyes. "Your tis up," she declared.

Vivienne and Percival, quick to react, prepared their defenses.

Percival reached for the Millennia Aegis, intending to destroy it, only for an invisible force to whisk it away.

Hovering above the circle, the Aegis radiated a soft glow.

Abigail smirked, believing the Aegis needed a chosen one to activate. Yet, within the circle, it seemed to align itself, mocking her adversaries, "Did you really think you could touch what the circle claims?" With everything in place, Abigail locked her gaze on Vivienne, aiming to harness the Aegis's power against her. Percival, undeterred, countered her move.

Though their powers were diminished within the circle, he wouldn't let harm befall Vivienne, not with their first child on the way. Abigail raised an eyebrow, amused, "First, I'll kill you, then the child. Only then will she grasp the true depths of joy and sorrow." Hearing Abigail's threat towards Vivienne and her unborn child, Percival's eyes darkened with resolve.

He would protect them at all costs.

Vivienne, standing firmly behind him, knew exactly what was at stake. They hade to end Abigail's reign of terror, not to fall victim to it.

Their life together, and their future child, meant everything.

"Mr. Wolf," she shouted, "don't worry, she won't succeed. We'll capture her and hand her over to the authorities. We'll be heroes." Percival nodded, "Alright, Vivienne wants her alive, we'll take her alive." Abigail scoffed, "Still dreaming of glory? You'll have plenty of tfor that in the afterlife." She moved to capture Vivienne with her powers.

At the last moment, a figure threw themselves at Abigail, clinging to her, preventing her escape.

Delilah, despite a brutal counterattack from Abigail, refused to let go, "You took my son... I want your life..." Vivienne was taken aback by Delilah's sudden intervention and her fearless stand against Abigail.

Just then, the Millennia Aegis unleashed a beam of light.

Realizing the danger, Vivienne and Mr. Wolf, in unison, directed all their power at the Aegis, shattering it to pieces. This was the final secret left by Vivienne's mentor-for emergencies, destroy the artifact to buy time, if nothing else. Nobody expected Delilah to appear at that moment.

As the circle's backlash began, Abigail spat blood, her recently healed wounds reopening. Delilah, lifeless yet gripping tightly, prevented any escape.

The broken circle returned everything to reality, leaving no trace but the blood.

Vivienne, adjusting to the light, instinctively grabbed Percival's hand, "Mr. Wolf, are you alright?" Percival, pale but unharmed, checked Vivienne for injuries, "I'm fine. Did you get hurt?" Vivienne, touched by his concern, reassured him, "I'm protected by my powers. You should have held back; using full force only invites backlash." Percival merely smiled.

As long as Vivienne was safe, nothing else mattered.

Vivienne and Percival exchanged a glance, both equally stunned. Magic circles, it seemed, were not just the stuff of legends.

In an instant, two living, breathing people had vanished right before their eyes.

Vivienne squinted, "Mr. Wolf, do you think Abigail just disappeared, or is she... gone for good?" Considering what they had just witnessed, Percival felt a chill run down his spine, "People don't just disappear into thin air. But given what we saw, even if she's alive, it doesn't look good." en.kikistories "Percival, my lady!" "Young master!" From a distance, Thomas approached hastily, flanked by members of the Nine Mystics Society, who were also on a mission to find someone.

They had tracked the location here early on, but upon arrival, they found it impossible to locate anyone.

The young master's tracker had also mysteriously stopped transmitting half an hour ago. Fortunately, they hadn't strayed too far, or they would have missed the chance to intervene. "Percival, are you alright?" Thomas rushed over, his face etched with concern upon seeing Percival's pallidplexion.

Percival shook his head, insisting on taking Vivienne to the hospital for a thorough check-up immediately.

The area was fraught with peril, and he was worried the toxic fumes they encountered might have harmed Vivienne's health. Without protest, Vivienne let Thomas take Leopold and Flynn, handing over the antidote as well.

Flynn had ingested a protective pill Vivienne had given him beforehand, placing him in a temporary state of suspended animation, not truly dead. As long as he received the l.n antidote within 12 hours, there was stiff hope. en.kikistories It was likely Delilah, waking to find Flynn in this state, panicked and, in a moment of despair, decided to pull Abigail down with her.

The members of the Nine Mystics Society were instructed to stay behind.

They were tob the area, ensuring Abigail hadn't left any traps behind.

At the hospital.

After a series of tests, Vivienne emerged from the doctor's office with her results in hand.

Just as she was about to show them to Mr. Wolf, Thomas's voice pierced the air, "Percival, what's wrong? Don't scarelike this!"