The Million-Dollar Heart

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

If it came to 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 time is 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.

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

countered her

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."

would protect them

standing firmly behind him, knew exactly what was at stake. They had come to end Abigail's reign

life together, and their

succeed. We'll capture her and

her alive, we'll take

have plenty of time for that in

capture

figure threw themselves

brutal counterattack from Abigail, refused to let go, "You took my son... I

by Delilah's sudden

Aegis unleashed a

Mr. Wolf, in unison, directed all their power at the Aegis, shattering it to

by Vivienne's mentor-for emergencies, destroy the artifact to buy

recently healed wounds reopening. Delilah, lifeless yet gripping tightly,

fight signaled the circle's destructive retaliation, consuming

circle returned everything to reality, leaving no trace

the light, instinctively grabbed Percival's hand, "Mr. Wolf,

unharmed, checked Vivienne for injuries, "I'm fine.

"I'm protected by my powers. You should have held back; using full force only invites backlash." Percival merely

was

stunned. Magic circles, it seemed, were not just the

instant, two living, breathing people had vanished

squinted, "Mr. Wolf, do you think Abigail just disappeared, or

what they had just witnessed, Percival felt a chill run down his spine, "People don't just disappear into