The Shattered Illusion

Chapter 20: The Shattered Illusion

The daylight merged with the smoke rising from the city’s silhouette, climbing toward the darkening sky. The streets still bore the marks of the terror and chaos from the previous night; people hurriedly passed through the streets, colliding in the air thick with fear and anger. With every step, there were vague suspicions about Camille’s rebellion echoing at every corner of the city, along with ongoing investigations into Magnus’ genocide. However, the most terrifying thing was another truth emerging on the surface: the cost of this revolution was not just the loss of life, but the loss of trust.

Luca veered away from the streets and entered through a secret passage. With each step, he felt increasingly isolated. The horrific videos he had encountered during the night and the fractured state of Dr. Quirke's mind continued to churn in his mind. Behind the courage Camille and Selena had shown, there was an inner void where Luca questioned his own bravery. Everything was becoming more complicated. But the worst part was that his hatred for Magnus was now growing uncontrollably.

After the events of the night, Magnus began to feel the sting of loneliness. Until then, he had believed everything was under control, but now even Quirke’s thoughts were shaking him. When he realized there was danger looming over him, he considered taking harsher measures to maintain control. There were things about Luca’s past that he didn’t know, and the reflection in Quirke’s eyes seemed to present a great threat to him.

Meanwhile, Camille and Selena had taken refuge in an old mansion by the river in the early morning hours, trying to recover from the trauma of the previous night. Selena had spent the night recalling the events like a nightmare, but Camille had to make a solid decision to reinforce her leadership. Selena's pain resonated deeply within Camille, marking a turning point where everything changed.

"This is not a game, Selena," Camille said, her voice firm, but laced with deep sorrow. "We must do this not just for the past, but for the generations to come." Selena nodded silently, but the ache in her eyes spoke of an emptiness that nothing could heal. The anger inside her was like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

To manage the chaos in the city, Valen Oryn had taken his place alongside the government’s ineffective leaders. The government leaders struggled to comprehend the warnings they had received overnight. However, one thing was certain: their trust in each other was shattering more and more with each passing minute. Valen, along with those around him, gathered on the massive river bridge, discussing the last step before the revolution.

In the early hours of the morning, Luca, alongside Camille, was planning their next move. But in his heart, a growing sense of anxiety simmered. No matter what his goal was, carrying everyone’s burden and surviving in the midst of this chaos was becoming harder with each passing day. Camille’s resistance and Selena’s quest seemed to guide him, but could an attack on Magnus truly be the solution to all this confusion? How much more could their bond break?

Magnus, standing before Quirke, felt a crack appear in his eyes. He no longer wanted to lose control. He had been in power for so long that the idea of losing it felt like a deep trauma. Quirke’s approach, as he took a step toward him, felt as if Quirke was preparing to take his place. A type of fear began to grow in Magnus' mind. But no matter what, he would use every means necessary to prevent this change.

Quirke, in a mad frenzy, took another step and drew closer to Magnus, carefully watching his every move. Quirke’s thoughts toward Magnus had grown darker; he now saw the attack not as a threat but as a mere necessity. With Magnus’ death, the warehouse would vanish. Chronotoxin and Dr. Quirke’s projects could never fall into anyone’s hands. The only person who should achieve immortality was Magnus. Otherwise, everything would end, and it would be just a matter of time.

After the genocide and brutal experimental videos spread across the country, Camille and Luca were preparing to declare themselves as rebels. Both looked extremely tense. Selena tried to motivate them, but she wasn’t very effective. Suddenly, Luca made a move—he kissed Camille on the cheek and whispered in her ear.

“No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”

These words brought some relief to the fear within Camille. But still, the public’s reaction loomed as a threat over everything. Then, the duo stepped forward and began to tell the public about the horrific experiments Magnus had conducted and his ultimate goal.

“Magnus’ goal is immortality,” Camille said, her voice firm but pained. “To achieve this, he’s been trying to create a poison called Chronotoxin. The poison is still in its beta stage, but it’s already having major effects. It drains people’s soul energy, weakening them. The decision for genocide was made because of this. He’s been capturing the Rares and stealing their souls. The only reason he revealed his identity right after the genocide was to try and shift the agenda. Forget us—stop Magnus! Otherwise, he’ll sell this poison to you too. He and Professor Lionel Krane had a meeting about this and came to an agreement. If this continues, all of you will be nothing but small objects sacrificed for Magnus’ immortality!”

Camille and Luca’s declaration had a major impact on the crowd. For a while, no one said anything. The crowd was silent, deep in thought. Finally, one person spoke up.

“You’re Magnus’ daughter, and you designed all of these experiments. Aren’t you the one who created this poison Magnus has been using? Didn’t all these losses happen because of you?”

This question froze Camille’s heart. The crowd had turned against her as well, not just Magnus, and now they were preparing to strike. Luca immediately pulled Camille behind him to protect her. However, at that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd.

“Stop!” someone shouted, and Camille immediately recognized the voice. “Think before you make a rash decision!”

The voice belonged to Nathalie Grius, a dark-haired, middle-aged woman and the founder of The Altruists.

“Nathalie?” Camille whispered, shocked and a little hopeful.

“We can’t judge Camille because of Magnus!” Nathalie continued, addressing the crowd. “This girl lost her mother at a young age, and since that day, she’s always done good for all of us with a smile on her face. She healed many of our wounds, supported us, and asked for nothing in return. The only reason she got involved in all these scientific matters was to heal her mother. And that innocent heart was used by her vile father. I stand by this young girl. As the founder of The Altruists, I think we should take Camille as our ally in this war. Will you accept that?”

At that moment, the entire crowd fell into deep thought. Camille and Luca remained silent, and no one spoke. The silence enveloped the crowd.

Then, a familiar voice called out from behind.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve seen what has happened. May I join you?”

Camille slowly turned around, and the face she saw shocked her.