My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 202: Isabella's love 2

'What's going on with me?'

The disoriented thought echoed in Adrian's mind as he grappled with an unsettling sensation. It felt as if something was attempting to penetrate him, yet simultaneously, an opposing force blocked its entry.

The world before him seemed to warp and wriggle, a disorienting spectacle that left him feeling intoxicated, although he was certain he hadn't consumed any alcohol.

The intensity of the strange experience nearly caused him to lose his balance, but Isabella's timely intervention prevented a fall.

"Sir hero, are you okay?" she inquired, her voice laced with soothing concern. In the midst of the disarray, Adrian found himself drawn to the enchanting timbre of her voice, a desire surfacing within him that he hadn't acknowledged before.

'How beautiful…~'' a thought intruded into his consciousness, 'I want to hear her voice every day. I want her to sing with those lips of hers. Yes, I want her…'

The sudden yearning perplexed Adrian, leaving him to question the origins of these newfound desires.

'Huh, since when did I want that?'

The realization dawned on him slowly. It was when Isabella touched him that an inexplicable jolt coursed through his body, his heart quickening its pace.

The fog of confusion lifted, and Adrian came to understand the truth of the situation.

'I see now… This blind bitch'

Why hadn't he noticed earlier? The subtle infiltration of divinity, a force seeping into his being, now unveiled itself as the divine power of love.

'I did suspect her to do something like this' Adrian mused inwardly, a sense of apprehension tainting his thoughts as he reflected on Isabella's actions.

'The fact that I willingly followed her here to begin with was weird…'

The hidden nature of their current location and the known tendencies of those blessed by divine beings of love had raised red flags in his mind.

However, the realization that she would initiate such a manipulation this early caught him off guard.

The only semblance of resistance he maintained against her charm was the presence of other authorities within him, a safeguard preventing a complete surrender of his faculties.

Despite this, he acknowledged that it was only a matter of time before the tendrils of Isabella's influence tightened their grip, gradually eroding his will.

The magnitude of divinity she currently radiated suggested that this act was likely a one-time occurrence.

Adrian, lacking precise details, could only speculate that she had stretched the limits of her divine power, even enduring the pain it caused her in an attempt to fully enchant him.

The transition from a mere suggestion spell to a potent charm indicated the escalating nature of her influence.

"Sir hero?" Isabella's voice resonated once again, a melodic cadence that carried an unsettling allure.

Adrian felt his resolve waver every time her words reached his ears, an internal struggle intensifying within him. The realization dawned on him—this couldn't go on.

'Shit, I can't let this go on…!' Adrian concluded with a surge of determination.

The revelation left Adrian in a state of disbelief.

The seemingly genuine understanding he believed to share with the pope about their respective positions and powers crumbled in the face of Isabella's enchantment.

The fact that she had been sent in such a clandestine manner raised questions about the motives behind the Church's actions.

His engagement with Elena, a testament to his loyalty to the church, should have sufficed.

The puzzling decision to employ such an overt strategy left Adrian contemplating whether the Church sought an absolute guarantee of his compliance or if this was a lone, rogue action on Isabella's part.

Considering the delicate balance of their relationship, it seemed more plausible that this was an independent move by Isabella.

As Adrian surveyed the statues surrounding him, a realization struck.

Two gods, following the goddess of light, were depicted in the magnificent marble forms that adorned the sacred place.

One of these statues glowed in a neon pink hue, the very same shade resonating from Isabella's eyes at that moment.

The connection between the divine energy imbued within the statues and Isabella's sudden power boost became apparent.

The implications were clear—Isabella had tapped into the divine essence of these statues, harnessing a power beyond her usual limits.

As he grappled with the unfolding situation, a subtle understanding dawned on Adrian. The pink hue in Isabella's eyes, echoed by the statues, held an enchanting quality.

He couldn't shake the feeling that gazing into those eyes for more than a few seconds would render him captivated, entwined in the intricate web of her charm.

"Pop…!"

The unexpected intrusion of the system screen disrupted Adrian's thoughts, its blue interface demanding his attention.

[Warning…!]

[User currently under foreign divine influence]

[Suggest leaving the current area immediately]

[Emergency actions will be forcefully complied once the user can't withstand the current protective threshold]

[Warning…!]

….

The warnings continued to cascade across the screen, multiplying by the second. A sense of urgency pervaded the virtual messages, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Adrian felt a mix of confusion and concern, unsure of the imminent emergency actions that might be initiated on his behalf.

Uncertain about the effectiveness of any defensive measures against the pervasive divinity of love, Adrian grappled with the dilemma.

Defending against it might be futile, and the ambiguity of whether any resistance originated from his own will or the influence of love further complicated matters.

His aunt had advised against using their authorities within the holy nation, cautioning against actions that could draw unwanted attention, especially from the goddess herself.

'Using aunt's or sister's authority might spike a reason for the goddess to move, considering this is her sacred place, let alone using my mother's'

'But letting this continue might really harm me in more ways than one'

The urgency in Adrian's thoughts propelled him to take decisive action.

[Authority: Touch of the Crying Doll (Active)]

Adrian instinctively touched his heart, invoking his sister's authority in a desperate bid to counteract the insidious influence of love.

The air crackled with an otherworldly energy, and within seconds, pink lightning began to dance around him, reminiscent of shattered glass.

[Divinity of love currently nullified, user status clear…!]

[Emergency actions nullified]

[Use of Stellar Solaris: (Active) terminated]

The sudden system message brought both relief and confusion to Adrian.

The authority he had activated seemed to have nullified the divinity of love, preventing the impending emergency actions from taking effect.

The mention of "Stellar Solaris" caught Adrian's attention, hinting at a drastic measure the system had contemplated to ensure his escape.

"So, the system was planning to nuke this place to let me escape? I'm glad I made the decision to use my sister's authority."

Boom…!

A resounding boom echoed through the air as the divinity of love within Adrian erupted, quashing its influence.

Isabella, caught off guard, let out a startled scream as she was forcefully pushed back, tumbling on the ground.

As she gathered herself and looked up, a palpable sense of dread etched across her face, realizing that the tables had turned.

Adrian rose, his head pounding, and he fixed Isabella with a gaze seething with intense animosity.

As Isabella slowly stood up her gaze wavered as she contemplated what happened her divinity was at its highest peak here…

As Isabella rose from the ground, a sense of disbelief clouded her gaze.

Her divinity, at its zenith in this sacred place, was meant to render any mortal powerless against the irresistible influence and charm she could wield.

No man or woman within the holy nation, or even the entire continent, should have been able to withstand the enchanting powers of love she unleashed in this sacred realm.

Elena, a rare exception, was practically the only one impervious to her charms.

In the annals of the holy nation's history, no one had challenged the sway of Isabella's love within this sacred ground.

Dragons, beings of immense power and wisdom, were believed to succumb to her influence here. Yet, in a shocking turn of events, a lone human had defied all odds.

Even though Adrian was a hero blessed by the divine goddess of light, his fundamental nature as a human should have made him susceptible to her enchantments.

He was, after all, merely a mortal endowed with an extraordinary amount of divinity and a holy weapon crafted to combat evil.

In theory, he should have been no different from the paladins and templars who surrounded Isabella, dutifully carrying out the will of their gods.

Adrian lacked the inherent will and authorities that defined beings like Isabella and Elena.

Yet, against all expectations, Adrian had shattered these preconceived notions.

The limitations imposed by divinity and the expectations of mortal nature seemed inconsequential in the face of his defiance.

Slowly, with a newfound resolve, Isabella began to retreat as Adrian steadily advanced towards her.

It had been a long time she had felt this feeling while looking at Adrian.

'Fear'

Isabella found herself ensnared in the web of her own failed plan, a realization that hit her with the force of a revelation.

Escape seemed impossible now for she had been so convinced that her ploy would succeed.

The assurance that the hero would be under her control upon entering this sacred space, all crumbled like delicate sandcastles swept away by an unforeseen tide.

"The hope of humanity and the slayer of the impossible" a notion echoed in Isabella's mind, a reminder of the hero's famed reputation across the entire continent.

How could she have overlooked the significance of facing someone whose very essence embodied defiance against the insurmountable?

The hero was not an ordinary man; he was a force that shattered the constraints of what was deemed possible.

Regret gnawed at Isabella as she pondered why she had assumed it would be easy to control the hero.

The pope's cautious approach, the deliberate avoidance of conflict despite the hero's potential influence over the masses, should have been a glaring clue.

In her pursuit of her own goals, she had underestimated the complexities of dealing with the hero, a mistake that now left her cornered.

As her back pressed against the wall, Isabella felt the sting of tears welling up in her eyes.

The darkness within Adrian, once intriguing, now manifested as a wriggling mass, an unsettling force that seemed to extend a billion hands made of shadows, reaching out to grip her very being.