The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Chapter 180: The Malicious Whispers

Amberine stiffened, her mind reeling from the offer. She glanced at Elara and Maris, both of whom were staring at Ciril with a mixture of fear and disbelief. Could he be serious? After everything they had been through, he was offering them a chance to join the very force that was threatening to destroy everything they held dear?

Ciril continued, sensing her hesitation. "Let me tell you the reason for our actions here. The world as we know it is weak, shackled by outdated traditions and petty power struggles. The Demon King's Castle will bring about a new era—an era of true power, where only the strong will survive and rule. You, Amberine, could be one of those rulers.

You could have everything you've ever wanted—power, knowledge, immortality. All you have to do is join us."

The words hung in the air, heavy with temptation. Amberine felt a shiver run down her spine. The offer was intoxicating, the promise of power and immortality laced with the allure of forbidden knowledge. But as the crystal's dark light pulsed ominously, she knew that accepting Ciril's offer would mean sacrificing everything she stood for.

It would mean betraying her friends, her principles, and the very essence of who she was.

Amberine's heart pounded as she weighed Ciril's offer, her thoughts a chaotic swirl of fear, anger, and a faint, dangerous curiosity. The promise of power, knowledge, and immortality hung in the air like a tantalizing fruit, but the cost... The cost would be everything she had ever stood for, everything she had fought to protect.

She could feel Elara and Maris' eyes on her, their unspoken question lingering in the heavy silence. They were counting on her to stay strong, to reject the temptation, but the doubt gnawed at her. Was there truth in Ciril's words? Was their world really so broken that the only way to fix it was to tear it down and start anew?

Before Amberine could respond, Professor Ardan stepped forward, his piercing gaze locking onto her. "You see, Amberine, the current system—the kingdoms, the noble families, the so-called guardians of magic—are nothing but a chain that binds us, holding humanity back from its true potential. The nobles cling to their outdated traditions, afraid of losing their power.

The kingdoms squabble over territory and titles, wasting resources that could be used to advance our understanding of magic."

He paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room, making sure they were all listening. "Magic, true magic, has stagnated under the rule of these weaklings. Look at how far behind we are compared to the potential we possess. And why? Because the nobility and the kingdoms fear what they do not understand. They fear power that they cannot control.

That is why we need the Demon King's Castle. It will bring about a new era, where power is the only currency that matters. In this new world, there will be no room for weakness, no place for those who cling to the old ways."

Professor Selric, the master of illusions, joined in, his voice smooth and persuasive. "Think about it, Amberine. How many lives have been wasted in petty wars, fought for the whims of kings and queens who care nothing for their people? How many brilliant minds have been silenced, their innovations crushed because they dared to challenge the status quo?

The Demon King's Castle will erase those boundaries. It will be a place where only the strong survive, where knowledge is limitless, and those who possess true power will rule. And you, Amberine, you could be one of those rulers. All you have to do is accept the truth and join us."

Amberine's mind spun as she tried to process their words. There was a twisted logic to what they were saying, a perverse sense of order in the chaos they proposed. She had seen the corruption in the noble families, the endless squabbles that had cost so many lives. She had felt the frustration of being held back by a system that feared innovation, that punished those who dared to think differently.

But could she really forsake everything she had believed in, everything she had fought for, to become part of this dark new world?

As if sensing her turmoil, Professor Ciril stepped closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Amberine, think of your father. He was a man of vision, a man who saw the flaws in the system just as we do. But he was cut down before he could achieve his true potential. And do you know who was responsible for his death?"

Amberine's breath caught in her throat. She had never spoken of her father to anyone at the university, had never revealed the pain and anger that still lingered in her heart. But Ciril's words cut through her like a knife, stirring up memories she had tried so hard to bury.

"Your father was betrayed," Ciril continued, his eyes gleaming with malice. "He was betrayed by the very system he sought to change. And do you know who delivered the final blow? Who decided that your father's life was forfeit?"

Elara and Maris both shouted in protest, their voices filled with anger and fear. "Stop it!" Elara cried, trying to step forward, but Professor Ardan casually flicked his hand, and she was thrown back by an invisible force, crashing against the wall with a pained cry. Maris rushed to her side, but a single glare from Selric froze her in place, her expression one of helpless frustration.

Amberine could barely register their cries. Her focus was entirely on Ciril, on the words that were tearing open old wounds and filling her heart with a cold, seething rage.

"Draven," Ciril said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Your father was killed by Professor Draven. The man you've been so loyal to, the man you've studied under with such dedication, is the very one who took your father's life. And why? Because your father dared to challenge him, dared to question the system that Draven upholds with an iron fist.

He saw your father as a threat, as a pawn who was no longer useful. So he eliminated him, without a second thought."

Amberine felt as if the ground had been ripped out from under her. The world tilted on its axis, and she struggled to stay upright, her mind reeling from the revelation.

She knows.

She knew.

All of it.

Her father's letters had bluntly expressed the betrayal, and had warned her of the dangers of trusting those in power

About Draven.

The cold, ruthless professor who had taught her so much, who had pushed her to her limits and beyond.

Was the one who had murdered her father.

"No…" she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Shut up!"

Ciril's smile widened, and he took another step forward, his voice soft and insidious. "You know it's true, Amberine. You've felt it all along, haven't you? The anger, the hatred, the desire for revenge. It's been buried deep inside you, but it's always been there, waiting to be unleashed. Draven killed your father, and he'll kill you too, the moment you're no longer useful to him.

But you don't have to suffer the same fate. Join us, and you can avenge your father's death. You can make Draven pay for what he did."

Amberine's hands trembled as the memories of her father's final letters resurfaced, the pain and anger she had tried so hard to suppress bubbling up to the surface. Her father's words had been full of bitterness, of warnings that she had started to try to dismiss as the ramblings of a man driven mad by grief and betrayal. But now, those warnings felt all too real, all too prescient.

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"Amberine, don't listen to them!" Maris shouted, her voice desperate as she tried to push past the magical barrier that held her back. "They're trying to manipulate you! Draven might be harsh, but he's not a murderer! He's our professor—he's been protecting us this whole time!"

But Amberine could barely hear her friend's voice. All she could think about was the look in her father's eyes the last time she had seen him, the anger and pain in his words as he spoke of betrayal.

But she knows. She always knows that it's the truth.

The professors continued their assault on her mind, their words driving deeper and deeper into her soul. "You have a choice to make, Amberine," Selric said, his voice like silk as he stepped closer. "You can either continue down this path of servitude, fighting for a system that will eventually discard you, or you can join us.

You can take control of your own destiny, become one of the rulers of the new world we're creating. You can avenge your father, and ensure that his vision lives on."

"Your father wanted a world free of the corruption of the nobles," Ardan added, his tone almost gentle now. "He wanted a world where magic was not a tool for the powerful, but a force that could be used by all, without fear of persecution. We can give you that world, Amberine. All you have to do is say yes."

The words hung in the air, heavy with temptation. Amberine could feel her resolve crumbling, the anger and hatred in her heart threatening to consume her. She wanted to believe that Draven wasn't the monster they were making him out to be, but the doubt, the gnawing, suffocating doubt, was too much to bear.

Ciril's smile widened as he saw her hesitation, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "It's time to make your decision, Amberine. Will you join us, or will you die a meaningless death, just like your father?"

Amberine's heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, the weight of the decision pressing down on her like a vice. She wanted to scream, to rage, to lash out at the professors, at Draven, at the entire world that had put her in this position. But all she could do was stand there, trembling, as the choice loomed before her.

Suddenly, the oppressive magic that filled the chamber vanished, as if snuffed out by an invisible hand. The darkness that had threatened to consume Amberine receded, replaced by a cold, familiar presence that sent chills down her spine.

A voice, cold and detached, cut through the silence like a knife. "I believe that's quite enough."