Chapter 145 — The Shadow Blade

Lyra was awakened the next morning by the sound of the jailhouse door opening.

Her eyes slowly opened.

For a moment, she simply stared at the ceiling.

Then she heard footsteps.

Lyra turned her head.

Zuban walked into the jailhouse with his usual hatred-filled smile. His eyes immediately locked onto her, and the expression on his face made it clear that he had been looking forward to this moment. 1

Behind him came Levron.

Lyra's eyes briefly met his.

Levron immediately looked away.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her.

Lyra understood.

She didn't blame him.

He had already made his position clear.

He would follow the laws of the clan, even if following them broke his heart.

Lyra looked away from him and back toward Zuban.

She wasn't going to let him ruin her final day.

Zuban stopped in front of the cell.

"Well, Lyra."

His smile widened.

"Today's your special day."

He tilted his head.

"Are you as excited as I am?"

Lyra didn't answer.

She simply looked away.

Zuban's smile twitched.

"Hmph."

He unlocked the cell.

"Get up."

Lyra slowly stood.

"It's time to get this show started."

She walked out of the cell.

Zuban gave her a small push between the shoulders.

It wasn't hard enough to hurt.

It was simply enough to make his hatred clear.

The three began walking through the Shadow Fox village.

Lyra could feel the eyes on her.

Everywhere she looked, Shadow Foxes were watching.

Some whispered.

"Oh, it looks like today's the day."

"The betrayer is finally going to be killed."

Another voice came from nearby.

"I kind of feel bad for her."

A pause.

"She's so young."

Someone immediately answered.

"Are you crazy? She made friends with a human."

Another voice followed.

"She should be grateful this is all she's getting."

Lyra heard every word.

She simply pretended she didn't.

She kept walking.

But as she moved through the village, she couldn't help but look at everything differently.

The buildings.

The gardens.

The people she had grown up around.

She had spent her entire life here.

And today would be the last time she saw any of it.

Everything seemed strangely slow.

The sound of footsteps.

The whispers.

The wind moving through the village.

So this is what it feels like…

Lyra didn't know what she had expected her final day to feel like.

After several minutes, they reached the center of the village.

The execution square.

Most of the Shadow Fox Clan was already gathered.

An execution wasn't something the clan witnessed every day.

And certainly not one involving someone like Lyra.

It was an event.

Something that broke the normal rhythm of life.

Lyra slowly walked toward the platform.

Then she saw it.

The Shadow Blade.

Her footsteps stopped for half a second.

She had heard stories about the ancient weapon.

But seeing it was completely different.

The blade was mounted inside a strange execution device resembling an ancient guillotine.

The entire structure had been constructed from incredibly dark wood, almost black in the cavern luminescent light.

The craftsmanship was extraordinary.

Ancient patterns had been carved into the framework, giving the entire structure an eerie, almost ceremonial appearance.

And at the center was the Shadow Blade.

It was a massive crescent-shaped blade, black and deep purple.

Crystalline purple material surrounded the thick, dull side of the weapon, almost as if the crystals had grown naturally around it.

The sharpened edge was completely different.

A thin silver shine ran along it.

It looked impossibly sharp.

Almost as though the edge itself had been polished from diamond.

Lyra stared at it.

Despite knowing what it was meant to do, she couldn't deny its beauty.

There was something almost mesmerizing about the ancient weapon.

Zuban's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Stop wasting time."

He pushed her lightly again.

"Let's go."

Lyra said nothing.

She continued up the stairs.

At the top, she turned around.

The entire square stretched out before her.

Hundreds of Shadow Foxes stood below. 1

Lyra's eyes slowly moved through the crowd.

Then she noticed someone approaching.

Elder Sebastian.

The elder walked through the crowd with a calm expression.

He appeared to be around forty years old.

Jet-black hair framed his face, while strands of gray ran through his beard.

One of his ears was partially missing, as though something had bitten through it long ago.

His appearance gave him the impression of a scholar.

But Lyra knew better.

That appearance was nothing more than a facade.

Elder Sebastian was one of the most bloodthirsty warriors the Shadow Fox Clan had ever produced.

He had fought countless battles.

And probably had more blood on his hands than almost anyone else in the clan's history.

Yet today, he looked completely calm.

His eyes settled on Lyra.

For a brief moment, their gazes met.

Then Sebastian continued walking.

Behind him came Gabby.

Lyra's eyes immediately softened.

Gabby looked at her.

Their eyes met.

Gabby gave her the smallest smile.

Then both turned their attention toward the platform.

Two more Shadow Foxes followed behind Gabby.

They were both young, somewhere between twenty and thirty.

Crystal.

And Jeff.

Two more members of the clan's top ten.

Seeing all four of them together was unusual.

They were among the strongest cultivators in the Shadow Fox Clan.

And today, they had come together.

The four stopped at the base of the platform.

Sebastian stood slightly ahead of them.

They waited.

Then another group appeared from the opposite side of the square.

The crowd slowly parted.

Patriarch Jackson entered.

Two Shadow Foxes followed behind him.

Kyle.

And Blake.

Both moved with disciplined, respectful steps behind their Patriarch.

Jackson walked through the center of the gathered clan.

His posture was straight.

His expression calm.

Kyle and Blake moved ahead and stopped near the front of the crowd.

Jackson continued toward the platform.

His footsteps echoed against the stone.

Jackson finally reached the top of the platform.

He stopped beside them.

For a moment, he looked out across the entire Shadow Fox Clan.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

Today would be a good day.

Today, the clan would witness the punishment of a betrayer.

And today, Lyra would finally receive what Jackson believed she deserved.

His gaze shifted toward the ancient Shadow Blade.

The execution was about to begin.