Published at 26th of August 2026 8:37 am

Chapter 1960: Dark Conspiracy

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Michael hadn’t truly left.

He paced back and forth by the entrance to the fourth floor. From time to time, his gaze shifted to the staircase leading to the floor above.

Damn it! What now? He wondered, frightened.

What are they going to do to her?

Are they going to imprison her? Or just coax her like a child?

Damn it all!

What about me? Fuck!

It had been several minutes since Genevieve left. Still, there were no signs of her returning. Those minutes felt like days to Michael.

He slapped his cheeks twice and thought seriously:

No, they’ll most likely just have a bad impression of her if she says something stupid.

There’s no way they’re going to punish her for wanting to worry about a friend.

Right?

They cannot be that heartless!

But...

What if they are?

Fuck me!

Michael didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No! He definitely didn’t want to laugh. He wanted to cry. He wanted to wail and call out for his mother.

Why did I take this damned mission?

There were other ways of gaining experience before joining the City Watch.

Damn it, why? Why did I have to do this?

I wanted to prove to my father that I was more than capable enough.

I wanted to be a hero...

Well, fuck! What good is being a hero if I’m dead?

Damn it, I miss my dog!

No, what am I even thinking? The dog is probably living a better life than I am.

Michael took several deep breaths, trying to steady his emotions. It was proving to be difficult. It had always been like that with him. Although he was good with the blade, he had always been a little... timid.

Unless he absolutely had to, he utterly disliked being placed in tough situations. He was rarely up to any challenges. He was a craven, if he were being honest with himself. But of course, he was rarely honest with himself.

Adam is most likely dead, he thought.

From our traveling party, only Genevieve and I remain.

Fuck Darren, by the way.

Now, depending on how things proceed upstairs...

I have a really bad feeling about this.

Another thing about Michael was that his senses were unusually sharp. So were his instincts. Perhaps that’s why he frightened so easily. But it was also the reason why he had managed to stay alive all this time.

Amid his whirlwind of thoughts, he finally heard the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. His breath got caught in his throat when he sensed three pairs of footsteps descending. He had a feeling that something was wrong.

He finally saw Genevieve, flanked by two guards, descending the flight of stairs.

At first, Michael heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that Genevieve hadn’t done anything stupid. But then, something started to not make sense.

Why were guards flanking her?

And why did she seem a little... off?

Genevieve’s face was cold, and her eyes were colder still. She cast a brief glance at Michael and then ignored him.

Michael gulped nervously.

Something’s wrong, he thought grimly.

Genevieve and the guards passed him by and headed downstairs. Finally, Michael couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, "What happened? Just where are you going?"

Finally, Genevieve stopped. She turned ever so slightly and glanced at Michael, her face expressionless. A moment later, she said in a flat voice:

"I’m going to find Adam. I won’t believe he’s dead until I see it for myself."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Michael wanted to stop her. He wanted to call out to her and warn her that what she was trying to do was stupid and dangerous.

But something in the back of his mind was sounding intense alarm bells.

Not only was Genevieve acting so strangely, but Michael had also sensed a hidden presence upstairs, silently observing him.

It was only a Squire, so Michael could easily detect him.

But why the nine hells was a puny Squire watching him in the first place?

No! No! No! Something has gone terribly wrong!

What is wrong with Genevieve? This is completely unlike her!

And why is that idiot upstairs watching me so intensely? Does he think I can’t sense him?

No, wait!

What if...

Michael suddenly had a very bad feeling about all of this. He forcefully stopped the clattering of his teeth and pressed down the fear rising furiously in his heart.

He looked in the direction of Genevieve and snorted in frustration.

"Hmph! You never listen to me! That’s your problem, you know that? Do whatever you want! I’m done with you!"

He paused before adding a few more words just to be safe.

"I never liked you anyway!"

With that said, he stomped toward the dorms.

"Genevieve" and the guards disappeared down the stairs. The Squire hidden above also scrambled back toward the depths of the fifth floor.

Michael angrily walked toward the communal bathrooms on the fourth floor. Once inside, he ensured that no one was around. Still, just to be cautious, he entered one of the cubicles and locked it. Finally, he let his facade drop.

That was not Genevieve!!

He screamed in his mind.

What the fuck is going on?!

Why was that boy watching me?

This... this... What the fuck?!

Michael tried to think of all kinds of scenarios regarding what must have happened upstairs. But nothing made sense.

Is Genevieve being controlled by someone?

But why?

Did her accusations anger one of the councilors? And now they’re punishing her?

But why the hell would they do that? Isn’t the council supposed to protect us?

No, no, no! This is not right!

What do I do?

Should I talk to Leah about it?

Or perhaps, Daerona?

No! What if they’re all in on it?

Who can I even trust?

I am so fucked!

Triggered by all the panic and terror, Michael’s stomach suddenly grumbled in protest. It hurt.

He was already inside the cubicle.

I might as well...

He lowered his pants and quickly got down to business.

But the frown on his face did not disappear, and the fear in his eyes did not recede. Some dark conspiracy was unfolding, and Genevieve had somehow walked straight into it.

Perhaps...

Perhaps he had as well.

Damn it! Why am I so unlucky?!

Michael wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door to the bathroom opened, and a few people rushed inside.

Michael’s heart nearly lept to his throat. His back was drenched in cold sweat, thinking enemies had come for him. He pressed one foot against the cubicle door instinctively.

But when he noticed that these people had just come to relieve themselves, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Damn it, he cursed inwardly.

I really miss my dog...

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