Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Chapter 165 The Emperor

Vic and Angelica exchanged glances, silently asking each other the same question before they turned back to the staff member standing in front of them. The hallway felt colder now, the harsh lights above casting long shadows on the walls. The staff member's face was blank, his stiff posture making Angelica's heart beat faster.

"What do you mean?" Angelica asked, her voice calm, though she felt anything but. Experience new stories on empire

"Sir Dominic wants to see you in his office right away. Please come with me," the staff member said firmly.

"Okay... but why?" Angelica's brow wrinkled in confusion, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Her mind raced. Ever since her father, Sir Dominic, had disowned her, he had acted like she didn't exist. He used to care for her, giving her attention and special treatment. Then, everything changed. He turned his back on her completely. To him, she was no longer his daughter.

So why now? Why did he want to see her after all this time?

"He didn't say," the staff member replied. "He just said it was important. Please hurry."

Angelica nodded slowly, a strange feeling building in her chest. She looked back at Vic, who was standing by her side, his face full of concern.

"I'll see you when I get back, alright?" she said, trying to sound confident.

"Yeah, no problem," Vic replied with a reassuring nod, though his eyes told a different story.

Taking a deep breath, Angelica turned away and followed the staff member. They walked down the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. The air felt heavy, and with each step, the knot in her stomach tightened. She didn't know if it was fear or curiosity—or maybe both—but she felt as if something big was waiting for her.

They passed door after door, the journey feeling longer than it should. Finally, they stopped in front of a large wooden door with a brass nameplate that read Sir Dominic. The staff member turned to her, his face softening just a bit.

"Go in. He's waiting for you," he said quietly.

Angelica stared at the door for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She shot a quick glare at the staff member, almost as if she wanted answers he couldn't give. Then, with a shaky breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office was quiet, the silence making it feel bigger than it was. The faint scent of old paper and leather hung in the air. Sir Dominic sat behind his large mahogany desk, his figure tall and still. The dim lighting made his face hard to read, his sharp eyes watching her closely.

"Welcome, Angelica," he said in a deep, steady voice. "Please, sit down."

Angelica swallowed hard and took a seat in the chair across from him. Her back was straight, hands clenched tightly in her lap. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her face tense and serious.

The room was silent again. Sir Dominic didn't speak right away, his eyes fixed on her, studying her like he was trying to see into her soul. The seconds felt like minutes, the quiet pressing in on her.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"Have you ever heard of the Artifact of the Apex Mutant?" he asked, his voice calm but heavy with meaning.

Angelica blinked in surprise. The question felt like it came out of nowhere.

"Yeah... we talked about it in class," she answered carefully.

"I don't think your teachers told you everything," Sir Dominic said. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting with something that made her uneasy. "Let me explain."

He paused, gathering his thoughts before he spoke again.

"The artifact was created when the Emperor of the Crimson Coffin died," he said slowly, his voice steady.

Angelica's eyes widened a little. This was more than she expected. Her fingers gripped the edges of her chair as she listened.

"You know who the Emperor was," Sir Dominic continued. "He stayed out of the war, but he ruled over the mutants on the Crimson Coffin planet. Everyone respected him because his power was greater than any other mutant's."

He paused, his gaze serious and intense.

"The Emperor's abilities were one of a kind. When I say he was powerful, I mean he could destroy an entire planet with just a snap of his fingers."

His words hung in the air, the weight of them settling heavily in the room. Angelica's breath caught in her throat. She had heard stories of powerful mutants before, but this was on a different level. The thought of that kind of power being real made her chest tighten.

"Why are you telling me this?" she whispered, her voice shaky.

Sir Dominic's eyes grew colder. He didn't answer right away. The silence dragged on, making the room feel smaller and the walls closer.

"Because the artifact isn't just a piece of history," he finally said, his voice low and serious. "It's a source of power—a power that some people would do anything to get."

A chill ran through Angelica. Whatever Sir Dominic wanted from her, it was clear that it was tied to something dangerous and much bigger than she could have imagined.

"The Emperor also had eternal life and had lived for many centuries. But eventually, he grew tired of his endless existence. He decided to place all his powers into the artifact, making it so only a worthy person chosen by his soul could inherit those abilities."

Angelica listened intently, her hands trembling slightly as Sir Dominic's words sank in.

"No one knew where the Emperor hid the artifact," Sir Dominic continued, his voice grave. "Not even his most devoted followers knew its location. For years, humans and other races have been desperately trying to find it. Guilds on Earth are obsessed with locating it to ensure they stay on top."

He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing.

"What they don't understand is that if the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the end of humanity. That's why the academy is also searching for it. If we find it first, we'll make sure it stays out of dangerous hands and secure it somewhere safe to prevent disaster."

Sir Dominic's voice boomed with authority, the weight of his words filling the room.

Angelica swallowed hard, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Why are you telling me all this, Sir?"

Sir Dominic leaned back in his chair, his gaze piercing through her. "Because, as I said, the academy and other powerful groups and species are searching for this artifact—including the Sycrax. At first, no one knew how to find it. But eventually, we developed a device that could pinpoint the artifact's location, whether it was in a mutant realm or on another planet."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "But that didn't solve our problem. The artifact kept moving. Whenever we were close to finding it, it would vanish and reappear in another realm. It was as if it didn't want to be found. This pattern continued until a few weeks ago when the device detected it in a Grade 5 realm. We immediately sent in a team of our best staff to retrieve it."

He paused, his eyes hardening. "For reasons I still don't understand, they chose to take a student along. And not just any student—a boy with no active skill slot. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."

Angelica's throat tightened. She barely managed to say his name. "Silas."

"Yes," Sir Dominic confirmed, his tone bitter. "You know the outcome. None of the staff returned alive. Only Silas Griswold survived. But that's not all. The artifact, which had been detected in that realm, suddenly disappeared."

His jaw clenched as he continued. "At first, we thought one of the fallen staff members had taken it, so we checked their bodies thoroughly. It wasn't there. Then we thought the artifact might have jumped to another realm, but the device couldn't track it anymore. That could only mean one thing: someone took it and gained the power, making it impossible to track."

Sir Dominic leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Angelica. "None of the staff survived. Only Silas did. That leads to one conclusion: Silas obtained the powers of the Apex Mutant."

Angelica's heart skipped a beat, her chest tightening painfully. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly looked down, trying to hide her fear. She knew the truth. Silas did have the powers of the Apex Mutant. And she knew what would happen to him if Sir Dominic found out.

"I called you here to confirm if I'm right," Sir Dominic said, his tone softer now. "I know you and Silas are close. That's why I'm asking you."

The room felt suffocating. Angelica's palms were clammy, and cold sweat trickled down her back. Her heart pounded like a drum in her ears, but she forced herself to keep her expression neutral. If Sir Dominic saw her panic, he'd know she was hiding something.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sir," she muttered, her voice barely steady.

Sir Dominic's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't lie to me, Angelica," he said firmly. "Ever since Silas returned from that Grade 5 realm, he's been different. The very next day, he defeated a group of Grade 3 students in the cafeteria. Everyone said he used energy pills to do it. I believed that at first, too. But then Sensei Josh warned me about him, and I started to doubt."

He continued, his voice low and filled with suspicion. "You and your friends—everyone except Ivy—survived that Grade 5 realm. Silas came out without a single scratch. Everyone credits Vic for saving you, but I know better. Vic is a Grade 4. Even with help, he couldn't clear a Grade 5 realm. Whoever did it has strength on a different level. And I know it was Silas."

Sir Dominic's gaze grew colder. "The day after Sensei Josh warned me, he disappeared. They say he left Earth to start his own guild. But I know better. Silas killed him to cover his tracks."

Angelica's heart pounded louder, her face damp with sweat. She felt trapped, her mind racing for a way out.

Sir Dominic stood up and walked around his desk, stopping right in front of her. He leaned down slightly so his eyes were level with hers.

"Look, Angelica," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I'm not here to hurt your friend. The academy wants to help him, to make sure he doesn't lose control and go down a dark path. You can trust me. Just tell me if I'm right."