Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 138: Lauren Blackwood (2)

Chapter 138: Lauren Blackwood (2)

Martha Blackwood had always loved her daughter.

She made sure Lauren grew up in warmth, in care, in a home where affection was not earned—but given freely.

But the world had demanded something else entirely.

Born to two powerful figures—herself, a high-ranking flame user once dubbed The Crimson Valkyrie, and her husband, Dominus, a man whose ice magic could freeze armies—Lauren had inherited more than strength. She had inherited expectations.

And expectation was a cruel master.

Martha still remembered the day Lauren was tested in front of the government council and the clan observers. The moment her small hand touched the affinity orb, the crystal erupted in a dazzling swirl of blue and red—a sign of dual affinity. Ice from Dominus. Fire from her.

And the rank?

Mystic.

A hush had fallen over the audience. Then applause. Then hunger. Martha had seen it in their eyes—not awe, not celebration—possession.

She’ll be one of the few who can rival the Higher Clans, they whispered.

A weapon worthy of our future.

Martha knew then: life would never be easy for Lauren again.

She had been right.

The moment Lauren turned seven, Dominus had thrown her into training beyond her age. Days bled into weeks of drills, meditation, and battle formations. She barely had time to eat with the family, let alone be a child.

Martha had fought back. Fought him. She remembered the night the house walls echoed with their argument.

"Dominus! She’s seven! She’s a child! You’re pushing her too hard—she barely has any friends now, and you want to lock her away in endless training?!"

His voice, cold and firm as ever, roared back.

"Martha, Lauren has the potential to stand against the monsters in the Higher Clans. She’ll be the one to elevate us beyond this cursed imbalance. The government needs her. The world needs her."

"But at what cost?!" she screamed. "She’s your daughter, not a weapon you’re forging in a forge of pain."

Dominus had gone quiet then. And in a tone far too calm, he replied:

"I’m doing this for all of us, Martha. One day, you and she... will thank me."

And he walked out, leaving behind silence and a mother’s growing dread.

As the years passed, that dread deepened.

Lauren grew colder, more distant. Friends became tools, and laughter became rare. Boys who tried to talk to her either fled in confusion or left, complaining it was like speaking to a frozen wall.

Only recently had Martha seen sparks of something human return.

Lauren had made a few real friends—girls who chipped at her walls. There were moments Martha dared to believe her daughter would rediscover herself.

But never once... not once... had Lauren spoken of love.

That was why, as Martha stood frozen by her daughter’s whispered confession, she couldn’t move.

"I loved him... but now it might be too late."

Tears still streamed down Lauren’s face. The strong-willed girl who once stood tall beneath crushing expectations now sat broken on the floor.

And for the first time in years, Martha wasn’t looking at the cold prodigy or the daughter of two powerhouses.

She was looking at a girl in love... mourning someone.

And she wanted to understand what the boy she fell in love with had to do with the fall of the Thunder Clan.

----

Martha had tried, truly tried, to get through to Lauren.

But the girl was too broken.

No matter how many times she knocked on the door, no matter how many meals were left untouched by maids trying to coax her out, Lauren remained in her room.

She didn’t eat. Didn’t train. Didn’t even argue. She just existed—and barely at that.

Three full days passed.

And then... she finally stepped out.

But the reason wasn’t recovery. It wasn’t progress.

It was because her father had come home.

Dominus, ever-burdened by his responsibilities at the association, only returned on weekends.

He had barely stepped into the foyer, loosening the collar of his suit, when he and Martha spotted her standing at the top of the stairs.

Only it wasn’t Lauren they saw.

Her face was swollen. Her usual cold, steely composure was gone. What remained were hollow eyes—empty, distant, and sunken with sleepless grief.

Dominus glanced at Martha, confused. She had warned him about Lauren’s state... but seeing it in person was something else entirely.

Then Lauren’s voice cut the silence, soft but direct.

"Is it true?"

Dominus blinked. "What?"

"That the Thunder Clan has been wiped out."

The question landed like a blade. Dominus narrowed his eyes, confused at her tone.

Why was she asking about them?

Still, he answered.

"It’s true. But... what does that have to do with you?"

Lauren’s gaze didn’t waver. Her voice was quieter now, almost cracking.

"And they said it was the Seven-Tailed fox that caused it..."

Dominus paused.

Just for a moment.

"Yes," he eventually replied. "That’s what the reports and witnesses say. But I still don’t understand why you’re asking these things. I was told your friends were safe. So, what is this... tantrum?"

His tone was colder than intended, but Dominus had always been more ice than warmth.

Lauren’s eyes sharpened. The sorrow in them twisted into something else—anger, suspicion.

"And you expect me to believe that?" she said. "Father... I’ve known you my entire life. You always shift your weight to your left leg when you’re lying. That’s why I asked before you had a chance to sit."

Dominus instinctively looked down at his leg.

She was right—he had shifted.

He said nothing.

"So tell me honestly," Lauren demanded. "What happened?"

He remained silent, his expression unreadable. But Lauren saw more than his silence—how he looked at her. The way he weighed the truth was like it was a weapon.

Then she asked, carefully:

"Was it the other Higher Clans?

His face twitched. A brief flicker of something—discomfort, maybe guilt—crossed his expression. He blinked away quickly, but Lauren, observing his reaction, had already seen it.

"So... it was them," she whispered.

She didn’t wait for a reply. Didn’t scream. Didn’t cry again.

She just turned.

And walked away.

Dominus and Martha stood there, stunned—frozen.

Neither of them had ever seen Lauren like this.

And neither of them understood what was going on here.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.