Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine-Chapter 55: So It Begins!

Leo, Pride, and Valra walked steadily through the thick forest, their expressions etched with seriousness. The dense, towering trees loomed around them, casting heavy shadows as they pushed deeper into the dark woods near their city.

Every step crunched against dried leaves and tangled roots beneath their feet, and the eerie silence was broken only by the distant cawing of birds or the occasional rustle of unseen creatures.

Leo was dressed in dark, worn-out clothes that blended seamlessly into the shadows around him. His outfit was suited for stealth and protection—a long-sleeved top clinging tightly to his body, and a small, rugged bag slung over his back that carried the few essentials he needed to survive this dangerous mission.

He looked like a man prepared for war... but exhaustion clung to him like a second skin.

"Ha... Ha... Are you guys absolutely sure we’re in the right place?" Leo finally asked, his voice strained and uncertain as his eyes scanned the thick canopy above.

His brows furrowed, and his breath came out in shallow puffs. He looked both confused and tired, his body already pushed to its limits.

They had been walking for what felt like hours, and yet he saw no sign of the shimmering blue particles—those magical specs that were supposed to fall from the sky to the ground, guiding them.... Valra and others saw but not him.

There was nothing. Just endless trees and thick fog hanging in the air like a veil.

Leo’s chest heaved. He didn’t want to admit it, but his body wasn’t doing well. He had just been discharged from the hospital this morning, and now here he was—dragged into a forest, on a mission to find a relic that might decide the fate of the war.

He wasn’t a Mage. He wasn’t even a Real Master, not in the traditional sense. Sure, he had the title, but he wasn’t truly linked to his champion.

It was like being connected through a wire that had been cut—no flow, no spark, nothing.

"We’re close, Leo. Just a little more,"

Pride answered in her calm, no-nonsense voice as she stepped carefully between gnarled tree roots. Her expression remained composed, but her eyes were alert, constantly scanning their surroundings.

Still, when she looked back at Leo, her gaze softened. He was struggling, and she could see it clearly now—he was pale, his steps slower than before.

She thought to herself. ’If he keeps walking like this, he’ll collapse before we even reach the relic.’

Without hesitating, she stopped and turned around to face him,

"I’ll carry you,"

Leo blinked. He stared at her, caught off guard by the offer. It wasn’t like he was against it—hell no.

He wasn’t the type to put on a brave face and act all tough when he knew damn well he needed help.

He had no pride to protect right now. If conserving energy meant he’d live through this mess, he was all for it.

Just as he was about to nod—

"I-I... If you don’t mind, I could carry you instead!"

A voice suddenly interrupted.

Leo turned his head slowly, blinking again in surprise as his eyes met Valra’s face. She stood there with a flustered expression, her cheeks slowly reddening as she stared at him.

Valra fumbled her words, clearly nervous. "I-I mean... she’s going to get tired too, right? I mean, Pride needs to conserve her energy a lot more than me. I-I can enhance my body’s strength easily, so it wouldn’t be a burden. So... yeah, that’s why I offered. I don’t mind at all, but... I understand if you’d rather not..."

Leo stood in silence for a moment, blinking at her. What she said was true. Pride’s energy was limited and valuable, and he really couldn’t afford to drain her strength this early in the journey.

He looked at Valra’s hopeful expression. She wasn’t just offering—she wanted to carry him.

’Man... This is getting awkward,’ Leo thought to himself, scratching his head. He opened his mouth to respond,

"Well, if you don’t m—"

Before he could finish, something swept him off his feet—literally.

"Whoa!" he yelped.

Suddenly, strong arms were beneath him, lifting him off the ground with surprising ease. Leo’s eyes widened as he looked up at the person holding him.

It was Envy.

Pride and Valra froze in their tracks as they saw it.

"What? Come on," Envy said with a sly smirk, his golden eyes glinting mischievously. "If anyone’s gonna carry this weakling, it should be me, right?"

He looked straight at Valra as if challenging her. His smile widened when he saw her reaction.

Valra’s face twitched. Her lips curled, and her fists clenched at her sides, trembling with fury.

/What the hell are you doing, Envy?!/

She snapped through their mental link.

/Just returning the favour for times you used me like your personal errand boy for your beloved,/

Envy replied casually, grinning wider.

He was clearly enjoying himself. Seeing her angry, frustrated, and unable to do anything about it—that was his reward.

"Unless you object?" Envy asked, looking down at Leo with a smirk.

Leo groaned inwardly. Being carried by a guy who constantly called him a weakling was humiliating, but at this point, did he really have a choice?

His body was sore, his head heavy, and he couldn’t afford to waste any more strength.

"...Fine," Leo muttered, sighing in defeat.

"Atta boy," Envy grinned, adjusting his grip and hoisting Leo a bit higher against his chest.

Valra’s jaw clenched. Her eyes twitched as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. The sight of Envy so casually holding Leo, their bodies close... it made something burn in her chest.

/Look at this guy... So light, so soft... and mm, sniff sniff... he smells really nice, Master~/

Envy teased, deliberately sniffing near Leo’s neck.

Valra’s forehead throbbed as a vein bulged violently.

/You piece of shit! Don’t you dare try anything weird with him! I swear—/

/Relax. I’m just enjoying the moment,/

Envy replied with a smug grin. His fingers squeezed Leo’s thighs, pulling him a little closer.

/So warm... He feels like some delicate, innocent creature... If only you were the one holding him, maybe you’d understand this strange sense of pity. I can feel everything—/

"SHUT UP!!"

Valra suddenly roared, her voice echoing through the trees. Pride and Leo both flinched and turned toward her with startled expressions.

Valra’s face turned bright red. She scratched the back of her head nervously and let out an awkward laugh. "H-Haha... N-Nothing! Just... some old thoughts. Haha... nothing important!" she stammered, eyes darting around as she tried to play it off.

But her glare shifted back to Envy—and it was deadly.

/Once this is over... I’m going to make you jump off a mountain. A thousand times. You’ll be begging for death by the time I’m done./

Her inner voice was cold, calm, and murderous.

Envy swallowed hard, a nervous bead of sweat running down his temple. ’M-Maybe I went too far this time...’

Without another word, he adjusted his hold on Leo and started walking in silence, trying not to provoke her further.

Valra watched them from behind, biting her nails in frustration. Her gaze locked on Leo’s back... and the fact that he was still pressed against Envy made her chest tighten. She hated it—absolutely hated it.

That closeness... it wasn’t fair.

She was supposed to get it... His hot body!

The warmth!!

No Fair!

Just then, she suddenly paused.

A chill ran down her spine. Her body froze for a split second, and she slowly turned her head, eyes scanning the forest behind them. The trees swayed gently, whispering with the breeze—but something felt off.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

"Valra?"

"... Nothing. Go on"

Her eyes narrowed. She said nothing and moved forward again, her steps light, but her senses now on high alert.

.....

High above, perched in the trees, a cloaked figure stood silently.

They wore a long, black, hooded cloak and a wide-brimmed hat that cast a deep shadow over their face. The cloak fluttered in the gentle breeze, barely making a sound.

The figure watched them intently, eyes glinting beneath the hat.

"That was close... That little girl’s sharp senses nearly caught me a second time... "

The figure muttered under their breath, barely audible over the wind.

They reached inside their cloak and pulled out a small phone, fingers moving swiftly over the screen.

<Your boyfriend is going to die.>

The message was typed, then sent with a soft beep.

The figure looked up at the sky above—dark and vast... The clouds were swirling slowly as if the heavens themselves were stirring.

"The time has come..."

****

Soon, after a long walk through twisted paths and looming branches, they finally reached the centre of the forest. And there, standing strangely out of place, was a simple wooden door—plain and unremarkable.

It stood alone, unsupported by any frame, wall, or structure. Just a door... standing by itself in the middle of an ancient grove, as if it had been waiting for them all along.

Thud!

Without any warning, Envy dropped Leo roughly onto the ground.

Leo landed hard on his butt, a sharp grunt escaping his throat.

"Ow—damn it, Envy!"

He growled as he rubbed his back, glaring up at the smug bastard.

"Inside... is the relic,"

Envy said, his usual teasing gone, replaced by a rare, serious tone. His gaze was locked on the door, expression unreadable.

Leo sighed as he got to his feet, brushing dust and dirt off his clothes. He took a few cautious steps forward, eyes narrowing as he stared at the door.

It looked ordinary—too ordinary.

He reached out slowly and touched the wooden surface. It felt just like it looked: smooth, dry, and real.

There was no magic hum, no glow, no ancient symbols... nothing.

His curiosity deepened. He walked to the other side of the door, only to find... nothing. No passage, no change. Just more forest stretching endlessly behind it.

"How... interesting," Leo muttered under his breath. "A door standing in the middle of nowhere. No support. No frame. Just here... waiting."

Pride walked up beside him, arms crossed as she studied the door in silence.

Leo looked over his shoulder. "Shouldn’t we go inside already? The others haven’t arrived yet, so shouldn’t we just go and take it before they do?"

His voice was firm, serious. His hand reached for the handle and tried to twist it.

But the door didn’t budge.

It was stuck.

Locked tight.

"Did you really think you were the first to arrive?"

A sultry, almost mocking voice echoed from the right side of the grove.

In an instant, Pride stepped in front of Leo defensively. Envy also moved swiftly, placing himself between Valra and the voice as all of them turned toward the source.

There, on the thick curved branch of a tree to the right, sat a figure—relaxed, legs swaying gently in the air. Cloaked partially by shadows and the thick trunk of the Cofress tree.

"Haha... really, who told you you’d be the first?"

Said a second voice, this one more high-pitched and playful, almost childish.

Leo and Valra turned sharply to their left.

Leaning lazily against a tree was a small girl with her sly smile and sharp, glinting eyes.

It was Ophis.

Her tongue flicked out slowly, licking her lips as she stared directly at Leo.

He froze, and his hand instinctively rose to his neck—his body remembering the sharp pain from their last encounter.

Pride’s shoulders stiffened. Valra gritted her teeth.

The atmosphere turned cold. The light-hearted mood vanished in an instant. Tension crackled in the air like invisible lightning.

The Four Masters had now arrived.

Just then—

Thud!

A loud, heavy unlocking sound echoed across the grove. All eyes shot back to the door, which had begun to creak open, just slightly—just enough to reveal a soft shimmer of bluish light beyond it.

And floating above the threshold appeared glowing text:

<5.00.00>

<4.59.59>

<4.59.58>

The numbers ticked down.

The countdown had begun.

Valra frowned, quickly calculating the implications. "We only have five hours to find the relic. It’s almost midnight now. That means... we have to locate it before five in the morning."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Leo shouted. His eyes widened as he suddenly noticed Ophis step forward—fast—reaching for his neck.

He yelped and dove forward, narrowly avoiding her fingers, and rolled clumsily through the door.

Pride followed immediately behind him, her body tense and eyes alert.

Valra shot one last glare at Ophis before entering.

Envy chuckled as he walked in last, hands in his pockets, completely unbothered.

"Tsk... he’s faster than before,"

Ophis muttered with a pout, her expression one of clear disappointment—like a predator who missed her prey.

Her eyes shifted to the tree branch above.

There, jumping down gracefully, was a beautiful woman with long, crimson-red hair flowing like silk. Her presence was magnetic, her smile dripping with amusement.

"Shall we fight here, or later?"

The woman asked in a slow, teasing tone. Her gaze locked on Ophis with mischievous confidence.

Ophis’s eyes narrowed. She looked disgusted. "I thought the Succubus bloodline was wiped out long ago. So some still crawl around, huh? No matter... we’ll settle this the next time we meet."

Without waiting for a response, she stepped through the door.

The red-haired woman giggled softly to herself. Then, still smiling, she followed after her.

Minutes passed.

A shadow moved silently behind one of the trees.

"Looks like everyone’s gone inside..." came a low, smug voice.

Kai stepped out from the shadows, a grin on his face as he approached the door. His hands brushed back his messy hair, and his eyes glinted with cunning anticipation.

Without a word, he stepped through.

The door, hanging in the air, began to sway slightly as if asking any more members.

Then—

SLAM!

It shut with a sharp, echoing thud.

Locked.

The countdown continued.

<4.59.01>

<4.59.00>

<4.58.59>

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺