Chapter 31: Mother? Lier!

As I stood there, immobilized by my mother's overpowering presence, she revealed a chilling truth that sent a shiver down my spine.

"The powers I unlocked in you," she began, her voice dripping with an eerie satisfaction, "have finally finished unlocking."

I watched in stunned horror as she initiated a bizarre and unsettling technique. Her hands reached out toward me, and an unseen force began to drain my life force, leaving me weakened and gasping for breath.

The years seemed to roll backward as I watched in disbelief. My mother's age regressed rapidly until she appeared as if she were in her early twenties, her once mature features now youthful and vibrant.

A sense of dread washed over me as the truth became clear, this woman before me was not my mother. Her transformation was an illusion, a cruel trick meant to deceive me.

With her newfound youth, she looked down at me with a triumphant smile, her crimson eyes filled with malevolent intent. "You fell into my trap, my dear."

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my chest, and my heart seemed to stop. Panic gripped me as my world went dark, and I was plunged into the fogging world inside of my inner mind.

There, in the depths of my consciousness, I encountered the enigmatic presence of the dagger. It spoke to me, offering a grim choice, a chance to jump start my heart and return to life, but at a cost.

"You can come back," the dagger's voice echoed within my mind, "but you will be hopeless soon after. You'll possess extreme power for a few minutes, but afterward, you'll be left powerless."

Desperation fueled my decision, and I agreed without hesitation. I couldn't allow myself to be defeated here, not after coming this far in my journey. With a surge of willpower, I accepted the dagger's offer, and my heart began to beat once more.

As I returned to consciousness, I felt a newfound strength coursing through me, an otherworldly power that surged within my veins. My mother, still gloating over her apparent victory, was taken aback by my resurgence.

But I knew that my time was limited, that the power I had been granted would come at a steep price. With determination burning in my eyes, I prepared to confront the deceiver who had ensnared me and to uncover the truth hidden beneath the layers of lies and illusions.