The echo of Kael's body hitting the marble still hung heavy in the air.
Leah stood frozen, her pretty face drained of color.
For once, she had no idea what to say.
No sweet smile. No fake concern. No innocent little pout.
Just raw, unmasked shock.
And fear.
Ella stared back at her, chest rising and falling with sharp, steady breaths.
The silver glow in her eyes hadn't faded.
The thrumming of her psyche still hummed in every vein.
For the first time in her life in this world, she did not feel small.
She did not feel weak.
She did not feel like a disposable battery.
She felt alive.
A soft, shaky breath left Leah's painted lips.
"That… that was not mana."
Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence like a knife.
Ella's lips curled into a cold, lazy smirk.
"Nice observation, Chosen One."
"Too bad you'll never understand what it is."
Leah's fingers tightened into fists at her sides.
Her perfect, gentle facade was cracking at the edges.
Everyone in Asgard thought she was kind.
They thought she was selfless.
They thought she pitied the broken, useless Oracle Vessel.
But Ella saw the truth.
She saw the jealousy.
The greed.
The cold, calculating hunger for power.
Leah took a small step forward, trying to reclaim control.
Her voice softened, back to that sickeningly sweet tone.
"Ella, what you just did… it's dangerous."
"Unregulated power can corrupt even the purest hearts."
"You could hurt someone. You could hurt yourself."
Ella laughed.
It was a low, mocking sound that made Leah flinch.
"Hurt someone? Like how you let Kael hurt me, day after day?"
"Like how you stand there and watch while they call me worthless?"
"Like how you plan to siphon every drop of my power until I'm empty enough to sacrifice?"
Leah's eyes widened.
No one had ever spoken to her like this.
No one had ever dared to say the quiet parts out loud.
"You don't know what you're saying," Leah whispered, her voice trembling.
"I have only ever wanted to help you."
"Liar."
The word slipped from Ella's mouth, sharp and final.
Leah's face went completely pale.
Before she could respond, heavy footsteps echoed from the end of the hall.
Both women turned.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, his presence alone commanding the entire space.
Broad shoulders. Dark, messy hair. A face that looked like it had been carved from stone.
Ella's chest tightened.
She knew exactly who he was.
Samuel Voss.
The male lead.
The obsessed protector.
The man who would rather kill her than betray Leah.
In the original story, he was Leah's shadow, her sword, her most loyal worshipper.
He never once looked at Ella.
Never once cared if she lived or died.
Until it was far too late.
His cold, sharp gaze swept over the scene.
The broken marble.
The dust in the air.
Kael, still groaning on the floor.
Then his eyes landed on Leah.
Instantly, his hard expression softened.
Concern flooded his features.
"Leah. Are you injured?"
His voice was deep, rough, and full of quiet devotion.
He stepped toward her, ready to shield her from any threat.
Leah's eyes glistened, and she immediately leaned into the role.
She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"I'm fine, Samuel."
"But Ella… she attacked Kael for no reason."
"She's become unstable. Her power is dark and wild."
"I'm worried she'll hurt someone else."
She lifted her head, eyes shiny with fake tears.
Ella watched the performance, disgust coiling in her stomach.
Classic Leah.
Turn every conflict into someone else's fault.
Turn every victory into her victimhood.
Samuel's gaze snapped to Ella.
The warmth in his eyes vanished.
In its place was ice.
Disgust.
Condemnation.
Just like the book.
Just like everyone else.
He stepped forward, hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Explain yourself, Vessel."
His tone left no room for argument.
No room for mercy.
Ella stared back at him, unflinching.
She refused to cower.
She refused to beg.
She refused to be the weak little villainess he expected.
"There's nothing to explain."
"Kael attacked me first. I defended myself."
Samuel's jaw tightened.
"Kael would never harm an innocent disciple without cause."
"Especially not in front of Lady Leah."
Ella almost laughed out loud.
"Innocent?"
"Did you look at the state of this hall?"
"Did you see how he cornered me before I even stood up?"
"He's been tormenting me for months. You never cared."
"Now that I hit back, suddenly you're here to play hero?"
Samuel's expression darkened.
"You dare speak to me in that tone?"
"You are a broken vessel. A tool with no purpose but to serve Asgard and the Chosen One."
"You have no right to raise your voice to anyone."
Ella's blood boiled.
Tool.
Broken.
Purpose.
The same words she'd heard her entire life here.
But this time, they did not break her.
They fueled her.
[DING!]
[Psyche Power reacting to host's emotional pressure.]
[Mana resonance stabilizing. Power output increasing.]
A faint silver light flickered around Ella's fingers.
Samuel noticed it instantly.
His eyes narrowed.
"That power… it is not normal mana."
"It's corrupted. Dark."
Leah stood behind him, quietly watching, a faint, satisfied smirk on her lips.
She had him right where she wanted him.
Samuel took another step forward, imposing and dangerous.
"Whatever you've awakened inside you, it is not safe."
"Submit. Let Lord Odin examine you."
"Or I will subdue you by force."
Ella's lips curled into a defiant, deadly smile.
"Subdue me?"
"You can try."
She could feel every beat of his heart.
Every shift in his mana.
Every flicker of his intent.
Her psyche painted him completely open.
He was fast.
Strong.
Skilled.
But he was not unbeatable.
Not anymore.
Samuel's gaze hardened.
He did not warn her again.
He moved.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, his hand reaching for her arm, intending to grab her and drag her away.
Ella did not flinch.
She did not run.
She simply saw.
She saw his path.
She saw his momentum.
She saw the exact moment he would strike.
With a small, precise movement, she twisted sideways.
Samuel's hand closed around empty air.
His eyes widened in shock.
No one dodged him that easily.
No one except Leah.
Before he could recover, Ella lifted her hand.
She did not unleash a huge blast.
She did not scream or roar.
She simply channeled a thin, sharp thread of psyche power.
It struck him directly in the center of his chest.
Not to injure.
To disrupt.
Samuel's entire body jolted.
His mana flow stuttered.
He stumbled backward, off balance, eyes wide with disbelief.
He stared at Ella like he was seeing her for the very first time.
Ella stood straight, her gaze cold and unyielding.
"I am not the broken doll you think I am, Samuel Voss."
"I am not your precious Leah's shadow."
"I am not going to be sacrificed quietly in the dark."
Leah's breath caught in her throat.
Samuel stared at Ella, unable to speak.
For the first time in his life, he did not know what to do.
The script he'd always followed had just been torn to pieces.
[DING!]
[Host has forced Samuel Voss into a state of shock and confusion.]
[Hidden effect triggered: Minor bias shift detected.]
[Leah's credibility has been slightly weakened in his perception.]
[New main quest updated: Confront Lord Odin in the Council Hall.]
[Objective: Refute all false accusations and maintain your innocence.]
[Reward: Mana Conversion Rate +5%. Permanent Psyche Resistance.]
Ella's smile grew sharper.
The game was only just beginning.
The saint's mask was cracking.
The hero's faith was shaking.
And the broken vessel?
She was just starting to rise.
She turned her gaze toward the great Council Hall, where Lord Odin waited.
Let them come.
Let them judge.
Let them see what happens when the battery finally fights back.
Ella took one step forward.
Then another.
Walking tall.
Unbroken.
Unstoppable.