Defiance of the Fall

Chapter 1315: Truth Laid Bare

There was no way Vilari would mistake the approaching woman for anyone but Thea Marshall, even if the shapeshifter’s appearance was slightly different from what Vilari remembered. Rather than the young woman who died decades ago, Thea carried herself with the temperament of an expert. The sharp determination in her piercing blue eyes remained, now stabilized by experience and age. It made the disguise more believable. She was also covered in wounds, no doubt meant to lower Vilari’s guard.

Such ploys were destined to fail, seeing as Vilari didn’t have any attachment to Thea Marshall. At best, one could say her impression of her father’s former lover was complicated. The Einherjar Project was still a tightly guarded secret when Thea was killed, solely known by Uncle Triv and Zac. Not even Thea was made aware of what was happening on Elysium at the time.

Nevertheless, Thea actually held a significant position in Vilari’s heart at the time. Unbeknownst to Thea, Vilari had once seen her from a distance. It was one of her strongest memories from her early days when everything was confusing and scary. The intimate bond with her father had been a great comfort while her newborn soul acclimatized to an adult body.

Zac set aside as much time as he could for her and her siblings, but an emperor of a budding empire had too many matters on his plate. He could only sneak away to visit the nursery a few times a week, and he was often called away early by pressing matters.

Vilari’s awakening had been fraught with more problems than the other first-generation Revenants. Her predecessor’s unique bloodline forced her newborn soul to rapidly expand, which was an extremely painful process. It took years before she reached the strength necessary to accept the Crown of Despair inheritance.

Her father tried to help, but Port Atwood was much poorer back then, whether in heritage or resources. Out of better options, he occasionally brought her out of the nursery to take her mind off the pain. Everything was new and exciting, and those outings were still among her fondest memories.

During one of those trips, her father took her to his compound. It was at that time that Thea made an unscheduled appearance, returning early from a cultivation session. Not ready to expose the Einherjar’s existence, Zac hid inside an illusion array until they could sneak back to Elysium. Vilari perfectly recalled Zac’s stilted explanation of who Thea was and why they had to hide.

That day, a seed of jealousy was born. Vilari cast Thea as the evil stepmother who kept her father from seeing his daughter. If not for that woman, Vilari could have lived with her father, going on adventures every day. The image was both unfair and inaccurate. Neither could she say that Zac was at fault for how he handled the situation.

The relationship between Liches and the newly raised was still unfamiliar and ill-defined, and Zac was still struggling with the trauma of the Integration. The dependence on his “children” comforted him, creating a codependence that wasn’t there in the subsequent generations of Revenants. Vilari’s cohort was the only one who considered themselves siblings, and Zachary Atwood their father.

If there was one thing to blame, it was the excessive secret-keeping. Vilari knew this was still a sore point for Zac. Thea had been murdered before Zac could be open about who he was. Seeing someone embody her father’s regret was a slight Vilari wouldn’t accept, especially considering its implications.

There were few reasons someone would take this form, none of them good. Most likely, they were dealing with an assassin. Their appearance had the chance to create a brief opening when encountering the members of the Atwood Empire, at least among those who’d been around since the beginning.

Vilari was no exception. Her mind had briefly shut down from the familiar appearance, and she would have been in great danger if they encountered each other face to face. Luckily, Vilari’s soul wards gave her the early warning needed to adjust her mental state. She took a calming breath to settle the childish jealousy that had resurfaced before emerging from her hideout.

Thea hadn’t pinpointed her location yet, nor had she backed down. She was carefully

And if the Heavens were willing, severing a few more bald heads before the trial was over.