The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne exchanged a knowing glance with Mr. Wolf by her side, silently communicating their shared resolve.

If it came to that, they'd have no choice but to destroy the Millennia Aegis.

Nothing mattered more than human life.

With the deadline looming, Abigail refused to wait any longer, launching a full-on assault on the two. To her, as long as they still breathed, they could serve her grand purpose; individual lives held no value. Success would absolve her of all past deeds, no matter how dark.

Percival's powers were constrained, yet the Millennia Aegis within him surged with endless energy.

Vivienne, with her powers channeled into her silver needles, joined forces with Percival to withstand Abigail.

Even within the magic circle, Abigail found no advantage.

One protected by the Millennia Aegis, the other unaffected by the circle.

Abigail's attempts to counter grew more desperate, but leveraging the circle's focal point, she narrowly evaded their attacks multiple times.

Seizing the moment, Vivienne and Mr. Wolf cornered her with nowhere to flee.

Suddenly, the sky darkened-an ominous sign.

Abigail Ephemeral ceased her attack, a strange gleam in her eyes. "Your time is up," she declared.

Vivienne and Percival, quick to react, prepared their defenses.

Percival reached for the Millennia Aegis, intending to destroy it, only for an invisible force to whisk it away.

Hovering above the circle, the Aegis radiated a soft glow.

Abigail smirked, believing the Aegis needed a chosen one to activate. Yet, within the circle, it seemed to align itself, mocking her adversaries, "Did you really think you could touch what the circle claims?" With everything in place, Abigail locked her gaze on Vivienne, aiming to harness the Aegis's power against her.

countered her

let harm befall Vivienne, not with their first child on the way. Abigail raised an eyebrow, amused, "First, I'll kill you, then the child. Only then will she grasp the

them

was at stake. They had come to

together, and their future

succeed. We'll capture her and hand her over to the authorities.

Vivienne wants her alive,

scoffed, "Still dreaming of glory? You'll have plenty of time for that in the

moved to capture Vivienne with her

a figure threw themselves at Abigail, clinging to her,

a brutal counterattack from Abigail, refused to let go, "You took

sudden

then, the Millennia Aegis unleashed a beam

Vivienne and Mr. Wolf, in unison, directed all their power at the

was the final secret left by Vivienne's mentor-for emergencies, destroy the artifact to buy time, if nothing else. Nobody expected Delilah to appear at

blood, her recently healed wounds reopening. Delilah, lifeless

fight signaled the circle's

to reality,

light, instinctively grabbed

but unharmed, checked Vivienne for injuries, "I'm

by his concern, reassured him, "I'm protected by my powers. You should

was safe, nothing

a glance, both equally stunned. Magic circles, it seemed, were not just the stuff of

instant, two living, breathing people had vanished right before their

squinted, "Mr. Wolf, do you think Abigail just disappeared,

a chill run down his spine, "People don't just disappear into thin air. But given what we saw, even if she's alive, it doesn't look

"Percival, my lady!"

"Young master!"