[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-advent-of-the-three-calamities":3,"chapter-advent-of-the-three-calamities-advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-280":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Advent of the Three Calamities",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},758615,1005,"Chapter 280: Intent [1]","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-280",280,"\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lights turned off, and the curtains closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>11\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife stood behind the stage with her eyes closed. She had poured everything she had into the performance and was mentally exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't see the audience, but it felt as though thousands of eyes were still lingering over her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How did it go? Was my acting okay...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence that took over the theater made her nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immersed in her role, she didn't pay attention to the audience's reaction. All she did was act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Act as if this was the last time she was ever going to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>|| ||\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as her heart started to sink, she heard a small clap coming from behind the curtains. Clap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was subtle, but within the silence, it echoed loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another soon followed that clap, and before Aoife knew it, the entire audience was clapping. Clap, clap, clap-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the claps became so loud that Aoife could hardly hear a thing, but she didn't mind it. Standing where she was, she basked in the sounds. Or more like, she was frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This is for me...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't believe it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get up. The second play is going to start soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only when she heard a familiar voice that she snapped out of it. Turning her head, she saw Julien standing next to her with his eyes fixed on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't seem to be at all fazed by what was happening behind the curtains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he didn't seem to care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at him, Aoife's mouth opened for a short second before she closed it and bitterly sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That's right, he's always been like this.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helping herself up, she looked up at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You managed to do your part well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I was lucky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps... but it was good. I don't think they would've clapped this hard had it not been for the last act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".....'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood in silence for a brief moment before he eventually nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoife's mouth hung open for a brief second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all the things she expected him to say, this was the last thing she expected him to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as if he wasn't done, he continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've always known you were great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a subtle and almost imperceptible smile, he turned around,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Maybe at the next award ceremony, you won't stop at just one vote.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following his words, he turned around and headed to the changing rooms. Aoife stood dumbly on her spot, her eyes tracing his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words continued to echo in her ears, and it wasn't long before her eyes closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haa.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a long and tired sigh, she rubbed her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This guy...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low laugh escaped her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Since when was he this nice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was becoming softer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, in a different area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clap, clap, clap-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the roars of the audience, Olga stood and watched with pursed lips. Her expression was stoic, with little to no emotions displayed on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to read her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite that, everyone could feel an invisible wall surrounding her. It stopped anyone from approaching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the minutes passed, the claps never ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They continued to rage on, and the more they continued, the thicker the walls surrounding\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hooo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, she took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed to be enough to calm her down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she calmed down, she thought back on the play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.... It was a little different from the play that she had been shown, but the essence was the\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>same. In all honesty, it was a tad bit better than she had expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Her acting improved, and Julien pulled it well as well. Not bad. I guess I can work with them\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>again in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that being said, she was still sure that her play was better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when her thoughts paused there, she managed to relax as her head turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arjen, what did you th-eh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her surprise and shock, she realized that she was standing by herself. Previously, Arjen had\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>been with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where could he have gone...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Olga looked everywhere she could possibly think of before contacting one of the staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You, have you seen Arjen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pardon!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The main actor of my script. Have you seen him?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her panic, she grabbed the staff by the clothes, pulling him slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you seen him!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her actions attracted the attention of everyone present, and in the distance, a figure sat,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>staring at her with a nonchalant look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you not going to participate anymore?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela stood beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing formal clothing, her hair was tied in a ponytail. With long platinum hair, her blue\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>eyes shone like jewels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangling his legs over where he sat, Caius hopped off his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brushing his blonde hair back, he took one last glance in Olga's direction before leaving,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I've seen all that I needed to see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the audience stopped clapping, there was still one person who continued to clap. His\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>claps resounded loudly within the theater, and heads turned in his direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that he cared as he continued to clap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wonderful, how wonderful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure was none other than Gael who ended up rubbing the corner of his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Give her an award already.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he continued to sing praises to the play, the three other delegates from the other Empires\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>gave him weird looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time that they had ever seen him like this, and it was a little hard for them to\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>get used to the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've really mellowed out since the last time I've seen you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elysia spoke as she looked at him with an amused look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the current Gael was much different than the past version of himself. He seemed a lot\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>more upbeat, and being with him didn't feel as suffocating as it did in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't the only one who thought this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian and Theron also thought the same, but unlike her, they didn't voice out their\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had never been close to him in the past, and they weren't close to him now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since he was crippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.... Right now, they were here on official business. There was no time for them to be friendly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I do have to say, your sister was really quite the actress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning back on her chair, Elysia complemented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, she was great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gael beamed in delight at the compliment as he started to clap again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither one of the three minded his actions. Thinking back, it really was a wonderful play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpected to say the least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....The fact that this wasn't even the main play made Elysia curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If this is good, I wonder how the main one will be?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was really interesting to think about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, and the actor next to your sister. He was also quite good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh? Oh, yeah. Not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gael's reaction was a little milder, but he was still complimenting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely, he only had eyes for his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it went without saying that she wasn't the only star. There was someone else, quietly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>standing in her background, allowing her to shine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only toward the end that he finally took the spotlight, and when he did, Elysia felt\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...There was something about the last moments. The raw emotions that she witnessed gave\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'It's funny.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time she had felt this way about a play, and she grew curious about the\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>actor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts were broken by the subtle click of a tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning her head, her gaze paused on Theron who was staring at a small communication\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>device with an annoyed frown. He appeared quite annoyed by whatever he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if noticing her stare, his head turned and their gazes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elysia didn't look away and simply smiled at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theron's face contorted, but he soon looked away from her and shifted his attention back to\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the main stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Propping her hand over the armrest of the chair, Elysia leaned her head against her hand as\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she twirled her hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How interesting...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat alone in the changing room, slowly embracing the silence that was surrounding me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started to ponder over the new emotion that I had unlocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Love.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, it's like that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I struggled to understand why I had never been able to unlock the emotion, given that\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had experienced love before. Not in a romantic way, but in a familial way with my brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How is it possible that I don't understand love with all that I did for my brother?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never dwelled deeply on the thought, but it lingered in the back of my mind here and\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only now that I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It wasn't enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the only one that I had affection for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not my previous parents, any other person, or... myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was my only source of love, and it became awfully clear that this was far from enough for\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>me to unlock 'love'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....I didn't understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, I have a better idea of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lowering my head, I stared at my hands and then at the mirror in front of me. I looked at my\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>own reflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, I used to loathe the sight that greeted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unfamiliar features, the handsome looks, and even the skinny and worn-out appearance\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that I once had during my cancer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...During the play, I understood what was holding me back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fact that I loathe myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was my past self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the mirror, I didn't feel any hints of disgust with what I was seeing. Rather, I was\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>okay with what I was seeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer did I feel like I needed to return to my old body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...I was fine staying in this body, so long as I saw my brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could this count as me appreciating myself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made me laugh a little, but this was the truth. With everything that had\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>happened to me, I no longer loathed the sight of myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was no longer disgusted with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...And it was that realization that made me unlock 'Love'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a deep breath and stared at the new spell that I acquired. It was merely at the beginner\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>level, but it was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I blinked, I suddenly noticed the color slowly dissipating from the room. It shrank from the\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>edges of my vision, gradually moving toward the center until my entire world turned gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>||\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat in shock, unable to understand what was going on, and it was a certain voice that brought\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>me out of the shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Delilah appeared out of thin air, her perfect figure materializing before my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was stoic, but I noticed a subtle trembling in her pupils as she stood before\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was wondering what she meant, she spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's the first step to unlocking a domain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1895,"2026-06-02T12:40:56.143Z",1,"novelbin.me","6f1f7dc7931f5b641a21c2c42754ad98314e285d5061023925154667c9b57b82","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-281","advent-of-the-three-calamities-chapter-279",876,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fadvent-of-the-three-calamities-cover.jpg"]