[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-bloodline-system":3,"chapter-the-bloodline-system-the-bloodline-system-chapter-1684":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Bloodline System",{"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},1077016,1391,"Chapter 1684: Funeral Procession","the-bloodline-system-chapter-1684",1684,"\u003Cp>Beside them stood Phil who was taller now, but still with the soft eyes of a boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hugged his parents gently, trying to hold himself together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he looked at the statue—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>at the horns,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>at the gentle smile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>at the stance that always made him laugh as a kid—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his chest crumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered her waking him for school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered her stealing his snacks because \"grown girls need energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered her chasing him around the backyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered her strict scolding when he skipped class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fists tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before he realized it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was crying too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he held no hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>deep in his bones—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that his sister would never want him to blame Gustav.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She died for the man she loved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She died for a purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She died so the universe could live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil whispered to himself, \"I hope you’re smiling, sis...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he wiped his tears and stood straighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reporters swarmed after the ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Vilandrobadia, any words?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mrs. Vilandrobadia, how did Angy behave as a child?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phil, what was she like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have a message for Gustav?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you hold him responsible—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Security cut that reporter off immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beside them, Gustav’s friends walked along with Angy’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E.E.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aildris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falco.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sersi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xanatus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And dozens of others who had fought alongside her or been a part of their MBO academy days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were dressed in black with badges pinned to their chests and expressions carved from pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reporters swarmed them instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Endric, you are Gustav’s brother. How’s he handling this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endric’s lips pursed. He didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aildris, any words for the viewers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elevora, what do you want the world to know about Angy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"E.E, do you know where Gustav is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will he attend the funeral—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they pushed through silently, their emotions far too raw for media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E.E’s eyes were red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sersi looked like she had cried until her chest hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falco kept rubbing his temples, trying to stay strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aildris placed flowers at the base of Angy’s statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevora whispered prayers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even stoic Endric wiped his face once when no one was looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the one person who should have been here more than anyone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was nowhere to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the beginning of the memorial\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the placement of the last wreath\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the unveiling of her statue\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the intergalactic salutes\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the moment her symbolic coffin was lowered into the ground—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav never appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a glimpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a ripple of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The universe waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world leaders waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her parents waited...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her friends waited...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gustav remained absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had never seen him might have called it disrespect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, those who knew...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who saved the universe\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>had lost his own universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he stand before the world and pretend he was whole?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the ceremony ended, the Vilandrobadia family extended an invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tradition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cultural practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A final gathering in honor of the departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who had been close to Angy was welcome to eat with the family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so they all went—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endric,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E.E,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aildris,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevora,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falco,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ria,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sersi,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xanatus and others—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to the Vilandrobadia home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house was pleasantly warm, filled with photographs of Angy in childhood and teenage years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her bracelets still hung on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her medals from high-school track race lined a cabinet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her old training shoes were still by the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiarity hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her favorite dishes were prepared—gentle soups, spiced rice, fruit-stuffed pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother couldn’t speak while she cooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father kept wiping his glasses unnecessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil served drinks silently, swallowing the tightness in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire room was heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falco whispered, \"This... feels unreal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E.E stared down at his untouched plate. \"She would’ve been stuffing her face right now... making fun of me for eating slowly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elevora sighed. \"She would have burnt the meal if she did the cooking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endric leaned back, rubbing his forehead. \"Big brother always teased her about that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aildris nodded. \"She had a warm heart. Even when things were bad, she always looked for a reason to laugh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sersi sniffled. \"Especially when Gustav was around...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That name stiffened the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Angy’s father paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whispered, barely audible:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does anyone know where he is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence stretched and then E.E opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But closed it without saying a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endric finally exhaled and said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t know where my brother is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He vanished immediately after the restoration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aildris added, \"...He needs time. More than any of us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angy’s mother covered her face again, trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father clenched his jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I hope wherever he is... he knows we don’t blame him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil nodded vigorously as his tears returned. \"Angy wouldn’t want that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>E.E whispered, \"He knows... he just can’t face any of us right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falco murmured, \"Can you blame him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meal continued, but it was not a dinner filled with chatter or laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a meal of remembrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A meal shared by the ones left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet promise that Angy would never be forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(( Two Years Later ))\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet street on Earth basked in the soft amber of the late afternoon sun. Most people were indoors watching post-funeral broadcasts or sharing memories of the woman the entire universe had come to honor. Today was her remembrance since the universe was saved two years back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few kids played outside, kicking a battered soccer ball, chasing each other, laughing with the innocent joy only children could still muster after the horrors they and their families had survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball rolled to a stop when a man stepped into the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved like a silent whisper with a deceptively calm bearing. He wore a long red jacket and its hem fluttered slightly with each step. Underneath was a black inner shirt, a few buttons undone as though he hadn’t bothered to fix them.\u003C\u002Fp>",1029,"2026-06-03T10:34:21.839Z",1,"novelbin.me","3263b7fdedae9d2275010e081c84e54c5bcd02eb0660527762e80a21a605476b","the-bloodline-system-chapter-1685","the-bloodline-system-chapter-1683",1688,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-bloodline-system-cover.jpg"]