Tension filled the air in the vault. The Jin guards froze in indecision, their will collided with something ancient and unshakable that came from Leng Wei. He didn't attack, he didn't threaten. He just stood there, and that was enough.
Jin narrowed his eyes, "Interesting. You've learned not just how to use power, but how to be it. But will it be enough against the will of the Council?"
Leng Wei did not answer. He looked through the guards, feeling the trembling in the stones under his feet. The Academy groaned under the weight of the artifact, and its every cry reverberated in his blood.
"Stand back," he told the guards. His voice was low, but every word fell like a hammer. "I don't want to spill your blood. You are just pawns in this game."
One of the guards, a young half-blood with trembling hands, suddenly lowered his sword, "I am... I can't..." His eyes were filled with horror and awakening rage. The influence of the Heart of Silence was weakening next to Leng Wei.
Jin looked at the trembling guard with disdain. A traitor, he thought. A moment later, a silver blade pierced the young man's chest. But even as he was dying, the half-breed looked at Leng Wei with gratitude. He met death free.
That was the signal.
Lin Mei threw the map scroll at the face of the nearest guard, and Han rushed into battle with a furious cry. The elder struck the floor with his staff, and the ancient runes on the walls of the vault flashed with blue light.
Leng Wei did not move. He focused on the Heart of Silence, feeling its cold pulse somewhere deep in the Academy. He mentally stretched out a thread of his will to it—not to destroy it, but to understand it.
And the Tomb answered.
Images flashed through his mind: an ancient ritual, masked vampires bending over a fluttering crystal... Victims. Half-breeds whose will was absorbed to power the artifact. Pain, fear, despair—all these nourished the Heart of Silence.
"They're not just controlling the half—bloods," Leng Wei said, opening his eyes. "They're devouring their souls."
Jin took a step back. For the first time, his face showed something other than cold confidence. "You... See?"
Leng Wei took a step forward. The guards parted, unable to resist his will. He came close to Jin.
"You're a pawn too, Jin. They're using you, too. Do you feel like the artifact is sucking out your own will?"
The vampire's silver eyes twitched. For a moment, a shadow of doubt flashed across them. That was enough.
Leng Wei reached out and touched Jin's chest. Not to attack. For cleansing.
The bracelet on his wrist flashed with a blinding white light. Jin cried out in pain and surprise, falling to his knees. A jet of black smoke escaped from his mouth, the influence of the Heart of Silence that had been accumulating in him for years.
When the light faded, Jin was lying on the floor, breathing heavily. His eyes were clear again.
"What... What have you done to me?" he whispered.
"I've given you back your choice," Leng Wei replied.
He turned to the other guards, and the battle in the vault subsided. They all looked at him, some with fear, some with hope.
"The war ends today," Leng Wei announced, and his voice, filled with the power of the Tomb, thundered in the silence. "Those who want freedom, follow me. Those who prefer slavery, stay here."
Most of the guards lowered their weapons. Some of them were crying, while others looked at Leng Wei as if he were the messiah.
But a new sound came from the hallway—heavy, measured footsteps. The footsteps are not of humans or vampires, but of ancient guardians awakened by their True Masters.
Lin Mei ran up to Leng Wei. "Stone golems! Even your strength won't be able to..."
"I'm not the only one," he interrupted her. He looked around at the former guards: Han, the Elder, Jin, who was slowly getting to his feet. "We'll do it together."
The first figure appeared in the doorway, a three—meter-tall golem made of black basalt with eyes made of molten ruby. Five more followed him.
For the first time since his return, Leng Wei smiled. It was not the smile of a winner, but the smile of a man who had finally found his calling.
— For freedom! — he said softly and rushed towards the golems, followed by dozens of those who considered him their enemy an hour ago.
The war was coming to an end, and the revolution was beginning.