Chronicles of Forgotten Extra-Chapter 311: True Origins Revealed.

Deep within a dark basement, Jeremy awaited his guest. The girl he had chosen to carry out his task, the one who would draw attention… while he activated the sacrificial ritual.

His body had deteriorated even further, cracks spreading through flesh and bone as his strength continued to regress. Time was no longer on his side.

If he couldn't switch bodies now, he would never survive.

And if he didn't survive…

He would never complete his revenge against the Ravenscars, the ones who had tormented his bloodline for generations. The ones who separated young children from their families and sent them away to distant planets.

Just then, right on cue, a masked man appeared and behind him followed a blonde girl with crimson eyes. Her gaze swept across the room sharply, observing every shadow, every corner and every possible threat before finally settling on the man seated calmly on a chair.

"Take a seat, Seles." Jeremy said, gesturing toward the chair across from him.

She masked her surprise well but in front of someone who had survived as long as Jeremy had… it wasn't convincing.

"I hadn't expected the principal, Jeremy, to be the one behind all of this." She said evenly.

Her voice was steady, despite the fact that the man before her could crush her before she ever managed to activate the artifact hidden in her pocket.

Jeremy didn't move as he had no intention of harming her.

"So," Jeremy said flatly, not bothering with pleasantries, "have you decided whether you will do the job or not?"

Seles didn't answer immediately. Instead, her lips slowly curled into a faint smile.

"I would be honored to do such a job for you." She replied. "If the rewards you promised are real."

Her eyes sharpened.

"But before any of that… I need to trust you."

Her voice remained steady, yet the subtle fidgeting of her fingers betrayed her nerves.

"Why do you want Lucien dead specifically?" She continued.

"Why must it happen on the final day of the tournament?"

"And why did you choose me?"

She leaned back slightly, her gaze unwavering.

"If you answer these questions, I am ready to work with you." She said firmly.

"Otherwise, you are free to kill me."

She paused for a moment.

"But I won't work with you blindly."

Jeremy stared at her for a moment… then let out a small, amused chuckle.

Interesting.

He lifted a hand and gestured toward his subordinate. The masked man bowed respectfully and left the basement without a word. Only after the echoes of his footsteps faded did Jeremy finally begin to speak.

"I can understand your doubts and suspicions about me, Seles." Jeremy said calmly. "But although I can't answer all of them… I can answer your last question."

His voice dropped.

"The reason I chose you out of countless others is because you are—"

He paused for just a fraction of a second.

"…my daughter."

Seles's eyes widened instantly.

"W-what are you talking about?"

For the first time in her life, her composure shattered and her thoughts spiraled out of control but Jeremy didn't hesitate. If anything, his voice softened further.

"You have always been my daughter." He said gently. "Not Alaric's."

"No… no, that can't be true." She shook her head, disbelief flooding her face.

"You're lying." She said sharply. "How could that even be possible? I inherited my father's element… I even have his crimson eyes."

Jeremy looked at her for a long moment and then he let out a bitter laugh.

"I made it that way."

He wasn't lying.

Seles and Cedric were truly his children, born of his blood and Vespara's. Long ago, he had used forbidden ancient magic discovered in forgotten ruins where he had found his body swapping magic to integrate their bloodline with the Dravens, masking their existence completely.

It had been done for a reason and at the time, Vespara had been married to Alaric and only two people in the entire world had ever known the truth.

Jeremy and Vespara.

"You can even ask your mother about it." Jeremy said calmly. "I believe she would be able to explain it to you better than I ever could."

But unbeknownst to Vespara or to anyone else, Jeremy hadn't hidden them only because of that circumstance and he certainly wasn't revealing the truth now out of any fatherly affection.

To him, Seles wasn't a daughter standing before him, she was a piece on the board, a necessary distraction and, ultimately… a sacrifice.

For rituals of this nature, the closer the sacrifice was to the caster, the more effective and efficient the magic became. Blood, bonds and lineage amplified the spell beyond measure. That was also why his son, Cedric, was here as well in the inter-academy.

Jeremy was confident.

With both of them as sacrifices, combined with the countless spectators and students gathered above, there was no possible way his ritual could fail.

Seles, meanwhile, regained her composure within minutes.

"If I really am your daughter then why are you asking me to do something so dangerous? Can't you just hand over that magic you mentioned… the one to swap talents or whatever it was?" She said calmly.

Jeremy smiled faintly.

"I don't mind giving it to you." He replied calmly. "But I don't have it either at this moment."

He leaned back slightly.

"The technique I spoke of was something I discovered long ago in an ancient ruin but before I could study it properly… the Emperor stole it from me."

His voice remained steady.

"He used that technique and twisted it into demonic magic, one capable of devouring the potential of children who hadn't yet awakened, all to fuel his own strength."

Seles' expression tightened.

"But I plan to take it back." Jeremy continued. "I plan to stage a coup and replace the Emperor."

He looked directly at her now.

"And for that… I need a diversion."

"That is why I need you, my daughter, the only person I can truly trust, to kill his son… while I take that opportunity to eliminate the Emperor himself."

"You won't be alone either." Jeremy continued. "Chaos will spread across the artificial island that day. I only need you to eliminate Lucien amid that chaos. Can you do that?"

Seles stared at him for a long moment and then she stood up. "I need some time to think."

Jeremy nodded gently as if he had expected that answer all along. "Of course. Take as much time as you need."

She didn't wait for anything else as she walked away, her mind drowning in questions but before she could even begin sorting through them… there was one thing she had to do.

She needed to speak to her mother.

—

Still seated in his chair, Jeremy watched Seles's retreating figure until she disappeared from view and almost immediately, the masked man re-entered the basement.

Jeremy didn't look surprised.

"Keep an eye on her." He said calmly.

"Yes, Master." The man replied, bowing before leaving once more.

Now alone, Jeremy leaned back slightly.

He hoped it wouldn't come to force.

Magic of this caliber wasn't governed by power alone, it depended heavily on fate. That was also one of the reasons he had ensured everything unfolded as naturally as possible.

Even making Seles kill Lucien wasn't merely about convenience. It was to balance the scales of fate, otherwise, he had countless other ways to create a diversion… countless ways to drag Seles into the arena himself.

Among everyone, Lucien had the most complicated fate after Alden… so he had made Lucien the anchor of the ritual. Only after his blood was spilled would the ritual actually start.

But all Jeremy could do now was to wait and hope that everything goes according to his plans.

—

A/N: Poor Alaric, first Alden now Seles and Cedric too 😭