The Conquerors Path

"Why is the world cruel to him?" Marlene asked herself as she looked at everything happening to Austin. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that Austin has gone through, to be betrayed once and to lose someone he came to love. How would anyone even smile after this?

"Yet he never lost his way..." A sweetness and bitterness, like never before, invaded Marlene's mind at the same time. In her heart, Austin rose to be a person she could never even come to hurt emotionally. He looks like a glass piece, one that could break at a touch.

"Once we are together, I will spoil him with my love." Just as she thought of this, a light smile came to Marlene's face. But it didn't last long as the dragon suddenly spoke.

"This kid has the most complex situation of love that I have ever seen."

Just as Marlene was about to reply, the scene changed, and the atmosphere itself became different as the third-person view changed. In front of Marlene, the screen flickered to show Olivia, her eyes possessive and loving. But seeing it, the smile on Marlene's face completely froze, the killing intent within her blasting out in full force as she saw Olivia laying above Austin, holding him down as she spoke.

"I love you, be mine..."

Her desire was ever-present, like a drug addict that wouldn't let go, she seemed to hold the older Austin below her as she asked him, and Austin replied.

"No, I have no interest in having another woman. For me, love isn't possible. I don't want to hurt you."

His reply only made Olivia smile, the rejection not pushing her back as she started to pester Austin to give her a chance. The screen kept changing, in which each time Marlene could see Olivia pursuing Austin and him rejecting her. All the things he went through in the past being a chain that won't let him truly feel love, because he was afraid of being hurt and hurting others.

Such a scene only hurt Marlene's heart, but she could see that as things went by, Austin's barrier around his heart kept wavering until finally, he felt pity and gave Olivia a chance. A chance to try to be together. And seeing it, Marlene held her fingernails so hard that they started to bleed. Soon, she could see Austin trying to accept being together with Olivia.

Austin trying his best to get rid of the fear in his heart and move on. She saw how Olivia kept trying to seduce him and get his heart, and she saw how lightly it was affecting him. Austin wanted to give those emotions back, but his heart still feared being rejected, hence he kept his distance a bit, which only started to make Olivia try to talk to him more.

"I won't give up," Olivia muttered as she held Austin's face.

"I will wait," she said as she held his hand.

"I love you..." Olivia muttered before she kissed Austin's lips...

And that was the last straw that broke the camel's back, a humongous amount of power and pure killing intent leaving Marlene's body. The room she was in slightly trembling as she looked at the scene of Olivia taking away Austin's first kiss. Her eyes are bloodshot as she bit her lip till it started to bleed.

Even when she watched the love scene with both Celestina and the other mysterious girl, Marlene held herself, because in the case of Celestina, they were children, and nothing of a sexual or kissing nature ever took place. And in the case of the other girls, they had feelings for each other, and before anything could bloom, the girls died.

Hence, Marlene kept repeating in her heart that everything would work out for her. But now, seeing this, the deep emotions of jealousy once again reared its head. The amount of hate that the current Marlene has for Olivia rises far above what she could control. But the only silver lining in this being the case is that she could see that Austin still hasn't succumbed to Olivia.

Even after the kiss, his fears overwhelm him, and he keeps debating whether to fully invest in Olivia. And it would seem that after this kiss, he wants to fully commit to Olivia to try to get rid of his fears. The key thing is that he hasn't, which means that Marlene still has a chance to strike when the iron's hot.

"I need to calm down...." The calmness and strategy that she earned within the illusion came into play as Marlene's mind started to work in overload. The thing about Austin having a lover and it being Olivia throws a complete wrench into her plan of proposing to Austin in the best way possible after leaving this place.

But the good thing is that now she knows about the weakness of Austin and his past trauma in love better than any woman out there, and she will be able to use that to her advantage. Thinking till here, Marlene's eyes narrowed, her gaze turning away from the scene as Olivia once again tries to seduce Austin, and he moves away.

"I need to deal with Olivia." That's the main issue now. Another good thing that came her way is that Olivia asked for the relationship between the two of them to remain silent until Austin is sure of his feelings, and she can deal with the other things back at her Empire. This would be another tool that she would be able to use to get her hands on Austin.

"I am not letting anyone take him away from me this time." She swore to herself as her eyes focused back on the screen. She now knows that the main trial for Austin is to overcome his fear of love, and in Marlene's mind, several plans to take advantage of it kept appearing. She wasn't like this, and she hated such moves, but now she knows how important they are for her and the family she would create to survive in the world.

"What should I do?" Hearing this, Marlene focused on the screen. She could see Austin looking up into the sky as he kept doubting himself, both the scenarios of losing someone he loves and being betrayed by someone he loves resurfacing to go away from him, scarring him. As she asked into the sky on what he should do.

"Is it easy to give up on love?" Austin asked again as he sighed and closed his eyes. Once again, the illusion starts to play, showing him his darkest moment and forcing him to choose. Marlene looked at all this with a sad gaze, her eyes wandering towards Austin, whose head still lay on her legs, her hand finding its way to Austin's face as it landed on his lips.

A great temptation to take a taste of his lips filled her mind, but Marlene held it back. She doesn't wish for her first kiss and the first kiss between Austin and her to be one where she forces it upon him. After everything she saw and desired, Austin requires something special, and she will make sure to give it to him.

"If he overcomes this trial, then he will no longer have any doubt. Then I would need to make my actions quick..." A ruthless light flashed through Marlene's eyes as she thought of the plans that kept appearing in her mind. She fears the most that Austin will take Olivia, and right now Olivia has a bigger advantage over her, especially when she has been with Austin all the time. Killing Olivia right now would only worsen the situation for Austin, and she can never do that to him.

Marlene bit her lips as she had to control her overwhelming urge to put her trident through Olivia's heart. For now, she would need to take a back seat. She knows her chance will come soon, for she will create it herself, and when the chance comes, she will make sure to take it and emerge victorious.

"Sorry, Catherine. I gave him to you once. I can't do that again..."