NOVEL WEB Chapter 88: Raven Family
Elise looked at him, her eyes soft yet firm.
"Because you are not just someone... you are the son of Elise Raven, from the former royal family,the Raven Family."
Ethan blinked rapidly, caught off guard. "Raven family? Former royal family?"
His thoughts scrambled. I've never heard of a Raven family in the novel. In his memory, there was only one royal family in this world,the Nightveil Family. That was canon. It was part of the original setting. So where did this new backstory come from?
Was this always hidden?
But then again, this wasn't the exact same world as the novel he once read. So many things had already changed. Perhaps this Raven family never appeared because they were erased or ignored in the original story.
"Etha—Ethan," Elise's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Yes, Mom?"
"Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked, her expression a bit anxious.
Arthur added, "We're sorry we hid everything from you. Truly. But we didn't want you involved in this world. We wanted you to live normal… to grow peacefully. We wanted you to be happy."
"But alas," Elise sighed, "fate had other plans."
Arthur smiled faintly. "Looking at the way you fought… the way you moved… it's clear you have more potential than even us."
Ethan stayed silent. His head was still processing everything.
After a long pause, he asked, "Did you leave the Raven family… because you married Dad?"
Elise and Arthur exchanged a knowing look.
"Well… at first, yes," Elise replied, her voice tinged with old pain. "My father,your grandfather was furious. I was the eldest daughter of a royal family, and I married an outsider."
Arthur chuckled dryly. "And I was just a passionate idiot back then."
"But," Elise continued, "eventually, he accepted your father. He saw how much we loved each other. We were happy, Ethan. Really happy. My parents welcomed him with open arms. Things were… perfect."
She paused.
"Until that man ruined everything."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Elise's voice darkened. "Your uncle. My younger brother."
Arthur's hands clenched slightly.
"His greed… his envy…" Elise's lips trembled. "He destroyed everything. The Raven bloodline. Our people. The legacy."
"A bloodbath," Arthur muttered under his breath.
Elise nodded. "Everything fell apart. My mother… She barely survived. My father distanced himself from me,not because he stopped loving me, but because he wanted to protect us. He knew my brother would try to use me and you."
Ethan frowned. "So… Grandpa cut you off?"
"Not emotionally," Elise said. "He still watched over us. Quietly. Secretly. As I told you, he's the one who paid for your education. He gave strict instructions: you must never walk the path of superpowers. He wanted you far away from this blood-soaked legacy."
Arthur sighed. "But now that you've awakened… he'll know."
"He'll definitely come," Elise said seriously. "We must go back to that house."
Ethan's eyes widened. "The Raven estate?"
She nodded. "Your uncle will come after you. But your grandfather… he will take that risk to protect you. He'll do anything to stop your uncle."
Ethan sat still, absorbing every word.
What a crazy family I've got, he thought. An uncle who's out for blood, plotting behind the scenes like some kind of villainous mastermind. My mom and dad,once powerful superhumans,now hiding because of a curse. And my grandfather… a royal patriarch who still watches from the shadows.
He clenched his fists.
This uncle… he's the one behind the bus attack, isn't he? The one who Serena warned about, I can see why she told me I need to become stronger, afterall it is the former royal family, Also he is now after Serena also."
His jaw tightened.
Now that he know I also awakened, he will not hold back either.
"Seems like I've got a disgusting, vile, cruel man hunting me," Ethan muttered.
Arthur nodded grimly. "Don't underestimate him. He's more dangerous than you can imagine."
"I won't," Ethan replied, his voice colder than usual. "But I won't run either."
His thoughts turned serious.
I need more information. About the Raven family. Their past. Their powers. Their enemies. If I'm going to survive what's coming… I need to know everything.
And I'll start with the name that's been hidden all this time.
"I need to know more about the Raven family."
Ethan sat beside his mother, his expression serious. "Mom... can you tell me more about the Raven family?"
Elise looked at him for a long moment, then finally sighed. "Well, there isn't much more to say,but you deserve to know the full truth."
She glanced out the window before continuing, her voice soft but heavy with memories.
"The Raven family… we weren't just nobles. We were the royal family. Not like the ones you hear about today with ceremonial power. We controlled everything—politics, military, economy, even the magical guilds. Back in my father's reign, no one dared to even whisper rebellion. That's how much they feared him. But more than fear… they respected him. The people loved your grandfather."
Ethan nodded silently.
"But everything changed because of your uncle… Matthias," she said, bitterness creeping into her tone. "I don't know what happened. One day, he simply… changed. Became something else entirely. A bloody killer."
Arthur's expression turned grim.
"My father had planned to pass the throne to me. He believed I could rule justly. But he also knew what Matthias was capable of. So, before he died, he made a final decision—one that shocked everyone. He handed the crown to his right-hand man. A man who had served him loyally for decades. That man became the current Emperor."
Ethan leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "So that's the story, huh? My family is totally complicated."
Elise gave a dry laugh. "That's putting it mildly."
"Well then," Ethan sighed. "Looks like I'll have to handle things myself. That devil uncle of mine has lived freely for too long. But I haven't seen Lily or Aunt Mei in a while either. And I need to check on Maple's Nest. I want to see how much it's been affected since the world changed…"
The city streets were in chaos. Explosions echoed in the distance. Buildings groaned, half-collapsed. Rubble lined the roads, and the skies were black with smoke.
Serena darted through the crumbling alleyways, her breathing steady, eyes sharp. Around her, groups of rogue superhumans fought, laughing madly as they unleashed destruction. Lightning bolts, fireballs, and sound blasts shattered the silence of what once was a peaceful sector.
A giant man with skin like stone hurled a chunk of debris at her. Serena flipped in mid-air, avoiding it effortlessly, then landed on a cracked streetlight.
"You picked the wrong girl to chase today," she muttered.
Two more enemies charged in. One summoned blades of wind, the other launched energy spikes.
Serena crouched, her body glowing faintly. With one sudden burst of motion, she dashed forward.
CRACK!
A palm strike to the chest sent the wind-blader flying into a wall.
BAM!
A spinning heel kick knocked the second unconscious before he could even react.
The others hesitated, startled by her speed.
"Tch. Weaklings."
But just then, slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the street.
Raphael stepped out from the shadows, his coat fluttering in the scorched breeze. His eyes locked onto Serena with venom.
"Well, well," he smirked. "Serena. I always knew you'd be the first to betray us." This chapter first appeared on M|V|L^EMPYR.
"I didn't betray anyone. I woke up," she said coldly. "I'm not following that monster anymore."
Raphael's smile twisted into a sneer. "You think you're some kind of hero now? Just because you're protecting that boy?"
He raised a finger, pointing at her like a judge handing down a death sentence. "You betrayed our master… and for what? That weakling Ethan? I'll kill him. And I'll make you watch."
Serena's eyes burned with fury. "Over my dead body."
"Exactly," he said, and launched forward with a roar.
Their fists collided mid-air with the force of a small bomb. The shockwave shattered nearby windows. The ground cracked under them.
Raphael swung a glowing punch. Serena ducked and elbowed him in the ribs, then countered with a knee to the face. He reeled back, blood trickling from his nose.
But he only grinned. "Now we're talking."
He summoned dark red energy from his core. The aura around him intensified, warping the air.
Serena wiped blood from her lip. "Not holding back, huh?"
They clashed again—fast, brutal, godlike. Serena struck his side, he countered with a burst of flame. She blocked, barely, but her arm sizzled.
"You're strong," he hissed, "but not strong enough."
He blasted her into a nearby car. Serena groaned, staggered up, then charged again.
Every punch, every kick, was desperate but precise. Her muscles screamed, her breath came in gasps.
"I won't let you touch him," she said, landing an uppercut that lifted Raphael off the ground.
But then,he roared and drove his knee into her gut, followed by an energy blast directly to her chest.
BOOM!
Serena was flung across the street, skidding until she hit a wall. Blood spilled from her mouth.
She tried to rise, but her body trembled.
"Tch... is time over?" she whispered.
Her vision blurred. Her limbs wouldn't respond. She chuckled weakly through the pain.