The dust thickened the farther Mia and Amelia walked into the destroyed throne chamber. Each step sank slightly into broken marble and scorched stone. The air was still warm from the aftershock of the Unison Raid, carrying faint trails of frozen mist and patches of thick, oppressive darkness.
Zero's mana signature was nowhere.That was what terrified Mia the most.
Zero's mana was like winter wind—crisp, sharp, unmistakable. Even when he tried to hide it, she could sense it if he was close enough. But now? Nothing.
"He has to be here," Mia whispered, sweeping her aura through every shattered corner.
"Not has to be," Amelia corrected softly, "is. You and I both felt the center of the clash. Right there."
She pointed deeper into the ruins, where the throne had once stood. The area was buried under slabs of obsidian-black stone, remnants of the devil king's power.
As they moved closer, Mia's heartbeat hammered harder.
