There was a sudden commotion—royal guards parted like waves as a regal man and woman in ornate garments adorned with silver embroidery and golden crowns rushed onto the scene. The woman's voice pierced the air, filled with desperation and emotion.
"My baby!"
The man, with a booming voice, followed closely behind.
"Ayeloria!"
Ayeloria turned toward the sound, her eyes wide with disbelief. "M-Mom… Dad…!"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she sprinted into their arms, collapsing into a sobbing embrace. "You're safe… You're really here," her mother whispered, cradling her daughter like she was made of glass. Her father kissed the top of her head, his expression torn between fury and relief.
Meanwhile, I was shoved forward by the guards. They forced me toward an older elf with flowing silver hair, standing tall in a green and gold robe trimmed with emerald silk. His presence was commanding—ancient and terrifying. The guards yanked me to my knees in front of him, one of them even kicking my leg out to force me lower.
I looked up, my breath catching in my throat.
His piercing green eyes locked onto mine—unblinking and cold.
And then—
A crushing weight slammed down on my body like a mountain. A swirling green aura erupted from the old man, pressing me into the earth. My face smashed against the marble floor as the overwhelming force suffocated my limbs.
"Guh—ahh!"
Pain surged through every part of me. My back cracked, and blood began to leak from my nose, eyes, and mouth.
I had felt strong auras before.
But nothing like this.
This aura was ancient… divine… wrathful.
"You reek of demon stench and crimson death," the old man growled, his voice reverberating like thunder. "Are you one of the Crimson King's spies? Did you come to take my granddaughter?!"
He stomped his foot down on the back of my head, pressing me deeper into the marble.
"ANSWER ME, YOU FILTH!"
Then Ayeloria screamed.
"GRANDPA, STOP!! Please… please stop! He didn't hurt me!"
The old man froze, aura flickering.
"What…?"
"He saved me! From real monsters. Humans—they were going to… sell me. He's the one who stopped them."
Silence. The aura slowly faded. The pressure on my spine lifted, and I collapsed completely, unconscious and barely breathing.
A Month Later…
I awoke in a warm bed surrounded by elegant silken curtains. Gentle hands tended to my wounds—elves in nurse uniforms, their expressions calm and professional.
Day after day, I was fed, treated, and healed. Slowly, I recovered. My mana returned. My limbs stopped trembling.
Until one morning, I was fully awake—and fully summoned.
Guards entered and escorted me down crystal hallways into a grand dining hall lined with enchanted chandeliers and stained glass.
At the long table sat Ayeloria, smiling nervously. Beside her were the king and queen—the man and woman from earlier—and at the head sat the old elf with sharp green eyes, no longer crackling with wrath.
He motioned for me to sit.
The old man spoke first. "I am Elarion Hoshizaki, the previous king of this kingdom. This is my son, King Thalorien, and his wife, Queen Aiyumi. Of course, you already know Ayeloria." He paused. "They also have a son—Thon, Ayeloria's older brother. He's away at an academy where Ayeloria will be joining in two years."
He leaned forward, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "Now then… My granddaughter told us what happened from her perspective. I want to hear your side of the story. All of it."
I stood from my chair and took a breath. "I was on the run from shadow soldiers. They'd been hunting me for reasons I still don't fully understand. After defeating them using techniques I learned from my sensei, I heard screaming… Ayeloria's voice."
Her parents looked at her, eyes wide.
"I followed the sound and found her locked in the back of a van. Three men were outside, laughing… disgusting men. I heard them planning to sell her, to… do worse."
Elarion's hand slammed down, cracking the wood beneath it. "FILTHY HUMAN BASTARDS!"
Thalorien placed a calm hand on his father's shoulder. "Father. Let him finish."
I nodded and continued. "I threw my sword straight into the skull of the one trying to touch her. Then I killed the others… and helped Ayeloria escape. She had a compass. We followed it here."
Elarion was silent. His green eyes stared deep into mine. He was reading me. Testing every word.
Finally, he exhaled and said, "Thank you. You saved our precious Ayeloria. For that, we owe you a great debt. If there is anything you desire, speak it."
I scratched the back of my head and smiled. "It's not much, but… do you have a portal I can use to return to my sensei? I've been gone too long and—"
Suddenly, a stabbing pain tore through my chest.
"GHHK—!"
I collapsed to the ground, clutching my chest as a burning sensation flooded my veins. My breathing grew rapid. My vision blurred. My blood boiled.
My hair turned ghost white.
Fangs burst from my gums.
My fingernails elongated into blackened claws.
Then—BOOM!
A torrent of red and black aura exploded from my body, shattering a nearby chandelier. Tables shook. Guards fell to one knee from the sheer pressure.
Ayeloria screamed, "JAEY!"
My body convulsed violently as I levitated above the floor, screaming at the top of my lungs, red lightning coursing around me, eyes glowing like molten fire.
Elarion stood and roared, "GUARDS! RESTRAIN HIM—NOW!!"
But no one dared move.