"Are you sure about your decision?"
The question came the moment word of Nyx's clash with the king spread. The council hall buzzed with tension, but all eyes were on the boy who had nearly brought a monarch to his knees.
Nyx stood at the center, his voice devoid of warmth. "I took her there to see if there was even a shred of fatherhood left in that man." His gaze sharpened. "Seems I was wrong."
His words dropped like a blade, cutting any illusions still lingering in the room.
"We move forward with our original plans."
He turned toward the figure lounging against the wall—Sofie, the crimson-eyed witch, smirking like she already knew what he'd say.
"Can you find the rat?"
Her smirk twitched. "Oh? No 'Miss Sofie' now? No formalities?" She rolled her eyes, but her expression held amusement rather than offense. "Tch. Whatever. I'll bring him in—squirming or screaming."
As she vanished into mist, Valon stepped forward, concern shadowing his features.
"Is she… alright?"
"She's sleeping," Nyx replied, his voice quieter. "I'll speak to her when she wakes."
There was a flicker of something in his eyes—not weakness, but a sadness he didn't try to hide.
He turned back to the group, voice resuming its commanding edge. "Ms. Sofie will find our informant. Sir Gin, Sir Vin—can I count on you to handle the royal guards?"
The Mad Berserker and the Swordsmith nodded in unison, their expressions grim and unshaken.
"Karl, contact Sir Silas. We'll need his forces on standby in case the palace mages retaliate."
Karl gave a brisk nod and moved to action without delay.
Then Nyx's gaze shifted toward the quietest presence in the room. "Ms. Sofie," he addressed again, this time facing the elven elementalist standing near the shadows. "I want you and Rhea to infiltrate the palace. Can it be done?"
Sofie didn't look amused anymore. She stepped forward, serious and focused. "It's not as simple as walking in. The palace is crawling with layered barriers and wards. Especially after today's stunt. I can't guarantee we won't be noticed."
Nyx smirked—mischievous and dangerous.
'Oii, System. Pull out ten Stealth and Camouflage skills.'
[Here.]
In a shimmer of scarlet light, twenty small red crystals appeared midair before clattering gently onto the table. Without hesitation, Nyx tossed two to each person present.
Everyone stared—some skeptical, some confused. But Karl and Rhea looked particularly baffled.
"Crush them," Nyx said, holding one up. "And witness something that breaks the rules of magic itself."
They obeyed. And in the next second, disbelief painted every face. Even Sofie—the Elf born with the instinct of a natural assassin—looked stunned.
"This... this denies the very law of existence," she whispered. "Absolute stealth is supposed to be impossible."
"Keep your doubts to yourself," Nyx said, his tone flat. "Now… can you do it?"
She nodded silently.
Then he turned to Rhea. His voice softened, just a touch. "Be careful. I can't afford to lose you."
Rhea's heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched, but she nodded, eyes shimmering.
Nyx stepped back. "Karl, stay here. Coordinate with Silas and cover our flanks."
"Understood."
Nyx was about to leave the room when Karl's voice stopped him.
"What about you, Young Master?"
The concern wasn't hidden. If anything happened to Nyx in this chaos—none of them could afford it.
Nyx paused at the doorway. "Me?" He smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll take the princess to her rightful place. What she does from there… that'll be her choice."
He turned to Valon, gaze piercing. "You want to repay her? Then be her sword. Be her shield."
Valon clenched his fists. "I will."
Nyx smirked. But this wasn't his usual smirk. This one was older. Hungrier. Dangerous enough to unsettle even Karl.
"Let's wait for the rat to crawl in. Then…" His voice dipped. "Let the show begin."
His mind, however, wasn't here anymore. Not fully.
'I burned a city down because I couldn't protect the one I loved.
Now, I've got someone I won't let go.
So listen well, Aldric. If I have to—
I'll erase your name from Eleanor's history.'
Nyx walked out of the room, calm as still water—
—but inside his head, a storm was brewing.
---
Far from the capital, at the quiet border of the kingdom—
Inside the Royal Academy—
"Do you think it'll come to war?"
Ava Lunacraft sat with crossed legs, her sharp gaze fixed on the old man in front of her. Her fingers tapped lightly against the teacup she held, but her eyes flickered with something far more telling—worry.
"And now," the Headmaster said with a small grin, "do you still think he was foolish to leave the Academy?"
The grin didn't reach his eyes. Beneath it, even he couldn't hide the tension in his voice.
"I underestimated him," Ava admitted, taking a sip of her tea. "Nyx Vaelthorn… he's a bigger fish in this ocean of predators."
"You're wrong, Miss Ava."
The Headmaster's expression dropped all humor. He leaned forward, voice quiet and heavy.
"That kid isn't someone we—no… he isn't someone anyone in this world can contain."
He paused, the weight of memory clouding his face as he recalled the moment Nyx had gone all out with his powers before the Academy.
Then, with a swift motion, he cast a sound barrier around them—silencing the rest of the world.
"Do you remember the Ancient War that happened centuries ago?" he asked quietly.
The moment those words left his lips, Ava's expression stiffened. Her spine straightened, and her hand froze mid-air.
"I've read about the war from four hundred years ago," she said slowly, each word laced with the weight of a long-buried taboo.
"Not that," the Headmaster replied. "I'm talking about the true history. The Ancient War—the one that took place a thousand years ago. When every race, even demons, stood side by side."
He leaned back, eyes distant.
"I believe… Nyx Vaelthorn is using the powers from that war."
"Wh-What?" Ava's voice broke. "The powers of that war? But—wasn't it supposed to be buried? All of it? Every incident, every trace... sealed away?"
"I checked the charred stone you gave me last time," the Headmaster said, pulling the blackened fragment from his drawer. "Its energy… it matches the divine resonance from that war. There's no mistaking it."
He let out a sigh, long and tired.
"Haaa~ Either the return of this power will bring another calamity… or something else entirely."
His eyes sharpened suddenly—pupils narrowing into slits like a beast awakened.
Ava didn't flinch. "Are you planning to take action yourself, Headmaster?"
"If it comes to that," he said, rising slowly, "then yes. We'll have no choice."
His body began to fade—phasing out of the room like a shadow peeling away from the light.
"We can't remain on the sidelines again."