Alexa collapsed before the barrier.
It wasn't the first time she'd lost someone dear to her.
And, of course… it wouldn't be the last.
That truth alone made her hate loss more than ever—
made her despise the idea of love itself, because love always demanded a price.
Today, she had lost yet another precious soul.
Her fist slammed into a broken stone beside her, one of many that surrounded the palace within Elara's magical dome.
She struck it again. And again.
"Damn it… damn it… damn it!"
The bones in her hand creaked against the cracked surface.
Blood poured from her knuckles just as tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.
Behind her, Zack and Alex stood frozen.
They didn't know what to do.
The gap between nobles and purebloods was vast—
and seeing their queen like this,
crying, breaking, helpless,
was a sight they could never have imagined.
Simply put… they were lost.
Iris knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand on her back in an attempt to calm her.
"Alexa… stop. You're hurting yourself."
She didn't listen.
She kept crying, kept striking the stone with her bleeding hand.
Seconds passed.
Her blows grew weaker and weaker,
until they finally stopped.
Her voice broke apart as her strength did.
"Iris… tell me… why do we keep losing the ones we love?
Why can't we just… stay together?"
Her words struck Iris silent.
He didn't know what to say.
After a long breath, his jaw tightened.
"Because of Ethios…"
Alexa's eyes widened.
What did he just say?
Her voice trembled with anger and disbelief.
"What… what do you mean?"
Iris rose slowly to his feet.
"Your decisions about him. That's what I mean."
Zack and Alex exchanged confused looks.
Zack whispered under his breath,
"Ethios? Who the hell is that…?"
Alexa's wounded hand clenched into a trembling fist.
The stone beneath it cracked again under her immense strength.
Even injured, drained of magic—she was still a Tedrosi.
"This isn't the place for that conversation, Iris."
And she was right.
Ethios was a secret known only to a select few.
Zack and Alex were not among them.
If they ever learned the truth, Iris would have to kill them on the spot.
He decided not to argue further—for their sake.
---
Several kilometers away, Evelyn and Heiko lay flat against the ground inside another magical barrier—
their only protection from the catastrophic explosion Elara had unleashed.
The roaring winds tore across the wasteland, carrying dust and fire like a living storm.
When the tremors finally eased, Evelyn rose to her knees.
Sand slid from her back and hair in thin, steady streams.
Her once-elegant attire was torn and tattered.
Her soft blond hair, normally immaculate, now hung wild and uneven.
Heiko didn't look much better.
Evelyn gritted her teeth as she finally stood upright.
"Damn you, Elara. I spent four years preparing for this…"
Her clenched fist trembled.
Her voice burned with fury.
"How dare you…"
Heiko's voice came weak, exhausted.
"It doesn't matter. We got what we came for.
Seems the legend of Ethios is real after all.
If Alexa had hesitated even for a moment in protecting him,
we would've reached him by now."
She stood beside her sister,
gazing over the desolation that had once been the proud capital of the Siren Clan.
"But that doesn't mean we failed completely.
The Siren lost their capital, half their army… and Elara herself."
She paused for a moment, then added quietly,
"They also lost their people's faith.
And in return, we only sacrificed a few pawns from the underworld."
Evelyn smirked darkly.
"You always know the right thing to say, don't you?"
Behind them, a magical portal appeared—
similar to those the underworld armies had emerged from,
though much smaller in size.
They stepped back in unison,
entering the swirling gate with sinister smiles on their faces,
until both vanished into the darkness.
---
Back among the Siren, Zack and Alex had already departed toward the nearest city after Elara's barrier fell.
Iris walked through the ruins, stepping over corpses and broken stones,
searching desperately for any survivors.
Inside the palace, Alexa moved slowly through the shattered halls—
each step heavy, deliberate, dragging.
She was heading for the throne room.
For Ethios.
Seven hours had passed since she'd hidden him there.
Seven hours of horror.
She finally stood before the grand doors of the throne chamber.
Her hand hesitated for a moment.
Maybe she was afraid—
afraid to face him after everything that had happened.
With a deep breath, she released the sealing spell and gently pushed the doors open.
They parted with a low groan, revealing the vast chamber within.
At the far end stood her grand throne.
But sitting on the first step of its staircase—
was Ethios.
His small knees were drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them.
His head rested quietly on his folded arms.
Tears welled in Alexa's eyes.
She took a single step forward.
The sound was enough to wake him.
Ethios lifted his head slowly, rubbing his eyes.
When he saw what stood before him—
his blood froze.
For a moment, he didn't recognize her.
Alexa was barely standing, leaning on the Kaito Blade.
Her silvery hair hung messily over her face.
Blood from her head wound had smeared across her cheeks.
Her royal robe was torn and burned in several places.
To a four-year-old child,
the sight was a nightmare come to life.
Yet his fear didn't stop him from recognizing her.
No matter how she looked—
she was still his mother.
Ethios jumped down from the step and ran toward her,
his little face painted with both terror and longing.
Alexa let the Kaito Blade fall beside her and dropped to her knees,
lowering herself to his height.
He threw himself into her arms,
uncaring of the blood and wounds that covered her body.
She held him close,
pressing his small frame gently against her chest.
The throne room was silent—
save for the quiet sobs of a frightened child.
Ethios gripped her torn robe tightly.
"Mom… why did you leave me?"
Alexa couldn't answer.
The chamber around them was shattered—
cracked walls, broken windows,
echoes of explosions still faint in the distance.
He must have felt it all.
He must have heard the screams of soldiers dying outside,
the roars of the underworld beasts.
He had endured seven hours of terror—alone.
Alexa whispered softly into his ear,
"I'm sorry, my love. I'm here now.
You don't have to be afraid anymore, alright?"
Ethios nodded through his tears.
She wiped his cheeks gently.
Her hands, rough from gripping a sword for endless hours,
trembled at the softness of his skin.
After everything that happened—
they were together again.
And for now…
that was enough.