"Your stance is strange. Take the position I showed you," said Vireya.
Noctis sighed and adjusted his posture as she had instructed. His left foot was forward, his back slightly bent; he held the sword at the level of his left eye, angled slightly to the side. He made the first move.
There were two meters between them. Noctis advanced slowly. Vireya had told him to try landing a single hit on her. He knew it sounded simple in words, but in reality, it was anything but. Step by step, he closed the distance.
Noctis swung the chained sword. Vireya calmly took a step back, dodging the strike. Noctis attacked again, and again she evaded. This went on for a while.
"Come on, Noctis… Hitting her once would be enough," River said mockingly.
Noctis didn't lose focus.
'If it's so easy, why don't you try?'
He lunged forward. Vireya stayed in place, raising and swinging her sword down. Their blades clashed. One of Vireya's brows lifted slightly. Noctis had put all his strength into his arms and legs, while she remained perfectly composed. His expression was fierce.
The Crimson Commander pushed her blade downward, throwing off his balance. Noctis stepped aside. Vireya watched him thoughtfully.
"You're improving. And in just four days. Have you ever handled a sword before?"
Noctis spoke between strained breaths.
"Not one this long… only knives."
The Crimson Commander paused for a few seconds, her face expressionless. Slowly, she raised her free hand. A shimmer of light formed, and a dagger materialized in her grasp. It was about the length between her wrist and elbow, forged from a slender steel. Its hilt was a deep blood-red. Vireya extended it toward Noctis.
"Take this. It'll help you during your learning phase."
Noctis studied the dagger for a few seconds, then gave it a few test swings.
Vireya told him to take a stance again, but Noctis didn't use the one she taught him. Instead, he took the stance his grandfather had once shown him—one he'd refined on his own.
His left foot was slightly forward, his back straight, and the hand holding the dagger was close to his face. His other hand hovered near the weapon, ready to react. With his eyes hidden behind his arms, it was impossible to tell where he was looking. He flipped the dagger in his hand and completed his stance.
Vireya looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
River was watching from the corner, excitement glimmering in his eyes.
Even the other soldiers had stopped their training to watch.
"I've never seen that stance before… Who taught you?"
Noctis didn't answer right away. He took a deep breath.
"No one taught me."
Vireya's pale pink lips curved slightly.
"I sensed it when I looked into your eyes, but now it's certain… You're a killer, aren't you?"
Noctis stayed silent.
Maybe she was right — he was a killer — but only because he'd been forced to become one to survive.
Vireya took a dagger from a nearby soldier and dashed toward him at a speed he could follow.
Noctis kept his composure. Vireya thrust the dagger forward as if she meant to pierce straight through him. He flinched slightly and sidestepped, but she didn't stop. Now he was dodging every strike — he knew that if he lost focus even for a heartbeat, the Crimson Woman would skewer him.
Vireya struck his shoulder with her free hand and slashed her dagger vertically toward his face.
Noctis blocked by striking her dagger arm at the elbow with his free hand, deflecting the attack.
They both stepped back and began circling each other.
"You should've told me from the start you were good with daggers," Vireya said. "It would've made things easier."
Noctis ignored her and lunged forward.
He feinted high — Vireya took the bait, lifting her dagger to defend — and in that instant, Noctis crouched low, planted one hand on the ground, and went for a low strike.
But Vireya reacted instantly.
She stepped back, dropped her weight, braced her hand on the ground, and kicked his shoulder sharply.
Noctis felt the pain clearly.
He looked at the woman nearby and stood up, panting, then took his stance again. His slender body was exhausted, trembling slightly.
The Crimson Woman looked at him for a few seconds — her gaze unreadable, somewhere between approval and cold calculation.
"That's enough for today. You look like you're about to die from exhaustion. Tomorrow, we'll train with both the sword and the dagger."
Noctis relaxed his stance and took a deep breath.
He looked down at the dagger and held it out to her, but the woman simply looked at him.
"Keep it for now. We'll be using it for a while anyway. Besides, I can summon it back whenever I wish."
The Crimson Woman turned and shouted at the curious soldiers watching them, ordering them back to training. Then she gave River a brief nod and walked away.
River immediately approached Noctis, barely able to hide his excitement.
"Noctis… You're one of the few non-Sinners who's managed to stand against her for that long!"
Noctis tensed under River's eager stare.
"If she wanted to, she could've killed me instantly. Even while suppressing her power, the pressure she gives off is immense."
River asked a few more questions, but Noctis brushed them off, saying he was hungry. The two of them made their way to River's room.
After eating, Noctis leaned back comfortably in his chair. His thoughts drifted to the Shadow Garden.
"Hey, River… Where do those shadows come from?
And why can't they cross the border?"
River was slouched lazily in his seat.
"We don't know what they are… About a thousand years ago, a king used a sacred spell to set that boundary. Years after his death, a resistance rose up and overthrew his kingdom… Even my father doesn't know how the king did it."
Noctis stared at the empty plates in front of him.
'A thousand years? And his magic still holds? He must've been incredibly powerful… But if he was, how did his kingdom fall?'
Just as Noctis was about to speak, River said once again that he didn't know. A few minutes passed, and Noctis asked another question.
"When you transferred your magic into my soul, you told me I was an early one like you. What does that mean?"
River straightened up, a faint smile forming as he raised one eyebrow.
"I'm not entirely sure… but according to the old Sinners, the soul usually awakens during a dream. We don't know if it happens because of committing a sin or something else. I've been awake for about a year now."
He scratched the corner of his eye and continued.
"The body and mind remain asleep. Only the soul awakens early. To awaken all three, you need to undergo inner training."
Noctis looked confused, raising an eyebrow.
River sighed.
"Every early one has a core. Once the essence of the core spreads throughout the body, you'll dream again. After that, you become a Sinner. I'm still at the beginning of that path."
Noctis kept a calm expression, though curiosity stirred inside him.
'So this realm doesn't have a trial system? The magic gave me a choice between a trial or inner training.'
He stared at the empty plates for a few moments.
"Do you have a core, River?"
River shrugged.
"Yes."
Noctis glanced at his chest. He could feel his own core there. When he focused on it, he sensed its hunger — an eerie, growing pull deep within.
He wanted to ask more but didn't want to seem ignorant and draw suspicion. River looked as though he was about to say something when heavy footsteps echoed down the hall.
The door to the hall burst open, and a soldier rushed in, panting heavily. His face was hidden beneath his visor, but his fear was unmistakable. His voice trembled as he spoke loudly.
"Prince, the shadows… the shadows have crossed the border! There are hundreds of them—!"
River shot to his feet.
"How did they cross? I sent Lucan and his men there! What happened to them?"
The soldier struggled to breathe, his eyes dropping to the floor.
"We don't know, sir. The border guards are dead… Lucan and his soldiers, too."
For a moment, River froze. His chief knight and the entire force were gone. His brows furrowed sharply.
"I see… Who's stationed there now? What are the tier levels of the shadows?"
The soldier spoke quickly, his voice unsteady.
"Sir, from what we could see — ten of them are Tier 3 Corrupted, around thirty are Tier 2 Broken, and the rest are Tier 1 Decayed. Near the border, there are about forty Holy Sinners and around sixty Tier 2 Ascended soldiers."
River wasted no time giving orders.
"Send the Tier 3 Superior soldiers to the border immediately. If there are beasts near the front, dispatch the Tier 1 Awakened to deal with them. Keep a large number of troops stationed here. Inform the Crimson Commander… We're heading to the border."
Noctis could only watch as everything unfolded so suddenly. There was nothing he could do — yet a strange feeling of anticipation stirred within him. Despite his concern, a quiet thrill pulsed in his chest. This was his chance.
The soldier sprinted out of the hall. River turned sharply to Noctis.
"Noctis, it's better if you stay here. We're going to the border."
Noctis rose from his chair, his expression calm and firm.
'I can't let this opportunity slip away.'
His voice was even, though a hard edge lingered beneath it.
"I'm coming with you."
River's eyes narrowed. His expression stayed cold as he started toward the door.
"And what exactly will you do there? You'll only get in the way."
Noctis knew he was right, but he also knew that being near the soldiers would be safer than staying behind — and if he wanted to slay even one shadow, he had to go.
"Even if it's just one, I have to kill it."
River froze mid-step, turning to him with a sharp glare.
"…Fine. Hurry up."
Noctis followed him at once. The fortress was alive with chaos — soldiers running everywhere, shouts echoing off the stone walls. They hurried outside to the castle's front grounds, where River's voice cut through the noise.
"Bring armor for me and the Lord, now!
Send word to my father through the messengers!"
The soldiers obeyed swiftly. Within moments, both River and Noctis were clad in standard steel armor, the left side of the chest engraved with a green stag — the royal emblem. They armed themselves and mounted horses. The sunlight gleamed off the polished armor, setting the emerald grass beneath them ablaze with color.
Since Noctis had never ridden before, he mounted behind River. It was his first time even seeing a horse. The galloping motion made his stomach twist, and he gripped River tightly for balance.
The nausea reminded him of just how real — and dangerous — the situation had become.
'Even killing one shadow should've been enough to finish my trial… but things look much worse than I thought. In the worst case, I'll run.'
Noctis realized it was already too late.
Within minutes, the thunder of hundreds of hooves echoed through the air. When he felt the horse beneath him tremble under a growing pressure, he glanced back—only to see a massive creature covered in thick brown fur.
For a moment, he thought it was a monster.
If his grandfather hadn't once described bears to him, Noctis would've believed he was staring at a beast born from nightmares.
Atop the fearsome bear rode a beautiful woman, her crimson hair fluttering wildly in the wind. Her presence almost lessened the creature's terror—almost.
The bear drew closer until it rode alongside them. The Crimson Woman gave a polite nod before speaking.
"My lord, I received the report… but you shouldn't have come. There are too many shadows."
River cast her a brief glance and spoke firmly.
"My presence will give the soldiers courage. As if taking my brother wasn't enough, now they've taken Lucan too… If I don't stand there, then who will?"
The Crimson Commander averted her gaze, turning back toward the road. River exhaled and continued, his tone calmer.
"Vireya, most of the troops are under your command. Don't hold back. Do whatever needs to be done."
Vireya bowed her head slightly.
"As you command, my Prince."
They rode for a long time in silence. Only the pounding of hooves and the metallic clatter of weapons filled the air.
Noctis carried both his chained sword and the dagger. Since the sword didn't fit any sheath, he had wrapped its chains around his neck and shoulder, while the dagger hung from a small belt at his waist.
As they galloped onward, distant sounds began to rise—the screams of men, the clash of steel, and a rhythm of explosions that made Noctis flinch. When they reached the top of a ridge, River slowed his horse to a halt. The rest of the soldiers followed suit, turning their eyes toward him, waiting for the next command.
He watched the soldiers for a few silent seconds, then took a deep breath.
When he spoke, his voice came out rough — strained by the roar of battle echoing in the distance.
"On my signal, charge all at once. Leave none standing."
He gazed at the men before him, a flicker of sorrow flashing through his eyes. Then, turning slightly, he shot a side glance at Noctis.
"As I said… don't get in the way."
Noctis nodded. Without seeing River's face, he couldn't tell what he was feeling.
River drew his sword from its sheath, lifted it toward the horizon, and spurred his horse forward. The others followed his lead.
Those without mounts brandished their weapons and charged down the slope on foot.
From above, the emerald plains looked like a living sea of silver, white, and steel — thousands of armored figures glinting beneath the sun.
They crossed the ridge. River, Vireya, and Noctis led the charge — but the moment their eyes fell upon the battlefield below, all three froze.
The riders behind them slowed as the same horror spread across their faces.
Silence, thick and suffocating, swallowed the sound of hooves.
River stared open-mouthed at what lay ahead.
Noctis's eyes widened, filled only with fear.
Even the Crimson Commander looked shaken, her lips tightening in disgust and disbelief.
Every soldier's hands trembled. Even the horses snorted uneasily, their bodies restless beneath the weight of dread.
Then Noctis felt it — a tremor in his chest, faint but sharp.
He couldn't focus on what he was seeing, yet his body reacted instinctively. His core was shaking… hungry.
'I should've stayed in the kingdom.'