Sounds reached Ramien before sight did—muted voices drifting in and out of the darkness. His body felt heavy, as if he had sunk into the earth itself.
"Did you see his eyes?" Ace whispered.
"Yes…" Alpha replied uneasily. "They've changed color."
"He looks completely drained. There's no trace of supernatural aura left in him," Ace continued, troubled. "It's like… he's just human now. No mystic presence at all."
Alpha exhaled slowly. "With the order that came in, we can't let anyone know about him. Not like this."
At that, Ramien's lashes fluttered. Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes and pushed himself upright.
The world swam for a moment before settling.
"Ramien— I mean… Kael," Ace corrected himself quickly. "How are you feeling?"
Alpha stepped closer, guilt plain on his face. "What happened to you?"
Ramien looked at them quietly.
His voice, when he spoke, was softer than either of them remembered.
"I went to the Underworld," he said. "To ask Hades to return Reinna."
They both stiffened.
"The price," he continued, lifting his gaze to meet theirs, "was Xyldrak. That is why I am here."
Only then did they understand why the blue light that had once lived in him was gone.
Why his eyes—once vivid, alive—were now completely grey.
Ace swallowed hard. "What… what will you do now?"
Ramien placed a hand over his chest. From beneath his palm, a faint blue-red crystal glow pulsed—the Heart Calming Pendant, still bound to him.
"I will let go of everything," he said simply. "And finish paying the price."
"What's the price?" Alpha asked.
"To return every undead I raised," Ramien replied, his gaze drifting somewhere far beyond the room.
Alpha hesitated, then nodded. "I'll prepare a bath and fresh clothes for you."
He left without another word.
For a moment, only silence remained.
Ace shifted awkwardly, then forced a small smile as he sat on the edge of the stone bed.
"It's okay, Ramien," he said lightly. "You're not the only one who's lost a family."
"Yeah," Ramien murmured, eyes lowered. "I'm the one who lost all of mine."
"You wish," Ace replied.
Ramien looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"My mother adopted me when I was barely two," Ace said quietly. "Her husband left her and took all her children with him. I was the only one she kept. She treated me like she'd given birth to me herself… she was the only family I ever had."
He paused, then continued.
"She came to the academy and we were caught in the clash between two clans."
A bitter smile touched his lips.
"I couldn't save her. Honestly… I couldn't even save myself. If it weren't for Victor and Alpha, I'd be dead already."
He exhaled slowly.
"But I don't blame you," he added. "I blame Fate."
Ramien said nothing.
His gaze fell to the floor, but his thoughts were already far away—back at his castle, back to Victor.
Somewhere in the forest—
"The Elders should never have allowed an emotionally chaotic man to stand in for the War General," the third in command said coldly.
"He's the next of kin," the second replied. "He has the right."
They spoke loudly—loud enough for Victor, and several nearby warriors, to hear.
Victor remained silent.
"Even so," the third continued with a smirk, "I can't wait to see how the Elders reward this little act of disobedience."
Victor's expression did not change.
But inside, he knew what he was in for. He knew even if Ramien came back, he certainly would not deliver him into the hands of his Coven.
While Ramien prepared to hunt the undead,
Victor prepared to face judgement—once again.
"What are you doing?" Ramien asked when he saw Ace and Alpha already dressed and armed.
"Did you really think we'd let you go alone?" Ace said. "Not happening."
Alpha gave a small nod. "We go together."
And so, the three of them set out to hunt nearly a hundred wandering dead.
A few days later on the other side of the forest,
Victor endured the taunts in silence.
"He's nothing like his brother," the third in command said loudly.
"An unrestrained, blood-sucking creature."
That was enough.
One moment, the warriors were wondering how their General could remain so calm in the face of these taunts.
The next—
The third in command was slammed against a tree, bark cracking beneath his back.
"You want to kill me?" the man sneered, even as Victor's hand crushed against his throat.
"Go on. Do it. Let's see what the Elders say."
Victor's eyes were empty.
"Since you seek death so eagerly," he said softly,
"I'll help you with it."
Twin daggers flashed into his hands.
He drove them forward.
Wood exploded.
The blades buried themselves deep into the tree—just beside the man's ribs.
For a heartbeat, no one breathed.
The third in command slowly realized something was wrong because there was no pain.
Victor leaned closer.
"I missed," he said calmly.
"You won't be so lucky next time."
He released him and turned away.
"Onwards."
The army obeyed instantly.
This Victor seemed to be more terrifying than Vincent had ever been because this one could kill without blinking.
At the Coven Hall
The chamber was filled with the Five Elders, Victor, and the two commanders.
The Western Elder slammed his hand against his stone throne and rose.
"He escaped?" he roared. "Right after you spoke to him?"
"He entered the underworld," Victor said evenly.
"And never returned."
"How is that possible?" the Eastern Elder sneered.
"He likely became a wandering soul," Victor replied, "or died on the way. But I did nothing to help him escape."
"Elders," the third in command suddenly said, stepping forward,
"Our acting War General is emotionally compromised. He was manipulated and allowed the bounty to escape. He is not fit to—"
"Silence."
Elder Yeom's voice cut through the hall like a blade.
His eyes turned cold as death as he fixed them on the third in command.
"And who gave you permission to speak?" he asked quietly.
"To slander your General in my presence?"
The man stiffened.
"My apologies, Elder," he said, bowing deeply.
Victor stood unmoving, surrounded by power and unwanted rivalry.
And closer than ever to losing everything.
"How would you suggest we punish you for your actions?" the Leading Elder asked.
Before Victor could reply, the Eastern Elder scoffed.
"Oh please, Central Elder. How can you even ask him that? He should be punished severely."
"Central Elder," Elder Yeom said calmly,
"his price will claim him in a few days. A thousand years of torment awaits him. There is no need for further punishment."
The Northern and Southern Elders nodded in agreement.
The Leading Elder studied the hall for a long moment.
"Since the majority carry the vote," he said at last,
"Victor shall be spared. He will be allowed to prepare for his thousand-year tribulation."
With that, he turned into light and vanished from the chamber.
"Just because he is your son does not give you the right to keep shielding him," the Eastern Elder snapped.
"You should slander him when he is wrong, not protect him."
The Northern Elder rose slowly.
"Eastern Elder," he said coldly,
"playing the villain so your son may become War General will not work while I still sit in this hall."
"You are all dismissed," the Eastern Elder said sharply.
Victor turned and left.
But even as the doors closed behind him, the arguing voices followed.
"Is that a challenge, Northern Elder?"
Far from the Coven
Victor stood at the edge of a cliff.
Below him, jagged mountain peaks pierced the clouds.
Before him, the sun sank into a vermilion sky.
How much would the world change in a thousand years?
Would I see my friends again?
His brother, his friends, they were the only people who had ever made life feel warm.
Would I survive the Thousand Years Troubled Heart?
It doesn't matter. At least… I won't have to stand near father again.
Different thoughts spiralled through his mind.
Yet his face was calm.
Serene.
Whatever Fate is planning, I have no intention of trying to defy it.
A whole year passed.
The Empires searched, but found no trace of the Dragon.
At last, the Southeast Coven reported that the bounty had likely been lost to the Underworld, and the hunt was officially closed.
As the three travelled, Ace and Alpha made sure Ramien clung to the name Kael.
On this fateful day—
Ramien, Alpha, and Ace struck down the second-to-last undead.
The creature dissolved into ash.
Alpha exhaled slowly.
"So… who's the last one? And where do we find it?"
"Finally," Ace said, arcane symbols flickering along his arms.
"It's been a year."
"The last?" Ramien echoed faintly.
Silence followed.
"The last is my brother," he said.
The air froze.
"Damien?" Ace asked carefully.
"Are you… are you alright with this?"
"No," Ramien replied.
"I'm not. But I have no choice."
"Why did you choose Reinna instead of Damien?" Alpha asked quietly.
Ramien didn't hesitate.
"I realised he was never meant to live.
And I was created so that he could."
Ace tilted his head, understanding still far from reach.
"I left him at our castle," Ramien continued.
"He couldn't have gone anywhere."
"How sure are you that he's still there?" Ace asked.
"Completely."
They travelled for days.
Ace and Alpha took turns carrying Ramien, now that his speed was gone.
At last, the castle rose before them.
"Was this King Renard's castle?" Ace whispered.
"I don't know," Ramien said.
"I never asked."
They pushed the gates open.
The silence inside was like a grave.
Ramien walked straight into the halls.
"Damien," he called softly.
"Where are you?"
A scraping sound came from above and footsteps were heard.
Within seconds, Damien stood before them.
"Ramien," he said, smiling.
"I waited so long… I thought you had abandoned me."
Ace and Alpha stiffened.
A smile? On Damien's face?
"You two… explore the castle," Ramien said quietly.
"I want to be alone with him."
They hesitated, then vanished.
"Damien," Ramien said, his pendant glowing with the faintest blue-red light,
"I learned everything about us."
"I was never real," he whispered.
"I was a spell."
"You were meant to die and I was created to bring you back."
"The Dragon Empire fell because King Thanos died…because the heir was gone…all so you could sit on the throne again."
He swallowed.
"But our reign is over."
"Our bloodline is corrupted. The Golden Bloodline should rule."
"That is why I chose Reinna."
His voice trembled.
"I will probably fade away after rewriting my story."
He looked down.
"Now—"
A pause.
His eyes fell to the floor.
"Now…"
He inhaled.
"Now I have to return you…to where you belong."
"Do what you must, Ramien," Damien said calmly.
And for a moment, Ramien truly believed he was hearing his brother — not an undead.
He looked at Damien for a few seconds longer.
Then he raised his sword.
Blue light shimmered along the blade in the darkness of the castle.
His hands trembled making him adjust his grip.
The pendant on his chest burned brighter.
At last, he lifted the sword fully.
A tear slipped from his eye.
Just as the tear touched the floor—
A tremendous force exploded between them.
The brothers were thrown apart.
Ramien's sword was torn from his hands as he crashed to his knees, breath ragged, he looked up.
Hades.
Her black and grey robes drifted as she descended.
Without a word, she placed a finger against Damien's forehead.
His body turned to ash.
The wind carried it away, leaving behind a small red whirl of light.
In her other hand, a second whirl appeared — white and gentle.
She faced Ramien.
"Ramien," her voice echoed from everywhere at once,
"I have seen your love for your brother… and the purity of your heart, to choose truth over love."
"Even Fate herself is startled," she continued,
"to see your path deviate from what she designed."
"You asked for one soul, but I will grant you two — for the same price."
She extended her hands.
The two souls floated into Ramien's open palms.
He stared at them in silence.
Then he looked up.
"What… is next?"
"Years after your birth," Hades said,
"your father asked me to give you this… when you came to claim your brother's soul."
She released a projection.
Hanny appeared and his gaze was heavy.
"Ramien," the image said softly,
"You must be exhausted, angry and afraid."
"I am truly sorry."
"I planned all of this before you were born, I never expected to see you as more than a spell."
"But what is done… is done."
"Know this, whether you lose your dragon or not—the day Damien sits upon the throne…
is the day you fade into nothing."
The projection shifted.
"You can only become truly human…if Damien ever regains his memory."
"Until then—you will be strangers,you will be the only one who knows, the only one who remembers."
"For this… I am truly sorry."
The image faded.
The pendant's light surged, wrapping Ramien and the two souls in a trembling glow.
But Ramien did not look at the light.
He only looked at Hades.
She met his gaze once more, then vanished.
And from the corners—
Ace and Alpha had seen everything.