While Villiam faced his final breaths—
In a distant place…
Where clouds veiled the moonlight, yet a single beam survived, cutting through the darkness, a small cottage stood, its walls cracked and worn. Inside—
Two bodies.
A man and a woman, sprawled across the floor, soaked in blood.
On the opposite side sat a massive man with human features. His long black hair cascaded down to his knees, concealing half of his face…
As for the visible half, it was beautiful in a way that stirred unease.
He stared at the ground in silence.
Then—slowly—he began to laugh.
A low chuckle that gradually twisted into manic hysteria, its echo rattling against the cottage walls.
He lifted his head, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a human heart—still warm.
He held it in his pale hand,
studied it for a long moment…
Then one sharp nail traced across it, slicing slowly, deliberately, until he extracted a circular orangecoin, slick with blood.
He raised it to his mouth and swallowed it with a disturbingly calm ease.
And the moment it went down—
His eyes flashed, suddenly igniting into a glowing crimson.
He rose steadily, brushed his hair aside, revealing more of his face, and stepped out of the cottage with confident strides.
He lifted his head toward the moon… smiled with arrogance, then murmured coldly,
"Hmmm… what a beautiful moon tonight."
He chuckled softly, then deepened his voice and said,
"Lilithia… well done. I… am proud of you."
And suddenly—
A faint sound scratched behind him, like a cat passing through the dark.
He didn't turn.
Only his eyes shifted as he spoke in a commanding tone,
"Hah, Kaguchi… you're there.
I knew you would come."
Then he turned, watching a shadow approach with steady steps—
until it took shape as a towering, red-haired man.
He fixed him with a steady gaze and said:
"Draven… everything we planned has been set in motion.
Lilithia is now in a position beyond salvation…
and Villiam's body… is mine."
Draven's lips curled into a vicious grin as he toyed with the heart in his hands.
"Hmmm… the blood has begun to stir.
One strike was enough to create the first fracture… Just a little more… … hahahaha!"
He turned to his companion with a dark, knowing smile.
"Now… all we have to do is watch."
—
Meanwhile, deep within the forest…
Kai waited for the healing squad, his wounded soldiers scattered around him.
Thoughts clawed at his mind:
Why would the Black Stone choose a demon… like Lilithia?
The air around them shuddered, as if the forest itself inhaled sharply.
A burst of black energy pierced the sky, shockwaves racing from the Black Stone toward the Drakhaens Kingdom.
A beam of light tore across the sky like a message from an ancient age.
Simultaneously, magical seals across the kingdom vibrated—
from watchtowers to the depths of mines,
from command headquarters to barracks.
A single message reached every commander and soldier—
a metallic echo or glowing alert:
In alleyways, soldiers' footsteps surged.
In mines, fires died out.
In palaces, banners of alarm unfurled.
Not far away… where Lilithia lived her final moment of peace…
In her pocket…
the stone trembled like a heart waking.
A voice echoed in her mind—
not her own, but stern and metallic:
"Notification: Lilithia… accused of murdering Villiam Darkwell."
Time froze.
She heard nothing but her own heartbeat, saw only darkness thickening around her.
A cold tremor shook her core.
She stood frozen… as if her heart forgot how to beat.
Then fury ignited.
"I… accused?! Why?!"
she whispered—her voice swallowed by the silence.
But the stone…
remained silent.
For a single fleeting moment… she wished Villiam could hear her.
The ground rumbled beneath her as the forest erupted with a dark burst, a devastating wave ripping apart the stillness.
A deadly cold wind surged from within, carrying a wail torn from another world.
Trees groaned…
as if something enormous shifted beneath the soil…
stretching its fingers toward the surface.
© 2026 Lobna. All rights reserved.
-To be continued...-