The world of pain had vanished. The agonizing heat of the Soul Fracture, the screams of the dying forest, and the suffocating presence of Night—all of it was replaced by a silence so profound it felt like a physical embrace.
I opened my eyes, but I wasn't in the carriage. I was standing in the middle of a boundless, celestial void. Above me, beneath me, and all around me was the infinite canvas of the Cosmos. Nebulae of violet and azure swirled like liquid silk, and stars pulsed with a rhythmic, heartbeat-like glow. There was no gravity here, only the weightless serenity of the stars.
Directly in front of me, bathed in a soft, ethereal radiance, stood a girl.
Her hair flowed like starlight, and her presence was so pure it made my shattered soul feel whole again. I couldn't perceive her face clearly—it was as if her features were hidden behind a veil of celestial mist—but her eyes, though unseen, held a warmth that I hadn't felt since my previous life. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to breathe. I just wanted to exist in this sanctuary with her forever. 💓
"I will always look after you," she whispered. Her voice didn't travel through the air; it resonated directly within my soul, more comforting than any mother's lullaby. "But for now, you seem to have stabilized. You are strong enough to carry the weight of what lies ahead."
"Wait!" I called out, my voice echoing into the infinity of space. "Who are you? Why am I here?"
She tilted her head, a phantom smile touching her veiled lips. "I was merely steadying your fractured power and healing your broken heart. Do not be afraid; you are intact. Now, go... show them the true depth of your story. Be the Hero this world doesn't deserve. Farewell, Reyansh."
Before I could reach out to touch her hand, a violent, invisible force seized me, yanking me backward through the stars at a terrifying speed.
The Harsh Reality
My eyes snapped open with a jolt. The stars were gone. The weightless peace was replaced by the familiar, nauseating sway of the carriage. My head, which had felt like it was being split open by an axe only moments ago, was now perfectly clear. The "Soul Agony" was gone, replaced by a strange, numb calmness.
"Night-ji? You seem to have rested well," the Lady Knight, Seraphina, remarked. She was watching me with a gaze that was a mix of awe and deep suspicion. "We are within sight of the Capital."
How is this possible? I roared at Night (Kiran) in the recesses of my mind. "Night! What the hell happened? The last thing I remember was the explosion in the forest! How are we already here?"
Night's voice flickered within me, sounding unusually shaken. "I... I don't know, Reyansh. While we were drifting in that unconscious state, someone else was fighting. Look outside. This wasn't your doing."
I looked out the window, and my breath hitched. The road to the Capital was a graveyard. Thousands of demon carcasses lay scattered across the fields—charred, mangled, and rotting. The earth was scorched, but not by my blue flames. These were the marks of organized military spells and massive physical strikes.The Solis Kingdom's own 'Nights' and their elite battalions had fought a desperate war on this very road while I was dreaming of stars. The air was thick with the stench of stale blood and burnt ozone.
The Golden Lie
As the carriage rolled through the massive iron-clad gates of the Solis Kingdom, the scenery changed instantly. The scorched earth was replaced by streets paved in white stone and walls that shimmered like solid gold under the midday sun.
The gates opened to a roar of cheers. Thousands of citizens lined the streets, waving flags and screaming, "Hero! Hero! The Saviors have arrived!" It was a scene straight out of a grand epic movie, filled with color and joy.
But my detective's mind saw through the gilding. I looked at the soldiers lining the path to the palace. Their armor was polished, but their faces were hollow. Their eyes were bloodshot, sunken deep into their sockets from weeks of sleep deprivation. They stood stiffly, their hands trembling as they gripped their spears. These weren't proud guardians; they were walking corpses, forced to stand tall for the sake of a public image.
The Kingdom was losing. This entire celebration was a mask to hide the fact that their walls were on the verge of collapsing.
At the steps of the Sun Palace stood a figure of breathtaking beauty. Her hair was the color of the deep, restless ocean, and her eyes were as sharp as diamonds—Princess Isabella. As I stepped out of the carriage, I felt the air around Yumi and Hina turn icy. Their protective instincts were no longer just intense—they were predatory. They stood on either side of me, their gazes scanning every soldier, every balcony, and every shadow as if they were ready to paint the white stones red at the slightest provocation. It was a creepy, suffocating level of loyalty.
Isabella didn't kneel. She stood tall, placing three fingers over her heart and bowing her head with a subtle, graceful precision. It was a salute reserved for those of equal or higher status—a Sovereign's welcome.
"Welcome to Solis, Sovereign," she said, her voice like velvet wrapped around a blade. "The King is eager to meet you, but first, you must rest. The journey has been... eventful, has it not?"
I met her gaze, my eyes devoid of any emotion. "Your city is beautiful, Princess. But the smell of blood is hard to wash off with gold."
Her smile didn't falter, but for a split second, I saw a flash of genuine surprise in her eyes. I walked past her into the gilded halls, the weight of my presence making the marble floors groan. The "Sovereign of Agony" had arrived, and I was going to find out what kind of rot was hiding behind this golden sun.