The carriage moved silently through the streets of the capital.
When it finally stopped in front of the Carter residence, Emily stepped out first.
She turned toward Lusian.
At first, she said nothing.
She simply looked at him for a few seconds longer than necessary, as if gathering the courage to do something.
Then she took a step toward him.
And kissed him.
It was quick.
Direct.
Without hesitation.
Lusian remained motionless for half a second.
Emily should not have done that.
None of this was happening the way it had in the game.
But before he could organize his thoughts, his arms reacted on their own. He wrapped an arm around her waist and returned the kiss.
The noise of the city continued around them as if nothing were happening.
When Emily finally pulled away, they both began breathing normally again.
She immediately lowered her gaze.
"...See you later," she murmured.
And entered the residence without waiting for a response.
Her steps quickened as soon as she crossed the door.
Inside, she closed the door to her room and leaned against it.
She was breathing faster than normal.
She placed a hand over her chest.
Her heart seemed ready to escape.
Meanwhile, Lusian remained outside the entrance for a few seconds.
He did not leave immediately.
He was not exactly surprised.
He was trying to make sense of it.
Why?
He knew Emily.
He knew her future.
He knew how their relationship was supposed to develop.
And yet, she had just kissed him.
Again.
Lusian slowly exhaled.
The people of this world made less and less sense to him.
Then he noticed movement at the entrance to the residence.
The Carters were there.
They had seen everything.
Both of them gave him a slight bow.
Neither made a comment.
They simply maintained the necessary courtesy before withdrawing.
Lusian watched them walk away for a moment.
Then he returned to the carriage.
This time, alone.
The interior remained silent for several seconds.
Until the door opened again.
Adela entered without announcing herself.
She sat across from him.
She said nothing.
She simply looked at him.
Her gaze slowly descended to Lusian's lips.
Then she took out a silk handkerchief.
Calmly, she wiped away the small mark Emily had left behind.
Without haste.
Without showing any emotion.
Lusian did not stop her.
When she finished, Adela folded the handkerchief and put it away.
Then she looked at him again.
This time, the silence was different.
There was nothing comfortable about it.
It was direct.
Loaded with intent.
Lusian was already beginning to suspect what was about to happen.
But he had no time to say anything.
Adela leaned toward him.
And kissed him.
It was not a shy kiss.
Nor a cautious one.
It was a decision.
Lusian reacted after a moment. He gently took her by the back of the neck and pulled her closer.
The kiss lasted until they both had to separate to catch their breath.
Adela remained close.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
But she did not look away.
Lusian watched her for a few seconds.
"That attitude..." he murmured. "You're going to pay for it tonight."
Adela did not answer.
She simply nodded.
The carriage continued on its way.
When they arrived at the Douglas mansion, the interior was silent.
The lamps barely illuminated the corridors.
Lusian entered first.
Adela followed him.
They had not gone very far when Isabella appeared from the hallway.
She stopped when she saw him.
"I thought you were staying at your parents' house," Lusian said.
Isabella walked toward him without hurry.
When she was close, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I can't stay there," she replied. "This is my home now."
Her gaze shifted toward Adela.
Only for an instant.
Then she looked back at Lusian.
"And tonight, I have duties toward my lord."
Adela stepped forward.
"No."
Isabella looked at her.
"Tonight is mine."
Silence fell between the three of them.
None of them backed down.
Lusian slowly exhaled through his nose.
When did my life become so complicated?
"Isabella."
She looked back at him.
"We'll talk tomorrow."
Isabella remained still for a few seconds.
Then she let go of him.
She took a step back.
And nodded.
She did not argue.
She did not insist.
She simply turned around and disappeared down the hallway.
Adela watched her leave.
Lusian did too.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Adela intertwined her fingers with his.
"Shall we?"
Lusian looked at her.
For a moment, he thought about everything that had happened that night.
Emily.
Adela.
Isabella.
Nothing was going the way it was supposed to.
Nothing resembled the game he knew.
And yet, he could not say that he wanted to change it.
"Yes."
They continued walking down the mansion's silent corridor.
Halfway through the night, the sky shattered.
There was no explosion.
First came a light.
A flash so intense that it illuminated the capital as if dawn had suddenly arrived.
The shadows disappeared for an instant.
Then everything went dark again.
Then came the sound.
It was not thunder.
It was something much deeper.
An invisible pressure passed through the air and spread across the entire world.
Living creatures reacted at the same time.
Birds abandoned the trees and took flight in disordered flocks.
Animals began to grow restless in stables and forests.
In the cities, thousands of people woke with a start and rushed into the streets to discover what had happened.
The priests were the first to understand that this was not a natural phenomenon.
They emerged from the temples.
Some looked up.
Others fell to their knees.
The mages sensed something different.
Mana.
It had changed.
It was not a local alteration or a fluctuation caused by the phenomenon that had ravaged the world over the past few months.
It was something different.
Something external.
As if an unknown will had touched the very fabric of the world.
As if someone were watching from the other side.
Then the sky opened again.
There was no fire.
No lightning.
Space itself simply split apart.
For several seconds, an impossible void hung suspended above the world.
And from that void, figures began to descend.
They appeared in different locations across the continent.
They did not fall.
They descended.
In silence.
Without causing destruction.
They were tall beings, clad in armor that did not seem to belong to any known kingdom.
The surface of their armor did not merely reflect light.
Images could be seen upon it.
Fragments of unknown landscapes.
Cities no one recognized.
Battlefields.
Ruins.
Like memories of places that had never existed in this world.
Their bodies were covered in strange markings.
They did not look like wounds.
They were scars far too deep and precise, as if they had been carved into their bodies after surviving wars no human could imagine.
Crowns floated above their heads.
They were supported by nothing.
They simply remained suspended in the air.
People watched them without understanding.
For several seconds, not a single word was spoken.
Then the whispers began.
"What are they...?"
"Are they gods?"
"No..."
Someone swallowed hard.
"They're Heralds."
The word spread.
From one street to another.
From one city to another.
From one kingdom to another.
Until it became a single answer.
"Heralds..."
Then the voice appeared.
It did not come from the sky.
Nor from the earth.
It had no direction.
It was simply there.
In the air.
Inside people's heads.
In the temples.
In the plazas.
In the fields.
In every place where someone had looked up at the sky.
"Listen."
The voice was calm.
It did not need to assert itself.
The entire world seemed compelled to listen.
"We see your world."
The Heralds remained motionless.
"We see your suffering."
In the streets, some people began to cry.
"We know that darkness has grown beyond what you can endure."
The priests lowered their heads.
"That is why we have sent our will."
A pause.
"These Heralds will be our messengers."
"Through them, our light, our fire, our strength, and our storm will reach this world."
The words were simple.
But to those who heard them, they sounded like a promise.
"Come to our temples."
"Receive our blessings."
"And when you are called..."
The voice paused for a moment.
"Accept those who bear our power."
"They will be the ones who face the calamity."
"They will be the chosen ones."
"And you will not be alone."
The voice disappeared.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then one of the Heralds descended.
And the world began to react.
In the central kingdom, the Herald of Fire appeared above the main temple.
The ground did not crack.
It simply gave way beneath his feet.
The flames on the altars rose at the same time.
Heat filled the temple.
The priests stepped back.
Then one of them fell to his knees.
The others followed.
In the plaza outside, hundreds of people did the same.
Some were crying.
Others raised their hands toward the sky.
"They heard us!"
"The gods have answered!"
In another region, the Herald of Light appeared in the middle of a ceremony.
The light in the area changed.
It became clearer.
Cleaner.
The sick resting on cots slowly began to sit up.
Some stared at their hands.
Others touched their own bodies, unable to understand what had just happened.
The priests remained motionless.
They did not know whether they should pray.
Or give thanks.
In the northern military district, the Herald of Strength descended into a training yard.
The impact did not destroy the place.
But the marble cracked beneath his feet.
The soldiers stopped moving.
Some lowered their weapons without even realizing it.
None dared approach.
In the east, the Herald of Electricity appeared above a plaza.
The air became charged with energy.
The street lamps and crystals reacted at the same time.
The entire plaza lit up as if it were midday.
People emerged from their homes.
No one spoke.
They simply watched.
And it did not happen only there.
The Heralds appeared in every corner of the world.
In the great kingdoms.
At the borders.
In trading cities.
In small settlements.
In territories that had barely survived the cataclysm.
The reaction was almost always the same.
First, silence.
Then, fear.
And finally, hope.
The word began to spread.
"Salvation..."
"They are our salvation."
The temples filled.
The nobles sent envoys.
The kings mobilized their advisors.
The armies began to prepare.
The news crossed borders within hours.
After months of hunger, death, and monsters...
the gods had answered.
At least, that was what everyone believed.