Noah and Ramsay sat on the cold stone floor of the dungeon, their backs resting against the iron bars of the cell door. Their eyes were fixed on the Princess Esther where she was seated, unconscious.She had left moments earlier after leaving the dream world to magically find her father in the real world.Opposite, the mysterious man remained seated close to the gate of his own prison, his posture tense with anticipation.Silence filled the dungeon. The only sounds were the faint echoes of dripping water and the distant hum of the magical prison that held them captive.All three men waited. Waited for Princess Esther to return. Waited to see if her mission would succeed.After a long moment of silence, the man suddenly spoke to himself in a low voice. Hamid said, “Finally… I might be getting out of here if everything goes as planned.”He slowly lifted his head, staring into the darkness of the dungeon corridor. He continued, “I wonder what the world looks like now.”Noah and Ramsay hea

MORNING — THE PALACE HALLGolden sunlight poured through the towering stained-glass windows of the grand hall as King Raynold summoned the royal heirs, Zussorender, Lord Emmanuel, and Hawk.Whispers trailed behind the princes and princesses as they made their way in, confusion written across their faces. Why has the King called us all?Inside the hall, everyone stood in quiet anticipation—except for a small group yet to arrive. Then the great doors creaked open. The last of the princes and princesses stepped in… and they froze.Standing before the throne are Ramsay, Noah, and Princess Esther. Alive.For a split second, silence held the room captive, then it shattered. Gasps. Smiles. Disbelief turned instantly into overwhelming joy. They rushed forward.Arms wrapped around each other tightly, laughter breaking through tears.“I missed you!”“I missed you too!”“I thought we lost you…”From the throne, King Raynold, Lord Emmanuel, Zussorender, and Hawk watched—smiling quietly, relief so

FLASHBACK (SEVERAL DAYS AGO BEFORE THE INCIDENT– NIGHT)Lilia stepped quietly out of Ramsay’s room, only to find Kessie waiting at the doorstep. The guards were nowhere in sight. Her eyes widened in surprise.“Kessie? What are you doing here? And… where are the guards?” she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and caution.Kessie didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer and said, “Follow me… or I’ll tell everyone about your relationship with the prince.”Lilia hesitated, the threat leaving her no choice. She nodded silently and followed him. He led her to a secluded corner of the palace, a quiet place hidden from prying eyes. Lilia finally gathered the courage to speak. She asked, “So… what is it?” Kessie’s eyes gleamed in the dim light. He said, his voice calm yet commanding, “I see you’re following the plan… making the prince fall in love with you."Lilia frowned, confusion knitting her brows. She said, “What are you talking about?”“Don’t play dumb. I’m the one who came up with th

Princess Esther was awakened by Ramsay’s voice, calling her name repeatedly through the haze: “Esther… Esther…”Her eyes slowly opened. The weakness she had felt before was gone. She immediately turned her head—and froze. Ramsay was beside her. Tied tightly with a rope around his hands. The Rada was still locked around his neck. He was seated on the ground just like her.Princess Esther’s hand instinctively went to her own neck. The Rada was still there. Cold and unmoving. She exhaled sharply and quickly looked around.They were in a forest. Not a clearing they recognized. Not a safe place.Kessie, Zussorader, Philip, Lilia, and nine other men stood around them in a loose formation, watching silently.Ramsay leaned slightly toward her. He asked, “Are you okay?” Princess Esther nodded slowly. “I’m okay,” she replied, though her eyes never left the group.She could hear them talking among themselves, but none of it was directed at them. Then she asked quietly, “Where are we?”Ramsay ga

King Artha continued, his voice heavy with memory, “After Eva regained consciousness… and her power… the first thing she tried to do was undo what she had done. She tried to turn us back into humans… to give us back the lives we had lost. But… she couldn’t.”His eyes lowered. A faint, bitter smile crossed his face. He continued, “It broke her. You could see it in her eyes… the guilt, the sorrow. But my people… they did not blame her. Instead, they thanked her… for saving what remained of us.”He paused, as if hearing distant echoes. His tone darkened: “And so, we retreated… deeper into the forest. Farther than any man had ever gone. There, we began again. However, we thought we had escaped them… the four evils. But we were wrong.”The air in the shrine seemed to grow colder. His voice dropped to almost a whisper, “They found us. That day… was the darkest day of our existence. The sky burned, the earth trembled, and their armies… endless, merciless… descended upon us like a plague.”Ki