“Get away from him!” Ethan shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.“You’ve done enough!” a guard barked, shoving Ethan back roughly.Ethan barely staggered. “He’s not going to make it if you don’t—”“If Ramos dies because of you—” another guard growled, but his words faltered as Ramos twitched slightly on the ground.A man in the crowd, red-faced and shaking with anger, yelled, “We should beat him now!”“No! Wait!” someone else shouted, trying to calm the mob, but the tension was too high. Voices rose, fists shook, and the crowd’s anger seemed ready to ignite like dry tinder.Ethan didn’t move from Ramos’s side. He knelt, brushing a lock of hair off the man’s face. “You’re making a mistake,” he said quietly, almost pleading.A guard stepped forward, voice hard. “Oh, we’re done listening. Stay back!”“Stay back? He’s dying!” Ethan snapped, his eyes glinting with frustration.“Enough—” another guard tried to assert control, raising his hand, but his voice barely carried.Then… som

The servants nodded quickly, setting the ashes in a small bowl near Ramos’s head and carefully laying the vinegar-soaked leather beside him.Ethan knelt again, leaning close, his hands hovering over Ramos’s chest and temples.He muttered under his breath, faint words in a language most could not understand—musical, vibrating subtly through the air, as if the very atmosphere responded to his voice.The crowd leaned forward, collectively holding their breath. Some whispered nervously to each other:“Is this… real?”“Or is he about to kill him?”The first action Ethan took was to sprinkle a small portion of the ashes lightly over Ramos’s forehead and chest. Gray particles scattered, glinting faintly in the sunlight, drifting like tiny sparks. The crowd gasped quietly.He pressed lightly over Ramos’s heart and temples, guiding the purification. The guard’s body twitched slightly, blood in his eyes trembling, but he did not cry out.“Steady,” Ethan murmured. “Do not panic. This is the only

Inside the castle, the atmosphere had been tense long before the first rumors arrived.Servants moved quickly through the corridors, their footsteps soft but urgent on the polished stone floors. Whispers floated through the halls like smoke, bouncing off the high ceilings. Bowls of steaming herbs, scrolls sealed with wax, and small trays of strange instruments were carried hastily from one room to another. The scent of incense mingled with the faint tang of blood from the infirmary, and beneath it all, a pervasive sense of unease.Then, the whispers grew louder.“At the gate?” a maid asked, clutching a bundle of linen.“Yes,” another replied, eyes wide. “They say there’s a man causing chaos.”“What kind of chaos?”“I don’t know. Something about a guard collapsing.”“Another one?”“No, not like inside… but people are panicking.”The words spread quickly, carried from chamber to chamber. By the time they reached the inner wing of the castle, the story had grown. Each retelling added ten

“Princess—” one of the physicians began, voice cautious.“You should stay,” another added quickly. “This could be nothing.”“A minor disturbance,” someone else said.“A waste of your time,” another muttered under his breath.A servant, shifting nervously, added, “The guards can handle it.”But the princess didn’t stop. Her eyes narrowed, sharp and unwavering. “Clearly they already tried,” she said coldly.“Still, Princess—” the first physician began again.“If someone is causing panic outside my family’s palace,” she cut in, voice steel, “I will see it with my own eyes.”“But your aunt—” the first physician started, hesitation thick in his tone.“You said nothing is working,” the princess snapped, turning slightly toward the bed, then back toward the door.The room fell silent again. A tense quiet pressed in from all sides.One of the older physicians finally spoke, softer this time. “We are close to trying another treatment.”“Close?” she repeated, eyes narrowing without turning full

Her eyes widened.For a brief moment, the entire courtyard seemed to vanish.The sound of clanking armor, banners snapping in the wind, and distant murmurs all dulled, fading into a muffled, distant hum.Because she recognized him.Ethan.The realization struck like lightning, fast and unforgiving.Her chest tightened. Her breath caught sharply, as if the very air had turned solid in her lungs.The fury she had carried moments ago—the anger that had sharpened her voice and stiffened her stance—evaporated instantly, replaced by a sudden, dizzying wave of panic that spread through her chest.Her mind raced mercilessly backward, dragging her through memories she could never erase.Back to that night.The night she would never forget.The night when everything had nearly gone terribly wrong.The night when fear had clutched even those who called themselves powerful.The night when she and her two closest succubi friends had been moments away from disaster.And he had been there.The man w