I burst out of the tent, my chest heaving, my mind echoing with the words of that mysterious man. “You must protect Uriel. Stand with her in the coming battle. Without you, she will die.” The warning replayed again and again, sharp as a blade carving through my thoughts. I had to find her. I had to get to Uriel before it was too late. My heart hammered, not from fear, but from a strange conviction. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I believed him. Every word that left his pale lips rang with truth. And even though he had taken Elise—swallowed her pod into that endless darkness—I felt no fear. No resistance. Only trust. That trust frightened me more than anything else. What in all the hells was I doing? I had put my faith in a man whose existence I had only just discovered. A being who spoke of war, death, and a destiny I had never asked for. I had let Elise slip into his keeping without a single objection, as if my will had been stolen away. “Have I lost my mind?” I mu

The sky darkened. The sun bled red, its light piercing through cracks untouched by shadow. The air thickened with corrupt mana, freezing creatures in place. The weaker ones collapsed where they stood, their life stripped away. Then the Leviathan’s eyes opened. Glassy, cold, lifeless. They glowed with a pale light that spread across the horizon. “Ha… ha… ha…” The knight laughed. His grin widened until his face twisted. “The day of reckoning has come. Judgment for all who serve a demon.” The fear that clung to him moments ago was gone, consumed by hysteria. That was when I saw it. A white pill tucked under his teeth. I moved. My hand stretched toward his jaw. Too late. Crunch. His jaw snapped shut. His body convulsed, chains rattling as he wailed. His veins bulged black, his eyes rolled back, and then he stilled. A surge of mana erupted from his body. The sky split. The ground cracked. I staggered back as the blast tore through the clearing. Dust and dirt swirled aro

In the blink of an eye, we appeared at the camp. The earth was scorched, the air thick with the stench of metal and blood. The ground was littered with broken weapons and ash, faint trails of smoke still rising where fires had burned moments ago. The wind carried the cries of dying infernals in the distance; their howls faded into silence one by one. Ahead of us, Lilith was finishing off the last of the stragglers. Her blade plunged through the gut of a snarling infernal; the beast let out a final screech and collapsed. Lilith staggered back, pulling her sword free. Her armor was scorched and cracked, her hair stuck to her sweat-damp face. Blood coated her blades and dripped to the ruined earth. Her chest rose and fell with effort. She turned at the sound of our arrival. Her tired eyes widened when she saw us. “Uriel!” Lilith’s voice broke as she ran forward. She threw herself into Uriel’s arms, clinging to her. Tears streamed down her face. “I was worried,” she sobbed.

A month had passed since the battle of Evergreen. Since Azrael left me with words I still couldn’t piece together. The camp had grown quiet. Weapons were stored back in the armory, and the knights—rested and steady—now walked their patrols along the gates. At the center of camp, I stood with the others. The air was heavy, carrying the weight of reports and findings gathered from the battlefield. “After retrieval, we gathered several spell books, magic stones, and a number of rare items,” Lancelot said. His voice was calm, deliberate, as though every word needed care. “But among them, one stood apart. A book I can only call… disturbing.” He let silence stretch across the room. Uriel narrowed her eyes. “Disturbing how?” Lancelot bent down and pulled a parcel from the floor beside him. He unwrapped it, revealing a small brown leather book. No markings. No title. He placed it on the table, letting it fall with a dull sound in front of Uriel. “Plans,” he said. “All traced to

The rain poured heavy, winds cutting through the camp with violent force. Flashes of lightning lit up the dark sky. A storm had overtaken Evergreen, drenching the earth until it turned to mud. The ground squelched beneath every step, puddles swallowing boots whole, while the wind howled like a living beast tearing through the tents. The smell of wet earth and smoke clung thick in the air, and each strike of lightning painted the camp in flashes of white and shadow.Yet Elise was putting on her armor. She had insisted on carrying out her mission today, storm or not. The armor fit her perfectly, like it was made for her—every plate aligning smoothly, every strap tightened with care. Her movements were calm, deliberate, graceful even. Water streamed down her face as she adjusted the gauntlets, her eyes—steady and full of resolve—meeting mine.I forced a faint smile, though my chest felt tight. I agreed with her decision, but letting her go alone was out of the question. No matter how com