The first thing Lucian noticed was the smell of old wood and rain-soaked thatch.Not the scent of polished stone in Zephyr's headquarters, but the familiar creak of his own shabby hut.His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the cracked shutters.Every part of his body screamed in pain the moment he tried to move."Don't you dare move," a voice cut in sharply.Amara sat beside his bed, her arms folded, dark circles shadowing her eyes.She let out a long breath, the tension slowly fading from her shoulders."You're finally awake," she muttered, relief unconsciously seeping into her voice.Then, without warning, her palm landed on Lucian's shoulder."Ah—" Lucian grimaced. "What was that for?""Because you almost died, you reckless idiot!" she snapped, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence. "Do you know what forcing that much power does to your body?""Every time you do that, you shave years off your own life!"Lucian said nothing, instead staring

By the time Seraphina returned to the Stormbane Residence, the name Judge had already become impossible to escape.She heard it in the dining hall.She heard it from the servants.Even the guards outside were talking about him.It annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.She walked into the dining room and found several members of the family already discussing the latest rumors.“Apparently, Judge defeated another powerful contestant,” one of them said.“Again?” another person asked. “Who exactly is this man?”“No one knows. That’s what makes him interesting.”Someone laughed.“Interesting? He is probably backed by one of the underground families. People like that don’t become powerful without someone supporting them.”Seraphina quietly took her seat.She had no intention of joining the conversation.Then one of the younger members of the family laughed.“Imagine if Lucian had even half of that ability. Maybe he wouldn’t have been such a useless embarrassment.”A few people laughed.

The altar cracked wider, a fissure spreading from the crimson symbol like a wound opening across the stone."Lucian, get up!" Amara grabbed his arm, pulling with all her strength. "Are you alright?"He forced himself upright, his legs unsteady beneath him.Zephyr was already moving toward the exit, his voice sharp over the growing roar. "The whole chamber is coming down—move, now!"Dust rained from the ceiling as the altar split further, the crimson light bleeding outward in violent pulses.Lucian stumbled forward with Amara's grip still locked around his arm, refusing to let go even as debris crashed down behind them.Every second mattered, being even a fraction of a second too late would be enough to crush their bodies.Lucian drew a breath, shifting their positions so that he was in front, pulling Amara along while avoiding the debris that continued to fall like flowers.With one second remaining, he threw himself out while pulling Amara along, sending both of them tumbling forward

Lucian snorted, looking around his dwelling.Nothing looked out of place.The table was still where he had left it, the chair was still tucked against the wall, the single candle had burned down to a short wick.Yet his old mask was not where he had left it the last time.He crossed the room and picked it up, turning the cracked porcelain over in his hands.The mask had been moved—perhaps shifted by a fist or two, its position also different from before.Lucian crouched, running his fingers along the edge of the table where the mask had previously rested.A faint trace still lingered there, something cold and unfamiliar as if pressing into the air itself.Exactly the same as before. It had happened twice, and someone had changed the position of his mask.His expression didn't change. He simply stood, the mask still in his hand, then glanced to the side."Zephyr."The older man stepped inside a moment later, brushing dust off his sleeve. "What is it?""Someone came here again." Lucian

A mercenary walked through the lower district with a loose and unhurried gait like someone looking for work.Nobody paid him much attention. And that was exactly what he wanted.He stopped at a food stall, slowly chewing on a skewer of grilled meat while listening to the two men beside him gossip."They say his eyes turned gold," one of them muttered. "Right in the middle of the street.""Ravian never stood a chance," the other said, shaking his head. "Judge didn't even look like he was trying.""Even Judge could defeat Adler, how could Ravian possibly defeat him?""You're right! Judge is incredible, I wonder who could possibly be strong enough to fight him?"The mercenary stepped away, moving from one place to another, listening to every conversation and every murmur from everyone who passed by.By the time night fell, he already had a rough map of the district in his mind—the hut near the eastern wall, the tavern Judge frequented, the alley where the fight had taken place.He didn't