Somewhere in the Dead Valley. Two massive doors groaned open. They were carved from black stone, etched with ancient symbols that pulsed faintly with purple light. The sound of grinding rock echoed through the cavernous entryway. A figure stepped through, dressed in the colors of ash and black. His chest was bare, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing the toned muscle beneath. He had dark hair and silver eyes. The torchlight caught the sharp angles of his face. Another figure stepped beside him. A woman dressed in the Everstar guard uniform, her hand resting near the hilt of her blade. The room before them was vast. A palace hall built entirely underground. The ceiling stretched high above, supported by massive pillars carved into the shapes of twisted creatures. Chandeliers of black iron hung from the stone, their candles burning with eerie purple flames. The floor was polished obsidian, reflecting the dim light like a dark mirror. Goblin-like creatures stood guard along the walls. Th

The rain had stopped. Isabel, Lucian, and Noel were on the move to the bluish mountains.The forest was thinning. The trees were shorter here, their branches bare and twisted. The air was colder. The blue mountains loomed ahead, their peaks pale against the grey sky. Every step brought them closer.Isabel walked behind them. Quietly. Far from them. Her eyes stayed on the ground.The wet leaves made soft sounds under her boots. She watched them flatten and spring back. She watched the water drip from the branches. She watched anything except the two figures walking ahead of her.Lucian glanced back at her. She didn't notice. Her head was down. Her arms were wrapped around herself, even though the rain had stopped.He turned forward again. Then he glanced back a second time. She still didn't look up."We need to think of a plan," Noel said. "We can't just charge at the demon."Lucian hesitated. "Have you unlocked your Soul Weapon yet?"Noel nodded. "Some days back.""How did you do it?"

"Whoever did this, I will kill them," Dae muttered. "And I don't need your help."Noel picked up her spear, her face lowered toward the cold ground."I came here to save my brother. We had a plan. A plan to kill the Devil's child." She raised her head, eyes burning with wild rage. "I will do just that."Frost erupted around the tip of her weapon, forming a blade of ice. She lunged at Dae, swinging her spear in a wide arc, but he dodged effortlessly. She pursued him, blasting ice shards in every direction that shattered uselessly against the stone.Lucian stood still and watched the frantic exchange. He knew Noel wouldn't listen. She was the type of person who pretended to be tough. She wanted to be seen as strong. She refused to let anyone perceive her as weak or foolish.He had intentionally called her a fool earlier just to gauge her reaction. He didn't mean it literally. He needed to test whether his assessment of her was correct, or if she possessed a soft core ready to yield.Noe

Lucian and Dae remained locked in an intense stare."In just a second, I would have won. I would have killed you," Dae snarled, his calm facade finally breaking."You are sick. I can't believe I fell for your trick," Lucian said coldly.Dae let out a dark laugh. "You thought I was going to let you go, didn't you? You thought I was being respectful.""Shut up." Lucian pushed the hilt tighter. "Now you are going to call off that demon parade, or I'll blow you apart."Lucian transferred his essence into the sword. It glowed with blinding white light. Dae looked at the glowing steel inside him, then back at Lucian."I can't," Dae mocked, his lips stained red. "We'll have to fight it together."Lucian drove the blade deeper. Dae groaned again, his breath hitching in pain."Do you think I like any of this? Do you think I like this?" Dae struggled to say, his crimson eyes locking onto Lucian. "When I killed her friends, and they screamed... it made me want to kill more. I felt pleasure. But

Lucian saw Dae through his vision. He was getting farther away. A sharp weakness stabbed through his body, but he ignored it and ran. He didn't just run; he blurred across the jagged rocks. The new system stats pushed his body beyond normal limits. His enhanced eyes tracked the exact path the beast took, following the disturbed dirt and crushed rocks. Up ahead, through the thinning smoke, he finally saw them. Dae was resting on the back of the blazing quadruped beast. He looked relaxed, letting the monster carry him further away. Lucian gripped the Heaven Light Sword in his right hand. He didn't slow down. He aimed the tip of the rapier right at the back of the beast's head. '[False Light]' The white beam shot forward, faster than a bullet. It pierced straight through the monster's skull. Lucian projected himself. He vanished from the path and instantly appeared mid-air, right beside the beast's neck. He swung his mother's sword. The silver blade sliced the monster's head clean