Rameses clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword. They were now completely surrounded by enemies. Behind him stood Jinny—trembling, frozen in fear—her eyes wide with horror as the shadow of death loomed closer.
"Don't be afraid… I will protect you," Rameses whispered without looking back. "When I say 'go,' you run. Run as fast as you can and find a safe place to hide. Don't come out until this war is over."
"B-But…" Jinny's voice trembled.
"I will find you. I promise," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "When this is over, I'll come for you… and I'll take you with me."
Their eyes met. Jinny stared into his, searching for the courage she needed. She swallowed hard and nodded.
The enemy struck.
Rameses stepped forward to meet them, deflecting the first attack with a powerful swing of his sword.
"Go!" he roared.
Jinny turned and ran. But one of the enemy soldiers saw her fleeing and broke formation to chase after her.
Rameses noticed.
After cutting down the soldier in front of him, he spun around and sprinted toward Jinny, determined to protect her. But just as he neared them, an arrow flew through the air—striking him directly in the chest.
It pierced his heart.
Jinny halted and looked back, her breath catching as she saw him stumble.
"N-No…" she gasped, frozen in shock.
Another arrow struck him.
"No! Please! Don't kill him!" she screamed, racing back to him. "Please! He's not the enemy!"
But a third arrow found its mark.
Just as another soldier raised his bow, aiming in her direction, one of his comrades rushed over and stopped him. "Wait! She's the emperor's guest!"
The archer hesitated, then lowered his weapon and approached Jinny.
She dropped to her knees, cradling Rameses in her arms, her tears falling like rain. "P-Please… don't die," she sobbed.
Rameses opened his eyes weakly. With what little strength he had left, he reached up and gently caressed her face. Then, without a word, his hand fell—and his eyes closed forever.
"NOOOO!!!" Jinny screamed, her voice filled with anguish. She hugged him tightly, her cries echoing across the battlefield.
The chaos of war raged around her, but she didn't care. Nothing else mattered. Not the fighting. Not the blood. Only Rameses—the man who had saved her more than once… the man whose name she never even got to know.
A soldier finally reached her and grabbed her arm.
"No! Let go of me!" she shouted, resisting.
"I have to take you to the quarters. If you die here, His Majesty will kill us all!" the soldier said, dragging her away.
"Please, let me bring him with me!" she pleaded, her voice cracking.
But he ignored her. Her cries grew louder when another soldier approached Rameses' lifeless body—then cruelly drove a sword through his chest.
Why?
Why was this world so cruel?
Overwhelmed by grief and exhaustion, Jinny's vision blurred. Her body gave in.
She collapsed.
The soldier had no choice but to lift her in his arms and carry her away from the battlefield—leaving Rameses behind, lifeless on the bloodstained ground, without a second glance.
.
.
Inside the church, Matias and Maikell clashed fiercely, both of them battered and bleeding, yet neither willing to surrender. Each was driven by the same desperate resolve: to survive—and to kill the other.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the empire, chaos reigned. Hendrik, the monster, was wreaking havoc. Countless soldiers had already fallen, their blood soaking the ground. But Beatrice stood frozen. She couldn't move. Her feet felt like stone, her knees trembling—not from fear, but from heartbreak… and guilt.
She couldn't do it.
She couldn't kill her own brother.
Hendrik had loved them once—his siblings. He had always been their protector, the one who shielded them from harm. Every time Beatrice tried to lift her weapon, to face the creature he had become, all she could see was his warm smile… his gentle eyes.
No…
She couldn't do it.
Her knees gave way and she collapsed to the ground.
"I-I'm sorry…" she whispered.
A plea—not for herself, but for the empire. She was begging forgiveness for failing them.
For choosing blood over duty.
For being too human.
Even though Hendrik was no longer the brother she knew—transformed into something monstrous and unrecognizable—she couldn't bring herself to end his life. So instead, she made her choice.
If killing him was the price of loyalty…
Then she would rather kill herself and die a traitor than live as his executioner.
With trembling fingers, she reached for the dagger on the ground. She gripped it tightly, brought it to her chest, and closed her eyes.
.
.
Once a vibrant and thriving kingdom, the Serolf Empire had now become a wasteland of death and destruction.
The battle raged on.
Countless bodies littered the streets. Blood painted the ground. The air was thick with the stench of smoke and death. Fires raged, destroying buildings and blackening the sky with heavy clouds of ash. Arrows rained from above, metal clashed against metal, and the cries of the dying echoed across the ruins. The screams of soldiers—fighting not just for their lives, but for their homeland—rose like a chorus of despair.
And through it all—cutting through the chaos—was the inhuman roar of the monster, shaking the very ground and sending chills down every spine.
On high poles, the heads of nobles and officials were displayed like trophies, a grim warning from the invaders.
Was this the end of the Serolfians?
Was this… the fall of the Serolf Empire?
.
.
.
.....
Back in the modern world.
Kaye and her husbands were gathered in the living room, deep in discussion about the mysterious painting Troy had created.
All eyes were fixed on Troy.
"B-Believe me, I had no idea my painting was magical," Troy said, his voice shaky. "If I'd known, I would have told you right away."
"Besides," Kurtis added, "none of his other customers ever mentioned anything strange about his paintings. So that means... the painting we have, our family portrait, is the only one that's magical."
"Maybe because we're originally from another world?" Tristan suggested.
"Maybe you're right," Benjamin agreed with a nod.
Kaye glanced at Timothy. She thought he belonged to this world and had no idea about the other one.
Timothy, meanwhile, was silently worried. They had no idea that he was actually Gilmesh, and he feared that his son, TJ, might accidentally uncover the truth about his real identity. He had no choice—he needed to join them and retrieve their sons from the Serolf Empire before his secret was exposed.
Kaye sighed. "I'm worried about our children. They don't know anything about the Serolf Empire. What if their older siblings don't recognize them?"
Raon reached for her hand. "Blood is thicker than water. I'm sure they'll recognize each other once they meet."
Mikhail crossed his arms. "Then how do we get them back?"
"Maybe we should wait for that blinding light to return and take us with it," Ivan suggested.
"He's right," Rein said. "Why don't we try it?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Mikhail said, standing up. "Let's all get ready. We'll wait in front of the painting. Let's hope it takes us back to the empire."
They began preparing in a hurry, hope rising in their hearts.
Warren approached Kaye. "Jinny is missing too. Maybe she's with them," he said quietly.
Kaye's worry deepened. Jinny had always been distant from her brothers; their relationships were strained. She could only hope her sons would be there to protect her in the other world.
As they were about to head to their respective rooms, Tristan passed by the hallway where the painting hung. He stopped in his tracks—something was happening.
A faint light had begun to shimmer from the canvas.
His eyes widened. "Guys! It's starting to show up!" he shouted.
Everyone came running and quickly gathered around the painting.
As expected, the light grew brighter—intense, blinding. They shielded their eyes, overwhelmed by the radiance.
And when they opened them again…
They were no longer in the living room.
They were standing in the middle of a forest.