Luminor later visited Lady Alina Eldrath at her mansion, surprising her by honoring the invitation she had sent. Although Luminor harbored genuine feelings for her, he remained conflicted. Alina was older than him, the aunt of both Amara and Kael, and already destined to be engaged to the son of a southern noble by the end of the year. Their meeting was warm yet restrained, shaped by emotions neither of them could openly acknowledge.
Elsewhere, Aelric Eldrath, father of Kael and Amara and husband to Seraphelle, continued training Blue, whose magic frequently spiraled out of control. Zephyr, observing in his beast form, reflected on Aelric's past—how he had once lost his left hand protecting his wife and young son, only for it to be regenerated later by Lyra after the battle. Despite everything he had endured, Aelric remained unwavering in strength and resolve.
Kael and Lyra soon returned to the mansion to address the growing threats. Thorne, ever the warrior, focused on dungeon training to sharpen his combat instincts. Pallas, the young dragon, spent her time exploring or sleeping, already preparing for an important transition. As a dragon, she was required to enter a long slumber upon reaching the age of one hundred to mature into a teenage dragon—a milestone she would reach the following year. Kael was not surprised by this revelation, accepting it as part of dragon nature.
With Pallas absent, Kael convened a strategic meeting involving Malina, Arden, Amara, Elian, Vex, Zephyr, Luminor, Thorne, and Lyra. Together, they discussed how to uncover the true force orchestrating the recent attacks. They agreed Pallas would be informed once she returned.
Meanwhile, the surviving ten demons reported back to Count Morgan, informing him that a young man and his companions had disrupted their operations in Gesture Village. Count Morgan was already aware of Kael and recognized him as a growing obstacle. While he searched for a way to remove Kael and his allies from the board, he acknowledged one limitation—REF territory could not be attacked directly. For now, he ordered all other operations paused.
During this time, Kael surprised those around him by wielding twin daggers instead of his usual sword. Seeking answers, he entered his sub-plane to interrogate the tamed mimic demon. There, Kael discovered something unexpected: the sub-plane had evolved into a massive palace capable of housing all 5.7 million undead under Brown's control. Within this realm, Kael was treated as a sovereign—hailed and acknowledged as a king—marking a profound shift in both his power and the scale of his influence.