That night, Liebe, Licht, and Eldrie were just sitting together, enjoying some cool drinks in their room and playing cards, when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Liebe said, "I'll go check."
Eldrie stopped him. "Sir, please wait. A knock at 9 p.m. doesn't sound right — it might be an attack."
Licht nodded. "Yeah, best to be on guard."
Liebe said, "Got it."
Eldrie opened the door carefully — it was Harner.
Eldrie asked, "Can I help you, Mr. Harner?"
Harner bowed slightly. "Master Werner asked if it would be alright to have a word with the Lord of Black Rose."
Eldrie said, "May I ask the reason?"
Harner replied, "He wishes to have a heart-to-heart with the Lord."
Eldrie said, "And where exactly did he ask to meet?"
Harner answered, "At the hotel bar."
Eldrie nodded. "I suppose there isn't anything wrong with that. I'll accompany him as personal security."
Harner said, "Of course not, sir. Please feel free."
Eldrie said, "Give us five minutes to get ready."
Harner bowed again. "You have my gratitude."
After preparing, Liebe and Eldrie went to the hotel bar. Harner said, "Sir Eldrie, please take a seat. The Master wishes to speak privately with Lord Liebe."
Eldrie nodded. "Fine." He sat down, tapped his feet on the floor, and in a five-foot radius, the ground froze solid — a precaution.
Liebe sat on a barstool next to Werner and said, "Hey dude, how are you doing?"
Werner smiled faintly. "I'm doing fine. Thank you for coming, though I'd prefer if the intimidation was turned down a little." He tapped the floor lightly, melting the ice Eldrie had created. "As a birdman, I'm not fond of the cold. It's irritating when it gets to my wings."
Liebe chuckled. "Understandable."
Werner said, "So, what do you think of my wings?"
Liebe grinned. "Honestly? When I look at them, I feel like asking whether they'd taste better with ranch or spicy ranch — maybe fried or barbequed."
Werner deadpanned. "They are not for dinner."
Liebe laughed. "Sorry for the rude comment."
Werner smiled. "It's quite alright. And I never introduced myself properly. I'm Werner — age twenty."
Liebe said, "Liebe Faust, sixteen."
Werner said, "You're a good man, Liebe."
Liebe shrugged. "Thanks. I try."
Werner's tone softened. "After seeing my sister's selective mutism — the fact that she can't talk even though she knows sign language — and that we constantly need Harner for communication… you must be curious why that happened."
Liebe said, "The thought crossed my mind. But it's your personal matter. I have no right to interfere unless I ever felt you were hurting her, being abusive, or if she hated you. But I can't sense any malice from you toward her — just the opposite. From her, I sense a lot of sadness connected to you."
Werner sighed. "You're correct — yet it's reality. But how did you know?"
Liebe said quietly, "My darkness allows me to sense unholy emotions. And the only emotions I can sense from you toward your sister are worry and stress — a ton of it."
Werner nodded. "You're right. I do worry a bit."
Liebe said, "I understand. I have a biological half-brother, but honestly, I don't care about him much. But there's a girl — Gelda's daughter — she's always been like my little sister. She even calls me 'brother.'"
Werner said, "I envy you — to be able to talk to your sister."
He sighed again. "I'm one of our Platinum Warriors."
Liebe asked, "What's the ranking system like in your country?"
Werner explained, "When you join the military, you're given an ore rank — you start with Copper, then Bronze, then Tin, Steel, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and finally Diamond. A Diamond Warrior is like your Grandmaster. Currently, there are only twelve Platinum Warriors."
He took a deep breath. "When I was eight and my sister was three, our parents were also Platinum Warriors — both of them. One day, from the ocean came a scream unlike anything we'd ever heard. I don't know what it was, but they went to face it — their duty as patriots. They failed. The beast was still out there.
"When they left again, they told us they might not return. My mother hugged me and Mey tightly, saying she loved us more than anything. My father told me I'd make a great knight one day. This time… they succeeded — but when they came back, they weren't themselves. They were corrupted to the core.
"When I ran to hug them, my mother screamed, 'Werner, stay away! Please kill us!' Before I could process it, bodies were already lying around — our guards, our friends. Mey came out and saw it too. Our parents begged us to run as they slaughtered people using powers I didn't even know they had."
His eyes darkened. "I begged them to stop — but before I knew it, I was struck in the chest. I was bleeding badly. Still, I shielded Mey from their attacks. Every moment felt like being ripped apart. The ground was red with blood. Mey screamed for them to stop — and for a moment, they regained their senses. My father looked at me and said, 'Werner, kill us.'
"And before the next strike could come, I did. I killed them with my flames."
Liebe sat silently.
Werner's voice trembled. "Before dying, my parents said, 'We love you both.' My father told me, 'Werner, we're proud of you for protecting your sister. Keep looking after her.' My mother said, 'We'll always be watching over you. May the God of Darkness bless you with warmth. Don't worry — your story is just beginning. We'll miss you.' And then… they kissed me on the cheek before they died."
He paused, his voice cracking. "When I came to, they were gone. Mey — only three years old — was permanently traumatized. Because our parents killed the guards, they were declared traitors. Our house was taken from us. Only Harner was kind enough to take us in."
He continued, "I trained day and night, not knowing what I was becoming. By fourteen, I'd reached Gold rank and took back our home — but Mey was still the same. No better. I became a follower of the God of Darkness, like our parents. I didn't do it for power — I prayed so that He would take away my sister's pain and trauma, even if it meant she'd never speak to me again."
Liebe nodded slowly. "I understand. Every time I'm deployed on a mission, I worry about my mother. I didn't even get to hug her goodbye last time. I just think — if I'm gone, what happens to my girlfriend? She has social anxiety; she can't even talk to others."
Werner said, "I understand that pain. Whenever I'm gone, Mey doesn't eat properly. She doesn't sleep well. And because people whisper that we're the children of traitors… imagining her suffering through that fills me with dread. Even now, I make sure Alysa is with her whenever possible. I don't go to work without taking her and Harner to her school first."
Liebe said, "I can understand that."
Werner smiled faintly. "For me, Harner, and Mey — that's all I have left."
He looked up. "By the way, you haven't ordered anything yet."
Liebe said, "You go first."
Werner said, "I'll have an Americano."
Liebe said, "An iced latte sounds great."
Werner smiled. "The tab's on me tonight."
Liebe said, "Thanks."
Werner leaned back. "It's said the God of Darkness is one who absorbs pain, trauma, and suffering — that those lucky enough to gaze upon His horns are freed from their burdens, and the golden dawn will shine upon them. They say His magic is black as the night sky itself."
Liebe said, "Yeah, I read about that."
Werner blinked. "You did?"
Liebe nodded. "When you mentioned Him earlier today, I found the topic interesting — so I looked into it."
Werner sighed. "Maybe the sins of my parents are too great. Maybe even the God of Darkness won't show mercy to us."
Liebe said, "Do you hate your parents?"
Werner said softly, "No way. I love and respect them above all else. Based on their last words, I never could hate them."
Liebe smiled faintly. "That's good. If you hold on to those feelings, I'm sure even the God of Darkness would have to help you, no matter what."
Werner chuckled. "That might be a bit far."
Liebe smirked. "Yeah."
Werner looked at him seriously. "Can I see your magic?"
Liebe sighed. "Dude, like I said, I'm not the reincarnation of your God of Darkness or whatever."
Werner insisted. "Please. I just want to see it."
Liebe said, "Fine. Dark Magic — Dark Orb."
A small black sphere appeared above Liebe's hand.
Werner's eyes glowed faintly. "Interesting… pure dark. Beautiful, like the night sky."
Liebe said, "Thanks."
Werner looked at him with conviction. "I believe you are the God of Darkness."
Liebe groaned. "Dude, I said I'm not! Do I look like I have horns or antlers or something?"
Werner shook his head. "It's not about that. You might not be Him, but I think you're His physical manifestation. Because since meeting you today, things have changed. You were kind when you didn't need to be. You stepped out of your way to help my sister. Even though you struggle with sign language, you still tried — knowing you might look foolish.
"And today, for the first time in twelve years… I saw my sister smile. A real, genuine smile. It filled my heart with joy, knowing she found a friend. But reality isn't kind."
Liebe frowned. "What are you saying?"
Werner sighed. "You're a nice guy, but you're in a relationship. Being around you will only raise her hopes. It's not wrong to be close to someone, but if it leads her to dream of something impossible, it'll only hurt her — and you. I don't want to make a wrong move, so answer me — even if it's a lie, I won't condemn you for it.
Are you truly the God of Darkness — the one who will take away all of Mey's pain?"
Liebe said softly, "I'm not. And I don't possess any such abilities."
Werner exhaled and nodded. "I understand… and I'm sorry to have bothered you."