After Isolde's birthday, two years passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. Isolde had turned fifteen and now aimed to enter the prestigious Academy of Genius.
Renn, who had been staying at House Verdan for the past two years, had grown stronger — strong enough to finally sense Lira's location. He had trained daily alongside Isolde and others, and his presence had become a natural part of the household.
Over time, Isolde and Renn grew closer, their bond deepening with each passing day. Amara would occasionally visit to spar and train with Renn. Isolde hadn't liked her much in the beginning, but after enough time together, the two noble girls became friendly rivals.
Liora had also been close to both Renn and Isolde, but Amara slowly began to take her place beside Renn. Liora, who had quietly harbored feelings for him, sealed those emotions away when she saw two noble girls vying for his attention.
A few months later, Liora accepted a surprising proposal — from Aeren. She had never found him attractive, and in her eyes, he was still "ugly." But her heart had been dominated by Renn for so long that she convinced herself that becoming Aeren girlfriend might help her forget.
During these years, more troubling events stirred. Maren and Raoun vanished from House Verdan without a trace, and others followed. No one knew where they had gone. Meanwhile, Aeren had continued his experiments relentlessly — especially on Lira.
---
In the shadows of Ghost Manor, a brutal sparring match was taking place. Two figures clashed, but the fight was clearly one-sided — Aeren and Lira.
Somehow, against all odds, Lira had survived his experiments. She was the only person to ever walk away alive from Aeren's hands.
When Aeren finally considered her value spent, he granted her freedom.
"You can leave," he had told her. "Do whatever you want with your life." He had even restored her sight, allowing her to see the world again.
Yet, when she stood outside Ghost Manor's gates, she realized she had nowhere to go. After hours of hesitation, she returned and asked Aeren, "Where should I go?"
"I don't know," he replied flatly. "It's your life, not mine."
After several days of thought, she chose to remain. Sometimes she even acted as his assistant, though he rarely acknowledged her presence.
---
One evening, deep in the manor's dark halls, they trained again. When the bout ended, both collapsed onto a sofa.
Lira broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"
Aeren regarded her for a moment. "You can."
She hesitated, then asked, "Why can't I sense your mana at all?"
"I'm a drop of water in a lake," he answered simply.
She frowned but moved to her second question. "Why can't I sense your emotions?"
"They don't exist," he said without a hint of hesitation.
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't argue. "Then why can't I tell whether you're good or evil?"
"What do you mean?" Aeren asked, his tone unreadable.
Lira searched for more words but found none. The room fell into silence once more.
At House Verdan, Liora sat quietly with Aeren. He studied her for a moment before asking,
"Why did you accept my proposal?"
Liora gave him a flat look. "It's not like you'll get anyone with your face, so I accepted as a friend. Don't even think of anything else, or I'll kill you."
Aeren sighed. "Yeah… maybe I was imagining too much."
He looked up at the sky. "Do you really think Lira is still alive?"
Liora hesitated. She wanted that answer too, but finally said, "Yes. Renn's a genius. If he says she's alive, then she's alive. Probably at Ghost Manor."
"Do you trust him that much?" Aeren asked.
"It's not about trust," she replied. "I've just never seen him wrong in my life."
Aeren studied her face. "Maybe you still love him. Liora… if you love him, just say it to him. I'm sure he'll accept you."
Liora didn't respond.
Aeren changed the topic. "When are we leaving, and how many people are coming?"
"I don't know," Liora said. "I heard Lady Amara is coming for the rescue mission. And… they say all our missing people are there." She sighed helplessly.
After talking for a while longer, the two left for the meeting place where everyone was gathering for the mission.
---
Renn had found Lira's location by leveling up, upgrading his system through relentless training and hunting. He and Eldric often went on dangerous hunts together, facing powerful monsters. Eldric had been impressed by Renn's strength and uncanny instincts — almost as if he could predict the future.
But Renn's true drive came from guilt. He could never forget leaving Lira behind in that basement. The system had told him she was still alive, and if he upgraded it enough, it would pinpoint her location. For two years, he pushed himself beyond limits. Finally, he was ready — his strength now unmatched by almost anyone.
Renn and Eldric exchanged a silent nod as their forces assembled. Some soldiers followed Renn, others were from House Verdan. Amara and Isolde joined as well, determined to hunt the culprits.
With short but fierce speeches from both Renn and Eldric, the army set out toward Ghost Manor — the place where their enemies would pay.
---
After hours of travel, they reached the old estate. The air was thick and unnervingly silent. Step by step, they advanced to the gates… until—
BOOM!
The gates exploded inward. Renn and Eldric stormed into the hall — only to see a girl calmly reading on a sofa, unbothered by the destruction.
Without looking up from her book, Lira said quietly, "At least knock, man."
Her tone was more irritated at the inconvenience than scared, as if the biggest problem was having to repair her door again.
Renn's eyes locked on her instantly. He knew. She's Lira.
He stepped forward, speaking in a quiet but certain voice that carried across the room.
"Lira…."
Lira finally looked up at him. "Do I know you?"
Renn froze. Her question hit him like a blade.