Suddenly, everything shattered.
The space around them tore apart, as if the very center of the world had split open.
Lyanna closed her eyes. In her mind, this was her final moment. There was nothing left to think about everyone lay fallen. She felt no regret, only one unfinished desire: the wish to know the truth . And even that, perhaps, would remain unanswered forever.
Who was the owner of that voice?
And the greatest question of all how had she come to this place? Why had she come here? If she died here, would she die in her real world too?Or did she even still exist there anymore?
Then, inside her mind, she heard that unknown voice again.
Lyanna could not tell whether it was her imagination or reality. But this time, the voice spoke low, steady, and deep.
"Foolish girl. What did I tell you? If you truly wished, you could turn this power into the most terrifying force in this world. And yet, you are thinking about dying. Listen carefully. Raise what you hold in your hand. Repeat after me."
Lyanna froze. A thousand questions filled her heart, but now was not the time to ask .
She lifted the small object in her hand ... the feather-light pen.
Ignara's fireball was already rushing toward her, its heat so intense that even a single touch would melt flesh.
Slash.
In an instant, the ground split apart from the point where Lyanna stood. The realm cracked open as if a divine punishment had struck that exact spot. Everything caught within it vanished crushed, erased, swallowed by destruction.
Lyanna stared in shock. The fireball that should have consumed her no longer existed. It had disappeared along with the ruin itself.
Her eyes quickly searched the battlefield. Vaelith lay at a distance alive. Seeing him, Lyanna finally released a breath she did not know she was holding. The others were safe too. The devastation had passed without touching them.
Then a thought struck her.
Ignara...
Ignara had been right in front of her.
Did that mean she had been erased as well?
A faint smile touched Lyanna's lipsbutit faded instantly when she sensed something.
She turned to her right.
Ignara was still there.
Wounded. Bleeding. Alive.
Ignara stared at Lyanna with eyes full of disbelief.
In her mind, Ignara thought:
I don't know who this girl truly is or why she came here… but the power she released just now was terrifying..My entire body still trembles when I remember that moment.
I knew she was not from this place. I believed she was weak, harmless nothing like the others here. I even felt a strange pity for her. My fireball had rushed toward her, almost touching her… and then
Then I saw it.
She raised something in her right hand, something light like a feather. I could not understand what it was. But in the next heartbeat, I felt a force so overwhelming that it seemed ready to tear the world apart.. I ran without thinking. If I had been even a second slower, I would have been crushed where I stood.
Ignara's body was covered in wounds. Blood flowed from her arms, legs, and torn clothing. The aftermath of that power had ripped through her like a storm.
The girl everyone thought was the weakest…
that girl…
Ignara looked at Lyanna and gave a strange, quiet smile. Lyanna met her gaze.
Perhaps Ignara had understood something she was never meant to know...
ELSEWHERE
A different realm unfolded.
A grand palace hall stood in silence, shaped like a dream carved from luxury.
Walls of red and white crystal reflected soft light, each surface glowing like something born from fantasy rather than reality. Priceless decorations filled the room rare artifacts, golden ornaments, treasures beyond counting. At the center stood a royal sofa of pure gold, and before it, a table overflowing with fresh fruit.
On that throne like seat sat a man.
He wore a white shirt, its collar adorned with red crystal and a diamond-crafted necklace design. Over it rested a long black coat, heavy and majestic, its patterns fit for a prince of legends. Black trousers completed the image. His beauty was striking almost unreal. Crimson hair fell neatly around his face, and his violet eyes glimmered with a cold brilliance.
His name was Kaelion Ardyn Solcrest.
Today, irritation shadowed his expression.
He lifted a grape from a crystal bowl and placed it slowly into his mouth, chewing with careless elegance. His gaze remained fixed on the corner of the room.
There, a woman sat on the floor.
She kept her head lowered, cutting an apple in silence. She was beautiful soft features, long flowing hair, lips touched with a pale rose hue but her clothes were worn, almost messy, as if she didn't belong in a place like this.
Kaelion took another grape. His annoyance deepened.
"How many times have I told you to leave this place?" he said coldly. "And yet you still sit here like you have no shame at all. Don't you even have the smallest sense of dignity? Do I need to throw you out myself?"
The girl looked up in shock and stood slowly.
Kaelion gave a faint, confident smile ..he thought she would finally leave.
Instead, she walked toward him.
Before he could react, she dropped to her knees in front of him and clung to his legs, staring up with trembling eyes.
Kaelion's expression darkened instantly. He stood, fury flashing across his face..
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up. Pain forced tears into her eyes. She cried out, still looking at him as if hoping he would soften.
But Kaelion's eyes had changed.
The violet glow turned sharp cold anger replacing every trace of patience. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him..
"This is the last time I'll say it," he growled. "Leave. Or your head won't stay on your shoulders."
A cruel smile touched his lips as he whispered, "Do you understand?"
He pushed her away and turned his back, walking toward the other side of the hall.
The girl collapsed onto the floor.
Fear overwhelmed her. Tears streamed down her face as she began to sob, her hands shaking.
In her heart, she thought
If I leave without completing my task, I'll die.
If I stay here… I'll die anyway.
Kaelion stopped.
Slowly, he turned back and looked at her again.
"I told you to go," he said in a deep, threatening voice . "Unless you want to lose your head."
Then his lips curved into a dangerous smirk.
"And if you truly want to seduce me so badly… then tell the one who sent you to come herself. That might actually be interesting."
He chuckled softly.
"Maybe then… I'll even enjoy it."
Lie
SOMEWHERE...
The forest thickened, dense with ancient trees. Their branches tangled overhead, casting long shadows over the soft earth. A few figures moved carefully through the undergrowth, their forms partially hidden by the jungle's embrace. Large leaves rustled in the dim light, the faint glow of sunset brushing the edges of the canopy.
Three girls walked together, their steps light, almost aimless, yet deliberate enough to suggest some secret purpose. Their clothes were loose, simple , yet practical for travel.
Because night had fallen and the forest was dense, shadows clung to everything. The girl at the front raised her hand, channeling her power. Light soft, golden, almost unreal spread from her fingers, illuminating the path ahead like tiny fireflies guiding her forward.
But behind her..
One of their companions froze suddenly.
The girl at the front seemed tense, as if some invisible weight pressed against her chest. Her hands trembled.. her feet faltered. She wrapped her arms around herself, burying her face in her chest for a moment, as if bracing for a blow.
And yet… there was something innocent about her. Simple, unassuming. Soft brown eyes that looked gentle yet carried the faintest tremor of fear . Her curly orange hair shone softly , long and dark, fell loosely around her shoulders,
but even in that apparent innocence, a trace of latent power lingered, a quiet tension beneath her fragile exterior.
Her companion , sensed it immediately. They couldn't understand what was happening, couldn't gauge the strange mix of fear and determination radiating from her. She reached out instinctively, grabbing her hand.
"No… I… I won't go, I can't..." she whispered, voice trembling. The girl tried to speak, but fear sealed her throat. The words died on her lips before they could escape
Seeing her like that, her companions grew irritated. The girl who stood at the front turned sharply toward Elira, her eyes burning with anger
"Elira… Elira…" she called her name, stern yet strained...
"Enough with this drama. I won't allow it here. I don't know why… why someone like you earns so much favor from the Holy Mother, but your pride, your arrogance stop it now! The Matron isn't here. Still, because you're her favorite, I'm asking what happened?"
Elira didn't answer. Yet there was no calm on her face only fear, raw and trembling, as if she carried a truth too heavy to breathe. Her body trembled slightly, yet her gaze held a hidden defiance.
The others behind her understood instantly..They turned away, already deciding to leave her behind.
But Elira suddenly spoke. Her voice cracked as she finally spoke, almost a whisper but filled with raw energy:
"H-Holy… Mo…ther…
No… n-no…
The Divine Matron…No… you know nothing…"
Silence fell. The group froze. Every eye turned toward her, heavy with curiosity and caution.
The tremor in her form wasn't just fear..it was power, untrained yet immense, waiting to erupt. She knew things others could not, things unspeakable.
Trembling, she stepped forward. Her voice grew steadier, though still fragile:
"Our mother… she… she… binds the holy Sylv…"
Her words hung in the air like a curse, echoing through the jungle canopy.
SOMEWHERE UNKNOWN...
Bones littered the ground, countless skulls and skeletons strewn like remnants of some long-forgotten battlefield. The place was a ruin of horror, a graveyard suffused with malevolence. Small shrines and altars rose from the earth, their surfaces polished, yet stained by time and shadow.
The place looked less like a world and more like hell itself.
In the center stood a narrow staircase, impossibly clean, untouched by blood or dust. From above, an unseen light poured down, bathing each step in an eerie glow.
And in the midst of it, a figure moved silent, precise, almost spectral.
Suddenly, a pair of eyes opened,
startling in the darkness...
Their whites were pale as ash, lifeless… yet watching.