Ronan drew his sword. The hilt was obsidian black, the blade crimson red. Ice Flame enveloped the weapon in a white and bluish glow.
The woman, kneeling, held her son in front of her.
"Ronan, if you succeed, you might see fragments of our memory. I have no gift to offer you... Only advice. Don't trust easily. Don't show your artefacts or flame sources. The world is filled with greed. If you want to see its beauty, you must also accept its cruelty. And become stronger."
Ronan raised his sword and drove it through their chests. Their bodies burned in the Ice Flame.
The boy whispered, "Thank you, Ronan. If there's a next life, I want to meet you again."
The woman said, "If you want to travel the world, you'll face more cruelty than what you've seen today. Help when you can, but never give in to your emotions—some will use you when your mind is broken. I pray you grow stronger, Ronan."
As they disappeared, a surge of memories flooded everyone's minds.
Mordek, Lirith, and Kael stood silently, shaken. Gorvath fell, drenched in sweat. Vexara nearly vomited. Ronan knelt before the ashes of the two.
The atmosphere in the dimly lit chamber was thick with tension and reflection. Everyone—Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, Lirith, Kael, and Ronan—stood still, the silence stretching as if the room itself was holding its breath.
Ronan walked over to the wall cabinet, his steps slow, thoughtful. As he opened the door and retrieved the magically enchanted clothes, he paused.
"Kael," Ronan began, his voice laced with uncertainty. "That little boy said I don't have enough resolve. What is that supposed to mean?"
He placed the garments into his storage ring, the soft hum of magic dissipating as they vanished.
Kael sighed, walking over to Ronan. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't take his words too personally," Kael said gently. "What he meant was... when you fight someone who hasn't been proven guilty, you hesitate. You hold back. You don't fight to kill. To him, that's a fatal flaw."
Ronan's brow furrowed. "If I always think about killing, then how am I any different from the monsters we fight?"
Kael met his eyes, firm yet kind. "Fighting to kill doesn't mean you must kill. It means fighting with the resolve to win, to protect yourself and others. You can stop before killing, but if you keep holding back like this, you'll be the one who gets hurt. Ronan... you don't need to change who you are. You're good as it is. Don't force something onto yourself that doesn't belong."
Kael looked away for a moment, his expression darkening.
"We're not gods. We're just mortals—powerful, yes—but still flawed. We can't change every evil in the world. The reason we train so hard isn't to fix the past... It's to protect what we love now. Good and evil exist side by side. We must accept that. If evil happened in the past, we can't stop it. But if it's happening now, right in front of me... I will do whatever it takes to stop it."
Ronan was quiet for a moment. Kael's words eased the weight in his heart, but the concept of "resolve" still lingered, elusive.
"Thanks, Kael," Ronan said quietly.
They returned to the adjacent chamber, where Ronan's clone was still organising the old, dusty books. Papers fluttered, and the musty scent of time filled the air.
Gorvath broke the silence. "We need to start thinking about how we're going to get out of here."
Ronan, looking at Kael, said, "Let's go to the last floor."
Vexara was shaken by those tormented memories. Her voice cracked into a growl. "What? You really want to continue? We don't even know what's waiting for us ahead!"
Gorvath growled back, frustration spilling out. "What? You want to keep going blind? Aside from Lirith and Sir Mordek, we don't have any solid fighters! You want us to die down there? Huh?!"
Lirith scowled. "Not die."
Mordek opened his mouth to speak, but a clone interrupted, holding up a tattered journal.
"Kael, take a look at this. It's about the sword—and the abomination we're going to face if we move forward." Then the clone looked straight at Ronan and grinned. "Yo. Why so gloomy, idiot boss?"
Lirith blinked at the clone. "Idiot?"
The clone burst into laughter. "Yes! Yes, he is an idiot."
Lirith crossed her arms and pointed. "You idiot?"
The clone stepped closer with a playful tilt of his head. "Maybe. But he's more of an idiot than I am. So you should always call him an idiot."
Lirith's eyes lit up. "Nickname!"
The clone laughed louder. "Exactly!"
Lirith looked at Ronan with glee. "Idiot!"
Ronan sighed, exasperated, and kicked the laughing clone, who only continued to chuckle as he tumbled.
"Lirith," Ronan said, shaking his head. "That's not a good word. You shouldn't say it."
Lirith tilted her head. "Bad?"
"Yes. Bad," Ronan said firmly.
"Stop messing around," Ronan ordered. "Get back to work."
The clone stood, gave a sarcastic little bow, and waved his hands dramatically. "Okay, boss."
Mordek, observing everything, clenched his fist. "I was suspicious before... but now I'm sure. Ronan's understanding of this Phantom Clone technique is far beyond what I imagined. Still, his situation... It's worrying. His mana surpasses that of ordinary people, but it's far too low compared to those at the Academy. And unlike us demons, he was born with lower physical strength and his mindset... It's too gentle. I hope you grow stronger, Ronan. But all I can do now... is pray for your safety."
Kael suddenly looked around. "Hey, Ronan. Where's your second clone?"
Just then, a drenched clone burst through the door, panting.
"Boss! You were right! In the water—essence stones!"
He tossed a storage ring at Ronan and, with a small poof of magic, disappeared.
Ronan caught the ring, a confident smirk forming on his face. "Time to level up, Kael."
He pulled out a few shimmering stones and handed them to Kael.
"Speed up. I don't want Sylphie and the others getting involved with this caravan."
Kael nodded without a word, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing the energy radiating from the essence stones.
Ronan turned and summoned a few more stones, these tinged with a calming blue hue. He sent them floating toward Mordek.