"INSUFFICIENT!"
Prince Nereus's voice echoed across the frozen walls of the Mirror Dome.
Hope lost the last fragment of air in his lungs and collapsed onto the icy floor. His scythe slipped from his grasp. His vision blurred.
Across from him stood his copy made of water.
But this time, the copy was not flawless. Its right arm was severed. Its chest was torn open. Half of its face had evaporated.
For the first time—
Hope had come this close to winning.
"Get up," the Prince said from the platform above. His voice was no longer just cold. It was impatient. "Is this how you plan to save Lypin? That girl is in the infirmary right now while that purple curse consumes her arms, and you're lying on the ground?"
Lypin's name—
Struck Hope's consciousness like lightning.
Her pale face flashed in his mind. Her beautiful eyes shifting to purple. The burn marks along her arms.
And worst of all—
His helplessness.
"No…" Hope growled.
He pushed himself up using the ice for support. His fingertips were bleeding, but he did not feel the pain. The gray-white flame within him reignited from its ashes.
[MANA: 2%][WARNING: PHYSICAL LIMIT EXCEEDED.][FORBIDDEN SKILL ACTIVATING…]
Hope stood.
Heat radiated from his body, melting the ice around him.
"It's not over."
The water copy attacked again at the Prince's command, swinging its liquid scythe.
This time—
Hope did not analyze.
He closed his eyes.
He thought of Lypin's warmth.
When he opened them again, a wild madness burned within his irises.
He slipped beneath the copy's attack.
[SHADOW STEP]
But this time he did not enter the shadow.
He wore it.
He seeped into the copy's opening and thrust his hand into its chest.
"BURN."
Gray flames erupted from Hope's palm.
The water copy screamed.
Water should have evaporated at the touch of fire—
But Hope's flames devoured it.
The copy began to melt.
Hope could taste victory.
Just one more second… just a little more power—
But that power did not exist.
His body collapsed.
His vision darkened.
His legs gave out.
The flame died.
With one final reflex, the copy struck Hope and hurled him across the room.
BOOM.
Hope slammed into the wall and fell motionless.
Silence filled the chamber.
The water copy trembled in its melted, distorted state—then dissolved into a puddle and vanished.
Prince Nereus descended from the platform.
He approached the unconscious boy.
There was no disappointment on his face.
On the contrary—
There was a disturbing satisfaction.
"Almost," the Prince whispered. "That rage… that desperation… That is what feeds you, Architect. It is not peace that will lead you to perfection. It is pain."
He adjusted his gloves.
"I will return tomorrow. And tomorrow, you will either kill that copy… or I will cut off the potions required for Lypin's treatment."
Hope could not answer. He had lost consciousness.
The Prince turned and left the Mirror Dome.
One Hour Later
When Hope opened his eyes, someone was waiting beside him.
It was not the Prince.
It was not Lypin.
It was Princess Elara.
Elara was gently wiping the blood from Hope's forehead with a warm cloth. Her eyes were red.
"You're awake," she said softly.
Hope groaned as he tried to sit up, but every muscle protested.
"How long… was I out?"
"One hour," Elara replied. "My brother left you here like this."
Hope wanted to ask about Lypin, but he stopped when he saw Elara's expression.
She did not carry her usual proud posture. Her shoulders were lowered, as though she carried the weight of the world.
"There's something wrong," Hope said. Even through the pain, his analytical mind functioned. "Your heartbeat is irregular. Your pupils are trembling. You're afraid. Why?"
Elara inhaled deeply and set the cloth aside.
"Last night…" she began, her voice lowering to a whisper, "…while you were with Lypin, I went to speak with my brother. In the dungeons."
She met his eyes.
"I saw Octavia."
Hope frowned. "The Octopus Princess? Was the Prince interrogating her?"
"If you can call it that," Elara said bitterly. "My brother was torturing her, Hope. But that's not the main issue. Octavia said something. About my mother. About Atlantis's history."
Elara stood and began pacing.
"According to the history we were taught, the Octopus rebelled without reason. They attempted a coup out of greed for power. Their Queen died of illness during the war, and my father exiled them because of their uprising."
"A logical scenario," Hope said.
"But Octavia…" Elara stopped. "…Octavia claimed my father and brother slaughtered them. She implied they did something to her mother, the Octopus Queen. And my brother… did not deny it. He cut out her tongue."
Hope fell silent.
Pieces were aligning in his mind. The Prince's artificial politeness. His calculated pressure on Hope and Lypin.
"Perhaps," Hope said slowly, "there is no error in the system. Perhaps the system itself is corrupted."
Elara knelt in front of him.
"I need to know the truth, Hope. If my father and brother… if they are not who I believed them to be… if we are not the 'good' ones… then whose side am I on? What am I fighting for?"
Determination flickered in her eyes.
"We need to speak to Octavia. Hear her story. But I can't go alone. My brother might be watching me. I need… your strange abilities."
Hope forced himself to stand. He summoned his scythe and used it like a cane for support.
"I need power to save Lypin," he said. "And knowledge is power. Let's go, Princess. But first, I'd appreciate it if you bought me food. I'm starving."
Royal Prison – Special Cell: "The Pearl Cage"
Getting down to the dungeon had not been easy.
Elara used her royal authority to bypass most of the guards. The remaining ones were rendered unconscious by Hope's Shadow Step and silent strikes. Thanks to his Architect abilities, he carried a mental map of the entire structure. Reaching the cell was not difficult.
Finally, they stood before the massive water barrier.
Inside, Octavia still hung suspended in chains. Her tongue had regenerated, but her face looked pale.
When she heard their footsteps, she lifted her head.
Her eyes gleamed in the dark.
"Ooo…" Octavia drawled mockingly. "Her Royal Highness. What an honor to see you in this sewer. Did your brother throw you in here too?"
"No," Elara said calmly from outside the barrier. "We came to talk."
Octavia's gaze shifted past Elara—
And landed on Hope.
Her eyes scanned him like a predator sizing up prey. Torn clothes. Wounded body. That unextinguished green flame in his eyes.
She licked her lips slowly with her forked tongue.
"Well now," she purred. "You brought a toy with you. Handsome… and strong. His aura is enormous. Just my type."
She winked at Hope.
"If he's unclaimed, I'll take him. I wouldn't mind some company in my cell."
Elara's expression tightened. A strange flare of anger rose in her chest, though she masked it.
"He's not a toy," Elara said sharply. "And we're not here to flirt."
"Oh? Jealous?" Octavia giggled, rattling her chains. "Don't worry, Princess. I know how to share. Sometimes."
"Enough," Elara snapped, stepping forward. "I heard what you said to my brother. About your mother. About your people. We may have wronged you. I came to hear your side. I want the truth."
Octavia froze for a moment—
Then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Look at the Siren Princess! So merciful. So just."
Her laughter stopped abruptly. Her face turned cold.
"You really are pure-hearted, Elara… But a princess like you shouldn't be soft. You should be like your brother. And especially like your father. A complete bastard. That's how kingdoms are ruled."
Silence fell.
Hope looked at Octavia, then at Elara, brows furrowed with pure analytical curiosity.
He raised his hand.
"Excuse me," Hope said. "What does 'bastard' mean? It's not in my database. Is it a biological anomaly? Or a genealogical insult?"
Elara pressed her hand to her forehead.
"I'll explain later, Hope," she sighed, then turned back to Octavia, her voice firm. "If you're done swearing, tell us the story."
Octavia looked away. "I have nothing to tell you. Leave."
"Tell me what happened!" Elara shouted. "If you claim innocence, defend yourself!"
"NO!" Octavia roared, her tentacles slamming against the barrier. "Why should I? You can't promise me anything. What are you? Your brother's decorative doll! You have no power. You can't free me. You can't defy your father. You are nothing!"
Elara's eyes flared. Her hands clenched into fists.
"I am not nothing!" she shouted. "I AM THE ONE WHO WILL MASTER THE LEVIATHAN! Ancient blood flows through my veins! I will accomplish what hasn't been achieved for centuries! You don't know who you're speaking to!"
Octavia didn't even take the threat seriously. She smirked.
"Maybe one day. But right now, you rule nothing. You're just your brother's shadow."
The tension between the two princesses became tangible.
Hope stepped between them.
"This argument is inefficient," he said calmly.
He turned to Octavia.
"Why don't you want to tell us? We truly want to help."
Octavia softened slightly at his voice. There was something about this boy's aura. Pure. Yet dangerous.
"Oh, sweet thing…" she said more gently. "Your intention is adorable. But how exactly will you help? That cursed Prince will never release me."
Hope thought for a moment.
"I am an Architect," he said. "The Prince takes special interest in me. He trains me. Perhaps… I can persuade him. Or find another way to free you."
Octavia froze.
Her eyes widened.
"What?" she whispered. "You… you're an Architect? Like the First Architect of legend?"
Hope nodded plainly. "Yes. That's my class."
Octavia's entire expression changed. Mockery vanished. Awe replaced it.
"Wow…" she murmured. "A real Architect. Standing in front of me. And the Prince is training you? That idiot has no idea what he's playing with."
She rattled her chains and moved as close to the bars as possible.
"Well then…" Octavia said, her tone turning seductive again. "For my precious Architect… and for those beautiful eyes… I'll tell it roughly."
Elara crossed her arms. "Only for him?"
Octavia ignored her, eyes still fixed on Hope.
"But I have one condition," Octavia said. "After you hear my story… you will break these chains. You will set me free."
She crossed her fingers dramatically.
"I promise I won't harm anyone from the royal family. At least… not for now."
Hope and Elara exchanged a glance.
That was an enormous risk.
"We can't agree immediately," Elara said cautiously. "First, we listen. If your story is convincing… then I will consider it."
Octavia smiled.
But this smile was neither flirtatious nor mocking.
It was pure, frozen pain.
"Convincing?" she repeated quietly.
Her gaze drifted far away.
"Very well, Princess…"
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"If I tell you how your father… the Great King of Atlantis… tore my mother apart in front of my eyes, and how he listened to her screams with pleasure…"
She lifted her head.
"Will that be convincing enough?"
Silence swallowed the cell.
Hope and Elara felt the crushing weight of her words.
The history written by liars was beginning to crack.