After Jacob was laid to rest beneath the soil near their home, Liza's screams of agony were swallowed by the rolling thunder of a relentless storm. She had stood over the fresh grave, weeping until her voice broke, her eyes fixed on the lightning that tore through the black sky.
"That was the moment I became a Black Tier target," Liza said to Alice, her expression shifting into a mask of deep, clinical coldness.
"I didn't know where they had fled, but it didn't matter. My mind was a furnace of vengeance. I wandered through the forest in my blood-stained dress, the morning sun failing to pierce the dark atmosphere that had settled over the region. When I reached the town, the people recoiled in terror at the sight of me, but I didn't see them. I only saw the path to the house Jacob had once described—a grand, hollow estate. I was numb, yet I could sense their filthy presence vibrating within those walls."
Liza recounted how she had shattered the front door, her eyes igniting with a dark blue brilliance. In her hands, she had manifested whip-like projections of black magic that hummed with a murderous intent. She had dragged the tips of those whips across the stone floor, the sound a herald of the death she was bringing.
When she entered the great hall, she found Jacob's friends. They were laughing—a hollow, joyous sound that made her stomach churn. They were celebrating the death of the man who had loved them like brothers.
"How can someone kill their own brother?" Liza's voice shook with a sudden burst of re-ignited rage.
She had charged. The black whips struck with the force of a collapsing mountain, the impact so violent it reduced the men to molecular dust. The very foundation of the house groaned and cracked under the pressure of her mana. When the family members rushed down from the second floor, they found themselves staring into the eyes of a monster. They trembled, paralyzed by a pressure so immense they could barely breathe.
"I told myself I would tear you apart," Liza had whispered.
With a snap of her fingers, she had teleported them all to the heart of the forest. There, under the canopy of trees, she tore through them as if they were nothing more than scraps of paper. She had stood in a rising pool of their blood, laughing—a sound that echoed for miles, a jagged, broken symphony of madness and relief.
Once the vengeance was complete, she had returned to Jacob's grave. She wept one last time, swearing to his spirit that she would carve out a beautiful future for their son—a life free from the shadows that had defined her own. She knew the consequences; she knew the world would mark her for death, placing her under a Black Tier mission, but she didn't care.
"I will do anything for him," Liza said, leaning back in her chair and gazing toward the cradle where her baby slept. "Anything."
Alice felt a profound, aching weight in her chest. The story had shattered the last of her aggressive exterior, leaving only a hollow sense of regret for having disturbed this woman's sanctuary.
"I am so sorry," Alice whispered, her heart heavy. "I hope your son finds the life you've dreamed of for him. You have the strength to make it real."
With a sad, lingering smile, Alice rose from her seat and moved toward the door. As she reached for the handle, Liza's voice called out, warm and cheering for the first time.
"Alice, don't lose hope. You are far stronger than I am. You will find your family. Go for it."
Alice stepped outside, the cool night air hitting her face. However, the peace was short-lived. Three figures emerged from the tree line, their eyes fixed on the hut. They were hunters, drawn by the Black Tier reward, and because Alice had shattered the protective void earlier, the path to Liza was wide open.
"Leave," Alice commanded, her voice a low, dangerous rumble. Her eyes began to spark with that terrifying red-orange glow as she marched forward to intercept them. "Leave them alone."
The hunters showed no intention of backing down, their weapons drawn and glowing with hostile mana.
"Don't regret your choices later," Alice murmured with a dark, predatory grin.
The three attackers vanished, reappearing instantly in front of her to deliver a coordinated death-blow. Alice didn't flinch. She slammed her glowing red hand into the air, releasing a thunderous shockwave of pressurized wind. The atmospheric impact was so massive it launched all three hunters upward, knocking them unconscious before they even hit the forest canopy.
"Why can't they just leave a mother and son in peace?" Alice growled, her fury vibrating through the quiet forest.