تسجيل الدخولThe sound of the bells echoed violently throughout the church.Once.Twice.Then a third time.It was not an ordinary alarm.It was a signal of lockdown.A sign that something had entered... and would not leave easily.Silence settled for several brief seconds after the echo faded.Then—Footsteps.Heavy, organized footsteps began approaching from behind the walls.Lia immediately narrowed her eyes.That rhythm...Not clergymen.Not church guards.But trained soldiers.The man emerged once again from the hidden door, wearing the same calm smile.But this time, he made no attempt to hide the darkness flowing through his veins.He said quietly,"It seems this has become more troublesome than you expected."Lia did not answer.She was looking at the stone corridor behind him.Then—The first person appeared.Dark black armor.A short cloak bearing the emblem of a silver dragon.And a long sword fastened at his waist.Then the second.Then the third.Until the corridor was filled with arm
Lia put on a long black coat and another mask completely devoid of any decoration.No symbols.No silver threads.Not even an insignia indicating her rank within the army.Simple black clothes suitable for her "inspection trip."She slightly lifted her short red hair and hid it beneath the hood of her coat. Then she secured the small dagger near her waist before looking at her reflection in the mirror for a few moments.Calm.Cold.And unremarkable... at least on the surface.She extinguished the lamp and left the house immediately.Night had already begun to gradually swallow the city, and the cold air drifted through the narrow alleys with an unsettling quietness. The streets were not entirely empty, but the movement had become lighter than usual.Lia walked without hurry.Her eyes silently observed everything.The closed shops.The guards stationed near the main roads.And the people who avoided speaking loudly about the recent events.Fear had already begun to spread.And that was
Lia quietly closed the door of the rented house behind her, then took off her military coat and tossed it onto the nearby couch without a second thought. The silence inside the place was finally comforting after a long day filled with noise, questions, and irritating stares. She walked slowly toward the bathroom, but her reflection in the tall mirror near the hallway suddenly made her stop. She raised her eyes toward her reflection in silence. Her short red hair looked messy after the battle. Some strands clung to her neck, while others had fallen untidily over her eyes. She stared at herself for several seconds. Then she let out a short, mocking laugh. "If Celestia saw me now..." She tilted her head slightly as she remembered those old jealousy-filled looks. Celestia hated her hair. In fact, she had been pathetically obsessed with it. Lia's long hair in the past had reached her waist, soft and remarkably thick, to the point that many women had tried to imitate it without su
Lia left the command building without adding another word.Her steps were steady, but faster this time.Leonard caught up to her a few seconds later."Where are you going?""The rear training ground."He narrowed his eyes slightly."Why?"She answered without looking at him:"I need to make sure of something."He did not fully understand what she meant, but he followed her in silence.Over the next few minutes, they crossed several corridors until they reached the rear training field. The place was nearly empty due to the approaching night watch, and only a few soldiers were training in the distance.Lia stopped in the middle of the field.Then she finally turned toward him."Fight me."Silence filled the air for a second."What?""You heard me."Leonard sighed in annoyance."This isn't the time—"But the sound of a sword being drawn interrupted him.Lia calmly raised her sword toward him."Attack me."He watched her for several long seconds.Then he finally drew his own sword."If I
Lia left the base with steady steps without looking back.The air outside was colder, but it did not change her expression. She was not thinking about the corpse she had left behind, nor the commanders' gazes, nor even Leonard, who remained standing at the gate watching her.None of that meant anything to her. She had received far worse looks than those.She was only thinking about the letter.And the sentence that echoed inside her mind once again:"What are you trying to do?"She continued walking along the road leading to the High Command headquarters without any urgency. She did not need directions, as she knew the place well. Lia was the type who hated remaining in the dark; if she went somewhere, she had to know its layout, its rules, and everything that could be useful to her.She might appear calm and confident on the outside, but her mind was working at a terrifying speed.An extinct language.An ancient symbol.A second gate.And that entity..."The King of the Abyss."It se
Lia froze in place for only a single second. She took one step forward. Then another. The room was unnaturally cold despite the several magical lamps illuminating the ceiling. The smell was strange. It was not the smell of ordinary death. It was something else... heavier. Not human. Even though the entity had become a corpse, a faint dark aura still emanated from its body. Leonard remained behind her, watching silently. He was only waiting for her reaction. Lia stopped in front of the metal table. She looked at the black corpse without moving any closer. The body was not entirely still. Something was moving inside it slowly. Contracting... Then expanding... Then returning to its place. Beneath the deformed skin, dark threads appeared, similar to what she had seen inside the giant. But this time... Clearer. Closer to their original form. Lia slowly raised her hand. Then stopped before touching the corpse. "Don't touch it." Leonard said
A heavy silence settled after her words."Anyway, where were you a little while ago?" Marinette asked.When Lia and Yuna had arrived earlier, Yuna had been summoned through a communication slip, so she had left.Yuna let out a sigh."My father wanted to introduce me to the Crown Prince of the Secon
Leah was sitting in front of the dressing table, staring through the mirror at that intruder relaxing in her room…She lifted a towel and began slowly drying her wet strands of hair, absentmindedly.Suddenly—She stopped.Large hands gently took the towel from between her fingers, taking over the t
Max returned this time to the palace in the capital of the First World… but he was not alone.The gates opened slowly, their creaking echoing through the vast courtyard as he walked in with calm, steady steps. In his arms was a young girl—Leah. Her head rested against his chest, her breathing stead
Leah ventured into the forest cautiously, armed to the teeth…Max was not stingy with her. On the contrary, he was generous enough to provide a suitable environment for cultivation…From seeds to weapons, even spatial bags and magical spells…A man like that, with his appearance and generosity, was







