Chapter 18: The Truth Beneath the Crown

The Eastern Tower was collapsing.

Stone cracked beneath Evelina's feet as red light poured through the floor. Dust filled the air, while ancient books flew from the shelves and disappeared into the strange crimson flames.

At the center of the destruction, that enormous red eye remained open.

Watching.

Waiting.

Evelina stood frozen for only a second.

Then her survival instincts took over.

“Lucien, we leave. Now.”

Lucien didn't question her.

He grabbed her around the waist and released a burst of dark magic.

The shadows beneath their feet twisted upward.

BOOM!

In the next instant, they vanished from the collapsing tower.

They reappeared in the palace courtyard.

Evelina landed steadily on her feet.

Behind them, the Eastern Tower collapsed with a deafening roar.

CRASH!

A cloud of dust rose into the night sky.

Corvin and the Raven's Eye agents rushed toward them.

“My Lady!”

“Stay back,” Evelina ordered.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ruins.

“Don't let anyone approach the tower.”

Corvin looked confused.

“Why?”

“Because whatever is beneath it is no longer sleeping.”

Lucien stood beside her.

His expression was unusually grim.

“And it knows her.”

Evelina looked at him.

“It didn't just know me.”

She slowly clenched her fist.

“It called me home.”

A cold silence followed.

Then the System appeared.

Unlike before, its interface was badly damaged.

[SYSTEM UNIT 009: 61% STABILITY.]

[CORE CONNECTION: UNSTABLE.]

[HOST SURVIVAL RATE: 35%.]

Evelina stared at the number.

Thirty-five percent.

After everything she had done, it had barely increased.

“That makes no sense.”

Lucien glanced at the screen.

“What?”

“My survival rate.”

Evelina's eyes narrowed.

“I defeated Alice's first scheme, destroyed the Holy Temple's nexus, took Castle Iron-Clad without a siege, captured Cedric, and discovered the royal blood pact.”

She looked toward the ruins.

“And yet my survival rate is still only thirty-five percent.”

Lucien's expression darkened.

“Then perhaps the danger isn't the royal family.”

Evelina slowly smiled.

“Exactly.”

Her gaze shifted toward the Imperial Palace.

“The royal family was never the final enemy.”

A sudden sound came from behind them.

Clang.

Everyone turned.

A wounded Imperial soldier was crawling from the palace entrance.

His armor was covered in dust.

“My Lady…”

He struggled to breathe.

Evelina walked toward him.

“What happened?”

The soldier looked terrified.

“The Emperor…”

Evelina stopped.

“What about him?”

“He disappeared.”

Lucien's eyes sharpened.

“When?”

“Moments ago.”

The soldier swallowed.

“He was inside the throne room. Then the floor opened beneath him.”

Evelina's expression became cold.

“Did you see where he went?”

The soldier shook his head.

“No. But before he disappeared…”

He looked at Evelina with fear.

“He said your name.”

Evelina's eyes narrowed.

“What exactly did he say?”

The soldier's voice trembled.

“He said…”

His face became pale.

“‘The fourth cycle has begun.’”

Silence.

Evelina felt something cold settle inside her chest.

Fourth cycle.

The same number she had seen in the Book of Souls.

Lucien stepped closer.

“This means the Emperor knew about the cycles.”

“Perhaps.”

Evelina looked toward the palace.

“Or someone told him.”

She turned to Corvin.

“Find every surviving royal advisor.”

Corvin bowed.

“Alive or dead?”

“Alive.”

Her eyes became merciless.

“I want answers, not corpses.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Corvin quickly left.

Evelina turned toward Lucien.

“There is something we need to do before sunrise.”

“What?”

“We need to take control of the capital.”

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

“I thought we already had.”

“We control the army.”

Evelina looked toward the palace.

“But we don't control the information.”

Her voice became colder.

“The nobles will spread rumors. The Church will call us traitors. Cedric will blame everything on me, and whoever is behind the System will use the chaos to hide.”

Lucien smiled faintly.

“So what do you suggest?”

Evelina's eyes flashed.

“We tell the truth first.”

By dawn, the capital was filled with rumors.

The Emperor had vanished.

Prince Cedric had been captured.

Princess Alice was missing.

The Northern Army had taken control of the palace.

Some people called Evelina a traitor.

Others called her a liberator.

But before the rumors could grow stronger, the bells of the Imperial Square began ringing.

Thousands of citizens gathered outside the palace.

A temporary platform had been built before the main gates.

Evelina stepped onto it.

Lucien stood beside her.

General Kaelen and the Northern soldiers formed a line behind them.

The crowd became silent.

Evelina looked over the people.

“I know what you have heard.”

Her voice carried across the square.

“You were told that the North invaded your capital. You were told that I betrayed the Crown. You were told that Prince Cedric and the Emperor were protecting this empire.”

She paused.

“They were lies.”

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

Evelina raised one hand.

“The royal bloodline has been using the people of this empire for generations.”

She revealed several documents recovered from the palace archives.

“Taxes were stolen. Villages were sacrificed. Soldiers were sent to die for political games. And beneath this palace exists something far older than the Empire itself.”

The crowd fell silent.

Evelina's amber eyes hardened.

“A machine that feeds on magical energy—and souls.”

Shock spread through the square.

Someone screamed.

“No!”

Another voice shouted.

“She is lying!”

Evelina expected it.

She smiled.

“Then ask yourselves one question.”

She held up the royal records.

“Why are thousands of names written here?”

The crowd stared.

“The names of people who disappeared without explanation.”

Her voice became quieter.

“Their souls were taken.”

A heavy silence followed.

Then a voice came from the crowd.

“Who created it?”

Evelina looked toward the palace.

“I don't know yet.”

Her expression became determined.

“But I will find out.”

She turned toward Lucien.

“And when I do, the truth will no longer belong to the Crown.”

The people began whispering among themselves.

Evelina stepped down from the platform.

Lucien followed.

“You just declared war on something you haven't even seen.”

Evelina looked at him.

“No.”

A dangerous smile appeared.

“I declared war on whoever thinks they can control my fate.”

Suddenly—

[NEW MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED.]

[THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SCRIPT]

Objective: Discover the origin of the System.

Time Limit: 30 Days.

Failure: Permanent Soul Lock.

Evelina stared at the final line.

Then another message appeared.

[HIDDEN CONDITION: TRUST NO ONE.]

Her smile disappeared.

Because beneath that message was one final warning.

[INCLUDING GRAND DUKE LUCIEN VALEMONT.]

Evelina slowly turned toward Lucien.

He was already looking at her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Lucien extended his hand.

“Whatever it told you,” he said quietly, “remember one thing.”

Evelina looked at his hand.

“What?”

His ice-blue eyes remained fixed on hers.

“If the entire world tells you that I am your enemy…”

He stepped closer.

“…I will still stand beside you until you discover the truth yourself.”

Evelina stared at him.

Then she took his hand.

But deep inside her mind, one question remained.

If the System was lying about Lucien—

what else had it lied about?

And somewhere beneath the ruined Eastern Tower, something smiled in the darkness.

The fourth cycle had officially begun.