Novel & Cerita Prelogue

voice faltering. I took her in my arms and didn't say anything else. Her eyes fluttered shut as her head landed on my chest without any resistance. When we got back to the pack home, I carefully placed Hailey on the bed. With her matted hair framing her pale face, she appeared so tiny. Trembling hands. Eyes closed. She appeared vulnerable to such a strong person. I stroked one of her hairs away from her face. Her voice was hardly audible above a whisper as she muttered, "Don't leave." When I said, "I'm not going anywhere," I meant it. A knock on the door shattered the silence. The pack's seer, Isaiah, intervened with something clenched in his face. Serious. He glanced between Hailey and me

He was still standing there, like a silhouette in the distance, slowly fading into the fog. Some people were only meant to accompany you for a part of your journey, and our path together had long since come to an end. Now, being at peace and well was the best ending for us both. I turned forward, closed the car window, and looked ahead, my heart calm. The fog gradually lifted, sunlight spilling gently, and I knew this was the start of a new beginning.

“It’s… a message.” “Or a challenge,” Kaima added, voice tense. Siran turned toward them, resolve firming. “Then we follow. We understand. And we prepare. Because the first true test of the global bloom and of humanity itself is beginning. That is where Chapter 31 starts.” The trio descended the ridge, moving toward Hollowreach itself. Every step was charged with anticipation, each thread of bloom-thread around them vibrating in rhythm with the distant spiral. “We’ve awakened Iluren,” Ari said softly. “Now we see what the world does with it.”

Power is never free. I press a hand to my chest, steadying my breath. The bond flares. Kael. I feel his pulse, raw and tethered, a flicker of panic buried beneath controlled fire. If she falters… There is nothing left I can protect. The scroll slides into my hands. My scent hits it first, subtle, ancient. And then the words speak without sound. I barely recognize the language, yet the meaning pierces me instantly: Pre-Moon. Pre-Kingdoms. Pre-Everything.

"Don't worry, we've got plenty! It's New Year's, and everyone's up for a good time." I had already filled him in on the whole story, and he promised he could handle Patrick and his family. When we got there, Patrick was the one who opened the door. He smirked when he saw me. "Finally feeling sorry? But it's too late. You should just stand there and say you're sorry..." He did not get to finish because the agent's crew pushed him out of the way. A group of strong guys was with us, making sure the buyer and I were safe as we walked in.

Don't leave after work—go to Chuck's place and set up the computer. I studied the chat carefully. Attached was an installation guide from the store, showing a rendered image of the setup and a custom LED panel. The renders were clearly commissioned by Alicia herself. I couldn't help but smirk. My mother tongue was coding, not hardware setups. I was just a keyboard jockey, not a professional PC builder. After preparing my resignation letter, I headed to the office and submitted it to HR. A wave of relief swept over me. Even the office air seemed fresher.

Kael saw it too. His expression changed instantly. “The bond…” I tightened my grip on Leah unconsciously. “What bond?” But the old man did not answer immediately. He stared at the blood spreading beneath our feet. Then finally whispered. “The prophecy has already begun.” He declared, “Finish the ritual, Child!”

A pause. “It’s deleting assumptions.” The child within her responded again. Stronger this time. Not chaotic. Authoritative. A pulse moved outward. And the prophecy system hesitated for the first time in recorded existence. Aria’s breath caught. “This is new,” she whispered. King’s eyes narrowed. “What is?” Aria looked at him. “Me not following it.” — And then it happened. Not collapse. Not explosion. Erasure. Somewhere beyond perception, text began to dissolve.

His pupils contracted in terror. "What are you trying to do–" I was faster. After all, I had rehearsed this moment in my mind countless times over the past ten years. The needle plunged into his neck. Before he could finish speaking, his body went limp and collapsed to the ground. Calmly, methodically, I put on a pair of gloves and dragged him toward my car. A few years ago, I had moved my brother's grave. I chose the most remote corner of the cemetery, right beside a secluded side gate.

Make all thresholds one threshold. Open it. Let everything trapped move. Let everything outside enter. No more lost dead. The next trouble arrived with dirt under its nails. In the false shrines, symbols had weight. It stained sleeves, cracked floors, moved through crowds, and made ordinary people choose sides before they understood the question. The cold incense smoke pressed against every window while wet footsteps marked the next turn of the case. Nothing about the Shrine War felt clean. It felt like another emergency arriving before the last one had been wiped off the stones.