The room was almost completely consumed by darkness. There were no windows or visible sources of light, and the cold walls surrounding Vivian disappeared into the shadows beyond what little her eyes could make out. She hung suspended in the center of the room, restrained by a thin thread of energy that held her body firmly in place. She had no way of knowing how long she had been kept there, but the silence and darkness had become so familiar that even the slightest change in the room immediately caught her attention.
A voice suddenly echoed through the darkness once again. "It has almost come to fruition..." Vivian's eyes shifted toward the direction of the voice, but she could see nothing. Whoever was speaking remained hidden somewhere within the darkness, leaving only the sound of his voice to reveal his presence. Before Vivian could make out anything else, a small flame appeared in the distance. The unseen figure had lit a candle and was now moving slowly through the room, its faint orange glow following him as he walked.
Vivian watched the light carefully as it moved farther across the room. For a moment, she thought the figure was approaching her, but his path soon made it clear that he was heading somewhere else. He continued toward the far wall, and as he drew closer, Vivian realized exactly where he was going. It was the painting she had noticed several times during her captivity.
She had never been able to see it properly before. The darkness had always concealed most of its details, leaving her with only fragments whenever she happened to glance toward it. Yet something about that painting had always unsettled her, even when she couldn't understand what she was looking at. Now, as the figure raised the candle toward it, the darkness slowly withdrew from its surface and revealed the image in full.
Vivian's expression changed the instant she saw it.
The painting depicted a strange, blue mask-like face surrounded by darkness, its features almost indistinguishable except for the pair of intensely glowing red eyes that seemed to stare directly through her. Vivian felt an inexplicable sense of fear spread through her body as she continued looking at it. She couldn't explain why the image frightened her, nor did she understand what connection it could possibly have to her, but something about those eyes made it difficult for her to look away.
The figure remained standing before the painting, holding the candle beneath it as the faint light illuminated the strange face. Vivian stayed suspended in the energy thread, her eyes fixed upon the image while the silence stretched throughout the room. Then, with sudden excitement in his voice, the mysterious figure exclaimed, "GOD WILL GRACE US!" His words echoed against the walls before he broke into a disturbing, almost ecstatic laugh, leaving Vivian staring at the painting in silence as the sound continued to reverberate through the darkness.
The scene shifted to a vast circular chamber buried deep underground. The walls and floor were made of earth and yellowish rock, with uneven stone formations surrounding the chamber. The room was completely dark, leaving Leo and Heater barely visible within the shadows. Suddenly, Leo raised his hand and summoned a flame using Fire Style. The flame shot upward toward the ceiling, illuminating the chamber and revealing the two warriors standing beneath it.
Leo and Heater both looked toward the higher ground surrounding the chamber. A voice came from above them, its sound so heavily distorted that it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man, a woman, or even a human being at all. "So... Did you get the information I asked for?" the voice asked, its words echoing throughout the chamber.
Leo looked upward as he answered, "We couldn't get it. We ran into a formidable threat while we were searching. It was Gordon. Thankfully, he didn't see us, so we were able to get away safely."
The voice remained composed. "I see. No problem. You two can rest for now. We can make another attempt later." After a brief pause, it continued, "For now, we should stop attacking the gates. They aren't creating any openings for us, and continuing to attack them serves no purpose. The hidden paths haven't gotten us anywhere either."
The chamber fell silent for a moment before the voice spoke again. "Remember... our goal remains the center of the Kingdom of Dragons."
The voice gradually faded as the chamber grew dark once again. The flame eventually disappeared, leaving Leo and Heater surrounded by darkness. Neither of them spoke as they began walking away, their footsteps echoing through the chamber until they too faded into the distance.
Back outside the Kingdom of Dragons, several miles away from its borders, Jennie and Jason were running through the woods as they continued their mission. The trees rushed past them as they moved deeper through the forest, neither of them slowing down.
Suddenly, Jennie heard Airi's voice inside her head.
"Jennie."
Jennie immediately slowed to a stop, focusing on the telepathic connection. "Lady Airi? What is it?"
"It's good news," Airi replied. "It seems Shawn has woken up. He's already out training, but he isn't talking to anyone."
Jennie looked slightly surprised. "Huh? He isn't talking?"
"Yes," Airi answered.
Before Jennie could respond, another voice suddenly joined the conversation. "Airi, make sure he doesn't go out for battle."
Airi sounded slightly nervous upon hearing Firen's voice. "Of course, Lord Firen. That won't happen."
The connection was cut off, and Jennie exchanged a brief glance with Jason before the two of them continued running through the woods.
KINGDOM OF DRAGONS — TRAINING GROUND 7C
Deep within the inner sectors of the Kingdom of Dragons, Shawn was already back to training.
The training ground was a vast stretch of open grass, with targets placed at distances far beyond what a normal bowman would attempt. Shawn had set up six targets, with two positioned at 500 yards, two at 1,000 yards, one at 1,500 yards, and another at 2,000 yards.
Shawn drew his bow and released the arrows one after another. His first three shots struck their targets perfectly, including the one positioned 1,500 yards away. Even for an experienced bowman, the accuracy was ridiculous at such a distance.
He then turned his attention toward the 2,000-yard target. He fired twice, but both arrows missed their mark.
Shawn lowered his bow and stared at the distant target. "Damn it..." he muttered to himself. "Then 1,500 is my limit."
Suddenly, someone appeared directly in front of Jennie and Jason, forcing them to stop. It was a young warrior with blonde hair, dressed in the uniform of the Kingdom of Dragons.
[Iczy | 4-Star — Rank #99 | Ice Style Anomaly]
Iczy looked at the two warriors before speaking. "You two shouldn't go any further. I've been ordered to make sure that no warrior leaves the Kingdom unless they have specific authorization."
Jennie stepped forward. "We're not leaving for some personal reason. We're on an official mission, and we were specifically sent to investigate an area outside the Kingdom. We don't have time to turn back just because someone has been stationed here to stop warriors from passing through."
Iczy remained firm. "I'm only following orders. Unless you can show me that you have permission from the Inner Sector, I can't let you through."
Jennie frowned. "And if I told you that the orders came directly from the Inner Sector?"
"Then I'll need proof of that."
Jennie sighed in frustration. "Seriously? We're already wasting time here. Do you really think I'd come all the way out here and make up an excuse just to get past you?"
Jason glanced between the two of them, remaining silent as Jennie continued arguing with Iczy.
Iczy hesitated for a moment before finally giving in. "If it's a direct order from the Inner Sector, then I won't interfere. You may go."
Jennie gave him a brief nod. "Thank you."
She and Jason continued down the path, leaving Iczy behind.
Iczy watched them disappear into the distance, his expression becoming tense. Damn it... If they discover the secret path, I'm finished. I just hope they don't find it.
As Jennie and Jason continued along the path, Jennie suddenly looked around at their surroundings before realizing something. "Wait... we've actually reached the outer sector."
Jason glanced around as well. "Huh? We have?"
Jennie sighed and rubbed her forehead. "We've been walking for days, Jason. Days! And we've only just reached the outer sector. Why are you so slow?"
Jason immediately looked nervous. "W-Well, it's not my fault! Besides, you were the one who kept stopping to check everything along the way."
"Because we're on a mission!" Jennie snapped. "We're supposed to investigate the area outside the Kingdom. At this rate, we'll reach our destination after the mission is already over."
Jason hurried to catch up with her. "Alright, alright! Let's go faster now."
Jennie glanced at him. "Finally."
Jason picked up his pace, already breathing harder. "But if I collapse halfway there, I'm blaming you."
Jennie smirked. "I'll just leave you behind."
Jason's expression immediately changed. "Wait, what?!"
Jennie laughed as she continued walking, leaving Jason scrambling after her.
Iczy was still watching the direction Jennie and Jason had gone when the same distorted voice from the circular chamber suddenly echoed inside his head.
"Iczy, you can remain calm. Leo and Heater have already left that area."
Iczy's expression immediately relaxed. He let out a quiet breath before smirking to himself. So they're already gone... Good.
KINGDOM OF DRAGONS — MISSION HALL
Drew entered the inner sector covered in dust, with a few injuries visible across his body. He approached one of the mission tables and reported, "Gate 79 is now free of any danger."
Not long after, the mission hall began filling with warriors returning from the other gates. One after another, they approached the tables and reported that their respective gates were now safe.
Airi watched the reports coming in with a small smile before immediately establishing a telepathic connection with Firen. "Lord Firen... it seems the castle is safe now."
"That is good to hear," Firen replied. "There's no news on my end."
THE WOODS — NEAR THE MYSTERIOUS CASTLE
Far away from the Kingdom, Sinan continued traveling through the darkness toward the castle where two of Bargon's warriors had disappeared. After hours of walking, the first faint traces of sunlight appeared along the horizon, casting a dim bluish glow between the trees. The castle is still some distance away. I should reach it before the sun fully rises.
A few more minutes passed before the path finally opened up, revealing the area beyond the forest. Sinan slowed her pace as she looked ahead, and the sight before her immediately caught her attention.
In the distance stood the castle—or what remained of it. Several sections of its outer walls had collapsed, with enormous piles of stone scattered across the surrounding ground. Broken towers leaned at unnatural angles, while large portions of the main structure had been reduced to rubble, making the entire castle look more like the remains of a battlefield than an abandoned building.
Sinan's expression immediately became serious as she stared at the ruins. Bargon's team found nothing unusual on the way here... yet two of them never returned. She tightened her grip around her staff, her eyes remaining fixed on the destroyed castle. Whatever happened to them, I doubt it was a coincidence.
The first rays of sunlight slowly began to reach the ruins behind her, illuminating the broken walls as the night finally gave way to morning. Sinan then continued toward the castle, her footsteps carrying her closer to whatever had happened there.