Darius took a deep breath as he walked down the staircase. He didn't understand how he had ended up here, in this quiet, warm-looking house. The scent of cooked food drifted faintly from the kitchen. Everything felt oddly peaceful, too peaceful for the battlefield he remembered being in just moments ago.
At the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. A woman stood in the center of the room, gently rocking a small child in her arms. For a second, Darius couldn't breathe. His entire body froze. He knew that face. The woman's soft smile, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, it was her. His wife. And the baby in her arms…
He felt weak in the knees. His hands shook. He wanted to move, to say something, but no words came out. The woman turned toward him, her face brightening. "Look, Dad woke up," she said softly, smiling down at the baby. The little one giggled, reaching out with tiny hands toward Darius.
Something inside him cracked. He took a shaky step forward, then another, until he stood before them. Slowly, he reached out and took the baby into his arms. The child's warmth seeped into him, melting the coldness that had lived in his heart for so long. The baby laughed again, touching his face with small, curious fingers.
His wife's laughter filled the room, light and comforting. For a moment, everything else faded away, the war, the fighting, the endless pain. The room was filled with warmth, the kind that Darius had long forgotten existed. His eyes softened, and before he realized it, tears had started to fall.
And yet… something inside him stirred uneasily. The warmth felt real, the sound of laughter felt real, but there was something missing. Something deep and hollow inside him whispered that this wasn't how it was supposed to be. Still, he chose to ignore it. He held the child closer, let himself drown in the moment, even if only for a few seconds more.
---
Far away, Lila was still lost in her own struggle.
"I hate you…"
Zora's words kept echoing in her head, twisting and turning until they became unbearable. She stood frozen, trembling, her sword hanging loosely by her side. Every time the word "hate" repeated in her mind, it cut deeper than any blade.
Yera'el, floating gracefully above the ground, watched with a cruel smirk. She flicked her fingers, sending another burst of compressed water moving toward Lila. The attack hit her shoulder, spinning her slightly, but Lila didn't react. Another came, striking her side. Still, she didn't move.
But then, something changed.
Yera'el prepared another shot, confident that Lila was finally breaking, but this time, Lila's body moved instinctively. The water bullet whizzed past her, missing completely. Yera'el blinked, surprised.
"What…?" she muttered, her eyes narrowing.
Before she could think further, Lila dodged another strike, faster, sharper. Her breathing was heavy, but her eyes… they weren't empty anymore. She bent down, picked up her sword, and when she looked up again, her gaze was different. Determined. Clear.
Her voice was low but filled with anger. "My father can scold me," she said, taking a step forward. "He can be disappointed in me. But he can never, ever hate me."
She tightened her grip on the sword. "So I know you are not my father."
Without hesitation, she rushed forward, swinging her blade toward the illusion of Zora. The figure moved swiftly, dodging her strike, but she didn't stop. Every swing carried her emotions, pain, love, regret, and fury, all at once. Sparks flew each time her blade clashed against the watery illusions, the sound sharp and echoing.
Yera'el's smirk faded. She didn't understand how Lila had recovered so suddenly. Her illusion had broken. She clenched her fist, annoyed. "Tch… troublesome girl," she muttered, her tone filled with irritation.
She gathered energy in her hands, water swirling rapidly, forming a dense orb. Lila was busy attacking the illusion, unaware of Yera'el approaching from behind. The orb glowed brighter and brighter. Yera'el released it.
A powerful blast of water shot through the air, cutting across the field like a spear. Lila turned just in time to see it coming but couldn't move fast enough. The projectile hit her arm, slicing through the flesh with brutal precision. The impact threw her off balance, forcing her to drop her sword.
She screamed as she clutched her bleeding arm. The pain was sharp, burning, but she refused to collapse. She glared at Yera'el, her teeth gritted. "So you finally showed yourself," she said in a voice filled with both pain and defiance.
Yera'el laughed softly, stepping closer. "You still have energy left? Adorable. But don't worry, it ends here." She raised her hand again, water gathering rapidly into a massive spiral of pressure.
"Aqua Lance!"
The water spear tore through the air, the sound like thunder breaking through a storm. Lila could only watch, it was too fast, too large.
But before the attack could hit, a voice echoed across the terrain.
"Fireball."
A massive sphere of flame erupted out of nowhere, crashing into the Aqua Lance midair. Steam exploded around them as the fire completely evaporated the attack. Both Lila and Yera'el were stunned. Lila hadn't cast it.
They turned toward the source. The mist shifted, revealing a tall figure walking slowly forward. His aura radiated heat, his expression dark and cold. The air around him burned faintly with embers.
Darius.
Yera'el's confidence faltered instantly. Her instincts screamed danger. She tried to smile, to play it off, but the intensity of his gaze froze her in place.
"So it's you," Darius said quietly, his tone calm but deadly. "You showed me that illusion. I should thank you for it… but I can't forgive you for mocking it."
His eyes glowed faintly red as his aura grew stronger. The very ground beneath his feet began to dry and crack. Yera'el took a step back.
"I–It was only a test," she stammered, "I..."
Before she could finish, another fireball whizzed past her face, close enough that she could feel the heat near her cheek. She froze completely.
"I don't remember asking you to speak," Darius said coldly. His voice was flat, emotionless. "I never had a child. My wife was killed while she was pregnant with mine, murdered by cowards while I was away on a quest." His hands trembled slightly as he continued, his tone growing darker. "What you showed me was a beautiful lie. But it wasn't real. And you..." he took another step forward, his aura flaring, "you tried to make me believe my pain never existed."
Each word carried weight. Each one pressed on Yera'el's chest like a burning stone. She couldn't breathe. Her mind screamed for escape.
Then, just as she was about to beg for mercy, a voice echoed faintly inside her head. "Enough."
Before Darius could react, the shadows around Yera'el thickened, swallowing her whole. Her form twisted and then vanished completely, gone into darkness.
Darius stood there, staring at the spot where she had been. His fiery aura slowly faded. The silence that followed was heavy, only broken by Lila's quiet breathing.
She looked up at him, still clutching her injured arm. His expression softened.
"Sorry you had to see that," he said gently, forcing a small smile. "I couldn't control myself."
Lila shook her head. "It's okay."
The mist that had covered the terrain began to clear. One by one, the illusions that had trapped the others dissolved into thin air. The strange light faded, revealing the true battlefield once more.
Darius lifted his hand, sending a small flame high into the air, a signal.
Moments later, Deigo appeared from one side, exhausted but alive. Iria and Anya followed soon after, both looking shaken but unharmed. Darius explained what had happened, and that they all were stuck in an illusion.
Seeing Lila's injury, Iria immediately stepped forward and placed her glowing hands over it. The wound began to close slowly, leaving only faint scars behind.
Darius looked around at the group, his eyes calm but serious. "The others are probably still fighting," he said. "We'll rest for a bit, then go help them."
Everyone nodded quietly, each of them still carrying the weight of what they had just seen.
For now, at least, the fight in the first terrain had finally halted.