I tugged at the first door. Nothing. Just dull resistance of old wood and rusted hinges. The second was worse, my fingers slipped on the handle, and it barely budged. I tried the third, the one half-hidden behind that heavy red curtain. I pulled as hard as I could— it groaned under my grip but stayed shut.
— These doors are useless! Nothing works!…ugh..
How will I get out…
I stepped back, breath shallow, the moldy air thick against my skin. The chandelier above swayed slightly.
I turned toward the table. It looked ordinary at first glance : round, wooden, worn, on top were a few items that I could not name. I picked a small piece, it resembles the same items in
I can't stay here any longer.
- - -
By now, I've done everything I could. Nothing works. It feels like I'm trapped here with no exit. I even checked out that hole, I climbed on the table but..the height was out of reach.
[ I can't stay here thinking Victor will come and find me, I…also wanna be able to handle it. ]
I laid down and stared at the chandelier while muttering anything that came to my mind.
That lying man…!
"Always stay near me", something bullshit like that…
Guess he needs to stay near me instead…
Zack…
Damn it. Why do I keep thinking of him?
ugh, a cloud seems to limit my thinking..damn it it hurts.
I lay flat against the cold floor, the starburst pattern beneath me pressing into my back.
My eyes slipped shut, and in the silence I heard it—an echo. My name, whispered.
[ Anny ]
I opened my eyes, listening, holding my breath. Nothing. I closed them again, "Must have been the wind huh"
The echo returned, it was sharper this time, [ Anny ]
I jolted upright, heart pounding, scanning the room. "Who's there?!"
The sound grew clearer, closer, until recognition tugged at the edge of memory. I turned, every nerve alive, and the words slipped out before I could process everything:
"That voice…!"
Before I could think, a rush of light burst into the room—small bubbles of orange and yellow, glowing like embers caught in the wind. They swirled toward me, fast, brushing against my skin with a warmth that made my green eyes flare bright. My hair lifted, swaying as if the air itself had shifted.
And then, in my hand, something solid formed—a card, shimmering with impossible energy, its edges burning faintly like it had been pulled from the heart of the light.
I looked down.
It pulsed with soft glow, its edges rimmed in gold. In its center, a figure stood—eyes closed, serene, armored like a knight from a fairytale. They held a sword upright against their chest, not in battle, but in quiet reverence. Behind, wings unfurled, not feathered but etched in radiant lines, like the sky itself had bent to cradle the knight.
At the bottom of the card, a name shimmered into view :
「 Destined Union 」
Skill Activation :
• ' The Knight has called out.'
• Skill Unlocked : Revertar ad te
Huh? What does this mean?
The Information appeared. Floating. Glowing.
I blinked. Then blinked again. I tried to physically hold the card but the light coming from it was too strong, pushing my grip away.
The knight has called out — The Knight has unlocked skill : "Revertar Ad Te" — [ I shall return to you ]
[ accept activation ? ]
umm…yes?
— yes?
[ call out the incantation ]
— the incantation-n..?
[ If the incantation isn't called out, skill will be locked ]
What the hell is an incantation?!
I began sweating, my eyes quickly scanning every word trying to find it. I whispered to the card, "Revertar ad te-e..?"
[ The knight has called out. ]
[ The knight has called out ]
"No?.."
The card trembled in my hands, light spilling from its edges. Then, without warning, it lifted—floating just above my palms.
[ The Knight has awaken stade II, ' Limit Keystone Tier ' ]
「 Starborn lances , Level : 1 」
My breath caught as the glow stretched, unraveling into something finer, thinner…until the card itself dissolved into a single golden thread, shimmering like sunlight spun into silk.
— The heck?…
I froze, staring at the thread as it hovered, twisting gently in the air. My heart hammered against my ribs. It was unreal—
[ The knight has leveled up stade II LKT, 1 → 2 ]
[ The Knight has leveled up LKT, 2 → 5 (max) ]
shock rippled through me. I watched silencely.
— A Mirage is forming —
My eyes widened, "M-mirage?!"
The air rippled, and the mirage began to form, walls bending, the chandelier above warping into haze. The floor trembled beneath me. Cracks split through the starburst tiles, dust rising in choking clouds.
Everything began shaking as I hardly maintained my balance.
I clutched the golden thread tighter, knuckles white, shielding my face as the room convulsed. Rocks shook loose, the doors splintered, and the ground gave way. My stomach lurched as the floor dropped, dragging everything down into chaos.
I groaned.
Then—silence.
I coughed, blinking through the settling dust. The room was gone. In its place, jagged stone walls pressed in around me. A cage. A cave. The air was damp, heavy and utterly dark.
Except for the thread. It glowed faintly wrapped around my fingers, the only light piercing the black. I stared at it, "This thread…", then I noticed—it was moving. Stretching forward, unraveling into the darkness like a trail.
I whispered to myself, "This is a magical skill…who..?"
I followed. I'm scared.
Each step echoing against the stone.
"This skill..this must lead me to the one who used it."
The Knight.
The thread shortened as I walked, pulling tighter, as if it was purposely trying to lead me somewhere.
I walked carefully doubting every possibility.
My heart was racing with every flicker of light. Then—suddenly—it stopped.
I froze.
There, crouched at the end of the trail, was someone. His hands were wrapped in bandages, clutching the same golden thread I held. His clothes—torn, dirt-stained—were the same ones he wore the day we got separated..
My breath caught. My eyes locked with his.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
Then it was followed by tears— blurred my vision before I even realized they were falling. My chest tightened, and I couldn't hold back—I dashed forward, the thread glowing brighter between us.
[ Reunion Completed ]
I threw myself into his arms. Clutching him tightly, sobbing against his shoulder.
— You…I thought..you…you..died..!
His arms tightened around me, as my sobs shook through the silent cave. He pulled me away gently, his hand raising slowly pressing against my wet cheek.
— Didn't I tell you to trust me? I'll always be there to protect you, Anny.
Zack didn't look like he went through any pain, in fact he was smiling like an idiot.
— Don't worry. My death was just all part of my plan.
— Plan? For what..?
Behind Zack, emerging from darkness, a tall figure steps forward. His presence was quiet. His long pink hair tied low, two chuck of strands falling neatly at his sides. His face was calm, almost calm—rested. Next to him there was Zack, standing up. His eyes were soft and his voice carried a brightness I missed. "This is my friend Andrew!"
— So she's the princess, nice to meet you..I guess.
I waved.
— The plan was to save Eris..but now I'm afraid it's too late.
I held my breath, "Eris…is…dead?"
Andrew nodded at Zack and continued, "It's safe to say the eris you knew is dead. She fell under Raily's hands."
My eyes flicked between the two of them as I carefully listened, unsettled, the cave's damp air pressing heavier against my chest. It worsens my mental state.
Andrew continued as he locked his eyes on me,
— Anny, you're now one of us. There are certain names, groups of people and things you should know when living here. Like Raily. She's currently working with Sen and the
He sighed then pointed in my direction, "—And that can be done if they caught you."
— Mertha will hand you to the
"However", Zack interrupted, "The plan has changed, the
Those last two—three words slapped me across the face not twice but thrice, knocking the scraps out of me, fragile and desperate, I whispered in a shaky tone, "what..?"
My hands began trembling, a chilly eerie feeling ran down my entire body.
"Is she in danger?"
Zack's expression and tone didn't help, he stayed neutral,
— I'll tell you everything later, right now we have to go.
Somewhat, seeing how calm he remained when he told me that kinda assured me about my mom's situation.
The mirage was now disappearing slowly.
— The mirage is deforming
Zack remained on guard, "We're still inside Raily's 'base'. We'll face a lot of enemies so stay behind me Anny."
Anxious, I clutch near him.
Zack bent his knees, "Come I'll carry you."
While Zack held me and adjusted, Andrew seemed to have noticed something, he declared, "We need to get out of here fast."
I wrap my arms around Zack's neck as he gives me a piggybag. It reminded me of those days back in the castle when Victor used to give me piggyback as he dashed around.
— Victor! He's still upstairs, well.. he didn't fall down. Use that skill again—like you did to find me!
"That skill belongs to you, Anny." He said while giving me a big smile.
. . .
Three dots appeared on top of my head—like my brain needed time and data to process. A silly smile was carved on my clueless face. Then the data was completed. Now the question mark popped up—followed up with an exclamation mark.
— Belong? Are you..saying THAT. That power was from me?
— [ Destined Union ] is a skill shared between me and you that's why you can't use it to find Victor. The ability works only towards us.
A skill shared with the princess and her knight.
A skill that will always help them find their way back to each other no matter the distance.
Anny's tone shifted as the idea clicked: "Huh? How is it that I had no idea…this is my first time being outside of my tower, we never met and we—" Before she could finish Andrew interrupted, "I don't sense anything.."
Andrew rolled up his sleeves and placed his palm against the rubble wall.
— There's no presence, it's empty, all the floors.
Andrew groaned before removing his palm.
— There's only 2 presences I sense.
Anny jumped down, her voice sharp with excitement. "That must be Victor!" She turned quickly to Andrew. "Mister, does your skill also allow you to sense other people?"
Andrew shook his head, calm and deliberate. "No, it's one of my abilities. I'm a [SE] user — my abilities are different from yours. It's based on natural elements. This palace is made out of rocks, dirt and wood. I'm capable of sensing everything that's happening in here. Pretty much my skill."
I leaned forward, impatient. "Can you pinpoint their exact location?"
His eyes narrowed. "Yes…it's possible."
A faint green shimmer began to coil around him, drifting like mist. His pink ponytail stirred as if caught in a breeze, and his dark green eyes sharpened, his snake-like iris glowing.
[ Through stone, dust, roots and mountains…Mother Earth, grant me your eyes, so I may see what's hidden. Skill unlocked ]
「 Verstigium Telluris 」
He raised his hand, emerald light pulsing in his palm, then slammed it against the ground.
[ " terra, revela mihi viam latentem " ]
Roots burst forth, crawling across the dungeon walls and ceiling, spreading like veins of living earth.
Anny's eyes widened, admiration softening her voice. "Woah..I'll never get tired of seeing these!"
Andrew's gaze lifted, steady and certain. "They're on the rooftop."
I clenched my fists, already moving. "Let's go."
This is not how I remembered.