The room was sealed.
Not by locks—but by silence.
Reeve stood at the center, facing Lunareth, Yuzora, and the Fairy King. The air felt heavy, as if the truth itself carried weight.
"The mark is not a curse," Reeve began. "It's a command structure."
He raised his hand and traced the sigil in the air from memory.
"It's engraved directly into the mana circuit. Once activated, it overrides instinct, pain, even survival. The person becomes a tool."
Yuzora's expression darkened. "Then how did you stop it?"
"I didn't stop it," Reeve replied calmly. "I broke the loop. You disrupt the core node—here." He pointed to the hollow center. "That's why one survived."
The Fairy King's eyes narrowed. "This knowledge… who taught you?"
Reeve hesitated.
"…A woman."
Lunareth's gaze sharpened.
"She told me about the mark years ago," Reeve continued. "Said it was created for obedience—not domination. Short silver hair. Eyes like dim stars. She spoke calmly… even when talking about killing."
Yuzora stiffened.
The Fairy King's face changed.
"That person," the king said slowly, "is not in this kingdom."
Reeve froze.
"What?" His voice slipped.
Yuzora shook her head. "No fairy matching that description exists here. Not now. Not in records."
Reeve's breath faltered.
"…That's impossible."
He opened his mouth to say more—
Knock. Knock.
A guard burst in, panic etched across his face.
"Your Majesty! The border—someone is attacking the—"
His words cut off.
His body collapsed.
A thin line of blood appeared across his neck—too clean, too precise.
Silence.
Then—
A pressure.
Lunareth and Yuzora moved instantly, rushing to the door.
Nothing.
No body.
No movement.
But Lunareth's hand trembled.
"…He's still here," she whispered. "He isn't running."
She turned—
And Reeve was already walking.
Straight forward.
Toward the direction Lunareth sensed the mana from.
"Reeve—wait!" Yuzora called.
Lunareth and Yuzora followed—but suddenly—
They felt it.
Another presence.
The Fairy King.
His mana rose—not explosively, not aggressively.
It simply existed.
Like a mountain deciding to breathe.
Yuzora stopped dead.
Her face drained of color.
"So this is…" she whispered. "The strength I only heard about…"
Lunareth clenched her fists.
They both stopped.
But Reeve didn't.
He kept walking.
Each step steady.
Then—
A whisper echoed inside his mind.
[System Notification]
I am taking partial control of your body.
This will consume excessive mana.
Physical output increasing.
Speed and strength limits removed.
Reeve didn't hesitate.
"Use whatever you need," he replied silently.
"Just catch him."
The air shattered.
Ahead—
The Fairy King moved.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Reality bent.
An unknown figure emerged from distortion itself—masked, cloaked, mana folded inward like a blade.
Their clash was silent.
Then—
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
Mana collided like collapsing stars.
Yuzora covered her mouth.
Lunareth's instincts screamed.
This wasn't a fight.
This was two calamities acknowledging each other.
And Reeve—
Was walking straight into it.