Kael's heart was pounding against his ribs. He knew that every word falling from his mother's lips would change the rest of his life forever. Bracing himself for the worst-case scenario, he focused all his senses on her. Nerya took a deep breath, breaking the heavy silence.
"Kael, I never told you about my family... My full name is Nerya Valeriana Krowell. I was born as the daughter of Vaelmon Krowell, the Head of the High Mage House of the Eastern Kingdom. Your grandfather was a legendary High Mage who had reached the 8th Circle."
Kael flinched at the name "Krowell." During his journey with Zephyros, he had learned the immense weight that name carried—how the very wind was said to be at the command of that lineage. It meant that half the blood in his veins belonged to those proud wind lords, yet he found himself unable to wield even a breeze of wind magic.
Nerya continued: "The noble houses held constant gatherings. I was nineteen back then. The Central Kingdom had organized the largest summit in thirty years, inviting the four great kingdoms and various other races. Even representatives from the Demon Realm, where the smoke of war had only recently settled, were in attendance. When we arrived at the Central Kingdom, we were surrounded by royal guards and 7th and 8th Circle Imperial Mages. Security was at its absolute peak."
Nerya's eyes drifted as if she were seeing that massive plaza once again. "After everyone took their seats, King Arkonis Thal of the Central Kingdom stepped onto the stage to greet the people and the nobles. The goal was to extend the ceasefire between the kingdoms. But there was something no one knew... Assassins from the Southern Kingdom had infiltrated the summit. The Southern Kingdom—the filthiest, most corrupt place among the five, the center of the slave trade—intended to turn this gathering into a bloodbath."
As the summit concluded and the crowds began to disperse, Skarvas, the representative of the Southern Kingdom, approached the King to shake his hand. In that instant, the mana in the air shifted.
"My father, Vaelmon, sensed something was wrong. He shouted to us, 'Get to the carriage, I'll be there in a moment!' Before he could even finish his sentence, a black, smoky seal fell from Skarvas's palm. Suddenly, the vast plaza of the Central Kingdom was engulfed in a purple light. 'Grand Array: Mana Void!' the assassins screamed. The 7th and 8th Circle Imperial Mages in the plaza collapsed to their knees instantly; their faces turned pale as if their very souls were being ripped from their bodies."
"While I was running toward the carriage with my mother, Elowen, we were unwittingly trapped inside the massive spell array set by the Southern Kingdom. This array drained the mana of everyone within it. My father shouted for my mother to protect me; she immediately threw a barrier around us, but my father could no longer gather mana to fight."
In the midst of the chaos, assassins lunged from the shadows. They carried daggers of black steel known as 'Light-Breakers.' As King Arkonis Thal's guards fell one by one, the sky suddenly cracked open.
Like a pillar of sunlight piercing the clouds, Luminos appeared. Hovering in the air, he raised his staff and bellowed, "Holy Radiance: Purification!" The purple array shattered like glass. The light was so intense it felt as though the assassins' eyes would burst from their sockets. The mana surrounding Luminos was so dense that the very stones turned to gold where he stepped.
The assassins tried to flee, but they could not escape Luminos's light-speed attacks. However, one assassin ignited a Cursed Seal he carried—one unaffected by the mana-draining array. Like a shadow arrow, a dark spell lunged toward us while we were defenseless. The dark magic hissed like a serpent, hungry to shred the soul of its victim. My mother gave everything to maintain her barrier, but the spell tore through it like paper.
My father's desperate cry echoed through the plaza: "NERYA! NO!"
"As the array broke and his mana returned, my father sprinted toward us with everything he had. I still remember his scream—'Nerya!'—as if it were yesterday. Paralyzed with fear, I hugged my mother and closed my eyes..."
"When I opened them, a colossal shadow stood before me. A demon with six massive wings... He had killed the assassin in a matter of seconds. He turned around, looking at me with dark yet peaceful eyes. He reached out his hand and asked, 'My Lady, are you alright?'"
[FLASHBACK]
Returning home in a state of shock, Nerya paced back and forth in her room. When her father, Vaelmon, entered, she immediately asked: "Father, who was that man who saved us?"
Vaelmon's face darkened, his voice cold as ice. "He is the son of Mezrathus, the High Demon of the Demon Realm. Why do you ask? Do not tell me you've lost your heart to him, Nerya! Your husband has already been chosen. You will marry the son of Duke Korgun Gale from the Western Kingdom. This marriage will provide us with great political support. Only a Duke is a fitting match for the daughter of a High Mage like me."
Nerya protested: "But Father, I don't want to be with a man I don't love!" "You are not the daughter of a commoner, Nerya! You have no business involving yourself with matters of 'love'!"
Nerya ran to her room in tears. Her mother, Elowen, followed behind, saying, "Dear, you're being too hard on her," but Vaelmon was resolute: "She is a nineteen-year-old woman, Elowen, not a child. She needs to understand the reality of things."
The next morning, hoping to lift her spirits, Nerya went out to the markets of the Eastern Kingdom's capital, accompanied by two knights sent by her father. At that moment, she saw the face that made her heart leap. In her excitement, she dropped her packages. The man leaned down, picked them up, and handed them to her.
"I feel as though I have seen you before, My Lady..." Nerya stammered in response: "Y-yes... You protected me and my mother at the summit."
The man smiled. "Ah, now I remember. I am glad to see you again. I am Abaddon. It is a pleasure to meet you." Nerya whispered her name: "Nerya Valeriana Krowell. You... you can just call me Nerya."
Abaddon mentioned he would be staying in the Central Kingdom for a few more days for business. "If you would like, I would be honored to have tea with you, Lady Nerya." Nerya's cheeks flushed crimson. "Tea? O-of course!" "Then let us meet here tomorrow, at the same hour," Abaddon said, bowing slightly. "Until then, My Lady."
When Nerya returned home, she was beaming. Her mother, Elowen, smiled the moment she saw her. "Your face is glowing, my daughter. What has happened?" "Nothing, Mother... I just remembered a funny story, that's why I'm smiling. I'm very tired; I'll take a bath and rest!"
Once in her room, Nerya closed the door, her heart still beating for Abaddon. She began to count the hours until their meeting the next morning.