The ground beneath the canyon wall did not just tremble—it groaned with a low, terrifying rhythm.
THUD. THUD.
Each impact echoed from beyond the northern mountain ridge like the beating of a hollow earth drum. The water in the river basin churned into white foam, tiny pebbles dancing off the flat basalt ledges. A cold, bitter wind rushed through the timber, bearing the heavy smell of scorched iron, wet hide, and ancient ocean sludge.
Max wiped a trace of grime from his jaw, taking a deep, steady breath of the damp mountain air. "Ariston... it seems like this is it."
King Ariston stepped up beside him, his massive bare chest rising as he adjusted his stance, his dark eyes fixed on the northern ridge. "Yeah, Max. It's time."
Max let out a short, booming laugh that cracked the quiet tension. "Let me call my snake back!"
King Ariston glanced toward his white stallion waiting near the tree line, his mind briefly weighing his options. Should I take a ride on my own mount... or should I ride with him?
Max grinned, catching the King's glance. "Don't be shy! Follow me and watch me devour these giants!"
Ariston let out a amused exhale. "Alright... I'll hop on with you."
With explosive speed, the two sovereign figures sprinted toward the towering gates of Harmony. As they cleared the forest line, a colossal leviathan serpent—even larger than the first—reared its massive head over the outer walls, its dark scales glistening with sea foam.
Without breaking stride, Ariston and Max launched themselves into the air with sheer, unadulterated brute force. The ground beneath their takeoff shattered into a crater of dust and stone as they soared hundreds of feet upward, landing with a heavy, thunderous impact squarely on top of the leviathan's massive head.
"Forward!" Max bellowed.
The giant serpent thrashed, but under the absolute physical authority of the two men, it turned back toward the mountain pass, carrying them at terrifying speed into the horde emerging from the Forbidden Forest.
Behind them, the giant iron gates of the City of Harmony slammed shut with a deafening boom. The kingdom went into complete, total quarantine.
Deep beneath the central district, inside the reinforced obsidian bunkers, hundreds of Harmony's high-tier mages stood in tight circles. Their glowing azure runes illuminated the damp stone ceilings as they channeled massive defensive barriers, weaving a dense dome of protective magic over the entire city.
Out in the streets, the warning horn blared in steady, rhythmic blasts.
Even though a disaster-level threat loomed over their heads, there was no chaotic looting. Driven by the fear of the kingdom's absolute, uncompromising laws, thousands of men, women, and children moved through the cobblestone avenues in disciplined streams. They carried small leather satchels packed with coins, heirlooms, and essential rations, guided smoothly by squads of heavily armored royal guards. When a merchant dropped a pouch of gold coins on the stone, no one dared to pick it up; the crowd stepped around it until a soldier returned it to its owner.
Inside the secure underground hospital pavilion, the air was thick with the scent of rubbing alcohol, dried lavender, and medicinal salves.
Kairo lay asleep on a low cot near the far wall, his face pale but serene under the soothing effects of the memory-suppression charm.
Sitting around a wooden table near the entrance were Renji Leonhart, Mika, and Liana.
Mika leaned her elbows on the polished oak table, her voice hushed as she looked at Renji. "Did your father know something about this, Renji?"
Renji sighed, pulling his dark sleeves back as he adjusted his posture. "Well... my father was way too busy doing his job as a General. He had zero time to tell me what actually happened out there."
Liana shook her head, her fingers fidgeting with the rim of her tea mug. "Yeah, but... did you hear the rumors spreading through the lower shelter? People are saying the Pirates of the Seven Seas were planning a full-scale raid on our land... and that Captain Max was specifically hunting for Prince Kairo." She frowned deeply. "It's so absurd. How could people actually believe stuff like that?"
Hina stepped forward from the doorway, holding a damp cloth she had been using to clean flower vases near the shelter entrance. Her shoulders slouched slightly with fatigue. "Yeah... while I was cleaning up the shop before the evacuation, I heard people out on the street trash-talking Kairo. Saying he brought a curse upon Harmony."
Ayaka stepped up beside Hina, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her eyes flashing with anger. "I hate them so much for saying those things! They don't know anything!" She looked across the room toward Kairo's quiet bed, her expression softening into deep concern. "And it's been three hours since we came down here... does anyone have any idea how Kairo is doing?"
Far from the noisy cluster of cots near the entrance, a lone figure stood leaning against a cold obsidian pillar. Shadowed beneath the hem of an oversized dark hoodie, Kairo listened in silence to the girls' soft, worrying whispers.
A faint, bitter smile touched his lips.
Without making a sound, Kairo stepped back into the dark recess of the tunnel wall, his form shimmering once before vanishing completely into the damp air—a faint whisper of wind the only evidence he had ever been there. Over on the hospital bed, the sleeping youth turned quietly onto his side under the white sheets; a perfect, silent mud clone resting in his place.
Far away from the main evacuation crowds, in an abandoned, unlit wing of the massive subterranean network, Daichi and Akio sat together on a weather-beaten wooden bench. The cavernous stone arches stretched high above them, lost in the thick gloom.
Daichi leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he looked around at the shadowy corridors branching off into the dark. "Isn't this place way too big for an underground tunnel? We might actually get lost down here."
Akio tilted his head back against the stone wall, watching a thin haze of dust float through the dim lantern light. "Yeah, we might. So... how did Kairo react when you asked for his forgiveness?"
Daichi went quiet, his gaze dropping to his own hands. "Yeah... I can never forget it. Kairo was in so much pain. I don't know... everything was so normal for a second. He was angry at me, or somehow calm, but when I blinked... he was in a state as if he had just seen something way too terrible."
Akio rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. "Hmm... maybe it was Max's doing?"
Daichi's eyes narrowed as his mind began connecting the pieces. "Hmm... Max, huh? Hey... is it because of his magic? Yeah... Max. Max is the one who knows what's really happening. He might betray King Ariston."
Akio turned his head toward him, blinking in surprise. "But... he's out there supporting us right now, isn't he?"
"No," Daichi said firmly, his voice dropping into a urgent whisper. "It's a trap. It's a very big trap. We need to go check on Kairo right now."
"As if the royal medics will let us in," Akio sighed, gesturing toward the heavy iron security gates guarding the medical wing. "They've locked down the entire sector."
Daichi stood up, pulling his sleeves back. "Then we'll find another way in."
Akio raised an eyebrow. "How? We don't know any bypass spells."
"I will learn one," Daichi stated flatly.
Akio gasped, staring at him in utter shock. "Wait, what do you mean by that?!"
Daichi looked down at Akio, a rare, calculating grin flickering across his face. "You know every single backway and secret passage in this city, Akio. You've bunked a lot of classes, and whenever you get lost, you always manage to find us. It's time to do your thing."
Akio scoffed, a mixture of disbelief and annoyance on his face. "Uhh... are you kidding me? Is that supposed to be a compliment?!"
Daichi reached out, playfully grabbing Akio by the back of his collar and tugging him off the bench. "Yeah, Akio the Great."
Akio broke into a smirk, dusting off his trousers as he surrendered. "Okay, okay, I'll do it! But don't blame me if we get completely lost down here!"
Daichi adjusted his coat, turning toward the dark tunnel ahead with unshakeable confidence. "Don't worry, we won't. I have a smart brain."
The damp shadow of the high stone archway enveloped the two boys as they stood at the mouth of the silent tunnel.
Daichi glanced sideways at Akio, a faint, sharp glint in his dark eyes. "Aren't you curious what spell I'm going to learn?"
Akio crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. "Yeah, tell me. What kind of magic are you trying to learn?"
"I think I've figured it out," Daichi said quietly, his voice cutting through the hollow drip of water from the ceiling. "Someone used memory alteration magic on me. Some of my memories... or maybe Kairo's memories... have been completely wiped out."
Akio's eyes widened. "So you're going to find out yourself who did this to Kairo?"
"Yes, I will," Daichi replied, his jaw setting with firm resolve. "I need to know who did this to him so I can inform him. So, Akio... please lend me your hand. Let's have a martyr's death if it saves our land and our brother."
Akio looked at Daichi for a long moment before a warm, genuine grin broke across his face. "Yes, brother! Let's do it! I'm glad you're being nice to me for once... and I forgive you for your past mistakes."
Daichi stepped closer, pulling his arm securely around Akio's shoulders in a tight embrace. "Thanks for forgiving me, Akio."
Akio's cheeks flushed a faint, embarrassed pink as he coughed, trying to pull back slightly. "It's... it's fine."
Daichi let out a low chuckle, teasingly raising an eyebrow. "Hey, you're embarrassed? I wonder how you're going to handle your future wife if you're this embarrassed around me. What will happen if the girl you marry hugs you like this?"
"Okay, stop it!" Akio sputtered, swatting Daichi's hand away with a frantic grin. "You're making it weird!"
"Wow... what a plan, Daichi. Are you actually serious right now?"
Both boys snapped their heads around toward the shadow of the pillar.
Liana stepped forward into the dim lantern light, her arms folded neatly over her tunic, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Daichi blinked, dropping his hand. "Wait... when did you appear here?"
"I was searching for you, Daichi," Liana replied, her tone softening. "I heard you had a fight with Kairo, and with Akio too. I'm just glad you two have made up and become friends again."
Akio grinned broadly, leaning over to throw his arm right back over Daichi's neck. "Don't worry about us, Liana! We'll be friends as always!"
Liana chuckled softly, though her expression quickly grew serious as she looked down the long, dark stretch of the lower corridor. "Well, actually... my family's ancestors were the ones who constructed this underground bunker generations ago. The thing is, I know where you can find powerful ancient magic. But I have to warn you... there are rumors that ancient prisoners are sealed inside that library. It's hundreds of years old—only those from that era even know it exists."
Daichi's gaze sharpened instantly. "What about the perimeter guards?"
"Don't worry, they'll allow me through," Liana said confidently, adjusting her cloak. "You and I will head there, and we'll take a squad of secured royal guards with us in case anything happens."
Akio dusted off his sleeves, his eyes lighting up with sudden excitement. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's head to the secret library right now!"