"Ugh, this is so boring! Why did Xylon have to choose Zake to go with them?" Blake complained.
He threw himself onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.
"Wow, you're heavier than I thought."
"AAAHHH!" Blake screamed in terror.
His eyes widened when the sofa suddenly spoke.
"M-Maddison! The couch is talking!" he shouted in panic.
The sofa burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You look so ugly when you're scared," it mocked.
Only then did Blake realize that the voice sounded strangely familiar. His expression darkened as he raised his fist and punched the sofa.
"Damn you, Zander!" he cursed.
The sofa laughed even harder, making Blake kick it in frustration. However, it suddenly became silent.
A moment later, the door to a nearby room opened, and Zander walked out, laughing uncontrollably.
"Hahaha! That was hilarious, bro!" he said while holding his stomach.
"Fuck you. Don't ever do that again," Blake warned.
But Zander only laughed louder.
.
.
Lilith frowned when she noticed something unusual.
The urn that contained Yvess's ashes was completely empty.
A wave of fear and unease washed over her.
"No way..."
Without wasting another second, she rushed out of the room.
.
.
.
At the Third Mountain...
"We're here," Xenon announced.
At the peak of the mountain stood an ancient temple—the home of the mysterious Gate Keeper.
"Why does it feel like nobody's here?" Stephen asked as he looked around.
They carefully searched the area, their footsteps echoing through the silent temple.
Then suddenly—
Rustle.
They halted.
The sound of movement echoed from somewhere nearby.
.
.
.
Back to Aznar...
The devils launched another attack on Aznar.
They had already invaded the Second District, and it would only be a matter of time before they breached the First District—the location of the royal palace and the throne.
.
.
.
When Lilith arrived, she found Blake and Zander standing motionless.
Their eyes were fixed on something beyond the veranda.
A chill ran down her spine as she saw the figure of a young man standing with his back facing them.
She recognized him instantly.
Even his silhouette, his posture… they were impossible to mistake.
"T-This can't be real..." Blake whispered.
Slowly, the young man turned around.
The moment Lilith saw his face, tears filled her eyes.
"Yvess..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
A gentle smile appeared on Yvess's face.
The next second, he rushed forward and pulled his sister into a warm embrace.
Lilith could no longer hold back her tears as she clung tightly to him, afraid that he might disappear again.
Behind them, Blake and Zander remained frozen in place, their mouths hanging open in complete shock.
The person they had mourned… the person whose ashes they had kept…
had returned.
.
.
.
In the World of Emptiness...
Aria and Titus continued their journey, wandering without a clear destination.
They didn't know where they were heading. They didn't know what they were searching for. The only thing they were certain of was that they could not remain in one place for too long.
As they walked through the endless path, Aria suddenly stumbled over a rock.
Before she could hit the ground, Titus swiftly caught her in his arms.
For a moment, the world around them seemed to fall silent.
Their eyes met, and neither of them looked away.
"Are you alright?" Titus asked softly.
Aria immediately stepped away and straightened herself, her cheeks growing warm.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine," she replied shyly.
Titus simply nodded, and without saying another word, they continued walking side by side.
.
.
.
Human Realm...
Sagi ran as fast as his legs could carry him.
Behind him were creatures chasing after him—monsters he couldn't even identify.
"WAAAHHH! Why are there so many monsters here?!" he screamed while desperately running for his life.
He quickly turned left, almost slipping in the process.
"Dear Lord, please don't let me die! It would be such a waste of this handsome face!" he shouted again, even in the middle of his panic.
As he turned the corner, he suddenly noticed a glowing wall standing before him.
"What is this?" he muttered in confusion.
He glanced back over his shoulder.
"Ahhh! They're almost here!" he yelled.
In his panic, he tripped and fell straight toward the glowing wall.
Instead of crashing against it, his body passed through the light.
A second later—
THUD!
He landed on a field of soft grass.
Sagi immediately sat up and looked around in shock.
The scenery around him was completely different.
He was no longer in his world.
He quickly turned back to look for the glowing wall, but it had vanished without a trace.
"W-Where am I?" he whispered.
His eyes wandered across his surroundings.
The unfamiliar place and atmosphere made it look as though he had entered a kingdom from a fantasy story.
A world that was completely unknown to him.