Three days ago...
Moonlight spilled through the palace windows, painting the room in silver. Aria stood alone beside the balcony, her fingers resting against the cold stone railing. The kingdom slept peacefully beyond the walls, unaware that its princess had not truly slept for days.
Her eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon.
Searching.
Deep within her chest, she could still feel it. A thread.
So faint that most people would have mistaken it for imagination. But Aria knew better.
The bond was still there. Somewhere beyond her reach, Icarus still existed.
Every night since awakening, she had reached for that connection. Every night she followed it until exhaustion forced her to stop. Yet no matter how desperately she searched, the thread always vanished into emptiness.
There was no direction. No answer.
Only the cruel reassurance that he was still alive.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
What good was that if she could not find him?
And Abigel...
Her gaze shifted toward the dark corner of the room where he usually stood guard.
Even he seemed to be hiding something.
Aria had waited because she trusted them.
Waited for someone to tell her where he was.
Waited for someone to finally say his name.
Waited for someone to bring her an answer.
Three days had passed.
Nothing came.
The ache inside her chest grew heavier. The bond remained. Yet she could not reach him.
Golden light suddenly flickered across the room.
A presence emerged from the shadows like a second sun rising within the darkness.
Massive golden wings unfolded.
Aurelios.
The familiar watched her quietly.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then Aria finally broke the silence.
"Why did you come now?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper. There was no anger left. Only exhaustion.
"If you had appeared sooner..."
The rest of the sentence died before reaching her lips.
She did not need to say it. Both knew what she meant. Aurelios lowered his head.
Ancient wisdom flickered within his golden gaze.
"I could not come until your soul was ready to bear my existence."
Aria closed her eyes. Nothing about this felt ready.
Not after Lilly. Not after the forest. Not after Icarus.
Especially not after Icarus.
"Then find him."
This time her voice did not waver.
It sounded more like a command. Or perhaps a plea.
The great familiar fell silent. His golden aura spread across the room as he searched.
The seconds stretched. Then minutes. Slowly, Aurelios' expression changed. The confidence faded first. Then certainty.
Then something far more troubling.
Confusion. His wings shifted uneasily.
"I can feel him."
Aria's heart tightened.
"So can I."
"He exists."
"I know."
Aurelios' gaze sharpened. "But something is hiding him."
The room fell silent. Aria's fingers slowly curled into fists. For the first time since his arrival, Aurelios looked unsettled.
Whatever concealed Icarus was strong enough to evade even him.
Strong enough to hide from a familiar born from an ancient power.
The realization settled heavily between them.
Aria lowered her head. If she could not reach Icarus... Then she would find the one responsible for taking him away. The grief that had consumed her for days slowly hardened into something colder.
Something sharper. Something dangerous. Her eyes opened. This time there was purpose within them.
Aurelios already knew where her thoughts had gone.
To the kingdom beyond the border.
To the trail that had started everything.
Khalid.
The name lingered in the darkness like a curse. Aria turned toward the balcony. The night wind caught her silver hair as she stepped forward.
"Hide my scent."
Aurelios watched her silently.
"I don't want anyone following me."
The familiar stared at her for a long moment before spreading his immense wings.
Golden light engulfed the room.
And before the first rays of dawn touched the kingdom—
Princess Aria disappeared.
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Beyond the borders of the Empire, Khalid stood upon a rocky cliff overlooking the distant mountains.
His gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
The Empire. So close. Yet unreachable.
An invisible veil stretched across the border, powerful enough to keep him away.
Barakhael's doing.
The emperor's familiar had acted faster than expected.
Ever since the incident in the forest, the barrier had grown stronger, preventing unwanted visitors from entering the kingdom unnoticed.
Khalid clicked his tongue in annoyance. Days had passed. He had received no message.
No confirmation.
Lilly was supposed to complete her task. The soul-binding dagger should have done its work by now.
Yet the silence continued.
A cold wind swept through the mountains.
Slowly, memories resurfaced.
Months earlier...
The Imperial capital.
A quiet garden hidden from curious eyes.
Lilly stood beneath the moonlight, nervously twisting her fingers together.
Across from her sat Khalid.
Or at least the man she believed to be Khalid. His smile was gentle.
Understanding.
Exactly the kind of smile a desperate heart wished to see.
"If I use this dagger..." Lilly whispered, her hands trembling slightly. "Can you promise me that Icarus will become mine?"
Her eyes lowered.
"And that he'll forget everything about Aria?"
For a moment, Khalid remained silent. Then he smiled.
"Of course."
The answer came too easily.
"It would benefit me as well if Icarus were removed from the picture."
His expression softened.
"You understand my pain, don't you?"
Lilly looked up.
"I love Aria."
The confession sounded sincere. Painfully sincere.
"A one-sided love that never fades."
His gaze drifted toward the stars.
"No matter how hard I try, I cannot forget her."
Lilly's heart tightened. Because she understood exactly what he meant.
The ache. The jealousy. The helplessness.
The feeling of watching the person you loved choose someone else.
Khalid leaned forward slightly.
"That is why I understand you better than anyone."
The trap had already been set.
And Lilly never noticed.
"Then..." she whispered. "You'll help me?"
"Yes."
His smile widened.
"If you help me, I'll help you."
The moonlight briefly reflected in his eyes.
For a split second—
Something dark moved behind them.
"Then promise me," Lilly said.
"When everything is over... you'll bring us back."
Even if she died. Even if Icarus died. Even if everything went wrong.
She still wanted a future where they could be together.
Khalid slowly extended his hand.
"Of course."
His voice sounded almost amused.
"I can do anything."
The moment their hands touched; dark energy coiled around their wrists.
A contract.
Simple.
Elegant.
And utterly one-sided.
Lilly smiled with relief.
She believed she had secured her future.
She never realized she had just handed her soul to a monster.
Back in the present, Khalid stared toward the Empire once more. The silence was beginning to bother him.
Something had gone wrong. He could feel it.
Yet before he could reach a conclusion, a strange sensation crawled across his skin.
A presence.
Powerful.
Approaching.
Khalid slowly lifted his head.
Because he already knew who was coming.