The storm continued to roar above the kingdom.
Dark clouds covered the sky while distant thunder echoed across the mountains.
Elysia stood beneath the tree, staring at the sword in Zoe's hands.
The moment she recognized it, her expression changed.
"This sword..."
"It belongs to Hiyori's brother."
Zoe nodded.
"And neither of them belong to our world."
Elysia lowered her gaze.
"Yeah."
"When Master found Hiyori, she was completely alone."
For a moment, silence settled between them.
The cold wind brushed through the grass.
Then Zoe spoke again.
"But that's not the most important thing Weston told me."
Elysia looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Zoe's eyes became serious.
"The story is about Yuki."
Elysia immediately stepped forward.
"Yuki?"
"Tell me."
"We don't have much time."
Zoe nodded.
"I'll keep it short."
She looked toward the distant castle.
The kingdom that had become a battlefield.
"The Yuki traveling with us..."
"Was manipulated."
Elysia's expression darkened.
"By Chiyo?"
"That old woman?"
"Yes."
Zoe tightened her grip on the sword.
"She twisted the truth."
"She wanted Yuki to create even more destruction."
The wind howled between them.
"We traveled one hundred years into the past."
"And the bride inside that castle..."
"Is Yuki."
Elysia froze.
For several seconds she couldn't speak.
"What?"
Zoe nodded.
"The bride is Yuki's previous life."
"One hundred years ago, she was supposed to be married today."
"But the wedding never happened."
Her voice grew quieter.
"Vesper and Zarkoon destroyed everything."
"The kingdom fell."
"Her family was slaughtered."
"And she died alongside them."
Elysia slowly clenched her fists.
"Then Chiyo told her to seek revenge..."
"Exactly."
"But she never told Yuki the whole truth."
Zoe continued.
"The only survivors were Weston and Michael."
"After the kingdom fell, both of them were captured by Vesper."
"They were controlled for years."
"The kingdom slowly disappeared from history."
"The world forgot it ever existed."
Elysia listened silently.
The pieces were finally beginning to fit together.
"Then what happened after that?"
Zoe sighed.
"Vesper created a barrier."
"A barrier so powerful that this entire land vanished from the outside world."
"Nobody could enter."
"Nobody could leave."
"He ruled everything from the shadows."
"While Zarkoon eventually left and wandered elsewhere."
Elysia remembered the abandoned cities.
The ruined villages.
The stories that never made sense.
Now they finally did.
Zoe continued.
"When Lyra and the me jack and James arrived here years later, things weren't as terrible as they became."
"But after a few months..."
"They were captured."
"Lyra joined Vesper."
Elysia's eyes widened.
"Lyra joined him?"
"Not willingly."
"She was trying to survive."
Zoe looked toward the horizon.
"Then something unexpected happened."
"Yuki was reborn."
Elysia remained silent.
"She was only five years old."
"And Douma was seven."
"Lyra found them."
A faint smile appeared on Zoe's face.
"She couldn't abandon children."
"So she secretly handed them over to Katakuri."
"The man who had come to visit the kingdom."
"He took both children away."
"And saved their lives."
The wind grew stronger.
The branches above them swayed violently.
"After that..."
"Vesper completed the barrier."
"The people became slaves."
"The kingdom vanished."
"And history forgot them."
Elysia lowered her head.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Douma's words.
Yuki's connection to the kingdom.
The strange feeling she had whenever she looked at the bride.
It had all been real.
Zoe stepped closer.
Her voice became urgent.
"Lyra contacted the outside world because she knew Vesper was wrong."
"That's why she called you
"That's why you are here."
Elysia looked toward the distant castle.
The storm surrounded it like a cage.
Lightning flashed behind its towers.
"So what happens now?"
Zoe's expression hardened.
"Now?"
"Vesper and Zarkoon are trying to finish what they started one hundred years ago."
"They want Yuki dead."
"They want complete control over the kingdom."
"They want history to repeat itself."
The grip on Elysia's sword tightened.
A dangerous determination appeared in her eyes.
"Then we stop them."
The Water Dragon beneath the hill released a powerful roar.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
And far away, inside the castle...
Destiny was already moving toward its final confrontation.
Elysia frowned.
"Wait."
"Who exactly is Pixie?"
"If Yuki's being manipulated, then why is she trying to kill him?"
Zoe sighed.
"The old woman lied to her."
"She twisted the story."
Elysia listened carefully.
"Pixie is the king of the Southern Region."
"He isn't the monster Yuki thinks he is."
"The truth is, I don't even know why Chiyo chose him as the target."
"The story doesn't completely add up."
The wind howled around them.
Elysia's expression darkened.
"So Yuki is chasing someone who might be innocent..."
Zoe nodded.
"Exactly."
"And that's what worries me."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The castle stood in the distance beneath the storm clouds.
Lightning flashed above its towers.
Then Elysia turned toward Zoe.
"Let's go."
"We need to stop this before someone dies."
Zoe stretched her arms and yawned.
"Honestly, I'd rather avoid another fight."
Elysia blinked.
"What?"
Zoe placed a hand over her chest dramatically.
"I want peace."
Elysia stared at her.
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Zoe laughed.
"Relax."
"I'm joking."
A small smile appeared on Elysia's face.
"Not funny."
"I thought you were serious."
"Maybe I was."
"No, you weren't."
Both of them laughed briefly.
It was the first peaceful moment they had shared in a long time.
Then Zoe's expression became serious again.
"Come on."
"We still have a kingdom to save."
Elysia nodded.
Without wasting another second, both girls climbed onto the Water Dragon.
The enormous creature lifted its head and released a powerful roar.
ROOOAAARRR!
Water surged around its body.
The dragon shot forward through the storm-filled sky.
Cold wind rushed past them.
Below, the battlefield continued to smolder.
Above, thunder rolled across the clouds.
And ahead...
The castle awaited them.
The place where Yuki, Pixie, Michael, Raithasu, Hina, Vesper, and Zarkoon were all being drawn together.
The final pieces were moving into place.
And neither Elysia nor Zoe knew that when they arrived...
Everything would change.