A heavy silence lingered in the room.
For a moment, Noah simply stood there, lost in his own thoughts—his mind still tangled in fragments of sleep, Karag's nightmare, and the strange burning sensation at his neck that he couldn't explain.
Then—
A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind.
Noah reacted instantly.
His body twisted, his instincts screaming danger as his hand moved toward his weapon—
But he stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
It was Anna.
He exhaled sharply and relaxed his stance.
„Noah: Anna… oh my god, it's you."
Anna looked at him with concern, her brows slightly furrowed.
„Anna: Of course it's me. I just wanted to check on you. You were breathing really heavily while you slept."
Noah blinked, trying to process her words.
„Noah: Oh… really? I was breathing heavily? That's… interesting."
Before he could say more—
Johann leaned in with a half-serious, half-joking expression.
„Johann: Not just that. You also looked terrified. Like something was chasing you in your sleep."
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
Anna's gaze suddenly dropped.
Her eyes widened.
„Anna: Noah… your neck!"
She stepped closer in alarm.
„Anna: You're bleeding!"
Heinrich frowned immediately.
„Heinrich: Wait… what? What happened?"
Perfidus, who had been quiet until now, took a step forward.
„Perfidus: That… doesn't look good."
Noah instinctively raised a hand to his neck.
Warm.
Wet.
Blood.
His mind raced.
He couldn't tell them the truth.
Not Karag.
Not the nightmare.
Not the voice.
They would only panic… or worse.
He forced a weak smile.
„Noah: I-I honestly have no idea… maybe I scratched myself in my sleep?"
Johann tilted his head.
„Johann: Or maybe you've got a sleep disorder. Like… aggressive sleeping."
Anna immediately shot him a glare.
„Anna: That is not funny, Johann."
But Noah barely heard them anymore.
Because Karoschi was staring at him.
Not casually.
Not curiously.
But with a look that said everything.
He knew.
Before anyone could continue—
The door opened.
Finn stepped inside.
The atmosphere instantly dropped.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unwelcoming.
His golden eyes scanned the group with visible disgust, as if they were something beneath him.
„Finn: By order of King Leopold Kal, you are permitted to move freely within Kalburg…"
He paused.
"…but you are forbidden from leaving the walls."
His tone carried no warmth.
Only control.
Only superiority.
„Finn: That is all."
He turned and left just as quickly as he had entered.
Silence followed.
Heinrich scratched the back of his head.
„Heinrich: Cool."
That was all he said.
The group eventually left the castle.
They split up to explore Kalburg, each moving through the vibrant streets filled with merchants, citizens, and life that felt almost unreal compared to everything they had experienced before.
For a moment… it almost felt safe.
Almost.
But Noah couldn't shake the feeling.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Later, Karoschi pulled Noah aside.
Away from Perfidus.
Away from the others.
His expression was serious.
Lowered voice.
Controlled tension.
„Karoschi: Noah… I know what really happened to you."
Noah frowned.
„Noah: What do you mean?"
Karoschi exhaled slowly.
„Karoschi: That wasn't random. That wasn't an injury from sleep."
He paused.
„Karoschi: That was Karag."
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly.
„Noah: How do you know that?"
Karoschi's gaze darkened.
„Karoschi: Because Karag once used that nightmare realm on me… and my sister."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Heavy.
Personal.
Painful.
„Karoschi: Be careful, Noah."
Without another word, he walked away.
Leaving Noah alone with his thoughts again.
Noah turned to Perfidus.
„Noah: Let me walk you home."
Perfidus hesitated.
A little too quickly.
„Perfidus: That… might not be a good idea."
„Noah: Come on. Your family is probably worried about you."
A pause.
Then a reluctant nod.
„Perfidus: …Alright."
They walked through Kalburg's streets together.
Past stalls.
Past people.
Past life.
Until they reached a small house, slightly separated from the rest of the city.
Isolated.
Quiet.
Something about it felt wrong.
Two figures stood in the garden.
Noah narrowed his eyes.
„Noah: Are those your parents?"
Perfidus nodded slowly.
„Perfidus: Yes."
They approached.
At first, everything seemed normal.
Then—
The parents saw him.
Silence.
And then—
„Perfidus Father: GET OUT!"
A stone was thrown.
It hit Perfidus's shoulder.
Hard.
„Perfidus Mother: Stay away! Our son is dead! You're not him!"
Noah froze.
Perfidus didn't fight back.
He didn't argue.
He simply grabbed Noah's arm.
And turned away.
Walking back toward the city.
Noah frowned.
„Noah: Perfidus… what's going on? I thought they were your parents."
Perfidus lowered his head.
His voice was quiet.
Broken.
„Perfidus: For three days now… they've believed I'm dead."
„Perfidus: They saw my death. They saw it clearly."
He clenched his fists.
„Perfidus: So now… I'm just a monster to them."
Noah didn't answer immediately.
Then softly—
„Noah: I'm sorry."
They returned to the castle.
The others were already there.
Excited.
Talking.
Showing weapons.
„Johann: Look what we got!"
They held up Nexometal swords.
Noah blinked.
„Noah: Woah… where did you get those?"
„Johann: From Schmidt. Turns out there's a whole mine of this stuff here."
Heinrich lifted his weapon slightly.
„Heinrich: I even had mine forged with the Soul Stone from the skeleton dragon."
Karoschi immediately frowned.
„Karoschi: That's… disturbing. Why would you use something like that after what it did to you?"
Heinrich's expression hardened slightly.
„Heinrich: To use it against monsters."
Before the conversation could continue—
Voices.
From behind a door.
The group stopped.
Silent.
Listening.
„Finn: General… I will sound the horn. Pull all soldiers from the walls. Then you can position your army… and I will destroy the defenses."
Anna's eyes widened slightly.
„Anna: …Do you hear that?"
Suddenly—
Finn turned toward the door.
The group froze.
„Noah: Shit—run. We need to warn the king!"
They sprinted through the corridors.
Fast.
Desperate.
But when they reached the throne hall—
Everything stopped.
Horror.
Blood.
Death.
Finn was already there.
Inside.
As if he had never left.
He stood calmly in the center of the room.
Holding King Leopold Kal's severed head in his hand.
The guards were all dead.
Queen Amalia's body lay torn apart.
Princess Leyla lay wounded on the floor.
Barely moving.
Finn tilted the head slightly in his hand.
Smiling.
„Finn: Well... well... well…"
His voice was calm.
Almost amused.
„Finn: You're too late."
He turned the head slightly.
As if inspecting it.
„Finn: I've heard so much about you."
His gaze shifted toward the group.
Cold.
Focused.
Predatory.
„Karoschi: You won't get away with this!"
Finn laughed.
Not loud.
Not chaotic.
But confident.
Controlled.
„Finn: Still don't recognize me?"
A pause.
Then a grin.
„Finn: Ninety years… and you forgot my face?"
His eyes glowed faintly gold.
„Finn: Or maybe you didn't notice…"
His smile widened.
„Finn: Because of my yellow eyes?"
Silence.
The truth clicked.
Karagnist.
Finn's body began to shift.
The air around him darkened.
Power rising.
Violence approaching.
He tilted his head.
„Finn: This… will be fun."
And Noah stood there—
thinking one thing only.
Could this have been prevented?