Akuma ignited a blazing flame in the palm of his hand, while arcs of crackling lightning danced across Viel's fingers.
"Ready?" Akuma asked.
Viel nodded. "Let's do it."
The two combined their powers.
Flames wrapped around the bolts of lightning, merging into a single devastating attack.
"To the tree!" Akuma shouted.
Together, they unleashed the blazing torrent.
The explosion shook the forest as the tree was engulfed in fire and electricity.
When the smoke finally cleared, both princes were left panting heavily.
"It's still not enough," Viel said between breaths.
Akuma nodded. "Then we'll try again."
.
.
.....
Xylon suddenly jolted awake.
Something felt... wrong.
He couldn't explain it.
An unbearable thirst burned deep inside him.
He climbed out of bed and hurried into the kitchen.
He drank several glasses of water in quick succession.
It wasn't enough.
The thirst remained.
No...
Water wasn't what his body wanted.
He slowly looked out the kitchen window.
It was still the middle of the night.
Standing beneath a nearby streetlight...
...was the same mysterious man.
He was staring directly at Xylon.
Xylon blinked.
The stranger disappeared without a trace.
"Who... are you?" he whispered.
.
.
.....
Xenon ran through the dark streets as fast as he could.
Someone was chasing him.
Breathing heavily, he ducked behind a massive tree and tried to catch his breath.
Not far away, Yvess calmly followed his trail.
His goal was simple.
Bring Xenon back to the mansion...
Restore his memories...
And reunite him with the others.
Unfortunately, Xenon no longer remembered him.
To him, Yvess was nothing more than a stranger.
Yvess stopped as he sensed Xenon hiding behind the tree.
"It's time."
He quietly activated his power.
A transparent magical barrier spread across the surrounding area, sealing every possible escape route.
.
Xenon frowned.
He tried crossing the road...
But something invisible blocked his way.
"What the...?"
He reached out, only to feel an unseen wall standing before him.
"Tsk... Fuck!"
At that moment...
His eyes turned crimson.
Sharp fangs slowly emerged from his mouth.
"Xenon..."
Startled, Xenon spun around.
Standing a few meters away...
Was the man who had been following him.
"W-Who are you?" Xenon demanded. "How do you know my name?"
Yvess looked at him with gentle eyes. "I'm your friend, Xenon. My name is Yvess."
"I don't know you," Xenon said.
"That's because your memories were erased," Yvess explained.
"Stay away from me!" Xenon shouted.
"Xenon... we need you," Yvess said.
"Why should I trust you?" Xenon gritted his teeth.
"Because you have no reason not to," Yvess paused. "We're the same," he continued.
He slowly revealed his own crimson eyes.
Then, with a faint smile, he exposed his sharpened fangs.
"We're both vampires," Yvess added.
Xenon's eyes widened in shock. "A... vampire...?"
.
.
.....
Inside the highest chamber of the Mirce Lorde' s fortress...
"The meal is ready."
Aria turned toward the door.
Standing there was Owen.
One of El Quero's Four Dark Knights.
His unique ability allowed him to create portals, enabling the Querons to travel across great distances and capture supernatural beings with terrifying efficiency.
"I'm not hungry," Aria replied coldly.
"Please don't be so stubborn, my lady," Owen said respectfully.
Despite being her enemy, he never failed to show her proper courtesy.
"Tell the Mirce Lorde that I have no appetite," she said and turning her back on him.
Without another word, Owen quietly closed the door.
Aria remained imprisoned inside the fortress.
The Mirce Lorde had been exploiting her unique power to locate the hidden sanctuaries of the remaining supernatural races, making his conquest of their world far easier.
She knew her friends were still alive.
She also knew they had been scattered into the Human World.
Most importantly...
She knew the man she loved, Cedrick, had survived.
He was hiding somewhere deep within the mountains.
If only she could escape...
But that was impossible.
To make matters worse, she couldn't even read the minds of the Querons.
Their thoughts were completely sealed from her.
"So you're still sitting here feeling sorry for yourself?"
Aria looked toward the doorway once again.
Hades stood there with a mocking grin.
He belonged to the House of Seasons—
The noble family that had betrayed the Kingdom of Aznar.
Like Aria, Hades was a vampire.
His gift allowed him to manipulate the earth itself.
He wasn't the only traitor.
His younger brother, Spring, possessed the power to control the wind, and together they had allied themselves with the Querons.
"Leave me alone, Hades," Aria said coldly.
Hades laughed. "Why? Still can't accept that Aznar has already fallen?"
Aria walked toward the door, her eyes burning with determination. "No. Aznar has not fallen. It will rise again. And when that day comes... You'll regret the moment you chose to stand beside our enemies."
She slammed the door shut.
Hades clicked his tongue in annoyance before walking away.
Left alone once more, Aria gently closed her eyes.
"Aznar will rise again... They're coming back."