Katharine had gotten the signal the moment the barrier was breached. She had set it up personally since Elnor was a territory of half-breeds.
She herself wasn't on the side of the half-breeds or against them. She only wished to protect the Elven race — the very last request of her brother.
They traversed the terrain. For Katharine, it was painfully familiar. She had been born here ages ago, though snow now buried the landscape. What remained was but a shadow of its former glory.
The landmarks were still present, yet the mana storm had cloaked them in blizzards, making navigation nearly impossible. To use brute force would risk awakening the horrors that slumbered beneath the piles of snow.
Even for them, who stood close to the pinnacle of power, magic had to be used sparingly in this storm. One wrong move and the mana flow could reverse, crippling their circuits entirely.
This was why the great southern continent had long been abandoned by civilization. Only the ancient wild beasts roamed these lands now.
Given the danger, they used just enough magic to keep warm while Katharine led the way.
After hours of trudging through the storm, they finally reached a cave. The moment they stepped inside, radiant warmth spread through their bodies.
"A sub-space, hmm," Seras commented.
A foul, familiar stench clung to the cave.
"Demons," she thought.
That could only mean they were already in enemy territory.
The corridors stretched ahead, lined with torches. They passed through several tunnels, sometimes meeting dead ends and doubling back.
At last, they came to an intersection where a man in jet-black armor stood, a faint aura of death radiating from him.
Seras and Katharine walked past him without a word. It was not the first time they had seen him.
"Your arrogance might cost you your life one—"
Before he could finish, his head was severed. His helmet clattered against the floor, the sound echoing down the passage.
But strangely, the man did not fall. He walked forward, headless, feeling along the shadows until he retrieved it. Placing it back onto his shoulders, he muttered, displeased, "Tch."
Seras and Katharine continued on until they reached a massive door covered in inscriptions. The stench of demons was unmistakable here. Katharine frowned.
Seras waved her hand and the door swung open.
Inside was a vast hall. A red carpet stretched toward a throne. Upon it sat a woman with jet-black hair, clothed in a flowing black dress.
On her lap lay a child, fast asleep.
"My, my… what unexpected visitors," the woman in black said. A sly smile touched her lips as she patted the young girl on her lap.
"I see you are still snooping around," Katharine replied coldly. The faint aura of the demons lingered in the air — proof that she had consorted with the Shadow Clan.
But as soon as they stepped into the hall, another presence pressed down on them. It was faint, yet heavier than the demons.
Seras and Katharine exchanged glances.
"Did they sense it too?" Darkone thought.
Katharine waved her hand, and two stone seats rose to the side, leaving the carpet untouched.
"I see you are still courteous as ever. It's expected from a royal. Surely you know how expensive this rug is," the woman in black teased.
"Enough, Darkone. We came to talk," Seras cut sharply. She had no patience for games.
"Don't mind her. She's still young," Katharine said smoothly.
Seras smirked. "And you're getting old. Forgetting things easily."
Katharine chuckled at that.
Darkone leaned forward, a sinister smile curling on her lips. "The others are already on the move. But am I obliged to tell you anything?" Her tone was condescending. The traces of Harazil's aura still hung in the chamber.
Seras and Katharine's expressions remained unchanged, unfazed by her behavior.
Suddenly, shadows surged from beneath the throne, engulfing the chamber until they stood in absolute darkness. They were now within Darkone's shadow dimension.
Katharine and Seras's eyes shifted toward the child on her lap.
Amy is here, Katharine realized.
Did this child come here seeking refuge? Has she been here all along? Is she part of the Shadow Clan? Seras's thoughts raced.
They had searched for her for decades. Amy had vanished for over seventy years, only to resurface a few years ago.
"The child cursed with youth," Katharine muttered. To her, Amy would make an excellent test subject — but children were troublesome to deal with.
"Don't worry," Darkone said. "She's not part of my schemes. In truth, she does whatever she wants. I use her now and then, but—"
A figure appeared behind Katharine's seat.
Darkone's expression froze. No one had noticed.
Her mood swung instantly. "What is he doing here?"
Seras and Katharine turned, eyes widening.
"Is that how you greet your father?" The voice was soft, yet it bore the weight of mountains.
Katharine turned, stunned. "Cyx…?! How—?"
"I wouldn't be a dragon if I couldn't conceal this much," he said with a faint smile. "But really… you females have such a terrible sense of direction."
Darkone's face darkened. She hadn't sensed a ripple when they entered. If she hadn't looked directly, she wouldn't have seen him at all.
In an instant, Cyx was before her, brushing Amy's hair. "She's asleep," he murmured. His eyes hardened. "And I see you've been meeting with those wenches again."
Then he was suddenly beside Seras, seated midair as if an invisible throne held him.
The weight of his presence filled the chamber. Darkone trembled inwardly. She had survived the rebellion only because this man had chosen to spare her.
"Am I not convincing enough?" Cyx asked Katharine.
Katharine sighed. "Then tell us, Cyx — why are you here?"
He grinned. "Better question: why are you here?"
Suspicion thickened the air. Such was the nature of those who held power — forever wary of one another.
"Are you finally here for my life, or for this child?" Darkone asked, forcing composure into her voice. "I won't go down easily."
"Even if I wanted both, who could stop me?" Cyx's eyes glowed faintly, casting light into the darkness.
He laughed suddenly. The pressure in the chamber eased.
"Relax, Satalia. I'm just here to confirm a few things."
Hearing her true name, Satalia exhaled. She relaxed, though unease still lingered.
To think the Dragon King would sneak in like this… I am still not his equal. So this is what it means to be an Ancient Dragon.
Her mind spun. Memories clawed at her. The rebellion. The Great Draconic War. The final day when he alone had crushed the Dark Faction she once led. Even the ancients at her side had fled before him. He had spared her — and slain her brother at his own request.
She had lived with that resentment for centuries, powerless against one of the primordial mother's first offspring.
Her thoughts circled endlessly. Silence filled the chamber.
Cyx's gaze shifted. He too sensed the strange aura. I've felt this before…
Seras stiffened, her unique eyes burning. They are watching again. Watching Amy.
"So," Cyx's voice broke the silence, "shall we get to the point?"
Satalia steadied herself. "Very well. From what I know — and perhaps Saramiel has seen more — I came across a name. Gilly."
Seras was caught off guard, though the others assumed Darkone's diviners had told her.
Satalia spoke of her fate being tied to Gilly. Amy had not given her much on the matter, so she sought answers. She mentioned the calamities to come, and silence fell again.
They all knew of the end. Saramiel had already prophesied it.
Then Satalia added more. "The Fallen Deity's apostle has awakened. Amy told me herself."
Another silence gripped the chamber. This news was dire.
"Unlike normal apostles, those of the Fallen Deity hold vast knowledge," Cyx thought grimly. "In manipulation of magic, some may rival dragons." The thought made him frown.
Even his daughter caught the change in his expression.
"And do you know where this apostle is?" Katharine pressed, anxious.
"He works with the demons. His name is Kandili," Satalia replied, saying no more.
Seras's eyes shifted between Katharine and Cyx. She was about to speak when Satalia cut her off.
"And I found another name, though I do not know what it means. MUMBI WANYORA."
At that, the sub-space began to quake violently.
Cyx, the pinnacle of divine beings still bound to this planet. Katharine and Seras, who had long surpassed the thirteenth circle. Darkone herself, a demigod in her own right.
Yet that name made them all quaver.
Amy, when she had spoken it, had collapsed into sleep.
The trembling lasted minutes before suddenly ceasing. Relief washed over them briefly — then dread returned.
Seras's eyes burned painfully. Her gift made her suffer more than the others.
Light flooded the darkness. Pressure crashed upon them like stone crushing bone. The ground rumbled. Space itself warped. Mana thickened into mist.
Above them, an eye opened — vast, alien, surrounded by hundreds of smaller eyes. In its center, a star burned as its pupil.
Even Cyx strained under the weight.
Then a voice rang out:
[To think the @$%!@! would have a child…]
The language was incomprehensible, yet understood by the soul. Some words were too profound to grasp.
[I would love @$%@% !~^@ that away, but #$% do not interfere in ^&*$%# struggle. Let us see how the end unfolds…]
Mischievous laughter followed.
Then the eyes vanished.
Cold sweat dripped from each of them.
There was no doubt. They had encountered a god.
And he had confirmed it — the end was coming.