A burst of magic painted the sky. Blue and red lights collided in the air like falling stars. Smoke billowed, sparks lashed across the field, burning the petals that hadn't yet scattered.
Mathien drifted backward, his body thrown by the impact of Vael's dark magic. His breath came ragged. His long robe was torn at the sleeve, a shallow wound open on his temple. His blue eyes still glowed, but the light in them was dimming. A sign that his strength… was draining away.
Lirian laughed softly, floating lightly beside Vael.
"Seems being a cat for so long has dulled you, Your Highness."
Mathien didn't answer. He straightened his back, his right hand raised, summoning what little magic still lingered in his body.
But he knew.
It wasn't enough.
His energy—too thin. Too weak.
For royal magic did not simply grow on its own. It needed a vessel. It needed a source. And that cat's body… had been too long a prison, hiding away his true power.
"I don't need much… to defeat the two of you," he muttered low.
But even his words sounded more like fading conviction. For in the very next moment, Vael lunged forward—his magic blade raised high. Mathien blocked with a shield of light, but the force of it rattled through his body, driving him back two steps.
His stance faltered.
Lirian followed swiftly from the right. Relentless strikes. Blindingly fast. Mathien could only defend, unable to find an opening to strike back.
"The prince we've searched for all this time… is nothing more than a shadow of his former glory," Vael said flatly, slashing once more.
Mathien was thrown aside. His body hit the ground hard. Dust rose. The sky above him spun.
A faint, trembling voice brushed his ears—Hana's…
"Chiro…"
His eyes lifted to the sky. His breath ragged.
Hana…
He tried to rise, but his knees shook.
Vael stepped closer, with Lirian beside him. Two dark gazes bore down on him like beasts ready to devour prey.
"Farewell, Prince."
Mathien clenched his jaw.
But before the final strike could land, his body flickered with a thin light—one last reflex of his protective magic. He would not give in. Yet his body…
Could endure no more.
Only one thought echoed in his mind.
If I fall here… who will protect her…?
And in that moment—the battlefield fell silent. Only the night wind and the scent of scorched flowers remained. The sky still flickered with light, but Mathien's body grew heavy.
The air tightened. Time itself seemed to stop.
Vael and Lirian stood on the dusty ground, their hands glowing dark with the magic they had gathered. Their target was one: Mathien, kneeling with one hand on the earth, breath caught, the light in his eyes fading.
"Now!" Lirian shouted.
The blast of dark magic shot forward. Twin waves of power tore through the air, surging toward him—and at that moment—
"CHIRO!!!"
Hana's voice split the darkened sky.
From the torn fields, a young girl ran against the wind. Her body small, her legs trembling, her clothes smeared with mud. But her face… full of resolve. Her eyes—tearful, yet burning bright.
She didn't care that the wind battered her. She didn't care she might be flung aside at any moment.
She knew only one thing.
Mathien. Her Chiro. Must live.
And in the second before the magic struck the prince—
Thud.
Hana's body crashed into him.
She wrapped her arms tightly around him from behind, her face pressed against his wounded shoulder.
The blast struck them.
But destruction never came.
The dark light slammed into Hana's body… and bounced off. As if it had struck an invisible wall. As if a stone had been thrown into a lake, only to rebound into the air.
Vael and Lirian's eyes widened.
Their magic ricocheted backward, shattering in the sky like glass.
"What… just happened?" Lirian whispered, breath caught.
Vael stepped back. His eyes narrowed, trying to pierce through the dispersing haze of magic.
In the middle of the ruined battlefield, Hana still clung to Mathien. Her body trembled, yet not a single scratch marred her. Even her clothes were untouched.
Mathien slowly lifted his head, stunned. He could feel Hana's warmth. The pounding of her heart—fast, but not from fear.
From protecting.
"Hana…" he whispered in disbelief.
The girl closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I won't leave… If you die alone, then I…"
Mathien took her hand, still wrapped around him. A soft glow rose around them—not his magic, but a light born from Hana's presence.
Warm. Gentle. Yet… immeasurably strong.
Vael's gaze burned. "Impossible… She's human. This shouldn't be possible."
"She's immune to magic," Lirian hissed. "No… more than that… She's rejecting our darkness entirely…"
Mathien stood slowly, Hana still clinging to him. His eyes locked on his two enemies, and at last… a faint smile touched his face.
"Now," he said quietly, "it's your turn to retreat."
The light surrounding them grew brighter. But now… it wasn't only Hana's. Something within Mathien resonated with her energy, fusing together. As if Hana's embrace had unlocked the final seal within him.
"I can feel it…" Mathien murmured, his blue eyes burning like starlight. "My magic… it's fully back."
Hana lifted her head. Her breath still ragged, but her eyes widened at the sight of Mathien, his body now glowing softly from within. The air trembled. The earth beneath their feet cracked.
Vael grit his teeth. "He's merged… with the girl's energy."
"Don't give him the chance!!" Lirian screamed.
They surged forward together, dark magic surging from their palms. The sky seemed to darken again, the wind howled wild. But this time, Mathien did not falter.
"Close your eyes, Hana," he whispered.
And in an instant—
WUUUUMMMM!!!
A wave of silver-blue light erupted from Mathien's body. The wind stilled. Time froze.
In a blur, Mathien shot toward Vael. With a single motion—just one thrust of pure, blinding magic—Vael's body was hurled into the air.
"AAARRGHHH!!!"
He didn't even touch the ground. Mathien's light consumed him like dust in a storm. In an instant. Gone.
Only drifting ash remained.
"VAEL!!" Lirian screamed.
But before she could retreat, Mathien was already behind her. Their eyes met, and for the first time, Lirian saw—the gaze of a true king.
Cold. Resolute. Fatal.
"Our kingdom may be in ruins," Mathien spoke slowly, "but I still remain."
The final blast of light erupted from him. Without a single touch, Lirian's body was torn from within. Her dark magic dissolved like mist forced to vanish.
Her body crumbled into ash. She screamed. But her cry was only the last echo swallowed by the light.
And then…
Silence.
The wind ceased its swirling.
The sky cleared a little, though still heavy with clouds.
Mathien stood tall, his body trembling from exhaustion, but his gaze fixed on the falling ashes that drifted like black snow around him.
Slowly, he turned to Hana—the girl still standing, her face pale, lips quivering.
Mathien stepped closer. He lifted his hand, gently resting it on her head.
"Are you alright?"
Hana nodded quickly, her eyes glistening.
Mathien looked up at the sky. The lingering magic in the air began to fade. But he knew… the true enemy had yet to reveal itself.
🌸🌸🌸