Moonlight poured through the narrow prison window like silver water.
For a brief moment, it illuminated the face of the boy trapped behind iron bars.
A faint blue reflection shimmered across Junyu's eyes.
He slowly sat up on the cold stone floor.
The prison was silent.
No guards.
No prisoners.
Only the distant drip of water echoing through the underground tunnels.
Junyu rested his back against the wall and stared at the moon.
"Aurex knew my parents…"
His voice sounded small in the darkness.
"How did he know them?"
He closed his eyes.
"So many questions."
Lightning flashed somewhere far above the castle.
"When will I ever learn the truth?"
His fingers tightened around the rough stone.
"Will I ever find the answers at all?"
The silence answered him.
Junyu looked around the empty prison.
"There isn't a single soul here except me."
His breath trembled.
"And after today… I don't think I can survive the death penalty anymore."
The moonlight slowly moved away from his face, leaving him in shadow.
ABOVE THE PRISON — NOCTHARIS CASTLE
Far above the underground cells, the castle slept beneath the storm.
Blue flames burned along the stairways, their light swaying with the wind that crept through the ancient halls.
Salim sat alone on a stone staircase.
His hands shook.
The image of Junyu being dragged away replayed again and again in his mind.
Aurex's body.
The chains.
The death sentence.
Salim lowered his head.
"If I don't act," he whispered, "no one will."
His voice cracked.
"And Junyu will actually die."
He looked toward the tall clock tower visible through a nearby window.
The hands pointed to 4:00 AM.
"The auction begins at ten."
He counted silently.
"Six hours."
Six hours to save his captain.
Six hours before the entire Black Meeting gathered again.
Six hours before Junyu's fate became impossible to change.
Salim took a deep breath.
"I can't start the rescue mission this fast."
He leaned against the cold wall.
"Do I tell the others?"
For a moment he hesitated.
"Investigating now would be suicide."
The blue flames flickered across his face.
"But asking for help from the people I trust…"
He slowly stood up.
"That's my only option."
THE CORRIDOR
Salim walked through the sleeping castle.
The halls were empty.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
As he approached the Devil Horns' chamber, he suddenly heard whispers to his left.
Faint voices.
Too faint to understand.
He turned sharply.
Nothing.
Only darkness and blue fire.
Salim stared at the corridor for several seconds.
His third eye twitched beneath his forehead.
"…I'm imagining things."
He forced himself to breathe and pushed open the door.
THE DEVIL HORNS' CHAMBER
The room was dark except for the pale moonlight spilling across the bunk beds.
Mil slept with one arm over his sword.
Katsa lay curled beneath a blanket.
Ikiro breathed quietly from the upper bunk.
Michael sat half asleep against the wall.
Ton snored loud enough to shake the room.
Salim stepped inside and raised a glowing arrow.
"Forgive me."
He released it upward.
The arrow struck the ceiling.
FLASH!
A blinding crimson light exploded across the room.
The stone walls turned blood-red.
Shadows leapt wildly across the bunks.
Everyone jolted awake.
Ton sat up instantly, hair a mess.
"HEY! What are you doing? Let us sleep!"
Mil shielded his eyes.
"Salim, are you insane?"
Katsa blinked against the red light.
"Is the castle under attack?"
Michael reached instinctively for Regicide.
Ikiro dropped from the upper bunk, fully alert within seconds.
Salim looked at them.
For the first time he noticed how exhausted they all were.
Their faces were pale.
Their shoulders heavy.
The humiliation of the Black Meeting, Aurex's death, and Junyu's arrest had drained every ounce of strength from them.
For a heartbeat, Salim almost stayed silent.
Then he shouted.
"JUNYU IS IN PRISON!"
The words crashed through the room like thunder.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ton's mouth remained open.
Mil's hand froze on his sword.
Katsa stood up so quickly that her blanket fell to the floor.
Michael's eyes widened.
Ikiro stared at Salim without blinking.
The last traces of sleep vanished from every face.
The red light still glowed across the ceiling.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Katsa spoke first, her voice barely above a whisper.
"…What did you say, Salim?"