The morning dawned without birds.
Only the sound of bells — long, heavy tolls resonating through the entire empire.
In the streets, people stepped out of their homes in confusion. From the palace windows, crimson banners were raised by imperial guards.
At the top of the white marble staircase, Emperor Edric IV appeared — his gaze hard as steel, the crown reflecting the pale morning sun.
Behind him, Leonhardt stood in silence.
Messengers lined up along the steps, each holding a parchment sealed with red wax — the mark of supreme authority.
The herald raised his voice:
> "By order of His Majesty, the Empire of the Crimson Sun hereby declares the following:
Celestine d'Arnoir, former Duchess of Arvendale, is recognized as bearer of the forbidden power of the Void.
For this crime against the Crown and the Order of Saints, she is declared a traitor to humanity and sentenced to immediate execution wherever she may be found."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Some wept.
Others shouted her name as though invoking a legend reborn.
And a few — silent, solemn — lowered their heads, those who remembered what had truly happened twenty years ago.
Leonhardt clenched his fists.
The echo of the herald's words pierced his mind:
"Traitor to humanity."
But what was humanity, if the empire had been the first to corrupt it?
---
⚜️ The Council Chamber
Hours later, the prince entered his father's private hall.
The throne gleamed beneath the stained-glass light, and the emperor — motionless — looked like a statue carved by war itself.
— "Why now?" Leonhardt asked without formality.
— "Because she moved," Edric replied. "The ravens have gathered in the north, and villages are vanishing. The Void is awakening, my son. Either we destroy her now… or the empire will fall, as it did before."
Leonhardt stepped closer.
— "Or perhaps she's trying to stop it. You read the archives. You know what we did to the d'Arnoir family."
The emperor lifted his gaze.
— "Only fools believe that truth erases sin. The throne stands on lies — that's what keeps it standing."
— "So that's it? You'll repeat the same mistake that destroyed the North?"
Edric rose slowly.
— "No, Leonhardt. This time, I will destroy the root before it grows."
The silence was sharp as a blade.
Leonhardt looked away, feeling something crack inside him — small, but final. The last fragment of faith.
— "Then I'll be the heretic the world fears, if that's all my honor has left."
He turned and left, his words echoing through the empty hall.
---
🌑 The Northern Refuge
Far away, among the ruins of Arvendale, Celestine gazed at the gray sky.
The decree had already reached her — a copy nailed to a spear, planted deep in the scorched soil before her ruined manor.
Damien watched her cautiously.
— "They didn't waste time. Anyone who helps you now will be branded a traitor."
Celestine smiled bitterly.
— "Then the empire just did me a favor."
— "A favor?"
— "I'm no longer a fallen duchess. I'm the monster they fear. And monsters…" — she raised her hand — "are free."
The Void Seal glowed on her palm, pulsing with a dark, living light.
Around her, the dead flowers began to bloom again — shadowed petals tinted with deep crimson.
Damien stepped back, stunned.
— "The power's growing. You'll lose control."
— "No. I am the control," she said. "The Void chose me. And now the empire will hear the voice it tried to silence."
---
⚜️ The Conclave of Saints
Meanwhile, in the sacred lands of Lythra, the leaders of the Church gathered in solemn prayer.
Among them stood High Priestess Selene, her long white hair glowing faintly beneath the temple light.
— "The seal has been broken," she said calmly. "The blood of d'Arnoir has been reborn."
One cardinal cried out:
— "Then it's true! The cursed daughter lives! We must purify the North before the Void consumes the world again!"
Selene opened her eyes — silver light gleaming within.
— "And what if the Void is not destruction… but justice?"
Her words fell like poison among the elders.
— "Watch your tongue, child," the High Cardinal warned. "Heresy begins with a question."
But Selene only smiled.
— "Perhaps true faith begins the same way."
---
🌹 Chapter Epilogue
That night, messengers rode across the empire, scattering copies of the royal decree.
In taverns, villages, and fortresses, the name Celestine d'Arnoir echoed — a curse to some, a symbol to others.
And in a darkened hall, a voice whispered — soft and dangerous:
— "So, it's official."
Two crimson eyes opened in the shadows.
— "Let the empire come… the Void is already waiting."
The candle went out.