The silence after Azelon's disappearance was suffocating.
The forest—previously torn apart by battle—now felt unnaturally still. Not a leaf rustled. Not a bird dared to chirp. It was as if nature itself was holding its breath, afraid of what had just happened.
Seraphina stood beside Siheon, still gripping her sword though her hand trembled slightly.
"…Siheon," she whispered, "what he said… about your bloodline… do you believe it?"
Siheon closed his eyes briefly.
Did he?
He felt the answer in the burn behind his ribs, the shadows lingering around his hands, the strange ache in his chest whenever Azelon spoke to him like a teacher chastising a stubborn student.
"…I don't know," he muttered. "But something inside me reacted to him. Like I've seen him. Somewhere."
Seraphina looked at him for a long moment, her expression softening.
"You're scared."
He didn't respond.
"No," she corrected herself, "you're pretending you're not scared."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "You're terrible at hiding it."
Siheon scoffed. "I'm not terrified."
"You just used a synonym."
"…Shut up."
She let out a small laugh—gentle, real—which eased some of the tension.
But then her smile faded.
"Siheon… forbidden bloodline? Heaven and Hell? A second self?"
She bit her lip. "This is far bigger than anything we've been tracking."
"Tell me about it."
"You could have told me," she said quietly. "If you remembered anything."
Siheon hesitated. "…I didn't want to sound crazy. Even to myself."
Seraphina stepped closer to him—close enough that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
"Then let me be the person you sound crazy to."
Siheon blinked.
"…That's… oddly comforting."
"I know," she said proudly.
Then she looked down at his hands.
The shadows were still there—subtle, drifting like smoke.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
"No," he said.
It wasn't pain.
It was hunger.
A pull.
A voice whispering, "Let me out."
He clenched his fist, forcing the shadows to fade.
But Seraphina noticed something else.
"Your aura…" She leaned slightly closer, studying him. "It's different from before."
"Different how?"
"It feels like…" She frowned. "Two energies are fighting inside you. One burning hot and fierce—like divine fire. The other cold, heavy, ancient—like the abyss itself."
Siheon grimaced. "That explains the headache."
Seraphina didn't laugh.
"You're in danger," she said softly. "Real danger. If the two parts of you clash too strongly… your body may not survive it."
He didn't respond because deep down, he knew she was right.
Before he could say anything, a sudden rustling in the bushes made Seraphina raise her sword instantly.
"Again?" Siheon muttered. "Can we have one chapter of peace?"
But the figures that stepped out wore familiar uniforms.
Dark navy coats. Enchanted gear. The insignia of a global order.
Seraphina groaned. "Oh no… not them."
Siheon raised an eyebrow. "Friends of yours?"
"Not exactly friends…" she sighed.
A squad of six approached cautiously. Their leader—a tall blonde man with sharp blue eyes and a scar across his cheek—stopped in front of them.
"Seraphina Ashborne," he said in a clipped tone. "You vanished from HQ without authorization. Again."
Siheon whispered, "Ashborne? Royalty name, huh?"
She elbowed him.
The blonde man turned to Siheon with a suspicious stare.
"And who is he? He is radiating high-level anomaly energy. Identify yourself or we will restrain you."
Siheon blinked. "…Restrain?"
Seraphina stepped between them immediately.
"Eric, stand down. He's not an enemy."
"Seraphina," Eric said, "you said that last time and the creature swallowed half of Argentina."
"It wasn't my fault—"
"You threw a bomb at it!"
"It was a small bomb!"
"It was glowing purple."
"That doesn't mean anything!"
Siheon tried not to laugh.
Eric looked past her toward Siheon again.
"His energy signature is unstable. Celestial and demonic resonance mixed? That shouldn't be possible."
Seraphina stiffened.
"…He didn't know that."
Siheon frowned. "Can everyone sense my bloodline except me?"
"Yes," Seraphina and Eric said in unison.
Siheon sighed. "Fantastic."
Eric narrowed his eyes. "Seraphina… step aside. If his energy destabilizes—"
"Touch him," she warned, "and I break your jaw."
Eric blinked. "You're protecting him?"
Seraphina hesitated for a brief second… then nodded.
"Yes. I am."
Something warm flickered inside Siheon's chest.
Eric's jaw tightened.
"So be it," he said. "But HQ will want him contained."
"Not happening," Seraphina said.
"Then you both come with us," Eric ordered.
Siheon raised an eyebrow. "Is that a request or a—?"
"It's an order."
Seraphina groaned.
"I hate orders."
But Siheon looked at her and nodded.
"…Let's go," he said. "We need answers."
She blinked. "…Seriously? You're agreeing?"
"If they know what's happening to me, we need information. And if they cause trouble—"
She smirked. "We run?"
"No," Siheon said.
"We break their walls and then run."
Seraphina laughed. "Much better."
Eric rubbed his temples. "Oh god. There are two of them now."
As the squad escorted them toward transport, Siheon looked back once.
The forest felt hollow.
And somewhere far above, unseen by all of them, a rift in the clouds shimmered—like an eye watching.
The convergence had already begun.