The air in the king's private library was heavy, almost oppressive, carrying the mingled scent of ancient parchment, polished wood, and something sharp, electric—a metallic tang that set nerves on edge. Adar's eyes darted across the dimly lit room, catching the faint shimmer of enchanted lamps that cast dancing shadows across towering shelves of forbidden texts.
Before her stood a figure impossibly familiar, each movement precise, each muscle honed and defined under skin that glowed bronze in the lamplight. Dark tribal tattoos coiled across his torso like living ink, pulsing with a quiet energy. Beautiful. Too beautiful. And utterly wrong.
"I've kept my promise and come back to you. Now let me embrace you, Mother."
The voice was Raikan's—deep, smooth, a resonance that could sway the most guarded heart. His arms opened wide, inviting her in, and Adar's chest tightened. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, subtle but unmistakable—a darkness that did not belong.
Her own voice betrayed her, trembling despite her attempts at composure. "H-how do you know that…?"
The figure tilted its head, long, dark hair falling like a curtain over one shoulder. It mirrored Raikan's posture perfectly, that same confident elegance, but the aura it radiated was poisonous. It was the Great King, Protector of Tayar Kingdom—yet something had bled into his soul that was foreign, malignant.
Tears pricked Adar's eyes as the tension in her chest coiled tighter. "You are the Great King and Protector of Tayar Kingdom… I have accepted that you endure hardship. But must I… must I watch my youngest, barely more than a boy, suffer too?" She reached, hand quivering, toward the deceptive figure. Her fingers hovered above the illusion of his shoulder—a gesture of love tangled with dread.
The creature's gaze softened, mockingly tender, and the pretense of Raikan's warmth pierced her heart. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll protect Hakan, no matter what." Its head dipped in a careful mimic of her eldest son's gentle gestures. "I missed you… Mother."
Adar staggered, breath catching in her throat. The weight of past grief—the loss she had endured once before—twisted through her chest. Memories of mourning Raikan pressed on her, paralyzing her judgment. Her jeweled hand rose unconsciously, trembling as deep, cold purple energy began to coil in her veins. TREMBLE, the sensation seemed to whisper, echoing the hesitation that gripped her soul.
The Shifter advanced, elegant and predatory. "SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING, LADY ADAR—"
Her pulse thundered. DU DUN. Its arm, impossibly strong, coiled around her waist, pulling her flush against a flawless chest, the serpent's embrace sealing her within an illusion of love and security. Fear clawed at her throat, whispering of failure, loss, and helplessness.
But a sudden shout shattered the spell.
"WATCH OUT, LADY ADAR!"
A blur of motion—dark robes and fierce determination—collided with the Shifter. "SHOVE!" The loyal protector's intervention bought precious, fleeting moments. Adar's eyes locked onto the terror in her savior's gaze, and clarity pierced through the paralyzing grief.
"DON'T FALL FOR THIS SHIFTER'S TRICKS!" the woman cried, voice raw, urgent. "THINK OF HIS MAJESTY!"
The words struck like a blade. Adar saw the truth in the creature's eyes, saw the lies woven into the mimicry of her lost son. Her hand, still trembling, rose with renewed purpose.
---
🗡️ The Blade of Truth: Episode 88 (Conclusion) – Expanded
The Shifter, still pressing its illusionary embrace, grinned—triumph curling like smoke around its sharp features. Victory was close; Adar's grief was its weapon. But the protector's shriek had ruptured the illusion, shattering the fragile veneer of familial affection.
Her fingers closed around the small, heavy pouch she had been entrusted with earlier. Adar's resolve crystallized in a heartbeat—maternal fury interwoven with the precision of a warrior. She hurled the dark grains across the creature. GRAB.
The library seemed to explode in a soundless, violent wave. SWOOSH.
The Shifter convulsed. Guttural, unnatural screams tore from its throat—UGHH!—as the black powder, a gift from Gilai, burned through the disguise, corrosive and absolute. FSSSSHHHH!
The perfect mask of Raikan twisted in agony. Its flawless features contorted, eyes flashing red as true darkness boiled beneath its skin. Adar's lips parted in horror. "Vile creature. I can see your true form…"
But there was no time for lingering judgment. Her loyal protector lunged forward, dagger drawn. STAB. Dark, unnatural blood erupted, staining shelves and scrolls, a visceral testament to the victory of truth over illusion.
The Shifter collapsed, its form steaming as residual magic warped the air. Though still breathing, it was diminished, wounded, vulnerable. Malice hissed through its ragged voice: "Hmph… just a little closer and I could've killed this old hag."
Adar's chest heaved, tears streaking her cheeks. "Hakan…" Her youngest son remained in danger, the urgency of motherhood driving her forward. SHUDDER.
Gilai, inspecting her own shallow wound near her eye, met Adar's gaze with unwavering resolve. "It's not your fault. You saved us by revealing his true nature." Her supportive smile, warm and grounding, steadied the Queen. "Now, rest. We need strength for what comes next."
The immediate threat had been exposed, repelled. Weapons were in hand, loyalty was unbroken, and though the battle was far from over, Adar finally allowed herself a shaky breath, sunlight washing the horror from her face.
---
The library fight had ended, but the palace itself seemed to shiver under the ripple of chaos. Outside, sunlight fell in golden shards across the courtyard, but the warmth did little to soothe the fear that gripped Adar. Behind her, Gillai's steady presence was the only anchor keeping her from collapsing into despair.
The Shifter lay in the library, dark ichor seeping across polished floorboards, twisting its form as if the Black Hawk droppings themselves were gnawing at its magical essence. "HMPH, just a little closer and I could've killed this old hag," it muttered, a hiss of malice threading through the air. The words were more a whisper of spite than sound, a final defiance as it writhed to maintain the stolen human form.
The Sanctuary
Elsewhere, in a chamber bathed in sunlight and lined with golden lattice-work, a different type of vigilance was taking place. Here, life and light clashed with the shadow encroaching through the palace.
Gilai, dark-skinned and resolutely protective, cradled a giggling infant. Her attentiveness radiated a fierce calm, each movement deliberate and careful. Across the room, Andrea, the holy man, glowed softly, his presence like a shield of pure white light.
"You said yourself that you've been overusing your holy power lately," he said, voice gentle yet tinged with worry. His hands extended, shimmering with the ethereal energy that marked him as a servant of the divine. The child, innocent and unconcerned, wriggled in response, cooing.
Gilai smiled faintly, lifting the baby closer. "Are you curious? Do you want to see it up close?" She drew a delicate charm from her robe, whispering as she attached it securely to the infant: "You'll be safe as long as you have this."
Andrea exhaled, straightening his robes, but his fatigue was written across his features. "Phew… that should do it." Yet even as he prepared to leave, unease pulled at him. "Did something happen?" he asked, sensing the palace's rising turmoil. "I'll check it out. Don't move until I come back."
"WAIT!" Gilai's alarm snapped through the room. The holy man froze, holding out a small pale pouch. "Please take this… just in case."
A flicker of worry shadowed Andrea's eyes. He tried to reassure himself, but the truth was harsh: "If only I had a bit more holy power… I could've created the perfect barrier…" The lament was private, a low, anguished AAAAH! escaping before he steeled himself to face the growing threat outside.
The New Target
Back under the sunlit courtyard, Adar and Gillai moved swiftly. DASH. Their feet pounded against the stone, hearts racing, breaths ragged. Another attendant intercepted them, her face pale with urgency. "T-there's no time to blame yourself! We need to hurry!"
Adar's voice trembled as she admitted her terror. "I'm sorry, Gillai. I knew he was a Shifter, but I just couldn't…"
Gillai's tone was firm but compassionate. "It's not your fault. I would've acted the same way in your position." She allowed a small nod of acknowledgment toward Adar's decisive action. "But you saved us by throwing the Black Hawk droppings… and exposing his true identity."
They slowed near a sun-dappled arcade lined with palms, trying to catch their breath. Two dark-skinned female servants approached, suspicion etched into their faces. Their voices rose in accusation.
"There's no way my lady could've come back so quickly! You must be a Shifter!"
Adar's pale, exhausted features hardened. "TELL ME THE TRUTH!" the women demanded, suspicion and fear intertwining dangerously.
Her heart constricted with worry for her youngest son. SHUDDER. She cried aloud, "HAKAN!" The name carried her fear across the courtyard.
A white-haired attendant, frantic and desperate, rushed to her side. "YOUR EMINENCE! PLEASE HELP ME, YOUR EMINENCE!" She clutched at the Queen, eyes wide with terror for the prince. "Hakan went to Turan as soon as he heard the kingdom was at war!"
Adar's focus sharpened. The palace, once a place of safety, had become a hunting ground. Shadows lurked in every corridor; fear and suspicion had fractured the loyalty of the people. Protecting the innocent and exposing hidden enemies was now a priority above all else. The battle was no longer only against the Shifters—it was against the fear consuming the kingdom from within.
🌑 The Scourge and the Saint: Episode 88 (Full Expansion)
I. The Library Aftermath
Adar's pulse still raced as she fled from the ruins of the library, Gillai at her side. "HAKAN!" Her cries were raw, her body shuddering with the urgency of a mother's fear.
The Shifter writhed on the floor, its tattooed body wracked by the burning powder. "Hmph, just a little closer and I could've killed this old hag," it hissed, the SWISH of its form twisting back and forth a desperate attempt to regain control.
Adar's decisive throw of the repellent had stripped the Shifter's disguise away. "Vile creature. I can see that your true form is hideous!" she spat, eyes burning with both fear and fury.
Gillai, bloodied but determined, had dragged her Queen to safety. "HUFF HUFF… I knew it's not safe here. We should go somewhere else," she urged, checking a shallow cut near her eye.
Outside, Adar apologized, voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Gillai. I knew he was a Shifter, but I just couldn't…"
"It's not your fault. I would've reacted the same way in your position," Gillai replied, before praising Adar's quick thinking: "But you saved us by throwing the Black Hawk droppings… and exposing his true identity."
A loyal servant stood nearby, reassured by the man of light, Andrea, radiating his protective glow. "We have the powder that Gilai gave us to repel the Shifters. Please stop and get some rest, Your Eminence."
II. The Holy Sanctuary
In the sunlit sanctuary, Gilai continued her watch over the infant, while Andrea, weary and glowing, prepared for intervention.
"You've been overusing your holy power," he reminded her gently. Gilai secured a charm to the baby. "You'll be safe as long as you have this!"
Andrea sensed the rising conflict, preparing to leave. "Did something happen?" he asked. "I'll check it out. Don't move until I return."
"WAIT!" Gilai cried. The holy man handed her a small protective pouch. "Please take this… just in case." His inner thoughts betrayed his exhaustion: "If only I had a bit more holy power… I could've created the perfect barrier…"
AAAH! The anguished sound escaped him before he steeled himself to face the threat.
III. The Battle for Power
Back in the palace, paranoia erupted among the servants. Arguments broke out: "There's no way my lady could've come back so quickly! You must be a Shifter!"
The white-haired attendant rushed to Adar, frantic. "I was looking for my child in the palace when suddenly… Hakan went to Turan as soon as he heard that the kingdom was at war."
Before they could process the news, a new, more immediate danger appeared. A blonde woman in red, hiding among the servants, smiled maliciously. A servant was struck by a shadowy hand: "THWACK! AHHH!"
Andrea arrived to confront the intruder, a female Shifter named Marissa. "HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO PRETEND TO BE LUCINA, MARISSA?!"
The Cardinal gathered his holy energy. "OH NO… I'VE USED UP TOO MUCH OF MY HOLY POWER."
Marissa snickered cruelly. "YOU'VE GROWN OLD AS WELL, ANDREA!" She raised a dagger, eyes gleaming with dark intent. "I'LL TAKE WHAT LITTLE HOLY POWER YOU HAVE LEFT."
SWOOOSH. UGH! Andrea was struck, the Cardinal's fall signaling the perilous freedom Marissa now had to seize her prey.
The palace was no longer a sanctuary. The coordinated assault had pierced its very heart, targeting not just its rulers but its spiritual core. Every corridor echoed with the footsteps of chaos; every shadow threatened treachery. The attack was meticulous, deliberate, designed to destabilize both body and soul.
I. The Queen's Escape and Paranoia
In the library, Adar's hands shook with the aftershocks of fear and desperation. Her instincts took over. The small pouch in her grasp contained the repellent powder—the Black Hawk droppings. Without hesitation, she hurled it across the Shifter's form.
GAAAAHHH! FSSSSHHH!
The creature shrieked as the disguise burned away. Its beautiful, human-like form twisted, eyes flashing red with pure malice. Adar's voice rang out, sharp and cold:
"Vile creature. I can see that your true form is hideous!"
Even as it lay wounded, pierced by Gillai's dagger, the Shifter seethed internally:
"Hmph, just a little closer and I could've killed this old hag."
Gillai, her face taut with urgency, pulled Adar along. "I knew it's not safe here. We should go somewhere else." DASH. The Queen's flight was frantic but precise.
Another attendant intercepted them, her voice trembling with panic:
"T-there's no time to blame yourself! We need to hurry!"
Outside, the palace's sky had shifted to a threatening crimson, reflecting the rising panic. Two female servants argued vehemently, suspicion cracking their loyalty:
"There's no way my lady could've come back so quickly! You must be a Shifter!"
"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" they demanded, voices sharp as daggers.
Adar's heart ached with maternal terror. SHUDDER. "HAKAN!" Her cry carried through the courtyard, raw and desperate.
A white-haired attendant, frantic and overwhelmed, stumbled toward the Queen. "YOUR EMINENCE! PLEASE HELP ME, YOUR EMINENCE!"
She revealed the source of her dread: "Hakan went to Turan as soon as he heard that the kingdom was at war."
Adar's mind sharpened. The palace was no longer safe; it had become a labyrinth of suspicion and danger. Her primary duty had become clear: protect her son, and unmask the hidden threats that stalked their people.
II. The Sanctuary and the Cardinal
Elsewhere, the palace held a pocket of fragile light. A chamber bathed in golden sunlight, adorned with delicate lattice-work and blooming flowers, sheltered the innocent. Gilai, the infant's attendant, cradled the child protectively.
"You'll be safe as long as you have this!" she whispered, securing a charm to the baby.
Andrea, the holy man, stood nearby, radiating pale, golden light. His robes swirled with the weight of power he had already strained to maintain. "You said yourself that you've been overusing your holy power lately," he murmured, more to himself than to Gilai.
A sense of foreboding pulled at him. "Did something happen?" he asked, instinctively aware of the danger outside. Before leaving, he handed Gilai a small leather pouch. "Please take this… just in case."
His thoughts betrayed his exhaustion: If only I had a bit more holy power… I could've created the perfect barrier…
A raw, anguished AAAAH! escaped him as he steeled himself, turning toward the threat and preparing to act despite the fatigue gnawing at his body and spirit.
III. The Final Conflict
Andrea arrived at the courtyard where the attack had spread. A female Shifter, disguised as a woman named Lucina, was ruthlessly attacking the palace servants.
"HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO PRETEND TO BE LUCINA, MARISSA?!" he roared, his holy GLOW flaring faintly.
Marissa, sensing his weakened state, sneered. "You've grown old as well, Andrea!"
The Cardinal tried to summon what little holy energy remained. "OH NO… I'VE USED UP TOO MUCH OF MY HOLY POWER."
Even so, he refused to yield. "Even if I die here, I can't let Marissa get past me."
Marissa's eyes glinted with dark intent. "Hm… judging by the look in your eyes, you have something I want."
Raising a dagger, her smile was cruel and predatory. "I'LL TAKE WHAT LITTLE HOLY POWER YOU HAVE LEFT."
Her words were a prelude to horror. "I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT YOUR HEART WOULD TASTE LIKE…"
SWOOOSH… UGH!
The dagger struck true. Andrea's body trembled under the impact, a final, desperate act of resistance sparking a flash of holy light that staggered Marissa, but it was fleeting. The Cardinal collapsed, leaving a chilling void in the palace's spiritual defenses.
The kingdom had lost its greatest protector. The Shifters now moved unchecked, and the threat to Adar, Hakan, and all the innocent within the palace had grown exponentially.