Seeing Anna leave the room, Suna tried to follow after her.
But a voice from behind stopped her.
"Suna!"
"Yes, my lord?" she replied in surprise, turning back toward Alaris.
The maid stepped closer to the duke.
"Suna, no matter what happens, protect Anna. She is still young—innocent, unaware of the world. That is why you must watch over her. I know I am placing a heavy burden on you, and for that, I apologize."
Those words struck Suna deeply. She barely managed to hold back her tears.
"Please don't say that. Compared to everything you've done for me, this is nothing."
Alaris raised his hand and placed it gently on Suna's head.
"Thank you… truly, for not turning away from my request."
After finishing her conversation with Alaris, Suna left the room and slowly closed the door behind her. She lowered her head and softly pressed it against the door—careful not to make a sound that might disturb the duke.
What was she thinking about?
The expression on the maid's face reflected memories of a distant past—of her real family. In truth, she had been lucky to end up in this house… she had been lucky to end up in this house.
When Suna was still a young girl, she lived with her family—her father, mother, and younger brother—in some corner of the empire. That was, until that… dreadful day arrived.
A demon invasion struck the empire. The battle spread rapidly to other regions, eventually reaching the land where they lived.
Suna ran through the forest, clutching her mother's hand. She didn't understand what was happening. The bitter smell of smoke filled the air, making her eyes water and blurring her vision. She could only rely on the pull of her mother's hand to know where to go.
Her parents fled desperately, dragging their children along in a frantic attempt to survive.
Then—suddenly—they stopped.
Suna collided with her mother's back and halted. She lifted her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes so she could see ahead.
That was when she saw it.
Standing before them was a tall, indistinct figure. She blinked once—twice.
In that instant, someone shoved the young girl aside, pushing her away from the shadowy figure. Just before she fell, she felt warm droplets splatter across her body.
Moments later, she found herself lying on the ground, her clothes soaked through. Confused, she raised her head and looked down at herself.
Her garments were dyed red. The color was still warm.
Understanding what had happened, Suna slowly turned her head toward the being she had failed to see clearly before.
In front of her stood a pair of legs clad in thick, hardened leather boots—massive and inhuman.
Looking past those legs, she saw her family scattered across the ground like broken dolls.
Her eyes widened in terror. She lifted her gaze, trembling, and looked up at what stood before her.
A demon.
It stared down at her, holding a sword drenched in the blood of her family.
Remembering those events, Suna finally understood what she needed to say to Anna.
"Anna, remember the words your grandfather spoke!"
At that moment, Anna stopped crying for a second and clutched tightly at the maid's clothes.
Suna held Anna's face and gently lifted her head.
"Fulfill their final wish," she said, wiping the tears from Anna's face.
Anna looked down at the floor for a brief moment—then gathered herself and slowly stood up.
"We need to move. Now."
At that same moment, Valorant came running down the corridor. A bag was slung over his shoulder, his sword already in hand. Seeing the girls emerge from Alaris's room, the old man shouted urgently,
"Hurry! We don't have much time!"
One of the Seven Sages was already some distance away from the duke's chamber when he suddenly sensed something wrong. His face went pale.
"That's impossible!" he exclaimed, staring toward the girls—or rather, toward something approaching them.
From Alaris's room, a hand emerged—its fingertips blackened, the nails dark as if crushed by a hammer. The arm stretched toward the girls.
'How is this possible? Alaris, you shouldn't have fallen to the curse this quickly!'
With that thought, Valorant recalled his final conversation with his old friend.
They had been in Alaris's chamber—a pitch-black room where no light slipped through the curtains. Sitting on a chair, one of the Seven Sages asked quietly,
"When did the symptoms begin?"
Alaris cleared his throat.
"Half a year ago. At first, I could keep it under control. But…"
He stopped mid-sentence.
"But you lost control and nearly hurt someone," Valorant finished for him.
The duke nodded weakly.
"I attacked one of the servants. Fortunately, Gustav was nearby and saved her."
Valorant opened his mouth to ask something—but the question felt unnecessary. Alaris seemed to understand and answered on his own.
"At first, my appearance didn't change. But as the curse strengthened, my body began to change as well."
Valorant lowered his head in thought.
'Taking Anna to the Elven Forest won't be as easy as I hoped.'
The Seven Sage took a deep breath and asked again,
"After your death… how long can you hold yourself together?"
Alaris didn't answer immediately.
"Five minutes. I might endure that long," he said, coughing midway through the sentence.
After the coughing subsided, he added,
"Or maybe not. I'll do everything I can."
The girls standing near the door had no idea that a nightmare was approaching them.
Suddenly, the reaching hand halted midair—then abruptly turned and grasped the edge of the doorframe.
Valorant did not hesitate for even a second.
"Fiery Steps!"