Alejandro, a member of the Royal Guard knights, stood firm beside Andrew and Elizabeth, watching over their safety. Asher had also been ordered to remain at his lord's side, while Leonardo was part of the same group. Fortunately, that sector had not suffered heavy damage; the demonic cult's focus seemed to be concentrated elsewhere, for reasons no one yet understood.
—Duchess Sofía has arrived with her magical beasts —Andrew said, frowning—. Something must have happened to Lusian.
—We should go see what happened to him —Elizabeth replied, visibly worried.
Andrew sighed and, with a familiar gesture, lightly tapped her on the head before leaning in to whisper.
—We need to be more discreet. We can't just go see him.
—Your Majesties, please do not move away —Alejandro intervened firmly—. We must protect you at all times.
The royal knight watched them with a mix of respect and tension. He knew his duty was to keep them alive, even if it meant restraining their concern.
Not far from there, Lusian lay resting on Emily's lap. Despite having taken a healing potion and her desperate efforts, his breathing remained weak. Kara fought nearby, cutting down low-level corpses that still posed a threat. Adela and her brother stood on guard, surrounding Lusian and fulfilling their duty with unwavering determination.
When the group of masters arrived, Master Clara was the first to approach, her face filled with anguish.
—How are they? —she asked, breathless.
—Lusian still hasn't woken up, and Umber is injured… but he'll recover —Emily replied, never taking her eyes off him.
—Good. Stay safe. There are still areas we need to secure.
Clara gave the order, and the masters dispersed. Shortly after, the sound of hooves echoed powerfully—Sofía had arrived, riding Thunder. She leapt down from the imposing steed and walked decisively toward her son.
—Thank you for taking care of him —she said, her voice steady but heavy with emotion.
—There's no need to thank me, Duchess —Emily replied calmly—. I'm simply taking care of my fiancé.
Sofía was briefly surprised, casting her a quick glance before turning to the masters, her expression hardening with anger.
—How did it come to this? Isn't it the masters' duty to protect the students?
—We are deeply sorry, Duchess —Clara answered, bowing her head—. This was an emergency. Without Lusian's help, we would all be in a far more dangerous situation. It is shameful to admit… but the students were of great help. Without them, we would have died.
A ragged scream cut her off.
Jerges, his face twisted by madness, staggered to his feet.
—You! —he shouted—. Cursed woman… I am just like you, a genius mage! Yet while you are adored, I was rejected even by my own family just for being a necromancer. Where is the justice? Is it fair that—?
He never finished. A roar shook the air, and in the blink of an eye, a massive claw tore him into three pieces. Larryet roared behind Sofía, still bristling with restrained fury.
Agustín swallowed hard, pale.
—Duchess… we needed Jerges. He was our only lead to find the other cult locations.
—It's not necessary —Sofía replied without hesitation—. My riders are already taking care of that. And I could not allow someone who harmed my son to remain alive.
Her words carried the same weight as her gaze: cold, implacable. There would be no mercy for anyone who dared harm her blood.
Sofía knelt, caressed Lusian's face, and carefully placed him onto Larryet.
—Emily, get on. We're leaving.
—Duchess! —Kara shouted, running toward her—. Please, wait. Could you go help my uncle?
—It is not my duty, child —Sofía replied without looking at her—. But don't worry. The armies of the Erkham family and your own are already on their way.
She turned to her escorts.
—Adela, follow me.
Just as they were about to leave, a figure emerged through the smoke and wreckage. Clarisse Stanley ran forward with several masters, her eyes swollen from crying. She collapsed in front of Emily, overcome with sobs.
—Emily… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… it was my fault, my fault… —she murmured, dropping to her knees.
—What happened? —Emily exclaimed, climbing down from Thunder to hold her—. Calm down, it's not your fault. But tell me, what happened?
Clarisse lifted her face, devastated.
—Manuel… died because of me.
Emily froze, her voice caught in her throat.
—Manuel? No… that can't be… —she whispered, embracing her tightly.
—We were attacked by many undead —Clarisse continued, trembling—. He took the blow meant for me… he saved me. I… I should have died, not him…
—Show me where he is —Emily said, her voice breaking.
Back at the academy, the silence after the battle was heavier than the roar of the Forest King. The walls, blackened and cracked, still exhaled the scent of magic and blood. They had barely repelled the beast, but the cost had been immense.
Magnus sat among the rubble, his face wrapped in bandages, a shadow where one eye had once been. Beside him, Axel gazed over the battlefield remains with a somber expression.
—The losses are too great —Axel said, his voice heavy with grief—. So many warriors and mages have fallen. Half the academy was destroyed when the Forest King brought down the wall.
Magnus clenched his fist against his knee, his breathing slow, restrained by rage.
—So many lives lost… —he murmured—. At least the students are safe. We must discover what drove those beasts mad.
Far away, deep within the forest, two figures staggered through the night. Count Bragoz, a demonic noble, dragged his wounded body, covered in dust and blood. At his side, Dimitri the vampire wore an expression of cold irritation.
—Dimitri, I can no longer sense the demonic aura of the summoning —Bragoz growled—. What happened?
—I don't know —the vampire replied with icy sarcasm—. I've been with you this whole time, fleeing from those damned creatures. Because of you, I lost all my subordinates. I thought you controlled them.
—Silence, useless vampire! —Bragoz roared, turning on him with blazing eyes—. I never said I could control them. I can only attract them. Find out what happened and why my brother hasn't appeared. The summoning should already be complete.
Meanwhile, inside a carriage bearing the Douglas crest, Lusian slowly opened his eyes. The rocking motion reminded him of the pain in his body, though heavier still was the weight of uncertainty. Across from him, Sofía watched with a mixture of relief and severity.
—It seems you've finally awakened —she said softly. —How do you feel?
—Mother… what happened? —Lusian asked, struggling to sit up.
—Don't you remember? —Sofía said, a hint of sadness in her voice—. Don't you remember what happened?
—I only remember fighting a Lich, and then a bright light… after that, nothing.
Sofía sighed, releasing held tension.
—Why do you keep putting yourself in danger? You never learn, Lusian. This time I will have to be stricter with you.
—I had no choice —he replied, staring at the fogged window—. If I hadn't acted, more people would have died. How are Emily and the others?
—They are fine —she answered gravely—, but there was an incident. Emily's brother died.
Lusian felt the air leave his lungs. His breathing faltered as a cold pain spread through his chest. That wasn't supposed to happen. In the story he remembered, Manuel never died.
—So… it really happened… —he whispered, his gaze distant.
—Calm down, Lusian —Sofía said, placing a hand on his shoulder—. You're pale. Everything is fine now. You mustn't worry about these things. You will need to comfort Emily, but none of this is your fault.
He didn't respond. His mind sank into a sea of thoughts. The academy attack, the cult ambush, Manuel's death… none of it belonged to the original story. Had he altered this world's fate with his actions? He remembered the butterfly effect: a small change could alter everything. What if his very existence was the source of the chaos?
In the days that followed, Sofía forbade him from leaving the mansion until he fully recovered. Umber was still healing, so Larryet became his companion. Even so, Lusian barely slept. Guilt gave him no rest.
He wrote several letters to Emily, apologizing and offering support. When she finally came to visit, she found him sitting by the window, staring into the distance.
—How are you? —Emily asked, running to embrace him—. Have you recovered from your injuries?
—I'm fine… and you? —Lusian replied softly.
She didn't answer. Her tears soaked into his shirt as silence settled between them.
—I don't feel well —she murmured at last—. My family is devastated. We never imagined something like this could happen.
—I know —Lusian said gently—. No one expected this. But you must stay strong. If you need anything, tell me.
—Will you come with me to the funeral? —she asked, trembling—. I need your support.
—Of course. I'll be there to honor your brother.
—The funeral will be for everyone who fell —Emily explained—. The royal family will hold a ceremony to honor the men and women who died in this attack. The cultists… turned villagers into undead and sent them against us. How can there be so much evil in the world?
—The human heart is unfathomable —Lusian replied, lowering his gaze—. Sometimes darkness hides even in the brightest places.
Far from there, in a mansion bathed in twilight, Tomás Denisse argued with his son Lorenzo. The air was thick with tension.
—Father, the gift the cult gave us was useless —Lorenzo growled, throwing a seal to the floor—. They failed.
—Tell me what happened —Tomás said, rubbing his forehead.
—When the academy evacuation began, they split us into groups. I was assigned to Katerin The Mondring. But the undead began emerging from the cemetery, and the masters had to intervene. Clarisse Stanley was in danger. I could have helped her, but I didn't think it was necessary. Her fiancé jumped in to save her and died like a fool. I'll never understand why someone would risk their life for a single woman when there are so many others.
Tomás looked at him with restrained fury.
—Idiot! —he roared, slamming the table—. A favor from the Stanley family would have been valuable. If they owed us a debt, we could have used it. Your stupidity has no limits.
—How was I supposed to know? —Lorenzo shot back, stepping away—. I was scared. There were too many corpses attacking.
—Damn it… —Tomás muttered through clenched teeth—. You know we're in a critical situation. The Armett family is planning to betray us, and we must act first. What about Isabella? Have you gotten closer to her?
Lorenzo hesitated.
—I tried to invite her to join my group, but she won't leave Lusian's side.
—That brat again… —Tomás smiled darkly—. Good. We'll use the Douglas family to eliminate the Armetts. Prepare yourself, Lorenzo. There will be a meeting soon, and I want you to treat Miss Isabella very well.