The moment the old man's command echoed through the hall, the air itself seemed to thicken.
The elders who had been kneeling suddenly stiffened as if an invisible mountain had been placed on their backs. Their shoulders trembled, their foreheads pressed closer to the floor, and not a single one dared to breathe too loudly.
Dawn, however, didn't understand why their bodies were shaking. She only knew the clan-head was waiting.
Without hesitation, she summoned her Soul Spirit. The scythe appeared in her left hand with a cold metallic hum, and the hourglass formed in her right, its white sand glowing faintly as it shifted inside.
The old man's eyes, which had looked half-dead a moment ago, opened wider the instant the hourglass appeared. His gaze locked onto it like a starving beast spotting food. For a second, the frail ancestor didn't look frail at all. He looked alert, hungry, and terrifyingly alive.
"So it is true…" he murmured. "The Sands of Time have returned…"
His attention shifted next to the scythe. He inspected it with only one glance, yet it felt like his eyes had peeled through every layer of the weapon. After a brief pause, he nodded, as if confirming a fact he already knew.
"A Death Scythe," he whispered. "Indeed."
But then his expression changed.
A small frown formed on his face, and the elders instantly panicked. Their bodies pressed lower to the ground, as if even the ancestor's displeasure could crush them into dust.
The old man's voice came again, soft like a whisper, yet it rang through everyone's skull. "Tell me, girl… what is your Soul Spirit? What did you see while you awakened it? I'm sure it is not these two."
"Here, touch my palm."
Dawn raised her hand and connected to the old man's palm as she was instructed.
When their palms touched, the old man's eyes turned pitch black, but it stayed only like that for a couple of seconds.
When he freed her, laughter escaped the clan head's mouth.
"Haha…"
The elders stiffened again. The pressure increased, crushing them deeper into the floor.
The laughter grew louder.
"Hahahaha…"
This time, the air shook. The sound rolled outward like thunder, spreading across the palace and beyond.
Those with weak mana felt nothing but confusion, but those with strong mana were struck like prey caught under a predator's gaze. Members of the Violet clinic, who prided themselves on being elites, were forced to their knees without even understanding how.
Even Avia's expression tightened.
The old man continued laughing, his voice echoing with uncontrollable joy.
"Finally… finally! The founder has blessed us!"
The elders remained kneeling, but their thoughts were chaotic. Some wondered if the clan-head had lost his mind. Others trembled, thinking the ancestor might have awakened some old madness after centuries of waiting. Yet deep down, they all understood one thing: the clan had been producing healing-type Soul Spirit for generations, and this girl's appearance was something different.
But they didn't know the real reason behind the clan-head's excitement.
It wasn't the scythe.
It wasn't the hourglass.
It was the spiritual imprint he saw on Dawn's soul when he connected with her.
The Grim Reaper.
The Death Scythe and Sands of Time had appeared before in history, repeated across bloodlines. But the Grim Reaper itself… had not appeared in the clan for one hundred thousand years.
The ancestor finally calmed down and returned the soul spirit to Dawn. His smile remained, sharp and satisfied, like a man who had been waiting for this moment since before nations were born.
"Your parents did well," he said. "Naming you after the founder."
The old man's gaze then shifted.
"Avia," he called. "Stand."
"Yes," Avia replied immediately.
The pressure around her vanished, and she rose smoothly to her feet, her posture straight and disciplined. The clan-head stared at her as if he was placing a heavy burden onto her shoulders.
"I am leaving my successor in your hands."
Avia's eyes widened slightly. She hesitated, then spoke carefully. "But… there are other candidates. To decide so suddenly…"
The old man's brows lowered.
"Hm?"
That single sound was enough.
Avia's throat tightened. Her words died instantly. She bowed deeply, lowering her head in submission.
"Yes," she said. "I will do my best to groom her into the next clan-head."
The old man's lips curled into a pleased smile, showing his teeth like a beast satisfied with obedience. "That is how it should be."
Then his gaze returned to Dawn. His voice grew calm, but the meaning behind it felt heavy.
"Before you leave," he said, "remember this, Dawn. Strength and authority are two sides of the same coin. Without authority, strength is wasted. Without strength, authority is meaningless. Never forget that."
Dawn bowed deeply. "I will remember, Ancestor."
The old man waved his hand lightly, as if dismissing insects.
"All of you may leave."
Then he turned and walked back into the darkness, returning to his throne. The shadows swallowed him until only his presence remained, like an invisible storm sitting in silence.
Once the pressure disappeared, the elders finally rose, their robes damp with sweat. Without daring to speak, they quickly left the palace. Avia motioned for Dawn to follow, guiding her through stone corridors until they reached a prepared residence.
The room waiting for her was far beyond anything she had seen in Sliya. It was large enough to fit several houses. The furniture was carved from polished wood, the walls were decorated with ancient patterns, and the bed looked more like something meant for royalty than for an eight-year-old child.
Dawn felt overwhelmed.
But her face didn't show it.
It wasn't that she didn't want to react. She simply couldn't.
Avia stood near the door, her expression cold as always. "Rest today. Your lessons begin tomorrow morning."
Then she left without another word.
Dawn looked at the maids waiting silently in the room. Their heads were lowered, hands folded, as if they were afraid of breathing too loudly.
"I need to be alone," Dawn said.
The maids bowed and left quickly, closing the doors behind them.
After the silence returned, Dawn stared at the ceiling for a moment, then let out a long sigh. She walked to the bed and collapsed onto it, sinking into the softness.
She muttered, "Why did nobody ask what I want? These adults are really unfair, just deciding on my future just like that… I want to escape this prison."
Her voice was annoyed, but her eyes carried something else, something closer to emptiness.
A few moments later, darkness crept into his vision.
The room vanished.
The walls disappeared.
And once again, she found himself standing at the edge of the same cliff.
The sky was still filled with black clouds. Lightning still rained down like punishment.
Dawn didn't panic this time.
She didn't tremble.
She simply stood there, staring at the scene as if it were familiar.
Then, above the cliff, the giant reaper appeared again. Cloaked in black, towering, silent, holding the scythe like it was part of his body. The hourglass at his waist glowed faintly, swinging slowly.
Dawn looked at him, and strangely, she felt no fear this time.
Instead, she felt… closeness.
Like looking at a reflection.
Not knowing what else to do, Dawn bowed. "Hello," she said quietly.
The reaper's voice answered instantly, as if it had been waiting.
"I carry no name," it said. "But often known as the Grim Reaper. I am the personification of time… and the reaper of death."
Dawn's eyes widened slightly.
A deity.
Not a ghost. Not a spirit. Not a beast.
A being that existed beyond mortal understanding.
No wonder it said the word, Apostle.
Dawn didn't speak again. She simply listened.
The Grim Reaper continued, his voice calm and heavy like ancient stone.
"Child of the Death Clan… this is only a fragment of my power I have bestowed upon you. How you use it… is your choice."
Dawn opened her mouth, but no words came out.
The Grim Reaper didn't wait.
"Goodbye."
The moment the word left his mouth, the world began to crack. The sky split apart like broken glass. The corpses below turned into dust. The cliff beneath Dawn's feet crumbled into nothingness.
And the entire scene collapsed into darkness.