Far away from God Valley, inside the royal palace of the Kingdom of Flowers, two kings sat across from each other.
The large throne room was quiet.
The King of the Kingdom of Flowers sat on his throne while across from him stood King Edward Wilson and his son. The two kingdoms had gathered to discuss something important.
A royal alliance.
Specifically, a marriage.
Edward Wilson spoke calmly.
"If our kingdoms unite through marriage, both nations will become stronger."
The King of Flowers nodded slightly.
"My daughter, Princess Lily, is already respected across the continent."
Edward Wilson's son stood beside his father silently.
The conversation continued as they discussed the possible marriage between Princess Lily and the Wilson prince.
But suddenly—
The large doors of the throne room burst open.
A guard ran inside, breathing heavily.
"Your Majesty!"
The king frowned.
"What happened?"
The guard struggled to speak.
"Zen…!"
The room fell silent.
The king's expression changed immediately.
"…What did you say?"
The guard swallowed nervously.
"Zen is back!"
"He has been located in God Valley!"
The king stood up from his throne.
"That's impossible."
"Wasn't he killed five years ago?"
The guard shook his head.
"…His body was never discovered in the first place, Your Majesty."
Silence filled the throne room.
The king slowly turned toward Edward Wilson.
"…It seems we must postpone our discussion."
Edward nodded.
"I understand."
The King of Flowers spoke firmly.
"We will continue these talks next year."
Then he added one more order.
"And this news must not reach Princess Lily."
"Understood?"
The guard bowed immediately.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Princess Lily
Elsewhere in the castle garden, Princess Lily walked quietly through the flowers.
In her arms she held a small child.
A little boy around six years old.
The child laughed happily while Lily gently held her.
Neither of them knew that the entire kingdom had just been shaken by the return of a name from the past.
Zen.
God Valley Aftermath
Meanwhile, in God Valley, the battlefield had grown quiet.
The war was over.
The Obsidian Dominion army had collapsed after the death of their king.
But the Kingdom of Flowers had lost something important.
Leo.
Inside the command tent, Elias spoke calmly.
"There's no way to find him."
"He jumped into the valley."
"What do you expect us to do?"
Alison crossed her arms.
"…There's still a small chance he survived."
Seraphine, the shadow assassin, suddenly entered the tent.
"A message from the king just arrived."
"All of us must return to the capital immediately."
But Sam wasn't listening.
He sat alone outside the camp.
His eyes were empty.
He hadn't slept.
He hadn't eaten.
His only thought was Leo.
If only I had stopped him…
Memories flooded his mind.
Leo as a child.
The day Mary found him injured on the beach.
The two of them training together.
Leo getting bullied while Sam defended him.
The nights when Mary scolded Leo and refused to feed him.
And Sam secretly bringing him food afterward.
They had grown up together.
They had fought together.
They had protected each other.
And now—
Leo was gone.
Sam clenched his fists.
Suddenly—
SLAP
Seraphine slapped him across the face.
Sam looked up in shock.
Seraphine glared at him.
"Stop acting like he's dead."
Sam stared at her.
"How can he survive that fall?"
Seraphine spoke calmly.
"He just one-shotted the Obsidian King."
"You really think someone like that dies so easily?"
Sam's eyes slowly regained their focus.
"…You're right."
"I'll find him."
"No matter what."
The Royal Audience
Soon after, the elite warriors arrived at the royal castle.
They stood before the King of the Kingdom of Flowers.
Sam, Elias, Alison, Seraphine, and the others explained everything.
The war.
The Demon Sword.
Leo's transformation.
And how he killed the Obsidian King with a single strike.
When they finished, Sam stepped forward.
"We request permission to search for him."
"We believe he may still be alive."
The king remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke coldly.
"Even if he died… it is not a problem."
"There is no need to search for him."
"If he is dead, then it is for his own good."
Sam's eyes widened in anger.
He stepped forward.
"You—!"
He was about to punch the king.
But suddenly, he felt a sharp pressure stopping him.
A hand had grabbed his arm.
Sam turned around.
Behind him stood his captain.
An overwhelming presence filled the room.
A SSS Rank warrior.
The captain spoke calmly.
"Control yourself."
"If Leo is alive… he will return on his own."
Sam slowly lowered his fist.
But anger still burned in his eyes.
Mary
Breaking the news to Mary was the hardest part.
When Sam told her what happened, she froze.
Her body trembled.
For a moment it seemed like she might collapse.
Sam quickly held her.
"He's not dead," Sam said softly.
"I'll find him."
"I promise."
Mary wiped the tears from her eyes.
"…Bring him home."
Deep in the Valley
Far below God Valley, in the darkness of the ravine…
Leo slowly opened his eyes.
A mysterious figure stood in front of him.
The two of them shook hands.
"Hello, Leo," the stranger said.
Leo looked at him calmly.
"…It's not Leo anymore."
"I remember who I am."
"My name is Zen."
"The wielder of the red raven."
The stranger smiled slightly.
"Welcome back."
End of Chapter 8