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The battlefield went silent.
Not because the fighting stopped.
Not because the creature disappeared.
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But because Rosy stopped breathing for a second.
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The memories were getting clearer now.
Too clear.
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And every single one hurt.
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Snow drifted slowly through the ruined capital while the massive creature remained chained beneath her father's golden restraints.
It no longer struggled.
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It simply looked at her.
Waiting.
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As if nothing else in the world mattered.
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Rosy's fingers trembled slightly at her sides.
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"…I promised," she whispered.
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The words felt strange in her mouth.
Old.
Heavy.
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Azrael watched her carefully.
"…Rosy."
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But she barely heard him.
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Because more memories kept surfacing.
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Dark endless lands beyond reality.
Creatures born from shadows and emptiness gathering around her carefully—
Fearfully.
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Not attacking.
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Listening.
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A younger Isle laughing softly while teaching them words one by one.
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"This is a star."
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"This is warmth."
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"This is home."
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Rosy suddenly pressed a hand against her chest sharply.
---
"…Why…"
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Her voice cracked.
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"…Why does this hurt so much?"
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No one answered immediately.
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Because the answer was obvious.
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These weren't random memories.
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They were attachments.
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Real ones.
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And Rosy was beginning to remember something terrifying:
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The Void creatures loved her.
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Not worshipped.
Not obeyed.
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Loved.
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Her father suddenly tightened the chains around the creature harder.
The city trembled from the pressure.
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"Enough sentimentality," he said coldly.
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The creature screamed violently.
Black blood spilled across the frozen streets.
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Rosy instantly flinched.
"…Stop hurting it!"
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Silence crashed across the battlefield.
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Even Rosy looked shocked at herself.
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Her father's gaze sharpened dangerously.
"…You're sympathizing with a Void creature."
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Rosy glared at him immediately.
"…It's injured!"
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"It is not human."
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"And?"
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The word hit harder than expected.
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A dangerous quiet spread across the ruined city.
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Because Rosy's expression had changed completely.
---
No confusion.
No hesitation.
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Only anger.
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"…You keep saying things like that," she continued slowly,
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"…as if being different makes someone disposable."
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Her father's eyes narrowed.
"…That creature has erased entire cities."
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Rosy froze briefly.
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The creature lowered its head slightly.
Almost guiltily.
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Then softly—
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"WE WERE HUNGRY."
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The words hurt.
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Not because they justified anything.
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But because they sounded sincere.
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Azrael suddenly stepped beside Rosy quietly.
"…The Void wasn't always violent."
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Her eyes shifted toward him instantly.
"…What."
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A long silence followed.
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Then—
"…Before the war, the boundary between worlds was stable."
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His gaze moved toward the creature below.
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"They rarely crossed over."
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Another pause.
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"But after you disappeared…"
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His expression darkened slightly.
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"…everything changed."
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Rosy's chest tightened painfully.
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"…Because of me?"
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Neither man answered.
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Which was answer enough.
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The realization settled heavily inside her.
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The creatures weren't attacking because they hated humanity.
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They were desperate.
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And she—
Whether intentionally or not—
Had abandoned them.
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The creature below slowly stretched one massive chained hand toward her again.
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"PLEASE."
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The single word shattered the remaining calm in Rosy completely.
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Because monsters were not supposed to sound lonely.
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Kael suddenly moved in front of her protectively.
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"…Don't go near it."
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Rosy blinked slowly.
"…Why."
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Kael's icy gaze sharpened.
"…Because it's affecting your emotions."
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"…Maybe my emotions are reacting because it's suffering."
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Kael froze slightly.
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Not because she was wrong.
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But because she sounded exactly like the Isle he remembered.
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The same woman who once rescued injured soldiers personally despite being called a villainess.
The same woman who secretly rebuilt destroyed villages at night.
The same woman who smiled gently at abandoned children while pretending to hate everyone else.
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Rosy noticed his expression immediately.
"…What."
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Kael looked away briefly.
"…Nothing."
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"…That's suspicious."
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Azrael quietly smiled.
"…He's remembering things."
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Kael immediately looked annoyed.
"…You don't need to narrate my emotions."
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"…They're obvious."
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"…To you maybe."
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Rosy stared blankly between them.
"…Am I the only normal person here."
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Both men looked at her silently.
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Rosy frowned immediately.
"…Rude."
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For one brief second—
The tension lightened.
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Then—
The creature screamed.
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Not violently this time.
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Painfully.
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Everyone's expressions changed instantly.
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The golden chains around its body were burning now.
Literally burning through its dark flesh.
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Rosy's eyes widened.
"…What are the chains doing?"
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Her father answered calmly.
"…Purification."
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The creature screamed louder.
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Black blood flooded across the frozen streets beneath it.
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Rosy stepped forward instantly.
"…Stop it!"
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Her father's expression hardened.
"…Move back."
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"No."
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Power surged around both of them instantly.
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Azrael sighed softly.
"…This is getting bad again."
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Kael's ice magic spread carefully across the battlefield, preparing for the worst.
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Rosy glared directly at her father now.
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"…You're torturing it."
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"It is a threat."
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"It's in pain!"
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"It is not alive in the way humans are."
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Rosy's voice suddenly rose sharply.
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"THAT DOESN'T MEAN ITS PAIN ISN'T REAL!"
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Silence exploded across the battlefield.
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The world trembled violently.
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The fractured sky above the capital split wider.
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Because Rosy's emotions were surging again.
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Azrael immediately grabbed her wrist.
"…Rosy."
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But she kept staring at her father.
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"…Is this what happened before?"
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A pause.
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"…Did everyone decide things were monsters just because they didn't understand them?"
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Her father didn't answer.
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And that silence—
Told her everything.
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Another memory struck suddenly.
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A massive courtroom.
Nobles screaming.
Priests calling her corrupted.
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And Isle standing alone while desperately trying to explain:
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"They aren't evil!"
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"They're scared!"
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Then—
A sword piercing someone beside her.
Blood everywhere.
Screaming.
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Rosy staggered sharply.
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Azrael caught her immediately.
"…Easy."
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Her breathing became uneven again.
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"…They killed them…"
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Azrael's expression darkened.
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"…Yes."
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Another memory.
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Void creatures burning beneath holy magic.
Children crying.
Entire worlds collapsing.
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And Isle—
Standing in the middle of it all.
Unable to stop either side.
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Rosy suddenly realized the horrifying truth.
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The war never started because Isle wanted destruction.
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It started because she tried to protect both worlds—
And both sides feared each other too much to listen.
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Tears blurred her vision unexpectedly.
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"…This whole time…"
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Her voice shook.
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"…They called me a monster because I tried to save everyone."
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No one answered.
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Because it was true.
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The creature below looked at her gently now despite its massive horrifying appearance.
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"SUN…"
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Rosy looked down at it helplessly.
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And for the first time—
She didn't see a monster.
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She saw something abandoned.
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Something grieving.
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Something waiting for someone who never returned.
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Her father noticed the shift immediately.
His expression darkened.
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"…Do not pity them."
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Rosy slowly lifted her tear-filled eyes toward him.
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"…Then who should I pity?"
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Silence.
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A dangerous silence.
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Because for the first time since awakening—
Rosy was beginning to choose a side.
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And judging by the look in her eyes—
It might not be humanity's.
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End of Chapter 28