đ
Run.
---
Every instinct inside Rosy screamed the same warning.
---
Run.
Hide.
Escape.
---
The feeling was so overwhelming that her entire body froze.
---
Because for the first time since awakening as Isleâ
She felt genuine fear.
---
Not fear for herself.
---
Fear of that thing.
---
The red eyes stared from behind the silver eye.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
And the moment they openedâ
The entire Void reacted.
---
Thousands of creatures across the city lowered themselves completely to the ground.
Trembling.
---
Not in respect.
---
In terror.
---
The chained creature near the broken gates began shaking violently.
---
"NoâŚ"
---
Its massive body recoiled instinctively.
---
"No no no noâŚ"
---
Rosy's heart pounded.
---
Because the creature sounded exactly like a frightened child.
---
The silver eye darkened.
---
For the first timeâ
The ancient being that raised Isle looked angry.
---
Truly angry.
---
"YOU SHOULD NOT BE AWAKE."
---
The red eyes blinked.
---
Then smiled.
---
The smile wasn't visible.
---
Yet everyone felt it.
---
A horrible amusement.
---
Like a predator finally finding something it lost.
---
The capital trembled.
Buildings cracked.
Reality twisted.
---
Rosy staggered.
---
A voice whispered inside her head.
---
Found you.
---
Her breathing stopped.
---
Because she recognized that voice.
---
Not from this life.
---
From before.
---
From Isle's memories.
---
And unlike the silver eyeâ
Every memory connected to that voice was soaked in blood.
---
Rosy grabbed her head sharply.
---
Fragments exploded through her mind.
---
A battlefield.
Millions dead.
---
The sky burning.
---
Void creatures screaming.
---
Humans screaming.
---
And something laughing.
---
Always laughing.
---
Watching both sides destroy each other.
---
Enjoying it.
---
Rosy stumbled backward.
---
"Rosy!"
---
Azrael caught her immediately.
---
His expression changed the moment he saw her face.
---
Because she looked pale.
---
Terrified.
---
And Rosy almost never looked terrified.
---
"What is it?"
---
Her voice barely emerged.
---
"âŚI remember him."
---
Silence.
---
Kael froze.
---
The silver eye froze.
---
Even the Void creatures stopped moving.
---
Because there was only one being capable of causing that reaction.
---
The red eyes widened slightly.
---
Almost delighted.
---
"YOU REMEMBER."
---
The voice echoed directly inside reality.
---
Ancient.
Beautiful.
---
Wrong.
---
Rosy's hands shook.
---
Because she remembered now.
---
Not everything.
---
But enough.
---
Before the war.
Before the sealing.
Before Isle became the villainess.
---
There were originally three great powers.
---
Humanity.
The Void.
---
And something else.
---
Something older.
---
Something that existed before either world.
---
A being that fed on conflict.
---
Fed on fear.
---
Fed on hatred.
---
And when Isle tried creating peace between humans and the Voidâ
It interfered.
---
Manipulated.
---
Whispered.
---
Lied.
---
Until both sides began fearing each other.
---
Until war became inevitable.
---
Rosy's pupils shrank.
---
"âŚYou started it."
---
The red eyes smiled wider.
---
"PARTIALLY."
---
The casual answer made Kael's ice explode outward.
---
Entire streets froze instantly.
---
"You killed millions."
---
The red eyes turned toward him lazily.
---
"YES."
---
The response was so casual that several nearby knights nearly vomited.
---
The silver eye's voice deepened.
---
"LEAVE."
---
Reality trembled.
---
The red eyes remained completely unconcerned.
---
"NO."
---
A pause.
---
Thenâ
---
"I HAVE WAITED TOO LONG."
---
Rosy's chest tightened painfully.
---
The thing wasn't looking at humanity.
---
Wasn't looking at the Void.
---
It was looking only at her.
---
And that realization was somehow worse.
---
Azrael immediately stepped forward.
Positioning himself between Rosy and the crack.
---
"Not happening."
---
The red eyes paused.
---
Then laughed.
---
The sound echoed across every corner of existence.
---
"YOU AGAIN."
---
Azrael's expression darkened.
---
"âŚI don't remember meeting you."
---
"YOU WOULD NOT."
---
Another laugh.
---
"YOU DIED."
---
Silence.
---
Rosy's eyes widened.
---
Kael froze.
---
Even the silver eye became still.
---
Azrael frowned.
---
"âŚExcuse me?"
---
The red eyes blinked slowly.
---
"THREE TIMES."
---
The capital stopped breathing.
---
Rosy stared blankly.
---
"âŚWhat?"
---
The thing sounded amused now.
---
"YOU KEPT RETURNING."
---
A pause.
---
"ANNOYING MAN."
---
Rosy's head snapped toward Azrael.
---
"âŚThree times?"
---
Azrael looked equally confused.
---
"âŚI genuinely have no idea what he's talking about."
---
The red eyes laughed harder.
---
"OF COURSE YOU DON'T."
---
Rosy's heart suddenly sank.
---
Because another memory surfaced.
---
One she didn't want.
---
A battlefield.
---
Azrael dying.
---
Again.
---
And again.
---
And again.
---
Every single time trying to reach Isle.
---
Every single time failing.
---
Every single time returning anyway.
---
Her vision blurred.
---
"âŚNoâŚ"
---
Azrael immediately noticed.
---
"Rosy?"
---
She stared at him.
---
Not at the present Azrael.
---
At the countless versions of him she was suddenly remembering.
---
One covered in blood.
One missing an arm.
One dying beneath a collapsing sky.
---
And every single one saying the same thing.
---
Find Isle.
---
Her chest hurt.
---
Because the memories didn't feel fake.
---
They felt real.
---
Painfully real.
---
The red eyes watched her quietly.
---
Then softlyâ
---
"NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
---
Rosy clenched her fists.
---
"âŚUnderstand what?"
---
The answer came immediately.
---
"WHY YOU INTEREST ME."
---
Silence.
---
The atmosphere shifted.
---
Dangerously.
---
Because for the first timeâ
The thing's attention sharpened completely.
---
Focused.
---
Hungry.
---
"You unite opposites."
---
A pause.
---
"LIGHT AND DARK."
---
Another.
---
"HUMANITY AND VOID."
---
The red eyes narrowed slightly.
---
"LIFE AND DEATH."
---
Rosy's heartbeat slowed.
---
Because she knew what was coming.
---
Instinctively.
---
And she hated it.
---
The thing smiled.
---
"BECOME MINE."
---
The words echoed through every world.
---
Void creatures trembled.
Humans paled.
---
Even the silver eye radiated fury.
---
Rosy laughed.
---
Once.
---
Softly.
---
The thing paused.
---
Because that wasn't the reaction it expected.
---
Rosy looked directly at the red eyes.
---
Then pointed toward Azrael.
---
"âŚUnfortunately."
---
A pause.
---
"âŚI already have enough problems."
---
The battlefield froze.
---
Kael blinked.
---
The silver eye seemed confused.
---
Even the red eyes paused.
---
Rosy continued.
---
"There's him."
---
She pointed at Kael.
---
"An overprotective nephew."
---
Then toward her father.
---
"A lying father."
---
Toward the terrified capital.
---
"A kingdom having an existential crisis."
---
Finally toward herself.
---
"And me."
---
A long pause.
---
"I'm tired."
---
Silence.
---
Then unexpectedlyâ
Kael snorted.
---
Azrael covered his face.
---
The silver eye seemed oddly pleased.
---
The red eyes stared.
---
Then laughed.
---
Genuinely laughed.
---
For the first time.
---
And somehowâ
That was more terrifying than its anger.
---
Because beings like that rarely found humans entertaining.
---
And when they didâ
It never ended well.
---
The red eyes slowly narrowed.
---
"INTERESTING."
---
A pause.
---
"THEN SURVIVE."
---
The Void split wider.
---
Reality screamed.
---
And something began emerging from the darkness behind those eyes.
---
Something enormous.
---
Something ancient.
---
Something that made even the silver eye look wary.
---
Rosy's heartbeat thundered.
---
Because deep insideâ
She suddenly remembered its name.
---
And that memory alone nearly broke her.
---
"âŚThe DevourerâŚ"
---
The red eyes smiled.
---
"GOOD."
---
A pause.
---
"YOU REMEMBER."
---
And far beneath the capitalâ
Something answered.
---
Something that had been sleeping inside Rosy's soul all along.
---
End of Chapter 32