Kaden and Sora looked at the reward before them, their eyes wide with wonder and disbelief.

There was only one reward.

A Mythic-rank Evolution Stone.

Neither of them had ever seen one in their entire lives. For Kaden, it was simple — the brutes of his family never went out of their way to obtain such treasures, let alone store them, considering how impossible it was to acquire a Mythic Evolution Stone.

For Sora, it was different. She knew such stones existed, but her parents kept them locked in the deepest treasury, a place she had no access to.

And now, here it was.

A stone glowing so fiercely with a cornucopia of colors that even the realm itself bent to its presence.

The barren, drought-ravaged ground beneath their feet began to shift, cracks sealing as life stirred. Flowers of radiant light bloomed, each petal glowing with unnatural hues. Trees as tall as mountains erupted from the soil, branches unfurling in thick greenery. The mountains turned lush with grass.

The choking red mist laced with lightning dissolved like salt thrown into water, replaced by dazzling brilliance.

Kaden and Sora could only watch, their hearts trembling.

"This… this much power?" Kaden muttered, his pulse quickening as he watched a dead world revived by the mere aura of a Mythic Stone.

"What do you think Mythic rank means?" the fairy, Lumina, said. She sat chained beside the stone, Kaden's black flames still binding her fragile frame. Her gaze was filled with dissatisfaction as she stared at the two youngsters.

"Mythic rank is called Mythic for a reason. Its power is unrivaled, beyond what Legendary could ever be. To see a realm at this level revived by its aura is nothing surprising." she lectured coldly.

The two listened, unconsciously nodding, unable to deny her words.

And in that moment, Kaden realized something…something he might had underestimated.

Perhaps he had underestimated Zaki… or rather, the terrifying potential behind him.

The power of thought was already unfair. To shape reality as long as there was some basis… it was dreadful. But if that power reached Mythic rank?

Yes. That was insane.

'That coward could become something truly frightening, if he ever works hard enough,' Kaden thought, imagining Zaki standing tall, powerful, admired.

But then a grin split his lips.

Both Sora and Lumina shivered as they saw that devilish smile twist his face.

'It was me who set you on your path, Zaki. Me who gave you purpose. Me who made you raise your eyes to the sky and hope to become it."

He had asked nothing in return, only to be killed by him someday. But even then, Zaki would pity him, not knowing the truth of his power over death.

Which meant that one day, Zaki would be grateful. He would feel compelled to return the favor.

The grin stretched wider.

Sora stepped back, finding herself seeking comfort beside Lumina, who was still chained.

'Free gifts are the most dangerous,' Kaden mused darkly. 'They always come with hidden obligations.'

He sighed, shaking his head, and refocused on the present.

When he raised his head, both Sora and Lumina were staring at him as if he were some abomination.

He tilted his head, feigning innocence. "What?"

"What were you thinking to make such a face? Plotting how to threaten another innocent person?" Sora accused, her eyes narrowing.

Lumina nodded vigorously, siding with the heiress of the sun for once.

Kaden's expression flattened, unimpressed. He ignored her, though his thoughts flickered with dry amusement.

'Threatening? I don't threaten anyone.'

His eyes slid back to the fairy. "So the rewards of this trial are this Mythic Evolution Stone… and you?"

"Yes," Lumina said firmly. "I am the fairy of the artifact the Heir of Moon is meant to inherit. Only the power of the moon can wield me, so don't try anything."

Kaden exhaled softly, turning toward Sora, lips parting to speak. But she cut him off.

"You can take it," she said, her voice steady, her face serious.

Kaden froze.

For a moment, he stared in silence. "Are you sure?"

He had been ready to argue, to negotiate — but she simply… gave it away?

"Yes," Sora said simply.

Kaden waited for more, expecting her to elaborate, but she turned away, unwilling to explain.

For the first time, he felt a strange awkwardness. But he wasn't foolish enough to reject the opportunity.

Heart pounding with excitement, he extended his hand and grasped the evolution stone. Immediately, energy coursed through him, revitalizing his body, clearing his mind, sharpening every thought.

"Hey! That stone is meant for the Heir of Moon to reach Grandmaster rank! You can't—!" Lumina began.

"Shut up," Sora snapped, cutting her off coldly.

Lumina's glare turned savage. "You… you're an Asterion! How could you do this?" Rage shook her voice.

This was supposed to be the Moon's trial. The Heir of Moon should have obtained the stone and the fairy, ensuring his path to power. Instead, the Sun's heiress had barged in with a death-stinking intruder and given him the stone?!

Mythic rank!

Lumina wanted to lose her mind.

But Sora remained indifferent.

"It's because I am an Asterion that I'm doing this," she said coldly.

'I owe him.' she admitted reluctantly to herself.

It was thanks to him she had found her song, taken her first step, understood herself more deeply, and been given a path forward.

All without him asking for anything in return.

'I won't be the ungrateful one.'

Her gaze shifted to Kaden, who was storing the stone with a foolishly bright smile, like an excited child who had finally received his dream toy.

He looked… cute.

And then the realm began to tremble.

They snapped their heads around.

"What's happening?" Sora asked, struggling to keep her balance.

"You've claimed the reward," Lumina said, her voice heavy with sorrow as she watched her home collapse. "The trial is complete. The realm has served its purpose. It will now eject us and destroy itself."

Sora seized the fairy, her golden eyes blazing. "Say nothing about what happened here. Or you'll beg for a death you won't find."

Lumina swallowed hard, suppressed by the weight of Sora's bloodline, her voice trembling.

"I cannot lie to my master. I will have no choice but to tell the truth."

Sora's eyes widened in realization, but before she could reply, the realm shattered around them, their bodies dissolving into light.

And in that instant, Kaden remembered something he had forgotten.

"The Moon…?" he muttered, eyes wide.

A whirlwind of blue erupted, obliterating the Bloody Sun and tearing the realm apart in a single breath.

The realm was gone.

…

Outside the entrance to the Moonborne Trial, two figures stood waiting. A man and a woman.

The man was Sirius Asterion, Heir of Moon.

The woman beside him was Mahina Asterion, The Moon.

"Mother, you didn't need to come," Sirius said with a faint smile.

Mahina's golden Asterion hair shone beneath the sky, but it was her eyes that commanded the world, eyes filled with the entirety of the moon.

Her pupils shifted — half-moon, full moon — glowing with a light so intense it seemed to drown everything in darkness.

It was eerie. It was magnificent.

Her simple blue robe bore the Asterion crest, fluttering in the wind like a sea of endless waves.

She opened her mouth as though to respond, but stopped as the air before them twisted and spat out two groaning figures who landed in a heap on the ground.

"Oho!" Sirius chuckled, his smile widening.

Kaden shoved Sora off his chest, scrambling upright, his heart hammering as he felt the presence of something unfathomable.

Slowly, nervously, he raised his head.

And there she stood. Mahina Asterion. Staring down at him with a neutral expression, her lips curving into the faintest dry smile.

"Lady Mahina, I presume? Your daughter has told me—!"

"A Warborn." Mahina cut him off coldly.

"Kaden Warborn." she repeated, and then her lips curved into a razor smile.

"It seems the stars favor us. We were looking for you. Care for a meeting at our house?"

It wasn't a question. The space around Kaden twisted, a blue dome sealing shut like a cage.

He cursed inwardly but forced a dry smile. "Maybe next time? My mother might be—!"

His words broke off as agony exploded in his stomach, fire ripping through his insides. He staggered, face contorted in unbearable pain.

The Asterions frowned, confused.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" Sora asked, worry breaking unconsciously through her voice.

None of them had touched him.

Then a sharper pain tore through Kaden's eyes and he collapsed like a broken doll.

Kaden…

[You are dead.]

…

Minutes before Kaden's death.

Darklore — Cerveau Estate.

In Vaela's chamber, blood soaked the floor. She lay sprawled, her stomach torn open, intestines spilling in cascading waves. A crimson collar burned on her throat, glowing with malevolent light.

Her once-white robe was drenched scarlet. She coughed blood, lifting her head weakly and saw them.

Neron, The Executioner. And beside him, the Archivist. The three of them staring down with cold indifference.

"W-Why…?" Her voice rasped, hoarse, broken.

Neron smiled coldly.

"Defective eyes need replacing."

In the next instant, the Executioner blurred forward. Twin daggers plunged into Vaela's eyes, gouging them out in a spray of blood.

Her scream ripped through the air, raw and haunting, as her hands clawed desperately at empty sockets.

The Executioner struck again, daggers stabbing deeper, shredding her brain into pulp until her head hung loose, her blood dripping across his face.

Vaela's body twitched, then slumped, her mouth gurgling with her own blood as the last of her life slipped away.

And in her final instant, one thought clung to her broken mind.

'K-Kaden…'

Then she died.

Neron gazed at her corpse with lifeless eyes.

"You're sure this was the right choice?" the Archivist asked, his tone flat, expression unreadable.

"You already know. A traitor must die without mercy. We only caught off guard her because of the artifact. Besides…"

Neron turned his gaze, staring deep into the Archivist's empty eyes.

He smiled lifelessly.

"We don't need her anymore. Goremaw has returned with the Legendary Legacy."

His smile widened, cold and cruel.

Wind howled through the broken chamber. Through the window, the moon hung…stained crimson.

"It's time to put an end to the history of the Warborns." Neron said.

—End of Chapter 221—

—End of Volume 3: Enemies to Friends—

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