Two days later...

The elven kingdom was undergoing a rapid rebuild.

All the citizens were actively involved, and with the help of the AFO, progress was faster than anyone expected. The mechanical puppets handled most of the heavy labor while the people cleared the streets and tended to the injured.

Bethar was also helping with the construction, using her large trunk to lift the puppets so they could reach the tall buildings. At the rate things were going, it was hard to tell that a battle had taken place here — one between beings powerful enough to erase them all.

"Carry the blocks over to that side! They need more support there!" Mira ordered, pointing toward the eastern section.

She was overseeing the entire renovation. Castan was still weak and recovering from the fight, so she had taken his place. Besides, it was clear that the citizens felt more at ease around her after everything that had happened. Her presence was comforting in a way her brother's wasn't.

As she moved through the streets, Mira couldn't help but admire the elves. Despite her brother's tyranny, they still respected and listened to her. At first, she had feared they might rebel against their family, but surprisingly, that never happened.

In fact, the people were understanding. They knew the burden she and Castan carried after losing their entire family. Once they learned the truth behind Castan's behavior, pity replaced anger. The siblings had lost everything for the empire. The least the citizens could do was repay that sacrifice in small ways.

But the best part of all was that the gates that had sealed them off for so long had finally opened — allowing them to grow once again and regain their former strength. There was no longer any limit to the beasts they could tame, and they could finally explore the other realms freely.

'It's all thanks to them… no, it's all thanks to him.'

A certain image flashed in her mind, and she felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Princess Mira?"

She jolted, startled by the sudden voice. Regaining her composure, she turned to see one of her guards standing beside her.

"What is it?" Mira asked.

"The humans just left," the guard replied, holding something out to her. "They said I should give this to you. We can use it to reach them whenever we need anything."

It was a large metallic disc, with a small dent at its core — just enough to fit a small crystal.

Mira examined the device carefully, noticing the emblem of the AFO engraved on its side.

With a gentle nod, she took it, turning it over in her hands before storing it safely inside her special ring.

Just then, Bethar approached her.

After the incident, Kieran had been kind enough to dissolve his contract with the beast, allowing the beast elves to finally reclaim their ancestral companion.

"My princess, the castle has been completely restored," Bethar announced, her deep voice echoing gently in Mira's mind.

Mira turned to her with gratitude, her expression softening. In only a few days, their entire civilization — once on the brink of ruin — had been rebuilt, stronger than ever before.

With their new alliance with the humans, Mira was certain their people would soon reach heights their ancestors had only dreamed of. Perhaps, she thought, their arrogance had been what held them back all these centuries. But now, with cooperation and shared knowledge, everything was about to change.

Her gaze drifted to the children playing along the streets. They had never been able to form contracts with beasts due to the old limitations. Now, however, that barrier was gone.

An idea sparked in her mind.

If they were rebuilding their world, it only made sense to begin with the younger generation.

Turning to the guard beside her, Mira spoke decisively. "Gather a small team. We'll head out soon to find beasts for the children. It's time they start training again."

The guard bowed and hurried off to assemble the group.

"Finally, things are going to be so much better," Mira said softly, releasing a sigh of relief as the warmth of the sun touched her skin.

But her moment of peace didn't last.

The sky suddenly dimmed.

She frowned, looking up — but it wasn't the clouds that blocked the sun.

In the distance, the air itself rippled and stilled. A massive ship tore through the fabric of space, casting a long shadow over the land.

All around her, elves stopped what they were doing, their eyes wide as the light faded. Even Bethar froze, her enormous form trembling at the sight of the jade-black vessel cutting through the heavens.

The ship seemed unstable, flickering between existence and nothingness, as if it shouldn't have been there at all.

But what truly captured Mira's attention was the figure standing at its deck.

His body was completely black, like living smoke, and his eyes were deep and hollow — like the void itself.

He stared down at the planet, his gaze sweeping across the land. Then, he inhaled slowly, as though searching for a familiar scent in the air.

When he caught it, his expression twisted in disgust.

"Where are they? They were here..."

His voice reverberated through the air — not from above or below, but from everywhere at once.

Mira straightened, forcing herself to stay calm as she met his gaze.

She couldn't sense a single trace of energy from him. No mana. No aetheris.

Yet every instinct in her screamed one thing — run.

"We have no idea who you're talking about!" Mira shouted, forcing her voice to remain steady. She even amplified it with mana so it would reach him clearly.

The figure turned his gaze toward her. He said nothing, but the silence that followed was louder than any roar.

His eyes scanned the world once more. Then, they stopped.

Mira's breath caught as his stare fixed on the castle behind her — no, not the castle itself, but someone inside it.

"You lie to me," his voice thundered, shaking the air. It was colder, heavier this time. "You protect them... you die with them."

The sky trembled with his words.

---

Far away, several ships were moving swiftly through space, their engines humming with urgency.

Leading the fleet was a massive triangular vessel with the emblem of the AFO etched boldly on its hull.

Inside the captain's deck, Kim sat upright, overseeing the navigation when his band suddenly started ringing.

"Hmm? Testing the device already?" he muttered, frowning. "Why would they be contacting me now?"

Still, he answered.

Static crackled through the band — then a voice came through, frantic and distorted.

"The candidates... Kieran... run—"

The transmission cut off abruptly.

Kim froze. The air in the cabin turned heavy.

Something was very, very wrong.

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