"Sigh"

From within the quiet of the cottage, Victoria rose. Her figure passed through the doorway, partially veiled by shadow, before light spilled over her like a gentle tide. It traced the lines of her form, unveiling her fully as she stepped outside, serene yet heavy with unspoken gravity.

Qonas noticed her then froze. Shock struck him like a bolt of lightning, his breath hitching as his hand began to tremble. Before thought could catch up, his body moved on its own, folding into a bow so deep it bordered on surrender.

He too was divine, a king in his own right. Yet Victoria stood beyond that simple truth. She was immortal, aligned with the domain of life, born of a monarch whose name carried weight across eras. In the vast scope of existence, she was not merely powerful but pivotal.

"Rise, king of serpents. It is not what it looks like," Victoria said calmly. Her voice was gentle, yet each word carried an undeniable authority. She had wished to conclude everything before Qonas learned of his daughter's fate.

Fate had other plans. The old king had come here by his own will, unaware of the tragedy waiting for him.

"I see."Qonas remained bowed as Enzo explained what had truly transpired. Each word pressed into his heart, tightening it further, breaking him down piece by piece. His daughter's face lingered in his mind, vivid and painfully close.

She had been unlucky. Drawn into a conflict born from royal blood and ancient grudges. A life crushed beneath forces far greater than her. And now, there was nothing he could do. Not even vengeance was within his reach.

If age had not tempered him, tears would have fallen freely. Instead, he endured in silence, shoulders heavy with grief and restraint.

"Do not bear this burden alone, father in law. This will not go unpunished. I will deliver retribution worthy of her," Enzo said as he stepped forward, lowering himself onto one knee beside Victoria.

He understood that feeling all too well. Moments ago, he himself had been on the brink of madness, ready to burn the world for his daughter's dignity. Now, standing before a grieving father stripped of even the right to sacrifice himself, the weight of that helplessness became clear.

It was a hollow, devastating thing. One that lingered long after words had faded.

"Heheh, if only that were possible. I'm sorry for the accusation. What are you going to do, kill Young Master Raz?" Qonas shook his head softly, the motion tired rather than mocking. His gaze drifted past them, settling on the grave of his daughter. The stone stood quiet and unyielding, memories pressing against his chest before his eyes slowly returned to the two before him.

As he studied their faces, something felt wrong. There was no hesitation there, no confusion. Instead, he saw calm certainty, an unspoken agreement that answered his question before words ever could. The realization struck him hard enough to steal the warmth from his limbs.

They were really trying to kill Raz.Not threaten. Not bargain. Kill.

Qonas's eyes snapped to Enzo, sharp and searching, as though he might find denial hidden somewhere in the young man's expression. He found none. Only resolve. A cold, quiet fear crept up his spine, the kind that came when one brushed against forbidden truths.

"Young lad…" he began, his voice unsteady despite himself. He could understand Victoria. That much was expected. She had been killed and reborn too many times to count. Her deaths were politics, cycles, tools sharpened by divinity itself.

But an outsider daring to aim for Raz's life?That was sacrilege.

If the monarch learned of this, blood would follow. Not just theirs, but everyone tied to them.

"Don't worry too much. I'll give the final blow. A life for a life. Kilgar won't suffer any backlash," Victoria said gently, as though she were easing a frightened child. Her smile was calm, reassuring, almost kind.

Yet even she knew how much that softened the truth. What Enzo wanted was not death in name alone. He wanted Raz erased, torn from the domain of life itself. No rebirth. No return. A god reduced to nothing.

"That…" Qonas frowned, his jaw tightening. After a moment, he exhaled and nodded. Acceptance came reluctantly, but it came all the same.

"I cannot be directly involved, unfortunately. But if you need my help, let me know," he added. Revenge stirred deep within him, coiled and patient. As a serpent, it was written into his nature. He would be lying if he claimed he did not long to see Raz fall by his own hand.

Still, this was as far as he could go.

"Oh? That's good. I coincidentally have a mission for you," Victoria said, her smile widening just a little.

"Ah… I am at your command," Qonas replied, lowering his head as he stepped into a respectful bow.

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Rune City

Moving through the wide streets of the city, an old man advanced at an unhurried pace. The stone beneath his feet was etched with glowing sigils, runes humming softly as carriages and figures passed by. His white, fuzzy hair framed a face weathered by centuries, the likeness of an ancient sage pulled from forgotten tales.

His eyes, however, told a different story. They gleamed with the cold patience of an old serpent, sharp and knowing. Beneath his robes, faint scales ran down one arm, subtle enough to escape careless glances yet unmistakable to those who knew what to look for.

"Hello, is this the house of Yuno Al'k?" The old man stopped before a sprawling household that stretched across the block, its walls tall and shrouded in layered shadows.

"That's Lord Yuno Al'k to you. What do you want?" One of the guards scowled, his hand sinking into his shadow. A curved scythe emerged as darkness thickened, forming a defensive barrier between them.

"I come as a messenger. I represent the blood of life and the red of war," Qonas replied calmly. He did not announce himself as divine. Instead, he revealed a medallion formed from a deep red substance, dense and warm, something Victoria herself had shaped from nothingness.

The guards stiffened the moment they saw it. Without another word, the barrier dissolved. One stepped aside while the other bowed slightly, motioning him forward and leading him into the household.

This was the Shadow Clan.

A high level species of night creatures often referred to as royalty. Their skin was pale, almost luminescent in the dim light, their hair a mix of strange and vivid colors. Sunlight was poison to them, and so their structures were built beneath perpetual shade, roofs overlapping like layers of night.

In recent years, Lady Victoria had begun accepting large numbers of night creatures into the territories she controlled. Many speculated it was a move to consolidate power. Others whispered it was out of pity.

No one truly knew the reason.

Not even Qonas.

All he knew was the task given to him, and the name of the one he was meant to meet.

"Lordship, someone is here to see you," the guard announced after they entered an open courtyard draped in layered shadows. At its center, a man reclined comfortably, surrounded by droves of Shadow Clan women who attended to him with practiced grace.

"I noticed," the man replied without looking up.

He wore flowing silks unique to the Shadow Clan, dark fabric threaded with faint patterns that caught the light. His hands were heavy with rings and jewels, each piece radiating quiet authority. He was not merely royalty. He behaved like one who had never known anything else.

"Welcome, Minister Qonas. I wonder what brings you to my household on such a fine day," Yuno Al'k said as he waved the women away. The moment they left, he straightened, his presence sharpening as indulgence gave way to focus.

Yuno Al'k was the Shadow Clan's representative, a prodigy who rose with terrifying speed. Once Lady Victoria began backing him, his ascent through the ranks became unstoppable. In only a few short years, he crossed a threshold few ever reached.

He had become divine.

This fact remained hidden from the world. He was one of Victoria's concealed cards, a blade kept sheathed until the right moment.

"Lady…" Qonas began, only to stop as Yuno raised a hand. Space tightened between them as a simple domain bloomed into existence, sealing sound and intent alike. No whispers would pass through it.

Qonas chuckled softly and shook his head. Such caution, even within one's own walls, spoke volumes.

"Hehe. Please continue, Minister," Yuno said, eyes gleaming with restrained anticipation. "I am very interested in the next phase of our lady's plans."

Lady Victoria killed by the men of Raz.Laughable.

If Yuno were some ignorant outsider, perhaps he might believe such rumors. But Rune City remained calm. Too calm. No panic. No unrest. No signs of mourning fit for a fallen goddess.

And that alone told him everything.

If the events of the previous month were truly as the world claimed, Rune City would already be burning.

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