“Lucas!”

  Lucas kept his gaze fixed on the flowers swaying gently in the garden. When he turned toward the voice, he saw a young boy with golden eyes walking toward him, smiling brightly and waving his hand.

  Lucas’s lips curved into a faint smile as he waved back. “Leo.”

  Leo came to stand beside him, his golden eyes reflecting the sunlight.

  He glanced at the green-haired girl playing with butterflies, her laughter filling the garden with life.

  “Did both of you already eat lunch?” Leo asked, his voice soft but carrying a trace of worry.

  Lucas nodded, his gaze drawn to Leo’s eyes. “Ever since the God of Sun bestowed his power upon you, your eyes have turned golden.”

  At once, Leo raised a hand to cover them, his brows knitting tightly. His voice dropped low, trembling faintly.

  “Y-Yeah… ever since he gave me his power, the color began to change.” His fingers shook slightly against his face.

  Lucas tilted his head. “Do you know why he chose you?”

  Leo shook his head, his tone quiet but firm. “I don’t know.”

  “I see… but isn’t it good for you? After receiving his power, the King raised your family to nobility. Your family and your future are now secure.”

  “I DIDN’T ASK FOR THAT!” Leo’s voice erupted, raw and fierce, his golden eyes wide. The outburst startled even himself, his breath catching as he bit down hard on his lip, frowning in shame. “…I’m sorry.”

  Lucas’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  This child…is suffering, even after receiving the power of a god? Why?

  A sharp ache pierced his chest, and his hand clutched at the fabric over his heart.

  Hearing Leo’s words, something stirred within Lucas. An overwhelming tide of emotion that shattered my calm. I could feel this brat’s pain as if it were my own. For the first time… it made me feel human.

  “Why would you say that?” Lucas asked, his voice steady despite the tension thickening in the air. His curiosity only deepened when he caught the shadow darkening Leo’s expression.

  Leo pressed his lips together, shaking his head as though the weight on him was too much to bear.

  “The expectations of others… they’re suffocating. My parents told me it’s fine to ignore what people think, but ever since that day, the things I want, the dreams I once held, feel so far out of reach.” His fist trembled, tightening until his knuckles whitened.

  “This power… it isn’t meant for someone like me, Lucas!”

  Without hesitation, Lucas reached out and placed a hand gently on Leo’s shoulder. The gesture startled him; his golden eyes snapped up, only to meet the brilliance of Lucas’s ruby gaze, softened by a wide, reassuring smile.

  “If that’s the case,” Lucas said, his tone brimming with sincerity, “then I’ll always stay by your side. So you’ll never forget you’re not alone in this journey.”

  Leo’s eyes widened, the golden hue catching the light as if they themselves were awakening. For a moment, he looked stunned.

  Then, slowly, a smile broke across his face, as though he had been searching for those very words all along.

  “Then let’s protect this Kingdom together, Leo!” Lucas declared, offering his hand. “If we’re side by side, even the impossible will turn into possible.”

  Leo didn’t waste a heartbeat. He clasped Lucas’s hand firmly, a genuine smile stretching across his face.

  “Thank you, Lucas. Now that I know I’m not walking this path alone… I feel like I can face whatever lies ahead.”

  The two had once made a vow, that no matter what awaited them in the future, no matter who their enemies were, they would never betray one another.

  Yet that promise was nothing more than a fragile illusion, a false hope meant to deceive an innocent boy into believing he would never have to bear such a heavy burden alone.

  Now Leo stood on his veranda, his gaze fixed on the moon, his expression stiff and unreadable. Diana’s words about Lucas’s betrayal still echoed in his mind.

  He didn’t want to believe them, he couldn’t and yet, reality had already proven them true.

  His lips pressed tightly together as faint fragments of golden light flickered around him, appearing and vanishing in restless bursts, a reflection of the storm within.

  “Protect this Kingdom together, huh…” His voice was low, bitter, the words lingering like ashes in the night air. He closed his eyes, the weight of it sinking deep.

  “And yet, you’re the one who’s trying to destroy it.”

  In a vast field of swaying flowers, a shadow stretched across the ground, and from within it a figure emerged. His ruby eyes glowed like embers in the darkness.

  He stood tall among the blossoms, his gaze fixed on the moon above as its silver light was slowly devoured by shadow.

  The wind brushed past him, tugging at his form as he lifted his hand, studying his palm with quiet reflection.

  Lucas… I’ve been controlling your body since you were a child. Yet this is only the second time I have felt your heart ache. His hand shaking ever so slightly

  Do you truly feel pain, even with all the hatred you bear for that man burning endlessly inside you?

  His musing was interrupted by the thunder of colossal footsteps. The earth quivered beneath him, and the weight of the approaching aura ignited a bloodlust deep within his veins.

  His lips curled into a sharp grin, stretching nearly to his ears.

  The ache in his heart vanished in an instant, drowned out by the thrill of battle.

  He raised his gaze. Before him, a vast army of beasts, each exuding a suffocating bloodthirst, fell to their knees in reverence.

  Only five figures did not kneel. Instead, they strode forward with smirks etched across their faces, their aura were far heavier than the beasts that bowed.

  “Look, Ebonelle. Zaroth has finally come to see us!” said the pink-haired woman with twin tails, her voice carrying both authority and a strange, eager excitement.

  Beside her, a woman with colossal wings let out a heavy, resonant laugh. Her eyes were pools of pure black.

  “Of course, Premira. He is the one who ordered us to destroy a kingdom we had never even heard of.”

  Together, the five stopped in perfect unison before him.

  A tall man stepped forward, his long white hair swaying against the night breeze.

  His nails were jagged and sharp like claws, and when he spoke, the glint of his fangs was unmistakably deadly.

  “Now that you stand before us, Zaroth... Tell me, what is the true purpose of this extermination?” His voice rumbled, edged with restrained hunger.

  Another man answered before Zaroth could. His crimson hair glowed faintly under the blood-tinged moon, his figure deceptively ordinary, almost human yet the aura radiating from him was pure malice, suffocating and heavy.

  “Didn’t Frederick already tell you, Ravark? Or has your memory become dulled?” His tone was casual, but venom laced every word.

  The third spoke with amusement, brushing strands of long silver hair away from his pale face. One hand supported his cheek as his crimson eyes gleamed with quiet mischief.

  His smile was faint, but his words cut deep.

  “I believe there’s more to this than what was told, Azrael. After all, Zaroth is known as one of the kindest among the Demon Gods. He allowed himself to be wielded by a mere human without protest. And yet…” His eyes narrowed.

  “For him to suddenly desire the extermination of an entire kingdom? That intrigues me.”

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  Zaroth released a long, weary sigh, his gaze lifting to the moon, now slowly consumed by a spreading redness.

  “Kael… somehow, I’m beginning to lose interest in everything.”

  Kael’s red eyes widened, only to soften with an almost playful glint. A low laugh escaped him as he shut his eyes.

  “I see… After decades of walking among humans, even you find yourself weary of trying to understand them. That, I suppose, is only natural.” His faint laughter lingered, sharp as a blade’s edge.

  “That’s fair enough for me.”

  Azrael stepped forward, one hand lifting in a subtle gesture. His eyes glinted with malice.

  “Why summon a massive army of beasts, and why call upon us, just to crush a single kingdom?”

  Zaroth’s gaze sharpened, his voice carrying the weight of shadow.

  “Apocrypha is blessed by a God. And not a minor one—no… it is one of the Seven, the deities who govern the realms of the world.” His ruby eyes darkened, swallowing into pure blackness.

  “The God who created the Sun.”

  At his words, the five fell silent. Their eyes widened in shock before their auras flared violently, bloodlust rippling outward as if the revelation had struck a primal chord. The air itself seemed to quake under the surge.

  Ravark exhaled, his fangs bared. “That… is indeed a problem, even for us, united.”

  “Problem?” Primera’s laughter cracked through the tension, high and wicked. Her twin pink tails whipped in the wind as her irises flared crimson.

  “This is the best gift we’ve had in centuries! At last, a real war against a true God.” Her grin stretched, feverish.

  “Finally, the boredom ends.”

  Ebonelle’s colossal wings shifted as her obsidian gaze pierced Zaroth. Her voice was heavy, drawn like iron chains.

  “Then tell us, Zaroth… are we to simply charge forward? Or is there a plan?”

  “My pillars are already inside the Kingdom,” Zaroth said, his voice calm yet heavy with finality.

  “They’ve no doubt prepared to tear apart its defenses from within. And with this vast army at our command, strategy is meaningless.” He raised his hand toward the sky, a wicked grin stretching across his face.

  “We will pierce through any defense with ease.”

  The five around him smirked, bloodlust rising in unison. The air grew thick with malice, pressing down on the vast field of flowers until even the petals seemed to tremble.

  Behind them, the beasts stirred, their guttural growls rumbling like distant thunder, eager for slaughter.

  What will you do, Leo? Zaroth’s thoughts dripped with mockery.

  Even with the power of a God flowing through you, you’ve never tasted the chaos of war between primitive beings.

  Strength alone cannot guide an army and your soldiers are nothing before these creatures.

  His shoulders shook with a low, sinister chuckle.

  And Diana… even with her strange, outworldly intellect, even with her schemes and foresight…

  She cannot stop this storm. No, I want to see it. I want to watch your hope crumble to dust. Leo!

  “What are you going to do, Diana?”

  Diana stood once more before the seven thrones encircling her. Transparent figures lounged in their seats with an almost casual ease, yet the air itself seemed to thicken with unease.

  A woman seated in the middle rose deliberately, each step echoing softly across the hall. Her emerald eyes bore into Diana.

  “You’ve lost your chance to get Lucas back, and with it. Your path to victory grows thinner with every passing moment.” Her voice was sharp, yet carried a strange, compelling edge. “So tell me, Diana. What will you do?”

  “I trust Leo to handle the army outside the Kingdom,” Diana replied, her gaze sweeping over the figures, eyes bright with determination.

  The woman let out a slow, heavy sigh. “Do not delude yourself. Zaroth does not march alone. Five other Demon Gods walk beside him, each his equal in strength. Even your General, talented though he may be, cannot stand against six Demon Gods at once. To believe otherwise is nothing but folly.”

  Diana pressed her lips together, fists tightening at her sides. “W-What should I do?” The words slipped out before she could stop them, betraying the tension coiling within her.

  Silence fell over the hall, broken only by the soft whisper of wind threading through the empty spaces.

  Then, a man’s voice cut through, deep, authoritative, laced with intrigue.

  “I see…” His tone carried a slow, measured curiosity while his golden eyes brightened like the sun.

  “I had almost forgotten that I entrusted a fragment of my power to a boy from a certain kingdom. But now… hearing the name of your General, I am convinced it is him.” He rose, golden sparks flickering around him, appearing and vanishing like embers in a dark hearth.

  “It seems I have no choice. I will help you with your problems.” His voice remained calm, yet there was an undeniable sincerity beneath it.

  “NO!” The translucent being beside Diana snapped, emerald eyes blazing. Her voice cut through the air, sharp and unyielding while authority radiating from her, surpassing even his.

  The God of Sun narrowed his gaze.

  “Why forbid me? If she is to survive, she cannot face this trial alone. We all know this. To save her life, it is best that we intervene.”

  “This is not yours to resolve, Solarion, It is hers” she countered, unwavering. “If she is to save her people, she must face the storm with her own strength.”

  Solarion exhaled heavily. His golden embers dimmed as he lowered himself back onto his throne.

  “If that is your judgment,” he murmured, “then I have no choice but to remain still.”

  Diana locked her gaze on the transparent figure, lips curving into a faint, tense smile even as sweat trickled down her face.

  “If I die,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “the child who is destined to save the world will never be born.” Her chest beating so fast.

  Are you willing to let that happen?”

  “I’ve been waiting for so long,” the figure replied, voice calm, almost patient.

  “I can wait another century if I must.”

  She strode back to her throne and sat with unshakable authority.

  “But mark my words, if the prophecy child is delayed for another century, the people will continue to suffer. The defiled Gods will keep spilling the blood of the innocent, generation after generation.”

  She leaned her elbow on the armrest, resting her cheek on her hand, her emerald eyes bored into Diana’s with a seriousness that cut through the air.

  “The weight of that failure… it will be yours to bear.”

  Diana froze. Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open as a tremor of disbelief caught in her throat. She bit her lips, struggling to contain the rush of shock.

  She had never looked at the situation on such a scale. Her very existence carried responsibility not just for Apocrypha, but for every life across the world.

  The thought pressed down on her chest, heavy and suffocating, leaving her momentarily speechless.

  Suddenly, a softer, kinder voice broke through the silence.

  "Her very existence carried responsibility not just for Apocrypha, but for every life across the world."

  Diana turned toward it, her heart catching. The voice belonged to the woman who had waved at her during their first meeting, calm yet imbued with a quiet authority that made the tension in the air seem to still.

  “If you don’t know what to do, why not seek help from the other races who dwell in your land?” She suggested.

  “How can I convince them,” Diana’s voice trembled, “when I'm scared and my voice won’t come? How can I lead when I feel so powerless?” She clutched the cloth to her chest, knuckles shaking uncontrollably.

  “You are not weak, Diana,” the figure replied, voice steady yet warm.

  “I see the fire of strength burning in your eyes.” She shook her head slightly.

  “It is fear that binds you, whispering that every step will end in failure. But if you clear the mist clouding your heart, you will see the path has always been there, waiting for you.” She rose from her throne, her blue eyes locking onto Diana’s.

  “W-What if I cannot?” Diana stammered, eyes wide and trembling as she searched for reassurance.

  “You will. You always have been, and you always will be,” the figure said, a serene certainty in her tone.

  “I swear it in my name, the Goddess of the Moon, Luna. You will walk through fire barefoot and not be burned.” She offered a graceful, unwavering smile