Kael stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. He turned to Nyx, Xiyan, and Vajr, his voice heavy. "Watch over Renjiro and Azune. Don't leave their side."
The souls nodded silently. Signaling to Sara and Drakes, Kael made his way out of the house and back into the eerie quiet of the ruined village.
"Drakes," Kael called out softly, looking around the debris. "Is there any other place nearby that's still standing?"
Drakes walked a few paces ahead, his expression grim. "Yes, I found the main estate. But... considering how Renjiro and Azune are right now, it's better they don't see it."
Kael let out a slow sigh, nodding. "Yeah..."
Before they could take another step, Sara reached out, her fingers tightly gripping the sleeve of Kael's shirt. Her face was pale. "Kael... I have a really bad feeling about this. We shouldn't go there."
Kael stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Sara, I know. I feel it too. But I need to know what happened here."
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Sara slowly let go of his sleeve. She gave a faint nod and stayed close to his side as Drakes led the way.
They reached the grand castle at the heart of the village. The heavy gates were smashed open, and as they stepped inside, the horror of the attack became undeniable. Dozens of Void Humans lay scattered across the stone floor, completely lifeless.
Kael's gaze drifted toward a large, heavily reinforced door at the back of the hall. It was tightly shut.
"We need to break it down," Drakes said, stepping aside to give Kael room.
Kael didn't say a word. He gathered his strength and kicked the door with a dull thud. The wood splintered and gave way, revealing the private chambers. Inside, the tragic scene stole the air from their lungs. The King and Queen lay side by side, cold and lifeless on the floor.
Kael's knees buckled. He dropped to the floor, closing his eyes tightly to block out the sight.
But when he opened them again, the grim reality hadn't changed. His eyes drifted to a framed portrait hanging on the wall—an image of a smiling, younger Renjiro and Azune with their family. Now, the glass was shattered, and the canvas was heavily stained with dried, white blood.
Looking at the dried stains, something inside Kael finally broke. The overwhelming grief he had been trying to suppress came crashing down. Hot tears burst from his eyes, blurring his vision. Through his tears, a horrific memory flashed before him—the images of Tatsuka and Shiya, two more friends who had fallen in the carnage.
Unable to hold back the pain any longer, Kael buried his face in his hands and wept openly in the silent, ruined castle.
Kael wiped his eyes and forced himself to stand. He tried to smile, to show he was fine, but his face twisted into a bitter grimace instead.
Drakes noticed. Pushing himself up from the table, he walked over and pulled Kael into a firm hug. "Kael, you need to turn yourself into steel," Drakes said softly, his voice heavy. "I don't just mean your body. Your mind needs to be unbreakable, too."
Kael only let out a low hum, unable to find the words to reply.
The group quietly left the castle. As they walked, Sara pointed toward the side of the path. "Kael, look over there. There's a pond. You should go wash your face."
Kael glanced over and nodded, dragging his feet toward the water. He knelt at the edge and scooped up a handful, splashing it onto his face and letting some rinse his mouth.
Then, he looked down.
Beneath the ripples, the water wasn't clear. Dozens of pale, bloated corpses of void humans were piled at the bottom of the pond, their lifeless eyes staring blankly up at him.
Horror jolted through Kael's veins. He violently spat the water from his mouth and tried to scramble backward, but his legs were shaking so hard they gave out. He collapsed onto the dirt. His eyes were wide with panic. He stuck his tongue out, gagging, desperately trying to erase the taste of the water from his mouth—but the sickening imagery and the metallic taste were already burned into his mind.
Scrambling to his feet, Kael bolted back toward the cottage.
Sara and Drakes exchanged worried glances as they saw him sprinting back, pale as a ghost. Sara rushed forward, leaning in with deep concern. "Kael? Are you alright? What happened?"
Kael pointed a trembling finger toward the water, his voice shaking. "Look... look at the pond."
Sara followed his gaze. When she saw the horrific pile of drowned void humans beneath the surface, her eyes widened in sheer shock.
Kael couldn't take it anymore. This place was a nightmare. "I want to go back to the cottage," he muttered, his chest heaving. "Renjiro and Azune are still there."
Without waiting for a response, he bolted back toward the building. A few meters away from the entrance, he crossed paths with Xiyan.
"Are they alright?" Kael asked breathlessly, desperate for some good news.
Xiyan looked down, a somber expression clouding his face. "No. Their condition remains the same."
Kael pushed past him and threw the cottage door open. Inside, Renjiro and Azune were lying completely motionless. Vajr was rushing back and forth, bringing bowls of cool water to wipe away the heavy sweat pouring down their feverish faces. Nearby, Nyx sat quietly in a chair, watching over them with a heavy heart.
Taking in the grim sight, Kael made a firm decision. "We're leaving. We need to go back to Earth right now."
No one objected. The atmosphere was too dangerous to stay. Drakes stepped forward and carefully lifted Renjiro onto his back, while Nyx stood up and gently scooped Azune into her arms. Together, the group hurried out, preparing to navigate the treacherous path back to Earth through the void realm.
As they moved, Kael focused inward, speaking to the entity residing deep within his spirit. 'Hey... I know you're in there. Can you manifest the wings?'
A distorted, glitching echo vibrated directly inside his mind. "...Very well, Kael."
With a sharp tear of energy, a pair of fractured, broken wings erupted from Kael's back. Seeing the transformation, Vajr and Xiyan didn't waste a second. They dissolved into their glowing soul forms and shot directly into Kael's body, anchoring themselves to his spirit to make the journey faster.
Meanwhile, back on Earth.
The Shadow Lord stood on the porch of Kael's bungalow. He had disguised his monstrous appearance, taking on the flawless form of a human, his eyes cast downward toward the doormat.
He raised his hand and knocked firmly.
From somewhere deep inside the house, Elara's cheerful voice rang out. "Hang on, I'm coming!"
Hearing her footsteps approach the door, a cruel, terrifying smirk spread across the Shadow Lord's face.