Emerging from the gloom of the secret passage, Rhine pushed open the small, hidden wooden door and navigated through the camouflaged shack and the surrounding thicket. Finally, he stood once again within the royal courtyard.
A cold wind brushed past him, yet it failed to carry the familiar scents of home.
Rhine poked his head out cautiously, his eyes darting around the perimeter. His movements were slow and deliberate, like a small mouse creeping into a kitchen, terrified of being caught. He scurried into a nearby cluster of bushes, staying low and moving through the shadows, inching his way back toward the castle.
But as he moved, a chilling realization began to settle in his bones.
The entire palace—it was utterly silent.
There were no alarm bells. No clashing of steel. No shouts of soldiers. There wasn't even the faint, agonizing moan of the wounded. The surroundings were so quiet it was terrifying, as if the castle itself had already breathed its last.
Rhine stopped, straining his ears. Even the crickets, which usually sang through the palace nights, had vanished. There was only the wind whistling through the courtyards and corridors, creating a series of hollow, ghostly echoes.
A silence like death.
Rhine swallowed hard, his heart hammering against his ribs. He gathered his courage and whispered to himself, "It looks... it looks like there aren't any bad people around..."
Speaking the words aloud seemed to embolden him. He stopped hiding and broke into a full sprint toward the throne room. Finally, the rhythm of frantic footsteps broke the stillness of the palace.
Tap—tap—tap—
The echoes bounced off the empty hallways and open courtyards.
However—halfway there, Rhine suddenly skidded to a halt. He stood there, frozen, his face a mask of confusion.
"What is... this?"
He frowned, his mind reeling. "Why are there... trees here?"
He remembered clearly. The throne room lay straight ahead in this direction. But now, blocking his path was a massive, towering "wall" made of gargantuan trees. The trunks were thick and gnarled, intertwining with one another; the branches and leaves were woven so densely they formed a heavy, impenetrable barrier.
Rhine looked left and right, then sprinted a few more paces along the perimeter.
However—no matter which direction he turned, the sight remained the same. Towering trees stood row upon row, forming a colossal ring of wood that encased the throne room like a fortress's cage.
Rhine circled the area, his panic mounting with every step.
"The direction... it's right..." he muttered, trying to reorient himself.
He was sure of it. The throne room was supposed to be right here. But this forest—it looked as though it had erupted out of thin air. This complete defiance of logic caused a wave of profound unease to surge through his young heart.
His breathing grew shallow and rapid. His hands began to tremble.
Gritting his teeth, he reached into his tunic and pulled out a small dagger. It was a self-defense weapon gifted to him by his father. Rhine gripped the hilt tight, rushed to the wall of trees, and lunged at a thick trunk with all his might!
"HRAAAAGH—!"
CLANG!
The dagger struck the bark, but it emitted a sharp, metallic ring. The bark was as hard as cold iron. Not only did the blade fail to pierce it—it didn't even leave a scratch.
Rhine froze. But a second later, he swung the dagger again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
One strike. Then another.
He hacked at it desperately. He scraped at it. He hammered against the wood.
"Father!!"
"Mother!!"
His voice grew more frantic with every blow. The dagger continued to rain down on the trunk, producing dull, heavy thuds.
Yet—nothing changed. The wall of trees remained unmoved, indifferent to his struggle.
Rhine kept hacking. Kept stabbing. Kept hammering.
The rough hilt had long since chafed the skin of his palms. Fresh blood seeped between his fingers, staining the handle crimson. But he seemed entirely numb to the pain.
One blow. After another.
Until his movements became erratic and messy.
Tears were streaming uncontrollably down his face now. He was sobbing so hard his throat felt constricted, leaving him able to emit only broken, stuttering gasps.
But he didn't stop.
It wasn't because he refused to give up. It was because he no longer knew what else he could possibly do. He could only keep hacking. Keep hammering. Keep screaming.
As if by simply not stopping, he could keep hope alive for one more heartbeat.
Meanwhile—inside the throne room.
The Sun Emperor stared blankly at the woman before him. The love of his life. The Empress.
The gnarled wooden lance remained driven deep through her chest. Blood slid down the length of the wood, drop by rhythmic drop.
Drip.
Drip.
The Emperor felt as though he had been plunged into an abyss of ice.
"Ellie—!!!"
His voice tore through the hall, a raw, splintering sound of pure agony. Ignoring the searing pain racking his own broken body, he forced himself up. With a desperate lunge, he caught the Empress just as her strength failed, pulling her into a trembling embrace.
Selphira watched this, the carefree smile on her face faltering for the first time. Her brow furrowed, replaced by a look of genuine, frantic confusion.
"Why?"
She stared at the Empress collapsed in the Emperor's arms, her voice rising with an impatient edge. "Didn't I say I wouldn't let him die? Why are you being so foolish? Why did you throw yourself in front of that strike?"
The Empress leaned against the Emperor's chest. Though blood continued to flow steadily from the wound, her eyes remained remarkably clear. She looked up at Selphira, and a faint, tender smile actually graced her lips.
It was a smile devoid of fury or resentment. It was the look one gives to a lost, wandering child.
"You... you truly don't understand, do you?" she whispered.
Selphira frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the response. "Whatever," she muttered, waving her hand dismissively. "Move aside, Sun Emperor. I'll repair her."
As she spoke, she extended a finger and gave a light flick. A soft, verdant light drifted from her fingertip—a glow like the first glimmer of spring—and floated toward the Empress's wound.
However—BOOM!!!
A violent burst of solar fire erupted between them. Before the green light could draw near, it was instantly swallowed and incinerated by the Divine Flame. The fire hissed in the air, dissolving into a shower of fading sparks.
The Sun Emperor lifted his head, his eyes burning with a vengeful radiance that rivaled his magic.
"Witch!!" his voice was a low, thunderous growl of absolute fury. "Take your disgusting magic and get out!"
He pulled the Empress tighter into his arms, shielding her with his body as if to wall off the rest of the world. "I will never—never—allow you to defile my Empress with your foul sorcery!!"
Selphira's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"You—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the Sun Emperor silenced her with utter indifference. He had already turned his focus back to the wife in his arms, his world shrinking until only she remained. He gripped the Empress's hand with trembling fingers, tears cascading uncontrollably down his weathered face.
"Ellie..."
"Ellie..."
His voice was a series of broken, jagged whispers. "You'll be fine... Why? Why did you do this...?"
The Empress leaned softly against his chest. Her breathing had become shallow, a mere flicker of life, but her eyes remained remarkably serene—a calm sea in the midst of a storm. She offered him a faint, ethereal smile.
"Your Majesty..." her voice was as light as a dying breeze. "What matters... is that you are safe..."
The Emperor's body shuddered at her words, a sob racking his frame.
To the side, Selphira's brow furrowed more deeply. "If you keep interfering with me, she truly is going to die," she said, her tone cooling, losing its playful edge.
But the Emperor didn't even look up. At this moment, his only desire was to gaze upon his wife—to memorize every detail of her face in the time they had left. As for Selphira—he didn't even have the energy to grant her a response.
Selphira stared at the pair. Her hands slowly clenched into fists, her knuckles turning a stark white. Her jaw tightened, and for a fleeting second, a whirlwind of complex emotions flickered through her eyes: irritation, confusion, and a strange, nameless spark she herself couldn't define.
Then, she took a deep, steadying breath. Her expression smoothed back into that mask of practiced indifference.
"Ha..." she let out a soft, airy chuckle.
"Fine then," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter."
"I'll just repair her later."
She looked at the dying Empress, that bizarre, "innocent" smile returning to her lips. "Don't you worry, friend. I'll make sure you're repaired perfectly."
In that instant—the Empress's gaze seemed to reach beyond the physical world. It was as if she were seeing something so profound, so unspeakable, that even she could not find the words for it.
Though she remained cradled in the Emperor's arms, her strength nearly spent, she managed to raise a trembling hand. That blood-stained hand reached out slowly toward Selphira. There were still several paces between them; she couldn't possibly reach her.
Yet, in Selphira's eyes, the gesture looked as though the woman were trying to gently stroke her cheek.
Selphira's brow furrowed slightly. She didn't retreat. She simply stood there, watching that hand stretch toward her.
The Empress coughed weakly, a thin line of crimson trickling from the corner of her mouth. Yet, her smile remained.
"Heh..." she whispered. "I see now... You aren't evil..."
"You are simply... lacking..."
She didn't finish. For some reason, the look on the Empress's face caused a sudden, inexplicable surge of irritation to boil within Selphira. An indescribable unease—as if something sharp had pricked her directly in the chest.
Her brow tightened violently, and her voice lost its calm, turning frantic. "What are you talking about?"
"What am I lacking?!"
"WITCH! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THEM—!!!"
Gerald roared as he charged, dragging his battered, broken body forward. He threw a heavy, iron-shattered fist toward Selphira's back with everything he had left!
However—Selphira's figure blurred into a faint shimmer.
In the next heartbeat, she appeared at the opposite end of the hall. She brushed a speck of dust from her sleeve with an air of clinical detachment, her tone bordering on disgusted.
"Hey. You're being very rude," she said, tilting her head at him. "Aren't you gravely injured? You should be lying down like a good boy."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides—do you honestly think you can beat me?"
Gerald spat out a mouthful of blood, the red staining his jaw. He let out a low, defiant chuckle.
"Heh..."
His fist tightened once more, the leather of his glove creaking. "Even if I can't beat you..."
"At the very least... I'm going to buy my Majesty a chance... to say goodbye!"
On the other side of the chaos.
The Sun Emperor's eyes were already bloodshot, the tears cascading uncontrollably down his face. He gripped his wife's hand, his voice a shattered, trembling wreck.
"Ellie... don't... don't speak anymore..."
The Empress raised her hand, her fingers light as a feather as she touched his cheek. Her voice was a mere whisper, a soft murmur meant only for his ears.
"Amat..."
"My love..."
The corners of her lips curled upward. That smile—it was exactly the same as it had always been. Gentle. Serene.
"I'll... go on ahead..."
The Emperor gripped her hand tighter. He could feel it with agonizing clarity—the familiar warmth was slipping away, inch by inch, from her fingertips. His entire frame shuddered.
After a long, harrowing silence, he slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he wiped the tears from his face with a violent motion. A single, singular thought remained in his mind.
—Even if I die. —I will wound her once. —Even if it is but... a single, shallow cut.
He took a breath that seemed to pull in the entire room.
"AAAGHHHHH—!!!"
With a primal roar, he lurched to his feet, using his sword as a desperate crutch to steady his swaying body. The next instant—a blinding Divine Flame erupted from within him once more!
The fire soared toward the ceiling! This flame was hotter, more violent, and more chaotic than any before it—as if it intended to incinerate the entire palace and everyone inside it.
Meanwhile.
Selphira was using a stone wall to deflect Gerald's relentless barrage of heavy punches.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The stone barrier shuddered under the impact, splinters of rock flying everywhere. Suddenly, a wave of scorching air swept through the hall.
Selphira paused, her head tilting as she looked toward the source. "Oh?" she blinked. "To think you could still reach such a level..."
Gerald gritted his teeth, his fists never slowing for a heartbeat. "You dare look away!?"
Selphira's brow furrowed instantly. Losing her patience, she let out a sharp, annoyed cry.
"You are so annoying—"
"Shadow Prison!"
In the next heartbeat—the shadows on the floor writhed like living things. Darkness stretched out from every direction, manifesting into countless pitch-black tentacles!
The shadows lunged, instantly binding Gerald's limbs and pinning him in place.
SNAP—!
Gerald's body was violently jerked down to the floor. The shadows, acting like iron shackles, bound him ruthlessly, wrenching his arms behind his back. He didn't even have the chance to throw one last punch before he was pinned firmly against the cold stone, unable to move a single muscle.
Selphira drifted light as a feather in the air, her gaze fixed on the Sun Emperor, who was now radiating a heat as fierce as a mid-day sun. A satisfied smirk played on her lips. "Hehe... the bloodline of the Sun God truly is special. It isn't magic, exactly... but this power is certainly not inferior to it."
The Emperor advanced, step by agonizing step. Each footprint scorched the floor beneath him. A relentless fire burned in his eyes, and his wounds began to close slowly, as if his own blood were flowing in reverse, incinerating every obstacle in its path.
"I will make sure... you never smile again," he growled, his voice vibrating through the hollow expanse of the hall.
He didn't swing his sword. Instead, he lunged forward with his arms wide, flinging himself toward Selphira. He was betting everything on this final gambit—if he could just touch her, even with a mere fingertip, his Divine Flame would scorch her soul, bypassing every magic, defense, or illusion she possessed.
The heat was suffocating, waves of searing air distorting the very space around them. Even the massive stone pillars of the hall began to tremble under the thermal pressure.
However, Selphira only offered a soft, mocking laugh. She snapped her fingers.
"Water World."
In a heartbeat, the Emperor felt as though he had plunged into the depths of a bottomless ocean. Massive curtains of water surged from all directions, coiling around him like a liquid shroud. The Divine Flame hissed and boiled within the mist, but it could not spread; it was held fast, strangled by the weight of the water.
Selphira's eyes sparkled with curiosity. She whispered again: "Ice World."
The water curtain contracted instantly, like a predatory beast, forcing the scorching fire back into the Emperor's own body. The outer layer of water flash-froze into a massive, heavy cage of ice, sealing him within a crystalline prison. The cold cut into him like a thousand blades from every angle, every inch of his skin feeling as though it were being flayed by needles.
The Divine Flame roared inside the ice, but it was powerless to erupt. It could only churn within the frozen walls, letting out muffled, desperate thunders.
"ARRGHHHH!!!"
The Sun Emperor let out a guttural roar, his teeth gritting as he struggled with every ounce of his remaining strength. But every movement was like crashing against an invisible wall; the icy bindings made every inch of his flesh and bone scream in agony.
Selphira gave a light, effortless snap of her fingers.
Snap.
CRACK-THUD—!
The ice layers shattered and sprayed outward, the pulverized crystalline shards shimmering with a cold, merciless light in the air.
The Emperor collapsed, kneeling in the center of the frozen wreckage. His body was a gruesome canvas where frostbite and jagged cuts from the exploding ice interwove into a picture of absolute devastation. His breath was weak now, flickering like a candle in a gale. He forced his head up, his eyes wide with a burning, desperate indignation. Whether it was melted ice or hot tears sliding down his fractured cheeks, he couldn't tell.
"Can I truly... not even leave a single scratch on her...?"
He couldn't move so much as a finger.
"Your Majesty—!!" Gerald bellowed, his body thrashing against his restraints. "You witch! Let me go!!"
Selphira's brow furrowed with irritation. "You're too loud," she muttered. "And... that little mouse outside is being quite annoying, too."
She snapped her fingers again. The lush, magical wooden structure that had covered the hall withered and collapsed in an instant, revealing the bleak, ruined skeleton of the palace. There, standing amidst the debris where the wall had once been, was Rhine, still frantically pounding at the spot where the barrier had vanished.
"Rhine... Rhine..." the Emperor murmured, his voice a ghost of its former self.
"Rhine!? Why are you here!" Gerald cried out in horror.
With a casual flick of her finger, a shadow tentacle lunged through the air like a striking viper. It snagged Rhine, dragging him across the floor until he was dangled in front of Selphira, swinging helplessly in mid-air.
She stared at the boy, her expression clouded with displeasure. "Little mouse, don't you know that when someone closes the door, you're supposed to stop knocking? You're being so annoying."
"Father!" Rhine gasped, kicking and clawing at the darkness holding him.
The Emperor summoned the very last of his strength, his voice hoarse and breaking. "Let... let him go..."
"Why?" Selphira blinked, her face a mask of wide-eyed innocence.
"Witch!!" Gerald roared. "Let him go!! Or... even if I die, I will spend eternity cursing your name!!"
Selphira ignored his howling rage. She looked down at him from her height, her eyes cold. "You really are giving me a headache with all that noise. Just go to sleep."
A pale, haunting light descended upon Gerald, and his eyelids instantly became as heavy as lead.
"What... what have you done to me...?" Gerald struggled to keep his eyes open, each word a battle against the encroaching darkness of sleep.
"I'm just making you nap so you'll stop being so loud..." Selphira furrowed her brow and muttered to herself, "How are you not asleep yet? You really are stubborn."
At that moment, the Sun Emperor spoke, his voice cracking with desperation. "Let them go... and I... I will submit to whatever you desire."
"Oh?" Selphira turned toward him, her interest piqued. "Are you certain?"
"Yes." The Emperor closed his eyes, a look of profound resignation on his face. "As long as they remain unharmed... you may do with me as you wish."
Selphira tilted her head in thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Using your corpse would have worked, but having you as a willing participant makes things much more convenient for me."
She glided over to the Emperor. With a delicate, slender finger, she tapped his forehead, searing a deep, blackened rune into his skin.
Instantly, the floor beneath him churned. Countless shadow tentacles erupted like a dark, viscous swamp, slowly dragging the Sun Emperor into the depths of the earth.
"FATHER!!" Rhine watched the scene unfold, tears streaming down his face as he thrashed wildly against his bindings, but he remained hopelessly pinned.
The Emperor looked at his son, his voice choked with emotion yet firm with a final command. "Rhine... you must survive... Father... couldn't stay with you until the end... I am so sorry..."
His silhouette slowly sank into the shadows until he vanished entirely.
A satisfied smile bloomed on Selphira's face. She turned back to Rhine, her eyes shimmering. "Hehe. The continent is unified, and the bloodline of the Sun God is finally in my hands. How wonderful."
"And as for you..." She stepped forward, gently pinching Rhine's tear-stained cheek. "I promised your father I would let you live. So, you should train hard. Make that solar power within you a little stronger, won't you? In case my experiments with your father fail, I might just need to use you for the next attempt."
Rhine's face was a mask of grief, but beneath the tears, a primal fury ignited. A faint, flickering aura of flame began to manifest on the surface of his skin.
"I... I'm going to kill you!!"
Selphira let out a light, melodic laugh at his declaration. "Wishing for the impossible... how absolutely adorable."
She ruffled Rhine's hair as if soothing a cranky toddler, then turned her gaze toward Gerald.
"As for you... though you aren't particularly strong, if you work a little harder, perhaps you could reach the level of my magical creatures? Hmm, you might even be useful for some of my magic experiments."
Suddenly, she furrowed her brow in realization. "Oh, wait! I just cast Eternal Slumber on you, didn't I? Doesn't that mean you won't be able to grow any stronger? Hmm..."
She snapped her fingers. "Fine then—Cancel!"
Another flash of light washed over Gerald's slumped form.
Selphira scratched her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Uh... wait, that didn't seem like enough. Was it supposed to be a 'True Love's Kiss' or something to break it? Sigh, I really can't remember."
She glanced toward the horizon, and a sudden, joyous smile lit up her face. "Oh well! It's time to head back and find Alvin~"
With a casual wave of her hand, she dispelled the restraints on both of them. From her back, a pair of massive, jet-black feathery wings erupted with a powerful rustle.
"Bye-bye~"
With that, she took to the skies. Under the stunned and vengeful glares of those she left behind, she dwindled into a dark speck against the blood-red horizon, vanishing into the fading light of the setting sun.