“Heath!”

Heath was in a terrible state. His visibly pale face and bound hands came into view. Shadow-like restraints cruelly gripped his wrists.

Kaiden’s muscles tensed, and it was as if the killing intent coursing through his veins was visible. It was the same dangerous look he had when dealing with the Pincheser family.

Lazar’s eyes glinted as if to say, “Do you recognize the mastermind now?”

‘So stop struggling and quietly accept your fate.’

Rohana frowned. Kaiden growled lowly.

“What are you trying to do?”

“If I can’t get Rohana Hanover…,” Lazar responded slowly.

“I’ll settle for Aurelia.”

As soon as Lazar finished speaking, Kaiden disappeared from sight in an instant.

What?

A loud crash rang out as their swords collided. Kaiden’s expression was chillingly cold.

At the same time, Iz suddenly leapt. Rohana, instinctively covering her mouth, quickly turned her gaze to the sky. A pitch-black bird was soaring upward in reverse.

‘Impossible.’

Though smaller than the white bird that sang a melody only Rohana could hear, it was incredibly fast.

Iz, who had shot up into the sky, immediately dove toward Lazar. In that moment, Lazar’s eyes gleamed even redder.

With a deafening crash, Iz plummeted as if it had collided with something.

“Iz!”

As Galad threw his spear toward the high tower opposite, Iz, who had been falling, used the spear embedded in the wall to catch himself, narrowly avoiding a full-on crash.

Rohana quickly scanned her surroundings.

Then, the singing resumed. When Rohana looked up, an opal-eyed bird from the main tower was watching her.

Rohana bit her lip.

There was definitely something she could do.

Just as Lazar said, it was that madman who brought her here.

And playing her part beyond what was necessary meant that she had twisted the original story so much that things weren’t going the way he wanted.

Rohana dashed into the building. Just then, something caught her eye.

***

Boom!

Part of the hallway crumbled in an instant.

Just because one isn’t affected by space-time doesn’t mean one can comprehend all of it.

Iz’s repeated attacks, combined with the scouts’ and archers’ strikes, weren’t a problem. They could be neutralized with magic.

They were just a distraction.

However, defending against Kaiden’s swordsmanship with magic alone was no easy task. Eventually, Lazar picked up his sword. The ruby set in it gleamed as red as his eyes.

At that moment, immense force collided with the blade.

The sharp sound of metal tearing through winter air rang out.

In a split second, Kaiden had placed his sword against the back of Lazar’s neck. A faint white light shimmered.

“No matter what, I can still escape.”

“Oh, really?”

In that instant, Kaiden’s sword shifted to a brilliant blue light. Although Lazar furrowed his brow and moved, a faint cut appeared on his neck. Blood began to seep out.

“Do you still think I’m the same kid as back then?”

There was a relaxed tone in Kaiden’s voice.

“How harsh.”

“You crossed the line first,” Kaiden said bitterly. The two men’s gazes clashed. Lazar let out a heavy sigh, as if exhausted.

Then, Aurelia, who had been hiding behind a pillar, finally spoke up.

“Is all of this really necessary?”

All eyes turned to her. Her gaze, filled with oddly emotional tears, was fixed on Kaiden.

“They just want to use me instead of Rohana. When the time comes, Lazar will kill me.”

Cold eyes stared back at her.

“So if I stay here, will you spare me?”

Her small voice was dripping with emotion.

“As soon as I’m deposed as empress, you’ll immediately imprison me forever.”

“You’ll have to take responsibility for what you’ve done.”

Kaiden tilted his sharp jaw slightly.

“What did I do that was so wrong?”

Aurelia asked defiantly, her golden eyes blazing as she glanced at both Galad and Iz.

“Do you really think you can win a war without R.D.?”

Galad furrowed his brow, and Iz also seemed slightly unsettled.

At that moment, Kaiden finally understood why Aurelia, despite Iz guarding her, had been freely wandering around the Duke’s residence.

“I never recognized R.D., and…”

Kaiden spoke slowly.

“My enemies are none of your concern.”

Aurelia bit her lip.

“And if you dare mention Rohana’s name again, there won’t be any exceptions for you either.”

Her butterfly-like eyelashes trembled.

“Well, then, I guess there’s no choice. I’ll just have to aim for the highest position I can reach.”

Aurelia declared.

“Just like last time, and this time too.”

“Do as you please.”

Kaiden’s voice was laced with hostility. There was only so much leniency he could offer out of old loyalty.

“I’m glad you’re seeing this through to the end. It makes things easier for me.”

Aurelia’s face twisted. In that instant, Kaiden’s sword moved swiftly. Aurelia flinched, and Lazar stepped in front of her just in time, a cut grazing his face.

It was a close call.

“I warned you,” Kaiden said.

For the first time, Lazar appeared flustered. In another universe, he wouldn’t have dared give Aurelia a cold glance, let alone wield a sword against her. A tear fell from Aurelia’s shocked eyes.

“Since you and RD were already going to get rid of each other anyway, I might as well finish you both off here,” Kaiden continued.

In that moment of hesitation, Kaiden’s sharp sword came thrusting forward. The quick strike, glowing blue, skimmed across Lazar’s waist and chest.

Just then, Heath, who had been leaning against the wall for support, coughed.

“I think I forgot I was holding on to this guy,” he muttered.

Kaiden frowned. Lazar’s magic was not ordinary.

What kind of spell had bound Heath?

It would take time to undo it.

Could he manage that while continuing the fight?

In the blink of an eye, it was Lazar’s turn to attack. A burst of dark magic was unleashed, sending Galad and Iz flying back.

Galad was too slow to raise his sword, and Iz was delayed in transforming. Kaiden barely managed to stop them from falling off the cliff edge with his magic, but both of them teetered dangerously.

Another attack came.

“One more step, and…” Lazar said menacingly, “Axton’s son dies.”

Kaiden’s eyes narrowed. The black, cuff-shaped restraints binding Heath’s hands tightened even further.

“Kaiden… just do it,” Heath mumbled, barely conscious. Kaiden gritted his teeth.

It was at that moment that a powerful gust of wind swept through the area, so strong that sound itself seemed to vanish.

Before anyone could grasp what was happening, a piercing screech cut through the muffled air.

In an instant, a yellow beam of light shot through Lazar. His startled eyes turned toward the main tower.

As he attempted to escape, transcending space, Lazar reached out toward Aurelia. Kaiden’s hand stretched toward her, but it barely missed.

In that fleeting moment, both Lazar and Aurelia disappeared like lightning from their sight.

Silence descended as quickly as it all had happened.

With the tension between their powers gone, Galad and Iz scrambled back from the edge of the cliff.

Kaiden, supporting a collapsing Heath, looked up toward the main tower.

There, a white bird with opal eyes stared intently at him, its large wings stirring the wind.

And standing before the bird was an unexpected figure holding a bow.

Her slightly widened violet eyes met his dark gaze. The bow in her hand was still trembling slightly.

There was something she could do.

At that moment, her eyes caught sight of the long, strong bow used by the sentinels. Rohana quickly picked one up as she brushed past the quiver and headed toward the main tower.

Though she had encountered him three times before, nothing had ever happened. Oddly enough, there was no fear.

Her heart was pounding wildly, her legs protesting from the sudden sprint, but her mind was strangely calm.

If someone like Lazar, who leaves everyone trembling, had deliberately brought her into this world…

And now, seeing that ‘Rohana’ wasn’t bending to his will…

‘Maybe all I need is to fight back properly.’

The knights were stationed at the entrance to the main tower.

“My lady!” one of them called out.

Without a word, Rohana continued running. The guards, caught off guard, hesitated, and she pushed past them toward the tower.

Suddenly, a powerful wind blew. The ‘white bird’—Lazar had called it Caladrius—spread its wide wings, causing the gust.

It almost seemed like a greeting.

And then, in that moment, its opal eyes flashed once more. Behind her, she could hear the startled murmurs of the people.

Strangely enough, Rohana felt no anxiety. Slowly, she recalled that she had been summoned here to save Kaiden. She had come for this very purpose.

Caladrius looked down at her, regal and imposing. Its opal eyes gleamed with an eerie clarity.

It’s fine.

Rohana walked up to the roof of the main tower, close enough to touch the feathers of the white bird.

The creature’s body was massive, at least five times the size of a human, with even larger wings that folded and unfolded.

The wind blew around her, avoiding her.

Clang!

The sound of clashing swords echoed. Rohana turned her head and saw Kaiden and Lazar locked in a standoff below.

Kaiden seemed fine, but Heath appeared to be in danger.

Rohana narrowed her eyes.

The others had apparently already been incapacitated, barely clinging to the edge of the stone corridor.

Slowly, Rohana raised her bow.

They said Lazar’s magic was unaffected by the passage of time and space.

“Let’s see what happens.”

Rohana slowly drew the bowstring. Caladrius flapped its wings once more, sending another fierce gust of wind.

“After all, I’m not just an ordinary person in this world either.”

The arrow she released flew with incredible speed, glowing a bright yellow as it pierced Lazar. At that moment, both he and Aurelia vanished from sight, as if it had all been a lie.

Her hands trembled slightly. The wind filled the silence.

For the first time, Kaiden looked up at Rohana with a hardened expression, one that was unfamiliar to her. His face was a mixture of disbelief and shock.

TL NOTE: Visit and bookmark the story at dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and updates of its latest release.