Chapter 13.7

Under the dark sky, only the sound of waves mixed with sobs broke the silence.  

It felt as if time itself would stop forever.

Then, at some point, a faint light spread from Herace’s chest.  

A fierce storm blew in from beyond the sea. A pure white light spread before Brienne’s eyes.  

Brienne looked up as if hypnotized.  

‘This is……’  

A beautiful glow, dazzling enough to hurt the eyes, slowly gathered into a single form. As Brienne stared blankly, a white feather gently fluttered down before her eyes.

……Soul bird.  

Realizing what was happening, Brienne suddenly sprang up. She hurriedly reached out and cupped the light in both hands.  

Herace might leave her.  

To a place where she could never find him again.

To a place from which there is no return.  

She could not let it be.  

If she let Herace go like this, there would truly be no way to bring him back.

If there was a reason she could see this soul with her own eyes.  

If there was any chance for her.  

“Birdcage……”  

With that thought, Brienne stopped her tears and looked around.  

“Kaiden, do you still have the birdcage?”  

She thought perhaps it had been lost when they fell into the sea. But Kaiden, as if he understood what she was trying to do, immediately stood up.  

Kaiden reached out and handed Brienne the birdcage he had set down to one side.

It was a choice he made, knowing the birdcage meant to hold his own soul would now be used for Herace.  

It was an act of atonement for Herace, who had lost his life because of him.  

Brienne accepted the birdcage, opened the door, placed Herace’s soul inside, and locked it.

‘……Don’t fly away.’  

‘Just hold on a little longer. I’ll return you to your original state soon.’  

‘Herace, so please……’  

Clutching the birdcage, Brienne whispered and looked up at the sky.

She thought that somewhere up there, the god Demekia must be looking down on this place.  

A look of hostility appeared in Brienne’s eyes.  

‘Is this…… the curse you gave me?’  

She had chosen a fate that defied the will of the god.  

And so, if Herace died because of it—  

‘……Then I’ll curse you too.’  

Every day, she would pray that the soul shining at the highest place would be cast down to hell.

The sky, filled only with darkness and not a single star, watched Brienne silently.

* * *

At that time, Garzen and Lusell were sitting in front of Miragium, with the communicator between them, waiting for Brienne’s message.  

Of course, Diashi was with them.

“Hey everyone, I’m getting anxious here…… Why hasn’t Miss Brienne said anything yet? Did she maybe lose the birdcage?”  

“Yeah, maybe we should try connecting first?”  

The three exchanged glances and nodded. Lusell picked up the communicator.

“Miss Brienne, is something wrong……”  

But at that moment,  

The pendant in Lusell’s hand was suddenly dyed in a pitch-black light.

Diashi, startled, snatched up the pendant.  

“What, why is this happening all of a sudden……!”  

With a flustered face, Diashi hurriedly turned off the communicator’s button. But the communicator only kept getting darker and darker.

Garzen, noticing Diashi’s seriousness, asked,  

“What is it, what’s wrong?”  

“……”  

Diashi, stiff as a board, checked the communicator several times before stammering,  

“It looks like…… the circuit over there is completely broken. And this side, too.”  

“What?”  

Garzen blinked in confusion.

“Then, you’re saying we can’t use it at all anymore?”  

“That’s right…… What in the world happened?”  

As Diashi’s voice mixed with despair, Garzen sighed and wiped his face.

Lusell’s expression darkened.  

“……But, Your Highness.”  

“Hmm?”  

“It’s been hours, so why hasn’t anyone come looking for us?”  

Raising the question that suddenly came to mind, Lusell took out a pocket watch from his coat and showed Garzen and Diashi the time.

Lusell gestured toward the window with his eyes.  

“Look, something’s strange. I thought it wasn’t that late because it’s so bright outside…… But it’s already past evening. How can it be so bright when it’s becoming night?”  

“What? What do you mean?”

Just then,  

The large door at the end of the corridor, which had been tightly shut, swung open. The urgent voices of knights rang out.  

“Your Highness, there’s a fire!”  

“Hurry, escape! Hamartia is approaching and setting fire to the Main Temple!”  

“……D*mn it!”

Garzen quickly stood up and rushed toward the window. Sure enough, red flames were spreading beyond it.  

No, it wasn’t just beyond.  

Flames were also rising from beneath the window where he stood.  

Only then did the smell of burning hit his nose.

A knight, running toward the confused Garzen, bowed his head.  

“It’s a rebellion. Not only Hamartia, but crowds from the slums are rushing in……!”  

“Can we hold them off?”  

“No, we’re trying our best, but it’s not enough. There are too many people using magic.”  

“What……”

A knight, clinging to his bleeding arm, struggled to continue.  

“I’m sorry we couldn’t warn you sooner. The priests are all trying to block the attacks, so no one could open the doors here.”

Garzen’s eyes shook as he looked at the knight’s pained face. The knight behind him also looked unwell. Both were seriously wounded.

……What have I been doing all this time?  

Just as Garzen was about to fall into self-reproach, Lusell hurriedly grabbed his arm.  

“Your Highness, please take Miss Diashi and escape from here.”  

“What? Lusell, you……”  

Garzen frowned and looked back at Lusell.

“I will wait here for Miss Brienne.”  

“No, you can’t do that. Lusell! If that’s the case, I’ll stay too……”  

“No, Your Highness must go.”  

With those words, Lusell shook his head firmly.

Garzen’s gaze wavered.  

Diashi, pale as a sheet, suddenly stood up.  

“What are you both saying? Stop it and let’s all go! I’ll protect this place!”  

But at that moment,  

A massive tremor shook the floor beneath them. Everyone looked around in shock.

With no time to escape, the ceiling began to collapse.  

“No……!”  

Huge debris fell on top of them in an instant.

Bang.  

A cloud of dust rose over the collapsed corridor.

Garzen staggered to his feet.  

‘Your Highness! Are you all right……!’

Lusell’s muffled voice rang in his ears.  

His mind scattered.  

He couldn’t see ahead.

“……Lusellion!”  

Garzen hurriedly got up and searched for Lusell.  

Then he stopped dead.

Blood was streaming like a river from Lusell’s head, trapped under a fallen statue.  

“D*mn it, what is this……!”  

Garzen rushed to Lusell and tried with all his strength to push the statue away. But the large statue, modeled after the god Demekia, could not be moved by Garzen alone.

“Hey, someone help me!”  

Garzen shouted desperately, looking around.  

But there was no one else in his sight. No one else had come to their senses.

‘……D*mn it, if only I knew how to use magic properly at a time like this.’  

Clenching his fist, Garzen frantically patted Lusell’s cheek.  

“Hey, Lusell! Wake up……! Lusellion!”  

“Ugh…… Your Highness……?”

Lusell managed to open his eyes with difficulty.  

“Look at me, are you awake? We have to get out of here!”  

Garzen grabbed Lusell’s arm, but Lusell shook his head with a faint smile.

“Your Highness…… I’m sorry, but I think it’s too late for me. I can’t feel my legs.”  

“What……?”  

“I’ll be fine. I’ll follow soon, so don’t look back, Your Highness, just escape first.”

Garzen’s hand, gripping Lusell’s shoulder, was bulging with veins.  

“Escape first? Are you kidding? I can’t leave you here! Who knows when it’ll collapse again!”  

“But Your Highness. You have things you must protect.”  

Lusell spoke firmly to the confused Garzen.

“So please survive, and protect our Roeta. The Roeta we were trying to build.”  

Garzen’s face turned pale as he looked at the blood coloring Lusell’s face.  

“……D*mn it, why are you saying things that sound like a last will with that look! Stop joking and get up now!”

But Lusell, as if using his last bit of strength, smiled at Garzen.  

“Please don’t forget that everything depends on your hands, Your Highness.”  

“You……”

Garzen, startled, pulled his trembling hand away from Lusell.  

At that moment,  

The stained glass ceiling, barely hanging on, shattered completely. Shards of glass, sparkling with dazzling light, rained down on their heads.

“No, Lusell……!”  

Garzen shielded Lusell’s head from the stinging rain. The weight pressing weakly against his chest filled Garzen’s eyes with despair.

“Lusell, Lusellion Bartshire! Wake up……!”  

But there was no longer any answer from Lusell.

“……”  

The floor shook violently once again.  

Garzen wiped his burning eyes and turned toward the door.

There was nothing he could do.  

He had no choice but to leave Lusell behind; he was just a weak lord, a comrade, and a friend.  

And also, a prince of this country.

<Don’t be swayed by personal feelings, think only of ideals.>  

Recalling Lusell’s habitual words, Garzen rose with a dark expression. Biting his lip until it almost bled, he found the unconscious Diashi and picked her up.

As he walked toward the door, the temple collapsed completely behind him.  

It was the end for Lusellion Bartshire, his lifelong friend and loyal retainer.