I didn’t have time to think about the consequences of swallowing someone else’s soul.

When a foreign soul suddenly entered, my state began to fluctuate. My vision flickered like a dying lamp.

The Crown Prince, Gined, and the priests surrounded me, trying to stabilize me.

But everything felt distant and unrealistic.

A sense of crisis overwhelmed me, as if I might truly die this time. Amidst the chaos, a clear voice reached me.

“Shall I save you?”

Michalis was suddenly by my side.

What was he going to say to irritate me this time?

“Choose.”

“What…?”

“The King of the Underworld has left for the Underworld. You need to choose whether to follow him, stay here, or be dragged away by that thing.”

Michalis pointed to my feet. The wolf’s resentment was gripping my ankle. The sight was so disgusting it made me shudder.

“Living is better, right? Then quickly ask for my help.”

Michalis’s lips approached. His sharp fangs glinted.

Only then did I understand what he meant by saving me, and I shook my head wildly.

But Michalis ignored my refusal.

Surprisingly, the Crown Prince and Gined, whom I had trusted to help, did not step in, and only Janet tried to stop Michalis.

“Stop it. She said no.”

“What? The King of the Underworld allowed me and you to stay by Lou’s side for this day. You know that, right?”

“Speaking from experience, it’s better to die as a human. There’s nothing good to see even if you live long.”

“What, what…?”

As I mumbled in disbelief at the unexpected words, Michalis kindly explained, as though he was talking to a child.

“I’m trying to keep you away from death. They must have known this day would come. Anyway, if you become a vampire, you won’t be able to meet him forever, but you’ll live a much longer life than a human.”

“Get lost. I don’t need it.”

I was furious at Shahar for planning such a thing and leaving without a word to me.

I wanted to run to him and confront him immediately.

No, I just wanted to see him.

“Rather… Leon…”

“He’s already gone. His soul is shattered. Answer quickly. You still have a chance.”

As I raised my middle finger in response, the ground suddenly shook and began to crack.

“Lady, there’s no time. Please accept it quickly!”

Gined shouted urgently. A holy knight begging me to become a vampire—it was insane.

“Absolutely not!”

“How boring. Then go see the King of the Underworld you love so much. It’ll be useless to regret it later. Well, you have the blessing of the gods, so you might survive if you’re lucky.”

Michalis spat irritably and flew away. At the same time, the resentment pulled me forcefully.

The ground was collapsing so fast that there was no time to avoid it. Pinion tried to pull me up, but it was futile. Knowing it was hopeless, he stubbornly held my hand and wouldn’t let go.

“Hold on tight!”

“Let go, Your Highness is in danger too!”

“I can’t. Don’t die, Lou.”

Hot tears fell on my face.

I looked at his crying face in surprise. In the ten years I had stayed by Pinion’s side, I had never seen him cry.

“Who’s dying? Get a grip.”

I gritted my teeth and spoke clearly.

“No one is dying. Got it?”

But even I wasn’t sure about that.

I quickly tore off the necklace around my neck. The thin metal chain dug into my skin, leaving a wound, but I was too frantic to feel the pain. Then I wrapped the necklace around Pinion’s wrist.

I could feel time running out, making me anxious.

“With that necklace, you can go to Enril’s lair. Vampires know how to read the ancient language, so find a way to ask them.”

“What good is that without you?”

Did this guy know the value of the treasures there?

His stubbornness made me dizzy.

“What are you talking about? That’s a treasure trove worth more than money! I can’t explain it all now. Enril was researching ways to extend human life, so if you take Iscallion there, you might be able to save him.”

Enril’s lair contained research materials on stopping human time. If Iscallion was taken there quickly, there might still be hope.

“What about you?”

“I, I…”

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before we fell. Not only I, but Pinion would fall with me.

Dying together on the same day?

That would be the worst outcome I could imagine. Besides, I didn’t want such a dramatic and romantic end.

“I’m counting on you. There’s no one else I can trust.”

I forcibly pushed his hand away. At the same time, I started falling endlessly. I regretted it immediately, but it was too late.

“No, Lou!”

I saw Pinion’s despairing face. My face was probably more contorted than his.

‘D*mn, I’m scared!’

A sharp noise pierced my ears, ringing in my eardrums.

When I listened again, it was my own scream.

I knew I was falling fast, but it felt strangely long.

“Remember what I said! Okay?”

With my final shout, Pinion’s figure faded away.

* * *

How deep did I fall? I seemed to have lost consciousness again in the middle.

I wasn’t in pain. I just felt dazed. I tried to get up, but my limbs were heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds. It seemed only my mind was awake.

If so, what I was seeing now must be a dream.

I was facing someone whose identity I couldn’t discern.

I recalled that one of the side effects of the Narcissus Elixir was hallucinations.

It seemed I had ingested some of the elixir when I swallowed Iscallion’s soul fragment.

— Lou.

Hearing that gentle voice, I didn’t care if this was a dream or a hallucination.

— I just want to give you another chance.

— Liar!

With a sharp cry, my palm stung.

‘Huh?’

This dream felt familiar.

Thinking back, it was the same dream the Fairy Queen had shown me.

At the time, I thought the person was Enril, and after waking up, I assumed it was Pinion.

But now I knew it was neither.

— It doesn’t matter anymore. I just want to stay here. That’s all I want.

I pleaded, shedding tears.

— Please don’t abandon me. I’m begging you.

— How could I ever abandon you?

The hand that caressed my face and head was gentle.

When the soft lips that had touched my forehead finally left, I lifted my head.

The person was neither Enril nor Pinion.

And soon, I woke up from the short hallucination.

As my mind cleared, a wave of coldness swept over me. It was a vivid cold that forced my eyes open, unlike the hallucination.

I was lying alone in a dark place. The resentment had completely vanished during the fall.

Amid my confusion, I realized I was clutching the Crown Prince’s cloak tightly, which was wrapped around me like a blanket. Without it, I might have frozen to death and joined the ranks of the dead.

Rubbing my hands together to generate heat, I habitually asked,

“Where are we, Shahar?”

I asked while reaching into my pocket out of habit, only to remember that he was no longer by my side.

Forcing myself to shake off the sinking feeling, I looked around.

‘Is this the Underworld?’

Was I really dead?

I tried not to despair too much and took a deep breath.

‘Wait, breathing?’

It was common knowledge that ghosts didn’t breathe. Somehow, I was still alive, which was a great relief.

As I got up, I noticed a few glittering fragments at my feet. They were soul fragments that had fallen from Iscallion. I picked them up and put them in my pocket.

‘I need to find the rest of the fragments….’

When I looked around, I saw people with vacant eyes walking in a line.

I followed the man walking at the end and asked,

“Excuse me, where are we going?”

— The river.

The man answered slowly. His voice, devoid of any emotion, soon dispersed like the wind. It was a moment that made me realize he was a ghost.

Shivering, I followed the man.

Just as Shahar had said, the Underworld was indeed a desolate wasteland. For some reason, it looked even more bleak with visible collapses and pits everywhere.

I walked aimlessly for a long time, following the souls.

The endless procession finally stopped. Looking up, I saw a massive river ahead.

The souls began to take out something. They seemed to be preparing the fare to cross the river.

I also took off an ornament from my dress.

The man who had been walking ahead hesitated. Judging by his behavior, he seemed to lack the fare. His clothes were very old and dirty, looking as if he had died a miserable death.

I took off another ornament and handed it to him. It was a token of gratitude for leading me here.

Without a word of thanks, the man accepted the ornament.

He boarded the boat first, and I approached the ferryman to pay my fare.

The ferryman, who had been taking money absentmindedly, suddenly looked closely at my face.

Feeling guilty, I avoided his gaze.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

“Pardon?”

“You, I feel like I’ve seen your face somewhere…?”

“Pardon? Where?”

As I asked in confusion, the ferryman jumped.

“No, you’re alive!”