Theseos’s eyes snapped open.
In the next mont, an unbearable cold flooded over him.
‘Tie!’
Without even understanding what had happened, he called out to her first.
But there was no answer.
His heart pounded loudly as he frantically looked around.
‘What the.......’
Astie was gone.
Marbas, who had been bustling beside him just monts ago, had also disappeared.
The golden eye that had been floating in the air, the moss that had covered the floor—everything was gone.
‘.......’
And he himself—was gone too.
He tried to blink.
Or rather, he wanted to—but couldn’t.
Because he had no body, he couldn’t do anything.
At that mont, soone rushed past him and shouted:
“Theseos! Dodge!”
Blond hair, sared with dirt and blood.
And among it—a familiar face.
Eyes like a clear sky.
A gaze filled with terror.
It was Ardianna.
“Ah......!”
At that very mont, one of the roots slicing through the air grazed her right arm.
A red stain imdiately spread across her brown robe.
‘Ardianna!’
He shouted, but no sound ca out.
Ardianna staggered.
From the opposite side, another root lunged at her, as if to pierce through her.
“Get down!”
Soone else within his view grabbed her arm and pulled her down, rolling her across the ground.
Then he sprang up and, with a single swing of a massive sword, cut down all the surrounding roots.
‘......?’
It was himself.
But not as he was now—he had a body, alive.
Theseos stared at himself in shock.
Like a shadow.
Like a soul watching its own shell.
“Fall back there!”
His living self supported Ardianna.
Led her to a place that seed relatively safe.
Only then did the surroundings beco clear.
Wet ground.
Stone walls.
Columns supporting the space, carved with patterns of the imperial palace.
‘The palace......?’
It was without a doubt the palace.
More precisely—the underground passage of the old palace.
The very place they had been before being dragged into another world.
“Stop the bleeding first! And drink the antidote!”
His living self shoved a torn leather pouch into Ardianna’s hand.
Then rushed forward again to fend off the roots.
By now, it was clear.
‘......The clock tower’s magic crystal?’
They had been subjugating the clock tower’s magic crystal.
More precisely—its core, the heart located underground.
Roots glowing with magic.
The underground columns.
All of it matched that place.
‘But it was already destroyed?’
He had seen with his own eyes how Ardianna, risking being consud by magic, had pierced the heart.
Then why was it happening again now?
As if they had been returned to that mont—but in a different version.
‘......Where is Leonardo? Where is my brother?’
Sensing sothing wrong, Theseos looked around.
‘Astie? Alleric? Ribia?’
He searched for the others.
But—
“Theseos! Cover !”
In this space, there were only two people.
Ardianna and Theseos.
No one else.
“It’s dangerous! If you approach the heart recklessly......!”
Ardianna ran forward.
In her hand, she tightly gripped a dagger.
She headed straight toward the heart of the magic crystal.
One root nearly struck her.
It sliced off a lock of her hair, and golden strands fell into the mud.
“Don’t co any closer!”
In the next mont, Ardianna drove the dagger into the heart.
Imdiately, a horrifying scream filled the underground.
“Kiiiiiiiek—!”
A massive surge of magic poured out from the heart.
It quickly began spreading along Ardianna’s arm.
Black-red veins surfaced across her skin, and the movent of the roots slowed.
“Ardianna!”
Theseos rushed toward her.
Clutching the dagger with both hands, Ardianna resisted the magic with her whole body.
“Don’t co closer!”
She turned sharply.
“Go to the others......”
Her lips trembled.
“Bring them! If you get infected too—it’s over!”
Desperation rang in her voice.
Theseos took a step back.
His face twisted.
“...I’ll be quick.”
He turned and ran toward the exit.
Theseos watched his own back as it disappeared.
Then turned his gaze back to Ardianna.
Amid the fallen roots, she breathed heavily.
Her skin was growing darker.
A thick, dark violet magic flowed from the heart.
“...I can’t die.”
she whispered faintly.
“Not now.”
But her voice was fading.
It was as if she was trying to convince herself.
“This...... I can endure......”
But her strength gave out.
Her hand slipped from the dagger.
Her head fell forward.
Tears welled beneath her # Nоvеlight # trembling eyelids.
“I......”
Blood flowed from her lips.
Together with the magic.
Her life was fading.
“This can’t......”
And at the mont her voice nearly vanished—
a faint golden light flowed out from the split heart.
It rose before Ardianna—
“...!”
and plunged into her chest.
Just like it had with Tie.
And sothing strange happened.
“Ha......?”
The magic that had already filled her body began to recede.
Like a tide going out.
Like a monster fleeing from sunlight.
“How.......”
Ardianna looked down.
Placed her hands on her chest.
Beneath her collarbone, a light flickered.
“Ardianna!”
Theseos returned.
“I found them! I found the association chair!”
Ribia.
“Why are you standing around! Bring the stretcher!”
Victor, covered in blood.
“Chairwoman! Are you alright?!”
Alleric, his arm badly wounded.
“...Ardianna.”
Theseos suddenly embraced her.
“You......!”
He ran his hand over her cheek, as if unable to believe it.
Ardianna lowered her gaze.
The light disappeared.
With difficulty, she whispered:
“T-Theseos. From the heart of the crystal...... sothing strange......”
Theseos looked at the heart.
It was already turning to ash.
He frowned and stood.
Lifted Ardianna into his arms.
“...Give a cover.”
Victor handed it to him.
He covered her face.
And walked forward, through the squad.
“Is communication working?”
“Yes, we just checked!”
“Then relay it—have the Holy Knights prepare and get the antidote ready.”
Ardianna peeked out from beneath the cover.
“Theseos. Outside...... the monsters?”
“Gone.”
She fell silent.
He let out a breath.
And said quietly:
“That’s thanks to you.”
She didn’t respond.
She simply leaned against his chest.
And then—
a ripple passed over them.
Theseos, who had been watching everything, finally snapped back.
The scenes accelerated.
Days.
Years.
And suddenly, ti stopped.
“...I’m sorry.”
Theseos inhaled sharply.
His cheeks hollowed.
Tears stread down his face.
Ardianna lifted her head.
“I can’t raise him.”
She looked down.
In her arms was a small body.
“Don’t co again.”
It was Astie.
With a faint golden light in her chest.
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