— Frey Starlight’s Pov —
One day left.
Sitting atop one of the tallest buildings within the Shadow Sect, I gazed over the vast expanse with empty eyes and a face darkened by weariness.
The sect had grown massive .. larger now than Belgrade, the Imperial Capital itself.
High walls and towering defenses turned it into a fortress.
The Engineer had completed his work here, then vanished without a trace .. as if he had never been here in the first place.
His disappearance at this exact mont... I couldn’t help but suspect it was intentional.
He’d helped easily over the past few days, asking for nothing in return. But looking back now...
Perhaps the entire thing had been a setup. A carefully laid trap leading straight into a pit of despair far deeper than anything I had fallen into before.
Or maybe... I had already fallen into it.
My relationship with the Engineer was never equal. He could appear before whenever he wished .. but no matter how much I searched, I would never find him unless he allowed it.
But I was certain of one thing.
He was still near. Watching .
He had always been close, from the very beginning.
In the end, every move he made, every question he answered, every mont of guidance he offered...
All of it served a greater purpose—a goal he had likely written out long before I ever crossed his path.
And now, it felt like my current situation was just another step on the path he had prepared for .
It was as if a bottomless abyss had opened within , devouring from the inside, swallowing in a storm of tangled emotions.
It was suffocating.
But sohow, my face showed none of it. Not a trace of the feelings that tore through my heart with every passing second.
I couldn’t do anything except sit there quietly, powerless, unable to find a solution to this overwhelming dilemma.
But I couldn’t sit there forever.
There was only one day left.
Ti...
"If only I had more ti..."
The thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it just as quickly.
"No. Even if I did, nothing would change."
Either way, I was the one responsible for what happened to Danzo...
And I would be the one responsible for whatever ca next.
It was a heavy burden, one that crushed my shoulders without rcy.
But I had no choice but to keep moving forward.
Because no one else could do it but .
And so, I rose quietly to my feet, casting one last glance at the sect...
Then in the next second, I was gone .. vanishing into thin air as I teleported back to the Empire.
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That night, I visited Uriel at the temple.
The church’s top Saint candidate, five full years older than ...
With her golden hair and noble aura, she shone as brilliantly as ever, drawing all eyes wherever she went.
"I’m sorry, Uriel. I keep coming to you for help, asking again and again without giving anything in return. And here I am, asking for your help once more... I truly am sorry."
I apologized sincerely, but she quickly waved her hands, cutting off, concern written all over her face.
"There’s no need to apologize. I’ll help you anyti. So please... don’t wear that face."
That’s what she said.
What face was she talking about, I wondered? I had no idea. There was no mirror here to show my own expression.
I thought I was keeping my emotions hidden... so I didn’t know what she ant.
Still, I nodded to her in gratitude.
Uriel hesitated for a mont but soon steeled herself to help once again.
And so, I unsheathed the Dark Sister.
My black katana.
"It’s simple. I need you to infuse it with your holy power once more. That’s all."
I gave her a faint smile.
"We’ve done it once before .. it’ll be much easier this ti and won’t take long."
I was certain of that. After I’d used her power to save Sansa in the past, the Dark Sister had grown accustod to her holy aura. This ti, it would accept her power far more quickly.
Uriel Platini knew this too, though hesitation still flickered across her face.
"Can I ask... what are you planning to do with this power?"
She wanted the truth. It was a bit intrusive of her.
But I didn’t mind. After all, she was the one helping .
Last ti, her power was used to save Sansa.
But this ti...
It was for sothing very different.
"I’m going to kill a demon."
I answered simply, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.
My answer was vague .. but it was the truth.
I didn’t want to give her any further details, and she didn’t try to press the matter.
Instead, she simply did what I asked of her.
This ti, it took barely an hour.
And soon, the Dark Sister glead with pure white and erald light, radiating with sacred energy.
The Dark Sister amplified aura.
And with it, Uriel’s holy power surged within the blade, multiplying in strength several tis over .. just as I had intended.
"Thank you."
I thanked her sincerely before turning to leave.
But she stopped , gripping my shoulder.
"What is it?"
"Let co with you!" she said, her voice urgent. "You’ll need holy power, right? Wouldn’t it be better if I ca in person instead of just lending you my power through the sword?"
Uriel sensed sothing was wrong. Her instincts told her as much.
Especially after I told her I was going to kill a demon.
I guess I shouldn’t have said that.
"You really are kind, Uriel. That’s why everyone loves you."
And that’s why I love you ...
Gently removing her hand from my shoulder, I took a few steps back.
"But I’m sorry... this is sothing only I can do."
It was my responsibility alone.
I couldn’t let her carry the burden of what I was about to face.
And so, I apologized. But she didn’t give up.
Which left no choice but to disappear—using the teleportation ability I’d recently acquired.
An ability that only reminded of my failures.
In that mont, I left Uriel alone in the temple.
She stood there, staring at the empty space where I’d been, whispering softly to herself.
"...Will you really be able to bear this?"
She didn’t know exactly what was happening, but what she saw in was enough to tell her just how unbearable this weight was.
I was truly desperate.
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Outside the temple...
I wandered quietly, leaving its grounds behind and walking the streets of Belgrade.
"It’s snowing..."
A warm cloud of breath escaped my lips as I stopped in place, staring at the cold snowflakes brushing against my face.
It was the heart of winter, so the snowfall wasn’t surprising. It covered everything in white, blanketing the streets and rooftops.
This was the final night. Only a few hours remained, and night had already fallen.
But the air was peaceful. Calm.
No different from any other day.
The Empire was busy with countless matters: the looming war, the aftermath of recent events...
But I was unaware of any of it, having isolated myself from the world over the past month.
The only thing filling my mind...
Was my sick friend, who had only hours left.
Hours before the mont of truth.
Preparing for that mont, I t with my other friend, who was waiting for .
In the empty, dark alleys where not even a breath could be heard...
I stood face-to-face with Ghost, who had co the mont I summoned him.
Ghost said nothing at first. He simply stood there, staring at my face, unable to find any words.
And that silence irritated more than I thought it would.
"You’re all looking at like that... Is there sothing on my face or what?"
I asked with a faint smile ... one that couldn’t hide the weakness behind it.
Ghost answered my question with one of his own.
"...What happened?"
Hearing that...
I couldn’t help but laugh weakly.
So it was that obvious?
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