[ From Basil and Lilith's Perspective ]
"I… I can't tell you," murmured Lilith, her voice trembling as her eyes avoided Basil's persistent gaze.
"Tch," Basil scoffed, running a hand through his hair, clearly irritated. "Look, I don't know what you think of me, but I really don't give a damn about your origins or those horns stuck to your head. I'm not even from this world."
That last sentence lit a spark in Lilith's eyes, a newfound curiosity stirring within her.
"Really? You know nothing about this world?" she asked, incredulity evident in her tone.
"Yeah. Think of me as a stranger, a lost traveler," Basil replied nonchalantly, turning his back on her and stretching as if it was nothing of importance.
A faint smile crept onto Lilith's lips, hidden in the shadow of her face.
"My people… we're Vormorites," she finally admitted, her voice calmer now. "Our ancestors came through a rift called the Shadow Scar, located in the southern part of the continent. But among us, there were two kinds of Vormorites: those with intelligence comparable to humans, and others, more savage, driven by animalistic instincts."
She clenched her wrist tightly, as if trying to suppress an invisible pain.
"But none of that mattered to the other races. They never saw the difference between us. Because of the uncontrollable actions of those creatures, my people paid an unimaginable price. Over a century ago, they decided to exterminate us—all of us, good and bad alike."
Basil watched her intently, intrigued. Lilith lowered her head, pinching her arm violently as if to quell the hatred bubbling within her.
"They killed everyone, without distinction. Endless massacres. And even after the savages were wiped out, they continued hunting us. I was just a child when my parents were slaughtered, simply because they were Vormorites."
She paused, her breath shaky.
"So, you want revenge, I take it," Basil said evenly, his tone betraying no emotion.
"Yes," Lilith admitted without hesitation.
It was the first time she had confided in anyone. Until this moment, she had kept her pain and dreams of vengeance buried, living solely to survive day by day.
"And what about the clown chasing you earlier?" Basil asked, breaking the silence.
"He was a Paladin from the Orelian Consulate. That consulate is made up of several cities ruled by consuls who share the same faith. They were the ones who ordered my parents' murder and the destruction of my village."
A silence fell between them—not oppressive, but rather a soothing moment of calm. For Lilith, it felt as if a weight she had carried for years was finally lifting. She didn't understand why, but opening up to this stranger, this eccentric outsider, had brought her some relief.
Basil slowly stood up, his eyes fixed on the sky painted in hues of orange.
"I could help you, if you want."
Startled by his unexpected offer, Lilith looked up at him. He held out his hand—a strong, warm, almost reassuring hand. Without thinking, she took it.
[ Quartzian Forest of Lunithar ]
"Have you found anything?" an imperial guard asked, scanning the oppressive darkness of the forest.
Two other guards shook their heads from a distance, but a scream suddenly pierced the silence:
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
On high alert, the group rushed toward the sound. The guard who had screamed was frozen, trembling, his face pale and his clothes drenched in sweat.
"What happened, Henri?" Neryana demanded as she arrived at the scene.
He pointed a trembling finger toward the horizon.
"T-… There!"
Following his gesture, the entire group was struck with horror: a massive crevasse stretched as far as the eye could see, as if the earth itself had been torn apart by a titanic force.
One of the guards approached Neryana, his voice shaking.
"C-Captain… what is that?"
Neryana's expression hardened. Without a word, she leapt into the center of the crater, evaluating its immense size. Her eyes widened as she extended her senses toward the surrounding aether.
An aetheric current… it's coming from that direction, she thought, turning toward the area where Basil had struck.
"Marco, Sylia, Venro, stay here with Henri. Mana and Elioth, you're coming with me," she ordered, her voice sharp as a blade.
They advanced through the gigantic fissures, the tension palpable with every step. Finally, Elioth murmured, his throat tight.
"Captain… the further we go, the more the crevasse seems to close… narrowing toward a point of impact."
Neryana frowned.
"Yes. As if this was all caused by a single attack of inconceivable power."
Mana, overwhelmed, collapsed to the ground, vomiting from fear. Elioth rushed to help her, but he, too, was shaken. They had never seen anything like this.
Such destruction could only be the work of a near-divine entity. Yet even the Seven Great Families, known for their unmatched strength, wouldn't have acted this way without reason.
Fear rose within them like a black tide.
Neryana broke their trance with a firm tone.
"Listen to me, Mana, Elioth."
"Yes, Captain?" they responded, trying to regain their composure.
"If I don't return before the sunrise, you must inform the Court of Mages of the Scarlet Order and request the activation of the Black Sun Protocol. Understood?"
{ Black Sun Protocol: A civilian lockdown and full military mobilization with support from members of the Great Families. }
"Where are you going, Captain?"
"I'm going to trace the aether. It will lead me to whoever caused this."
"But… what if something happens to you?" Mana cried out, desperate.
Neryana sighed, almost touched by her disciple's concern.
"Don't worry. I know how to handle myself."
She drew her sword, turning her back to her subordinates, then cast one final glance over her shoulder.
"Good luck, my disciples."
With a leap, she disappeared, racing toward the point of impact at lightning speed.