The silence was unbearable.
Ambrose sat beside Pearl's lifeless body, his fingers curled into fists so tight his nails pierced his own skin. She lay there, her breath shallow, her pulse nearly undetectable. But she was not dead. Not yet.
He had tried everything. Every incantation, every fragment of power surging through his veins—yet nothing could wake her. The room bore the evidence of his wrath: shattered mirrors, torn drapes, deep cracks running along the walls where his energy had lashed out in fury. Even the air was thick with the scent of burning magic, his desperation warping the very essence of the space around him.
This shouldn't have happened.
His power had always overwhelmed others—he had never met a creature who could match him, let alone survive him. But Pearl… she had done something impossible. She had touched the darkest parts of him and lived. And now she was slipping away, and he could do nothing about it.
His breathing was ragged, his mind a storm of uncontrollable thoughts. If there was even a sliver of a chance, he would take it. If he had to rip apart the very fabric of existence to bring her back, so be it.
A hand touched his shoulder.
"Ambrose," Queen Veliean's voice was steady but laced with something fragile. "This is not the way."
He did not look at her. His crimson eyes burned as he clenched his jaw. "Then tell me the way, Mother."
She exhaled slowly, glancing at Pearl before meeting his gaze. "There is something… something I saw."
Ambrose stilled.
"I don't know what it was," she admitted. "But when you attacked Pearl… something flickered. A presence—something ancient. It was out of my reach, but I could feel it. And I know Miraculas has the answers."
His name was enough to reignite the fury in Ambrose's veins. He stood abruptly, his entire being radiating with restrained power. "Then I'll make him speak."
Veliean placed a hand against his chest, stopping him. "He won't give up his secrets easily, but there is one thing I remember."
Ambrose narrowed his eyes.
"A locket," she said. "I don't know what it is, but something tells me it holds the key to saving Pearl."
Ambrose stared at her for a long moment before turning away. He had wasted enough time.
If Miraculas would not speak willingly, then Ambrose would make him.
The Temple of the Supreme glowed with an ethereal energy, its towering pillars humming with ancient magic. Ambrose stormed inside without hesitation, his presence darkening the very air around him.
Miraculas stood at the center of the chamber, waiting. His celestial robes rippled as if responding to the shift in energy. His golden eyes, usually void of emotion, darkened ever so slightly.
"You already know why I'm here," Ambrose growled.
Miraculas did not move. "Yes."
"Then tell me. How do I bring her back?"
A silence stretched between them before Miraculas finally spoke. "There is nothing to bring back. She is not dead."
Ambrose's hands flexed. "She's not alive either."
"She exists in between."
Ambrose's patience snapped. "Give me the locket."
Miraculas' expression remained unreadable. "No."
Ambrose let out a low, menacing laugh. "I wasn't asking."
With a flick of his wrist, the chamber trembled, cracks forming along the sacred floor as dark energy coiled around him like a storm. But Miraculas merely lifted his hand, a golden force rising to counteract the darkness.
Their powers collided in an explosion of energy, shaking the temple. The pillars groaned, the sky outside swirling violently. Ambrose launched himself at the Supreme, his claws elongating as he aimed for his throat—only to be repelled by a surge of blinding light.
He hit the ground but recovered instantly, his crimson eyes gleaming with uncontained rage. "You cannot keep it from me."
Miraculas exhaled. "You do not understand what you are asking for, Ambrose."
"I understand enough," Ambrose spat.
"You are not stable enough to handle what comes next."
"I don't care."
Miraculas studied him for a long moment before finally raising a hand. A golden symbol appeared in the air before him—a path. "Then go," he said, his voice unreadable. "Find it yourself."
Ambrose didn't hesitate. He stepped into the glowing path, vanishing into the unknown.
Miraculas remained still long after he was gone. His fingers tightened slightly at his sides, a rare sliver of unease passing over his features.
"They will destroy Damsel," he murmured to himself.
His gaze lifted toward the sky.
"And I cannot let that happen."
Meanwhile…
King Blaze stood in the shadows of the ruined chamber, watching Pearl's still form. His golden eyes burned with cold determination.
His son's second life was inside her.
He would take it back.
Even if it meant her death.
He turned away, his voice barely above a whisper. "Prepare the ritual."
The guards disappeared into the darkness, leaving the king alone with his thoughts.
The pieces were finally moving.
And soon, he would do what needed to be done.