As Delilah healed him, Nero was lost in thought.
He meant what he said to Nemsus, but deep down, he wished Nemsus would choose to stay.
If he leaves…
Nero's mind drifted to the three Enys he had stolen from the castle.
"I'll have to ascend using one of them"
He exhaled slowly.
"It would be easier if an Ascendant was with me."
When Delilah finished, Nero pushed himself up, shifting to sit instead of lying on the cold ground. He glanced at her, then met her gaze directly.
"Don't think about killing him, Dee."
She didn't react at first, but he held her stare, making sure she understood he was serious.
"Even if not for me—" his voice was quieter now, steadier, "—do it for Viser."
A flicker of something passed through her eyes. Silence stretched between them before she finally gave a small nod. A sign of acceptance.
That confirmed it—she had been considering it.
Nero knew his sister well. She looked cold, controlled. But inside? She was a mess. Especially after Viser's death, they all were
With a sigh, he lifted a hand to his face. Still sore, not fully healed, but good enough.
Then, he simply waited.
Delilah watched him for a moment, then spoke.
We need to wash the clothes.
Turn around.
Nero looked at them one by one they were all coverd in blood Delilah was the one still using her Darkness mana to ecrase the smell
"Yeah" he responded
Delilah gave him a deadpan look.
She was already forming a bowl of ice in her hands, breaking it into smaller shards before passing them to Nero. He sighed, but with a flick of his fingers, he melted them into water.
Without further argument, he and Nemsus turned their backs.
Delilah and Lunia scrubbed their clothes as best they could, washing away dried blood and grime. Once finished, they handed the damp fabric to Nero, who carefully dried them with controlled heat.
Then, the process repeated for him and Nemsus.
"I'll take the first shift," Nero said once they were done.
Without a word, the others lay down, exhaustion dragging them into sleep.
Four hours passed in silence before Delilah woke and took over for him. The cave remained still, save for the quiet breathing of their worn-out group.
But in the second hour of her watch, she shook Nero awake.
"What—" he started, but Delilah cut him off with a hand over his mouth. Her other hand pointed toward the cave entrance.
A deep, rhythmic thudding echoed through the night. Heavy footsteps.
Nero tensed, carefully shifting to get a better look.
Two wolves.
Not the ones that had chased them before—these were Sovereigns.
Far in the distance, they ran east, toward the frozen lands. One of them limped, its body torn and bleeding, barely keeping pace with the other.
Nero narrowed his eyes.
They lost?
Before he could process it further, a deafening scream ripped through the night. A monstrous, unnatural wail that echoed across the human lands.
They found out, Nero thought.
Without hesitation, he expanded his Darkness spell, Absence, covering all four of them in its void-like embrace.
He was lucky to have reacted so fast.
A split second later, a vast wave of mana surged across the land—a massive Mana Sense, scanning hundreds of miles in an instant.
They froze. No one dared to breathe.
Nero's mana ran dry, his spell vanishing just as Delilah cast the same one. Hers barely held for a few seconds before flickering out.
The Mana Sense passed.
Silence.
Had Nero been a second slower… had whoever cast that search been just a little closer…
They'd be dead.
Cold sweat ran down their backs. No one moved. No one spoke.
They had just brushed against something far beyond them.
After moments of silence it was nemsus's voice who braught their attention
How the hell did those two beasts lose?" Nemsus muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
"Probably had help," Nero replied, his voice low. "Octavian alone wouldn't be enough to take on both of them."
Nemsus clenched his fists slightly, frustration simmering beneath the surface. But in the end, the decision was made
With a sharp exhale, he ran a hand through his hair before turning to Delilah. "What was that?"
Delilah frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Nemsus' eyes darkened. "Do I look stupid to you?" His voice was edged with frustration.
Nero glanced at him, and for a brief moment, their gazes locked. He said " you had your time"
Then, without a word, Nemsus extended his hand.
A genuine smile broke across Nero's face as he grasped it. "I knew you'd make the right decision."
The happiness in his expression was undeniable.
Lunia remained silent, and Delilah simply watched, her face unreadable.
"If we want to survive, we need to know everything about everyone here," Nemsus said, his words directed at Delilah.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. She clearly didn't like it. Her eyes flicked to her brother, searching for support.
Nero met her gaze and gave a firm nod. "He's right."
Delilah inhaled slowly before turning back to Nemsus.
His expression was unreadable.
"Runes, spells—everything. That's my decision."
I'll start
Nemsus listed his abilities without hesitation.
Level 3 Light Rune.
Level 3 Lightning Rune.
Level 1 Sword Artifice.
A few basic attack spells with lightning—one at Level 2. One movement spell.
No defensive spells.
I also have a blinding spell and two illusion spells—one for hiding, one for duplication. They all use Light as a base."
He crossed his arms. "That's it."
Lunia sat quietly on the side, watching but not fully understanding what was being discussed. The tension in the cave was thick, but she could only grasp fragments of it.
Nero was the next to speak.
Level 3 Darkness Rune.
Level 1 Ice Rune.
Level 1 Fire Rune.
A Level 1 Sword Artifact.
Basic attack spells with both Ice and Fire.
One defensive and one attack spell using Ice.
And, of course, my Absence spell Using darkness"
Nemsus's expression shifted to shock. "Ice? You have three runes?"
Nero didn't reply. He simply held Nemsus's gaze, letting the realization settle. It was clear now for Nemsus that he didn't know him as well as he thought, maybe not at all.
Delilah's voice came next, steady and matter-of-fact.
Level 3 Life Rune.
Level 3 Darkness Rune.
Level 1 Ice Rune.
Same basic attack and deffence spells as Nero, except Fire. I also have two healing spells—one for simple wounds, the other for minor diseases, and the absence spell
And, of course, Victry's sword. I think it's at Level 3."**
Nemsus's mouth was wide open his hand on his head
"Two High Runes? Hah! What the hell—are you some kind of abandoned princess?"
Nemsus let out a short, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it. Yeah, he had suspected something was off about them—especially after Delilah somehow mimicked Nero's Absence spell—but he had dismissed it.
Because, honestly, who the hell would believe something like this?
"Not just that—but three runes? Do you know how rare that is?" Nemsus' voice was sharp, edged with something between disbelief and betrayal.
His gaze locked onto Nero, searching for answers, for an explanation that would make this all make sense. But Nero didn't flinch. His voice was steady, almost detached.
"It was Viser," he said simply. "He told us not to tell anyone."
The moment the name left Nero's lips, Nemsus' expression shifted. The anger in his eyes flickered, giving way to something else—something heavier. Sadness.
Nero had chosen that moment carefully. He knew exactly what he was doing.
But still, Nemsus turned toward Nero, suspicion darkening his gaze.
"Who are you?" His voice was low, edged with doubt.
Nero met his eyes without hesitation. "I am Nero. The same one you've always known." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I get it. After everything that just happened, you don't fully believe me. Maybe I wouldn't either if I were you." His voice was steady, firm. "But I swear to you—that's all I know."
Nemsus studied him for a long moment, searching for any cracks in his words, any sign of dishonesty. But Nero's face remained unreadable.
The anger in him started vanishing, not that he forgive them but after all this
They just have two survive first
It was Lunia who spoke next.
She grabbed Nemsus by his clothes, her small hands trembling slightly. Only then did he remember—just days ago, she had been nothing more than a normal girl, unaware of any of this.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
He knew what she wanted to ask
"I'll tell you everything you need to know now," he said, his voice firm. "But you have to listen carefully. You need to understand every word I say, okay?"
Lunia met his eyes and gave a small nod.
Nero and Delilah watched in silence. They knew this moment was necessary. She had to understand if she was going to survive.
"First, let's talk about the Eny," Nemsus began, his tone steady but firm.