"WAKE UP…"
"WAKE UP…"
"WAKE UP…"
That sound echoed.
Not loud.
Not piercing.
But it didn't stop.
It seeped into every corner of his consciousness, repeating over and over, slowly… like a call from somewhere very far away.
…then suddenly—
Silence.
---
A gentle wind brushed through the leaves.
Sunlight spilled onto the ground in scattered patches.
The air was warm.
Quiet.
A small wooden house stood in the middle of a sparse forest.
No blood.
No screams.
No fighting.
Only peace… to the point it felt unreal.
Lioren opened his eyes.
He lay there.
His head resting on Ally's lap.
Her white hair fell over his shoulder, shimmering under the sunlight.
Her fingers gently stroked his hair.
Slow.
Steady.
As if soothing him.
As if cherishing something incredibly fragile.
Ally smiled.
"It's time for you to wake up… my love."
Her voice was soft.
Gentle.
Warm.
A voice he hadn't heard in peace… for a very long time.
Lioren didn't reply.
He only looked at her.
…Warm.
A strange sensation spread through his chest.
Not pain.
Not fear.
But… light.
Too light.
So light that it made him uncomfortable.
Ally continued stroking his hair.
Her gaze was so gentle, without the slightest disturbance.
"I don't want you to wake up either."
"Here… you won't feel pain anymore."
Her fingers stopped on his forehead.
"…but if you stay…"
"…you'll never wake up again."
A long silence stretched.
The wind still blew.
The sunlight remained warm.
Everything was perfect.
Too perfect.
…Wrong.
A voice echoed in his mind.
This isn't right.
This isn't real.
A memory flashed—
Blood.
The sound of bones breaking.
His hand choking Kiriel.
The Pope's gaze.
—
NO.
---
SPLASH.
A bucket of cold water was thrown straight onto his face.
Lioren jolted awake.
Breathing rapidly.
His lungs felt crushed.
Water streamed down his face.
Cold.
Very cold.
In front of him—
Kiriel.
She stood there, still holding the empty bucket.
"You're awake."
Her voice was calm.
Not gentle like Ally.
But… real.
Very real.
Lioren looked around.
The wooden house was gone.
The sunlight was gone.
Only—
Stone.
Dust.
Damp, cold air.
A mine deep within the mountain.
He raised a hand to his face.
Touched the cold water.
…Was that just a dream?
He stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then asked,
"The Pope… where is he?"
His voice was hoarse.
Dry.
Kiriel didn't answer immediately.
She looked at him for a moment, as if confirming he was fully conscious.
"You've been unconscious for ten days."
"During those ten days…"
"…the Pope has sent people to search everywhere."
She turned her head, looking into the deep darkness of the mine.
"This place… will be found sooner or later."
"We need to leave."
Lioren gave a slight nod.
Didn't ask more.
He stood up.
His body still hurt.
But he was used to that.
He followed her.
---
As they walked—
Kiriel spoke.
"At that time…"
"When you saved me."
"You passed out."
She paused briefly.
"But someone… brought us away."
"When I woke up… I was already here, with you."
Lioren frowned slightly.
"You don't know who it was?"
Kiriel shook her head.
"No."
A silence.
Only the echo of footsteps in the tunnel.
Then she continued.
"During those ten days…"
"I thought a lot."
"About how to kill him."
Lioren looked at her.
"Is there a way?"
Kiriel gave a faint smile.
Not of joy.
But… acceptance.
"Yes."
"But most of them… require a barrier."
Lioren fell into thought.
Then spoke slowly.
"What if… we create a massive barrier?"
Kiriel halted.
She turned to look at him.
He continued.
"If you want to create a barrier… you have to be the center."
"Very easy to detect."
"But if the barrier is large enough…"
"…the center can be hidden."
Kiriel was silent for a few seconds.
Her gaze changed.
"That's a good method."
"But…"
She shook her head.
"Impossible."
"Creating a barrier consumes a huge amount of mana."
"No one can sustain it long enough."
—
She took a few more steps.
Then suddenly stopped.
"…Wait."
Her voice lowered.
"Maybe…"
"…it is possible."
Lioren looked at her.
Kiriel turned back.
"The Pope has a relic."
"One that increases capacity… and restores mana."
A brief silence.
Lioren didn't think long.
"Then let's take it."
---
Night.
No moon.
No stars.
Only darkness.
Followers stood guard.
No one spoke.
No one laughed.
Only the silence of obedience.
—
SPLURT.
A red hand pierced through a chest.
The heart was pulled out.
No scream.
Only a body collapsing.
One more.
Then another.
Blood didn't even have time to flow.
Everything happened too fast.
Lioren stepped out from the shadows.
"Quite a lot."
"But… weak."
Kiriel looked at the corpses.
"As I thought."
---
The treasury door opened.
Light reflected.
Countless treasures.
Gold.
Weapons.
Artifacts.
The air was dense with energy.
But—
No guards.
Lioren spoke softly.
"…Lightly protected."
Kiriel stepped inside.
"Because…"
"…he's protecting something more important."
She stopped.
Her gaze fixed on a bowl.
Dark red.
Like blood long dried.
She picked it up.
"…Found it."
On the other side—
Lioren held a black spear.
Its shaft was cracked.
But inside…
something was "breathing."
He stared at it for a moment.
Then put it away.
"Let's go."
---
The mine.
The bowl was placed down.
Lioren and Kiriel both placed their hands on it.
Mana began to flow.
The air trembled slightly.
Lioren spoke.
"Kiriel."
"Back then… you said 'just as I thought.'"
"What did you mean?"
Kiriel looked at the bowl.
Then spoke slowly.
"Do you know…"
"why the treasury… wasn't heavily guarded?"
Lioren stayed silent.
Kiriel raised her head.
"Because he…"
"…has something more important to protect."
Her gaze turned cold.
"THE VESSELS OF GOD."
The air seemed to thicken.
Lioren asked quietly.
"…What is that?"
Kiriel answered.
"Rebirth."
"Not by magic."
"But… through humans."
She clenched her hand slightly.
"Women will carry his 'seed.'"
"When he dies…"
"They will use their own lifespan…"
"…to give birth to him again."
A long silence.
Only the flow of mana remained.
Lioren spoke.
"…Then if the vessels still exist…"
"…killing him again and again… is meaningless."
Kiriel nodded.
"Right."
Lioren looked down at the bowl.
"…Then."
"Kill him."
"And then kill the vessels too."
Kiriel didn't object.
She simply said,
"Perhaps."
"But you…"
"…will have to kill him many times."
The air grew heavy.
Another question surfaced.
…Who saved us?
He stared into the deep darkness of the mine.