Manasvi couldn't move.
Her body refused to respond.
Her mind refused to think.
Even breathing felt impossible.
It was as if an invisible hand had wrapped around her existence itself. The only thing she could feel was a horrifying sensation — as though her soul itself was being devoured.
By William Harrington.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder and shook her slightly.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Asuko? You're sweating."
Manasvi blinked.
Standing before her was Rin Ashiro, one of Flaemero's most trusted allies.
For nearly three minutes, Manasvi hadn't taken a single breath.
She suddenly inhaled deeply.
"Ah— yes… I'm fine," Manasvi said, forcing a smile. "It's just that… I tried truffle pasta for the first time. It was a little too spicy for me."
Rin nodded calmly.
"I see. Well, Mr. Flaemero is looking for you. You should go."
Manasvi maintained her polite smile.
"Yes… I should."
But inside her mind, chaos was raging.
Who the hell was that man?
Who the hell is William Harrington?
I have never felt something like that before…
Even at a bare minimum… he might be one hundred… no… one thousand times stronger than me.
Her thoughts trembled.
That thing cannot be human.
No… that was a demon.
Her expression stiffened slightly.
How could someone like that be invited to a ball like this?
Does the Forest Organization have connections to the… "Realm of the Below"?
Her breathing grew unstable again.
That bastard tried to eat my soul.
And worse… he devoured the seal on my powers.
A chilling realization struck her.
If the seal is gone…
Then Flaemero might sense that I am not his real mistress…
The identity she had stolen — Asuko Yamamoto — was now at risk of being exposed.
The original Asuko had been kidnapped.
The disguise had been granted to Manasvi by the mysterious Servant of Harmony.
Her thoughts froze.
Wait…
If William could devour something granted by the Servant of Harmony…
Then there was only one terrifying conclusion.
Does that mean…
He stands on the same level as the higher beings?
The Realm of Spirits.
A realm that connects every spirit of every existence.
It was the domain that maintained the balance between life and death.
Every soul in existence possessed invisible chains of the Realm of Spirits. Those chains guided souls through dimensions after death, leading them back to the Realm of Spirits.
It was one of the most precious creations of the Creator — the being responsible for everything that exists… and even the things that do not exist.
The Realm of Spirits was not merely a world.
It was one of the foundational pillars supporting existence itself.
Manasvi walked through the ballroom corridor toward Flaemero.
But her mind was in chaos.
Should I pray to him…?
Before she could finish the thought—
A voice echoed behind her.
"Hmmm… I already had suspicions about you."
A soft laugh followed.
"Huhuhu… but now I'm certain."
"You are not Flaemero's mistress."
Suddenly—
The entire space trembled.
The ballroom disappeared.
The surrounding world collapsed into pure darkness.
It felt as if reality itself had been replaced.
Another voice echoed through the void.
"Interesting…"
"How did a mere human survive even a second?"
Manasvi collapsed to one knee.
Her head felt like nails were being hammered into her skull.
"W–who are you…?"
"Where am I…?"
The voice chuckled.
"Hehehe…"
"This space was created by me."
"In human terms… you could call this a fifth-dimensional space."
"Ordinary humans cannot survive in the fifth dimension."
"But you…"
"You were once the Forest Organization's most valuable asset… its strongest weapon."
"I had only heard rumors about you from the Council."
"The Council members who ascended to higher dimensions through that ritual."
Manasvi clenched her head.
The pain was unbearable.
It felt like her mind itself was being torn apart.
She couldn't even think properly.
Then the voice spoke again.
"Oh?"
"That's interesting…"
"I see now."
"You carry a blessing from a certain entity."
"That must be why I cannot devour your soul."
The voice sounded slightly amused.
"Well…"
"Do whatever you want."
The darkness suddenly shattered.
And Manasvi returned to reality.
Standing once again inside the ballroom corridor.