‘So… if I follow this energy, does that mean I can return to my original world?’
Could she throw away all of this—the resurrected body, the Demon God, the plans for world domination?
Was that even possible?
Elsez’s heart pounded.
She hurriedly turned away from the banquet hall.
“Reti, can you pinpoint exactly where the energy is coming from?”
“This way.”
The direction Reti indicated led to the back of the building, where the area was isolated and rarely frequented.
Elsez didn’t care that her hair was coming undone as she sprinted forward, following Reti’s guidance.
As she ran, a problem surfaced in her mind.
‘But… Yoo Hana’s body is dead, right? So if I return to my world… would I still be in Elsez’s body over there?’
The uncertainty made her hesitate for a fraction of a second—
But she immediately shook her head.
‘I need to check first. I can decide whether to go back later.’
So she ran faster.
Until her braided hair unraveled completely, until her lungs burned.
Then—
A voice suddenly echoed in her mind, freezing her in place.
“You said you trusted me.”
Rashiel’s voice.
And with it, another realization struck her.
‘If I return to my original world… then what happens to Rashiel?’
Everyone already suspected him of treason.
She didn’t know the whole truth, but one thing was certain—
If she left now, he would be executed.
‘Rashiel will die.’
The thought hit her like a punch to the gut.
Her breath caught.
Her steps faltered.
“Human?”
Reti called out to her, confused.
‘Even if I don’t go back this time, I should at least confirm it. Who knows if I’ll ever get another chance?’
She hardened her resolve and stepped forward again—
“Human, behind you!”
But she was too distracted.
A hand suddenly shot out from behind her, clamping over her mouth.
****
Summoned to Cedric’s chambers, seated on the sofa, Tezette waited with a cold expression.
The chamberlain had said this would be quick, yet Cedric had kept him waiting.
When Tezette finally rose to leave, the door swung open.
Cedric stepped in.
“Apologies for the delay. I had an urgent matter to handle.”
Tezette sat back down as Cedric took a seat across from him.
After pouring himself a drink, Cedric finally spoke.
“I called you here because I need your assistance.”
Tezette’s gaze remained unmoved.
“What is it?”
Cedric hesitated, his expression troubled.
Then he finally admitted,
“I received a declaration from Rashiel Celeste.”
At the mention of that name, Tezette’s eyes sharpened.
“He claims he will open a dimensional rift in the palace tonight. He says he’ll destroy the banquet.”
A brief silence.
Then Tezette asked,
“Are the anti-magic barriers still functioning?”
The imperial palace had permanent magic restrictions in place—
A safeguard to prevent intruders from teleporting inside.
Cedric nodded.
“Of course. I was late because I reinforced security just in case.”
Tezette studied him.
If Cedric was truly concerned, he should have canceled the banquet immediately—
Sent everyone home before it was too late.
But he hadn’t.
“I didn’t tell the nobles. It’s probably just a bluff, and I won’t risk disrupting the banquet over empty threats.”
There it is.
Cedric cared more about imperial authority than the safety of the people.
Tezette had no desire to justify his actions—
But he understood his logic.
He didn’t care about these nobles.
Except for one person.
“But you,” Cedric continued, “are our empire’s greatest warrior. I thought you should be informed—just in case.”
“…Is that all?”
Tezette’s disinterest was obvious.
Cedric’s expression darkened momentarily—
Then he smirked.
“That’s all.”
“Then I’ll make preparations.”
Tezette gave a brief nod before leaving immediately.
Rushing to the Banquet Hall, his pace quickened.
Then he was running.
By the time he reached the banquet hall, he knew.
She was gone.
The spot where he had left Elsez was empty.
‘This feels wrong. Something’s not right.’
Tezette strode out to the garden.
Couples lingered under the moonlight, whispering softly—
But Elsez was nowhere.
His gaze swept the area.
Then he turned to the knights standing near the entrance.
“Have you seen my fiancée?”
The knight shook his head.
“I don’t believe so, Your Grace—”
But another spoke up.
“Ah, do you mean the lady with platinum hair and amber eyes?”
“Yes.”
“I saw her earlier. She was running in that direction.”
The knight pointed toward a forest path.
Then—
BOOM!
An explosion.
A deafening roar split the air.
A strong gust of wind rushed through the garden.
And in that moment, Tezette heard her voice in his head.
‘Of course not.’
‘…….’
‘No one should be sacrificed just because they’re weak.’
She wasn’t weak.
He had seen her strength firsthand.
Yet, ironically, that same strength made her reckless.
She believed in her own power.
And she would throw herself into danger for those who couldn’t protect themselves.
So of course, she would—
“…Elsez.”
Another explosion.
Tezette barely hesitated.
He grabbed the knight’s sword and sprinted toward the blast.
****
The man carrying Elsez over his shoulder arrived at a secluded, abandoned palace deep within the imperial grounds.
His companions were already waiting.
“Perfect timing. What about the woman?”
“Asleep. What about the rift?”
Instead of answering, they stepped aside.
Behind them, a black fissure slowly widened.
It was darker than anything in this world—
A void that seemed to devour everything.
The man stared at the rift for a moment.
Then, one of his companions clapped him on the back.
“Just drop her off and let’s get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”
“What, afraid of ghosts?”
The man scoffed, and the others laughed.
“Still, it’s unsettling. I heard this place was built for the firstborn prince, the one who died at birth.”
“They thought there’d only be one, right? They could’ve just given it to the surviving prince instead of wasting money declaring it a forbidden palace.”
“Guess it felt too eerie.”
While the others chatted, the man dropped Elsez’s body near the rift and turned away.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait—didn’t she have some fancy jewelry? Wouldn’t hurt to take it before we leave—”
“You want to steal from a woman about to die? That’s disgusting. Unless you want to end up eaten by the creatures coming through that rift, stop wasting time.”
The man glanced back at the rift—
It was shifting, pulsing, growing larger like a living thing.
He turned away without hesitation.
One of his companions clicked his tongue but still followed.
Except…
One man hesitated.
His gaze lingered on Elsez.
The leader didn’t stop him.
What did it matter if he stole a few trinkets from a corpse-to-be?
But then—
A shocked voice rang out.
“H-Hey.”
“I said let’s go.”
“The woman—she’s gone.”
“What?”
“She was right there a second ago—”
The leader’s expression darkened.
He turned around—
And froze.
The spot where Elsez had been lying… was empty.
She had vanished.
But not into the rift.
It wasn’t large enough yet to swallow anything.
His brows furrowed.
Even if she had woken up, there was no way she could have escaped so fast.
“What the hell—”
“Up—up there!”
A panicked voice cut through the air.
The man’s instincts flared.
He snapped his head up.
And saw her.
A woman with silver hair, glowing in the moonlight.
Her long platinum strands fluttered like threads of starlight as she descended.
Her white dress billowed like wings.
For a split second, she looked like a celestial being.
A fallen angel.
But angels didn’t attack.
Elsez drove her foot into his chest.
Comments (0)