As Erwin looked in Ravel's eyes I could sense that he feared him.

  As Erwin locked eyes with Ravel, something shifted. I could feel it in the air—he was afraid. The great Erwin Alther, the terror of the realms, the shadow behind Queen Riva—he feared my brother.

  Without a word, Erwin and his disciple ripped open a space rift and vanished through it, fleeing at full speed. Their retreat said more than any threat ever could.

  Ravel collapsed. I caught him before he hit the ground—his body limp, unconscious. The power that had radiated from him just moments ago was gone, like it had never been there.

  I turned to Kyle. He was covered in blood, his breathing shallow, but somehow, still standing.

  “Kyle… are you alright?” I asked.

  He winced but nodded. “I’ll live.”

  I hesitated before asking, “What just happened? That power... it wasn’t the Flame Dragon, was it?”

  Kyle looked at me, eyes serious. “No, it wasn’t. That was a technique called Soul Carrying. You can channel your own soul energy into someone else’s body—boosting their strength temporarily. But it drains the user. It's risky… very risky.”

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  My heart skipped a beat. “You mean…?”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t me. That power… it was my master. Queen Hai Ri used Soul Carrying through Ravel. Her body must be too injured to come in person, so she sent her strength instead.”

  I turned and saw my father among the crowd, frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

  Kyle’s voice cut through the tension. He turned to the onlookers—nobles, soldiers, even elders—and said, loud enough for all to hear, “What you saw today was my technique. Nothing more. But let me be clear: from this day forward, if anyone dares lay a hand on Ravel—even if it's Lord Alaric himself—they will answer to Queen Hai Ri.”

  No one dared speak.

  Without waiting for a response, Kyle lifted Ravel gently and carried him back to his chamber. He laid him in bed, looked at me, and said, “Stay on guard. Don’t let anyone near him until I return.”

  Then he left—to heal, I guessed. Or to prepare for what came next.

  The palace emptied out. But I stayed.

  I sat by Ravel’s bedside, sleepless through the night. The dawn crept in, casting pale gold across the room. The fight was over, but my heart was restless.

  Eventually, I must have dozed off in the chair. I woke to Rihanna’s voice.

  “You didn’t come to breakfast,” she said softly. “I was worried. Are you alright?”

  I nodded. “Yeah... just tired.”

  We sat in silence for a moment. The weight of everything we had seen, everything we had learned, hung heavy between us. Then she finally spoke.

  “Why would Queen Hai Ri protect someone the world calls useless?”

  My jaw tightened. “So… you’re calling him useless now, too?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry. That’s just what everyone says.”

  I was about to reply when something hit me—a faint signal, a ripple in the air. The same aura I’d felt before. That green-haired guy.

  I almost waited for Kyle. Almost.

  But then I stood.

  “Stay here,” I told Rihanna. “No matter what happens, don’t leave Ravel’s side.”

  She didn’t argue. She just nodded.

  I followed the trace of the aura—deep into the woods outside the kingdom. My heart pounded, every step a gamble. I didn’t know if I was walking into death… but I couldn’t turn back.

  When I found him, he was already waiting. That strange, conflicted energy still clinging to him—demon and human. Monster and man.

  “I need your help,” he said, his voice tired… but sincere.