Above the quiet lake—
Aldric and Draven hovered in silence.
Their eyes remained fixed upon the black portal floating several meters above the water.
Its surface rippled weakly.
The once-stable circle had already begun shrinking.
Blue spatial currents flickered around its edges.
Smaller.
Smaller.
Then—
**FWOOM.**
The portal collapsed into itself.
Only a few fading ripples remained above the lake before even those disappeared.
Silence.
Aldric slowly let out the breath he'd been holding.
"...Looks like we actually got away from that bastard."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Didn't think it'd be that close."
His wings folded behind him as he descended.
**THUD.**
He landed beside the lakeshore.
Nearby—
Lyriana stood quietly with the spatial artifact cradled in both hands.
Its rotating rings had stopped moving.
The runes across its surface were noticeably dimmer than before.
Pythia remained beside her.
Ryke sat on the grass a short distance away.
His breathing was still uneven.
His clothes were torn from the battle.
Even now—
he occasionally glanced toward the empty sky.
As though expecting Lunaria to appear at any moment.
Meanwhile—
Draven's crimson eyes never left the water below.
A second later—
**SPLASH!**
A figure burst from beneath the surface.
Kaelira emerged dripping wet.
Her soaked hair clung to her face.
Water streamed from her wolf ears as she swam toward the shore.
She climbed onto the bank with an annoyed expression.
"...Seriously?"
She squeezed water from one sleeve.
"...To think I'd end up going for a swim just trying to run away."
She shot a glare toward the others.
"...Someone could've at least warned me."
Ryke looked over without the slightest sympathy.
"...You're still alive, aren't you?"
Kaelira immediately pointed at him.
"...Shut up."
She clicked her tongue.
"...You sure knew how to run."
Ryke shrugged.
"...Survival comes first."
Kaelira rolled her eyes.
"...Coward."
Ryke answered without hesitation.
"...A living coward."
Aldric stared at the two of them.
"...You should both shut up."
Draven paid none of them any attention.
Instead—
he quietly spoke through the communication earring.
"...Vaelith."
Only a moment passed.
Then—
**WHOOSH.**
A crimson streak descended from the night sky.
"My Lord."
Vaelith landed gracefully before him.
Lucifer rested peacefully in one arm.
Elenya in the other.
Behind her—
Nia descended more slowly, carried by Vaelith's mana.
The moment she landed—
her eyes immediately searched Draven's body.
Torn clothes.
Fresh blood.
The signs of battle were impossible to miss.
She hesitated.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of her sleeve.
Then—
very quietly—
"...My Lord..."
Draven stepped closer.
His gaze shifted toward the two sleeping infants.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Small.
Almost imperceptible.
He gently brushed one finger across Elenya's cheek.
Then looked at Lucifer.
Both remained peacefully asleep.
Only then did he turn toward Nia.
She stood perfectly still beneath his gaze.
Those soft violet eyes searched his face.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally—
she gathered enough courage to ask,
"...Are..."
She swallowed.
"...Are you okay?"
The lakeside became quiet.
Even Aldric stopped talking.
Draven looked at her for a long moment.
Then answered simply,
"...I'm alright."
A brief pause.
"...You?"
Nia blinked.
Her violet eyes widened slightly.
She hadn't expected him to ask in return.
For a moment—
she simply stared at him.
Then a small smile slowly appeared.
"...I'm fine."
The quiet lakeside remained still.
Only the gentle sound of water lapping against the shore disturbed the silence.
Aldric folded his arms.
"...Alright."
He looked around at everyone gathered near the lake.
"...Can we talk about something?"
His usual grin had disappeared.
"...How the hell did that elf find us?"
Silence.
"I was sure nobody followed us after we got back to the ship."
He scratched the side of his head.
"...Maybe he tailed us somehow."
"Some kind of concealment magic."
"Or a magical artifact."
He shrugged.
"...Could be."
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"...But that still doesn't explain something."
He looked toward Draven.
"...Why the hell did he look exactly like that puppet we found snooping around Blackwater?"
Lyriana frowned slightly.
"...A puppet?"
Aldric nodded.
"Yeah."
"It looked exactly like him."
"The same silver hair."
"The same face."
"An elf."
He waved one hand dismissively.
"...The only difference was..."
"...it wasn't alive."
"We found it working as an attendant inside a restaurant we were about to eat at."
He let out a short laugh.
"...Pretty damn weird, actually."
"We destroyed it."
"It was only a puppet..."
"...so we didn't think much of it afterward."
He shrugged again.
"...Figured whoever made it was just spying."
"Maybe they planned to show up in person."
"...But nobody ever did."
"So..."
"...we kind of forgot about it."
Lyriana's expression became thoughtful.
"...If that puppet had been used..."
"...to cast a tracking spell..."
Aldric immediately shook his head.
"...No."
"We already considered that."
He pointed toward Pythia.
"...She checked."
Pythia inclined her head.
"I did."
Lyriana looked toward her.
"...What exactly did you examine?"
Pythia answered calmly.
"The puppet itself."
"I searched every rune."
"Every enchantment."
"Every hidden formation."
She paused.
"Then..."
"I examined My Lord..."
Her eyes shifted briefly toward Draven.
"...and Lord Aldric."
"They were the ones who destroyed the puppet."
"I searched both of them for tracking curses."
"Hidden marks."
She slowly shook her head.
"...There was nothing."
Aldric nodded.
"Exactly."
"So unless that bastard can somehow track us without leaving anything behind..."
"...I've got no clue how he found us."
Silence settled over the lakeshore.
Everyone instinctively began replaying everything that had happened since Blackwater.
Every encounter.
Every battle.
Every place they had visited.
Trying to find something they had overlooked.
Draven remained quiet.
His crimson eyes lowered slightly.
"...Not necessarily."
Everyone looked toward him.
He continued calmly.
"...Just because nothing was found..."
"...doesn't mean nothing exists."
Pythia nodded in agreement.
"...That is true."
"There are methods beyond my current understanding."
"Especially if the caster greatly surpasses me."
"If such a spell exists..."
"...it could remain completely undetectable to me."
Aldric clicked his tongue.
"...Great."
"So we're back to knowing absolutely nothing."