Leon stood before the door of the healing room. His hand was raised, hesitating for a moment, then knocked.
"Come in," the voice from within was weak, but still firm.
Leon opened the door.
Inside, Sylphine lay on a bed. Her body was still wrapped in bandages in several places, especially around her stomach—where Archer's arrow had pierced her.
"You're... still here?" she said, smiling faintly.
Leon sat on a chair beside the bed. Lokantaka at his waist pulsed softly.
"You've changed a lot," Sylphine said, her eyes fixed on Leon's new sword. "That sword... I've never seen it before."
"Zenless gave it to me after I won the finals."
"Zenless? The arena master?" Sylphine laughed softly, but a cough stopped her. "You're... a truly strange demon."
Leon didn't answer.
---
"After the invasion... I survived because my guard sacrificed himself." Sylphine's voice was soft, her eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. "I ran. Didn't know where to go. The palace was destroyed. My family... I didn't know where they were."
Leon listened.
"Then, I heard about Nocturne's End. A place where people without a home can earn money by fighting. I thought... if I kept fighting, maybe I could grow strong enough to survive."
She turned to Leon. "But then I heard about the tournament. About a prize so great, but you had to be the last one standing."
"I was curious. I joined. And it turns out..." she smiled faintly. "...you're here too."
---
Leon grasped her hand. "Brother Raiden is still alive. He went to Raijin Island to train. They say there, he can master true lightning."
Sylphine breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Raiden... is still alive."
"His Majesty is also alive. But his wounds are severe. He's still recovering."
Sylphine closed her eyes, relieved. "Thank goodness... they're still alive."
But Leon didn't continue. Sylphine opened her eyes, seeing Leon's expression.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice beginning to tremble. "Leon... what is it?"
Leon gripped her hand tighter. "King Zar... your father..."
He couldn't finish the sentence. But Sylphine already understood.
Her face changed. From relief to emptiness. From emptiness to shattered.
"No..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "No... no... NO!"
She struck the bed with her weak hand. Her stomach wound opened slightly, blood seeping through her bandages, but she felt no pain. What she felt was only emptiness.
"Father..." her tears fell. Not loud sobbing, but silent weeping, more painful to witness. "Father is gone..."
Leon couldn't say anything. He only sat beside Sylphine, letting her cry. There were no words enough to comfort.
After a while, Sylphine grasped Leon's hand. Her hand was cold, but her grip was strong.
"Who?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "Who killed him?"
Leon answered softly. "Shalara. Leader of the Ninth Order of the Angel Race. Your aunt."
"Angel Race..." Sylphine repeated the words, her eyes blazing—not with tears, but with fire. "They will pay."
---
Leon looked at Sylphine seriously. "There's one more thing you should know. Those of us who survived joined an organization. Its name is Varavium."
Sylphine blinked. "Varavium?"
"They are an organization that opposes the gods and the four sacred races."
Leon gripped her hand. "One of those sacred races is the Angel Race. They love to oppress and wield power arbitrarily. They consider themselves superior to other beings."
"Varavium wants to create a fair world. Free from oppression. Where all living beings can live in peace and equality."
He looked at Sylphine. "And the Angel Race is one of those sacred races. The ones who took Sylvaine. The ones who killed your father. The ones who destroyed the palace."
Sylphine was silent. Her eyes widened, but she was no longer crying. Her hand clenched above the blanket—clenching tightly until her knuckles turned white.
"Their goal? To resurrect their true leader—Satan."
Sylphine nearly choked. "Satan? The ancestor of demons? He's... still alive?"
Leon nodded. "Yes, he's still alive, but in soul form. And that soul resides within me. I am his vessel."
---
The door opened. Keen Observer stood at the threshold, his sharp eyes fixed on Leon.
"Varavium?" he said, his voice no longer flat. There was something there—shock, disbelief.
Leon turned. "You heard?"
"Thin walls." Keen Observer walked closer, his eyes not leaving Leon. "You're serious? That organization... still exists?"
Leon nodded. "You've heard of them?"
Keen Observer didn't answer immediately. He stared at Leon for a long time—too long.
"I... once heard stories about them," he finally said, his voice soft.
"About a group of people who dared to oppose the gods and the sacred races. I thought they were just rumors."
He looked at Leon. "But you... you're serious."
"The Gods, the Sacred Races..." Keen Observer shook his head. "Do you know what you're facing?"
"I know." Leon didn't waver. "But I have no choice."
---
Sylphine tried to sit up. Leon helped support her. Her stomach wound still hurt, but she didn't care.
"I'm coming," she said.
Leon blinked. "You're still injured—"
"I won't stay still." Sylphine looked at Leon. Her eyes were still red from crying, but her resolve didn't waver. "The Angel Race took my sister. They killed my father. And you..." she smiled faintly. "...you're going to fight them, aren't you?"
Leon nodded. "I'm going into the Nexus. To free someone there. Xuánhú, the ancestor of the fox race. She can help us fight the Angel Race."
"Then I'm coming."
Leon looked at the wound on Sylphine's stomach. "You—"
"I won't die," Sylphine cut in. "I survived the invasion. I survived Archer's arrow. I won't die here."
She gripped Leon's hand tightly. "I can't fight the Angel Race alone. I can't lose more family."
---
Leon stood. Sylphine could already sit up, though still weak. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise.
"Alright, we need to prepare," Leon said. "The journey to the Nexus won't be easy."
As Leon was about to step out, Keen Observer grabbed his arm.
Leon turned. "What is it?"
Keen Observer didn't let go. His eyes looked at Leon seriously—not as usual. There was unease there, something rarely seen from someone who was always calm.
"There's something you need to know about the sacred races," he said, his voice soft.
"About one of the other sacred races... and it has to do with the organization that once trained me."
Leon blinked. "You—"
"Not here." Keen Observer glanced briefly at Sylphine, then back to Leon. "Later. After we get out of this place."
His hand still gripped Leon's wrist. "But you need to know... what you're facing is more dangerous than you imagine. The Angel Race isn't alone. They have allies. And the organization that trained me..." he paused. "...still exists."
Leon didn't ask further. He only nodded.
"Alright. Later."
He looked at Keen Observer's hand still gripping his wrist. Slowly, Keen Observer let go.
---
Leon stepped out of the room. Keen Observer beside him. Sylphine behind, still limping.
On his chest, the pendant glowed. At his waist, Lokantaka pulsed. And in his mind, two things echoed—Sylphine's cries upon learning of her father's death, and Keen Observer's warning about the sacred races.
=== CHAPTER 24 END ===