Tatiana and Elda stood silently, watching the monstrous figure disappear into the horizon, its massive form fading into the distant landscape.
The tremors from its footsteps still reverberated through the air, making the ground beneath their feet feel unstable, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
The sunlight began to filter through the dust clouds left in the creature's wake, casting eerie, shifting shadows across the ruined buildings.
"That was quite disappointing… and quite a relief at the sa ti," Elda said, her voice soft, her expression a peculiar mix of dissatisfaction and gratitude.
Her words mirrored her face—half-smiling, half-frowning. She turned to glance at Tatiana, expecting to see the sa conflicting emotions on the princess's face.
And she wasn't wrong.
Tatiana's gaze remained fixed on the horizon, where the towering beast had vanished, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her expression was difficult to read, but her eyes betrayed her thoughts—a mix of relief, annoyance, and contemplation.
"It's actually a good thing," Tatiana finally said, her voice steady but carrying a hint of frustration. "If that thing had wanted to fight them, there's no doubt about the outco. They would have died."
Her gaze shifted down to Leo and Ves, who were still seated on the ground, their bodies tense and unmoving.
"And everything would have been ruined," she continued, her tone turning thoughtful. "But this will give Leo more reason to push himself harder. At least now, he'll begin to understand the true extent of the world he's in. With a creature like that roaming around, he won't have a choice."
Elda chuckled softly, her amused expression returning. "I thought you'd say that. You're always thinking three steps ahead."
But her smile faded quickly, replaced by a serious frown. Her gaze flickered back to the horizon, where the lingering shadow of the beast seed to hang over the landscape like a curse.
"But don't you find it strange, princess?" Elda asked, her voice dropping into a low, cautious tone. "An Evolved Rank monster showing up now? And that skill…"
Her expression darkened. "It slls like them."
Tatiana's lips tightened at the ntion of them.
"The tournant isn't going to be simple or easy, is it?" Elda continued. "I think you should prepare for surprises, princess. Who knows… those entities might even get involved directly."
Tatiana sighed, crossing her arms as she processed Elda's words. She wanted to dismiss the thought, but deep down, she knew Elda was right.
Ryan's skill… it wasn't sothing a mortal should possess. There was only one explanation for how he had gained it.
"They're already here," Tatiana murmured, her voice laced with irritation and concern.
Elda nodded grimly. "And if they're here, that ans they found a way in. There must be a gate sowhere."
Tatiana's gaze hardened. She hated that things were already going wrong before her plans had even begun to take shape. But she knew that Earth was too valuable a prize. It was no surprise that the Council and those entities would take steps to interfere.
Still, knowing that didn't ease the tension in her chest.
"Elda," Tatiana said softly, "let's search for the gate. If Ryan had a skill like that, they must have co through one."
Without waiting for a response, Tatiana's figure blurred and vanished from sight.
Elda sighed, glancing down at Leo and Ves once more.
"They haven't even recovered from the last shock," she murmured to herself. "Poor kids."
With a soft sigh, she disappeared as well, following the princess.
*****
Leo sat silently, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where the beast had disappeared monts before.
His fingers clenched tightly around Nightshade's hilt, his knuckles turning white. His chest rose and fell steadily, but his mind was anything but calm.
The image of the creature was burned into his mory. The sheer size of it, the way it moved through the ruins like a force of nature, the roar that had shaken the very ground beneath them… It was unlike anything he had ever imagined.
And it terrified him.
He squeezed his eyes shut for a mont, trying to block out the mory. But the image wouldn't leave him.
He rembered the way his body had frozen when the beast locked its glowing red eyes on them. He rembered the paralyzing fear that had gripped him, rooting him to the spot, unable to move or even think.
"I was useless," he whispered to himself.
Beside him, Ves sat quietly, her gaze distant. She seed just as lost in thought, her eyes clouded with lingering fear and uncertainty.
Leo glanced at her, then back at the horizon.
"I can't let that happen again," he murmured, his voice firr this ti.
The mory of standing frozen in fear gnawed at him. He hated the feeling. He hated knowing that he had been powerless, that he had stood there, unable to protect Ves or himself.
It made his chest tighten with frustration and anger.
"I won't be that weak again," Leo muttered.
His grip on Nightshade tightened even further, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light.
The creature had left him with a new reason to grow stronger. It wasn't about the tournant or Tatiana's warnings anymore. It wasn't even about survival.
It was about never feeling that powerless again.
He would never allow himself to be in a situation where he had to stand still and watch while a monster—any monster—did as it pleased.
"I have to get stronger," he said softly. "Fast."
Ves glanced at him, her expression softening slightly. "You will."
Leo nodded, but the determination in his gaze remained. He wasn't just thinking about strength anymore. He was thinking about control. About freedom from fear.
He had seen what the world truly held now. Creatures like the one that had just passed through…
And the only way to survive was to beco stronger than them. And strong he will beco. He doesn't mind how hard he has to push himself. He will beco strong enough so that he doesn't stand, frozen in fear, in front of a any monster, being or entity. No matter what it is.
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