The Eastern region had broken beyond everyone's expectations.
Cities and towns were left in ruins. Streets that once echoed with life were now silent, covered in ash and blood. Countless hos were destroyed, and far too many people had died.
The death toll was terrifying. Nearly two fifths of the population had been wiped out.
It was a number too large to truly grasp.
Grief hung heavy over the land. Survivors moved like hollow shells, their eyes dull with loss. Recuperation would take years, maybe longer. And as for the scars left behind, so wounds would never truly fade. It might take decades, even centuries, for people to stop reliving this nightmare.
Seraphina saw all of it.
And she refused to stop.
She moved from one injured person to another, healing until her hands trembled and her breath grew uneven. She ignored the pain in her own body and the exhaustion clouding her mind. She worked until her legs gave out.
When Kael found her, she was lying still, pale as a corpse.
Kael stared at her for a long mont.
Then he cursed.
"Idiot," he muttered sharply. "I am surrounded by idiots."
He turned toward the others, his expression dark.
"What is this nonsense?" he snapped.
"Soone please break her legs if she dares to get up again."
Lyria gasped. "Isn't that too much?"
"What too much?" Kael shot back. "She can heal herself."
"But she's exhausted," Lyria argued.
"Then why the hell is she working so hard without taking care of herself?" Kael said coldly.
"How can you treat others if you need treatnt yourself? Tell her to take it slowly."
As he spoke, a small fluttering sound reached his ears.
Elfie floated around them, looking left and right with confusion.
"Papa… Papa…" she said softly. "Where is Ron?"
"Ron?" Kael blinked and looked at Lyria.
"Ron?"
Lyria paused, then replied, "She's talking about the Black Lion."
"The Black Lion… Ron?" Kael repeated. "It already has a na. Wait…"
He looked down at Elfie, who looked unusually quiet. Her wings drooped slightly, and her eyes were filled with worry.
Kael clicked his tongue.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. "Is that bastard flirting with my daughter now?"
Useless creature. What does it even know except flirting?
He shook his head and crouched slightly so he was closer to Elfie's level. His expression softened.
"He's recuperating," Kael said with a small smile. "You'll see him soon."
Elfie's face brightened imdiately.
"Okay, Papa!" she chirped, pressing her cheek against his.
Kael sighed quietly and patted her head.
...
"It's inside," lvin said with a smile as he led Kael forward.
They stood before an ancient structure hidden deep within the estate. The mont Kael stepped closer, he could feel the heavy presence of mana in the air.
They entered an ancient chamber.
The walls were carved with old runes, each one glowing faintly with dormant power. Magic circles were etched into the floor and ceiling, layered over one another in complex patterns. The air felt thick, heavy with age and authority.
Kael's eyes slowly scanned the place.
"Wow," he said honestly. "What an aweso place."
lvin nodded proudly. "This is the Sanctum of Serpentine."
Kael looked around more carefully now.
The walls were covered with exotic paintings. Massive seven-headed snakes coiled across the stone, their eyes fierce and majestic. So murals showed ancient battles, while others depicted rituals and oaths made long ago. It was a history carved into stone.
Kael crossed his arms. "So where is he inside?" he asked.
lvin lifted his chin and pointed ahead.
"There."
They walked deeper, passing through another set of carved doors.
Soon, Kael was led into the inner chamber.
And the mont he stepped inside, his eyes narrowed slightly as he took in what lay before him.
What lay before him was no longer that small cub that once wed helplessly in front of enemies.
Instead, a humongous beast was sprawled within the ancient chamber, its massive body resting amid cracked stone and glowing runes. Each breath it took sent a visible ripple through the air, as if the space itself was being pushed aside. A dense pressure rolled outward from it, heavy and overwhelming, pressing down on Kael's chest.
Kael swallowed hard.
"How…" he muttered. "It hasn't even been a month since you took it away, and now it's like this?"
lvin smiled faintly and walked in a slow circle around the chamber, his footsteps echoing softly.
"This is a special magic chamber ant only for spirit beast growth," he explained calmly.
"Look at the runes carved into the walls and floor. They draw spirit essence directly from the spirit world and feed it to him without interruption. All he had to do was sleep and absorb it."
Kael glanced around more carefully now. The runes were ancient, complex, and layered with old magic. Soft streams of light flowed along them like veins, all converging toward the center where the beast lay.
"So," Kael asked, keeping his eyes on the massive form, "is it over?"
lvin nodded. "Yes. It's ti to wake him up."
He clapped his hands once, the sound sharp in the silent chamber. Then he stepped forward and pressed his palm onto a large rune engraved in the center of the floor. The rune glowed brightly for a mont before dimming. lvin then reached down and pulled out a crystal bowl embedded at its core.
The mont the bowl was removed, the flow of energy around the chamber stopped.
The air went still.
Then—
Two enormous eyes snapped open.
A chilling aura surged outward, sharp and wild, making the hairs on Kael's arms stand on end. The pressure intensified, pressing down like an invisible mountain.
Kael's lips curled upward in excitent.
The massive black form began to move.
Slowly, the beast rose to its feet. Its body was enormous, covered in thick black fur that shimred faintly like polished obsidian. Muscles shifted beneath its skin with every movent, packed with terrifying power. Its claws dug into the stone floor, cracking it further, and its tail swayed heavily behind it.
This was no ordinary spirit beast.
This was a king.
The Black Lion lifted its head, its mane flowing like living shadows. There was majesty in its posture, authority in its gaze, and an ancient ferocity that made the chamber feel small.
Then its eyes locked onto Kael.
The beast inhaled deeply.
And roared.
"ROOOAARRRR!"
BOOOOOOOM!
A violent shockwave exploded outward, shaking the chamber. Dust and fragnts of stone flew through the air. Kael and lvin's clothes whipped violently as they raised their arms to shield their faces.
The roar echoed, deep and commanding, as if declaring its presence to the world.
When the dust finally settled, both n lowered their arms.
The Black Lion stood tall before them, its gaze calm yet domineering, its presence overwhelming but controlled.
Kael looked at it for a long mont.
Then he nodded slowly, a satisfied smile forming on his face.
"Good," he said simply.
He stepped forward, eting the beast's gaze without fear.
"Now you've finally stopped being pathetic."
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