"Is it the creature from the other world that Girsha spoke of?" Zhao Li Xin muttered, fingers pressed against his chin, his brows furrowed as his expression grew solemn.
The little girl nodded slowly. "Yes... It ca from another world—a broken, failed world that the gods abandoned long ago."
Zhao Li Xin’s gaze darkened. "Lately, there’s been sightings of a strange beast, covered in vines and brittle branches. A terrifying creature with regenerative powers... they call it Bael. Is that where that beast is coming from?"
"The na doesn’t matter," the girl said quietly. "And yes, their power indeed ca from Zalchana."
Zhao Li Xin’s eyes narrowed. "Zalchana... what kind of creature is that?"
The girl’s face shifted, a shadow crossing her features. "She was... human. Or at least, she had the qualities of a human. She got sad, happy, and angry, just like any human. In fact, in many ways, she was like Princess Lorient, powerful, kind, and softhearted, the only difference is she didn’t have a loving family that supported her, guided her in many ways, she also didn’t have a mighty guardian like Girsha, a kind and wise guardian."
She paused, looking down with a faint, wry smile. "Funny, isn’t it? How much of a difference love and care can make..." For a mont, she drifted into silence, lost in the heaviness of mory. Then, with a soft sigh, she shook her head gently, gathering herself before continuing.
"Don’t speak nonsense!" Zhao Li Xin snapped, his voice firm and unwavering. "My wife would never beco a monster, no matter what happened to her. No matter how hard and painful her life becos, her heart will always be true and Pure, that I can bet my life for it."
The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, then she gently placed a hand over her lips and let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, you’re so biased," she teased, though her smile held a trace of warmth rather than mockery.
She opened her arms in a lighthearted shrug. "But... maybe you’re right. If there’s one thing that sets the Lucient family apart from others who bear the sa power as them, it’s their hearts."
Her voice softened, almost reverent. "The Lucients were blessed with strength, yes... but more than that, with hearts untainted by hatred or anger. Despite all the tribulations they’ve faced, their hearts remain pure and unwavering. Even in the darkest of tis, they shine so brightly."
"But this Zalchana... she’s different?" Zhao Li Xin interjected, his tone laced with doubt.
The little girl shook her head slowly. "No... she wasn’t," she said, her voice tinged with quiet sorrow. "She was once blessed, too, blessed with the power to heal the land. Wherever she walked, the earth would bloom. The soil stayed fertile, the plants never withered, no matter how the seasons changed. It was a gift of life."
She paused, eyes distant. "But such a powerful gift... eventually, people began to depend on it. On her."
Zhao Li Xin exhaled, "That wouldn’t be good," he spoke with certainty.
The reason healthcare in Harland is far more advanced than in other nations is because of Lory. Long before her healing powers beca known to the public, the king had already taken careful steps to prevent the nation from becoming dependent on her.
He made healthcare accessible to all his citizens, so much so, it was nearly free. He invited talented healers from all over the continent, offering them resources and support to help them reach their full potential. He built an environnt where healing was not a miracle granted by one, but a right available to many.
It was all by design. The king foresaw the danger of his daughter becoming a crutch for the nation. He wanted to protect her from the weight of expectations, from the endless demands that would surely co once her powers were revealed.
He didn’t stop with dicine. He strengthened the military and trained Harland’s soldiers and hunters to their utmost potential, forging a force powerful enough that they would not need to lean on the Lucients’ abilities in tis of peril.
Lory once confided that her father had a dream: that one day, the people of Harland would no longer need the power of the Lucients at all.
That dream is still far from reality. But all predecessor of the Lucient family, including Lory and Lucas, also shares that sa hope.
That one day, they will no longer be needed. And on that day, their descendant will finally be free from the burden they were born to carry.
When Zhao Li Xin heard all of that from Lory, he was left in awe, moved by the kindness and wisdom of her father. In all the world, there was no ruler, no emperor, who had ever thought as he did: a king who did not cling to power, but chose instead to share it freely with his people.
For soone like Zhao Li Xin, who had always carried a cynical view of kings and emperors, it was a revelation. He couldn’t help but feel genuine admiration for King Marcus. And in that quiet mont of reflection, he realized sothing startling: that if he had ever t the man, he wouldn’t have minded kneeling before him.
Willingly and wholeheartedly. Then again, that is to be expected for his father-in-law.
"No... it wasn’t," the girl murmured, her expression growing somber, the light in her eyes dimming. "She fell in love."
Her voice wavered with the weight of sorrow. "And that... that love began to affect her emotions. Emotions that, in turn, began to affect her power. The plants that once thrived eternally started to wither. The fruits that never spoiled began to rot. Slowly, the signs beca too obvious to ignore."
She looked away, pain shadowing her features. "The people panicked. Their lives depended on her gift. And when they learned that their goddess had... been compromised by love, they turned on her."
"They killed her?" Zhao Li Xin’s brows lifted in disbelief.
"Worse," the girl whispered, her voice heavy. "They killed the one she loved."
She didn’t need to explain the rest—she knew the pain of losing soone you love. The kind of pain that tears you apart from the inside out.
"Just like Evereth, she lost herself. Grief twisted her mind. She slaughtered everyone... twisted them into monsters, made them kill each other. But unlike Evereth, there was no Lucient to stop her."
Her voice faltered as her gaze drifted downward. "In the end, that world beca nothing more than a massive grave. Not even monsters could survive there. And she... she remained behind. Alone. Devoured by sorrow and hatred."
Zhao Li Xin clenched his jaw. "And that made her the perfect victim for Lazarus."
"Yes," the girl replied, her expression dark and solemn. "She was."
She took a breath, steadying her voice. "Lazarus once tried to use his influence to infiltrate the dreams of others—he planned to open a gate and invite Zalchana through. But it was too obvious. The Archknights stopped him before he could succeed."
"So he changed tactics," Zhao Li Xin murmured.
The girl nodded slowly. "Yes. He learned his lesson. That’s why he started using powerful people—manipulating them little by little to carry out his will. You know how it goes."
"He had a good plan," Zhao Li Xin muttered, a reluctant edge in his voice. He couldn’t deny it—Lazarus had woven a ticulous, far-reaching web. One that slowly entangled the entire world, pulling it ever closer to ruin.
"The young Lucient king... he’s bedridden because of Zalchana, isn’t he?" he asked, the pieces beginning to fall into place.
"Yes," the girl confird, her expression unreadable. "The Lucients’ power is a double-edged sword when it cos to her. On one hand, it can nourish and strengthen her. But on the other... it can destroy her."
She paused, then smiled—but it wasn’t a smile of joy. It was sothing darker. "That’s why she attacked him from the inside. Slowly draining his power... feeding off him without being noticed. It was a brilliant plan, really. It should’ve worked perfectly."
Her grin widened slightly, but the sorrow in her eyes lingered. "And it almost did... until you and she returned."
And just like that, everything began to make sense.
The fall of Lucas.
The ergence of Bael.
The unlikely cooperation between Luxemborough and the S.A.I.N.T. organization.
Even how Nazareth managed to shatter the barrier and strike at Harland.
It was all part of Lazarus’s design, a grand sche spun in silence, crafted with ticulous cruelty. Every piece moved with purpose. Every catastrophe had aning. All of it... just because he thought arthea had betrayed him.
Such deep hatred. Such a twisted obsession. One that endured even beyond death.
And once again, at the heart of this perfect storm, there she was, standing in the middle of it, once again.
After everything she had endured... all the pain, all the burdens, yet,sohow, it always ca back to her. No matter how far she tried to run from destiny, the world kept pulling her back into its center.
Zhao Li Xin’s gaze narrowed, sharp with curiosity. "How do you know all of this?"
The girl smiled—soft, sweet, and wrapped in mystery. "Soone ca to . She asked to deliver this ssage to you... as a way to repay my debt to the Lucient family."
She looked up at the sky, a quiet peace settling over her features. "After this... I can finally move on."
Zhao Li Xin’s brow furrowed. "Who was it?"
The girl’s smile deepened, soft and wistful. And in a voice barely louder than a breath, she said: "Her na... was Arthea. And this... this is her final guidance to her descendant and for you..."
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