random123456

Chapter 417: Days

The following days passed in a rhythm that Aeliana slowly found herself adjusting to. Though the oppressive land they traversed remained as hostile and unyielding as ever, the strange dynamic between her and Luca provided a sense of stability she hadn't expected.

In those days, Aeliana came to certain realizations about the man who had become her reluctant companion, each one surprising her in its own way.

First One:

Luca was a constant enigma, an unpredictable blend of lighthearted charm and something far darker. He liked to flirt, his teasing remarks and mischievous smirks both infuriating and strangely disarming. Even in the direst of moments, he managed to find humor, his laughter cutting through the tension like a knife.

'He's intriguing to be around,' Aeliana thought, though she would never admit it aloud.

But then there was the other side of him—the one that surfaced in battle.

When the monsters descended upon them, Luca transformed into someone else entirely. His smirk would sharpen, his eyes darkening with a wild intensity that made her chest tighten. Each slash of his blade was precise and calculated, yet it carried an unmistakable sense of exhilaration, as though he were reveling in every moment of the fight.

Watching him like that left Aeliana with a mix of awe and unease.

'He's fighting like he's alive only in those moments,' she realized one day, the thought sending a shiver down her spine.

Second Realization

Despite his confidence in nearly everything else, Luca's cooking was… abysmal. Practical, yes. Quick, definitely. But bland? Utterly.

On one of the evenings when he had insisted on taking charge of the meal, Aeliana had bitten into the food and immediately regretted it. She didn't comment at first, her pride refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her complain. But as the days went on, she found herself taking over more and more of the cooking, unable to tolerate the monotony of his tasteless creations.

"He can wield a sword like an artist," she muttered under her breath one night as she stirred a pot of stew, "but he can't wield a spoon to save his life."

She hadn't meant for him to hear, but his soft chuckle behind her told her otherwise.

"Can't be perfect at everything, little missy," he had said, the teasing lilt in his voice only fueling her irritation.

Third Realization

A one, kind of unexpected realization of all was something she couldn't quite articulate. It came to her in quiet moments, when Luca carried her across jagged terrain or when they sat close by the fire, his presence a steadying force in the chaos.

He smelled… different.

Even when his clothes were soaked in blood and the metallic tang lingered in the air, there was something else beneath it—a scent that clung to him, subtle but distinct. It reminded her of gardenias, their sweet, slightly musky fragrance carrying an almost haunting depth.

At first, she thought she was imagining it. But the more time they spent together, the more she noticed it.

'Why does he smell like that?' she wondered one evening as he leaned down to help her adjust the strap of her pack. The scent brushed past her, and her breath hitched before she quickly looked away.

She couldn't bring herself to ask him about it, though the question lingered in the back of her mind. It was just another piece of the puzzle that was Luca—a man who seemed to defy explanation at every turn.

Fourth One

The days spent traveling with Luca brought many revelations, but one stood out above the rest—a truth that both intrigued and unsettled her in equal measure.

It was his power.

Aeliana had watched him fight countless times now, her amber eyes tracing every movement, every precise strike of his blade. But it wasn't just his skill that captured her attention—it was the blackish light that surrounded his weapon.

At first, she had dismissed it as just another kind of mana, something unique to him but not entirely unfamiliar. Yet, the more she observed, the more she realized how wrong she had been.

'That light…' she thought one night as she sat near the fire, her gaze flicking toward Luca as he cleaned his blade. The faint remnants of the blackish energy still clung to the edge, flickering faintly in the dim light.

It wasn't ordinary mana.

'Those black lights… They're starlight.'

The realization struck her like a physical blow, her chest tightening as her thoughts spiraled. She had seen countless types of mana accumulation methods in her life, had read about the heroes of the past and their unique cores. But this?

'This isn't normal,' she thought, her amber eyes narrowing as she studied the faint glow around Luca's blade.

What unsettled her most wasn't just the nature of the starlight—it was the way it felt.

Whenever she was close to him, whenever the blackish light flickered into existence, her body seemed to respond to it. A faint warmth would stir within her, subtle but undeniable, like a quiet hum vibrating through her very being.

She clenched her fists, her mind racing as she struggled to make sense of it. 'Why does it feel like this? Like… my body is reacting to it?'

The oppressive land they were trapped in—the sky filled with those strange stars, the energy that seemed to permeate every inch of this place—it all felt eerily similar to the starlight Luca wielded.

Aeliana's gaze lingered on him as he worked silently, the sharp lines of his face illuminated by the flickering firelight. His smirk, his easy confidence, the way he carried himself—it all belied the profound power that coursed through him.

"Starlight," she murmured under her breath, her voice barely audible. "What kind of mana is even this?"

Her fingers absently brushed against the edge of her cloak as she thought back to the books she had read, the stories of heroes and their legendary abilities. She had always been fascinated by the unknown, by the extraordinary, and she had studied everything she could about the world's mysteries.

And yet, for all her knowledge, she couldn't place this.

Her amber eyes narrowed further, her chest tightening as a strange mix of curiosity and unease took hold.

'Luca,' she thought, her gaze lingering on him. 'Who are you, really? And what is that power?'

But she couldn't bring herself to ask, not yet. Instead, she tucked the question away, letting it settle in the back of her mind as yet another piece of the puzzle that was Luca—a puzzle she wasn't sure she wanted to solve.

For now, all she could do was watch, learn, and try to make sense of the strange connection she felt to the starlight he wielded so effortlessly.

*******

"Here, your tea."

Aeliana sat on a flat rock near the fire, her legs tucked neatly beneath her as she accepted the warm cup Luca handed her. The tea's familiar fragrance curled into the air between them, a subtle reminder of the strange sense of routine they had somehow fallen into.

This had become something of a habit—him making the tea, her letting him, even though she had long since determined he wasn't particularly skilled at anything in the culinary department. But this… this was different.

Luca had insisted on preparing the tea himself ever since their first night resting in a cavern. At first, Aeliana had been skeptical, especially after experiencing the disaster that was his cooking. But she had relented, deciding it was harmless enough.

'He just wants to help,' she thought idly, lifting the cup to her lips. 'He's that kind of person, after all.'

She took a sip.

The warmth seeped into her chest, spreading through her body in a way that was oddly soothing. It was still far from perfect—Luca had a habit of being either too generous or too stingy with the tea leaves—but it wasn't bad. It had a kind of rugged simplicity to it, much like the man who made it.

She glanced up at him. He had taken his usual spot, leaning back on his hands, his own cup balanced loosely between his fingers. The firelight played across his features, casting deep shadows beneath his dark eyes.

"So?" he asked, his smirk present as always. "Not bad, right?"

Aeliana lowered her cup slightly, considering.

"…Yeah," she admitted, her voice softer than usual.

Luca blinked in surprise before his grin widened. "That's high praise coming from you, little missy."

She huffed, rolling her eyes as she looked away.

The quiet between them stretched comfortably, the crackling of the fire the only sound for a moment. The land beyond the flames was as unwelcoming as ever, the jagged rocks and eerie starlit sky a constant reminder that they were far from safety. But here, with the warmth of the fire and the faint, lingering taste of tea on her tongue, Aeliana found herself feeling something unfamiliar.

Not quite peace. Not quite ease.

But something close.

She took another sip, letting herself hold onto the moment for just a little longer.

Little did she know, something different was about to happen.

Chapter 418: Truth ?

The warmth of the tea lingered in her chest, a gentle contrast to the chill of the cavern. Aeliana leaned back against the rough stone wall, letting the solid surface ground her. Her gaze drifted upward, through the gaps in the rocky ceiling, to the strange sky beyond.

The stars above were unfamiliar, their harsh, bluish light casting an otherworldly glow over the jagged landscape. No constellations she recognized, no comforting patterns from home. Just an expanse of alien lights that flickered ominously against the oppressive darkness.

'What kind of place is this?' she wondered, her thoughts circling back to the moment they had been unceremoniously thrown into this nightmarish world. The teleportation had been abrupt, a wrenching sensation that left her disoriented and breathless. There had been no warning, no preparation—one moment they were in the bustling corridors of the academy, and the next, they were here.

'How could we have been brought here so easily?' Her fingers tightened around the warm cup, knuckles whitening. 'What sort of magic could do that? And why us?'

The questions buzzed incessantly, each one more unsettling than the last. Her father, the Duke, had always taught her that the world was vast, filled with wonders and dangers beyond comprehension. Yet, even his teachings had not prepared her for this—a place where reality seemed to warp, where even the air felt heavier, laden with unspoken menace.

Aeliana glanced over at Luca. He was relaxed, as always, his dark eyes reflecting the dancing flames. It was infuriating how he seemed unfazed by everything—the monsters, the twisted terrain, the very strangeness of this place.

"Luca," she began, her voice hesitant but determined. "What is this place? How could we have been brought here so… easily?"

Luca's smirk softened, his gaze shifting from the fire to her. For a moment, the silence stretched, the crackling of the flames the only sound between them. Then, he took a slow sip of his tea, seemingly savoring the taste before he responded.

"This place?" he echoed, his tone almost contemplative. "It's somewhere that shouldn't exist, but does. Like a scar left by something ancient and powerful."

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Aeliana's eyes narrowed as she considered them, the cryptic nature of his response only deepening her unease.

"How can you be so calm about this?" she pressed, a note of frustration creeping into her voice. "Don't you find it… unnatural? Dangerous?"

He chuckled softly, setting his cup down beside him. "Unnatural? Sure. Dangerous? Absolutely." His eyes met hers, dark and piercing. "But that's what makes it interesting, don't you think?"

'Interesting?' she thought, incredulous. 'This isn't some game…'

She opened her mouth to retort, but the look in his eyes stopped her. There was something there—something she couldn't quite place. Not amusement, but a deeper understanding, a familiarity with danger that sent a chill down her spine.

"Places like this," he continued, his voice lower now, almost a murmur, "are shaped by the people who created them. By their fears, their desires, their hatred. It's a reflection of something twisted, something buried."

The firelight flickered, casting shifting shadows over his face. Aeliana felt her chest tighten, the oppressive atmosphere pressing in once more. The land they stood on—no, the entire world around them—felt like a prison, a place designed to test, to break.

Luca exhaled softly, his fingers tapping idly against the ceramic of his cup. "At the very least, that's how I interpret this whole thing." His voice was even, neither certain nor dismissive. "It could be wrong. It could be right." He rolled his shoulders, as if shaking off the weight of the question. "Does it even matter?"

Aeliana frowned, her grip tightening around her cup. "Of course it matters. If we don't know how we got here—"

"Then what?" he interrupted smoothly, tilting his head. "Will knowing change anything? Will it suddenly drop us back home? Erase the monsters, the twisted terrain, the endless unknown?" His gaze flickered with something unreadable, the firelight catching in the depths of his dark eyes. "In the end, we're here, somehow. Instead of refusing to accept reality, isn't it better to accept what's coming?"

She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued before she could, his tone growing lighter. "And rather than dwelling on the things we can't control…" He took another sip of tea, then gave her an almost mischievous look. "Why not enjoy life when you can?"

Aeliana stared at him, incredulous. "You can enjoy this?"

Luca chuckled, shaking his head. "As long as you want to, you can enjoy anything." He leaned back, stretching his arms behind him, his voice taking on a lazy confidence. "Even the smallest, most monotonous thing can be enjoyed with the right mindset…" He paused, then winked. "Or by being beside the right person."

Aeliana's breath hitched slightly, her fingers stiffening around her cup.

For once, he wasn't smirking. His usual arrogance had melted into something softer—an actual smile, showing just a hint of teeth. It was subtle, but unmistakably different. And yet… his eyes told another story. Beneath the teasing glint, there was a quiet melancholy, like the faint afterimage of an old wound.

'That look…' she thought, something stirring in her chest. 'Why does it feel like he's speaking from experience?'

She didn't even realize she was staring until he broke eye contact, looking back into the fire as if the moment had passed.

Her curiosity flared, stronger than before. Luca was always unreadable, always slipping through her grasp like sand between her fingers. But this? This was the closest she'd come to seeing something real, something unguarded.

"…Luca," she said carefully, setting her cup aside. "You talk like someone who's done this before."

He glanced at her sideways, amusement flickering at the edge of his expression. "Done what before?"

"Lived like this." She gestured vaguely around them. "Surrounded by danger, always on edge. Always acting like none of it bothers you." She hesitated, then pressed on, her voice quieter. "Like someone who's had to find a way to enjoy things because… because if you didn't, you wouldn't make it."

Luca was quiet for a beat, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his cup. Then, he let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

"You're sharper than you look, little missy." His voice was light, but there was a weight behind it that hadn't been there before.

Aeliana crossed her arms. "That's not an answer."

"No, it's not," he admitted, meeting her gaze again. His expression had shifted—his smile still lingered, but the teasing edge had faded. "But you're right about one thing."

She held her breath, waiting.

His eyes darkened slightly, his voice lowering just enough to send a faint shiver through her.

"You don't learn to enjoy life by choice," he murmured. "You learn because you have to."

Aeliana's heart skipped a beat.

There was something about the way he said it—so casual, yet so absolute. Like a truth carved into stone.

Luca stopped.

For a brief second, the flames cast deep shadows over his face, his features eerily still. The teasing air had faded completely, replaced by something colder—something that almost resembled sorrow.

Then, he exhaled softly, tilting his head slightly as if preparing himself.

"So…" he murmured, his voice lower than before, "don't hate me for this, okay?"

Aeliana barely had time to react.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in her chest, a sensation so sudden and unbearable that the world tilted.

Her cup slipped from her hands, shattering against the stone floor.

The agony spread like fire, ripping through her limbs, her lungs, her very bones. Her breath hitched violently as she crumpled forward, her knees slamming against the cold ground. A strangled gasp tore from her throat, her fingers clawing uselessly at her chest as though she could wrench the pain out of herself.

Her vision swam—dark spots blooming at the edges. The cavern, the fire, Luca's presence—everything blurred, as if her body was sinking into a void.

And she knew this feeling.

'No… not again—'

It was the same torment that had haunted her since childhood, the sickness that stole her strength, that bound her to weakness, that left her gasping for air in the dead of night.

But this time—

This time, it was worse.

Her body convulsed, wracked with a force far stronger than before, her very essence trembling as though something inside her was being torn apart. She could barely think through the haze of pain, but a single, desperate question clawed through the panic—

'Why… now?'

For the whole this time here, she had felt fine. Stronger, even. As though the sickness had loosened its grip on her. She had almost begun to hope.

And yet, now, out of nowhere, it surged back—vicious and unrelenting.

Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps, the world around her slipping in and out of focus. Her limbs felt foreign, useless. The firelight flickered wildly, distorting Luca's face as he moved, though she could barely make out his expression.

Had he expected this?

Had he done something?

'Please no…..'

If it was once again that….

She didn't know if she could withstand it.

Chapter 419: Truth ? (2)

Aeliana had believed.

For the first time in years, she had dared to think—maybe.

Maybe she could live. Maybe she could be cured. Maybe the future was something she could grasp, something more than lingering in the shadows of her own weakness, waiting for the inevitable.

She had begun to believe in people.

She had begun to believe in him.

But this…

This was wrong.

The pain was unnatural, abnormal, far beyond the sickness that had plagued her for so long.

A fresh wave of agony wracked through her, stealing the breath from her lungs. She collapsed fully onto her side, her body seizing violently. The cold stone of the cavern bit into her cheek, her fingers twitching against the unyielding ground.

And then—the blood.

Thick and dark, it bubbled up from her throat, spilling past her lips in ragged, choking coughs. It wasn't red—it was something else, something deeper, something wrong. Her veins burned, twisting beneath her skin, blackening as though something inside her was poisoning her from within.

'What… is happening to me?'

Her hands trembled as she tried to move, tried to breathe, but her body refused to listen. The air felt heavy, pressing down on her chest, suffocating her.

And then—she saw it.

A presence.

It wasn't here, not in the cavern, not in this realm, but she felt it. Watching. Waiting.

The space behind her eyelids wasn't just darkness anymore—it was something else.

Something vast.

Something that reached for her.

Her mind splintered under the weight of it, caught between reality and something deeper, something incomprehensible. The cavern flickered away, her thoughts drowning in that unseen force, dragging her into a world she didn't understand.

'This pain… it's not just my body—it's in my soul.'

She gasped, her lips trembling as she forced herself to look at him.

Luca.

He was standing there.

Watching.

Not moving.

Not speaking.

His dark eyes—so unreadable, so detached—reflected the dim firelight, his expression eerily blank.

Aeliana's chest tightened, a new emotion searing through the agony.

Betrayal.

Her fingers curled weakly against the ground, a silent plea, a desperate attempt to understand. She tried to speak, but her voice came out as a cracked whisper, lost in the ragged gasps of her breathing.

"…Luca…"

Nothing.

He didn't kneel beside her. He didn't reach for her. He didn't even react.

He only watched.

Her vision blurred, rage boiling beneath her skin, tangled with the pain.

'Lucavion… what did you do?'

She forced the words out, her breath shuddering.

"Stop it."

He didn't.

Her entire body spasmed, her vision splitting into fractured shards, her own heartbeat pounding in her skull. She screamed.

She begged him.

But still—

Luca only watched.

Aeliana's body writhed, twisting against the cold, unyielding stone. The agony was unbearable, tearing through her like a relentless storm, but it wasn't just the pain itself—it was him.

His silence.

His stillness.

His complete and utter refusal to move.

Her breath hitched violently, every ragged inhale like knives scraping through her lungs. She forced her eyes open, barely able to focus through the haze, and glared at him.

Luca.

Standing there.

Watching.

Not lifting a single damn finger.

Her mind was in turmoil. A hundred thoughts crashed into each other, incoherent and frantic, none of them making sense.

'Why?'

"Please don't hate me for this…"

That's what he had said. Right before it started.

So he knew.

Her fingers clawed against the ground, her nails scraping uselessly against the rock as her body spasmed uncontrollably.

'Did he do something to me?'

The thought sent a fresh wave of cold through her, sharp and bitter. But why? Why would he? What could he possibly gain from this?

Her mind spiraled, trying to make sense of the senseless, trying to find the reason behind his inaction, but nothing fit.

And because she couldn't understand—because she couldn't comprehend why—the pain became worse.

Because not understanding his reasons hurt more than the agony tearing her apart.

A ragged, desperate sound escaped her throat—half a sob, half a scream. She clenched her teeth, every muscle in her body tensing as she fought to keep herself together, to endure.

And then, she forced the words out, hoarse and broken.

"Why?"

Luca didn't react.

She gasped, the effort sending another violent tremor through her limbs.

"Why are you not helping?!"

Her vision blurred further, the world tilting, slipping away from her grasp. The pain was overwhelming now, flooding through every part of her, searing into her very soul.

And she knew.

She could feel it.

She was slipping away.

The edges of her consciousness crumbled, darkness seeping in like ink through torn parchment.

The pain was just too much.

Just too much.

And she couldn't withstand it.

The pain was unbearable. It dug into her bones, seared through her veins, and wrapped around her chest like cruel, unyielding chains. It wasn't just her body breaking apart—it was something deeper, something she couldn't reach, something that wasn't meant to be touched.

And through it all—Luca just stood there.

'Did you really have to be this cruel?'

The thought echoed through the storm of agony, cutting deeper than the pain itself.

Just days ago, she had believed.

For the first time in years, she had let herself hope.

She had let herself trust.

She had looked at him, listened to his reckless words, followed the path he carved through this forsaken land, and she had thought—maybe.

Maybe she could survive. Maybe she could change. Maybe she could be something more than just a girl waiting to die.

And now—now he was the one taking it all away.

Her fingers curled weakly against the cold ground, nails scraping against stone as another violent tremor wracked through her body. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her chest rising and falling in uneven, agonized shudders.

'I should let go.'

The thought pressed at the edges of her mind, whispering, urging.

It would be easier.

It would hurt less.

If she just stopped fighting—if she just let the darkness take her—then the pain would fade.

Her body was too weak to withstand this. She had always known that.

'So why…'

Why was she still trying?

Why was she still clinging to the fraying edges of her consciousness, fighting to hold on?

A choked sob tore from her throat, her lips trembling as she gasped for air that refused to fill her lungs. Her vision swam, flickering between the jagged cavern walls and something far beyond—a space vast and unknowable, reaching for her, calling her deeper.

It would be so easy.

She just had to let go.

Let it take her.

Let it end.

And yet—

Aeliana gritted her teeth, her entire body trembling as she forced her eyes open. Through the haze, through the suffocating weight of her failing body, she found him again.

Luca.

Still watching.

Still unmoving.

Still silent.

Her nails dug into her palm, a faint, feeble act of defiance. Her chest heaved as she struggled to form words, but all that came was a broken whisper.

"…Why…?"

Why did he make her believe?

Chapter 420: Truth ? (3)

"Why?"

She asked.

Because she needed to know.

The void swallowed her.

It was worse than the pain—worse than the agony twisting through her body, worse than the fire searing through her veins.

It was nothingness.

A deep, yawning abyss that pulled at her consciousness, fraying the edges of her will. Her body was shaking violently, her limbs twitching uncontrollably, but she barely felt it anymore.

It was fading.

Everything was fading.

'Ah…'

Her lips parted slightly, but no breath came. No words. No sound.

It all felt so empty.

A void deeper than before.

Why am I still here?

Why am I still fighting?

It would be easier to stop.

Easier to let go.

Just as she felt herself slipping completely, Luca's voice cut through the void.

"Why?"

Her chest tightened at the sound of it.

"Do you really want to know?"

She couldn't answer.

Did she?

Did it even matter anymore?

"Don't you find it strange?"

Aeliana barely registered his words, but something about his tone—so calm—pricked at the frayed edges of her mind.

"Think about it," he continued, unshaken. "The expedition team fought countless monsters on the surface. The sea was restless, filled with creatures drawn to our presence, but that was expected. It's the ocean, after all."

His voice carried through the cavern, each word like an anchor trying to tether her to something—to understanding.

"And for a while, everything was… fine. Difficult, but manageable. We were holding our ground, eradicating whatever came at us. No more, no less. Just like usual."

Aeliana's limbs trembled violently, her chest seizing with another wave of unbearable pain. The world was slipping, her mind fragmenting, but Luca's words still reached her.

"But then, suddenly," he murmured, his voice dropping just slightly, "the Kraken appeared."

Her breath hitched, her spasms momentarily slowing.

"The Kraken could have appeared earlier," he said, his tone sharp, thoughtful. "It could have attacked the moment we arrived. It could have surfaced when the smaller creatures started acting up. It wasn't as if we did anything extraordinary."

His dark eyes flickered, catching the dim glow of the fire. "We were fighting. Surviving. Just as expected. And then, out of nowhere—it emerged."

Aeliana barely had the strength to respond, but her mind—though fractured and drowning in agony—latched onto his words.

Why?

Why then?

Why not before?

Luca exhaled softly, his gaze unreadable.

"The answer is clear," he said simply.

Aeliana forced herself to look at him. It took everything in her just to lift her gaze, just to focus through the blur of pain and the suffocating weight pressing down on her.

And when she met his eyes—

Her breath stopped.

His gaze was deep, dark as the endless abyss stretching beyond this world. But within that pitch-black void, something shone.

A flicker of radiant, celestial light.

Starlight.

The same strange, unknowable energy that she had sensed from him before. The same power that made her feel connected to something beyond her understanding.

Luca tilted his head ever so slightly, watching her reaction.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?"

Aeliana's lips trembled.

He knew.

He knew she had felt it before. That strange pulse in her chest when his power manifested, the way her body reacted to it.

Somehow, some way—they were connected.

"The trigger," Luca murmured, his voice quiet yet undeniable, "was you."

Aeliana's eyes widened.

The Kraken, the way it had emerged suddenly—not because of the expedition team, not because of the battle, but because of her.

Something inside her called to it.

And now, something inside her was breaking because of it.

Aeliana's body convulsed violently, her veins blackening further, spreading like jagged cracks along her skin. The pain was indescribable, as though something inside her was being ripped apart—not just her body, but her very being.

Luca remained where he was, unmoving, his dark eyes locked onto hers. He still didn't help. He still didn't move.

And then, he spoke.

Low. Cold. Detached.

"From the start," he murmured, watching her with an unreadable expression, "I knew you were different."

Aeliana's breath shuddered, her body spasming on the cavern floor, but her mind latched onto his words—clawing, grasping, desperate for an answer.

His gaze flickered, that eerie glint of starlight flashing within his black eyes. "You must have sensed it too… my mana." His voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Isn't that right?"

Aeliana's lips trembled.

Yes.

She had.

That strange energy that surrounded him, that filled the air whenever he fought—that pulse of something deep and celestial, something ancient. It had always stirred something inside her, something instinctive, familiar—as if her body knew a truth her mind hadn't yet grasped.

And now, as her vision wavered, as the agony threatened to crush her completely, she felt it again.

But it wasn't just his mana.

It was hers.

Something deep inside her had begun to respond to his presence, to this land, to this pain.

Luca's smirk was gone. He wasn't teasing. He wasn't laughing.

Just watching.

Cold.

Unforgiving.

"Just like you could sense mine," he said, stepping closer at last, his boots echoing against the stone, "I knew yours as well."

Aeliana coughed violently, more of that unnatural, darkened blood spilling from her lips.

"The thing that's eating you," Luca continued, tilting his head slightly, "it's tied to this place."

Aeliana's chest tightened, her body shaking uncontrollably.

'No… no, that can't be…'

Her sickness—it had nothing to do with this cursed land. It had plagued her for years, long before she ever set foot here.

Hadn't it?

Luca's voice dropped lower, more deliberate. "And the Kraken…"

She sucked in a sharp breath.

No.

"It will come to get you."

The words were like ice in her veins.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to speak.

Luca exhaled softly, watching her crumpled form with the same detached gaze as before. And then, his lips curled into a slow, cruel smirk.

"In the end," he murmured, "you're nothing but bait."

Something inside Aeliana snapped.

Rage, betrayal, horror—all tangled into one violent, searing emotion, threatening to swallow her whole.

Her fingers clenched against the ground, her nails digging into the stone as she forced herself to look at him.

Luca.

Lucavion.

The man who had carried her through battle. Who had laughed beside her. Who had—

No.

No, it was all a lie, wasn't it?

He knew.

From the very beginning.

And he let this happen.

A scream built in her throat, but she couldn't force it out. The pain was too much. The darkness too strong.

She could barely think, barely breathe—

And still, Luca just watched.