The cabin trembled slightly as Kentro slammed his fist against the wooden wall.
Cracks spread across the surface instantly.
Silence followed.
Heavy silence.
Kentro stood motionless in the middle of the room while anger burned behind his crimson eyes.
The Eye of Shadows.
The masked man.
The Dragon Throne.
None of it made sense.
And what angered him most…
Was the feeling that everyone knew something about him except himself.
“Tch…”
He grabbed his cloak violently and stepped outside.
Cold wind struck his face immediately.
The forest around him remained dark and endless as always.
But this time—
Kentro’s mood was far darker.
A nearby monster suddenly emerged from the trees.
A wolf-like beast with twisted fangs and black fur.
The creature growled aggressively.
Kentro stared at it silently.
Then vanished.
A second later, the monster’s body crashed lifelessly against a tree.
Another creature attacked.
Then another.
Then another.
Hours passed.
The Dark Forest echoed with violence.
Broken trees.
Scattered corpses.
Blood across the ground.
Kentro moved through the forest like a storm searching for something to destroy.
Yet no matter how many monsters he killed…
His frustration remained.
Eventually—
He stopped beside a river deep within the forest.
Blood dripped slowly from his knuckles into the water.
His breathing gradually calmed.
Then finally…
He sat down silently.
The image of the organization leader appeared in his mind once again.
Tall.
Calm.
Long silver-black hair flowing over dark robes.
Eyes too sharp for a normal human.
And that pressure…
Kentro slowly narrowed his eyes.
“…Who exactly are you people?”
Far away…
Inside the Demon Kingdom.
The royal palace had fallen into chaos.
Voices echoed violently throughout the massive throne hall.
“This is impossible!”
The Emperor of Fire slammed his hand against the stone table furiously.
“The Wind Emperor cannot die that easily!”
The Emperor of Water remained silent for several moments before speaking calmly:
“And yet… he disappeared after investigating the Dark Forest.”
The Emperor of Earth crossed his arms heavily.
“The energy wave we sensed during the summit was real.”
His expression darkened slightly.
“And whatever caused it… was powerful enough to kill an Emperor.”
The atmosphere became colder immediately.
At the center of the hall—
The Demon King sat silently upon his throne.
His eyes were unreadable.
But the pressure surrounding him alone was enough to suffocate the room.
One of the nobles stepped forward nervously.
“There are also strange reports from villages near the Dark Forest…”
The king finally spoke.
“…Continue.”
The noble swallowed.
“The monster population is rapidly decreasing.”
Silence.
Another minister added quickly:
“Entire groups of high-ranking beasts have vanished.”
“…Something is hunting them.”
The hall grew quieter.
Then suddenly—
The Emperor of Fire spoke again:
“And what about the missing heir?”
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Several nobles lowered their heads immediately.
Nobody liked discussing that topic.
The Demon King’s eyes darkened slightly.
Years had passed since the child was abandoned.
Yet recently…
Too many strange events had begun appearing around the Dark Forest.
The Emperor of Water narrowed his eyes.
“…Do you believe he survived?”
No answer came.
But silence itself…
Was enough.
The discussion quickly grew louder.
Arguments filled the hall.
Speculations.
Accusations.
Fear.
Soon even servants and guards outside the palace began gathering after hearing the disturbance.
Finally—
The Demon King stood up.
Instantly, silence crushed the entire hall.
His voice echoed coldly:
“Send an elite investigation unit.”
The order alone carried overwhelming pressure.
“Discover what is happening inside the Dark Forest.”
Nobody dared object.
The king turned away immediately and left the hall.
But as he walked through the palace corridor…
One thought continued echoing in his mind.
“…Kentro.”
Meanwhile…
Inside the Human Kingdom.
The atmosphere was entirely different.
Quiet.
Controlled.
Dangerously calm.
Inside the Grand Cathedral, rows of priests stood silently beneath massive silver pillars.
At the very center sat the High Cleric himself.
Old.
Wise.
And terrifyingly intelligent.
Several high-ranking priests waited silently for his decision.
One finally spoke carefully:
“What should we do regarding the current situation with the Demon Kingdom?”
The High Cleric slowly opened his eyes.
“Their instability benefits us.”
Another priest stepped forward.
“And the missing heir?”
The room became quiet.
Then a younger priest suddenly spoke:
“We should locate him.”
Several eyes turned toward him.
The priest continued confidently:
“If the stories are true, then he was humiliated and abandoned by his own bloodline.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“That makes him useful.”
Some priests slowly nodded.
“If we gain his trust—”
“We gain information.”
“Possibly even his power.”
“And if he truly hates the Demon Kingdom…”
Another priest smiled faintly.
“Then he may become the perfect weapon against them.”
Murmurs of agreement spread through the cathedral.
Until suddenly—
A cane struck the floor.
CLACK.
An old man wearing a long white-gray cloak slowly stepped forward from the shadows.
The atmosphere itself seemed to change around him.
Several priests immediately lowered their heads respectfully.
The younger priest frowned slightly.
“…Lord Seraphel.”
The old man’s eyes were cold.
Far colder than the High Cleric himself.
This man…
Was the former High Cleric.
A legend within the Church.
Seraphel stared toward the gathered priests silently.
Then finally spoke:
“…You fools.”
The words alone froze the room.
The younger priest stiffened immediately.
Seraphel’s gaze darkened.
“You speak of controlling something you do not understand.”
He slowly tightened his grip on the cane.
“If the rumors are true…”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“…Then the world itself may already be changing.”
Silence swallowed the cathedral entirely.
Even the current High Cleric remained quiet.
And for the first time in years—
Fear appeared within the Church.
Days later.
Kentro continued searching for information regarding the Eye of Shadows.
Village after village.
Town after town.
But every time he mentioned the organization—
People reacted strangely.
Some became terrified.
Others attacked him immediately.
One mercenary group even accused him of being a spy.
The result…
Three broken walls.
Seven unconscious fighters.
And one destroyed tavern.
Kentro walked away afterward without saying a word.
Eventually, inside a small eastern settlement, an old woman finally gave him information.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke:
“If you truly seek them…”
She pointed eastward.
“…Then go to the Maze Village.”
Kentro narrowed his eyes.
“Maze Village?”
The woman nodded slowly.
“A hidden underground settlement beneath the Eastern Lands.”
“Most people who search for it never return.”
A faint smile appeared on Kentro’s face.
“…Good.”
Several days later…
Kentro finally arrived.
At first glance—
There was nothing.
Only endless rocky land beneath a dying red sunset.
No village.
No buildings.
No people.
Silence.
Kentro slowly looked around.
“…So this is it?”
Then suddenly—
The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly.
And somewhere below the earth…
Something enormous began moving.
END OF CHAPTER
“In this chapter, we saw Kentro searching for the ‘Eye of Shadows’ and finally arriving at the ‘Maze Village’.
But the question is: what do you think is waiting for him there?
Will he find allies?
Enemies?
Or something else we didn’t expect?
Share your predictions in the comments!