The chamber of the Eye of Shadows remained silent long after Valen finished speaking.
The name lingered in the air like poison.
Crimson Dawn.
No one seemed eager to break the silence.
Not even Idris.
The page rested upon his desk while dozens of questions lingered unanswered.
At last, Idris exhaled slowly.
“The second page has been located.”
Kentro raised an eyebrow.
“The Northern Mountains.”
The room shifted immediately.
Even Valen looked surprised.
Idris continued.
“A beautiful region on the surface.”
His expression darkened.
“At least…
that’s what people believe.”
The vice commander folded his arms.
“Beauty has a habit of hiding monsters.”
Nobody disagreed.
Idris looked directly at Kentro.
“You leave at dawn.”
Kentro simply nodded.
The meeting ended shortly afterward.
One by one, everyone left the chamber.
Each carrying their own worries.
Their own fears.
Their own secrets.
Kentro walked alone through the underground streets of Maze Village.
The blue lights illuminated the stone roads beneath his feet.
For once…
He wasn’t thinking about enemies.
He wasn’t thinking about battles.
Instead, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
A strange book.
Ancient dragons.
Lost pages.
Forgotten prophecies.
Mysterious organizations.
He let out a quiet sigh.
“What kind of world have I fallen into…?”
The question vanished into the darkness.
No answer came.
Only silence.
Eventually, he decided not to spend the night at headquarters.
His mind felt crowded.
Too crowded.
So he returned to the one place that had always helped him think.
The cabin.
Deep within the Dark Forest.
Far away…
Inside the Demon Empire.
The throne room trembled beneath an invisible pressure.
An overwhelming presence filled the vast chamber.
The Demon King sat upon his throne.
His crimson eyes burned with fury.
Before him knelt three figures.
The Water Emperor.
The Earth Emperor.
And the wounded Fire Emperor.
None dared raise their heads.
None dared speak.
Then—
The King’s voice exploded through the chamber.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”
The walls shook violently.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
The emperors felt terror descend upon them like mountains crushing their backs.
The Fire Emperor swallowed.
Blood still stained his bandages.
His voice trembled.
“My lord…”
The King leaned forward.
“Explain.”
The Fire Emperor lowered his head even further.
“I…
I didn’t know he was alive.”
Silence.
The King’s eyes narrowed.
“…Who?”
The pressure intensified.
The Fire Emperor’s body trembled.
Then he forced the words out.
“Kentro.”
The throne room fell completely silent.
The Water Emperor froze.
The Earth Emperor’s eyes widened.
Even the King’s expression changed.
For a brief moment…
Shock replaced anger.
“Kentro…”
His voice was barely a whisper.
“Kentro is alive?”
The Fire Emperor nodded.
“Yes, my lord.”
Silence followed.
A terrible silence.
Then the Earth Emperor spoke cautiously.
“If that is true…”
The Water Emperor finished the thought.
“…then the one who destroyed the Wind Emperor was your son.”
The King’s expression twisted.
“Silence!”
His roar shook the palace.
“Do not call him my heir.”
The room fell silent once more.
The King clenched the armrest of his throne.
His knuckles turned white.
“When I first heard those rumors…”
His voice became lower.
“I refused to believe them.”
Then the Water Emperor stepped forward slightly.
A calm smile rested on his face.
Unlike the others…
His eyes carried calculation.
“My lord.”
The King glanced toward him.
“What?”
The Water Emperor bowed respectfully.
“I have a proposal.”
The King gestured impatiently.
“Speak.”
A faint shadow crossed the emperor’s face.
“If Kentro truly defeated the Wind Emperor…”
He paused.
“And if that wave of power we felt during the Summit originated from him…”
The room grew colder.
“Then he represents a threat beyond prediction.”
The Earth Emperor nodded immediately.
The Water Emperor continued.
“We cannot allow such power to mature.”
His eyes briefly shifted toward the Fire Emperor.
The contempt hidden within them was impossible to miss.
“Grant us permission.”
His smile widened slightly.
“And we will accomplish what the Fire Emperor failed to do.”
The insult struck like a blade.
The Fire Emperor remained silent.
The King observed them all carefully.
Long moments passed.
Then he sighed.
“…Do whatever you must.”
All three emperors immediately straightened.
“But do it quietly.”
His eyes darkened.
“I do not want news of Kentro spreading.”
The Water Emperor and Earth Emperor bowed deeply.
“As you command, my lord.”
Meanwhile…
Inside the Human Kingdom.
The Grand Cathedral stood beneath the light of countless candles.
The High Priest sat upon an elevated throne.
Before him stood the strongest individuals within the Church.
Elite magicians.
Holy Knights.
Senior priests.
And the commander of the Church’s elite magic corps.
The High Priest spoke.
“You understand your mission.”
The commander nodded.
“Yes.”
His voice was cold.
“I will gather information regarding the exiled heir of the Demon King.”
His hand tightened around his sword.
“And if I find him…”
Silence.
“I will kill him.”
The High Priest nodded.
Satisfied.
Then he turned toward an elderly priest standing nearby.
A man known throughout the Church as Archpriest Solomon.
“And you.”
Solomon lowered his head.
“You know your role.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
The High Priest’s eyes narrowed.
“If the heir is located…”
Solomon completed the sentence.
“We will perform the Eternal Purification.”
A dark smile appeared on the High Priest’s face.
“Good.”
He rose from his throne.
“Then go.”
The gathering immediately dispersed.
One by one.
Until only the High Priest remained.
Standing alone within the silent hall.
A sinister smile slowly formed across his face.
And for the first time…
He laughed.
Night had already fallen.
Back in the Dark Forest.
Kentro finally reached the cabin.
He stood before it quietly.
For several moments, he simply stared.
Memories surfaced immediately.
The years he had spent surviving here.
The loneliness.
The battles.
The pain.
The endless struggle.
Slowly, he stepped inside.
Dust covered the furniture.
The room felt smaller than he remembered.
He spent hours cleaning.
Organizing.
Repairing.
Working in silence.
Later, he entered the forest.
A hunt that once required hours now lasted only minutes.
His movements had become almost inhuman.
By sunset, he had already returned.
Dinner cooked over the fire.
The familiar smell filled the cabin.
And for the first time in weeks…
Peace returned.
Night deepened.
The stars hid behind dark clouds.
Only the crackling flames illuminated the room.
Kentro sat before the fire.
Thinking.
The black book.
The missing pages.
The prophecy.
The dragon.
The Crimson Dawn.
Everything.
At last, a faint smile appeared.
A rare smile.
He leaned back against the wooden wall.
And quietly spoke to himself.
“So there are three missing pages…”
The fire crackled.
“If I gather them all…”
His crimson eyes reflected the flames.
“I’ll finally learn the truth about this world.”
Silence followed.
Then his smile widened slightly.
The calm expression disappeared.
Something sharper emerged.
Something familiar.
Something dangerous.
He looked into the fire and whispered:
“If reaching those pages means war…”
The flames danced wildly.
And Kentro laughed quietly.
“Then I welcome the war.”
To Be Continued…