Chapter 150 ¹⁵⁰The Return

?Azhyrael pierced through the thick cloud layer.

?Ethan slowed his speed and banked downward. Beneath him, the dark pine forest gradually parted to reveal the quiet rooftops of Valen Village.

?The night breeze whipped against his face, carrying up the acrid stench of smoke, blood, and scorched earth.

?He took in the devastation from above. Toppled pine trees lay strewn about. The courtyard ground was cracked like parched leather. The walls of the Valen estate were gouged in several places, and half the roof had caved in.

?Ethan’s jaw tightened.

?He touched down soundlessly. Azhyrael’s wings dissolved back into his spine, leaving behind a faint haze of heat.

?Isolde dismounted first. She surveyed the ruined courtyard, then glanced at Ethan, remaining silent. She held Cornelius closely, wrapped in her travel cloak. The Sage was unconscious, his breathing shallow and faint. Isolde’s platinum blonde hair was uncharacteristically disheveled.

?Miya scrambled down right behind her, clutching her medical bag to her chest, her face deathly pale.

?In the courtyard, three figures stood amid the rubble.

?Valera was the first to turn. Her golden eyes were dull with exhaustion. The bandages on her right arm were soaked through with blood, her left shoulder was torn open, and her Zweihander hung lopsided across her back. Yet she remained standing.

?"My Lord..." her voice was hoarse. "Forgive me. We failed to protect our home."

?Ethan didn’t answer right away. He scanned the surrounding air with Sin Mana. No residual aura of the Crimson Moon remained—only the smell of char and black scorch marks on the dirt.

?"Elara?" Ethan asked.

?"She is in her room."

?Ethan asked no further questions.

?Near the doorway, a cluster of vibrant green grass and several wildflowers bloomed amidst the charred earth. Only in that single spot. Ethan stared at it for a brief moment, unable to comprehend, before averting his gaze.

?His eyes swept across the courtyard once more. A black scorch mark marked the center of the yard; a pine trunk was snapped in two. Kaelia stood near the debris, her fiery red hair tangled, her golden-yellow eyes dim. The Lust Brand on her lower abdomen throbbed faintly. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Ethan’s eyes.

?"I’m sorry, My Lord," she whispered.

?Ethan didn’t reply. Now was not the time.

?Lilith stood a short distance away. Her pink hair was disheveled, her maid dress reduced to tattered shreds, but her wounds were already closing up. Her expression was unreadable.

?"She’s different, My Lord," Lilith murmured, saying nothing more. Her eyes darted toward the entrance of the house.

?"Isolde, lay Cornelius down in the living room, then cast an emergency seal around the estate," Ethan ordered briskly. "Lilith, guard the courtyard until sunrise. Miya, with me."

?He strode inside without waiting for a reply.

?The manor was dark. The oil lamps were extinguished. Furniture lay overturned, glass shards were scattered across the floor, and deep claw marks stretched across the living room wall. The air hung heavy with the smell of blood, sweat, and lingering residual magic.

?Asrof stood outside Elara’s bedroom door, his face pale and hands trembling slightly. In the corner of the hallway, Yuna and Berta sat huddled together, their eyes red and swollen. Yuna hugged her knees, her dark brown ponytail half-unraveled.

?Asrof bowed deeply. "Young Master... I failed to protect Lady Elara."

?"I know. It’s not your fault," Ethan replied.

?Yuna looked up. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Berta merely kept her head down, wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron.

?"Is she inside?"

?"Yes, Young Master. Lady Elara lost consciousness after the battle ended, but her breathing is stable. Lady Lilith stabilized her."

?"How long has it been?"

?"Not long, Young Master. A little over an hour."

?Ethan placed his hand on the doorknob.

?He didn’t open it immediately. There was something faint resting against his palm—almost imperceptible. A sensation of warmth, completely unrelated to the wood beneath his fingers.

?He pushed the door open.

?Elara’s room was dimly lit.

?The girl lay on her bed, her pale brown hair spilled messily across the pillow. Her skin was as white as alabaster. Her white-filmed eyelids were closed. Beneath the blanket, her woolen nightgown rose and fell gently with her breathing.

?And seeping from her pores, an extremely faint, golden-white radiance still emanated.

?Ethan sat on the edge of the bed. His Sin Mana had not yet recovered from the duel at Zenithar, making his body feel heavy. He ignored the fatigue. For a long time, he simply stared at his sister’s face.

?"Elara," he called softly.

?There was no response.

?He touched her cheek. It was cold. Yet beneath that cool skin throbbed a strange warmth—like a small fire buried deep within embers.

?Asmodeus. Do you feel that?

?For a moment, there was no reply. Then, the voice echoed in his mind.

?...I do not know.

?Flat. Devoid of laughter. Devoid of "My Lord."

?Ethan furrowed his brow, but probed no further.

?"Miya."

?Miya was already kneeling by the bed. A warm, dark golden-purple light ignited in her palms, hovering gently over Elara’s chest.

?She remained silent for a long time, her brow furrowed in concentration.

?"There are no internal injuries, My Lord," she whispered finally. "Her life force is low, but stable. However..."

?"However?"

?"I cannot read the energy inside her body. It’s light... far too pure." Miya withdrew her hands, as if afraid. "I dare not touch it any further."

?Ethan nodded slowly. "Tend to Valera and Kaelia."

?Miya nodded and stepped outside.

?Ethan held Elara’s wrist, measuring her pulse. Slow, but steady. Steadier than he could ever remember.

?A few moments later, Valera appeared at the threshold. She didn’t step inside.

?"Come in," Ethan said without turning around.

?Valera dragged her heavy steps inside. Blood from the bandages on her arm trickled slowly onto the floorboards.

?"Tell me what happened."

?"A Crimson Moon came tonight," Valera said briefly. "He brought hundreds of lesser vampires. The barrier broke. The three of us fought back, but we lost."

?"The lesser vampires?"

?"Wiped out in ten minutes. They weren’t difficult. Only he was." Valera clenched her left fist. "He snapped me like a twig."

?"What kind of magic did he use?"

?"Blood. Spears, a prison, a storm."

?"Same as the one at Zenithar," Ethan muttered.

?"He asked where you were, My Lord. He said he came now specifically because you weren’t here."

?Ethan’s jaw tightened slightly.

?"Then Lady Elara came out. There was light, and the dead grass began to grow again. Lady Elara told him not to hurt us. The Crimson Moon backed away—he was terrified." Valera paused for a moment. "After that, the Crimson Moon died, disintegrating like sand. Lady Elara vomited blood and collapsed."

?"Was she conscious when she did it?"

?"I don’t know." Valera looked toward Elara. "It was as if... she wasn’t herself."

?"What exactly did she do?"

?"Light. Just light. But it was destructive."

?"An incantation? A spell name?"

?"None. Lady Elara merely raised her hands."

?Ethan remained silent for a long time. That explained things—at least in part. No wonder Asmodeus was clueless.

?"There were two Crimson Moons," Ethan said finally. "The other one launched an attack as well."

?Valera went rigid. "Two at the same time?"

?"The academy was struck. Head Instructor Vane was killed. Cornelius is injured; he’s in the living room."

?"And that vampire?"

?"Fled severely wounded."

?Ethan didn’t mention the seed he had planted. Now was not the time.

?"The Queen attacked two places in a single night. Zenithar for the sealing records. And Valen for..." He trailed off, looking down at his sister.

?For what? To hunt him down? Or for something else?

?"You may go," he said.

?"My Lord—"

?"Lady Elara saved us all, My Lord," Valera said softly.

?"I know."

?"You are injured. Your wound has reopened. Get some rest."

?Valera bowed deeply. She stepped outside, and the door closed softly behind her.

?Ethan sat there, alone with his sister.

?He didn’t move. The faint glow continued to emanate, steady and soft as breath. Outside, Isolde’s voice chanting the emergency barrier reverberated faintly.

?Time trickled by.

?Asrof entered briefly carrying a basin of water and a clean cloth, then left without a word. Ethan gently wiped Elara’s forehead. The skin remained cool, but the glow beneath it didn’t dim.

?The sound of footsteps echoed at the doorway. Isolde stood there.

?"The seal is set. Crude, but it will hold until noon."

?"It’s enough," Ethan replied.

?Isolde gazed at Elara from a distance. "Her energy gives me chills. Not because it’s terrifying," she paused, "but because I don’t recognize it at all."

?She departed without waiting for a response.

?His mind spun without answers.

?What had happened tonight? How did Elara possess such power? Why was Asmodeus clueless? Why did the Horned Crown tattoo on his chest throb so strangely whenever he looked at her face?

?For years, he had known his sister’s blocked mana circuits. Every healer had given up. Not a single record indicated that such a condition could give rise to a light like this.

?Then the line from the ancient scroll surfaced in his head once more.

?The bond you cherish most.

?Ethan closed his eyes. He refused to finish that line of thought.

?If only he hadn’t left. If only he had been here. He never allowed himself to entertain "what-ifs," but tonight, the thought arose unbidden.

?At the threshold, Yuna’s shadow paused briefly. She lingered over Elara for a long moment before quietly slipping away.

?Ethan didn’t turn to look.

?Miya knocked gently and stepped halfway inside. "I have tended to Valera and Lady Kaelia, My Lord. Sage Cornelius is stable, though he has yet to regain consciousness."

?"Get some rest."

?"You should too, My Lord..."

?"I’m staying here," Ethan answered.

?Miya bowed her head and softly shut the door.

?He waited.

?Bit by bit, the slit between the window curtains changed color. From black to slate gray. From slate gray to pale morning light. The first birds began to chirp in the forest, as if the horrors of the night had never occurred.

?Elara stirred.

?Her eyelids fluttered, parting slightly. Her lips moved, her voice barely audible.

?"Brother..."

?Ethan leaned in immediately. "I’m here."

?"I... had a dream..."

?"What dream?"

?Elara stared blankly at the ceiling. Though her eyes were blind, a gentle softness settled over her features. Ethan held her hand. It was warm—too warm for a child who had just been coughing up blood.

?Once, his sister had been afraid of everything—the dark, loud noises, even sudden touch.

?"I’m not scared anymore."

?"Why?"

?Elara turned her head slowly toward him. Ethan could feel her gaze—warm, tranquil.

?"Because... we aren’t alone."

?Ethan froze, barely daring to breathe.

?"’We’?"

?Elara furrowed her brow slightly, as though she herself was unsure where those words had come from. Then her smile returned, her eyelids closed, and her breathing evened out once more.

?She had fallen back asleep.

?Ethan gazed down at his sister for a long time.

?The Horned Crown tattoo on his chest throbbed softly. Not from battle. Not from exhaustion. But from something else—something he could not yet comprehend.

?"What did you see in that dream, Elara?" he whispered.

?There was no answer.

?Outside, the sky began to flush with amber hues. Dawn had arrived.

?Ethan did not budge from his spot. He kept his eyes fixed on his sister’s face.

?And for the first time since becoming the Demon Lord, he understood nothing at all.