= Suna's POV =

  The sun was now sinking further, shadows growing taller inside Suna’s chamber. The city of Aurathis was once again veiled by darkness.

  Behind the window that held thousands of stories, the king y on his soft bed. Staring at the high ceiling above, he pondered how to ensure his meeting with King Rowan would bring profit to his kingdom.

  Far beneath the pace, the cry of a woman was silenced behind the thick walls of the torture chamber. Outside, the poor prayed they could one day live within this grand pace.

  Some knights under Valoric’s command began moving along the streets, ensuring that by tomorrow morning, King Rowan could safely set foot in the kingdom of Altheria.

  “One, two, three…” Suna counted with his fingers, his right hand tracing his own face — the very pce where Yoei had once struck him twenty-three times.

  “And… six.” He paused for a moment, then exhaled.

  “Six times I’ve sacrificed her, and tomorrow morning will mark the seventh. I hope no new life is born in this kingdom…” he added.

  He swallowed the saliva that had filled his mouth, his mind haunted by every past encounter involving Yoei.

  Whatever happened back then, he was certain — even demons would feel disgusted seeing what had taken pce there.

  Without realizing it, his eyes grew heavier. His consciousness slowly slipped away, followed by that overwhelming drowsiness. The burden of the kingdom seemed to fade every time he failed to stay awake.

  In the end, he surrendered to the most basic need of every human being. His body rexed, his eyes fully closed.

  Silence. Hours had passed since he fell asleep. He awoke, his awareness not yet fully returned. Gncing left and right like a child searching for his mother.

  “Why… does it feel strange?” Suna muttered, closing his eyes once more.

  As his mouth tried to speak, chaotic noises — cries and screams — echoed from beyond his window. Truly unusual, for Suna’s chamber was located high above, far from the noise of the streets below.

  When he tried to stand, a pair of hands seemed to pull him back to bed. He knew for certain that—

  “Mira, stop it!” Suna shouted, his voice echoing again and again until nausea rose within him.

  “Please, stop. I’m truly in your mercy, Mira…” he added.

  He thought those sweet words could stop his maniacal sister. But for the first time, Suna received no response at all. Even Mira’s distinct ughter did not emerge.

  Cold sweat began to soak his back, making every part of his body sensitive to unseen sounds and movements.

  “Wait, Mira couldn’t have made those cries and screams… don’t tell me—”

  He ran straight to the window, imagining another sudden attack — or perhaps a riot breaking out below.

  What greeted him made Suna’s eyes widen, his mouth agape, even forgetting how to breathe.

  An ocean — but not one he recognized.

  Its waters were red like blood, thick and heavy, with waves that occasionally crashed against his window. Upon its surface floated countless faces — faces that Suna had once erased from this world — colliding against one another.

  Carrion birds circled above, hovering over the results of Suna’s sins.

  His stomach suddenly convulsed violently, his hands instinctively pressing against it.

  “What’s happening— ughhh…” One hand swiftly covered his mouth as it filled with mucus.

  His head spun as if twisted thousands of times; he could no longer resist the nausea that overwhelmed him. The once-glimmering floor of his chamber was now stained by the slime he failed to keep down.

  Worse still, dozens of rotten hands began pulling him from beneath his bed — no part of him spared from their grasp.

  Suna could only surrender as he was completely dragged into the darkness, his cruel memories flooding his vision once more.

  After what felt like several minutes of being forcefully pulled, he finally nded upon solid ground.

  The sky remained the same — crimson red, just like the sea surrounding that small patch of nd. In the distance, a human-like figure — though far from normal — slowly approached Suna. Its body pitch bck, with arms unnaturally long.

  Their face was veiled by long white hair that draped over their shoulders, yet one glowing red eye could be seen gring at Suna through the strands that hung like a curtain.

  Step by step, the creature slowly approached Suna, whose breath had grown ragged, his body stiffening, and the ground beneath him being swallowed by the red sea below.

  “Damn it… I can’t move,” Suna protested, the muscles in his body rebelling, struggling to break free from the force pressing against him.

  “Suna…”

  When Suna looked forward again, the creature was already right in front of his face. But he felt no breath hit his skin — only those sharp red eyes staring deep into his soul.

  “Suna… Suna… Suna…” the creature uttered repeatedly, its voice raspy, as though something had damaged its vocal cords.

  “What do you want, you damned demon…” shouted Suna right in front of its face.

  Suddenly, the creature’s mouth opened wide, its cheeks cracking as its jaws stretched, and a sharp silver object emerged from within.

  “You are still a lost child… and Yoei will awaken everyone trapped in the dream you’ve made.”

  Right after the creature spoke, the sharp object shot out, forming a sword that darted straight toward Suna’s forehead — the strike was unavoidable.

  Suna could feel the silver metal pierce deep into him, so deep that his vision was thrown upward.

  What came next wasn’t pain — it was the hand of a woman he recognized, reaching for the sword.

  Suna’s gaze fell on the figure before him. The horrific creature was gone, repced by a woman with crimson eyes and white hair, trying to pull out the sword that impaled him.

  “Y-Yoei?…” Suna whispered, his eyes widening in disbelief.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll pull this suffering out of you,” Yoei smiled, both her hands gripping the sword, trying to pull it free.

  The first pull failed. Then came the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth… all failed.

  Yoei’s left foot nded on Suna’s chest, using it for extra leverage. This time, the pull wasn’t as smooth — it started to hurt — but the sword began to loosen.

  “I’m sorry… I can’t go on. You can’t be saved,” said Yoei as she slowly stepped back, walking away without looking behind her.

  “Help me a little more, you useless girl!” shouted Suna. The red sky above began to dim — but Yoei gave no answer.

  “Yoei! I command you to return and help me!”

  Again, no response came from her. Yoei’s shadow grew smaller, and the sky above him began losing its light.

  “Damn you, Yoe—”

  His voice was cut off, repced by the sight of his chamber restored to how it once was. He had been lying in his bed all along.

  His breathing was erratic, sweat soaking his back and the sheets beneath him. He froze, staring at the ceiling — the same one that had moments ago been repced by a red sky he’d never seen before.

  “After all that just happened… it was all just… a dream?” Suna muttered, the veins on his forehead beginning to tighten.

  He slowly rose from his bed and walked toward the window. The city of Aurathis y peaceful — not an ocean of blood. His eyes moved back to his bed, the pce where those countless hands had dragged him under.

  But all he found was silence — so quiet it almost hurt his ears.

  “What has happened to me… what kind of creature was that in the dream… and why was Yoei involved…” murmured Suna. The fury he once held slowly faded, repced by a face full of thought.

  “No… I just haven’t had a nightmare in a long time. Everything will be fine. I must focus on welcoming King Rowan’s arrival — that’s all.”

  The sun began to peek from the edge of the horizon — slowly, yet enough to remind Suna that today was the day the kingdom of Altheria would receive guests from the kingdom of Dedonia.