Lilith stood at the palace doorway, staring at her throne room—now in ruins from a battle she had missed.
"Go after her," she ordered coldly.
The one she commanded was Ravka—Arthur's lover, a wielder of light who had been hypnotized by Lilith to obey her every word. Ravka didn't say a thing. She immediately set off toward Mythren.
Meanwhile, Arthur was being dragged somewhere with his hands bound and his eyes covered. Two men escorted him, ready to execute him if he resisted, while Eira walked at the front.
"What do you want from me?" Arthur asked in a low voice.
"What do I want?" Eira replied. "I just want revenge on you people of Tenebrous."
"Revenge? But Dr. Thrain said you'd repented."
"That was all bullshit," she snapped. "Just lies to make me look trustworthy. Who could ever accept their parents being killed by those damn Tenebrous elves?"
"But I'm not an elf!" Arthur protested.
"You're no different from them," Eira said flatly. "Besides, I've got an elf prisoner who might be useful."
They continued along a narrow forest path as rain slowly began to fall. The night felt longer than usual.
Before long, they reached a simple yet sturdy building. Eira led Arthur inside and removed the blindfold from his eyes.
"Welcome to the Sanctuary," she said. "The place where we create things no one else ever has."
She took him through room after room. Countless twisted experiments filled the place—fusing human bodies with animals, replacing human organs with machines, feeding people potions that turned them into bloodthirsty monsters, and far worse.
Almost every room was stained with blood. None of the subjects had ever been anesthetized—they felt every bit of the pain. Some survived. Many didn't.
"How are you still alive like nothing ever happened to you?" Arthur asked.
"I'll tell you once we get there," she replied.
They entered another room. An elderly woman stood with her back to them, speaking to someone at a table. She turned when she heard the door open.
"Eira," the woman greeted her with a nod.
"El," Eira replied as she approached. "How are you feeling now?"
"Much better, thanks to Theryn," El said.
Eira shifted her gaze to a man sitting calmly nearby. He was Theryn—a vampire and the most brilliant scientist there.
"Thank you, Theryn. You always make our mother proud."
"It's my duty," Theryn answered.
"Now, El, could you give us a moment? I need to talk to Theryn."
El walked out, her eyes scanning Arthur from head to toe. The way she looked at him sent chills down his spine.
"Well, you actually pulled it off," Theryn said after the door closed.
"Of course," Eira replied. "A broken-hearted man is easy bait."
"Enough games," Arthur snapped. "Just tell me what you want."
"Not so fast," Eira said calmly. "Aren't you curious how I'm still alive and perfectly fine? Let me introduce Theryn properly. He's a vampire with the strongest illusion magic in all of Eldoria. He used it on me—made it look like my arm was severed. At first, I doubted him. He told me to act like it was gone, even though I could still feel both arms. But I never thought the illusion would actually fool everyone."
Arthur stayed silent, listening to her insane explanation.
"That's it?" he said finally. "You brought me here just for that?"
"Of course not," Eira replied. "I've got another surprise for you."
She opened another door in the room, stepped inside, and came back dragging an elf man whose face was badly beaten. She shoved him to the floor.
Arthur froze. It was… Rylan.
He rushed over. "Rylan, look at me. It's me—Arthur."
"Arthur… where's Nimora?" Rylan asked weakly.
"I don't know. Weren't you the one who got her out of Neo-Lab? I should be asking you about her."
"No… that wasn't me," Rylan replied hoarsely, coughing up blood.
"What? What do you mean? I don't get it."
Before Arthur could say more, Eira dragged Rylan away, not allowing them another moment.
"Arthur, listen to me!" Rylan shouted. "You have to go after Nimora. Kill the other me—and kill the one they sent to abduct her!"
Then he was gone.
Theryn stepped closer, leaving his seat. He circled Arthur slowly, examining his flawless physique.
"You have a perfect body," he said calmly. "You'll make an excellent experiment."
•••
MYTHREN
A strange vibration rippled through the ground, making Nimora and the others too uneasy to rest. They hurried deeper into the cave, hoping to find a way out.
Strangely, there were no disturbances this time—no creatures of Mythren attacked them. Eventually, they reached a fork in the path.
To the left, faint light spilled from within the cave. To the right, darkness descended steeply downward.
Thyra chose the left path without hesitation.
"Hey, are you seriously leaving us?" Rowan called out.
"I don't care about you anymore," Thyra replied coldly. "All I want is to get the hell out of this place."
Nimora and Rowan didn't stop her. They let Thyra go her own way.
"Rowan, I think this is as far as you should go," Nimora said.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want you coming to the Erebus Abyss. It's going to be dangerous. I don't want you to be the next one to die."
"And then what?" Rowan shot back. "You think you can survive alone? What happens to your sister if you die?"
"I—I don't know," Nimora admitted. "I just don't want you dying to protect me."
"Who said I'd die for someone as weak as you?" Rowan said sharply. "I'd die to get that plant and save your sister. To hell with you, Nim."
Nimora let out a small laugh. She knew she couldn't force him to leave if he was determined to help.
Without wasting another word, they moved forward together.