Junyu was completely swallowed by darkness.
There was no ground.
No ceiling.
No sense of direction.
Only an endless black void surrounding him.
Junyu tried to move, but his body felt strangely distant.
"What is this...?"
He looked down at his hands.
"My body feels like it's not even mine anymore."
A cold presence moved through him.
"It feels like... it's hers."
Junyu slowly looked upward.
Lucia was there.
Floating above him.
Smiling.
Her eyes remained fixed on him as the darkness pulled Junyu farther down.
Junyu tried to move away.
Nothing.
His body wouldn't respond.
Lucia slowly descended toward him.
Junyu's vision began fading.
Then—
Pain.
Lucia had reached him.
Junyu's body went completely still.
His strength was disappearing, and he could barely resist.
Lucia pulled away and prepared a strange injection filled with dark energy.
She pressed it against Junyu's neck.
The moment it entered him—
The entire barrier erupted with dark energy.
Purple and black waves spread across the cave.
Lucia stepped out of the barrier.
She smiled.
"My pet is ready."
Silence.
Then—
Junyu moved.
He suddenly launched himself upward.
His body had changed.
His clothes strained against his expanding frame as dark energy surged through him.
His eyes had become pure red.
His teeth had sharpened.
His horns appeared more prominent beneath the shadows.
Even his posture was different.
He no longer looked like the Junyu they knew.
Morgan's expression changed.
"Lucia..."
He took a step back.
"What did you do?"
Lucia calmly looked at him.
"Don't worry."
She turned toward Junyu.
"He's mine now."
She pointed toward the ground.
"Hey."
Junyu stared at her.
"Sit down like a good boy."
Junyu immediately sat.
Morgan froze.
Lucia smiled.
"He'll do everything I want."
She walked past him.
"Everything I order."
Her eyes shifted toward the others.
"So now we don't have to worry."
"He's ours."
Lucia released the barrier surrounding Katsa.
Katsa immediately looked toward Junyu.
Their eyes met.
But there was nothing familiar in his expression.
Only those red, emotionless eyes.
Lucia pointed at Katsa.
"No drama."
She smiled.
"I want you to kill her."
Junyu slowly stood.
"Just kill her."
Junyu's lips curled into a smile.
Then he roared.
The sound echoed throughout the underground chamber.
Katsa's eyes widened.
"What?!"
She stared at him.
"Junyu... it's me."
Junyu disappeared.
Katsa barely had time to react.
He appeared in front of her and struck her in the stomach.
She was thrown backward and crashed against the stone wall.
"Kgh..."
Katsa struggled to stand.
She looked at Junyu approaching.
"He's gone wild..."
"Ikiro said if something went wrong, I should alert them."
"But this..."
She clenched her fist.
"It's never been this bad."
"I can't fight him right now."
Junyu rushed forward.
Katsa tried to move.
Too late.
Junyu caught her by the neck and lifted her from the ground.
"Junyu!"
Katsa grabbed his arm.
"It's me!"
"Wake up!"
His red eyes remained completely empty.
"Junyu!"
Katsa concentrated the last of her energy.
A small pulse of energy escaped her body.
The signal was sent.
ABOVE THE PRISON
Ikiro suddenly stopped.
A message appeared.
His expression changed.
KATSA IS IN DANGER.
Ikiro immediately turned toward the others.
"She's in danger."
Salim looked over.
"What danger?"
Ton and Michael turned at the same time.
"WHAT DANGER?!"
Ikiro looked at the location.
"The signal is coming from..."
He stared at the coordinates.
"Underground."
Everyone became silent.
Ikiro continued.
"Directly below us."
Salim looked toward the prison beneath them.
"So she's below the prison."
He tightened his grip.
"Then it's fine."
He looked at the others.
"Let's do this."
Michael nodded.
Ton stepped forward.
Ikiro turned toward the underground passage.
Salim looked ahead.
"We're coming, Katsa."
Far below them, inside the darkness—
Katsa was still trapped in Junyu's grip.
And the demon's red eyes stared directly into hers.