Alejandro, a member of the royal guard, stood firm at Andrew and Elizabeth's side, watching over their safety. Asher had also been ordered to remain close to his lord, while Leonardo was assigned to the same group. Fortunately, that sector had not suffered major damage; the demonic cult's objective seemed focused elsewhere, for reasons no one yet understood.

  "The Duchess Sofía arrived with her magical beasts," Andrew said, frowning. "Something must have happened to Lusian."

  "We have to go see what happened to him," Elizabeth replied, visibly worried.

  Andrew sighed and affectionately tapped her on the head before leaning in to whisper, "We need to be more discreet. We can't just go to him."

  "Your Majesties, please do not move away," Alejandro interjected firmly. "We must protect you at all times."

  The royal knight watched them with a mixture of respect and tension. He knew his duty was to keep them alive, even if that meant restraining their concern.

  Not far from there, Lusian lay resting against Emily's lap. Despite having taken a healing potion and her desperate efforts, his breathing remained faint. Kara fought nearby, cutting down the low-level undead that still posed a threat. Adela and her brother held a defensive perimeter around Lusian, carrying out their duty with unwavering resolve.

  When the group of masters arrived, Master Clara was the first to step forward, anguish written across her face.

  "How are they?" she asked, breathless.

  "Lusian hasn't woken up yet, and Umber is injured… but he'll recover," Emily replied, never taking her eyes off him.

  "Good. Stay safe. There are still sectors we need to secure."

  Clara gave the order, and the masters dispersed. Shortly after, the thunder of hooves echoed loudly: Sofía had arrived riding Thunder. She leapt from the imposing steed and strode decisively toward her son.

  "Thank you for taking care of him," she said, her voice steady yet heavy with emotion.

  "There's no need to thank me, Duchess," Emily replied calmly. "I'm only looking after my fiancé."

  Sofía looked mildly surprised, barely sparing her a glance before turning to the masters, her expression hardening with anger.

  "How did this happen? Isn't it the masters' duty to protect the students?"

  "We deeply apologize, Duchess," Clara answered, bowing her head. "This was an emergency. Without Lusian's help, we would all be in far greater danger. It's shameful to admit it… but the students were invaluable. Without them, we would have died."

  A piercing scream cut through her words.

  Jerges, his face twisted with madness, staggered to his feet.

  "You!" he roared. "Cursed woman… I'm the same as you—a genius mage! Yet while you are adored by all, I was rejected even by my own family just for being a necromancer. Where is the justice in that? Is it fair that—"

  He never finished. A roar shook the air, and in the blink of an eye, a massive claw tore him into three pieces. Larryet growled behind Sofía, bristling with restrained fury.

  Agustín swallowed hard, pale. "Duchess… we needed Jerges. He was our only lead to finding the other cult hideouts."

  "That won't be necessary," Sofía replied without a trace of doubt. "My riders are already handling that. And I could not allow anyone who hurt my son to remain alive."

  Her words carried the same force as her gaze: cold, merciless. There would be no clemency for anyone who dared harm her blood.

  Sofía knelt, gently caressed Lusian's face, and carefully placed him atop Larryet.

  "Emily, get on. We're leaving."

  "Duchess!" Kara shouted, running toward her. "Please, wait. Could you help my uncle?"

  "It is not my duty, child," Sofía replied without looking at her. "But don't worry. The Erkham army and your family's forces are already on their way."

  She turned to her escorts. "Adela, follow me."

  Just as they were about to depart, a figure emerged through the smoke and battlefield debris. Clarisse Stanley ran forward with several masters, her eyes swollen from crying. She collapsed before Emily, overcome with sobs.

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  "Emily… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… it was my fault, my fault…" she murmured, falling to her knees.

  "What happened?" Emily exclaimed, stepping down from Thunder to hold her. "Calm down—it's not your fault. But tell me, what happened?"

  Clarisse lifted her devastated face.

  "Manuel… died because of me."

  Emily froze, her voice caught in her throat. "Manuel? No… that can't be…" she whispered, embracing her tightly.

  "We were attacked by so many undead," Clarisse continued, trembling. "He took the blow that was meant for me… he saved me. I… I should be the one who died, not him…"

  "Show me where he is," Emily said, her voice breaking.

  At the academy, the silence after the battle was heavier than the Forest King's roar. The walls, blackened and cracked, still exhaled the scent of magic and blood. They had barely managed to repel the beast, but the cost had been immense.

  Magnus sat among the rubble, his face wrapped in bandages, a shadow where one eye had once been. Beside him, Axel surveyed the ruined battlefield with a grim expression.

  "The losses are too great," Axel said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "So many warriors and mages have fallen. Half the academy was destroyed when the Forest King brought down the wall."

  Magnus clenched his fist over his knee. His breathing was slow, barely restraining his fury. "So many lives lost… At least the students are safe. We must discover what drove those beasts mad."

  Far away, beneath the cover of night and deep within the forest, two figures staggered forward. The demonic count Bragoz dragged his battered body, covered in wounds and dust. At his side, Dimitri the vampire wore an expression of weary rage.

  "Dimitri, I can no longer sense the demonic aura of the summoning," Bragoz growled. "What happened?"

  "How would I know?" the vampire replied with icy sarcasm. "I've been with you this whole time, fleeing those damned monsters. Because of you, I lost all my subordinates. I thought you had control over those beasts."

  "Silence, useless vampire!" Bragoz roared, turning on him with blazing eyes. "I never said I could control them. I can only attract them. Find out what happened and why my brother has not appeared. The summoning should have ended by now."

  Meanwhile, inside a carriage bearing the Douglas banner, Lusian slowly opened his eyes. The sway of the vehicle reminded him of the pain in his body, though the weight of uncertainty hurt even more. Across from him, Sofía watched with a mixture of relief and severity.

  "It seems you've finally awakened," she whispered. "How do you feel?"

  "Mother… what happened?" Lusian asked, struggling to sit up.

  "Don't you remember, Lusian?" Sofía said softly. "Don't you remember what happened?"

  "I only remember fighting a lich and then a blinding light… after that, nothing."

  Sofía sighed, releasing a breath she had been holding. "Why did you put yourself in danger again? You never learn, Lusian. This time, I will have to be stricter with you."

  "I had no choice," he replied, staring at the fogged window. "If I hadn't acted, more people would have died. How are Emily and the others?"

  "They are safe," she answered gravely. "But there was an incident. Emily's brother died."

  Lusian felt the air leave his lungs. His breath grew uneven, a cold stab piercing his chest. This was not supposed to happen. In the story he remembered, Manuel never died.

  "So… it's true. You saw it," he murmured blankly.

  "Calm down, Lusian," Sofía said, gripping his shoulder. "You're pale. Everything is fine now. You must not burden yourself with this. You will need to comfort Emily, but none of this is your fault."

  He did not respond. His mind sank into a sea of thoughts. The attack on the academy, the cult's ambush, Manuel's death—none of it had existed in the original story. Had he altered the fate of this world with his actions? He remembered the butterfly effect: a single movement could change everything. What if his very existence was the source of this chaos?

  In the days that followed, Sofía forbade him from leaving the mansion until he fully recovered. Umber was still healing, so Larryet became his new companion. Even so, Lusian barely slept. Guilt offered no respite.

  He wrote several letters to Emily, apologizing and offering his support. When she finally came to visit, she found him seated by the window, staring into the distance.

  "How are you?" Emily asked, running to embrace him. "Have you recovered from your injuries?"

  "I'm fine… and you?" Lusian replied softly.

  She did not answer. Her tears soaked into his shirt as silence settled heavily between them.

  "I'm not well," she finally murmured. "My family is devastated. We never imagined something like this could happen."

  "I know," Lusian said gently. "No one expected this. But you must stay strong. If you need anything, don't hesitate to tell me."

  "Will you come to the funeral with me?" she asked, trembling. "I need your support."

  "Of course. I will be there to honor your brother."

  "It will be a funeral for all who fell," Emily explained. "The royal family will hold the ceremony to honor the men and women who died in the attack. The cultists turned villagers into undead and sent them against us. How can there be so much evil in the world?"

  "The human heart is unfathomable," Lusian replied, lowering his gaze. "Sometimes darkness hides even in the brightest places."

  Far from there, in a mansion bathed in twilight, Tomás Denisse argued with his son Lorenzo. The air was thick with tension.

  "Father, the gift the cult gave us was useless," Lorenzo growled, throwing a seal to the floor. "They failed."

  "Tell me what happened," Tomás said, pressing a hand to his forehead.

  "When they began evacuating the academy, we were divided into groups. I was assigned with Katerin The Mondring. But the undead started emerging from the cemetery, and the masters had to intervene. Clarisse Stanley was in danger. I could have helped her, but I didn't think it necessary. Her fiancé rushed in to save her and died like a fool. I'll never understand why someone would risk his life for a single woman when there are so many others available."

  Tomás looked at him with contained fury.

  "Idiot!" he roared, slamming the table. "A favor from the Stanley family would have been valuable. If they owed us a debt, we could have used it to our advantage. Your stupidity knows no bounds."

  "How was I supposed to know?" Lorenzo shot back, stepping away. "I was scared. There were too many corpses attacking."

  "Damn it…" Tomás muttered through clenched teeth. "You know we're in a critical position. The Armett family intends to betray us, and we must move first. What about Isabella? Have you managed to get close to her?"

  Lorenzo hesitated before answering. "I tried to invite her to join my group, but she won't leave Lusian's side."

  "That brat again…" Tomás smiled maliciously. "Fine. We'll use the Douglas family to eliminate the Armetts. Prepare yourself, Lorenzo. There will be a meeting soon, and I want you to treat Miss Isabella very well."