Kael didn’t respond to her anger. He just looked into her glowing eyes and asked, "Why can’t I remember you?"
The woman gave him a faint smile. "Because I’ve hidden myself," she said gently. "I sealed my presence from your memory. It’s for your own good. If you remembered me now... if you recognized me before reaching the Demi-God stage... the gods would sense it."
Kael’s eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. "Then... that bitch—how did she know who I was?"
"She’s from the outer realms," the woman replied. Her tone had dropped again—low and angry. "The spell we cast only works within this world. She slipped through the cracks. She saw what others couldn’t."
Her expression darkened"That bitch will pay. I’ll tear her spirit apart for touching you again."
Kael sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His head still throbbed, though it was softer now.
"This is going to be a nightmare," he muttered.
"Also why are the outer gods here causing a mess."
"Your presence had kept them at bay.They were afraid of you but now that you have gone,they were able to influence and create a root to descend."
The Kael expression changed.
"This would be troublesome."
The woman nodded, her gaze drifting toward the distance. "Don’t worry," she said quietly. "I’ll handle it."
A sudden sharpness returned to her expression. Her aura turned murderous again. "She dared to lay hands on you. She’ll suffer."
Kael was about to say something more, but she interrupted softly. "Sorry, Leonard... I have to leave now. My presence here might attract attention. If they sense me, they might come looking for you."
"Leonard..Huh.." Kael chuckled as he found his own name unfamiliar.
Instead of answering, the woman leaned forward and kissed his forehead. It was tender, slow—like she wanted to leave a memory behind. Kael’s vision blurred as if sleep was being forced on him. Her voice echoed in his ears.
"Until then... grow strong. Become the man you were meant to be."
When Kael opened his eyes again, he was lying on the ground. The air was quiet. The world looked faded. Rubble and stone surrounded him. He sat up slowly and looked around.
He turned to see the statue of the Crimson Goddess now full of cracks. Its once majestic form was breaking apart, pieces falling one after another.
But that wasn’t what scared him.
"Shit..." Kael muttered. "It’s leaking divinity."
Golden threads of divine energy were seeping out of the crumbling statue. Kael knew what that meant. The Crimson Goddess had sent an avatar, a piece of her true self. Now that the avatar had died, its divinity was being released.
He didn’t waste a second. He ran forward and pressed his hand against the statue.
"Roland," he called out, letting his energy surge. "Devour it!"
A black flame emerged from his palm, absorbing the leaking divinity before it could spread.
Emilia sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, lightly tossing a soft toy in the air as little Elfie giggled and crawled toward it with eager hands.
Her purple hair loose, cascading over her shoulders as she leaned forward, smiling faintly.
Beside her, Jess leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, watching with a half-bored expression, while Lyria stood silently nearby, her posture straight and her face as calm as ever—emotionless, like a marble statue. The room was warm, the drapes half-drawn as sunlight filtered in, casting a quiet glow over them.
Emilia let out a soft sigh and pouted, her big eyes looking longingly toward the window. "Finally, when I managed to escape that dreadful palace... I ended up cooped up here instead. What a sad life..." Her voice trailed off dramatically, and she hugged Elfie close.
Jess gave a short snort, clearly unimpressed. "And whose fault is that? It’s all because of Kael. Him and his brilliant plans."
"Your Highness, that’s not fair," Lyria said in a quiet voice. Her tone didn’t waver, but there was a subtle pleading in it. "Master has gone to fight the cult. He left to keep us safe."
Jess rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall, walking toward the center of the room. "And who knows what kind of cult he’s actually fighting? He probably went off chasing some illusion or some girl again."
Emilia gave her a sharp glare. "Enough, Jess. Kael might be reckless, but he doesn’t leave us behind unless it’s serious."
Before the argument could continue, a loud commotion erupted outside. It echoed through the hallway like an explosion of angry voices and stomping boots. Emilia stiffened and quickly lifted Elfie in her arms, her heart thudding. Her voice was tense. "What’s going on? Did something happen?"
Before either of the other two could respond, the door slammed open. Gare stood at the threshold, his face pale and sweat clinging to his forehead. His armor was disheveled, and his breathing was uneven.
"Your Highness," he said quickly, stepping inside and bowing slightly. "The situation has gone out of hand. The outer ring is in chaos. Lord James has sent word—we need to evacuate now. He will personally lead us out of the city."
Emilia stood up, cradling Elfie close to her chest. Her eyes widened. "What?" she gasped. "We’re leaving? Just like that?"
Gare nodded grimly. "It’s not safe to stay. We don’t have time."
Her breath caught in her throat. As if something clicked, she looked straight at Gare, voice rising with urgency. "Kael... What happened to Kael?"
"We... don’t know," Gare said, his voice tight. "The last message said he was engaging the enemy. After that, nothing. But I believe he’s alive. He’s not the type to fall so easily. Right now, Your Highness, we must focus on getting you out safely. With Lord James protecting us, we have a chance."
Emilia’s fingers tightened around Elfie’s small body as a wave of fear swept through her. The child clutched her dress, sensing the tension. Jess stepped beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We need to move," Jess said quietly. "We can’t help him if we’re caught in the crossfire."
Lyria stepped forward silently, her eyes meeting Emilia’s. "Master Kael would want us to survive. That is his order."
Emilia looked at the three of them. Her mind swirled with worry, panic, and helplessness. But as her gaze fell on Elfie’s innocent face, she nodded firmly. "Fine. Let’s go. But... if Kael doesn’t come back—I’ll go find him myself."
"Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that," Jess said.
Gare motioned toward the hallway. "Stay close. We’ll move through the north passage. Lord James and the knights are clearing the path."