CHAPTER 197: 197. TRAPPED

One Year Ago, Earth

Standing in the crowded jewelry store, Reo could clearly see his image in the gleaming display case glass. Gold, silver, and gems of all hues and forms sparkled in rows of rings under bright lights.

He wasn’t used to jewelry, and the vast collection overwhelmed him. His face wrinkled in frustration as he ran a hand through his black hair. He became even more uneasy as he listened to the clink of glass and the gentle hum of conversation.

A saleswoman came over with a kind but polished smile. Standing behind the counter, she said in a friendly tone, "Can I help you, sir?"

Reo gave her a quick glance while he scratched the back of his head and spoke uncertainly. "Yes... I need a ring. For my girlfriend."

Her eyes softened, catching the nervous edge in his tone. "For a proposal?" she asked gently, getting right to the point.

His crimson eyes gleamed as he chuckled with a mixture of nervousness and laughter. "Yes, precisely. I’d like to propose her. Make it perfect; the price is not important.

With a nod, the salesperson took a tray lined with velvet from the shelf. With ease, she looked at the rings, then stopped and raised a tiny ring box. She said, "This might be what you’re looking for," and opened it to show a plain platinum ring with a subtle, elegant sparkle.

With a raised eyebrow, he picked up the box and rotated the ring in the light. "This? It’s so... simple. I want something that’ll blow her away."

Unbothered, she smiled. "Sir, this is among our best pieces. Simple yet timeless, made from rare platinum. Perfect for a very special person."

Still skeptical, Reo scowled as he examined the ring’s soft glow. "Are you sure she’ll love it? It’s not really fancy. "

The salesperson leaned over. "Is she really in love with you?"

"Probably more than I deserve."

She laughed. "Then believe me, even if it were made of string, she would treasure it. What matters is the meaning of it."

Reo’s crimson eyes reflected the ring’s gentle gleam as he gazed at it. He imagined Chloe’s face, her smile when he put it on her finger, and the warmth that filled his chest.

He slid his credit card across the counter and said, "All right."

"I’ll take it."

---

Present, Deltou Colossale Forest

With the mana dome pressing down on them and its translucent walls glowing dimly in the distance, Leo and Rin hurried through the dense forest.

Now in his diminutive feline form, Nimbus padded silently behind Rin while his purple eyes scanned the area.

Rin’s eyes remained on the ring that was now on her finger, its straightforward design gleaming in the soft forest light.

Her pink eyes flicked to Leo, who walked ahead, his bloodied cloak swaying.

"Where did you get this ring, Leonhardt?"

A playful smirk formed on his face as he looked over his shoulder and met her eyes with his crimson ones. "You don’t think it’s fancy enough? If you’re picky, I can take it back," he teased.

Rin’s face flushed, and she tucked her hand behind her back, pouting fiercely.

"You dare not! I will keep it forever!" Her eyes gleamed with affection, but her voice was furious.

Leo laughed. "Calm down, Rin. I’m just teasing you. You like it?"

Her expression softened as she took another look at the ring. "I cherish it," she uttered, her voice quivering with passion.

"It comes from you. Even if it were made of wood, I would still adore it."

Leo’s crimson eyes drifted to the glowing edge of the dome, its mana pulsing like a heartbeat, and his smile grew wider. He said softly, "It’s special," with a weight in his voice that made Rin’s heart skip a beat.

"It was always intended for you."

Rin’s breath caught, her fingers tightening around her staff as she stepped closer to him.

"By the way, who are those people trying to kidnap me? Calling me a vessel and calling you ruler or something ?"

A white owl watched the tender moment between Leo and Rin from a tree branch, its amber eyes glowing.

Erin, wearing a silver-white robe smeared with blood, was lounging on a tall branch miles away, her legs swinging playfully.

She observed the two through the owl’s eyes, her familiar’s vision, and let out a playful giggle. "Adorable, aren’t they?" She whispered, amusement glimmering in her violet eyes.

Her tone teased as she looked down at chaos below. "What do you think?"

At the base of the tree, a mutated mercenary hung upside down, tied in glowing chains of light mana, its grotesque limbs twitching as it snarled, its red eyes burning with wild rage. Seven other mercenary bodies lay scattered across the forest floor, their broken forms leaking thick blood.

Her gaze lifted to the sky, where the see-through dome shimmered, smaller than the hunting cage incident’s barrier, trapping only Lucian, Velmera, Leo, Rin, and herself inside its limits.

She hopped down, landing softly on the forest floor, and drew her divine knife from its sheath.

The handle was empty, bladeless, but as she channeled mana into it, a bright, glowing blade formed, its light cutting through the forest’s gloom.

"Funny to think Aunt sold him that ring," she muttered, a sly grin curling her lips as she recalled the simple platinum ring now on Rin’s finger.

She turned to the chained mutant, her knife slicing through its flesh with clean precision, cutting tendrils that turned to ash with a hiss.

"Looks like Lucian’s got his hands full," she said, her violet eyes narrowing as she sensed a disturbance through her familiar’s network.

*****************

At Velmera’s clearing, the air stank of blood and burned earth, a grim sign of the battle that had just ended. Six cultist bodies lay strewn across the ground, their chests carved open, mana cores shattered, their white masks cracked and lifeless.

Lucian sat on a fallen log in the middle, his face streaked with blood—not his own, but that of the cultists he had slain. He had a ripped cloak.

With her blonde hair untied from its braid, Velmera knelt in front of him. Her hands were glowing with golden divine magic, and as the light moved across Lucian’s burned hand, it quickly closed the wounds and healed the charred flesh.

Her voice was shaking as she spoke, and her eyes were wide with anxiety and fear.

"What’s going on, Lucian?" Her hands remained steady in spite of her internal panic as she asked in an urgent tone.

"Who are these people? Why did they come after me?"

Her eyes met Lucian’s gray ones. His voice was steady and low as he stated, "They are the same ones behind the hunting cage incident—and Vivien’s kidnapping."

"You and Rin Valarune are their targets. For some reason, they want yo–."

His senses sharpened, and he paused, his breath catching as his skin pricked from the heavy feeling in the air.

He got up swiftly and moved in front of Velmera to protect her, clutching the longsword’s hilt. He whispered, looking over the dark treeline, "Something’s coming."