The hours slipped by under the heavy weight of rain outside. The world was quiet, only the faint drip of water from the roof and the distant rustle of trees stirred the silence. In the dim glow of lantern light, Dila stirred weakly on the bed. Her breath trembled, shallow and uneven, as her body screamed with every motion. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open.... her vision hazy, swimming with pain.

Two healers were already at her side, their hands glowing faintly with healing magic. Yet their presence was not what pulled her gaze first.

Behind them stood Albedo.

Her father's tall figure loomed like a shadow in the room, his eyes fixed upon her with cold stillness. He said nothing, made no movement.... he simply watched. The weight of that gaze felt heavier than the wounds in her body.

A muffled sob broke the silence. Fran stumbled closer, her small frame trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Sister.... I'm sorry.... I should have not let you chase me.... it's my fault...." Her voice cracked, filled with guilt.

Dila's lips parted, but no words came. Her throat was too dry, her body too weak. Still, her eyes softened. Slowly, with all the strength she could gather, she raised her right hand. The motion was fragile, trembling.... yet when her fingers reached Fran's head, she gently brushed through her hair. Soft, careful strokes. No blame, no anger.... only a quiet comfort.

Fran's sobs grew louder as she leaned into her sister's touch, clutching at her hand.

From the side of the room, Zeon stood with his arms folded, though his posture betrayed exhaustion. A faint bandage wrapped tightly around his waist and abdomen, stained faintly red beneath the cloth. His face was pale, and the flicker of pain crossed it as he shifted. His dagger still hung at his grip, its blade freshly cleaned, but his body was clearly not recovered from the past battle.

He clicked his tongue sharply. "Tch.... you should have not walked aimlessly in the castle," he said, his tone rough, but the weight of fear sat behind his words. His crimson eyes flicked from Fran's tear-streaked face to Dila's swollen features.... her bruised cheek, the ripped dress, the scratches carved into her skin, the destroyed nails. For a moment, his voice faltered, the sound caught in his throat.

Zeon clenched his fists. The memory of her fragile body convulsing in his arms as he pulled her away from that hellish maze still clung to him. And now, seeing her like this.... it gnawed at him.

The room filled with the uneven breaths of those inside. The healers continued their quiet work, their hands moving with care. Fran pressed her forehead against Dila's hand, refusing to let go. And Albedo, unmoving, kept his silence, his eyes never shifting away from his daughter.

Zeon's voice broke the silence, his tone sharp yet trembling with unease. "I don't remember you ever receiving this much damage through your journey.... I never even laid a hand on you, never hurt you physically. What has become of you?"

His words lingered heavy in the room, echoing against the stone walls. Dila's pale face twitched faintly at his voice, but she could not answer. Her body was far too broken, still struggling to recover from the malicious assault of that entity.

Albedo, however still, did not move. He stood at the back, looming behind the healers, his presence cold and unmoving. His expression was unreadable, yet his neck was bulging with veins as if straining to contain the anger coiling inside him. His fury was not aimed at Dila.... but it burned deep, silent, and dangerous, directed elsewhere.

The air felt tense, almost suffocating, as if even the healers dared not breathe too loudly. Fran clung to Dila's side, her small hands trembling while she wiped her tears, whispering apologies through her sobs. Yet her voice was drowned beneath the weight of Zeon's words and Albedo's silent, smoldering wrath.

Zeon's voice cut through the heavy air again, harsher this time. "Are you truly that weak now Princess, to take such damage?" His crimson eyes glared down, sharp with irritation, his words striking like daggers.

But before the silence could deepen, Albedo finally moved. His hands rose slowly to his sides, the gesture commanding yet restrained, his voice rumbling low and cold. "Enough, Zeon.... shut up."

Zeon stiffened at once. His jaw tightened, but after a sharp sigh, he swallowed his anger and turned his face away. Even he dared not push further when Albedo's tone shifted like that.

Albedo's gaze lowered to Dila. His lips trembled before he spoke again, his voice carrying both pride and grief. "My daughter only took this damage because she no longer has magical power within her. When I look at her, I cannot help but remember.... she has always had an automatic defense.... a hidden barrier that awakened whenever her life was at stake. Stronger than anything she could conjure herself, almost as if her very body had its own eyes watching over her.... protecting her in the shadows."

His hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening as they shook violently. The muscles in his face tightened, his expression sinking into shadow. His voice cracked as he forced the words out, each syllable heavier than the last. "But now.... I'm afraid my daughter cannot use magic anymore. When I look at her.... there is no trace of power swirling within her body. Nothing...."

His teeth clenched, grinding with frustration, but the fury collapsed into sorrow. His head lowered, and then..., tears slipped down the King's cheeks. Albedo wept openly, his voice choked as he gazed at Dila's frail form.

Dila's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to answer.... but no words came. She closed her mouth again, her eyes glimmering with sadness, weighed down by her father's grief and the truth of her condition.

Fran suddenly snapped. "It's because of me!" she cried, forcing herself to stand though her legs shook. Her hands clenched tight against her chest, her face darkened with shame. "I let Sister be in trouble.... I should have never gotten jealous about what Sister said.... that so-called Nari...." Her voice cracked, trembling as tears welled. "It's oky if you don't forgive me, Sister."

But Dila's eyes softened. Even through the pain, even through her swollen face and ruined body, she looked only at Fran.... and her gaze carried no hatred, only warmth.

Albedo's face flared in sudden rage, his blue eyes narrowing sharply on Fran. Zeon too turned, his expression darkening as his hand tightened on his dagger. "You mean.... you led her to that unknown entity?" His voice was cold, rising with fury as his crimson eyes burned. The dagger tilted upward, its edge catching the light as if he were ready to strike her down.

Fran froze, her ears flattening, her chest rising in shallow breaths. "I...." her lips trembled, but no words followed.

The two healers, who were still tending to Dila's wounds, flinched at the sudden shift in the room. Their hands froze over the bandages, leaving her healing incomplete. Startled and pale, they bowed deeply toward Albedo and Zeon. "Forgive us.... my lord.... the princess.... she only needs rest now," they said quickly, their voices almost breaking.

Without waiting for permission, they shuffled away, moving sheepishly past Zeon and Albedo, slipping out the door behind them. The chamber grew heavier in their absence, leaving only the sound of strained breathing.... and the weight of anger pressing down on Fran.

Albedo's voice rose, low at first, then gaining weight with every word. "So.... are you perhaps an army from the Demonlord's territory?" His tone sharpened, carrying a venom that made the air heavy. His eyes burned, fixed upon Fran like they could pierce her soul.

Fran's breath caught. Her lips trembled, voice quivering as she tried to speak. "N.... no.... I...." Her body shook, tail twitching nervously behind her. Their accusations dug into her like blades.

Her eyes darted frantically, first at Albedo, then at Zeon, searching for a way out, for even the smallest mercy. But there was none.

Zeon's hand tightened around his dagger, its edge glinting even more coldly under the light. His crimson eyes narrowed. "Even I, the greatest assassin.... I didn't know. Not once did I sense it. Are you perhaps pitching in.... so you could kill Dila? Pretending to be her so-called sister?" His words were sharp, deliberate, a dagger of their own.

Fran's chest heaved, her breaths shallow and uneven. Their gazes bore into her.... sharp, unrelenting, like hunters cornering prey.

Her throat tightened, but no words came. Only the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Suddenly, Dila forced herself upright, her voice breaking through the heavy air. "Stop it!" Her chest heaved, her blue eyes burning with a rare fire. "You don't know anything about Fran.... not what she's been through.... not how much she's suffered!"

Her words cut across the silence, shaking the moment.

Zeon's gaze flicked toward her, his crimson eyes narrowing. His tone came low, sharp. "And you don't know anything about me either."

Dila snapped, her voice cracking into a furious shout. "Shut up! I didn't call your freaking name, Zeon.... so shut it!"

The tension trembled in her body, but her glare stayed fixed, unrelenting. Her eyes, usually cold and reserved, now burned like fire, a rare storm breaking loose.

The air between them grew hotter, the weight of her fury silencing even the smallest sound.