Walter's apology was an undeniable answer, a confirmation of all suspicions. Vione closed her eyes. There was warmth there, but she held on as tightly as she could to keep her tears from spilling."Forgive me, Luna. I had no idea it would come to this," Walter said as he moved closer to Vione. He clung to her legs, his body shaking. "Forgive me.""Forgive you, Walter?" Vione scoffed cynically. Now there was deep hatred in her eyes. "Tell me, Walter. What did the Nimbria Pack offer you?"Walter shook his head. He continued to kneel at Vione's feet. "Forgive me, Luna.""Were you offered a luxury yacht? Great wealth? A large company?" Vione asked, her emotions overflowing. She was breathless as she shouted, "Tell me, what did they give you to make you betray us?!""Luna." Walter trembled even more at Vione's anger. He knew she was truly angry, and he would do anything to win her forgiveness. "I am guilty. I admit it, but please forgive me. Forgive me."Vione remained unmoved. Her face ha
In the end, Walter would indeed die, whether by Vione's hand or his own. After all, Vione had made his choice. A death sentence was the only fitting punishment he deserved. But suicide was another matter. And now the guilt weighed heavily on Vione.I shouldn't mourn what happened to Walter, Vione told herself. She let out a long sigh. He deserved to pay for what he did with his life.Vione pushed the thought of Walter out of her mind. The root of the problem had been dealt with and now she would concentrate on the next step. She needed to quickly come up with a plan to retake Frostholm Keep and defeat the Nimbria Pack.Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Even though Vione had discovered the cause of the pack's weakness, it didn't mean that the problem was solved. The pack was still unable to fight, and their only hope now rested with Rowena."Can you heal them, Ma?"Rowena's expression was one of helplessness. Her gaze was somber. "I can, but it will take time," she replied in a low
This time Rowena's face paled. Vione's questions cornered her. The calm expression she usually wore was now gone, replaced by fear and hesitation. Her mouth opened and her lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, but not a word came out. Her hands, cold in Vione's grasp, and the inner turmoil reflected in her eyes told a different story."Vi-Vione." Rowena took a deep breath and finally whispered. Her voice was almost choked by the emotions that constricted her chest. "There are things we shouldn't change, even if we want to with all our hearts." She shook her head, trying to explain as gently as possible. "Fate is not something we can play with at will."Rowena's answer gave Vione a clue. And so, she persisted. She answered Rowena's words with unwavering determination. "I don't want to toy with fate, but I can't accept all this. I..." She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the storm of emotions raging in her chest. "...just want a second chance, Ma. A chance to save the p
Everything felt dizzying. Everything was spinning so fast that it made Vione's stomach churn. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She steeled herself against the waves of magic that swirled around her in the flow of time. She told herself again and again not to give up. She had to keep fighting, and her mind focused on one thing—the time before the war began.Suddenly a force hit her. Vione was thrown and hit the rocky ground hard. Gasping for air, she struggled in the difficult situation. Her body felt battered, shaking so badly that she couldn't get up for a few moments. She crawled and looked around. "The Sacred Land."It wasn't difficult for Vione to recognize where she was. What she didn't know was what time period she had landed in.Vione took a deep breath. Then, even though her knees still felt weak, she stood up. She ran her hands over her body, making sure there were no injuries, while continuing to observe her surroundings.Something caught her attention. She steppe
The time when time did not exist...Everything was quiet and still. The world was like an endless space, free and unbound. Nature breathed in a harmonious rhythm, flowing through an immeasurable eternity. Every sound, whether from the whispering wind or the rustling leaves, became a note in the symphony of life, weaving a melody that echoed throughout the universe.A vast meadow stretched out like a green carpet, adorned with flowers of all colors. They invited the sunlight to play along, as did the butterflies dancing joyfully here and there, accompanied by the cheerful songs of birds. Everything blended together in pure happiness, without the burden or worry of tomorrow.Above, the blue sky gently embraced the earth's contents with full sincerity. It offered a boundless view, symbolizing dreams without limits. There was no room for fear. It promised freedom and beauty until the end of timeTo complete this scene, a river flowed, carrying water in a soothing symphony, like a lullaby
His expression changed. The earth had given him a sign, and he lifted his eyes to the night sky and fixed them on the full moon. "No matter what I do, humanity and its desires will never be truly separated. What I've done today is only a temporary solution. In the end, chaos will return as long as people are ruled by their desires."Ignatius closed his eyes in despair. What use was infinite magic if he couldn't save the world from its inevitable collapse? He couldn't live forever. He couldn't protect the world forever. And so...Ignatius' eyes opened again, now glimmering with a faint hope. Perhaps, if he could store his magical power in something, there might still be a way to preserve peace in the world for the ages to come.Full moon, Ignatius whispered in his heart as a glimmer of hope filled his mind. I entrust to you all that I am.Ignatius prepared himself. He steeled his resolve, took a deep breath, and quieted the thoughts that swirled with endless possibilities.The ritual h
Vione's footsteps stopped instantly. She blinked, looked around, and found herself in the presence of an old man whose face seemed familiar."I'll ask you again. Who are you?"Vione swallowed. "I am Vione," she replied as she stepped forward again. She approached the old man and asked him in return. "And who are you?""I am Ignatius."Between her still labored breaths, Vione tried to smile. She put on a calm face, even though her mind was now in a panic. She hadn't expected anyone to see her emerge from the time portal. As a result, she was now confused. There was no way she could explain the situation to just anyone."Tell me, Vione. Why did you come out of the time portal?"Vione froze. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her mind went blank. She couldn't hide the shock that hit her when Ignatius, the old man she thought was just a random person, turned out to know about the time portal."You..." Vione wiped the water from her eyes. She didn't answer Ignatius' question because
"Are you aware of what you just said?" More than aware, Vione had probably thought about it long before her meeting with Ignatius. She had lost count of how many times she had cursed fate, feeling useless despite the power she possessed. She was strong, capable of fighting hundreds of warriors on her own, but it was all useless if she didn't have the power to protect her pack. All her strength was in vain. "I'm aware of what I just said," Vione replied without hesitation; her gaze was steady and full of hope. "Besides, what's the point of having power if I can't do anything when destruction threatens the people I love?" She winced and shook her head repeatedly. "I don't want to be strong just for myself. Power is meant to protect, and if I can't do that, then what's the point?" Ignatius looked deep into Vione's eyes. For a moment he didn't react to her words. He could sense the bitterness that Vione felt. There was a wound deeper than the physical battle—a wound that lingered in he