[One Year Later—Empire Qashmar—Imperial Library—Afternoon]
One year had passed since the Lunar Covenant and one year since Kael had returned from Nhar’Zhul Veyth.
And yet...the mystery remained unsolved.
SLAM!!
A thick ancient tome closed with enough force to send dust into the air.
"Still nothing." Kael rubbed his aching eyes before ruffling his black hair in frustration; he looked around the endless rows of towering bookshelves.
Every shelf, every scroll, and every forgotten record. He had searched them all. "Why...is every record about the Lunar Covenant either missing...or deliberately erased?"
The Imperial Library was the largest collection of knowledge in the Empire of Qashmar. If answers did not exist here...they existed nowhere.
Kael exhaled slowly; his fingers unconsciously drifted toward the mark resting above his heart. The strange crest had never disappeared.
For one year it had remained exactly the same, sometimes warm, sometimes unbearably painful, and every time the pain struck...it lasted only a few heartbeats before fading again.
"Just what are you?" he whispered while looking down at his chest.
Silence.
Only the faint fluttering of old pages echoed through the enormous library. Kael sighed. "Maybe I should stop searching."
He reached for another book because no matter how many times he says...he should stop searching, he still does.
Silence, a complete silence.
Kael frowned; he peeked around and found that the Imperial Library was never completely quiet. There were always librarians organizing shelves.
Servants delivering records, yet now...nothing. His amber eyes slowly lifted. "Who’s there?"
No answer, only silence. Kael’s instincts immediately sharpened; years of battlefield training screamed the same warning. A Danger.
His hand slowly drifted toward the sword hanging at his waist. Then from above.
...Shhhk...
Kael’s eyes widened, and without thinking, he threw himself sideways.
SHIIIIIIING—!!
A black blade crashed through the table where he had been standing moments earlier. Wood exploded, and books scattered across the floor. A masked figure appeared, dressed entirely in black; only cold brown eyes stared back at Kael.
An assassination attack.
Kael’s hand immediately drew his sword.
SHING!!
Steel met steel as another blade shot toward his throat.
CLANG!!
Sparks burst between them; the masked attacker never spoke. Instead, another shadow dropped from the bookshelves, then another and then another.
Kael’s expression darkened, and a fifth presence revealed itself behind him. The library had become a trap.
Five assassins and all Alphas. All moving with perfect coordination with professionals.
One of them finally spoke; his voice was distorted beneath the mask. "The Red Wolf must die."
The five disappeared simultaneously.
FOOOOOSH!!
Kael’s eyes narrowed as a killing intent erupted from every direction, left, right, behind and above. There was no escape, only one option, fight.
Kael’s grip tightened around his sword; his amber eyes burned with the determination that had earned him the respect of House Vaelric.
And then the Imperial Library exploded into chaos. Five assassins vanished simultaneously, advancing like shadows swallowing the light.
One descended from above. Two charged from the front, and one circled behind, and the last...remained hidden, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Kael did not move; his heartbeat was beating faster than usual. He placed his hand there, and then....the marble beneath his feet shattered.
Kael disappeared; the assassin descending from above widened his eyes.
"...What?!"
Too late.
SLAAAASSSSHHHH!!!!
A silver arc flashed across the air; blood erupted. The assassin’s body split diagonally from shoulder to waist before crashing onto the library floor. The other four froze.
"...Impossible, he saw him?"
Kael landed gracefully upon a bookshelf; his sword dripped crimson, one down and four remained. The two assassins attacking from the front exchanged a glance before rushing together.
Their movements were flawless, one aimed for Kael’s neck and the other for his heart.
CLANGGGGG!!!!
His sword intercepted both blades in one movement; the impact echoed through the library before either assassin could recover, and Kael twisted, his blade spun like a silver crescent.
SHHHHKKKKK!!!!
The first assassin’s arm flew through the air.
"AARRGGHHH!!"
The scream lasted only a second.
THUD!!!!
Kael’s boot crushed the man’s knee; bone exploded, and the assassin collapsed. Kael’s sword descended.
SLAAAAASSSHHHH!!!!
His head rolled across the marble floor, too, and the second assassin stepped back in horror.
FOOOOSSHHHH!!!!
Kael appeared before him; he didn’t even swing his sword. Instead, his fist crashed into the assassin’s face. The mask shattered, several teeth flew across the floor, and the man’s body lifted off the ground; before gravity reclaimed him, Kael drove his sword forward.
SHHHKKKK!!!!
The blade pierced straight through the assassin’s chest; the point emerged from his back. Kael withdrew it with one motion.
The body collapsed, three.
Silence.
Only two remained, one hidden and one behind him. Without warning—SHIIIIIIIIINNGGGG!!!!
A poisoned dagger shot toward Kael’s neck; he tilted his head, and the blade missed by less than an inch. Kael calmly caught the assassin’s wrist.
"You should’ve aimed lower."
The assassin’s eyes widened. "What—"
CRRRRAAAACCCKKKK!!!!
Kael crushed the wrist with his bare hand; the dagger fell before the assassin could scream. Kael caught the falling dagger and spun it once.
And...SHHHHKKKKK!!!!
Driving it directly beneath the assassin’s jaw, the blade pierced through his skull, and the assassin died instantly.
Only one remained.
Silence filled the library. Kael slowly turned.
"Come out."
No answer.
"I already know where you are."
Still...silence. Kael sighed. "So...you’re choosing death."
He suddenly grabbed a heavy wooden chair. And—
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
He hurled it toward an empty bookshelf; the chair exploded upon impact.
"No—!!"
A masked assassin burst from behind the shattered shelf, his hiding place destroyed. Kael’s amber eyes met the assassin’s silver ones.
"...Found you."
The assassin turned and fled. Kael remained where he stood; he picked up a fallen spear displayed as an ancient relic beside the wall and balanced it once.
Then—
FOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHH!!!!
The spear tore through the air like lightning; the fleeing assassin had barely reached the library doors.
THUUUDDDDD!!!!
The spear pierced straight through his back, burst through his chest, and nailed him to the massive wooden doors. Blood trickled slowly down the polished wood; the assassin struggled weakly.
Blood spilled from beneath his mask. Kael calmly walked toward him; his footsteps echoed through the ruined library, stopping before the dying assassin.
For a long moment...he simply stared. Then, without turning around, he spoke calmly.
"You can come out now..."
Silence.
"...Lady Nora Valtheris."
The library became quiet once again, and a heartbeat later...
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Elegant footsteps echoed between the towering bookshelves.
A young woman emerged from the shadows.
Long chestnut-brown hair flowed down to her waist, catching the afternoon sunlight filtering through the broken windows. Her deep obsidian eyes sparkled with mischief, while the confident smile upon her beautiful face suggested she had never once doubted she would eventually be discovered.
She wore a dark emerald coat embroidered with the silver crest of House Valtheris, fitted neatly around her slender figure. Two beautifully crafted daggers hung at her waist.
She stopped several paces away before giving Kael a graceful smile.
"Looks like I’ve been caught."
Kael finally turned to face her; his expression remained completely flat. "I expected nothing less."
He glanced toward the dead assassins scattered throughout the library.
"No one except House Valtheris...the greatest hunters in the Empire...could send assassins into the Imperial Library in broad daylight without alerting the guards."
Nora blinked, then laughed softly. "So...you’ve gotten sharper."
She folded her arms. "I’m impressed."
Kael sighed. "I wish I weren’t right."
Nora slowly walked toward him, stepping over one of the corpses as though it were little more than a fallen branch. She stopped before him, very close enough.
"I was curious." She tilted her head playfully. "I wondered how my former fiancé was doing."
Kael rubbed his forehead. "Our engagement ended one year ago."
"I know." She smiled brightly. "It ended the moment you came back wearing another wolf’s mark."
Her gaze drifted toward the hidden crest above his heart, then...with a teasing grin...she lightly poked his chest.
"My poor heart, though..." She sighed dramatically. "...it still hasn’t accepted the rejection."
Kael looked at her without the slightest amusement. "Is that why you sent five Alpha assassins after me?"
Nora placed a hand dramatically over her own heart. "What a terrible accusation. I simply wanted to know whether the future hero of the empire had become rusty."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Your definition of ’testing’ has always been strange."
She shrugged. "They were professionals. If they had managed to kill you...then you weren’t worth marrying in the first place."
Kael could only sigh. "Somehow...that sounds exactly like something you’d say."
Nora laughed, the kind shared only between people who had known each other for years. She looked around the ruined library.
"I must admit...you’ve improved." Her obsidian eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You sensed all five before they attacked."
Kael turned away, kneeling beside the scattered books. "Someone sends assassins after me every other night. I don’t have the luxury of remaining weak."
Nora’s smile slowly faded. "So the rumors were true."
Kael didn’t answer; she leaned against a nearby bookshelf, crossing her arms. "Which means...you’ll probably survive until the Spirit Selection."
She looked directly at him.
"And if you do...you’ll become one of the strongest candidates for the Imperial Throne."
Kael didn’t even look up. "I have no intention of becoming emperor."
Nora frowned. "Why? You’re the heir of House Vaelric. You have the strongest military support. You’ve already proven yourself on the battlefield, the people trust you, the court fears you, and the throne is practically waiting for you."
Kael’s hand suddenly stopped upon an ancient book; his voice became unusually quiet. "You know, I...can’t."
"Because of him? The Shadow King?"
Kael went silent, his fingers unconsciously rested over the mark hidden beneath his clothes. "Whether I accepted it willingly or not...the Lunar Covenant was completed. The mark remains. It has never faded."
His voice grew heavier.
"And everyone knows what that means."
Silence filled the library.
"I was claimed, and my mate abandoned me. I belong to someone who no longer wants me."
Nora’s heart tightened because she saw not the famous Red Wolf Alpha, not the future heir of House Vaelric. Only...her oldest friend.
Kael quietly continued, "The empire cannot risk another emperor without an heir. We all witnessed what happened after Tharzek died. There was chaos, a vacant throne, and countless nobles fighting for power. As long as this mark exists...I can never take another mate, and if my mate never returns...I will never have an heir. So...the throne was never mine to begin with, and...even the House Valeric bloodline will end with me."
Nora remained silent; she understood far better than most. After a long pause, she spoke softly.
"Do you want to go back?"
Kael didn’t answer immediately; his hand rested upon a dusty book. His eyes drifted toward the distant mountains visible through the shattered windows.
Toward the place hidden beyond them. Nhar’Zhul Veyth.
"He’ll never come for me." His voice was calm. "So...there’s no reason for me to go."
Nora watched him carefully, then sighed. "I never imagined...that even a deity could abandon his own mate, but I guess this is how the monster takes revenge. But there’s one thing I still don’t understand."
Kael looked at her. Nora glanced toward the hidden mark beneath his shirt. "If you’ve already accepted that he’s never coming back...then why are you still searching?"
She gestured toward the mountains of books scattered across the library.
"For one year...you’ve searched every archive. Every forbidden record, every temple manuscript, all for one ritual. The Lunar Covenant."
She stepped closer.
"Is it because of the pain that strikes every night?"
Kael froze, his fingers slowly tightening around the old book in his hands. "I don’t know. I’ve tried to stop. I’ve told myself to forget, and I’ve even burned some of my own notes, but..." His eyes drifted once more toward the mark above his heart.
"...every time I think about giving up...this mark reminds me. I don’t know what I’m searching for anymore..."
He looked toward the endless shelves of forgotten knowledge.
"...but something inside me...refuses to give up."
Nora quietly watched him; after a long silence, she finally spoke.
"Then what about the pain?"
Kael looked at her. Nora met his gaze without looking away. "The pain that comes every single night, and every morning...you look more exhausted than the day before; you...already look half-dead."
Kael remained silent. Nora sighed quietly. "I don’t know what that mark is. I don’t know why the Shadow King abandoned you and I don’t know what really happened beneath the Heart Tree."
She stepped closer and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
"But I do know one thing. I have no desire...to attend your funeral."
Silence.
Neither of them spoke again. Beyond the shattered windows of the Imperial Library...the wind carried the distant howl of wolves across the mountains.
And somewhere far beyond the Empire of Qashmar...hidden within the endless darkness of Nhar’Zhul Veyth...the same moon silently watched them both.
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