The Throne Room was vast.
Circular.
High-domed ceiling carved with geometric constellations.
One colossal seated armored female figure carved into the wall.
In front of her — The actual throne.
Shura stepped inside without hesitation.
First thing he did—
He tightened the bandage around his fractured leg.
Hard.
So tight his fingers trembled slightly.
Lior grabbed his wrist.
"You need to rest."
No response.
Shura's eyes were elsewhere.
Thinking.
Lior released him slowly.
"…Fine."
Then Lior turned to the students.
"Everyone. Try to use Viora."
They formed a loose circle.
Closed their eyes.
Focused.
Nothing happened.
No resonance.
Just silence.
Lior spoke again.
"Do it like Shura."
Then added dryly—
"But don't go so far your eyes start bleeding."
Normally Shura would laugh.
He didn't.
He walked to the center slowly.
"You're trying to force it," he said calmly.
"Resonance isn't magic."
"It's mental stability."
"It's belief."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Viora comes from here."
"If your emotion shakes, resonance collapses."
Students tried again.
Slower.
Breathing steady.
The air responded faintly.
Just a little.
Luna watched him closely.
Fourteen.
And explaining ancient mechanics like doctrine.
Shura then walked forward—
And sat on the throne.
Everyone froze.
"What are you doing?!"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He looked at the geometry of the room.
slightly different angles.
He studied the symmetry of pillars.
The floor carving.
The ceiling alignments.
Then he spoke calmly.
"So I was right."
"The only ruler here… was female."
Silence.
Students blinked.
"What?"
Shura pointed at the geometry.
"The throne is centered slightly toward the left statue."
"The left statue has narrower shoulder design."
"More curved armor carving."
Luna's eyes widened slightly.
He noticed that?
Shura continued.
"And the resonance frequency in this room is softer. Not aggressive."
He stood slowly from the throne.
"Now the Presence doesn't attack me."
He looked at Lior.
"Or him."
Students turned.
"What?"
Shura's eyes sharpened.
"When we were all directly targeted by the Presence in the weapon chamber…"
He pointed at Lior.
"Teacher Lior already picked up a weapon and moved."
Silence exploded.
"…When?" Clara whispered.
Adrian looked sharply at Lior.
Lior didn't deny it.
Shura continued.
"He moved before the compression peaked."
"Without being noticed."
Students stared at Lior.
Adrian muttered,
"So why didn't the Presence attack him?"
Shura nodded slowly.
"I'm not completely sure."
"But I tested something."
Everyone leaned closer.
"The Presence doesn't attack movement."
"It attacks intention."
"It attacks hatred."
The room went still.
"I don't think any student here hates Lior."
His voice didn't waver.
"But many of you hated me."
A few students lowered their heads.
Not pride.
Truth.
"Your emotions targeted me before the Presence did."
"Your irritation. Your anger."
"That amplified the focus."
Lior's eyes narrowed slightly.
Shura continued calmly.
"When Lior moved, no emotional spike followed him."
"So the Presence ignored it."
"That confirms my experiment."
Clara blinked.
"When did you think all of that?"
Luna murmured quietly,
"…Does this child process information in fractions of seconds?"
Adrian gave a small confident smile.
"I'm not even close to this Shura yet."
For once—
No sarcasm.
Just acknowledgment.
Shura waved it off.
"Leave that."
His eyes returned to the empty throne.
"The real question is…"
"Who is seated?"
Silence.
"And where?"
His mind flashed back.
The first time he resonated.
That strange feeling.
Like something watching from below.
He turned sharply toward Luna.
"Miss Luna."
"How old are these ruins?"
Luna answered carefully.
"Five hundred years."
"Maybe thousands."
"We aren't certain."
Shura's eyes narrowed.
"You're sure?"
She shook her head slowly.
"No."
"But based on resonance density… it's ancient."
She looked around.
"Some believe this was once a fully functional kingdom."
"Without people."
Shura smiled slowly.
"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."
"Thank you."
Yura watched him carefully.
He's different.
Something shifted.
What happened when he resonated?
Shura suddenly stood—
And ran.
Forgetting entirely that his leg was fractured.
Students shouted.
"Where are you going?!"
He nearly stumbled.
Lior caught up instantly and blocked him.
"Your leg."
Shura blinked.
Almost annoyed at the interruption.
"I know."
Lior knelt slightly.
"Tell me where."
Shura hesitated.
Then said quietly—
"The stairs."
"The place we started."
Lior lifted him without another word.
Before moving, Lior added quietly—
"Many people from our kingdom came here before."
"None could answer what 'Seated' means."
They moved quickly through corridors.
Students followed behind.
Back toward the grand staircase.
When they reached it—
Shura began laughing.
knowingly.
He whispered—
"…It was never inside."
The others didn't understand yet.
But Lior did.
Just slightly.
The Throne wasn't in the Throne Room.
And the Seated…
Wasn't a person.
Shura's smile widened.
The riddle was almost solved.
We are now at a massive conceptual reveal point.
The grand staircase stood silent.
The place where their journey inside Xyrrhal truly began.
Shura slowly slid down from Lior's back.
He didn't speak immediately.
He knelt.
And looked at everyone's faces.
One by one.
Adrian.
Yura.
Clara.
The others.
Then he stood and walked slowly toward Adrian and Yura.
Without warning—
He hugged them.
Tightly.
Too tightly.
Adrian froze.
"Hey— what are you doing?"
Yura blinked.
"Shura?"
His voice was softer than usual.
"I'm sorry."
Silence.
"I don't know where I got lost."
His grip tightened slightly.
For a second—
It didn't feel like apology for recklessness.
It felt like apology for something deeper.
Adrian awkwardly patted his back.
"You're acting weird."
Yura didn't move.
"…You scared us."
Shura released them.
Then turned toward Lior.
Grinning suddenly.
"Don't you have some cool Viora trick to teach us?"
The tension broke.
Lior laughed.
Students looked confused.
"What happened?"
Lior crossed his arms.
"So, Captain…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Can I get my tutor post back?"
Shura gave a mock serious nod.
"Permission granted."
Shura rubbed his bandaged leg and muttered, "Really? I'm supposed to lead the genius group today? What could possibly go wrong… besides everything?"
Students groaned.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?"
Lior stepped forward.
"Alright. Enough drama."
He looked at everyone.
"Try resonance with someone you already trust."
Students blinked.
"What?"
"Touch someone's hand."
Adrian immediately stepped away from Shura.
"No."
Clara rolled her eyes.
They paired awkwardly.
Yura stood beside Shura again.
Lior continued.
"First step — stabilize your breath."
"Second — don't force Viora."
"Third — focus on the feeling of the other person's presence."
He demonstrated with Luna.
Their palms hovered near each other.
A faint ripple passed between them.
Subtle.
Stable.
"No pressure," Lior said.
"Just acknowledgment."
Then he flicked his hand gently.
A soft wave passed across the floor like invisible wind.
"That's it."
Students stared.
"That's IT?!"
"It took me months to learn that," Lior replied calmly.
"And if someone learns through the Presence…"
He glanced at Shura.
"…it takes days."
Students turned.
"Only one of you figured that out."
Shura scratched his cheek.
"Don't look at me like that."
Lior asked quietly,
"So. Did you solve it?"
Shura nodded.
"Yes."
Everyone leaned in.
"But before that… we explore more."
Collective groan.
He turned to Luna.
"Miss Luna. What is our history?"
She blinked.
"You don't know?"
Yura stepped in gently.
"He lost parts of his memory."
Luna nodded slowly.
"It is the year 1192 Orynth."
"The Iron Transition era."
"Beacon Activation centralized."
"Walls were reinforced to prevent monster breach."
"Inter-kingdom transport lines expanded."
She paused.
"Education restructured."
"Guild authority stabilized."
Students listened.
Shura Thinking.
"Wait."
"Orynth means year?"
"And this is 1192?"
He frowned.
"But on the surface records… it says 1092."
Shura's eyes sharpened.
"What happened to those 100 years?"
Shura smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
Lior watched him carefully.
You're digging somewhere dangerous.
"Alright," Lior said lightly. "Let's explore."
They climbed higher through inner spiral staircases.
Through balconies.
Through narrow hallways.
Until they reached the topmost floor of the castle structure.
The view—
Was breathtaking.
The entire inner basin of Xyrrhal spread beneath them.
Stone bridges suspended across open air.
Lower chambers glowing faintly from reflected Beacon light.
The mountainside cut open like layered rings.
It looked like a sleeping kingdom.
Students sat down along the edge.
Someone unpacked food.
Someone laughed nervously.
The wind here was calmer.
Luna sat beside Lior.
Yura leaned back against a pillar.
Adrian sat near Shura.
For once—
Peace.
Shura looked at Lior.
"Why did you quit being Personal Knight of the Empress?"
One student added quickly,
"Wait, before that — how did you even become one?"
"That's my dream rank!"
Lior laughed softly.
"I was rejected."
Students blinked.
"What?"
"I passed written exams."
"Passed tactical exams."
"Failed physical every time."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"…You?"
"I wasn't strong back then."
Students stared.
"Then how?"
Lior looked at the horizon.
"One day, my Captain told me—"
He straightened slightly as he imitated the voice.
'Guard the palace entrance. Don't move until I say so.'
Students leaned forward.
"Then?"
Lior smiled faintly.
"I didn't move."
"For six days."
Silence.
"You mean… he didn't eat for SIX DAYS?!"
"I'm never complaining about homework again!"
"Six days? Without water?! Someone get a medal!"
Clara dropped her bread.
"WHAT?!"
Yura's eyes widened.
Adrian muttered,
"That's insane."
Lior shrugged lightly.
"I thought he was testing discipline."
"Turns out he forgot."
The students exploded.
"HE FORGOT?!"
"YOU COULD HAVE DIED!"
Lior laughed.
"On the sixth day, the Empress herself walked past."
"She asked why I was still there."
"I said I was ordered not to move."
Students were completely silent now.
"And appointed me."
"As her Personal Guard."
One student whispered,
"So you protected her…"
Lior shook his head.
"No."
"She protected me."
He smiled faintly.
"She treated me like a stubborn child."
"Fed me personally the first day."
Students stared in shock.
"I didn't become strong to protect her."
He looked at his hands.
"I became strong because she believed I could be."
Silence.
Soft.
Warm.
"I don't protect her," Lior said quietly.
"She protects this world."
"And I just walk beside her."
Yura's eyes softened.
Adrian looked thoughtful.
Shura stared at him longer than usual.
"You never told us that."
Lior smirked slightly.
Clara wiped her eyes quickly.
Students began laughing.
Yura teased,
"So Sir… if we tell you to not move, will you stand another six days?"
Lior crossed his arms dramatically.
"Depends. Is food involved this time?"
Adrian smirked.
"Captain Shura orders you to jump off."
Lior looked at Shura.
Shura raised a hand.
"I revoke that authority."
Laughter erupted.
Even Luna laughed openly.
As everyone ate and talked—
Shura leaned closer to Adrian.
"It was paused."
Adrian looked at him sideways.
"You solved the riddle, didn't you?"
Shura smiled faintly.
"Ascend the Unseen."
"Unseat the Seated."
He tapped the ground lightly.
"It's not about taking the throne."
"It's about realizing there was never a throne to begin with."
Adrian blinked.
"…Explain later."
Shura nodded.
"Later."
The wind brushed across the top floor.
Students laughed.
Food passed around.
Luna leaned her head lightly against a pillar.
Lior stood at the edge.
Looking over the kingdom-that-wasn't.
For the first time since entering Xyrrhal—
They weren't being tested.
They were simply… together.
And high above ancient stone—
A teacher who once failed physical exams.
A boy who learns faster than he should.
A girl who moves like a guardian.
A rival who hides concern with arrogance.
And a group of students who nearly died—
Sat and laughed.