Tinebras stepped out of the cave, carefully sealing it behind him until it looked exactly as it had before—untouched, as if no one had ever entered it. In his hands, he carried several papers he had found along with the letter during his final training.
Not long after, he encountered Silva.
Silva stared at him for a moment before saying,
"You've grown…"
A faint smile appeared on Tinebras's face. But Silva wasn't just looking at his appearance—he could feel the change in his aura.
He stepped forward and asked seriously,
"Has your level increased?"
Tinebras replied with pride in his voice,
"Yes… I've reached the third level. I broke through the Curse Core stage."
Silva was happy for him, but that joy quickly faded. Tension returned to his face.
Tinebras immediately noticed.
"What's wrong?"
Silva hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice,
"There's something you need to know… Your grandfather, James Novera… was executed in the central square of the Normadia Empire… in front of a large crowd."
Tinebras froze.
The sadness he felt wasn't just because of his grandfather's death…
It was something deeper.
Regret.
He wasn't strong enough to kill him himself… before all those crimes were committed.
Memories began flooding back.
His childhood…
The family palace…
Those days filled with nothing but pain.
His grandfather and father had treated him with cruelty, constantly trying to get rid of him.
But there was always someone who stood in their way.
His mother… Gianna.
She protected him with everything she had, even as she paid the price.
Her body was covered in wounds—marks left by Henry and James—because she dared to defend her son.
Because of the "Fifth Eye" curse on his chest, he was hated.
His siblings were favored over him.
He wasn't allowed to eat with the family.
His room was cold… like a prison cell.
Its doors were made of steel, out of fear that the eye might awaken.
He was beaten and tortured… every time his mother wasn't there.
Tears fell silently from Tinebras's eyes.
He quickly wiped them away, refusing to appear weak, and said,
"I'm going… to see Amelia."
When he arrived at the mansion, a maid opened the door and led him to the guest room.
Moments later, Amelia rushed in, her face full of joy at seeing him.
But that moment didn't last.
Soon after, Serin—the lady of the Veradis family—entered, wanting to know who her daughter's visitor was.
She looked at Tinebras… but didn't recognize him.
"Who is this?" she asked.
Amelia quickly replied,
"A friend from school."
Serin immediately sensed the lie, but she had no time to investigate further and left.
After she was gone, Tinebras and Amelia shared a long conversation.
But as he was leaving, Tinebras suddenly felt something strange…
A heavy presence.
As if someone was watching him.
He slowly turned—
And saw Grandmother Veradis staring at him.
Their eyes met…
And in hers, he saw something terrifying.
Emptiness.
His body trembled.
Amelia noticed and asked,
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing…" he replied quickly.
He said goodbye and left in a hurry, placing his hand over his chest as he muttered,
"What is that… in your family, Amelia…?"
Tinebras walked back calmly.
As he passed by his family's house, he stopped.
It was surrounded by guards of the Eternal Dawn Council, under the emperor's command.
He looked at the house with deep sadness.
How long had it been since he last came here?
After a moment of silence, he decided to enter.
There was a hidden passage—a small tunnel in the back garden.
He used to play there with his siblings as a child.
He entered.
Moving carefully through the tunnel, he made his way inside the house without alerting the guards.
He stepped into his old room.
That prison-like room…
Where he had endured cold, hunger, and loneliness.
Then he walked to his mother's room.
The moment he entered—
He broke down.
He burst into tears, barely holding back his voice.
As he looked around, something caught his eye.
A pink piece of cloth.
His mother Gianna used to wear it on her head.
He picked it up gently…
And placed it in his pocket.
Then he left.
Next, he entered his father Henry's room.
Henry had always been strict.
Not inherently cruel… but his blind loyalty to James had turned him into something else.
Tinebras took one last look… and left.
Then he entered his siblings' room.
A sad smile formed on his face.
"I missed you…"
Chloe… his older sister.
And Arsway… his middle brother.
They had always stood by his side.
Only one room remained.
His grandfather's.
He stepped inside.
It was cold… and unsettling.
Despite being filled with luxurious furniture and expensive furs.
His gaze fell to the floor…
And memories returned.
He remembered how his grandfather used to drag him downstairs…
Tie him up… and perform experiments on him because of the "Fifth Eye."
Only he and the family knew what lay beneath.
He moved forward.
Descending to the lower level.
There was an empty room… with nothing inside.
But—
He knew the truth.
There was a spell.
A hidden spell…
That would open the door.