The air at the bottom of the pit was suffocating, so heavy that even breathing felt like inhaling poison. Lucian lay there like a lifeless corpse. He was conscious, yet he had no idea how he had ended up here. The only thing he remembered was the ground splitting open and himself falling endlessly into darkness.
When he tried to open his eyes, his lashes were stuck together with blood and dirt. His entire body felt broken, and the sharp edges of the black stones beneath him dug into his back like daggers.
He tried to move.
But his body was bound by dark chains that had wrapped around him as if they had sunk into his flesh. Every time he struggled, black smoke seeped from the chains and burned into his wounds like acid.
A strange wave of pain surged through Lucian's mind, as if he were about to lose control of his own thoughts. He struggled desperately to hold on to the last fragments of his consciousness.
Somehow, he forced his blurred vision to look around.
But his hazy eyes could barely see anything.
Then—
His gaze fell forward.
The air left his lungs.
Right in front of him, in the heart of the darkness, a figure was bound by hellish chains to what seemed like an invisible cross. It looked like a wicked spirit pulled straight from a nightmare. Its body was a twisted mixture of sprite and flesh. Chains pierced through its skin, and black blood continued to drip from the empty hollows where its eyes should have been.
Those chains were not still.
They constantly pulled the dark aura leaking from the spirit's body, sparks flashing each time the energy was dragged away, causing the entire cavern to tremble again and again.
Lucian panicked.
He tried to crawl backward, but his body refused to obey him.
Then—
A heavy, cracked voice echoed through the suffocating silence.
"Welcome… little prince of Ravencrest."
Lucian's throat had gone dry.
The voice tore through his mind and struck his very soul, causing the blood flowing from his body to pour even faster from his wounds.
"Still fighting, little prince?" The spirit's voice carried a strange tone, poisonous and cold. "So much effort… so much humiliation… and yet you cling to a world that has never loved you. By now, you should have been ruling that world with your dark powers."
Lucian could barely understand what the creature was saying, but he gathered what little strength he had left and asked in a trembling voice,
"W-who are you? And… why are you doing this to me? How did I even get here?"
Fear and confusion were clear in Lucian's voice as he tried desperately to understand what was happening.
The spirit laughed slowly, and with each breath of that laughter the black blood flowing from its empty eye sockets began to drip even faster.
"Who I am does not matter," the spirit said. "What matters… is who you are, little prince."
"Do you really think you came here by accident? No… it was your fate that brought you here. Look at your hands. Don't you feel the weight that runs through your veins?"
The spirit shifted its bound arms slightly, and the chains clashed together with a horrifying sound.
"In that world you struggle for your right to exist. You fight to prove your worth, doing everything you can with the little ability you have… yet that world has always betrayed you. From childhood until now, what did you receive in return for your innocence?"
"Hate… loneliness… and humiliation."
Lucian clenched his teeth tightly.
Sweat and blood glistened across Lucian's forehead.
"Shut up… just shut up!" he said with a shaky voice. "I… I don't know who you are. But I know one thing… you're a monster."
The spirit burst into loud laughter, and the entire pit trembled with the sound.
"Hm. You are right, little prince. I should have introduced myself to a prince first."
"I am an evil spirit that was sealed here thousands of years ago after being defeated by a Ravencrest. They could never truly destroy me, so they sealed me instead. But I always fought for what belonged to me. I lived by my own will."
"But what about you, little prince?"
"Do you remember the eyes of those children this morning? That hatred? Do you remember Elder Vyom's 'kindness'… which was nothing more than the gaze of a jailer?"
"I have been watching you since the moment you first stepped here. I have felt your pain… your suffering… your humiliation. I know what you are."
"Don't you want to know it too?"
Lucian tried to shake his head, but the chains tightened around him even more.
"Today they call you cursed," the spirit continued. "Tomorrow they will erase you."
"And your sister… Lyra."
The spirit paused for a moment, as if savoring Lucian's fear.
"You know she will eventually leave you behind. How long will a princess carry the burden of someone as weak as you? The day she realizes her true power… she will abandon you."
"Because you will only stand in her way."
"No one loves weakness, little prince."
A tear slipped from Lucian's eye and fell onto the black chains, turning into steam the moment it touched them. The hope he had left for living was slowly turning into cold ashes.
Lucian's heart sank.
Memories flooded his mind—every moment when the people of the village had laughed at him. The spirit's words worked like salt on his wounds.
"You are special, little prince. I know your true worth," the spirit said with a frightening smile as dark aura began flowing around Lucian.
"You are special because you are Ravencrest," the spirit whispered. "Your ancestors were able to defeat me because they ruled over Hell. They possessed the power of the gods. But you… you were born carrying the burden of both Heaven and Hell. And that is why you are nothing."
"The God of Hell will treat you like nothing more than a toy. But I… I can set you free."
"Just extinguish that divine light inside you—the light that is stopping you from using your true power. Let the fires of Hell come out, little prince…"
Lucian's heart pounded violently.
"Lyra… no. Don't bring her into this! She would never do something like that!" he shouted as he tried to break the chains.
But the struggle only caused more blood to pour from his wounds.
"Then why don't you accept it?" the spirit's voice had now turned into a cold whisper. "When the light fades, only darkness remains, little prince. The 'magic' you have been searching for will never appear. Because you carry divine light inside you… while you were born for the endless Void."
"Little prince, remember every memory that brings you pain. Let them rise. Don't suppress them—let those memories flow through you. Let go of that goodness that steals your freedom. You should take freedom away from those who took yours."
"I will take revenge for you. For every person who has hurt you. I will destroy them all—their parents, their children, their wives, their friends, their brothers and sisters… every relationship they have."
The evil spirit's voice was filled with greedy temptation, its eyes burning with desire.
"Yes… like that. Let go of your goodness. Let it all come out. Let your pain rise. Don't hold it back… that's right."
"Hahahaha…"
As the spirit continued speaking, the light in Lucian's eyes slowly began to fade. His will was breaking, and the same dark Hell Power inside him slowly started leaking outward.
"Never…" Lucian whispered weakly. His voice had grown faint as his consciousness slowly sank into the black depths. "I… I am Lucian… I…"
His mind had completely shattered.
He could no longer feel anything. He had become like a living corpse. Dark energy began flowing slowly out of his body.
Suddenly—
A violent burst of deep red and black Hell Power erupted from him.
The evil spirit screamed viciously as it absorbed the power, trying to free itself from its chains.
Then suddenly the spirit sensed something.
"Someone is coming… the old guardian… Vyom!"
Quickly, the spirit pulled a portion of Lucian's Hell Power out of his body. The dark chains wrapped around Lucian's stomach began gathering that energy into one point. The evil spirit fused its own dark energy with Lucian's Hell energy, sending a fragment of its consciousness into that substitute vessel.
A harsh, twisted voice echoed throughout the entire underground chamber.
Its roar traveled upward, shaking the souls of everyone above.
It was the announcement of the spirit's return.
Now Lucian sat in a corner of the pit, completely motionless.
His eyes were empty.
His head hung low.
He was no longer the master of himself.
He had become nothing more than a lifeless puppet, completely under the control of the evil spirit.
Not far from the underground chamber, Elder Vyom suddenly felt the presence of true Hell.
It was coming from the very direction he was rushing toward.
Even so, he did not slow down.
He kept running.
A troubled smile appeared on his face.
"It seems," he murmured to himself, "I am deliberately walking toward a far greater danger."
"I wonder what awaits me now…"
He continued moving forward as fast as he could.
Yet no matter how quickly he ran, it still felt as though it was taking far too long to reach his destination.
And with every passing moment, the weight of worry in his heart grew heavier.
Lyra's small feet crushed thorns and dry branches as she ran deeper into the forest—the very place from where the scent of death seemed to rise.
In her hands, the Dragon Book pulsed like a beating heart. Multicolored light flowed from it, cutting through the thick black darkness around her.
The deeper she went, the heavier the sky became, like a dark blanket pressing down on the world. The air felt thin, as if the oxygen itself had begun to disappear, and the life around her had already withered into ash.
The Firefly Sprite that Finn had sent followed closely behind her.
It circled above her head like a golden spark, flashing again and again as if trying to warn her of danger—or urging her to turn back toward the guest house.
But Lyra's mind was filled with only one thought.
Saving her brother.
"Move away! Let me go!" Lyra cried, pushing the tiny sprite aside with her hand.
Suddenly—
Lyra stopped.
She could feel it.
From behind the dark trees, hundreds of red and yellow eyes were staring at her.
"Brother…" she called out with a trembling voice.
But the only answer she received was a chorus of terrifying whispers.
Then—
Dozens of corrupted sprites emerged from the shadows.
They were no longer the tiny spirits they once were. Each of them had grown as large as a human, their twisted forms filled with dark energy. Flames burned inside some of them, while others moved with sharp blades of wind swirling around their bodies.
The first to attack were two Gale Sprites.
They lunged toward Lyra and swept their arms through the air, unleashing a storm of arrows of wind.
The small firefly sprite instantly flew in front of Lyra's face. Gathering all the strength it had left, it created a fragile Golden Shield.
The shield managed to block one of the wind strikes—
But the rest of the attacks rushed past it toward Lyra.
The tiny sprite was thrown away by the shock of the dark energy, tumbling through the air as its golden light began to dim.
Lyra screamed in fear and tried to cast a spell she had learned.
"Divine Shield! Aae-Divine!"
A faint glow appeared in her hands, but it shattered almost instantly. The dark energy in the air was far too powerful.
The wind blades sliced across her cheek and shoulder.
Lyra cried out in pain.
At that very moment, a large beast-like sprite lunged at her, its claws slashing forward.
Lyra pulled the Dragon Book tightly to her chest and raised her arms to protect her face—
But the claws still tore across her arm, leaving deep scratches.
"I… I have to reach my brother!" Lyra gasped through tears and pain.
She forced herself to run again, almost blindly.
But suddenly—
A Vine Sprite burst from the ground.
Sharp vines shot upward and wrapped tightly around her leg, yanking her down.
Lyra crashed face-first onto the ground.
Lying there, she tried to cast another spell.
"Root Control! R-Root Control!"
For a moment the vines loosened slightly—
Then they tightened even harder.
It felt as if they were going to crush her bones.
Lyra dragged herself across the ground with her elbows, trying desperately to break free. The rough earth tore the skin from her elbows and knees as she struggled.
The small sprite lying in the distance refused to give up.
It flickered rapidly, as if trying to send a signal to Finn about its location. Then it flew weakly toward Lyra's wounds, trying to ease her pain with the faint warmth of its light.
Lyra was completely exhausted.
Her body was covered with wounds, and her golden hair was stained with dirt and blood.
Then—
A massive Thunder Evil Spirit raised its arm and formed a sphere of lightning in the air.
But this lightning was not blue.
It was filled with dark energy, glowing in a terrifying black-purple color.
The spirit hurled the sphere directly toward Lyra.
"No!" Lyra cried.
She pressed the Dragon Book tightly against her chest and curled herself against the ground, waiting for her final breath.
The explosion shook the earth.
But—
Lyra felt no pain.
Trembling, she slowly opened her eyes.
The small firefly sprite was lying on the ground in front of her, almost lifeless. Its light had nearly faded away.
Lyra's breathing was uneven.
Suddenly she felt something strange—an emptiness in her hands.
She looked down.
The book was gone.
Panic filled her eyes as she looked around frantically.
Had the explosion thrown it somewhere?
Had the darkness swallowed it?
Then she felt it.
A heavy energy behind her.
When she turned around, her eyes widened in shock.
A divine rainbow light had emerged from the book and formed an impenetrable barrier around her, stopping the lightning attack completely.
The shield shimmered brightly, while the black smoke outside crashed against it uselessly.
Lyra's breathing remained fast.
She still couldn't fully understand how she had survived.
The rainbow light emerging from Lyra's book expanded and enveloped the small sprite as well, saving its life.
The book itself was no longer there.
Lyra's Dragon Sprite had transformed into a massive, majestic, real dragon. Its body was so enormous that it stood taller than the surrounding trees of the forest. Multicolored light shimmered across its scales, illuminating the entire forest.
There was an ancient wisdom in the dragon's eyes, and the aura surrounding its body made one thing clear—
It possessed complete control over every element in the world.
With trembling hands, Lyra tried to touch the face of the enormous creature. But she couldn't quite reach it.
Yet the fear that had once filled the little princess had now transformed into a divine strength within her.
Lyra tried to sit up from the ground, but every part of her body burned with pain.
She picked up the firefly spirit lying beside her and held it gently in her arms. Its light had dimmed, but it was still alive. The dark aura that had begun corrupting it was slowly fading away inside the protective barrier.
Meanwhile, all the corrupted spirits began fleeing in terror at the mere presence of the dragon sprite.
None of them even dared to fight.
Divine energy gathered rapidly around the dragon.
Then suddenly—
The dragon released all of its power at once.
A blinding surge of energy burst outward with such force that everything around them was reduced to dust. When the light faded, only empty ground stretched across the forest.
Every corrupted spirit in the area had been completely destroyed.
The dragon sprite slowly began shrinking.
Its enormous body gradually reduced in size until it stood roughly the same height as Lyra. The dragon lowered its glowing eyes and looked at her.
Lyra met its gaze.
Within those eyes she could feel a powerful authority… something ancient and divine.
This time, when Lyra reached out, she was able to touch its face.
The fear in her eyes was gone.
In its place, there was hope.
A strange warmth spread through Lyra's body, carrying with it a deep sense of comfort. The warmth flowed through her veins, and the wounds covering her body began to heal. Within moments every cut, bruise, and injury disappeared as if they had never existed.
---
Not far away, Elder Vyom stood near the great pit that led into the underground chamber.
He suddenly felt a powerful surge of energy coming from the distance.
The elder turned his head toward the source.
A violent gust of wind burst through the forest, shaking everything around him. His robes were pushed back by the force of the wind, and even he had to take several steps backward to steady himself.
As he regained his balance, a thought crossed his mind.
Lyra… what is she doing here?
And how did she manage to use the dragon's power?
But the elder quickly forced himself to focus again.
He turned his gaze back toward the pit, from where the thickest dark aura of the evil spirit was emerging.
Vyom looked at the massive tree standing above the chamber.
His voice trembled with anger as he muttered under his breath.
"What has that evil spirit done to this sacred land…?"
"This great tree… the one our ancestors nurtured with their own hands…"
"And now it has been swallowed by darkness."
Without hesitation, he raised both of his hands toward the sky.
A pillar of divine energy descended from above and crashed into the ground, surrounding the tree and the pit entirely.
The earth trembled violently.
---
Meanwhile, at the guest house, Finn had managed to gather all the children safely inside.
The barrier surrounding the guest house was protecting them from the chaos outside.
The children sat quietly in their rooms, staring out through the windows. From there they could see everything changing outside.
Fear filled their hearts.
But so did the faint hope of survival.
Finn stood near one of the windows, staring at the sky.
The heavens had turned completely dark.
The ground outside was breaking apart like shattered stone. Trees and plants had withered into lifeless husks. The once gentle sprites of the village had transformed into terrifying monsters.
They were continuously attacking the guest house barrier.
Finn knew one thing.
If the barrier of the village broke… every corrupted sprite outside would be free to enter.
And that thought terrified him the most.
Suddenly he sensed powerful waves of divine energy spreading through the forest and reaching the village.
Finn immediately understood that something major was happening outside.
Then—
He felt a connection with the sprite he had sent after Lyra.
His expression changed instantly.
Fear spread across his face.
"Princess…"
His body trembled.
She's in danger.
I have to save her.
If anything happened to her, it could start a massive war.
Without wasting another second, Finn jumped out through the window and summoned his sprite.
The little spirit appeared before him, but it was shaking violently.
Seeing it like this, Finn realized something alarming.
Even the sprites were being heavily affected by the dark energy now.
If things were this bad here…
Then what must be happening in the center of the forest, where the energy was coming from?
Finn paused for a moment.
A strange unease tightened inside his chest.
He grabbed his chest tightly and whispered to himself,
"I can do this… yes… I can."
Then he started running toward the forest at full speed.