The throne room was still glowing faintly.
Silver traces of Liora's magic lingered in the air like scattered starlight. Even the ancient runes carved into the pillars had not fully dimmed yet.
The nobles kept their distance now.
No one stepped close.
No one dared to speak recklessly.
Moments ago they had been questioning her existence.
Now they were looking at her like she was something dangerous.
Something ancient.
Something that should not have returned.
Liora was still leaning slightly against Cairis.
Her head hurt.
Not just a normal headache.
It felt like something inside her mind was trying to break open.
Fragments.
Memories that weren't hers.
Or maybe they were.
She rubbed her temples slowly.
"…I think I just failed the test."
Cairis looked down at her.
His crimson eyes were still sharp with concern.
"You shattered an ancient detection crystal."
"…That sounds expensive."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Across the chamber, the Demon King rose from his throne again.
The sound of his movement echoed across the hall, immediately pulling everyone's attention back to him.
His gaze moved slowly across the court.
"The demonstration is finished."
His voice was calm.
Authoritative.
No one argued.
But the tension had not disappeared.
The nobles were watching Liora carefully.
Some with fear.
Some with suspicion.
And some with something far more calculating.
One of those nobles was standing quietly near the far edge of the chamber.
He had not spoken once since the meeting began.
Tall.
Dressed in dark robes with silver embroidery.
His long black hair was tied loosely behind his back.
And his eyes…
His eyes had not left Liora since the moment her magic erupted.
Unlike the others, his expression wasn't shocked.
It was thoughtful.
Recognizing.
Very slowly, his lips moved.
"…So you really came back."
No one heard him.
Except himself.
Meanwhile
The horned noblewoman stepped forward again.
But this time her voice had lost some of its earlier confidence.
"Your Majesty… even if her power resembles the Star Witch…"
She hesitated slightly.
"…that does not prove she is the Star Witch Queen."
The Demon King looked at her calmly.
"Perhaps not."
His gaze shifted toward Liora.
"But it proves she is not ordinary."
That much no one in the room could deny.
The shattered crystal on the floor was proof enough.
The noblewoman lowered her head slightly.
"But if she truly carries ancient power, then the kingdom must treat this situation carefully."
That statement earned quiet murmurs of agreement.
Another noble stepped forward.
"The gate reacted to her."
His voice was grim.
"And the ancient god we felt earlier…"
Liora stiffened slightly.
Azhrael.
Just hearing the thought of his name made something dark stir in her chest.
The noble continued.
"If he senses her existence…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Everyone understood the implication.
War.
The Demon King remained silent for a moment.
Then he turned slightly toward Cairis.
"Your thoughts."
The entire court watched the crown prince.
Cairis didn't hesitate.
"She stays."
Several nobles groaned quietly.
But Cairis continued.
"The Crimson Gate is awakening."
"The ancient god is moving again."
"And the only person who has shown the power to oppose him…"
His gaze slid toward Liora.
"…is her."
The logic was difficult to argue with.
Still, the room felt uneasy.
Because if Liora truly was the Star Witch Queen reborn…
Then history itself was repeating.
And history had ended in catastrophe.
Suddenly
A voice spoke from the far side of the chamber.
Soft.
Smooth.
"Your Majesty."
Everyone turned.
The quiet noble who had been watching silently stepped forward.
His presence was strange.
Not overwhelming like Cairis.
Not intimidating like the Demon King.
But something about him made the room feel colder.
The horned noblewoman frowned slightly.
"…Lord Vael."
So that was his name.
Lord Vael stopped a few steps from the center of the room and bowed respectfully.
His dark eyes flicked toward Liora briefly.
Then back to the throne.
"If I may offer a suggestion."
The Demon King gestured.
"Speak."
Vael straightened.
"Rather than debating her identity…"
He paused.
"…we should test something more important."
Several nobles leaned forward.
"What test?"
Vael's eyes finally met Liora's fully.
And when he spoke again, his voice was very quiet.
But every word landed like a stone.
"Whether the ancient god recognizes her."
The room went cold.
Liora's stomach twisted slightly.
Cairis's expression hardened instantly.
"No."
But Vael wasn't finished.
"If she truly is connected to the Star Witch Queen…"
His gaze sharpened.
"…then Azhrael will come for her."
The name echoed across the hall like a curse.
Even the nobles looked uneasy hearing it spoken aloud.
Vael turned slightly toward Liora again.
And for just a moment
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
Recognition.
Hatred.
"…After all," he continued softly.
"He has been waiting a thousand years to kill her."
Liora's breath caught slightly.
Something about his tone…
Something about the way he said that…
Like he knew.
Not guessed.
Knew.
Cairis stepped forward.
His voice was dangerously quiet.
"You seem very certain."
Vael met his gaze calmly.
"I simply study history."
But Liora noticed something else.
For just a fraction of a second
Vael's eyes flickered silver.
The same color her magic had turned earlier.
And then it was gone.
No one else seemed to notice.
Except her.
Her heart started beating faster.
Because suddenly she realized something terrifying.
This man didn't just recognize her power.
He recognized her.
Far away
Beyond the borders of the Demon Kingdom.
Deep within a ruined temple swallowed by darkness.
A pair of ancient eyes slowly opened.
Azhrael had felt it again.
The awakening.
The power.
The unmistakable presence of the one person he had failed to destroy.
His voice echoed through the broken temple.
Cold.
Ancient.
Full of hatred.
"…So you finally returned."
The shadows around him twisted violently.
"Good."
A slow smile spread across his face.
"This time…"
"…I will make sure you die properly."