After entering his room, Prince Keane froze in front of the tall mirror. His reflection rippled unnaturally, and in the glass appeared a horrifying shadow—a monstrous figure with skin eerily reminiscent of Helmond's.
Keane's body trembled. His hands shook, and a cold sweat ran down his back. For the first time, the composure he had held since arriving at Dichondra City crumbled.
Flashbacks struck him like lightning. He remembered entering the castle, forcing himself to stay composed while twitching subtly beneath the surface—just as Helmond had done. Both had tried to hide it, to hold it together, but the weight of what they carried was too great. And now, alone in his room, the truth clawed its way to the surface.
The vision in the mirror intensified. A voice—or perhaps the presence of the monster itself—made the horrifying connection clear: Zagan, the creature that haunted him, revealed that Helmond was the failed version of his master, cast aside and sent to the Land of Luminous Flame to die.
Keane realized with chilling clarity that he had been created by the same master, designed to serve this "clone"—Helmond. Their fates, powers, and very existences were bound together.
Helmond's resistance echoed in Keane's mind—the twitching, the chaos, the defiance. He had fought to remain independent, to hold onto the strength he had spent years building.
Keane realized the terrifying truth: if Helmond yielded, they would be forced into a single entity—a merger neither of them wanted.
And Zagan's presence loomed over them, dark and relentless. Zagan did not want to be bound to Helmond; he refused to surrender his hard-earned independence to become part of a failed version of someone else. Every instinct in him screamed against the merge. That was why Zagan sought to eliminate Helmond entirely—to ensure his own power remained intact, untainted, and undiminished.
The revelation hit Keane like a blade. Zagan's attacks weren't just about domination—they were survival, a desperate refusal to be swallowed into a shadow of Helmond. And now, both Keane and Helmond were caught in the center of this deadly struggle, their lives, powers, and identities hanging by a thread.
The prince staggered back from the mirror, trembling. His eyes burned with fear and rage, the full weight of their intertwined fates pressing down on him. For the first time, he saw that Helmond's struggle was not just a threat—it was a mirror of his own.
The real architect of the plan was not Prince Keane himself, but the shadowy entity that dwelled within him—Zagan. Keane was merely a host, a vessel for Zagan's ambitions, unaware of the full scope of the scheme running through his blood.
Zagan's goal was meticulous and patient: to use Keane as a tool to gain access to Dichondra City, beginning with the marriage to Princess Katelyn. Through her, he could manipulate the city from within, slowly tightening his grip until the land fell under his influence. Every smile, every calculated gesture, every step Keane took as a prince-to-be was a thread in Zagan's web.
Yet Helmond stood in the way—not because Zagan lacked strength, but because he was made to empower Helmond, not to exist independently at full scale. Helmond's defiance, independence, and resistance threatened to disrupt Zagan's purpose. Any direct confrontation or uncontrolled interaction could nullify the delicate chain of events Zagan had planned.
To succeed, Zagan needed subtlety and strategy. His power alone was not enough to conquer entire cities or manipulate kingdoms—he required careful politics, alliances, and manipulation. And within the calm exterior of Prince Keane, the quiet twitching, the flickers of unease, and the subtle fear all served as a warning: the true force behind the throne was already at work—and anyone who interfered with Zagan's plan, especially Helmond, would face consequences they could not predict.
Last day before the wedding (Night)
Prince Keane gave orders to his men, instructing them to prepare everything for the wedding tomorrow. Once finished, he walked out with calm, measured steps, his presence commanding attention.
Alice, observing from a distance, noticed something unsettling. As she followed him toward his room, her eyes caught a reflection on the polished floor—a shadowy anomaly subtly emerging on his shoulder. Its movements were fluid, dark, and unnatural.
Her mind raced. Keane was the same height as Leo, just as the investigation from Willow Village had suggested, and this anomaly seemed intimately connected to him.
Heart pounding, Alice rushed to Leo and Rein, urgency in every step. "It's the Prince… there's something… a shadow… on him!"
Leo's eyes narrowed. Without waiting for more, he acted decisively. He freed Helmond, the guards unable to intervene, powerless against the strength and speed of his friend.
With Helmond now at their side, Leo, Rein, and Alice prepared for the confrontation ahead. The calm exterior of the royal household hid a darkness far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.
Helmond lay unconscious, slung across Leo's back, the weight of his friend a constant reminder of the stakes. As Leo moved to exit, the castle guards blocked his path, their spears gleaming under the torchlight. The King's voice rang out, sharp and commanding: "You will not leave! You have ignored our orders!"
Leo's jaw tightened. He refused to yield. The Wizard stepped forward, eyes cold. "Do not resist, or there will be consequences you cannot bear."
But Leo did not listen. With a roar, he charged, striking and dodging, fighting the guards with precise, controlled fury. Every move incapacitated rather than killed—he was not here to slaughter, only to escape. Rein flanked him, her presence fluid and commanding, manipulating the battlefield.
With Helmond still on Leo's back, Rein summoned a wave of water, roaring across the courtyard. Alice surfed atop it, holding on tight, as the team moved swiftly toward freedom. Sparks from destroyed torches lit their path.
The Wizard roared in fury and unleashed a fireball, smashing into the carriage, splintering wood and sending smoke into the night air. Rein reacted instantly, forming a cloud beneath them, lifting Leo, Helmond, and Alice into the air as the castle erupted behind them.
Below, Prince Keane mounted his own carriage, his men arrayed beside him, eyes burning with calculated determination. Alice's gaze sharpened. "We can't let him reach Dichondra City. We intercept him now!"
Rein created a network of clouds, carrying the team in pursuit, but mages from the city appeared, casting spells to block their path. Bolts of fire and arcs of lightning forced them to twist and dive, taking a treacherous alternative route through the night sky.
Far below, Prince Keane's carriage pressed onward, unaware that the shadows of resistance—Leo, Rein, and Alice—were relentlessly pursuing, bending the air, water, and clouds to keep him in their sights. The chase was far from over; the city gates of Dichondra still loomed ahead, and the night was alive with danger.
Prince Keane had anticipated this. With calculated precision, he maneuvered his carriage out of sight, using the shadows and the city's winding streets to slip away, forcing the chase and keeping his plan on track.