After arriving at the castle, the atmosphere felt strangely heavy.
The sounds of mourning echoed faintly from the distance—soft cries, quiet prayers, the distant marching of knights preparing for the ceremony. The air itself carried grief.
As Leo walked forward with the others, his mind still clouded from everything that had happened, a sudden grip stopped him.
Helmond.
His hand wrapped tightly around Leo's wrist.
Leo turned, slightly confused at first—but the moment he saw Helmond's face… something felt wrong.
The usual calm expression Helmond carried… was gone.
His smile had faded.
His eyes… were different.
"...Helmond?" Leo asked quietly. "What's wrong?"
Helmond didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Then leaned in.
And whispered.
Leo's eyes widened instantly.
His breathing hitched.
A chill ran down his spine as if something had just pierced straight through his mind.
For a moment… he couldn't even process what he just heard.
"Kharous Raine… is in the Land of Virelith," Helmond murmured softly. "The one we fought…"
"…was just a clone."
Leo froze.
Completely.
His body felt stiff, unmoving, as if the world around him had suddenly gone silent.
"A… clone?" Leo repeated under his breath.
Helmond slowly nodded.
"It was a perfect replica… in appearance, in presence…" he said calmly. "But its power… was incomplete. A weaker version."
Leo's thoughts began racing.
Everything they fought… everything they struggled against…
"…How do you know this?" Leo asked quickly, his voice low but tense.
"What do you mean?" Helmond replied.
"What do you mean, Helmond?" Leo pressed, his voice rising slightly. "How do you know all of this? And if that was just a clone—"
He stepped closer.
"—then what does that mean for the real one?"
"And the clone…" Leo continued, his voice tightening, "is it still in the Land of Luminous Flame?"
His fists clenched.
"So the Kharous we fought… was just like you?"
Helmond closed his eyes for a moment.
Then exhaled slowly.
"…There are five clones in total," he began. "One for each Land."
Leo's heart sank.
"Each one was created with a purpose," Helmond continued. "To act as a warning… a sign that the Phantom Curse is awakening. A signal that chaos is coming."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"But Kharous… miscalculated."
Leo frowned.
"…What do you mean?"
Helmond opened his eyes.
"Some of the clones… were failures."
A brief silence fell between them.
"For the Land of Luminous Flame…" Helmond said, his voice quieter now, "…I was supposed to be that clone."
Leo's eyes widened again.
"But I failed."
The words were simple.
But heavy.
"I didn't become what I was meant to be," Helmond continued. "I didn't fulfill the role Kharous intended."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"So he replaced me."
Leo felt his chest tighten.
"He sent another clone," Helmond said. "The same one from the Land of Virelith… to take my place."
"That clone attacked Luminous Flame… and it worked."
"It forced people to unite. It created fear. It became the warning."
Leo slowly pieced everything together.
"…Even a weaker version…" Leo muttered, "was enough to threaten an entire land…"
Helmond nodded.
"Which means…" Leo continued, his voice dropping, "…the original…"
"…is far beyond anything we've faced."
Helmond didn't deny it.
"But…" Helmond added after a moment, "…I'm not entirely a failure."
Leo looked at him.
"When I died…" Helmond continued, "…I saw something."
"Visions."
"Fragments of truth."
His eyes sharpened.
"Out of all the clones… I was the closest to becoming the perfect one."
Leo stayed silent.
"All I lack…" Helmond said, "…is mastery."
A pause.
"And power."
Leo immediately understood.
"…Zagan."
Helmond nodded.
"Zagan was never just an enemy," he said. "He was… a key."
"A catalyst."
"The power that could unlock what I was meant to become."
Leo looked down for a moment, processing everything.
Then—
"What about the others?" he asked.
Helmond answered calmly.
"The Land of Thaloun Grass…" he said, "its clone is gone. Zagan killed it."
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Why?"
"It was the weakest," Helmond replied. "Kharous saw no value in it."
"So he let Zagan take its place… as a more effective warning."
Leo clenched his jaw.
"And Aurendyl Air?"
Helmond looked slightly impressed.
"They succeeded," he said. "They killed their clone."
"…Which means someone there is strong enough to defeat one."
Leo took note of that.
"And Virelith…?"
Helmond's expression darkened.
"…Half destroyed."
Leo felt his chest tighten again.
"The original Kharous is there," Helmond continued. "And the clone meant for that land…"
"…is the one we fought."
Leo's mind raced.
"So Virelith has the original… but no active clone?"
Helmond nodded.
"They couldn't even call for help," he added. "Their ships… destroyed."
Silence fell again.
Then—
"…Feredore?" Leo asked.
Helmond's gaze turned serious.
"The chaos hasn't begun there yet," he said. "But it will."
"We still have time."
"…If we act now."
Leo looked away.
His thoughts were overwhelming.
Everything was connected.
Everything was bigger than they thought.
"…Kharous noticed me," Helmond said suddenly.
Leo looked back at him.
"He realized I was seeing too much," Helmond continued. "So he cut the connection."
A pause.
"He knows I'm no longer under his control."
Leo's expression hardened.
"…He was my beginning," Helmond said quietly.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"…I will be his end."
Leo stood there in silence.
Frozen.
Not from fear—
But from realization.
This wasn't just a battle anymore.
This was something far bigger.
Something they might still have a chance to stop.
"…Let's talk about this later," Leo said finally, his voice low but firm.
Helmond nodded.
Soon after, everyone gathered for the ceremony.
King Bard stood at the front, his presence commanding yet solemn, as he honored the fallen.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The people mourned.
Families cried.
Voices whispered prayers for those who had been lost.
Leo, Rein, Helmond, Ethan, and Alice stood together among the crowd.
Heads lowered.
Silent.
Respectful.
They had saved the Land of Thaloun Grass.
But the cost…
Still weighed heavily on them.
The Knights marched in perfect formation.
Their armor gleamed under the light, their posture unwavering—a symbol of honor.
The Maidens followed, gently scattering flowers across the ground where the fallen would be remembered.
Petals drifted softly through the air.
The Higher Officials placed their hands over their chests.
A silent vow.
A final respect.
Leo stood still.
But his mind…
Was somewhere else.
Luminous Flame…
Virelith Stone…
Feredore River…
Everything Helmond said echoed in his thoughts.
Luminous and Virelith each had one connection to Kharous.
Thaloun was safe.
Aurendyl was safe.
But Feredore…
Was next.
Leo clenched his fists slightly.
His homeland…
Or another land he could still save.
He couldn't choose.
From the corner of his eye, Rein noticed.
She didn't say anything.
She simply stepped closer.
And gently reached for his hand.
Holding it.
Tightly.
No words.
Just presence.
Ethan stood nearby, watching Princess Katelyn as she gave her speech of honor.
His expression was calm… but protective.
Helmond stood quietly.
Free.
No longer bound to Kharous.
No longer a tool.
But something more.
Something unpredictable.
Alice, on the other hand, wrote everything down.
Every detail.
Every event.
Documenting history as it unfolded.
And Leo…
Still couldn't decide.
Go home…
Or save Feredore…
Two choices.
Both heavy.
Both important.
And only one path forward.