The throne hall of the Black Petals was silent.
Not peaceful—silent in a way that felt wrong. Like the air itself had been punished into stillness.
Seris stood at the entrance for a moment, hand on her rapier, silver eyes fixed forward. The massive doors behind her slowly closed with a heavy echo.
CLANK.
And the world was sealed.The instant she stepped inside, a wave of corrupted Aether pressed against her chest. It wasn't visible. It wasn't physical. But it felt like drowning in something alive.
Seris' breath tightened. "…Ngh…"
Her instincts screamed.
The throne room stretched endlessly forward—black marble floors cracked with faint glowing veins of purple Aether. Chains hung from the ceiling like decorations of execution.
Ahead, the throne hall stretched endlessly—black marble fractured with faint veins of purple light. Chains hung from the ceiling like abandoned executions.
At the far end stood the throne, a figure sat there.
Veyr.
But Seris did not see his face clearly yet. Above the throne— A floating orb. It pulsed faintly, projecting shifting images of battle outside the castle walls.
Seris narrowed her eyes slightly wondering what is the orb is projecting. She had no answer.
Veyr did not move.
He was watching the orb. Completely still, like a king observing a world that already belonged to him.
Seris stepped forward silently. Each step echoed faintly across the hall. She lowered her stance. Then— a whisper.
"…I was expecting you..."
Seris stopped instantly. Her eyes sharpened. Only then did Veyr slowly turn his head. Not fully. Just enough to acknowledge her presence.
"…Seris."
The name hit the air like a verdict. Seris' grip tightened.
"…Veyr."
A pause. She took another step forward.
"…I came to end this."
Veyr exhaled quietly. "…Of course you did."
The moment she took another step—
SHHHK—!
Tendrils erupted from the floor. Black-purple veins of corrupted Aether surged like living spears, twisting violently toward her body. Seris' eyes sharpened instantly.
CLANG—!
Her rapier flashed. She twisted through the first wave. Then another, and then another. The throne room exploded into motion.
BOOM—!
Stone cracked as tendrils slammed into pillars, but Seris moved between them like a ghost reborn. Each step was precise. Each dodge clean. Each counter strike slicing through corrupted Aether.
But Veyr still did not stand. He only watched.
"…You improved," he said calmly. "But you still hesitate."
Seris landed lightly on a fractured pillar, breathing controlled.
"…Stop talking."
A faint silence. Then Veyr spoke again—lower this time.
"…Do you remember Serene?"
The air stopped. Seris' expression changed instantly. Just slightly, but enough.
Veyr tilted his head.
"She was strong," he continued. "Stronger than most of my creations." A pause. "…But she had a flaw."
Seris' grip tightened. Veyr's voice remained calm.
"Attachment."
The orb flickered behind him—Renn's group tearing through Black Petal forces outside. Veyr didn't look at it. He continued.
"She protected you too much." A faint sigh. "She believed you could live a life beyond this place."
Seris' voice dropped. "…Shut up."
Veyr finally turned slightly more toward her. "And because of that belief…" he said softly, "…I had to remove her weakness."
Silence.
The words didn't immediately register. Then— Veyr continued, almost gently.
"I made her fight you." A pause. "And made you win."
The world felt distant. Seris' breathing slowed. "…What did you say?"
Veyr's eyes remained calm. "She chose it herself in the end," he said. "But I ensured the outcome."
A soft tilt of his head. "After all… she would have kept holding you back."
Something inside Seris cracked—but didn't break yet. "…You… made her—"
Veyr interrupted calmly. "I refined you."
The throne room darkened slightly. "I removed her so you could become what you are now." His gaze sharpened faintly.
"…My masterpiece."
Silence. Then— Seris moved.
BOOM—!
She vanished from sight. Her rapier tore through space toward Veyr's throat—
CLANG—!!!
A single tendril caught it. Then another. Then another. Veyr didn't even rise from his throne. Seris struggled mid-air as black tendrils wrapped her arm, her weapon, her body—holding her suspended inches from his face.
"…Still emotional," Veyr said softly. "That's disappointing."
Seris' eyes trembled. Then— something snapped inside her control.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER—!"
BOOOOM—!
Her Aether surged violently.
The throne hall shook as shockwaves exploded outward, shattering nearby pillars and chains. For a brief moment, cracks spread through the tendrils binding her. Seris forced her arm forward—
SHHK—!
Her rapier nearly reached him. Then—
CRACK.
A massive tendril surged from the darkness and wrapped around her throat instantly.
Seris choked.
The force slammed her violently into the floor.
BOOOOM—!
Stone exploded beneath her body.
Before she could recover, the tendril lifted her again by the neck, suspending her helplessly in the air.
Veyr finally stood.
Slowly.
The corrupted Aether surrounding him thickened immediately, crawling across the throne room like living darkness.
Seris gritted her teeth while struggling against the hold. "…Bastard…"
Veyr approached calmly. No anger. No hatred. Only cold certainty.
"You still don't understand," he murmured.
The tendril tightened slightly around her neck. Then Veyr turned toward the floating orb.
"Look."
The orb shifted instantly. Seris' eyes widened slightly.
Renn.
Kael.
Lio.
Taren.
The four of them fighting through endless Black Petal assassins deep within the castle grounds.
The images flickered rapidly—steel clashing, explosions erupting, blood staining the halls.
Veyr's voice echoed quietly beside her.
"They came for you."
Seris stared silently at the projection. Kael smashing through armored assassins. Taren protecting chained children. Lio cutting through shadows without hesitation.
And Renn—
Golden Aether erupting violently as he forced his way deeper toward the castle. The tendril around Seris loosened slightly. Veyr stepped beside the orb.
"…If you want to save them," he said calmly, "..return to the Black Petals."
The corrupted Aether around the throne hall pulsed heavily.
"Become my Moonveil again." A pause. "And I will spare them."
Silence.
The orb continued showing the battle outside. More enemies. More blood. More death. Veyr's gaze darkened slightly.
"You already know how this ends otherwise." His voice lowered. "Attachments make people weak."
"They hesitate."
"They suffer."
"They die."
The images inside the orb shifted again Renn taking a direct strike protecting Taren from an ambush. Seris' eyes widened slightly. Veyr noticed immediately.
"…There it is."
A faint smile formed on his face.
"Fear."
He slowly raised a hand toward the orb. "You've changed because of them." His voice softened dangerously.
"But if you truly care about them…" The throne room darkened.
"…Then kneel."
Silence filled the hall. Seris stared at the orb. At the people risking their lives for her. Then slowly— her trembling stopped.
The silver Aether around her calmed. Veyr watched carefully. For a moment, it almost looked like surrender.
Then Seris slowly raised her head. And smiled.
A cold smile.
"…You really don't understand anything."
Veyr's expression narrowed slightly. Seris' eyes sharpened completely.
"Those people outside…"
Silver Aether began gathering faintly around her again. "…are the reason I'm no longer afraid of you."
Silence filled the throne hall.
For the first time— Veyr's expression lost its calmness slightly. Just slightly. Then, he sighed.
"…Unfortunate."
The corrupted Aether around him thickened unnaturally. Seris struggled against the tendrils again, silver Aether erupting from her body.
"Veil Forbidden Art: Shin'en Kugutsu"
BOOM—!
Several tendrils snapped apart instantly. She forced her arm upward— then stopped.
Her body froze. Seris' eyes widened.
"…W-What…?"
Thin tendrils. Refined. Hair-like black threads emerged silently from Veyr's fingertips. Unlike the others, these were different.
Smaller. Sharper. Alive.
SHHK—
The refined tendrils pierced directly into Seris' shoulders, spine, wrists, and neck. Her body convulsed violently.
"AAAH—!"
The rapier slipped from her hand. Veyr calmly raised two fingers.
And Seris' body moved with them. Her arm lifted unnaturally. Not by her will. Like a puppet suspended by invisible strings.
Panic crossed Seris' face instantly. "…No…!"
She tried to move. Nothing responded.
The tendrils attached directly into her nervous system, weaving through her Aether channels like parasites.
Veyr stood before her quietly. "…This technique," he said softly, "was created for those who refuse obedience."
Seris trembled violently while her own body slowly lowered against her will. One knee touched the ground.
CRACK.
"…STOP—!"
But the second knee followed. Veyr watched calmly. "The body is simple to control," he murmured. "Muscles. Nerves. Aether flow."
He leaned closer slightly. "But the mind…" The refined tendrils pulsed. "…takes more work."
Seris' vision blurred instantly. Seris tried to resist. Silver Aether surged again—but the black tendrils tightened directly around her Aether pathways, suppressing the flow instantly.
Veyr gently placed a hand atop her head. Veyr's eyes narrowed faintly. Then he looked down at Seris.
"…Sleep, Moonveil."
The refined tendrils pulsed simultaneously. Corrupted Aether flooded directly into Seris' consciousness.
Her pupils trembled violently. Then slowly, the silver light faded from her eyes. The tension in her body disappeared.
Silence.
A moment later— Seris slowly stood back up. Not naturally. Like a marionette pulled upward by invisible strings. Her expression became empty. Emotionless. Cold.
The black tendrils remained connected beneath her skin faintly like veins. Veyr stepped beside her and turned toward the orb calmly.
Outside— Renn continued moving closer. Closer to the throne hall.bCloser to Seris. Veyr smiled faintly.
"…Now then."
Beside him, Seris silently raised her rapier once more.
"…Let us welcome your friends properly."