đ
---
A final crack split through the throne hall ceilingâ
And thenâ
---
It collapsed.
---
Stone and marble rained down, dust erupting into the air like a storm.
---
Outsideâ
Screams.
Chaos.
People running.
---
Insideâ
---
They didn't stop.
---
---
Rosy stood at the center of the destructionâ
Unmoving.
---
Her breathing steadyâ
Too steady.
---
Because something was wrong.
---
---
"âŚYou feel it too," Azrael said quietly.
---
He stood a few steps behind her nowâ
Watching.
Not interfering.
---
For once.
---
---
Rosy didn't answer.
---
But her fingersâ
---
Were trembling.
---
---
Not from fear.
---
From restraint.
---
---
"âŚIt's getting louder," she whispered.
---
---
The air around her began to distortâ
Not violently.
---
Unnaturally.
---
---
Like something trying to exist where it shouldn't.
---
---
Her father watched carefully.
---
Not attacking.
---
Observing.
---
---
"âŚThis is what I warned you about," he said calmly.
---
---
Rosy's eyes flickered.
---
"âŚThis isn't loss of control."
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"âŚThis is something else."
---
---
And thenâ
---
It happened.
---
---
Her power surged.
---
---
Not outward.
---
---
Inward.
---
---
Everything around herâ
---
Paused.
---
---
The falling debrisâ
Stopped mid-air.
---
The dustâ
Frozen.
---
Even soundâ
---
Gone.
---
---
"âŚThis isn't your power," Azrael murmured.
---
---
For the first timeâ
---
He looked serious.
---
---
Because he recognized it.
---
---
"âŚThen what is it?" Rosy asked.
---
---
But neither of them answered.
---
---
Because they didn't need to.
---
---
She felt it.
---
---
Something deep inside herâ
---
Not wakingâ
---
Returning.
---
---
Her pupils shrankâ
Then expandedâ
---
Her purple eyesâ
---
Darkened.
---
---
Not glowing anymore.
---
---
Consuming.
---
---
"âŚYou finally reached it," her father said quietly.
---
---
His voiceâ
---
Different.
---
---
Not calm.
---
---
Not completely.
---
---
"âŚThe core."
---
---
Rosy's breath hitched.
---
---
"âŚCoreâŚ?"
---
---
Thenâ
---
The world snapped.
---
---
Everything that had frozenâ
---
Shattered.
---
---
Not brokeâ
---
Shattered like glass.
---
---
Reality fractured around herâ
---
Crackingâ
Splittingâ
Distortingâ
---
---
Azrael moved instantlyâ
---
Appearing beside herâ
---
"âŚHey."
---
---
His hand reached outâ
---
And grabbed her wrist.
---
---
"âŚStay here."
---
---
Her gaze shifted slowlyâ
---
Too slowly.
---
---
"âŚI am here."
---
---
But her voiceâ
---
---
Wasn't fully hers.
---
---
That was the problem.
---
---
Azrael's grip tightened.
---
"âŚNo."
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"âŚYou're not."
---
---
Her head tilted slightly.
---
---
Almost curious.
---
---
"âŚThen where am I?"
---
---
Silence.
---
---
Because he didn't answer.
---
---
He couldn't.
---
---
Her father stepped forward again.
---
---
"âŚMove," he said.
---
---
Azrael didn't.
---
---
"âŚNo."
---
---
The word droppedâ
---
Heavy.
---
Final.
---
---
"âŚIf you touch her now," Azrael continued quietlyâ
---
"âŚshe won't come back."
---
---
Silence.
---
---
Rosy didn't react.
---
---
Because she wasn't fully there anymore.
---
---
Her gaze driftedâ
---
Not focused on either of themâ
---
---
But on something else.
---
---
Something only she could see.
---
---
"âŚSo it's starting," her father said.
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"âŚGood."
---
---
Azrael's eyes snapped to him.
---
"âŚYou planned this?"
---
---
A faint smile.
---
---
"Of course."
---
---
The answer hitâ
---
Hard.
---
---
"âŚYou're insane."
---
---
"No," he said calmly.
---
---
"I'm prepared."
---
---
Rosy's power surged againâ
---
This timeâ
---
Uncontrolled.
---
---
The ground beneath her disappearedâ
---
Not shatteredâ
---
Gone.
---
---
Like it had never existed.
---
---
"âŚShe's erasing space," Azrael muttered.
---
---
His grip tightened again.
---
"âŚHey."
---
---
No response.
---
---
"âŚRosy."
---
---
Nothing.
---
---
"âŚIsle."
---
---
A flicker.
---
---
Smallâ
---
But there.
---
---
Her eyes shiftedâ
---
Just slightlyâ
---
Toward him.
---
---
"âŚThat nameâŚ"
---
---
Her voice softened.
---
---
"âŚI rememberâŚ"
---
---
Azrael didn't move.
---
Didn't breathe.
---
---
"âŚGood," he said quietly.
---
---
"Stay with that."
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"âŚStay with me."
---
---
Silence.
---
---
For a momentâ
---
Everything slowed.
---
---
The distortion weakened.
---
---
The cracks in realityâ
---
Stabilized.
---
---
But thenâ
---
Her father moved.
---
---
Fast.
---
---
Too fast.
---
---
He appeared right in front of herâ
---
And placed his hand against her forehead.
---
---
"âŚWake up."
---
---
The command wasn't loud.
---
---
But it hit.
---
---
Rosy's body jerked.
---
---
Her eyes widenedâ
---
---
And thenâ
---
Everything exploded.
---
---
Power burst outwardâ
---
Violentâ
---
Uncontrolledâ
---
---
Azrael was thrown backâ
---
Crashing through the remaining wallsâ
---
---
Her father slid backâ
---
But remained standing.
---
---
The palaceâ
---
Collapsed.
---
---
Completely.
---
---
Dust filled the sky.
---
---
And at the center of itâ
---
She stood.
---
---
Alone.
---
---
Her eyesâ
---
No longer just purple.
---
---
Black and violetâ
---
Swirling.
---
---
Endless.
---
---
"âŚSo this is you," her father said quietly.
---
---
Not afraid.
---
---
Not surprised.
---
---
"âŚThe version I sealed."
---
---
Rosy lifted her head slowly.
---
---
Her gazeâ
---
Not fully human anymore.
---
---
"âŚYouâŚ"
---
---
Her voice echoedâ
---
Layered.
---
---
"âŚare still here."
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"âŚWhy?"
---
---
Silence.
---
---
Because that questionâ
---
Wasn't simple.
---
---
It wasn't about presence.
---
---
It was about existence.
---
---
Azrael pushed himself up from the rubbleâ
---
Blood at the corner of his lipsâ
---
But smiling.
---
---
"âŚThere she is," he murmured.
---
---
Because thisâ
---
This was the version he remembered.
---
---
The one who changed everything.
---
---
And nowâ
---
She was back.
---
---
Not sealed.
---
Not incomplete.
---
---
And not controlled.
---
---
The air trembled againâ
---
But this timeâ
---
Even the world seemed afraid.
---
---
Because this wasn't just power anymore.
---
---
This was something else.
---
---
Something beyond control.
---
---
And neither of themâ
---
Could stop what came next.
---
---
End of Chapter 19