The castle shattered into several sections, its debris, both large and small, scattering in all directions, destroying whatever became its point of impact.

  Everyone in the castle courtyard, the police officers, Liam and his three friends, the visitors and the citizens who had been watching from outside before the explosion, had no time to react and were thrown nearly thirty meters away from the castle grounds.

  In front of the gate, the area was suddenly filled with helpless bodies. Some were killed by the collapsing ruins of the castle, and worse still, organs were scattered across the streets.

  The explosion occurred three times, and the fourth was far more devastating, creating a thick blazing black cloud of smoke that engulfed the entire area around the castle, spreading up to one hundred meters from the point of detonation.

  Citizens who heard the deafening explosion halted their activities for a moment and spontaneously looked up at the black smoke rising into the sky.

  News about the explosion caused by "Terrorists" spread by word of mouth. Even a few hours after the incident, the news had reached six other districts, reaching Mayor Novewilian Alistair, Count William Surcre, and more shockingly, spreading throughout the entire province of Havanuheta.

  Half an hour after the explosion, the sky turned gray. Thunder roared loudly, signaling that rain would soon fall as if nature itself were enraged by humanity's increasingly destructive actions toward its own environment.

  On the other side, in front of a shop whose roof had already been damaged, someone lay on the ground, beginning to show signs of consciousness. His eyelids twitched as if wanting to see the world around him, but unfortunately he could not open his eyes as usual, as if his mind had rejected the command.

  A sharp pain spread across the back of his head, rising higher as if freezing his brain, and the first sensation he felt afterward was followed by a distinctive, intense, sharp scent like a mixture of sulfur.

  "Ahh… it hurts, I knew it would turn out like this," he groaned softly. The pain slowly spread throughout his body, especially around his shoulders.

  Thunder continued to roar without pause, making Liam's heart grow more restless. He tried to stand even though his vision was clouded with dust. But when he forced himself up, his legs could not support his weight.

  Plukk!

  He fell again, his forehead striking the stone road hard, forming red streaks across his pale skin. Liam refused to give up. He forced himself to remain calm, trying to move away in search of a safer place, even though his chest felt as if it were burning from remaining still for too long.

  Around him, Liam could barely hear anything except the thunder, his own heartbeat, and his increasingly heavy breathing. He also did not know how long he had been unconscious.

  After the first explosion, a powerful shockwave swept away anyone standing along the castle's path, including several visitors and Liam himself.

  Separated from his three friends, he was thrown to the right side. Worse still, his head was struck by debris from the second explosion that flew past him.

  Liam tried to find his pocket watch. Whether by sheer luck or not, the watch was still hooked onto the threads of his trousers, even though his coat pocket had been torn by friction against the rough stones of the road.

  Click…

  "3:30 in the afternoon… right?" He closed the watch again, slipped it into his pocket, then began crawling to seek help.

  The longer he waited, his vision grew blurry as if the world around him had rotated ninety degrees, followed by his body becoming weaker. Within that haze, his consciousness gradually faded. His eyes closed, and the world around him sank into an abyss of silence.

  Half an hour after Liam fainted, he had regained consciousness, although his eyes were reluctant to open, and he realized he was lying weakly on a bed that seemed to swallow his thoughts inside a tent among a cluster of other tents.

  Leo and Zeta had regained consciousness earlier. Although their injuries were not fatal, both patiently waited for Forn and Liam, who had yet to open their eyes.

  Leo felt guilty, believing his invitation had caused his friends to suffer like this. Reflexively, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest and bowed his head, silently praying to Goddess Yarandrela for them to wake up soon.

  Goddess Yarandrela was known to have great influence, especially in Krensen District, Gours District, and Forgenate District, Leo's birthplace. However, in Tezny District, only a handful of people still worshiped the goddess in the main church. According to the elders there, Castle Eaurealis was believed to be an ancient relic from the era when the gods and goddesses, including Yarandrela, still descended into the human world.

  Outside the tent, heavy rain poured down accompanied by thunder and strong winds that swayed the tents where the explosion victims were being treated.

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  Consumed by time. Later, they were moved to a doctor's house according to Zeta's suggestion. Although the two had not fully regained consciousness, they lay weakly on the beds while the doctor examined their condition.

  "Will they be alright, Mr. Arvrenda?" Leo asked, his face showing anxiety as his eyes watched the raindrops on the window.

  "Your friend," Arvrenda said while pointing at Liam, then continued, "his condition is quite serious, but he should regain consciousness soon."

  "As for the young lady lying over there, her condition is stable. There are no fatal injuries, and she will likely wake up in about twenty minutes."

  'Well, I do not know how long he can endure that pressure,' Arvrenda thought doubtfully.

  After saying that, Arvrenda excused himself and left the room, letting them wait there.

  "The rain is really heavy," Zeta murmured, trying to ease the silent atmosphere while looking at Leo whose face was filled with despair.

  4:50 in the afternoon. The heavy rain had stopped, the atmosphere returning to normal though still overshadowed by the aftermath of that horrific incident.

  Even though the castle explosion happened suddenly right after they arrived there, it was enough to shake their minds and mental state, especially Leo who was consumed by guilt.

  A few minutes later. They left the room, thinking of lying down in the living room while waiting for the two to wake up.

  Not long after.

  Forn and Liam awoke almost at the same time. Once again, Liam was haunted by nightmares of Zavi's death, repeated over and over, fully aware, and not knowing how to release the turmoil within as he watched it again and again.

  His breath caught, cold sweat instantly drenched his body, and he pinched his temple in an attempt to hide the tension.

  Beside him, Forn who had just awakened was startled when he noticed Liam's pale face. Feeling that something was wrong, his eyes widened and he immediately sat upright, unable to conceal his thoughts.

  "Why do you look so pale?" he asked in confusion, "A nightmare? Or what." The corner of his eye briefly caught Liam's trembling hand.

  Liam closed his eyes, unsure of what to say. He took a deep breath to calm his mind, his body, and his mental state. When he opened his eyes again, his hand was no longer trembling, although the hairs on his neck were still standing.

  "It's nothing," he replied with a fake smile. "Just dizziness from the earlier impact," he added, looking around the room and noticing the neatly arranged bookshelf.

  An unfamiliar room. The thought crossed his mind briefly, yet he did not think about where he was. All that occupied his mind was the pain in his head and his heart still beating unstably from the nightmare.

  He tried to get down from the bed, standing to ensure his legs could move according to his will.

  Tap!!

  His feet touched the floor, immediately feeling the cold surface of the polished marble beneath. Forn simply watched his behavior with furrowed brows.

  'What happened to him?' he thought.

  He quickly stood and approached, helping Liam walk even though his body had not fully recovered.

  "Do not push yourself, Zavi," Forn said gently while supporting Liam's still fragile body.

  Slightly annoyed, Liam sat back down on the bed, choosing to rest until he truly recovered. To reduce the awkwardness, he decided to ask Forn something, while gathering information about this world without arousing suspicion.

  "There is something I want to ask," Forn stopped walking when Liam continued, "Do you know about that prophecy and those deaths?"

  Forn's body immediately stiffened, his pupils widening for a moment before his eyes fixed on Liam.

  "Why bring that up all of a sudden? Of course, almost everyone in this city believes in that doomsday prophecy, though there are some who do not, including me."

  'I do not fully understand it either. And that strange feeling, I do not understand it. Even Mr. Albert does not know.' he thought hesitantly.

  Hearing that, Liam remembered Ren's words through fragments of this body's memories, who also did not believe in that strange prophecy, just like himself who now occupied this new body. Instantly, memories of Zavi's mysterious routines resurfaced. Visiting the round lake in the western part of the city. Doing things related to the occult and falling asleep during mysticism cultural events.

  "One more thing, about the increasing number of deaths. It is impossible for an ordinary killer to kill people like that, right?" Liam asked again.

  'There must be a connection with Zavi's death and the transfer of my consciousness into this body.' Liam thought, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, almost smiling.

  Forn immediately stepped forward and sat on the bed, feeling that the question was interesting and something that had always made him curious.

  "I did not find clear information about the victims' deaths. But there is one strange detail, a report from an occult researcher who saw small black dots with varying shapes at the base of the victims' necks, including on their wrists."

  Liam was startled and quickly turned his head. "Black dots, huh?"

  'I remember Zavi also had a black dot on his neck,' he thought, unable to hide his shock.

  "Yes," replied Forn, "I know the person who found the body. Would you like to meet him? Besides, a year ago, I—never mind."

  Liam reflexively touched his chin, his eyebrows furrowing before he thought to reveal his thoughts;

  "Can I meet him? There are many questions I want answers to."

  "If you want, we can meet that person tomorrow," said Forn as he tidied up his pillows and bed. After that, he lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling.

  A few seconds later, Liam also lay back down. He turned toward the window located between the two beds, but suddenly flinched when he heard soft footsteps approaching the room from outside.

  Liam immediately shifted his gaze, while Forn slightly lifted his head. Both stared at the door, waiting to see who would enter.

  The doorknob slowly turned.

  Click.

  The hinges creaked briefly before the door fully opened, revealing two familiar figures and a black haired man wearing glasses whom they did not recognize.

  Leo and Zeta approached them as they continued staring. Meanwhile, at the doorway, Mr. Arvrenda smiled in relief upon seeing them finally awake, though behind that smile something seemed hidden.

  Leo gave a faint smile, unable to erase the previous tension. "Hey, Zavi. Are you alright? I am sorry if I…"

  Liam frowned. "Forget it, do not think about it. Besides, you would be scared if something happened to me, right?"

  'Yes, I know, he was very close to Isabelle when they were still in school and Leo often talked with her during his free time when visiting her house.' Liam thought, and unconsciously his head nodded.

  'After all, they were the ones who invited me to the castle, so why do I feel guilty?' Liam thought while nodding, then glanced at Forn and Zeta with a cynical look as if ready to pounce on prey.

  "Ah, that. I am fine. By the way, that incident was caused by, uh, crime?" Liam made quotation marks with two fingers and pointed forward, a few seconds later he realized what he had just said.

  'What am I even saying, damn it?' he thought in panic.

  From the doorway, Dr. Arvrenda briefly overheard the conversation. He adjusted his glasses before stepping closer.

  "Sorry to interrupt," he said calmly.

  Zeta turned and said, "It is fine. They were discussing the castle and the person who caused all of this."

  "Oh, I see," he replied while adjusting his glasses. "Please excuse me for a moment, I will be back shortly." He immediately turned and left the room.

  Those who heard him merely nodded casually, except for Zeta, who felt something unsettling about the doctor. Thinking about it, she sat on a chair in the left corner of the room, leaning back and waiting for him to return.

  Not long afterward, Mr. Arvrenda returned after keeping them curious for quite some time. Their curiosity was answered, though unexpectedly, when they saw him carrying a tray with four bowls of hot soup still steaming, its fragrant aroma spreading through every corner of the room and making their stomachs churn.

  'Hah, this person is not strange after all. I thought he was going to get something.' Zeta thought, slightly surprised as she looked at him with a faint smile.

  'You are wrong, Zeta. I am not what you think.' Arvrenda thought.

  "Please take one each. Be careful, the soup is still hot. If you want something to drink, just tell me and I will get it," he said calmly.

  He added, "Here, Miss Zeta. Please take your portion."

  He whispered, "Be careful with the young lady over there."

  "Ah, thank you," she murmured softly, realizing the true purpose behind his strange behavior.

  The two exchanged glances, even if only briefly.

  Arvrenda gave a small shrug, replying with a faint smile, making a subtle gesture with his fingers before leaving the room with the tray tucked under his arm against his waist.