Night had completely swallowed the Velmora District beneath an atmosphere so oppressive that even the air itself seemed heavier to breathe, while far beyond the restricted barriers erected throughout the territory, an enormous swirling breach continued distorting the sky like a massive wound carved directly into reality itself.

Black and violet currents twisted endlessly within the gigantic vortex suspended above the ground, space around it fracturing and repairing repeatedly in disturbing patterns as unstable mana storms crackled throughout the surroundings.

The land near the breach had already transformed into a heavily fortified emergency zone.

Rows of reinforced military tents stretched across the area while soldiers, heroes, healers, and officials moved continuously between formations carrying reports, supplies, and communication devices. Massive barriers reinforced with mana crystals surrounded the central region completely, preventing ordinary civilians from approaching any closer after the horrifying incidents that had occurred during the breach’s initial appearance.

Even now—

No one dared approach the breach carelessly.

Because every person present could still hear the screams from that night.

And the reports—

The reports only kept becoming worse.

Inside one of the largest command tents near the restricted zone, several influential figures currently stood gathered around a massive table covered with maps, mana readings, and emergency reports. Yet despite the amount of information spread before them, the atmosphere within the tent remained suffocatingly grim.

One voice finally broke the silence.

"Is there still no news from the party that entered inside?"

The question lingered heavily within the tent.

But no answer came.

Only silence responded.

Several figures lowered their eyes while others clenched their jaws in frustration, because everyone already understood what that silence implied.

Then another voice spoke from the side, quieter but equally tense.

"The imperial envoy will arrive tomorrow morning," the man said while adjusting his glasses with visible unease. "We will need to provide some kind of formal report before then."

Almost immediately, another man stepped forward in frustration.

"Is that really the important issue right now?" he snapped, unable to hide the irritation within his voice any longer. "There has been absolutely no response from the parties that entered the breach, and if this thing continues expanding any further—"

He stopped midway, though nobody needed him to finish the sentence.

Because everyone already understood the consequences.

Then a female voice spoke carefully from the opposite side of the table.

"T-there is definitely something wrong with this breach..." she said quietly. "There were even eyewitness reports claiming that some kind of demonic laughter echoed from inside the breach when it first appeared..."

The moment those words fell—

Silence returned once more.

Heavy and uncomfortable.

No one openly dismissed the report despite how absurd it sounded, because after witnessing the current state of the breach, even the impossible no longer felt entirely impossible anymore.

And then suddenly—

That suffocating silence shattered.

"Hihihihihahahahheheehehehahhaha—!"

A manic burst of laughter echoed throughout the command tent so abruptly that several people visibly flinched in irritation and alarm alike.

Everyone immediately turned toward the source.

Standing near the edge of the tent was a man dressed entirely in white, his blonde hair partially hidden beneath an elegant white hat while a matching white suit covered his tall frame. A cane rested casually in one hand as an enormous grin stretched unnaturally across his face, his eyes carrying the same dangerous amusement they always did.

Instructor Valerian.

Still chuckling faintly to himself, he slowly stepped forward before looking around at everyone gathered inside the tent.

"Is there truly any value," he asked with a grin, "in standing around talking endlessly without actually doing anything?"

An irritated voice immediately responded from the table. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"And what exactly do you suggest we do, Mr. Valerian?"

Before Valerian could answer the irritated question directed toward him, another annoyed voice suddenly cut through the atmosphere of the tent.

"Just stand back, Valerian..."

A rough hand landed heavily upon Valerian’s shoulder as a tall man stepped forward from behind him, his dark hair unkempt and his formal clothes worn carelessly upon his body as though he had only bothered dressing appropriately for the sake of basic obligation rather than personal concern.

Garrick.

His brows remained tightly furrowed while visible irritation lingered across his face, clearly already exhausted from dealing with both the breach situation and Valerian’s personality simultaneously.

Meanwhile—

"HHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!"

Valerian burst into another fit of laughter immediately after hearing him.

Then he tilted his head sideways slightly while looking at Garrick with an enormous grin.

"Don’t tell me, Garrick..." he said between laughter. "Standing around these low-IQ creatures for too long has started reducing your intelligence too?"

Several people inside the tent visibly stiffened in anger after hearing that.

"You arrogant bastard..."

"Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

"People are dying outside!"

But Valerian merely continued laughing as though the irritation around him entertained him even further.

Finally, one of the men slammed his hand against the table and shouted furiously,

"If you are truly so capable, then why don’t you enter the breach yourself and solve all our problems?!"

The moment those words echoed through the tent—

Garrick’s expression darkened instantly.

"Don’t speak nonsense—"

But before he could finish—

"HIIIAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHE—!"

Valerian’s laughter interrupted him once again.

Then suddenly—

"Sure," Valerian said casually. "Why not?"

Silence spread instantly throughout the tent.

Complete and absolute.

Even the mana lamps flickering above seemed unnaturally loud amidst the sudden stillness that followed those words.

Several people stared at him blankly as though unsure whether they had heard correctly.

Then Garrick finally broke the silence, turning sharply toward Valerian with visible irritation.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" he snapped. "This is not the time to speak recklessly just because you find the atmosphere entertaining!"

But Valerian simply kept grinning.

"Do not worry so much, Garrick!" he said cheerfully while lightly spinning the cane in his hand. "I know exactly what I am doing!"

And then—

The atmosphere around him subtly changed.

The manic amusement still remained upon his face, yet beneath it, something sharper slowly surfaced.

Something dangerous.

His grin stretched wider across his face as his eyes narrowed faintly.

For the first time since entering the tent—

Valerian’s demeanor no longer felt entirely playful.

***

The atmosphere inside the grand main hall remained suffocatingly tense even after silence had fully settled once more, as hundreds of servants continued standing in perfectly arranged rows beneath the towering chandeliers while secretly observing everything unfolding at the front of the chamber without daring to lift their heads too openly. Fear, confusion, and unease spread invisibly through the gathered crowd, because despite Damon’s calm outward appearance, nobody present could predict what exactly he intended to do next.

Meanwhile, Damon himself remained seated upon the large chair with complete composure, one arm resting lightly around Cecelia while the little girl sat quietly upon his lap, her small hands lightly gripping his clothes as her unfocused eyes wandered vaguely across the hall as though sensing the countless emotions pressing down upon the room from every direction.

Standing before them—

The head butler maintained his straight posture despite the oppressive atmosphere surrounding him, though the seriousness within his eyes had already deepened considerably after realizing the matter had escalated far beyond a simple questioning session.

Then Damon leaned slightly forward.

His expression did not change, yet when he finally spoke, his voice had lowered so much that the words no longer traveled beyond the three of them.

"When was the last time you entered the archives?" he asked quietly.

The head butler immediately understood that the questioning was no longer meant for the hall to hear and answered in an equally low voice that remained contained within their immediate surroundings.

"With you earlier this evening, young master."

Damon’s expression remained unchanged after hearing the answer. Instead, his gaze slowly lowered toward Cecelia, whose small figure remained quietly seated against him.

"What did you see?" he asked softly.

Cecelia tilted her head faintly at the question, her expression becoming slightly thoughtful before she quietly answered in her childish voice.

"...Blue..."

The single word caused Damon’s thoughts to move immediately.

Blue.

Not yellow warmth.

Not black resentment.

Not red anger.

But something calmer.

Stable and reliable.

At least enough for him to consider the answer usable.

Damon gave the faintest nod before continuing further in that same quiet voice.

"Did you enter the archives at any point during this month aside from accompanying me today?"

The head butler shook his head firmly.

"No, young master."

Once again, Damon’s eyes moved toward Cecelia instead of responding directly.

The little girl remained silent briefly before softly murmuring once more,

"...Blue..."

Again not a lie.

Damon slowly leaned back into the chair after hearing that confirmation, his fingers absentmindedly continuing to pat Cecelia’s soft white hair while his thoughts rapidly connected possibility after possibility inside his mind.

Then suddenly—

His next question came far more directly, though his voice remained low enough that nobody else in the hall could hear it clearly.

"Are you betraying me in any way?"

The head butler paused completely after hearing that.

This time—

No answer came immediately.

He simply stood there silently.

Looking directly at Damon.

And Damon looked back at him without speaking either.

To the servants gathered throughout the hall, the scene merely appeared like a tense silence stretching between the two, because none of them could hear the actual exchange taking place in lowered voices at the front of the chamber.

Yet for Damon—

The head butler’s silence itself had already become an answer.

Or perhaps—

The inability to answer had.

Several long moments passed like that before Damon’s golden eyes slowly narrowed, the corners of his lips lifting slightly afterward as a quiet chuckle escaped him beneath the tense silence filling the hall.

...How interesting!