Purple haze wafted near the CEF. Step after step, their hearts thrummed with a

strange sense of fear. Closest to the bishop were his aide, Zelin, and the deaf

wizard whose only job was to connect the communication crystal, while the rest

of them walked a step behind. Other than Reed, nobody moved without trembling.

Every step scared them.

Every breath made them shake.

The fairies would whisk their souls away. Yet, yet...

"The Witch herself gave this to her cronies," Reed said, thinking of the

Torville gang members again. There was no other explanation in his mind.

For so many incidents of the Corrupted to happen over and over.

A chuckle escaped him. His pupils dilated, his breath growing shallower with

each passing minute. A strange pressure formed in his lower stomach.

Haha!

How sweet it would be.

He would find that witch.

He would bite into her neck. He would massacre her, destroying her inside and

out. The evil witch who spread the Corduil Corruption—whatever her plans might

be, it was time to drag them straight out into the light. Into the truth.

Evil.

Was to be eradicated.

Finally, the trees started to thin around them.

They had crossed the entirety of the Forbidden Fairy Forest. Reed took a deep

breath.

Step by step, and there it was.

Only as the sky started to grow a shade brighter—just the tiniest shade of

white—did he see it.

A sprawling, terrifying palace. Its spires and towers scratched the clouds,

while its imposing architecture stood straight and unapologetic.

Gasps escaped the members of the CEF at the very sight.

"That’s..."

"The Grim Palace."

It stood in front of them. Imposing.

"Haha..." Reed laughed. He kept walking straight ahead.

"Sir...?" "W-we have to plan." "We can’t move in like this—"

The knights hesitated for a second, but their leader was not budging. Reed’s

eyes remained fixed on the palace.

Unmoving. Maddened. They could hear him breathing heavily through his mouth. A

chill ran down the backs of the CEF members. His mind was completely fixed.

And as they were trained to do,

they did.

They pushed their reservations into the depths of their hearts and followed him.

They advanced quietly. Utterly silent.

The CEF soldiers reached the doors of the palace, completely hidden by the

Obscurer. Reed, at the front, pushed one of them open slightly.

Their goal was set.

"Flank out," Zelin said.

The soldiers split from the group while Reed continued walking toward the main

entrance. A good few of them, along with the deaf wizard, ran toward the rest of

the yard to encircle the palace.

He pushed the front door open.

Step.

He was inside the palace grounds.

No alarms rang.

Nothing went off. They were safe.

Just four of them remained.

Reed stopped for a brief second as he entered the grand foyer. His eyes darted

to the stairs and the two wings spreading into the rest of the building.

He then headed toward the stairs.

Two soldiers split off toward the wings while Reed and Zelin headed up the

stairs.

Step after step.

There were two more directions to go on the top floor. Suddenly, a sound came

from the right. Their heads snapped toward it.

A young boy with blue hair, very small, with a tail and two cat-like ears on top

of his head, walked toward a room while tightly hugging a broom.

Reed looked away, and Zelin nodded. He hid his presence and separated from the

Obscurer. The kid, he would handle.

Reed stepped in the other direction.

Step.

Step.

His breath leaking out.

Almost like a zombie, he walked.

A room lay ahead, its door slightly ajar.

"Miss Witch, you need to brush after having that much cake."

Reed heard the voice. He pressed his body tight and slipped through the door,

not making a sound.

She was there.

Across from him, standing with her back toward him.

Wearing a long silk dress, she looked out the window at the moon.

His breathing hastened.

He didn’t notice anything else.

His eyes were fixed on the Witch.

Step.

A spell formed in his hand, aimed at her neck. With his other hand, he gripped

the Obscurer tighter.

Step.

He would sink a blade of divinity into her neck—into that pale, white skin.

Step.

He would dye her hair and that dress red. He would drag her body out of this

palace and through the mud.

Keep her alive? No chance. No chance.

Hundreds, thousands of stabs. Through her stomach, through her chest, from her

back, to her hands—a thousand cuts wouldn’t be enough.

The Witch.

The Witch Queen.

The grandest form of evil in the world.

"Miss Witch...?"

A muffled voice—he couldn’t even hear it clearly anymore.

He raised his hand.

Divinity gathered in his palm.

The Witch.

Divinity coalesced into a small dagger. [Axis: Heavenly Blade]

She moved, her purple eyes meeting his gaze. It excited him—it excited him so

much.

Its chains wrapped around his hand.

The beautiful young girl—her neck, her shoulder, her hair swaying just a slight

bit as she slowly looked back.

It was now.

IT WAS NOW.

"AAAAAAA!"

—STAB!