In the Hidden Realm,

BANG!

A loud crash shattered the tranquility of the darkness, sending shockwaves, causing space inside the hidden realm to distort.

The source of sound was, collision of an unstoppable force clashing with an Indestructible invisible shield, creating energy waves, that threw the surrounding space into chaos.

CRACK!

Suddenly, a reverberating sound echoed across the realm.

Barrier that seemed like an indestructible wall a moment ago, couldn’t hold up against the force, resulting in a crack similar to shattered glass forming on the space seperating two figures.

Creeeeechh~

A delicate milky-white finger traced a path along the crack, moving in a specific direction, a sharp sound due to nail scratch reverted.

"Long time no see, Husband", An ethereal voice resonated in the space.

A figure, glowing white amidst the darkness, lifted its eyelashes, revealing two amethyst orbs, reflecting another figure floating with silver hair and crimson eyes fixed upon her.

"Indeed It Is..," Adriannel spoke firmly, looking at the figure — Evangeline, a vital part of his life, glowing ethereally.

Her eyes sparkled like constellations as they widened upon hearing Adriannel’s words.

She formed a small smile and remarked, "Your words are always so emotionless and crude. Sigh"

She couldn’t help but place her delicate hands on her eyes before leaning back and gazing into the distance.

Ignoring her, Adriannel continued to write Runes of Seal, strengthening the Shield to restrain Evangeline.

"Fufu~"

A teasing smile graced her lips. She made a ring with her hands over her eyes, using them like binoculars, adjusting and focusing as if trying to see something in the distance.

"Oh my, he is just like an animal, much like you, Adriannel," Evangeline’s figure kept watching the private moment of two individuals from another realms indulged in their bodily desires.

Seeing how much time passed, she felt her tears welling up. It was a proud moment for her. "Our son has truly grown, dear~"

Interrupted in his work, Adriannel turned toward the woman’s figure, gazing into the distance with her binaculars.

Causing Adriannel to do the same, but not using his hands to form some ring, focusing intently towards the same direction, that figure was looking at,

’What the hell?’, His eyes widened.

"These brats," his mouth twitching as he observed Zeph and Thalia in an intense moment, a small bulge of vein forming on his head,"I told him to hone his body until his training begins, and this little—"

"He’s young, dear. What can we do?", With a playful voice, woman put her white hair bang between her lips and nose, creating a beard, and laughed like an old man, "HO HO HO~"

Adriannel turned to look at her, his eyes furrowing, then shook his head and shifted his focus back to the Seaside mansion, observing Zeph, "Wait till your training begins, brat. You will feel the real meaning of hell."

Once again, he turned before concentrating his attention on rebuilding the Breaking Seal.

Witnessing his sharp crimson gaze focused on rewriting the erased runes, the woman’s eyes softened.

She floated toward him, leaning closer until her amethyst eyes met his crimson ones fixed on his work.

"How much time more, Adriannel?" Even though she was a mere phantom, her emotions swirled within her.

Living for who knows how many centuries, she had seen many people claim to love someone, standing by their beloved’s side for dozens of years or even centuries. But this man...

Lives came and went, born again and again because of a string that held their fate.

A simple word Love made even an archmage die repeatedly just to be with the person he cared for.

Sometimes, She couldn’t help but chuckle at his stupidity.

" Until I lose myself "

With a calm voice, without any hint of hestitation, he told what he truly felt.

The woman’s floating figure continued to stare blankly at him, was about to say something but Interrupted due to a small sound, causing them to look at a certain direction.

DRIP~

In that seemingly empty world filled only with darkness, a small water droplet breached the barriers of closed eyelids of a figure enveloped by dozens of glowing chains.

Adriannel glanced towards Evangeline’s figure, his crimson eyes devoid of emotion a moment ago while conversing with the woman infront of him, softened upon seeing Evangeline bound by chains.

One of her eyes, reflecting his feelings, shed a small tear.

"Maybe that word was really deep, hmm?" Pondering while placing her hand on her chin, the floating woman’s figure turned towards Adriannel, who remained focused on Evangeline.

Looking at him for some moment, she bit her lips before her palm moved towards the barrier seperating them, placing it in front of him, Adriannel unaware of her actions, kept looking at his wife.

Her story might be the most insignificant one in this world.

The tale of a phantom bound to the real Evangeline, possessing a completely different consciousness, falling in love with the husband of her own master, only to face his cold demeanor towards her advances.

Without even a shred of hope, She withdrew, burying her love inside her illusionary heart.

Being a phantom, she didn’t have a heart to feel emotions, yet she had fallen for this man.

She didn’t know why – perhaps it was an illusion she was in – but she didn’t care; after all, her existence was an illusion in itself.

"How is she?"

Adriannel’s words snapped her out of her reverie. Her widened purple eyes reflected his figure and those crimson eyes fixed on Evangeline.

Feeling uncomfortable, her gaze turned towards the figure that became a barrier between her and her love – Evangeline Tenebri

But she couldn’t harm her, knowing how much that woman herself loved Adriannel and also Bound by her, they shared life too, rendering her helpless.

She felt disheartened seeing Adriannel’s care towards his wife.

"She is in front of you. Just ask her." Pouting, she folded her arms, not looking at the man who never inquired about her health, only treating her as a means of communication between him and Evangeline.

Hearing those words, Adriannel turned towards her, looking at her for some time, can’t help but shook his head and sigh "Leave it, I have to re—"

WHOOSH

CRUMBLE!

Suddenly, a power surge shook the entire hidden realm.

Whole space began to vibrate due to the force emanating from a figure bound by chains.

Adriannel swiftly turned towards Evangeline.

’Why so sudden’

Seeing the surge of energy, he gritted his teeth before moving his hands in front of him.

SWISH

A huge magic circle glowing in golden materialized.

His hands clenched tightly, causing runic inscriptions on the magic circle to circulate swiftly, rapidly increasing their glow.

"Stop it, EVANGELINE!"

BOOM!

A tremendous amount of energy circulated inside the magic circle, bursting out toward the woman’s figure restrained in her place, tearing through the transparent barrier that was already crumbled due to the energy surge caused by Evangeline.

"You can’t stop me, Adriannel"

Evangeline’s voice echoed, her eyes snapping open to reveal a gaze shining with an amethyst aura, deep like an enormous ocean before the energy beam collided with her body.

CRACKLE

The beam clashed with her body, crackling as it dissipated into thin golden particles.

Her hands and legs, bound by chains, started to move Causing those to vibrate at rapid pace.

Silence~

Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into tranquility as the golden magic circle dissipated like tiny dust particles.

Adriannel’s crimson eyes reflected two amethyst orbs gazing at him, causing him to prepare his guard.

His wrist encircled by two runic magic circles while he observed even the tiniest movement of the woman in front of him.

WHOOSH

Suddenly, the broken barrier began to rebuild on its own.

Every shattered piece appeared to be rejoining, uncountable runes formed on the surface, and dozens of magic circles appeared to enforce the Seal Barrier that had been shattered moments ago.

Adriannel, witnessing these events, felt confused.

He fixed his gaze on Evangeline, who was reforming the seal that kept her trapped.

Though her hands and legs were still bound in chains, all the drained energy started to flow in those chains once more.

The chains glowed once again in the darkness, binding the woman whose eyes were fixed in a certain direction, ignoring Adriannel’s bewildered expression.

"You can confirm, the Seal, is working"

Evangeline’s voice snapped Adriannel out of his turmoil.

He couldn’t understand why Evangeline was forming her own seal when she could break it and engage in battle, as always.

Narrowing his eyes, he observed the seal, finding it working properly, then turned towards his wife,"Why?"

"Protect my son"

Evangeline didn’t pay much attention to him, keeping her gaze fixed outside the hidden realm, looking at a distance far away.

Adriannel, after confirming that the seal was working, turned his gaze towards the direction she was looking.

’!?’

His anger rose, seeing some people approaching his son’s location, ’Those Bastards’

Without waiting, he was about to disappear but halted, turning toward his wife, who hadn’t glanced at him since she opened her eyes.

"You are still this angry. Please, at least look at me, Wife," his crimson eyes softened.

Finding no response, he turned toward the phantom clasping her hands together, praying to avoid the inevitable that always occurred — Adriannel’s sacrifice to seal Evangeline back.

Every time it happened, she hid herself inside Evangeline, not wanting to witness any pain inflicted on Adriannel’s body.

As a phantom, she was not weak, but when two beings of this Calibre clashed, things changed.

"Take care of her," Adriannel spoke, gesturing towards the seal, before it glowed and once again Activated, sucking all the energy coming out of Evangeline into it.

Her hair, which had started regaining its amethyst color, turned white once again.

WHOOSH

Adriannel disappeared, leaving only Evangeline in that dark place, bound by chains and her fate.

She can’t even leave this place to meet his son.

In every life, whenever they fought, Adriannel never allowed her to leave the Hidden Realm.

And, with her strength, she too knew, of being used as the last line of defense against otherworldly things, that seemed insignificant to her, but not for the world in which her son was reborn.

It might seem foolish or insignificant to others, but waiting for a time that felt like millennia, only she knew how much she waited for her son, for whom both her husband and she were bound in this unending struggle.