In the grand hall of the Great Temple, Aria stood alone. She wore a white dress. Not the temple vestments she'd worn until last night. A wedding white—the ceremonial garment Elderath had prepared for the sacred marriage rite. Lace sleeves covered her wrists, and beneath them lay hidden the sacred mark on her left hand. It felt as though her very power was being given to someone else. The grand hall was filled with people. Nobility from the Soltia Kingdom, priests from the temple, and citizens specially invited on the final night of the Sun Wheel Festival. Soldiers from the Ordina Holy Knight Order lined the walls, their armor reflecting the candlelight. Commander Valna Zeelen, who led eight hundred knights, stood near the entrance of the hall, arms crossed. The expression on the forty-two-year-old woman's face was unreadable. She simply watched the ceremony in silence. On Elderath's high platform, four elders stood in a line. At their center stood Morgus Tein. The seventy-eight-year-old man wore white and gold ceremonial robes this night. His deeply lined face held no expression, only his eyes gleamed with sharp intensity. The parchment in his hand likely bore the words of the marriage vow. The moment Aria saw that paper, something ached deep within her chest. —Her emotions had properly returned. Since last night, when Zephyr had supplemented her with the power of the dark veins, tears, anger, fear—all of it was there. Nothing had disappeared. And because of that, she could now clearly understand the terror of standing in this place. (But even if I'm afraid—I don't want to disappear.) Morgus unrolled the parchment. "[cold]On this day, in the Great Temple of Solvana, we conduct the sacred marriage rite between Saint Aria and Kale Hermant, Hero of the Soltia Kingdom." His sonorous voice echoed through the hall. Murmurs rippled through the crowd of citizens, then quickly subsided. No one spoke. The authority of the Elder Council silenced everyone present. "[cold]Does the Saint consent? To take Kale Hermant as her sacred marriage partner—" "[serious]I will choose with my own heart." Her voice came out. She was surprised at herself. But she couldn't stop. Aria took a step forward. The hem of her white dress slid across the stone floor. The grand hall fell into complete silence. "[serious]Not someone chosen for me by others—I will choose with my own will. But right now, I have not yet found my answer." Her voice trembled. Yet even as it wavered, it carried through clearly. Morgus's face twisted. Anger burned in the depths of his wrinkles. "[angry]Silence, you presumptuous Saint—" A deafening roar shook the grand hall. BOOM——!! The western wall shattered from within. White stone scattered everywhere, dust billowing into the hall. Screams from the crowd. The sound of soldiers drawing their swords. The flames of the candelabras swayed in unison. From beyond the dust, a purple light seeped through. Dark veins—the shadowy magic welling up from the depths of the earth—converged into human form. Zephyr Lunaris stepped into the grand hall. His black coat billowed through the dust. Black hair with red streaks fell in disarray, and his deep crimson vertical-slit eyes swept calmly across the hall. The magical mark on his left hand glowed pale blue. At the sight of him cloaked in the darkness of the dark veins, the soldiers in the front row instinctively retreated. "It's the Demon Lord of Nocvel——!!" A voice rang out. Swords were leveled at Zephyr. Yet he remained unmoved. Quietly, one step after another, he walked toward the center of the hall. In that instant, from the opposite side—from the eastern end of the grand hall—golden light flashed. SHAAAA——!! The holy sword Brizante was drawn from its sheath. The blade, condensed with the light veins, gleamed in brilliant gold, illuminating the hall dazzlingly. Kale Hermant pushed past the Ordina soldiers and stepped forward. Radiant golden hair, burning golden eyes. His uniform from Graos Fortress was still covered in stone dust from the wall. "[serious]Morgus Tein." The tip of the holy sword pointed at the elder on the high platform. "[angry]You have crushed the opportunity to end this war countless times. To monopolize the Saint's power—you have continued to let soldiers die." Kale held a bundle of parchment in his left hand. Those documents he'd found during his inspection of the front lines. Records bearing Elderath's seal, showing how peace envoys had been dismissed as "unnecessary." "[cold]Baseless prattle without evidence. Be silent, Hero—" "[angry]The evidence is here." That was the moment. The light of the holy sword's light veins extended toward the center of the grand hall. The purple light of the dark veins overflowing from Zephyr's magical mark moved in the same direction. The two lights—intersected. Gold and purple rose up like pillars. No one spoke. For two hundred years, the light veins and dark veins had been opposing forces dividing east and west. Yet now, in the center of this grand hall, they resonated as though something that had always been one was trembling. "[cold]Impossible—light and darkness cannot mix——!!" The sacred mark on Aria's left hand grew hot. (Now.) Before thought could follow, her body moved. Aria rolled up the sleeves of her white dress and pressed the sacred mark on her left wrist into that light. Her healing power—the emotional energy that had returned to Aria—flowed into the gold and purple light. The light swelled all at once. Within the light that enveloped the entire hall, characters appeared. In the air—letters—. A nobleman whispered, "That is—" A priest covered their mouth with both hands. They were the characters from the documents. The contents of the parchment Kale held were projected large within the light. A battle report from the front lines—traces of forgery. And another document bearing a date from five years ago. 'Nocvel Peace Envoy—Dispose of.' Below it was Morgus Tein's seal. The grand hall erupted. "What is that?!" "The peace envoy—" "Dispose? That's an assassination order!" "He's been prolonging the war all this time——!!" Angry voices swirled. Nobles, priests, citizens—everyone saw those characters. Morgus's face crumbled for the first time. Not with anger—with fear. "[scared]No, this is—you still don't know, the truth of the Great Schism——!!" Shouting words that made no sense, Morgus tried to retreat. Before him, silver armor stood in his way. It was Valna Zeelen. The forty-two-year-old commander was tall, her short black hair brushed back, her face holding an emotionless calm. Yet what lay in the depths of her eyes was not anger—but years of exhaustion and the weight of a decision finally being made. "[cold]Morgus Tein. I hereby suspend your authority as Elderath's chairman, effective today." Her quiet voice carried through the hall. "[cold]You are under arrest." Two Ordina soldiers stepped forward. Morgus's arms were seized. The old man resisted. He screamed. As he was dragged away, he still repeated, "The Great Schism—" "The truth—" But his voice was drowned out by the roar of the hall. Valna turned and surveyed the entire grand hall. "[serious]Today's sacred marriage rite is hereby declared void due to Elderath's misconduct. The Saint's title shall be retained." A brief silence. Then she continued. "[serious]The authority to choose the Saint's marriage partner shall henceforth be determined first and foremost by the Saint's own will. The Ordina Holy Knight Order will not permit Elderath to manipulate this arbitrarily." The grand hall fell silent. Then—applause began. From one person, then another. From the rows of nobles, from the rows of citizens. Even among the priests, the younger ones began to clap. Aria stood in the center of the grand hall, watching the scene unfold. Still in her white dress. The sacred mark on her left hand still faintly warm. Her chest—ached. Not with joy, but with pain. Yet it was certainly, genuinely, a proper emotion. It hadn't disappeared. --- As the commotion began to settle, Kale approached Aria in a corner of the grand hall. Still covered in stone dust from the wall on his armor, the sun shield piercing on his right ear caught the candlelight and gleamed. His expression was—complicated. The discomfort of having fought alongside Zephyr and the relief at Aria's own voice crying out mingled together in a single expression. "[serious]...When you spoke up, I realized something." His voice was low. "[sad]Protecting someone—wasn't about binding them." Aria couldn't say anything. Before words could come, her chest tightened. After a brief pause, Kale continued. "[serious]I'm returning to Graos Fortress. The soldiers at the front are waiting." "[sad]...I cannot give you an answer right now." She said it honestly. That was all she could say. Kale laughed. It was a smile like the sun. But just slightly softer than before. A smile where the forcefulness had been worn away, revealing what lay beneath. "[gentle]I'll wait. For as many years as it takes." A large hand rested gently on Aria's head. Just for a moment. Then Kale turned on his heel. His back walked toward the temple's exit. Just before leaving the hall, he turned once more. He raised his hand. That was all. That back cut deeply into Aria's chest. --- Outside the Great Temple, the night stone was cold. The spring night air touched her cheeks. The sky, which should have been the final night of the Sun Wheel Festival, was now quiet, wisps of firework smoke still drifting faintly. Zephyr stood on the stone pavement. Black coat. The dark veins' light had subsided, and now he was as quiet as a different person from the one who had fought in the hall. He was adjusting the edge of his coat, apparently preparing to head toward Lunavalt. When Aria approached with audible footsteps, Zephyr's back stopped. He didn't turn around. "[serious]Zephyr." Only his feet stopped. She had meant to say thank you. For returning her emotions last night. For shattering the wall and coming tonight. But before the words could come, tears threatened to spill. The reason Zephyr had repeatedly ventured alone into enemy territory—only now, with her emotions returned, did it reach her chest with its full weight. For five years, he had sent peace envoys. All of them erased. Yet he still came. "[whispers]...Thank you." Zephyr remained still for a long time. Then, still facing away, he spoke quietly. "[serious]I will also wait." That was all. The darkness of the dark veins spread from his feet, enveloping Zephyr's silhouette. His back receded, dissolving into the night. Kale's "I'll wait" had been bright like the sun. Zephyr's "I will wait" was the quietness of night itself. Both were real, both were heavy, and Aria stood rooted to the spot. After both their backs had vanished into the night, Aria was alone on the stone pavement. Still in her white dress. The spring night wind swayed her white hair. She placed her hand on her chest. Her heart was beating. Her emotions had returned. But this heart—had not yet found its answer. --- When Aria returned to the temple, she passed before the sacred chamber where the holy sword Brizante was enshrined. The holy sword, released from Kale's hand, continued to glow faintly on its stand. Even as the Sun Wheel Festival ended, that light did not fade. Staring at it, the golden radiance seemed to shimmer at a wavelength somehow familiar. From the window of the healing chamber, looking toward the western sky, faint remnants of purple light drifted in the direction of the ravine. The lingering traces of Zephyr's dark veins. (The truth of the Great Schism—) The words Morgus had shouted while being dragged away echoed in her mind. What that old man, now under arrest, knew, why the holy sword and dark veins had trembled at the same wavelength tonight—Aria did not under