Chapter 140: ¹⁴⁰Radiance

?Dawn broke through the cracks of the wooden windows of the Valen estate, bringing pale rays that highlighted the fine dust dancing in the air.

?However, the morning brought no warmth. A suffocating silence smothered the entire house—the aftermath of the miniature apocalypse that had just passed.

?Isolde von Rosenberg leaned stiffly against a worn-out sofa. Her blue silk dress was stained and torn at the hem. Her platinum-blonde hair fell in a messy cascade, her gold-rimmed glasses nowhere to be seen. The Archmage’s face was deathly pale, but her breathing had steadied. Beneath the fabric of her dress, the black rose root tattoo on her back pulsed passively. Her energy flow had stabilized.

?Across from her, Kaelia von Ashford curled up in a wooden chair under a thick wool blanket. Her dark red tunic was wrinkled, and heavy dark circles marred her alabaster face. The princess’s usual pride had softened, swallowed entirely by exhaustion. On her lower abdomen, the black-flame rose pulsed softly, providing a faint warmth that kept her conscious.

?Not all of them chose to collapse.

?Near the window, Valera Voss stood as still as a statue in her leather armor. Her right arm was still wrapped in thick bandages. Although her golden eyes narrowed sharply as she kept watch over the front yard, a profound exhaustion lingered in the depths of her gaze. The spiral rose tattoo on the left side of her neck twitched faintly in sync with her heartbeat.

?In another corner, Miya Evarett had fallen asleep on a small stool, clutching her medical bag tightly to her chest. The petite Elf’s pointed ears drooped weakly, while the crimson rose on her left thigh throbbed at a slow rhythm.

?Meanwhile, Laras curled up on the sofa furthest from the fireplace. Her frail body was drowned in an oversized cream dress. Purple bruises still shadowed her neck and temples. The dark-reddish rose tattoo on her back continuously pumped the dregs of life force into her, keeping her spirit from crumbling completely.

?At the threshold of the main hallway, Asrof stood as rigid as a guardian statue. His servant uniform was neat, though the dried bloodstains on his sleeves marred its perfection.

?In the kitchen, Berta stirred a pot of hot water with trembling hands. Tears occasionally slipped down her wrinkled cheeks.

?Not far from her, Yuna sat stiffly with swollen eyes. Her lips muttered endless prayers as she stared down the hallway toward the master bedroom, harboring a suppressed, suffocating despair.

?The manor held its breath, waiting for the Demon Lord to open his eyes once more.

?Inside her darkened room, Elara Valen suddenly woke up.

?The white cataracts in her eyes effectively blocked out the morning light, but Elara saw the world through sound, temperature, and the flow of mana.

?Last night, she had felt a terrifying emptiness—a gaping black hole emanating from her brother’s room, as if Ethan’s existence had been abruptly erased. That sheer despair had nearly driven her mad.

?But this morning, that void was gone.

?In its place, Elara sensed an incredibly strange presence. It was dark and dense, yet it harbored a warm, radiant glimmer she had never felt before.

?Elara got out of bed, ignoring the biting cold against her skin. Clad in her thick wool nightgown and barefoot, she walked, her hands tracing the wooden walls.

?The moment her bedroom door opened, her senses were immediately bombarded by the scent of dried blood, cold sweat, and the pungent tang of magic. But the clearest sensation of all: six invisible threads of energy stretched across the manor, all converging at a single point. The master bedroom.

?Elara walked without her cane. Her instincts guided her flawlessly.

?"Lady Elara..."

?Asrof’s raspy voice brought her to a halt. The old man stepped in to block her path.

?"You must return to your room, My Lady. The Young Master is still resting. No one is allowed inside yet."

?Elara shook her head slowly. Her tiny hands reached out, fumbling through the air until they grasped the sleeve of Asrof’s uniform.

?"Uncle Asrof," Elara whispered, her voice crystal clear and brimming with absolute certainty. "Brother is back. I can feel him. I have to see him."

?Miya, jolted awake by the whispers, immediately jogged over to the hallway.

?"Lady Elara!" Miya called out in panic, gently grabbing Elara’s arm. "Please, the Young Master has just passed the critical phase. His body is still adjusting. You can’t—"

?"Let her pass."

?A cold, clear voice, chiming like cracking ice, cut Miya off.

?Isolde had risen from the sofa. The Ice Archmage stood at the end of the hallway, staring intently at the blind girl. Isolde knew for a fact that Elara wasn’t just a little sister—she was the singular human anchor keeping Ethan from descending into pure madness.

?By the window, Valera let out a soft scoff, then shifted her shoulders slightly to clear the way.

?Miya gulped and slowly released her grip. Asrof bowed deeply and took a step back.

?Without another word, Elara resumed her walk. Her bare feet moved soundlessly across the wooden floorboards, passing by Isolde, Kaelia, and Valera.

?Her focus was absolute: the wooden door at the end of the hall.

?Creeeak...

?Elara pushed down on the cold brass handle.

?The air inside the master bedroom felt warm, dense, and intoxicating. The scent of burning pine blended seamlessly with the rose fragrance exuding from the Lust Brands.

?Near the door, Lilith stood with her arms crossed. Her maid dress was still in disarray. Her reddish-gold eyes gazed at Elara without a hint of flirtatious teasing or provocation. The succubus simply bowed her head in a silent show of respect, then stepped outside and shut the door tight.

?Elara stumbled forward, approaching the massive bed in the center of the room.

?Ethan’s presence felt so overwhelmingly real. The freezing grip of death that had suffocated her brother’s body last night was completely gone.

?The blind girl fell to her knees at the edge of the mattress. Her hands reached out hesitantly into the air until her fingertips brushed against a warm surface of skin. Ethan’s cheek.

?His body temperature was normal. He was no longer as cold as a frozen corpse.

?The tears she had been holding back since last night finally broke. Elara leaned forward, burying her face into Ethan’s chest, listening to the strong, life-filled rhythm of his heartbeat.

?"Brother..." Elara sobbed hoarsely. "I knew you wouldn’t leave me... You promised..."

?Right as the girl’s tears fell upon his left chest, Ethan’s eyelids fluttered.

?In his subconscious, Ethan’s mind was still adrift, caught between two opposing forces.

?On one side, Asmodeus’s raspy, wet voice echoed heavily, calling him back from the bottom of an abyssal trench.

?"Wake up, My Lord. You still have unfinished business."

?On the other side, a warm, golden-white radiance gently seeped in, grazing the remnants of his consciousness. The light didn’t force itself upon him, nor did it pull violently. It simply flowed, like water finding its way through the cracks of a stone.

?The two forces met in the middle. The darkness that beckoned, and the light that guided. The two complemented each other, stitching Ethan’s torn consciousness back together.

?Ethan slowly opened his eyes.

?His vision was blurry for a moment before recognizing the dim familiarity of his room. The very first thing he registered was the light weight resting on his chest and a sob he knew all too well.

?"Elara...?" Ethan called out, his voice hoarse, sounding as if he had just awoken from a centuries-long slumber.

?Elara gasped. She instantly looked up, her tiny fingers frantically tracing Ethan’s face.

?"Brother!" Elara let out a stifled cry. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "You’re awake! You came back!"

?Ethan didn’t immediately return the embrace. His eyes stared blankly at the wooden ceiling.

?His analytical brain processed fragments of his memories: the battle against the Vampire Queen, the deaths of Alaric and Reinhard, Raniel’s sacrifice, and finally, the volatile surge of the Lust Brands’ energies patching his shattered soul. Six bonds of energy now pulsed powerfully through his veins.

?Slowly, Ethan raised his right hand.

?As his fingers moved, an alien phenomenon occurred. His dark brown eyes blinked. Instead of flaring with their usual blood-red glow, a faint flash of holy, golden-white light radiated from them, swirling and melting seamlessly into the dense crimson mist within his pupils.

?The Radiance. The remnants of his encounter with the two primordial entities had now manifested within his mana fluctuations—a perfect amalgamation of pure sin and holy majesty.

?Ethan stared at his hand, feeling an energy density that far surpassed his previous limits. He hadn’t just survived; his mana circuits had forcefully evolved.

?Elara looked up. Tears still stained her pale cheeks. Her fingers traced Ethan’s jawline before coming to rest at the corner of his eye.

?"Brother..." Elara whispered, trembling. "Earlier... I was so scared. I was terrified you were going to leave me. I was terrified of losing the only person I have left in this world."

?Ethan looked at his sister. For a brief second, his cold mask cracked.

?"I’m sorry, Elara," Ethan said softly. His voice was heavy—not from his wounds, but from something far deeper. "I made you wait. I made you afraid."

?Elara shook her head rapidly. "It’s not your fault. You always protect me. Always."

?"But it wasn’t enough," Ethan cut in. He reached out, gently wiping a tear from her cheek. "I almost died. And if I died, you would be all alone. That... can never be allowed to happen."

?Elara caught his hand, clutching it tightly between her tiny palms.

?"That’s exactly why you can’t ever die," Elara stated, her voice trembling yet resolute. "Promise me?"

?Ethan stared into her cataract-clouded eyes. Eyes that couldn’t see, yet could always feel.

?"I promise," Ethan answered.

?He lowered his hand and wrapped his arms around his sister’s fragile back.

?"I’m home, Elara," Ethan whispered deeply, burying his face in her pale brown hair. "I’m not going anywhere."

?Outside the room, the six women bound to him suddenly felt the exact same energy surge. The Lust Brands on their bodies pulsed with a comforting warmth—an absolute confirmation that their Master had awakened.

?Meanwhile, far away on the western horizon...

?The summit of Veylor Tower in the Astrean Capital had been blown to pieces. The ruptured sky had stitched itself shut, leaving only a blanket of grey clouds weeping over the city’s ruin.

?Amidst the rubble, the Vampire Queen stood perfectly still.

?Her blood-red hair cascaded down to her waist, swaying softly in the biting wind. The crown of black blood crystals atop her head reflected the dreary light of dawn.

?The holy burn upon her chest—the result of Raniel’s desperate strike—had closed flawlessly without a single scar.

?The Vampire Queen extended her bone-pale hands into the air. Her black-taloned fingers plucked at invisible threads of mana.

?"An evolution..." the Queen whispered, her voice melodious yet enough to make one’s skin crawl. Her pale lips curved into a horrifying smile.

?She sensed an anomalous ripple of mana emanating from the Far East. A ripple that carried the scent of Asmodeus’s sin, while simultaneously radiating a glimmer of light utterly repugnant to the creatures of the night. The boy hadn’t died; he had instead absorbed that devastation and forged it into a new foundation.

?The Vampire Queen stepped over a pool of blood without sparing it a single glance.

?"You’ve planted a seed of light in an ocean of despair," the Queen hissed to the eastern wind, her eyes burning with heavy anticipation. "Grow. Become stronger. Because once your blood has fully ripened... I shall harvest it myself."

?The Queen raised her right hand. Her pale index finger tapped the empty air once.

?CRACK!

?The space in front of her violently ruptured. Three figures stepped out from the abyssal rift.

?Their frames were tall and gaunt, shrouded in black cloaks whose hems swept across the blood-soaked floor. Their skin was as pale as bone. Their eyes glowed a pupil-less, blazing red. And etched upon each of their foreheads was a black crescent moon.

?Crimson Moon.

?The three of them kneeled in unison. Their voices did not leave their mouths, but instead echoed directly within the mind.

?"Your Majesty summoned us."

?The Vampire Queen stared at them devoid of emotion.

?"Find him. Ethan Valen. Bring him before me."

?One of the Crimson Moons looked up. "As you command, Your Majesty."

?The three bowed deeply. Their bodies then dissolved into a black mist that scattered in every direction.

?From the shadows of the ruined pillars, pairs of glowing red eyes began to emerge one after another.

?An army of red-eyed monsters—the infected remnants of Astrea’s citizens and knights—crawled out, bowing their heads in absolute submission to the Ruler of the Night.

?The chessboard of Astrea had been utterly pulverized, but the true game had only just begun.