Chapter 142: ¹⁴²Departure

?Behind that tightly closed wooden door, an ancient blood bond throbbed softly, awaiting its moment to awaken.

?Yet outside, in the main corridor of the Valen estate, Ethan had completely stripped away every trace of softness from his face.

?He stood in silence after concluding his conversation with Isolde. The air around him grew markedly heavier, his calm, dark-brown eyes veiling an invisible tempest.

?As he took a step forward, a familiar sensation crept up his spine.

?Two points along his shoulder blades throbbed.

?A sharp, searing heat pierced through his long-sleeved black shirt, trailing all the way to the base of his spine. Ethan closed his eyes for a moment. It was the roots of Azhyrael.

?His demonic wings, which had been utterly shattered in Astrea, were responding now—stitched back together by the surge of lustful energy from last night’s ritual. They pulsed wildly, demanding release.

?Yet Ethan held them back. It was not time. Not yet.

?He opened his eyes and strode down the hallway with measured composure. The tread of his boots fell almost silently against the stone floor. Passing the deserted central hall, he turned into the east wing corridor and stopped before a wooden door.

?Without bothering to knock, Ethan pushed the door open.

?Inside the room, Miya Evarett lay curled beneath a rumpled wool blanket, her long blonde hair spilling messily across the pillow. The petite elf’s pointed ears twitched softly at the creak of the door, though post-ritual exhaustion still bound her consciousness.

?Beneath her parted nightgown, the crimson rose on her left thigh throbbed in sync with the mark upon Ethan’s chest.

?Ethan stepped inside, looming over the bedside as he looked down impassively at the healer Sage.

?"Miya," Ethan called softly.

?Yet an undeniable authority laced his voice, instantly cutting through Miya’s subconscious mind.

?Her pointed ears twitched violently, and her pale purple eyes snapped open. Her vision was still blurred, but her instincts instantly recognized the overwhelming aura choking the room.

?Miya bolted upright, clutching the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white.

?"M-My Lord...?" Miya stammered, her breathing ragged. Panic immediately drove her toward a single name. "I-Is Elara... is Lady Elara hurt?! Did her mana circuits—"

?"Elara is fine," Ethan cut in coldly, instantly dousing Miya’s panic.

?The elf girl swallowed hard, the remaining dregs of sleep vanishing without a trace as she stared at the pale young man before her. A faint glint of crimson and golden-white flickered deep within Ethan’s brown eyes—a gaze that made Miya reflexively hold her breath.

?"Get ready. You’re coming with me to Zenithar Academy," Ethan commanded without preamble.

?Miya’s light purple eyes widened. "T-The Academy...? B-but My Lord, you’ve only just recovered... and Lady Elara—"

?"Now, Miya."

?Those two words crushed any remaining protest. Miya’s small shoulders trembled faintly; she dared not defy that ice-cold stare.

?"Y-Yes, My Lord. I will prepare at once," she nodded hastily.

?Ethan turned and walked out, leaving a suffocating silence in the bedroom.

?Fifteen minutes later, tension hung thick over the central hall of the Valen estate.

?Isolde von Rosenberg stood tall near the extinguished fireplace. Her tattered blue dress had been replaced with practical travel attire, yet it did nothing to lessen the Archmage’s innate elegance. Her platinum blonde hair was neatly bound, and her icy blue eyes stared straight ahead, chilling the surrounding air.

?The golden spectacles were no longer on her face.

?Beside her, Miya stood slightly hunched, her white-knuckled fingers gripping the strap of her medical bag. Her pointed ears twitched uneasily, catching every subtle creak of the house.

?Footsteps approached. Ethan emerged from the corridor.

?A dark coat draped over his black shirt, its hem sweeping against the stone floor as he stepped forward.

?"We’re leaving," Ethan said, passing the two women without missing a beat.

?Isolde followed immediately with purposeful steps, while Miya trotted behind to keep up.

?Yet their advance came to a halt right at the main entrance.

?Someone stood there, blocking the sunlight from outside. Yuna.

?The girl stood frozen, her trembling hands wringing her worn apron. Yuna stared directly at Ethan, completely oblivious to Isolde and Miya’s presence.

?"Young Master... where are you going?" Yuna’s voice trembled violently.

?"Urgent matters," Ethan replied flatly, without breaking eye contact.

?"B-but... you’ve only just woken up, Master..." Yuna’s lips quivered, her voice rising in a faint, desperate pitch. "Your wounds... Lady Elara..."

?"Yuna."

?That single low, weighted word locked the young maid’s jaw. Yuna’s mouth snapped shut, though her shoulders now began to shake.

?Ethan looked at Yuna for a brief moment. He knew what was crushing his loyal maid’s heart, but there was no time to coddle anyone’s feelings.

?"Inform the others. Tell them to guard this place until I return."

?Yuna bit her lower lip hard enough to nearly draw blood.

?"I am off," Ethan concluded.

?He stepped forward, closing the distance, and passed Yuna without another word. Isolde followed serenely, while Miya bowed her head deeply as she passed, weighed down by a guilt she couldn’t quite fathom.

?Yuna slowly turned around. She watched the broad back of her master stride into the center of the courtyard. Her composure crumbled, tear tracks staining the collar of her dress.

?The midday air in the open courtyard felt frozen. A spring breeze rustled the lingering dry leaves.

?Ethan halted his steps and closed his eyes.

?The two hot spots on his back came to a boil. Residual energy—the sin essences of Kaelia, Valera, Lilith, Laras, and Isolde—now seared through his mana circuits. They re-stitched broken nodes and reawakened the dormant entity within.

?Ethan glanced back over his shoulder at Isolde and Miya.

?"Don’t scream," he said quietly.

?Isolde merely raised an elegant eyebrow, while Miya froze in bewilderment.

?Ethan raised his right hand. Dense, reddish-black Sin Mana evaporated from his pores, swirling like living smoke.

?The next second, the shirt across his back tore open.

?Massive wings erupted, tearing through the air.

?Their roots were pitch-black, like absolute void, fading into a burning crimson that dripped shadows at the tips. The violent gust swept across the courtyard like a gale, kicking up dust and bending the trees low.

?Miya stumbled back, nearly falling had she not hastily grabbed her own arms for balance.

?Isolde stood unmoving. Her icy blue eyes widened ever so slightly, drinking in the dark beauty and sheer dominance unfurled across her Master’s back.

?Ethan beat his wings slowly, the muscles in his back resonating in perfect harmony. Azhyrael had not merely recovered—the demonic wings had evolved, becoming far denser and more ferocious.

?"Isolde, come here," Ethan ordered above the howling wind.

?Without hesitation, the Archmage stepped forward. As soon as she came within reach, Ethan caught her slender waist and scooped Isolde into his arms with a single fluid motion.

?Isolde did not resist. She wrapped an arm around Ethan’s neck, resting her head against him in quiet obedience.

?Ethan shifted his gaze toward Miya, who remained frozen stiff.

?"W-What should... what should I do, My Lord...?" Miya’s voice was nearly swallowed by the beating wings.

?"My back. Hold on tight," Ethan answered curtly.

?Miya swallowed hard and forced her legs forward. Standing on tiptoe, the petite elf wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck from behind, her medical bag securely sandwiched between her chest and her master’s back.

?From the doorway, Yuna watched as the scene shattered her grasp on reality.

?Her eyes widened as tears streamed down her cheeks, watching the monstrous wings unfurl.

?Yuna gripped her apron tighter still, blind awe clashing violently with the ache in her chest.

?"Young Master..." Yuna whispered under her breath.

?Ethan cast a brief glance back toward the doorway, locking eyes with Yuna for a fraction of a second. "Tell the others, Yuna."

?Azhyrael flapped. A single brutal launch shattered the frozen earth beneath Ethan’s feet.

?BOOM!

?They shot into the sky like a black bullet piercing the afternoon. The shockwave forced Yuna back a step, shielding her eyes from the stinging dust.

?When Yuna opened her eyes, the figures of Ethan, Isolde, and Miya had shrunk into a dark speck vanishing behind the overcast clouds.

?The maid lowered her head, her knuckles white as she clutched the fabric.

?"Safe travels, My Lord..." she whispered. She turned back into the house with heavy yet resolute steps. She had orders to fulfill.

?High in the pale sky of Astrea, freezing winds sliced through the air.

?Yet neither Isolde in Ethan’s arms nor Miya clinging to his back felt the bitter chill. A thin shroud of glowing Sin Mana wove a barrier of warmth around them.

?Ethan’s dark brown eyes cast a glance downward, piercing through the fog.

?Valen Village shrank into the distance, thatched roofs and barren fields stretching far below. His gaze locked onto a single window in the east wing of the estate—Elara’s room.

?Only for a fleeting second.

?Afterwards, his expression hardened once more, fixing his gaze straight toward the eastern horizon.

?Zenithar Academy awaited. Cornelius, the blind keeper of the world’s secrets, awaited. And beneath the icy foundation of that academy, a subterranean altar waited to complete what had been left unfinished—to formalize his absolute bond with Miya.

?There was no longer any room for hesitation.

?Meanwhile, hundreds of miles from Zenithar Academy... on the outermost boundary of Valen Village.

?Dense mist enveloped an expanse of barren crags. High atop a cliff directly overlooking the village, a tall silhouette stood frozen as the wind violently tore at its black cloak.

?The creature stepped toward the precipice.

?Its skin was as pale as dead bone. A pair of blazing crimson eyes, devoid of pupil or iris, glared ravenously toward Valen Village. A black crescent moon was carved into the center of its forehead. As its jaw parted, rows of razor-sharp fangs glinted beneath the grey sky.

?Crimson Moon.

?It drifted down from the cliff, barely skimming the earth. Its movement halted a few hundred meters ahead of the village, right before a patch of visibly distorted air.

?A faint golden magical barrier encased the entire village—the stubborn remnant of ancient Valen ancestral magic, still shielding its inhabitants.

?A pale hand with pitch-black claws lazily reached out. The tip of a claw tapped against the barrier’s surface.

?Bzzzt!

?The transparent wall shuddered violently. Wild ripples of light flared outward from the point of contact, blindingly repelling the dark entity.

?Crimson Moon tilted its head. A gruesome grin split its pale face.

?"I... found you..."

?The words did not issue from its mouth; instead, they rustled through the open air, echoing like the whispers of a thousand corpses breaking the silence.

?Crimson Moon slowly drew back its hand.

?"You cannot run... Human," it hissed, its voice like rusted iron scraping together. "Our Queen awaits."