"Lady Ysmera," Soren said, his tone a little nervous. "Why have you come to see me?"
Ysmera's crystal-like eyes shifted calmly toward Lancer. "Soren Noctis. This man beside you… he is a member of Black Vow, is he not?" Her voice was smooth, refined, yet unmistakably sharp. "Why do you associate yourself with such a dangerous criminal?"
Soren did not hesitate.
"I judge people by what they are," he replied firmly. "To others, he may be evil. But when he helped me—when he protected what mattered to me—he became an ally in my eyes."
Ysmera regarded him for a moment longer, then a faint smile curved her lips.
"A sophisticated answer," she said. "I like the way you think. You're not naive, Instructor Soren."
Soren blinked, faintly surprised. "I thought you came to reprimand me. So… you share my view, Lady Ysmera?" he asked.
"To some extent," Ysmera replied lightly. "After all, I have lived long enough to witness more than a few eras."
…Eras?
The word lingered in Soren's mind.
A long-lived species? Isn't she human?
He chose his words carefully. "Are you… an elf, perhaps?"
At that, Ysmera let out a soft laugh—gentle, melodic, yet carrying a strange weight.
"If you wish to learn a woman's secret," she said, her voice turning subtly playful yet authoritative, "wouldn't it be fair to exchange secrets in return?" Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Soren."Soren Noctis—open your eyes. I want to see them. I need to confirm something."
His heart skipped.
That question—no, that request—struck directly at the one thing he had been desperately concealing.
Lancer, standing off to the side, merely watched with idle interest. With his laid-back demeanor, he looked almost as if he were enjoying a performance. If he had popcorn, he would be eating it right now.
Soren's thoughts raced.
The Crimson Necklace…Yes. There was no need to panic. Even during the trial, before the Council themselves, no one had detected anything unusual. At the time, both of his eyes had been covered—but still, the artifact had proven effective. The necklace once owned by the Crimson Apostle suppressed demonic resonance flawlessly.
Slowly, Soren opened his eyes.
A faint humming filled the air, barely audible in the night's stillness.
His right eye remained lifeless and blind.
His left eye, however, ignited.
Crimson light pulsed outward—deep, eerie, and unmistakably dangerous.
Ysmera's expression changed instantly.
Her beautiful eyes constricted wide.
"…Ruin?!"
The word struck Soren like a thunderclap.
She had named it—precisely, unmistakably.
His blood ran cold.
Impossible.
The necklace should have hidden it.
Why—how could she know?
Soren's face drained of color as panic surged through him. His heart pounded violently in his chest.
Damn it.
Damn it.
DAMN IT.
If the Eye of Ruin had been exposed—if its existence was now known—he couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences.
"…Ruin?"
Even Lancer stiffened.
The name echoed in his mind—familiar in a way that made his instincts scream. A moment later, realization clicked.
His eyes widened sharply as he snapped his head toward Soren, gaze locking onto the crimson glow burning within the young man's left eye.
"The Eye of Finality… the one belonging to the Demon Lord?!" Lancer muttered, disbelief lacing his voice. "Oi. Oi, oi, oi. Brat, are you serious right now?" He squinted closer. "Why are you just standing like a statue? So Lady here's accusation is true?"
"I see now…" Ysmera murmured softly, her gaze distant as thoughts aligned within her mind. "So that is why Trynos chose to mark you."
She had suspected Soren carried a dangerous secret—but not something of this magnitude.
With her unique trait, she could pierce through concealed veils and false layers. That is why she saw clearly.
But Soren Noctis was human.
A true human.
"A human… bearing the Demon Lord's eye," Ysmera whispered. "Is the world playing a wonderful joke?"
Such a thing should not be possible!
Lineage-aligned inheritances did not cross races. A non-elf for example, could never receive the blessing of the World Tree.
And the Eye of Finality—Ruin—was far beyond such examples. Its existence even bordered on the divine! Godly.
So Soren Noctis was an anomaly. An irregularity happen in the world? That's the only explanation she can assume.
Ysmera studied him quietly. She could see the pallor in his face, the uncertainty, the fear of someone whose deepest secret had been laid bare. He stood frozen, unsure whether to fight, flee, or surrender.
Ysmera let out a slow sigh.
"You must be wondering why I know," she said calmly. "I assume you had some confidence in hiding that eye of yours?"
Soren swallowed.
Cold sweat traced down his face.
"You're mistaken, Lady Ysmera," he said, choosing to lie. At this point, there was no other option.
"Mistaken?" Ysmera repeated softly.
A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
"Very well," she said. "You showed me your secret. So I suppose it's only fair that I show you mine?"
The world shifted.
For the first time in a long while, Soren—his demonic eye open—could truly see.
The surrounding light dimmed unnaturally, as if the night itself had drawn inward. Darkness gathered at the edges, while a singular radiance descended upon Ysmera.
Her silver hair shimmered, flowing freely as though touched by a gentle tide of light. Her crystal eyes glowed, reflecting the moon above. Luminous energy wrapped around her form like a sacred mantle, rendering her presence almost holy.
The moon shone brightly overhead—unnaturally so—as if the heavens themselves had chosen her as their focal point.
Ysmera turned slightly, presenting her back. The elegant design of her dress left it bare—smooth, unblemished, beautiful.
"Do you know why I always wear dresses that leave my back exposed?" she asked softly while caressing her back softly with her pretty slim finger.
She continued before anyone could answer.
"So I won't have to worry about tearing them… whenever I do this."
—SREEEEKK—
With a sharp, resonant sound, two massive wings burst forth from her back!
Majestic.
Silvery.
Crystalline.
They unfurled wide, stretching to either side—grand yet perfectly proportioned to her humanoid form.
Soren's breath caught.
He recognized those wings.
He had seen them before.
They were unmistakably dragon wings—the same kind he had once faced.
"Yes," Ysmera said calmly, her silver eyes glowing beneath the moonlight.
"Because I… am a dragon race myself."
---
A man clad in regal attire stood silently beneath the open night sky, both hands resting behind his back. His posture was dignified, his presence calm yet commanding, as his gaze remained fixed upon the vast expanse above.
One distinct trait set him apart—his ears tapered to elegant points.
Beside him appeared a woman of striking beauty, sharing the same elven features. She looked noticeably younger, her expression filled with quiet wonder as she stared upward.
"Is it just me," she said softly, "or does the moon seem brighter than usual tonight, Father?"
The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the luminous moon, glowing full and unnaturally radiant in the heavens.
"You're not mistaken," he replied. "It reminds me of her… an old friend of mine."
"Lady Moonlight?" the young woman guessed.
The man did not answer—he merely smiled.
That smile, however, faded slowly, replaced by a solemn expression.
"I heard she has been mingling with humans as of late," he murmured. "I wonder… does she know that we, the elves, are preparing for war against them?" His gaze hardened. "And if she does—will she oppose it?"
The young woman's voice was firm, resolute.
"Humans have proven themselves despicable," she said coldly. "Their filthy actions have stained the land. With each passing year, the World Tree weakens—and now, it stands at its most fragile state in history."
"I know," the man replied quietly. "I only wonder… if there was ever another path we could have chosen."
The night remained serene.
The moon shone brightly.
And yet, beneath that tranquil sky, war was already drawing near—while countless souls, unaware of what was to come, slept peacefully through the night, oblivious to the storm approaching their world.