The night had grown deep.
The dim flame of the lamp in the room trembled, as if it had already sensed the fear of the days to come. Outside, Kankal City was asleep—but inside, two hearts were awake.
Snehwal and Lily were lying on the same bed, very close to each other.
One of Lily's hands rested on Snehwal's chest, her cheek pressed there as well—where the heartbeat could be heard most clearly.
With every beat, she reassured herself that she was alive… that she was here.
Snehwal's breathing was calm, but his mind was not.
His fingers unconsciously pressed a little more firmly against Lily's back—
as if he feared that if he loosened his grip, time would take her away again.
"Seven days…"
Lily whispered very softly, almost under her breath.
Snehwal did not reply.
He simply rested his chin on her hair.
What would happen after seven days—
no one knew.
The Chintamani Empire.
A place where power was not justice, and justice often demanded blood.
Lily's eyes were open. Even in the darkness, she was not looking at the ceiling—
she was looking at the future.
And it was terrifying.
"If…"
her voice trembled slightly.
Snehwal pulled her even closer.
"If anything happens," he said in a low but firm voice,
"they will have to deal with me first."
Lily's fingers clutched his clothes tightly.
A tear silently slipped from her eye—
and disappeared into Snehwal's chest.
At the same time—
In another room, Liora was awake. Sleep was far from her eyes. She sat in the darkness, her back against the wall, knees drawn to her chest.
Voices echoed in her mind—
old, bitter, blood-soaked.
Scenes from years ago—
when she was weak, when her power was mocked, when she was treated like an object.
Blows of hands. Laughter. Commands.
Her fingers began to tremble without her noticing.
"I am not like that anymore…"
she said to herself.
But the fear—
the fear was still there.
Not for Snehwal. For the world.
If, in Chintamani, someone looked at her the same way again—
this time, she would not stay silent.
A faint red glow appeared in Liora's eyes.
Anger and resolve.
"If any hand reaches out…"
her voice was cold,
"that hand will not return."
Outside, the moon slipped behind the clouds.
And that night—
three hearts, in different rooms,
felt the same fear.
The fear of what would come after seven days.
But Master Jins, sitting alone in his room, suddenly opened his eyes— They were shining. He was entering the Seventh Stage.
The boundary was near. He had been advancing with great caution, intelligence, and perfect control.
Then—
The sky darkened. Thunder roared across the heavens.
Everyone woke up at once. Lily jolted upright. Snehwal was awake in an instant.
All of them were stunned.
Who was it— who had broken through a stage?
Liora, too, was left in shock.
In Kankal City, some ordinary people became afraid. Soon, heavy rain started pouring down.
Lily said with slight worry,
"There is someone here who has reached the Seventh Stage. Even I am afraid of this. If this person turns out to be our enemy, then—"
Snehwal spoke firmly, his voice carrying strength,
"You can also step into the Seventh Stage easily. I gave you so much spiritual energy that it could even bring the dead back to life."
Lily nodded lightly and said,
"Maybe after one month, I can touch that stage, but—"
Snehwal asked,
"But?"
Lily stayed silent.
Snehwal pulled her into his arms and said softly,
"Don't be afraid. Everything will be alright."
Liora also ran outside and rose into the sky, looking around to see who it was. But she could not find anything—only confusion, nothing more.
Then Liora rushed back to Snehwal's room.
From outside, she quietly created a protective barrier.
Even Lily could not sense it.
It did not feel like defense— it felt like care.
It was made out of love,
only for Snehwal, so that nothing could harm him.
So that if anyone tried to enter, she would know at once. It was not because of the restlessness of the night or fear of the unknown— it was only worry for Snehwal.
That worry made Liora so alert that she stood guard in the corridor outside the room.
The cold wind, the sound of nonstop rain, and the dampness all around— none of it mattered to her.
This was all one-sided. Snehwal did not know anything about it.
She did not even realize when her eyes grew heavy.
Slowly, tiredness took hold of her, and she fell asleep right there while sitting.
When her eyes opened— the night was already gone.
Soft morning light had spread through the corridor. The rain had stopped.
And right in front of her— Snehwal was standing there. For a few moments, they only looked at each other. No words. No questions.
In that moment, their hearts filled with care and relief for each other. A small smile appeared on Liora's face— tired, but true.
Snehwal asked softly,
"How are you here…?"
There was surprise in his voice,
and somewhere within it— gratitude.