"Lead the way."
El-Mond's voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
Glacier did not hesitate.
With astonishing speed,she turned and
shot forward.
El-Mond followed immediately,
though not before instructing Eldred to bring
Nina along with them.
As their figures vanished into the distance,
a man clad entirely in white remained behind.
A cloak concealed every inch of his body.
Even his face was hidden beneath deep
shadows.
He slowly lifted his head.
His gaze followed Glacier.
A twisted, eerie grin spread beneath the hood.
Then he looked away.
Space itself began to tear apart in front of him,
Ripping open like fragile cloth.
Without another word, he stepped forward
and disappeared into the distorted void.
Glacier and the others arrived within a
modest, walled courtyard.
Two simple bedrooms stood quietly inside,
their aged walls bearing the marks of time,
but radiating warmth and familiarity.
The moment her feet touched the ground,
Glacier rushed forward.
"Grandma!"
Her voice trembled with panic as she ran into
one of the buildings.
Inside, an old woman lay motionless upon the
bed.
Glacier froze.
Fear surged violently through her chest.
"Grandma… Grandma!"
She hurried to the bedside, grasping her grandmother's hands tightly.
"What's wrong with you? Please… please
open your eyes…"
Her vision blurred with tears.
"If you'll allow me…"
El-Mond's voice sounded from behind her.
"May I feel her pulse?"
Glacier nodded quickly and stood up,
stepping aside.
El-Mond sat down and gently placed
two fingers on the old woman's wrist.
Seconds passed.
Then.
El-Mond's eyes widened sharply.
His expression twisted into something
grim—like a man who had just recalled
a nightmare he once lived through.
"…Your grandmother has been poisoned."
"What?! Poisoned?!"
Glacier spun toward him, shock and anger crashing together in her voice.
"Yes," El-Mond replied, his gaze fixed steadily
on the old woman's face.
"I am very familiar with this poison."
Glacier's legs gave out.
She fell to her knees before him.
"Can you save her?!
Please, Young Master—save my grandmother!
I know I'm already deeply in your debt,
but… please!"
El-Mond immediately pulled her up.
"She is your grandmother. And your savior."
His voice softened.
"Without her, I would never have met you.
Of course I will save her."
Then, inwardly, his thoughts darkened.
And I have a question I need her to answer as well…
He studied the old woman carefully—wary, cautious, yet deeply curious.
"Bring me a knife. Or anything sharp."
Glacier rushed to a drawer and quickly
returned with a pair of scissors.
El-Mond took them calmly, relaxed his ability,
and sliced his palm open.
"Young Master!"
Glacier gasped and instinctively rushed forward.
El-Mond raised his left hand, stopping her.
"Don't worry."
He leaned forward and allowed several drops
of his blood to fall gently into the old
woman's mouth.
A few seconds later, he pulled back and reactivated his ability. The wound on his palm healed instantly.
"Now we wait," he said quietly.
"She should wake up any moment."
The moment his words faded—
The old woman's eyes opened.
"Grandma!"
Glacier cried out and embraced her tightly.
"I thought I lost you!"
"I'm sorry for worrying you, my dear,"
the old woman replied softly, patting Glacier's head.
"Don't cry. Don't cry…"
El-Mond watched silently.
So my guess was right… About Absolute
Revival.
But that can wait.
What matters now is who this woman truly is.
The old woman's gaze shifted past Glacier.
She noticed Eldred, Nina, and finally
El-Mond standing behind them.
"Dear… these are…?"
Glacier began explaining everything—
what had happened two months ago,
how she met El-Mond, and how events led
to the present.
She left out only one detail.
Her cheeks flushed red as she recalled
The nights with El-Mond.
"Wow," the old woman said warmly,
placing her hands on Glacier's cheeks.
"My Glacier has grown into a strong woman."
El-Mond narrowed his eyes.
"You don't look surprised."
He had caught it—just for an instant.
A knowing smile.
"For saving Glacier," El-Mond continued coldly,
his aura beginning to rise,
"I will give you a chance to explain how
that poison entered your system."
His presence shifted.
Pleasant warmth vanished.
A deathly pressure filled the room.
"Because I KNOW—"
"—it is NOT sold on the streets."
"Y-Young Master…?"
Glacier quickly grabbed his hand,
snapping him out of his rising rage.
El-Mond exhaled slowly.
The old woman smiled sadly.
"Glacier, my dear… there's something—
I've been hiding from you."
"What are you talking about, Grandma?"
"My name… is Tiajna Blade."
Silence.
"Huh?! T-Tiajna Blade?!"
Nina blurted out, her face pale with shock.
"What's wrong, Nina?" Glacier asked.
"Why that reaction?"
"You wouldn't know," Nina said slowly.
"You've only been at Blue Steel Pavilion for
two years. I've been there for five."
She swallowed.
"I've heard the legends."
"One of the figures who frequented
the pavilion decades ago…"
"…was Tiajna Blade."
Her voice trembled.
"Also known as—"
"THE REAPER."
The room felt colder.
"A top androgynous assassin,
" Nina continued,
"so terrifying that even Ninth-Rank Emperor Evolvers feared."
"But He Or She vanished after accepting
a task from a major sect."
"No one knows which sect."
"No one knows the task."
Glacier stared blankly.
"Huh…?"
The old woman smiled faintly.
And the truth lingered in the air.
To Be Continued.