Just as entered the kitchen she opened her school's system.
—————
[Servants of Will.]
Status:
Name: Selpe de Light
Mark: Mark of Oblivion
[Sealed Contract]: Mist of Autumn
[Contracted Party]: Unknown Being
Mark Rank: Elite Branch
Codename: Mask of Dawn [Co-Leader]
> Members: Mask of Dusk [L]
> Discussions: |Open□ Close■|
Space: [The Judgment], [Mask of Dawn]
—————
'If I contact her again, the branch may ascend once more—just like every time before.'
She closed the system, then shut her eyes and spoke softly,
"The Mist of Autumn — the Weaver of Past and Present, the Heir of Judgment."
As soon as the words left her lips, warmth spread from her back through her body, flowing along the mark veins. The Mark's energy surged rapidly, and her body glowed faintly with a dim, shifting light.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the house. She stood in a forest filled with green and orange plants climbing over tall trees. Dry leaves covered the ground, rustling faintly in the gentle air.
Suddenly, a black bird with a long beak appeared, landing lightly on a floating cluster of leaves. A thick, strange aura surrounded it—an intense and heavy presence that changed the very atmosphere around her.
It was the Mist of Autumn, taking her smaller, bird-like form.
Then, a tired yet familiar female voice echoed from the bird. "It's been a while, Imvish Bludurst."
"Yeah, it's been a while," Selpe replied quietly. "You know Ibaan didn't die this time… to be more exact, an outsider entered his body after his death. That changed everything—the future, the path… I guess this will be the last time in this world."
"Yes, I know," the bird replied. "And I know why you've come here."
"As expected," Selpe said, her tone turning sharp with curiosity. "Then why did you do it?"
"To make you contact me," the bird answered simply. "You had almost forgotten about me. I couldn't call you directly—my body is trapped by the Westerns. I needed to warn you… about an upcoming danger. One that wasn't in any of the previous times.".
Westerns was the term Autumn used to refer the unknown beings of western continent, which is hidden from the existence no one can enter it directly people coild only see the sea Antarctic Sea.
Curious, and Confused Selpe adked "Don't tell me you lost to them? And what's the fsnger coming?"
The voice didn't come from the bird but after a moment of silence it said " Let me first release more of my powers so that I could break free from the trap.
"Alright"
Just then, the leaves began to stir—one after another. They swirled and twisted, gathering toward the centre, spinning faster and faster until the motion itself turned into a blur of light—an orange glow, faint at first, then deepening with every rotation.
And then, from within that glowing vortex, something emerged.
A liquid—thick, orange, and faintly radiant—flowed upward defying the gravity. It pulsed softly, alive, like a heart that had just begun to beat.
It vibrated slightly.
"It will raise your Branch to Master," the bird spoke, its voice low and steady. "You will unlock more of my powers, and my anchor will grow deeper within your body. Through it, we will become one—faster."
"That's incredible…" Selpe murmured, then frowned. "But you know, the man who has entered Ibaan's body—he feels so familiar. I can't find an answer, and I don't even know why he feels familiar. It's like… I remember him, but I don't. I'd have to bury myself in deep sleep to recover those memories, but I can't do that yet. I… I feel like—"
"Do you have any interest in Ibaan?"
"No! It's not about Ibaan himself. But now, because of that man inside him, I feel like I'm drawn to him. Why?"
"Then love him more," the bird said softly. "Aren't you two married? It won't do you harm."
Mist of Autumn never acted like an Unknown Being. She had always acted like a supportive angel for her —to be more specific, human. After her parents' death, the man she called Qu and Autumn were the only ones who were with her till now. She was unique among all the Unknown Beings, but along with that, she was far more terrifying. It was unknown—her real face, her angered face, her serious face—and legends said that she was the Bloodlust Heir, terrifying and heartless. Technically, an ordinary human wouldn't consider Her an Unknown Being; that would be their fatal mistake for thinking so.
"I don't know, but I will really try."
Just then, the silence stretched for a while, and the bird turned serious, speaking in a low, firm tone.
"Enough talk. I guess I won't be able to hold much. First, bear with the pain after drinking this liquid."
The liquid slowly floated toward Selpe and entered her mouth. It was bitter, far too bitter, and made her mouth taste terrifying. It spread all over her body through the Mark veins.
A lot of pain surged through her body—immense pain. She couldn't bear it, but she tightened her hands—nails digging in—and fell to her knees, eyes closed.
She tried her hardest not to scream, and she didn't.
"Ugh!"
But just then, she felt a bit of relief—no, she felt like the pain was never there before and warmth in her body. She felt warmth from every side, a bit of weight on her back.
It was her wings. It was Autumn's wings that relieved her pain, and just then, to her surprise, a familiar voice resounded from all sides.
"A war is coming… one unlike any before. The Unknown Beings will rise again, and humanity will be caught in between. The scale will be beyond devastation—entire realms may collapse. And this time… He will stand against them, for humanity, for neither good nor evil. It will be Him versus the Unknown Beings. But what terrifies me most isn't the war itself—it's what He's planning. Something far more dreadful than war. Something that could unmake the world itself. Take care of yourself—it might be our last meeting, Imvish."
Just listening to this, chills ran down her spine. She felt her heart pound dramatically and curiously asked, "And who are you with?"
"It'd be Dead Eye of the Fallens."