The hall was lively with music, laughter, and the bright shimmer of golden chandeliers when the host suddenly stepped onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the sixteenth birthday celebration of Young Master Rey Torres, please welcome our host for the evening! Let's give him a round of applause!"
Everyone—including the Prince and Luna—clapped as Rey Torres emerged from the side of the hall, greeting his guests with a warm smile.
Luna instantly lowered her head.
Oh no, what if he sees me? I'm not ready!
But the mood shifted again as the announcer raised his voice.
"And tonight, a very special guest has joined us! His Highness, Prince Auleus Adnan—and accompanying him is his honored guest, Luna Altheria Meyer. Please come to the stage!"
Rey's eyes widened.
Luna froze in horror.
"What!?" she squeaked.
"Come, Luna," the Prince said softly. "Let's go."
He gently took her hand and led her forward. Luna kept her head down, her face red with embarrassment.
From the stage, Rey saw their joined hands. His expression stiffened—surprise, displeasure, and a hint of jealousy flickering in his eyes.
As they reached the center, the Prince smiled politely. Rey returned the smile, though his looked painfully forced.
"Rey, it's been a while. Let me congratulate you on your sixteenth birthday," the Prince said.
The crowd applauded. Rey nodded once, then shifted his gaze toward Luna.
"And who," he asked, tone strangely probing, "is the girl beside you?"
Luna panicked, glancing quickly at Rey—who immediately looked away.
He… he doesn't recognize me? But we go to the same magic academy…
"She is—" the Prince began, but Luna frantically cut in.
"Ah! I'm the Prince's friend! My name is Luna Altheria Meyer! It's nice to meet you, Rey!"
The audience murmured in surprise. Rey stared at her for a moment before saying quietly:
"I see… Luna. May I speak with you later?"
The Prince immediately tugged Luna slightly behind him.
"Sorry, Rey," he said calmly. "But I already promised to show Luna around after this."
Luna turned even paler.
What must Rey be thinking…
The Prince led her off the stage. Rey watched them leave, his expression unreadable.
---
Earlier That Morning
Before the birthday banquet, Rey sat at his desk preparing a special invitation. A card lay open before him—the name "Luna" written neatly on it.
"I wanted to give this to her this morning," he murmured, staring at the letter. "I… I wanted her to accompany me tonight."
But Luna had been summoned to the royal castle instead.
Rey let out a long sigh, scratching his head.
"Then… maybe I can give it to Mahiru. She should be heading home from the library soon. She can pass this to Luna for me."
Rey smiled faintly, thinking it was a perfect plan.
He had no idea it would never reach her.
---
Back to the Present
Rey stared at Luna as she walked away with the Prince. His smile faded entirely.
"Why…?" he whispered.
"What is this feeling…?"
His hand tightened around the invitation still hidden in his pocket.
"Luna is… that awkward girl, always flustered… and I was the first person she talked to at the academy."
"But now she's walking beside a prince. Why does it feel like… something inside me is twisting?"
He lowered his head, trying to hide emotions he couldn't yet understand.
At that moment—
BOOM!
A violent tremor shook the ground. Guests screamed as the floor rippled beneath their feet. The quake was so strong that Luna was thrown off balance.
"Luna! Are you alright!?" the Prince shouted.
"I—I think so… What's happening!?" Luna clung to a chair.
"I don't know. We need to find shelter," he said, grabbing her hand.
Chaos erupted. Guests fled in panic, several falling as the shaking continued. Rey pushed through the crowd, confusion painted across his face.
"What on earth is happening outside…?"
---
Meanwhile, in the Hills of Farmedas
Beyond the rolling hills surrounding the kingdom, a massive black dragon soared upward with a roar that split the night. The air vibrated violently.
Moments later, dozens more dragons filled the sky, their wings tearing through the clouds.
In the air, Luis Antlar and the royal mage battalion battled fiercely.
"There are too many of them!" Luis shouted.
He raised his hand, golden mana swirling around him.
"Holy Lance of Destruction—pierce through!!"
A radiant spear shot forward, impaling a dragon through the neck and sending it crashing down.
But the victory enraged the rest; they dived with renewed ferocity.
"Do not falter! Cut them down!" Luis commanded his troops.
From afar, a shadowy figure stood atop a cliff, smiling in satisfaction.
"Yes… my dragons. Burn everything," the demon murmured.
---
Hell at the Torres Estate
The birthday banquet turned into a battlefield. Luna, the Prince, the Torres family, and the guests spilled out into the courtyard.
A dragon suddenly swooped down, unleashing blazing fire.
"LUNA!!" the Prince shouted, pushing her away with all his strength.
BOOM!
Flames exploded. Heat scorched the air.
Luna was flung across the yard, hitting the ground with a cry.
The Torres home ignited instantly. The earth cracked open, smoke rose in thick black plumes, and people collapsed amid screams and destruction.
The Prince lay on the ground, his shoulder scorched and bleeding heavily.
A knight rushed to him.
"Your Highness! Are you injured!?"
"I'm fine!" the Prince growled, forcing himself up. "Where is Luna!?"
The knight hesitated, panicked.
"We… we haven't found her, Your Highness."
The Prince clenched his teeth.
"Find her! Find Luna NOW! Don't let anything happen to her!"
"Yes, sir!!"
The soldiers scattered.
The Prince staggered through the smoke-filled chaos, shouting her name.
"LUNA!! LUNA!!! LUNAAAA!!!"
His desperate cries echoed through the burning night.
---
Elsewhere…
A solitary figure walked under the darkened sky. She wore a long black cloak that concealed her entire body. A veil covered her nose and mouth, leaving only a pair of bright blue eyes visible—eyes that glimmered like crystals in the gloom.
With a delicate motion of her fingers, golden light formed a rotating magic circle in her palm.
Each step she took brought a hush to the air, as if the world itself obeyed her presence.
A black cat suddenly leapt from the shadows, landing gracefully on her shoulder. Its fur was as dark as night, its eyes sharp and intelligent.
"My lady… the demon is there," the cat said, its voice soft yet cautious.
The woman lifted her gaze toward the hill's peak.
"Yes," she replied, her voice calm but resolute. "I see him."
Without fear—without hesitation—she continued forward.
Toward the demon.
Toward the source of this nightmare.
And toward the fate that awaited everyone in Farmedas.