Descending the stairs, every movement of the young woman carried a wild yet innocent charm. She stopped directly in front of Celestian, locking her hands behind her back as she leaned in slightly toward him.
Locking her gaze with his, she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Am I not right, Celestian?" Her tail swayed in the air with a sense of triumph.
Seeing his wife tease him this way, a deep and meaningful smile spread across Celestian's lips. Instead of pulling back, he leaned forward himself. The distance between them was now almost non-existent.
The young woman was about to open her mouth to say something more, but suddenly Celestian moved even closer. Before she could process what was happening, his face was right next to her ear.
In the blink of an eye, Celestian playfully bit down on her soft ear. She jumped back startled, her ears twitching rapidly as a deep blush crept over her face.
Her tail, which had been swaying proudly, suddenly stiffened in surprise. Celestian looked at her with a triumphant smirk, as if to say he knew exactly how to counter her antics.
Watching this, Ali and Nova couldn't suppress their laughter, while a new, playful challenge sparked in the Wolf Girl's eyes. After that playful moment, Celestian straightened himself.
His expression shifting into one of calm authority. He looked into his wife's eyes and said in a low, steady voice, "Now, stop these mischievous antics of yours..."
As he prepared to leave, Celestian reached out and affectionately rubbed her hair, whispering softly, "Alright, all of you stay here and rest. I will definitely return later."
There was a reassuring weight to his words that settled over the hall. Before stepping away, he glanced back at Ali, Nova, and the Wolf Girl, adding quietly.
"Don't worry... everything here will slowly return to normal." Celestian began to walk, his steady footsteps echoing across the marble floor toward the massive royal doors.
As he drew near the grand, intricately carved entrance, the doors swung open on their own, as if bowing to their Sovereign's presence. Without looking back, Celestian stepped through the threshold.
And the heavy doors closed silently behind him, leaving a lingering, mysterious silence in the hall. In another part of the palace, where the air was thick with a heavy silence.
Astria sat motionless upon her grand royal throne. There was a gravity in her eyes that hinted at a looming crisis. Time seemed to stand still in that chamber.
Her fingers tapping rhythmically against the intricately carved armrests of the throne. Suddenly, the stillness of the corridor was shattered by the sound of rapid, frantic footsteps.
A servant burst into the room, gasping for air, and paused to bow. However, the tremor in his voice betrayed his overwhelming panic. Keeping his gaze fixed on the floor.
He spoke in a low, trembling tone, "Forgive me, My Empress... but we could not find the Young Lord anywhere." As the words left his lips, the temperature in the chamber seemed to plummet.
Astria's fingers went still, and a cold brilliance flared in her blue eyes. The servant's report had shaken the very foundations of the palace.
The Young Lord's disappearance was no minor incident, and Astria's silence now signaled the arrival of a devastating storm. She didn't utter a single word.
But her deepening breaths revealed that this news was far more dire than even she had anticipated. The silence beneath the towering arches of the hall was so profound.
That every breath from Astria resonated like a low hum. She sat motionless on her royal throne, her eyes filled with an icy, unyielding stillness.
Before her, the servant remained on his knees, his entire frame trembling as if caught in a freezing gale. "My Queen... what should be done now?" the servant whispered.
His forehead nearly touching the cold marble floor. Astria fixed her piercing gaze upon him, her voice ringing with absolute authority. "Go and search the other corner of the city as well."
A wave of pure terror washed over the servant's face. He stammered, his voice thin with dread, "But My Queen... there? You yourself strictly forbade anyone from entering that sector."
"It is a forbidden zone..." A sharp, dangerous brilliance flared in Astria's eyes, and the temperature in the chamber seemed to plummet instantly.
She asked in a voice as cold as death, "Are you refusing to obey my command?" The servant, utterly shattered by fear, stuttered frantically, "N-no, My Queen! I would never dare..."
He retreated in a blur of panic, rushing to fulfill the perilous order he had just been given. Meanwhile, in a desolate and hauntingly quiet part of the city.
A place where only crumbling walls and skeletal remains of houses stood—a small figure walked alone. This was Len. The deep darkness that usually clouded his gaze was gone.
His eyes had turned a brilliant, molten gold, as if liquid sunlight had been poured into them. As the direct rays of the sun fell upon him, Len's hair shimmered like a divine crown of light.
Without a trace of fear or hesitation, he simply kept moving, his small steps carrying him forward through the ruins as if drawn by an invisible, ancient compass.
Len's small steps had carried him past the desolate ruins. Gradually, the landscape changed, and a few rustic houses made of mud and stone began to appear.
It was a tiny, secluded village, devoid of any human presence or sound. The silence was so heavy that the only thing audible was the gentle sigh of the wind.
Without pausing, Len walked through the heart of the village. As the edge of the settlement faded behind him, a vast and incredibly dense forest loomed in the distance.
At the very threshold of the woods lay a breathtaking carpet of vibrant, exotic flowers. Seeing the blossoms, a spark of pure joy lit up Len's golden eyes.
He couldn't contain his excitement and dashed toward the flowers like a carefree child. However, just as he reached them, he came to a sudden halt.
As if instinctively guarding the delicate beauty before him. Countless exquisite butterflies were fluttering above the petals, turning the scene into something out of a fairy tale.
Len straightened his hand and slowly raised a single finger into the air. Then, something magical happened. A beautiful butterfly broke away from the flowers.
And, as if drawn by an invisible thread, flew straight toward him and perched perfectly on his fingertip. Within moments, hundreds of colorful butterflies began to circle him.
Swirling around his shimmering hair and golden eyes. In that ethereal moment, a smile graced Len's face—a smile so pure and filled with an overwhelming sense of peace.
Len stood perfectly still for a long moment, lost amidst the swirling cloud of vibrant butterflies. The soft fluttering of their wings created a melody that seemed to resonate with his very soul.
Gazing intently at the tiny creature perched upon his finger, he whispered in a voice filled with wonder. "You all... you all are truly so beautiful."
There was a quiet contemplation in Len's tone as he looked up toward the deep emerald shadows of the forest. "I was only watching the shimmering stars of the night..."
"But I don't know how I ended up here." He paused, asking the butterfly on his finger as if it understood his every word, "Do you know anything about the people who live here?"
"Do you know where they have gone?" As he spoke, a remarkable sight unfolded. The moment he mentioned the 'people,' the butterfly on his fingertip gently flapped its wings and took flight.
Suddenly, the entire swarm began to circle Len in a rhythmic, purposeful dance, as if communicating through their movements or pointing toward a hidden path.
Len watched them closely, a knowing and gentle smile spreading across his face as he nodded. "Alright... I understand."