A few hours earlier…
On the opposite side of Aethron's house, within an invisible pocket of empty space, a girl with long blood-red hair and violet eyes stood silently. Her divine beauty was hidden behind a dimensional veil that no ordinary human could ever perceive. Reality itself seemed to bend around her, trying to conceal her existence. This girl was none other than Lilveth Cehennem. Her cold gaze was fixed on the neighborhood below, never leaving Aethron's house for even a second.
She had a reason for being here.
Recently, she had learned from her servants that Leon had begun secretly investigating Aethron. The information had reached her in whispers. Under normal circumstances, she would never care about someone like Leon — a mere dog from a minor alpha pack. Such beings were insignificant in her eyes, disposable with a single glance. Wasting time on them would be an insult to her pride.
But when it came to Aethron…
Everything was different.
Whenever Aethron was involved, Lilveth's protective instincts awakened uncontrollably. Her logic faded, her calm shattered. Even the smallest movement around him became a potential threat. Leon's interest was not innocent curiosity. She could feel it. That "dog" was planning something.
And that was unacceptable.
That was why she was here.
Silent.
Hidden.
Like a shadow.
Then…
Everything changed.
All the lights in the neighborhood went out at once.
As if an invisible hand had cut the power in a single motion.
Streetlights died.
Houses sank into darkness.
Even distant music stopped abruptly.
Absolute silence descended.
Lilveth's eyes narrowed.
And then…
Something appeared in the sky.
Within the darkness, a massive symbol slowly formed.
A glowing, rotating, living pattern…
A rune.
An ancient magical sigil floating in the air, emitting faint blue-violet light.
Lilveth recognized it instantly.
Her heart tightened.
"That is…"
"A Deep Sleep Rune…"
It was one of the lowest-level runes.
But its effect was undeniable.
It forcibly dragged every living being within its range into unconsciousness.
No consent.
No resistance.
Only sleep.
Like death.
Like death.
Lilveth could clearly feel the rune's waves spreading through the neighborhood. Like invisible mist, it passed through houses, streets, and minds. One by one, people lost consciousness. Young, old, children — all collapsed silently. Some on couches, some in beds, some even while walking.
But one place…
Was untouched.
Aethron's house.
The rune seemed to deliberately avoid it.
The wave bent around it.
Changed direction.
Skipped it.
When Lilveth saw this, her face turned completely cold.
The violet light in her eyes darkened.
"So you're targeting him…"
she whispered.
And the anger inside her began to rise.
And only a few minutes later…
Lilveth's sharp senses detected a new presence within the unnatural silence of the neighborhood. Someone was standing in front of Aethron's house. She didn't need to see them. The scent was enough. Sharp. Wild. Mixed with blood and moonlight. The smell of a beast. A werewolf. But it wasn't Leon's. She knew that instantly. Leon was already worthless in her eyes. The head of a pathetic little alpha pack. A self-important insect. And the "dogs" around him were even worse. Trash. Leftovers. Toys meant to be used and discarded.
Lilveth's eyes gleamed coldly.
Only one thought crossed her mind.
"Erase it."
Her body was already preparing to move. Space itself was beginning to bend. One step, and that creature would be gone. No scream. No resistance. No realization of death. But at that exact moment…
Something happened.
She couldn't move.
Not her arms.
Not her legs.
Not her energy.
It was as if invisible chains had bound her.
As if her very existence had been locked.
Her soul froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her heart — if she still had one — nearly stopped.
"What…?" she thought.
"This is impossible…"
Then, from behind her, a familiar yet long-unheard voice echoed. It was gentle. Sweet. But beneath it lay crushing authority. The tenderness of a mother mixed with the command of a goddess.
"Oya oya…"
"My precious baby…"
"Seeing you grow enough to secretly watch a boy's house…"
"It makes me a little sad."
Lilveth's body trembled.
Her breath caught.
Her mind went blank for a moment.
Then she shouted instinctively.
"Mom!!"
Her voice carried shock, fear, and anger all at once.
She turned around sharply.
And saw her.
The woman standing there…
Looked exactly like her.
The same facial features.
The same sharp gaze.
The same noble posture.
The same violet eyes.
The same ominous beauty.
The only difference…
She was taller.
More mature.
More mature.
Heavier.
She carried the weight of time, wars, and collapsed universes.
She looked like Lilveth's future self.
But she was far more.
Much more.
Lilveth's throat went dry.
"Y-You…" she said weakly.
"What are you doing here, Mom…?"
The woman smiled softly.
But the smile wasn't warm.
It was like the silence before a storm.
And in that moment, Lilveth realized…
She was trapped in a game far bigger than she had imagined.
The woman raised her eyebrows slightly when she noticed the cold, uneasy expression on Lilveth's face. Her smile carried both a mother's affection and a mocking goddess's gaze at the same time. Her voice was gentle, but beneath her words lay overwhelming authority.
"My daughter…" she said calmly.
"You don't seem very happy to see me."
"If you act like this, you'll break your mother's heart."
Lilveth clenched her teeth. The emotions inside her were tangled together — respect, fear, anger, and helplessness. She hesitated for a moment, then lifted her head and spoke.
"M-Mom…" she said stiffly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in Heaven?"
"Political matters… you know…"
The woman chuckled softly. It wasn't a cheerful laugh. It was more like someone who had finally found long-awaited entertainment. A deep curiosity shone in her eyes.
"I was simply…" she said slowly,
"curious about who could make both you and the Old Terror — Lyra — so obsessed."
"And lately…"
"I've found some very interesting things."
She said this with a small, mysterious smile.
Then she looked toward Aethron's house.
"That boy…" she continued,
"despite being human…"
"possesses twin Veridox fruits."
"And he's so pure…"
"So powerful…"
"I've never seen anything like this in my entire life."
Her excitement was impossible to hide.
"Who knows how terrifying his potential is…"
"Just thinking about it is thrilling."
Lilveth's eyes widened.
"Veridox…?"
Hearing that name sent chills through her.
Veridox…
A true Meta-Universe that reshaped the power of all supernatural races.
The place where Yggdrasil and Qliphoth's roots intersect.
A sacred and cursed realm where existence and nothingness merged.
A power from that place…
Was impossible for a human.
When the woman noticed her daughter's shock, her smile deepened.
"Really?" she said mockingly.
"Did you think my servants wouldn't tell me anything?"
Lilveth's face darkened instantly.
"Anna…!" she shouted angrily.
"That stupid servant…!"
At that moment…
Terrifying sounds erupted from Aethron's house.
scream.
Then another.
A savage roar that shook the walls.
The monster's guttural growls…
The sound of flesh tearing…
Lilveth's heart tightened.
Her breath caught.
She turned sharply toward the house.
"Mom!" she cried in panic.
"Let me go!"
"I have to save them!"
"If they die…"
"Aethron will completely collapse!"
Her eyes were filled with tears.
Her voice trembled.
But the woman only shook her head slowly.
Her expression was calm, yet merciless.
"No," she said firmly.
"There's no need."
"I already discussed this with Lyra."
"And we reached the same conclusion."
Her gaze hardened.
"For that boy…"
"The only way to free himself from that disgusting, weak, fragile human body and soul…"
"Is this."
"There is no other option."
The certainty in her voice left no room for argument.
At that very moment, space itself began to tremble. A subtle vibration formed first. Then thin cracks appeared across the surface of reality. The fractures spread rapidly, as if a glass dome had been struck from the outside. The dark sky shattered, and golden light seeped through the cracks. They deepened and widened until space truly broke apart like glass.
From within that shattered void, a figure stepped forward.
Her long golden hair flowed down her shoulders, each strand shimmering like a beam of light. She wore a luxurious black dress that clung perfectly to her flawless body. The fabric was decorated with intricate golden patterns — but the patterns were not still. They moved. They pulsed. With every step she took, the golden lines flared briefly, revealing fragments of ancient cosmic formulas before fading again. She was not a light emerging from darkness — she was something beyond the origin of light itself.
It was Lyra.
With her arrival, the balance of the surroundings shifted. The oppressive aura created by Lilveth's mother began to crack under Lyra's presence. Two ancient wills now occupied the same dimensional point. The air grew heavier. Space bent once more. Reality itself struggled to sustain both of them simultaneously.
Lyra looked directly at Lilveth's mother.
There was neither respect nor fear in her gaze.
Only calm amusement.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Lysara…" she said slowly.
She emphasized the name deliberately.
"You're as fast as ever."
Her voice was soft, but beneath it lay steel.
"Are you truly that impatient to watch the show?"
The words lingered in the air. But it wasn't merely a question. It carried challenge. Implication. The quiet superiority of someone who had already moved the pieces before her opponent arrived.
Lysara's violet eyes narrowed slightly. Her smile did not fade — it deepened. The air between them transformed into an invisible battlefield. To an ordinary being, it would seem like two women speaking calmly. In reality, it was two cosmic wills placing their pieces silently upon a board.
Below them, Aethron's screams continued to echo.
Lilveth, watching the tension between the two women grow, finally stepped forward. Her eyes shone with determination, and her voice carried suppressed fear and desperation. She no longer wanted to stay silent. While Aethron's fate was being discussed, remaining quiet was impossible.
"You're saying this is the only way…" she said with a trembling yet firm voice.
"But what about after this?"
"What will stop him from hating us?"
"From resenting us?"
"From becoming our enemy?"
"And why…" she continued, her voice rising slightly,
"why can't we transform him normally?"
"Can't we save him without destroying him?"
Lyra slowly shook her head. Her expression became serious for the first time. Her playful smile vanished, replaced by cold realism. Her eyes drifted briefly, as if recalling countless failed attempts.
"It's impossible," she said calmly.
"The Veridox origin…"
"Is too pure."
"Too raw."
"Too unstable."
"It cannot awaken without psychological and physical collapse."
She took a slow breath.
"Without breaking his soul…"
"Without shattering his identity…"
"Without dissolving his human self…"
"This power will not activate."
"There is no other way."
Lysara nodded in agreement and spoke, her voice calm yet slightly mocking.
"And let me add this," she said.
"None of this was directly caused by us."
"We didn't plan it."
"We didn't attack."
"We didn't manipulate."
"We simply…"
"Didn't interfere."
"We watched."
"We let it flow."
Lilveth turned sharply toward her mother, anger and disappointment in her eyes.
"That's easy for you to say," she accused.
"You've only known Aethron for a few days."
"You don't know his pain."
"His fears."
"His dreams."
"And…" she continued, narrowing her eyes,
"why do you talk as if you'll keep meeting him in the future?"
"Why are you so calm?"
"Why do you act like this is all part of your plan?"
Lysara chuckled softly. It wasn't warm. It was the smile of someone who knew everything.
"Of course," she replied calmly.
"Because I…"
"Will be his teacher in the future."
"Why are you so calm?"
"Why do you act like this is all part of your plan?"
Lysara chuckled softly. It wasn't warm. It was the smile of someone who knew everything.
"Of course," she replied calmly.
"Because I…"
"Will be his teacher in the future."
Those words struck Lilveth like lightning.
"W-What…?" she whispered.
She was about to speak when…
A terrifying wave of energy rose from below.
Aethron had reached home.
And what he saw shattered his mind.
His rage exploded.
His grief turned into madness.
He attacked the werewolf without hesitation.
With fists.
With screams.
With tears.
With despair.
All three watched clearly from above.
Aethron's desperate assault.
The monster's mocking gaze.
Then…
A moment of silence.
A shadow moving.
A violent impact.
And the werewolf's claws wrapping around Aethron's neck…
Before tearing it from his body without effort.
Blood sprayed.
The body fell.
The soul departed.
Everything froze.
Lilveth's eyes went blank.
Her breath stopped.
Her soul felt torn apart.
Lysara remained silent.
Expressionless.
But Lyra…
Couldn't hold back anymore.
Veins bulged on her forehead.
Dark aura rose among her golden hair.
Her eyes burned crimson.
"Enough…" she growled.
"This…"
"Was too brutal."