The Shadow Dancer's body trembled slightly, and his expression gradually changed from sluggishness to confusion. Payne breathed a sigh of relief, and gratefully bowed his head to Sacshun, no matter how many doubts he still had in his mind.

He's better not an enemy...... At least not yet.

There was always a strange whisper that vibrated the air, and all the souls, sometimes sharp, sometimes low, irregular, but difficult to ignore, so that the tremors of the tower from the moment Parnassus fell were unconsciously set aside. All eyes were on Ed's, even if the light that enveloped him stung the elves' overly sensitive eyes. No one noticed a silver light flying in and disappearing, only a faint smile on Saxes' lips.

All the light gradually gathered above Ed's head. It was as if something was shrinking violently, even taking away the original soft light in the tower. Payne's gaze scurried over the surrounding walls, past the gems set in the ceiling—the "stars" that had frantically twinkled dimmed like paintings on the walls that would never fade under the protection of magic...... They were gray and cracked, peeling to ash, as if time had been deceived by magic for thousands of years and rolled back in anger, devouring everything it should have taken with it.

Outside of their sight, the same situation pervaded the entire Silent Tower. The eternal light retreated feebly, a misty black mist wriggled in the corners, a thin black streak cracked on the delicate statue, and the solid wooden door exuded the smell of decay...... The holy white tower seemed to have fallen into a ghost, and the only light in it was reflected in Ed's eyes.

He looked up at the hot, cold light. It hung above his head, like the only star in the night, so bright that it didn't stab his eyes, as if he were a part of it...... Or it's a part of him.

Then it fell down.

The thud slammed down on every soul. Payne closed his eyes, breaking free of the momentary vertigo, and when he opened them again, Ed was looking down at his feet in a daze.

There lay a stone no larger than a fist, which looked translucent, but the smooth surface had a metallic sheen and even faint lines. The shape is barely round, but it is irregular, and at first glance it looks like a molten ore from a dwarven furnace...... But no one would really think of it as something so useless, even if it no longer shines.

Xiaobai leaned over and toyed with it, hitting Ed's leg with his shoulder.

Even though he could only see the top of his head, Ed felt ...... It seems to be even more unhappy.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally leaned over and picked up the stone.

No one knows better than him what it is...... But no one would believe that this mass was heavier than stone but lighter than metal, a sickle of light that had been pressed together by too much force.

The thing in the palm of the hand still has a slight warmth. He would never dislike it again...... They protected him, endured what he had refused, and he could not feel whether the power they had absorbed or resisted was hidden in it or gone.

He looked overhead—the door was closed. The once-brilliant gem seems to be overshadowed by ashes...... Everything around him seemed to be covered with dust, and it was as if he was unaware that thousands of years had passed in a flash.

He was startled. It was only when he saw the familiar face that he completely came back to his senses, and the smile instantly spread from the bottom of his eyes, stretching at the corners of his eyebrows and eyes - okay, okay, no matter what, everyone was still alive.

That smile is actually a bit silly, but it is inexplicably infectious. The corners of Payne's mouth unconsciously pulled up and pressed down again.

It's not time to laugh yet.

The remaining light was faint and dying, but it was not pitch black. Payne could be sure that both Saxes and Heleno's eyes fell on the inconspicuous "stone" in Ed's hand. It was difficult to tell whether it was true or false when Sackses was interested but not very concerned, but Helenor's expression made him wonder.

She was laughing. Even if it wasn't ecstatic, the smile was visceral and relieved, so bright that her pale face almost seemed to glow, as if she had gotten what she had always dreamed of, and it didn't matter if it wasn't in her hands...... Or maybe it's going to fall into her hands.

He looked up at Fairy—it wasn't necessary. Ferry may have noticed Helenor's strangeness before he did, and with a gentle push of the hand on Curiel's shoulder, the little elf who had tilted his head with curiosity on his face a moment ago rushed towards Helenor without warning, and stabbed her throat like a rapier snake.

This thunderous blow was just a façade. As if she had seen through this, Helenor smiled and did not move, letting the sharp tip of Correll's sword against her throat.

"Why bother?" she said, "and I have no intention of running away. ”

As she spoke, Corell even had to withdraw her rapier slightly so as not to actually cut her neck—they never intended to kill her unless they had to. Too many secrets are still in her hands, and even if it may not be easy to dig them up, it is impossible to give them up easily.

It was Fei Rui who really changed his face. The fingers he held on the staff tightened unconsciously, and his suddenly contracted pupils revealed a faint panic and fear.

It shouldn't have been Corell's sword that subdued Helenor.

"Do you feel it?" Helenor looked at him with almost pity, her voice soft as a sigh, "that emptiness...... The power of magic no longer answers your calls, like the gods who are far away...... Maybe there will never be a response – is that what you want?"

Payne frowned slightly

"It's only temporary......" he began.

"Who told you that?" Helenor interrupted him disdainfully, "your father, who has been dead for hundreds of years, and still thinks he is right?—— be careful, my king, he has already killed your brother, why do you think he will not kill your lover who has snuck somewhere?"

Payne closed his lips and stared heavily. For a moment I wanted to throw away all my manners and all my scruples, and keep the elf firmly in her mouth, so that she could no longer utter a word with poison and thorns.

But Helenno didn't care about his anger. She turned to Ed and lifted her hand, holding a small object in her palm that was definitely not supposed to be here and now.

Ed's eyes widened in confusion to make sure he wasn't mistaken—it was a dice. The simplest kind, six-sided, old to yellowish bone, with almost all the shallow nicks on it have been smoothed out......

"Ed Singh. Helenno smiled and said, "Do you want to make a bet?"

.