The corridors of Lockburg are long and quiet. The bright sunlight of the pen and the fun pavilion www.biquge.info through the window, and it seemed that it had suddenly lost its temperature, and it was as bleak as the ghostly face of everyone who hurriedly passed by in the castle.

Ed looked around in a daze, and felt that this ancient palace did not exist in the real world—it stood on the edge of light and darkness, between reality and dreams, between life and death......

He remembered Moira's decision. Her hesitations were washed away by blood in a series of nightmares, and she finally began to consider the advice her father had already made months earlier - to get out of here, away from this place that was entangled in too deep darkness and twisted shadows, and rebuild a palace, a city, even if it took more effort and a huge cost, at least, to make everything start again.

Ed is not against it. He just felt ...... Maybe it's too late.

The one who really created the city would not give up its prey so easily.

He thought of Filly again, and unconsciously quickened his pace because of it. He kept reassuring himself that the forgiving, strong-willed paladin had enough strength and wisdom to always calmly face any predicament and make the right choice...... But I couldn't help but think of the thrilling battle between Scott and Sean.

He almost ran, but he barely stopped because of the puzzled look on the face of one of the maids who came towards him. The place was already in fear, and he couldn't afford to make it worse unnecessarily.

He smiled at the young maid. It was at that moment that he felt something strange.

The girl's gaze averted from him and landed straight behind him, her eyes instantly opening to an incredible degree, and endless fear rushed out.

Ed jerked back.

A familiar and unfamiliar face fell into his eyes—reddish chestnut curls that were dry as if they had been scorched by fire, and his slightly protruding eyes did not reveal a single light.

It was as if the heart had been smashed into the cold abyss with a hammer. In his ears was the scream of the young maid who finally burst out of his mouth, piercing his eardrums with a terrible blow.

That made him wake up from his momentary shock and confusion, and he leaned sideways in front of the girl, interlacing his hands in time.

The whizzing dagger was not coming at him—it was aimed at the maid who had offended the king. Ed had no choice but to stop it with his body and try to change its direction.

He can cast spells in Lockburg, but his strength is extremely weak. Even if he conjured two spells in an instant, it didn't stop the dagger from slamming into his chest.

The tip of the knife pierced his defenses, sinking into his flesh, but not deeper.

Before he could catch his breath, the wind blew in his face, and another blow hit him hard. The last thing he saw in the rapidly descending darkness was a twisted smile on Ante Bofford's blue-gray lips.

When I woke up, it was still dark.

The pain in his head was so intense that Ed could barely feel the wound on his chest. He blinked, reaching out to try to heal himself, but his body seemed to be drained, and his arm was unusually heavy, and he lifted a little and fell heavily.

He couldn't even concentrate, and some kind of high-pitched voice continued in his head, like the girl's terrible screams still ringing in his ears.

He lay down for a long time and couldn't get up, and somewhat regretted that he wasn't "always ready" as Nia said - if he had Tess's little torch on him, he wouldn't have been able to see nothing at least as he is now.

He reached out and groped for the cold ground, guessing that he was probably underground. There was not a hint of late summer heat in the cold air, and there was not even a single crack in the flat stone floor...... He even suspected that he was still in some unknown corner of Lockburg.

The outstretched right hand seemed to touch something...... A little soft cloth.

Ed's heart tightened, and he remembered the hapless maid. He crawled over a little dizzily, trying to make sure she was still alive, but the muscles under the thin fabric felt very strange—too hard to be a delicate girl.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a chill hit his fingertips. It was as if a cold little snake had burrowed into his skin from the other's body, and followed his blood to his heart.

I could barely breathe. The barely half-propped body fell down again, and the arm was lucky to shrink as a result. Ed lay on the ground, full of fear.

He guessed who it might be.

“...... Fili?" he shouted, his voice too weak to even make out himself.

In the darkness, he gasped sharply, shivering uncontrollably from the pain and tinnitus that kept breaking out in a cold sweat.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and reached out again.

I wish it was too late to let go—he thought. Suddenly, I was very glad that the paladin was carrying, that strange "curse".

He figured he had fainted, and he was probably lucky to let go of his hand once again. Anyway, when he woke up again, he was sure that he was still alive, for his head still hurt as if it had cracked a gap, and the cold wind whizzed in as if it were going all the way to the soles of his feet, tearing his whole body in half.

But there was no longer darkness in front of you. A bright light swayed above his head, illuminating Fili Zeri's ghostly face.

“...... Idiot!" the paladin cursed through gritted teeth.

He was covered in blood, but he couldn't see where he was injured, but since he had the strength to curse, he probably wouldn't be able to die.

Ed laughed.

"I'll take care of the rest. He said, relax your body and paralyze completely.

Fili glared at him with a fierce look in his eyes, but Ed, knowing that he didn't dare touch him with a finger now, continued to smile at him with great disgust.

"You've brought Tess a little torch!" he admired without hesitation.

Fili's reply was a snort.

"Scott gave. ”

It was a moment before he spoke: "Sometimes I really don't know what he's thinking. ”

Ed didn't dare to say anything - it didn't seem to mean a torch.

He rolled his eyes and looked at the space around him that was not completely illuminated by the firelight, and vaguely felt that it was like a basement, not too big, not too small, but unusually high.

"Where is this?" he asked.

Fili was silent for a long time.

"Where Scott died. ”

As Ed groggily felt like he was going to fall asleep again, he said.

Ed was stunned and looked up sharply. Not far on the ground, there is a strange circular pattern.

It was a few runes that were looped together, the lines were smooth and graceful, like some kind of work of art, but it made people unconsciously feel ominous. Patches of dark marks were smeared on it...... Overlapping, stale and fresh bloodstains.