“I’m sorry.”

Elisia looked at Illeon.

Qualifications were needed to love. The courage to confess love. The ability to protect love. Elisia had declared her love for Illeon only twice, and it was only in front of Mariella. She couldn’t bring herself to say it directly to him. After confessing love, one had to take responsibility. While loving alone meant not receiving reciprocation, it was also a way to avoid heartache if both hearts were connected.

Perhaps Elisia’s cowardly thoughts had ultimately buried her true feelings, preventing her from revealing her sincerity to him.

“Illeon, I don’t really know who I am.”

So, she endlessly doubted whether her feelings for him were genuine. As Won Yoonji, Lona, Elisia, and now herself.

It took a long time to confirm and be sure that her feelings for him were genuine and not an act.

“I… I’m afraid.”

She shouted loudly at Mariella, but fearing death is natural. Everyone fears the end of life. Moreover, she was terrified of the compulsory force from the original work, which might also affect Illeon.

“And I don’t know anything.”

She entered a temple at the age of three and didn’t know what the outside world was like. Elisia didn’t know many things. Seventeen years were spent in prayer, meditation, and conversations with the gods. She had lived more than half of her life as a priestess.

If that time was genuinely spent serving the gods and dedicating her life to them, it wouldn’t have been a problem. However, if it was just to buy time until Mariella gave her a chance to escape, it would be meaningless once she left the temple, no longer a priestess.

“So, I’m sorry. Sorry for not knowing.”

Because she had never experienced love, she didn’t know that it required so much. She didn’t know that it couldn’t be accomplished with just feelings, and she suddenly embraced him.

Elisia was leaving him because of her inadequacy, not because of Mariella or Sonatec. Because she was too unattractive and couldn’t hurt him or protect him.

Elisia untied the necklace she wore around her neck. Perhaps due to frequent touches, the compass glowed faintly more than when Illeon gave it to her.

“Where you’re going is the path I should take, so you have it.”

The vivid image of Illeon kneeling in front of her and locking eyes flashed in Elisia’s mind.

“Now, we’ll always be together wherever we go.”

He was sincere, and there was no doubt about what he said. Believing that they would always be together, he gave it to her as proof. Elisia had to embark on an irreversible journey.

The compass, a lucky charm that saved thousands of lives as a guide, was not without its own temptations.
Due to frequent touches, the compass shimmered faintly more than when Illeon gave it to her.

“Where you’re going is the path I should take, so you have it.”

The expression of Illeon kneeling in front of me and locking eyes vividly came to mind.

“Now, we’ll always be together wherever we go.”

He was sincere, and there was no doubt about what he said. Believing that they would always be together, he gave it to me as proof.

Elisia had to embark on an irreversible journey. The compass, a lucky charm that saved thousands of lives as a guide, was not without its own temptations. Still, I considered returning it was the right thing to do. You can’t have everything you want.

Elisia carefully placed it around Illeon’s neck. Looking at the compass lying on his chest as he slept, tears welled up in her eyes. Elisia gently pressed her lips to Illeon’s forehead.

“I hope you find happiness.”

As the bedroom door opened, Derek urged her with his eyes. Until the last moment leaving the room, Elisia couldn’t take her eyes off Illeon.

Hadumsha’s vault.

A myth that the possessed beings overcame the continent’s evil, establishing the Constance Empire. The backbone of the founding myth was contained in a round room in the middle of a small book called the Prophecy.

Rarely, in a quiet room, a shadow appeared. It was a man wearing a black hood and covering his face with a white mask.

“Won Yoonji and Elisia headed to the harbor.”

Sonatec’s tone was quite cheerful.

“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it.”

Sonatec was relaxed, like a hawk waiting for the right moment to hunt. No, it was an attitude pretending to be relaxed. As he leisurely examined the prophecy, occasionally his gaze lingered on the hourglass placed beside him. When all the sand fell, and it was time for the ship to depart, he seemed excited.

After a while, as if rising from the shadows flickering in the candlelight, a small, colorful bird popped out. The bird circled around Sonatec before landing on the back of his hand.

“Yeah. The ship has sailed. Now it’s time.”

As Sonatec briskly turned the pages of the manuscript, the bird that had been grooming feathers on his hand turned into smoke, as if being sucked into his hand, and disappeared.

In his hand was a pen.

The black bird that had just been feathers was replaced by a pen, and dark energy flickered on the purple-tinged pen.

“I have to finish the modifications.”