The night wind swept over the Weston estate, carrying a biting chill mixed with the lingering stench of smoke and blood.

Narcissa fled Oakvale in disgrace, cradling the severely injured and unconscious Kael as a handful of loyal guards escorted her out of the city. They sought temporary refuge in a hidden outpost deep within the remote mountains.

The monastery there had been abandoned for years. Amid the crumbling walls and shattered pillars, a few side rooms were still mostly intact.

Moonlight filtered through the broken window frames, casting over her twisted, pale face and sharpening its sinister angles.

"Mom… It hurts…" Kael murmured, still unconscious, his small body curling in pain.

Narcissa carefully laid him on a broken bed covered with thick blankets and checked his injuries.

Although Blanche's strike hadn't killed Kael outright, her icy spiritual energy had infiltrated his circulatory pathways, severely damaging his fragile core. Without immediate treatment, the damage