125.

The young head of the Diazi family, Nicholas, crossed Baghdad’s temple alone, his guards seemingly abandoned. Despite having spent the night sealing Nyx, his movements were light and agile, almost carefree.

He sprinted like the wind until he finally stopped at the temple’s entrance. His sharp golden eyes caught sight of a group clad in white robes with silver embroidery fluttering in the breeze.

At the head of the group stood a man who slowly turned as if he had sensed something. Pulling back his hood with deliberate grace, his face emerged, radiant under the sunlight—a smile even brighter than the sun itself. It was his elder brother, Norma, who had reportedly arrived in Baghdad late the previous evening.

“Norma!”

Nicholas called out loudly, his voice filled with excitement. Norma, hearing his name, responded with a gentle wave, his eyes crinkling in a warm smile.

At that moment, the usually stoic Nicholas’s expression softened. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, closing the distance between them.

It had been a year since the two brothers last met.

Nicholas stood silently, observing the small black creature staring back at him with wary eyes.

“Adorable, isn’t she?”

Norma’s voice, brimming with pride, broke the silence. Nicholas nodded reflexively but didn’t find her particularly cute. He knew lying violated his principles, but seeing his brother smile so contentedly made him think this particular lie wasn’t such a bad one.

After justifying himself, Nicholas looked again at the little beast nestled in Norma’s arms. The creature, named Antoinette, bared her tiny fangs as if she had been waiting for his gaze.

“……”

She wasn’t merely wary of strangers; it seemed she genuinely disliked him. Despite her delicate, charming appearance, her threatening display was far from cute—it was intimidating, to say the least.

What struck Nicholas most was how strangely familiar her demeanor seemed.

“Antoinette resembles Aisa—my wife.”

Norma said, as if reading his thoughts.

Ah.

Nicholas flinched briefly at the mention of that grand name, which never failed to catch him off guard. He finally understood why Antoinette felt so familiar. Her defiant growl was uncannily similar to the head of the McFoy family.

For a moment, Nicholas’s realization left him speechless. Then his attention shifted to Norma, who had casually added “my wife” and was now blushing faintly. Nicholas blinked and asked simply.

“Norma, how have you been?”

It was a straightforward question, as expected of Nicholas, but Norma understood the depth behind it. His face lit up with amusement as he answered.

“So well, I look forward to every day. My wife is utterly delightful and entertaining. She leaves me no room for other thoughts, nor can I take my eyes off her. When I saw you smile unknowingly while talking about someone you cared for, I wondered if that was how it felt—now I know.”

For a fleeting moment, Nicholas’s expression betrayed his confusion. The person Norma described sounded nothing like the Aisa McFoy he knew—delightful and entertaining? Impossible.

Though the change in his expression was subtle, Norma noticed immediately and chuckled softly. He had no intention of clarifying. Aisa’s endearing qualities were his secret to cherish.

“You look weary.”

Norma said, reaching out toward Nicholas. His fingertips glowed faintly with warmth as they hovered in front of his younger brother’s forehead. Nicholas chuckled lightly at the rare, childlike display of affection, a smile gracing his usually reserved face.

“I’m managing.”

Nicholas replied, shaking his head slightly as if to say it wasn’t a big deal. His calm voice drew a bittersweet smile from Norma.

For a moment, the brothers exchanged silent glances. The Diazis, known for their reticence, often communicated with their eyes rather than words.

Finally, Norma broke the silence cautiously.

“Nicholas.”

“Yeah?”

“I know it’s shameless of me, but… will you help me a bit more?”

Nicholas, ever willing when it came to his brother, nodded instinctively. It seemed Norma had another purpose for coming to Baghdad beyond what he had initially stated.

“Sealing it isn’t enough. We need to find a way to destroy Nyx completely. The clues from the West aren’t enough.”

“…We’ve already tried every known method, the old ones included.”

“Even the records from the ancient temples are useless, it seems.”

At Norma’s low, somber voice, Nicholas nodded quietly. Unless the goddess herself descended, it seemed impossible to eliminate Nyx. Closing his eyes briefly, Norma spoke again.

“I want to see its condition for myself.”

“But brother—”

Nicholas frowned with concern, but Norma cut him off firmly. “I’m fine now. I barely hear Ego’s voice anymore. Besides, I can’t leave everything to you forever.”

“I can handle it.”

“…Nyx.”

Norma swallowed, his voice faltering. Just saying the name seemed to take immense effort.

“Nothing frightens me more than the thought of it going after Aisa again.”

His eyelids trembled as he spoke. Nicholas, who had been trying to dissuade him, fell silent. He recalled a letter from Ophelia not long ago that expressed a similar sentiment.

“To be honest, I’m scared. I can’t imagine life without her anymore… and she’s so brave.”

As if struggling to suppress his emotions, Norma muttered under his breath.

Nicholas, who had always remembered his brother as a carefree and composed figure, was unsettled by this unfamiliar, anxious side of him. He couldn’t deny the truth anymore: the two people he cherished most in the world were breathing thanks to Aisa McFoy.

 

“Under no circumstances can the seal be broken this time. If it is, Nyx will go straight to Aisa. Not me—to Aisa.”

 

Ophelia had repeated those words like a mantra during their last meeting. Even in her occasional letters, she never failed to stress that the seal must hold.

Nicholas had never asked why she was so certain Nyx would seek out Aisa McFoy if it awakened. He already had a vague idea.

Two traces of divine power remained in Tantaros. One was unmistakably Norma’s, while the other was a mystery. However, one thing was certain—it was extraordinary.

Ophelia had lost her divine power while saving Aisa McFoy eleven years ago. If Nicholas’s suspicions were correct, and her power hadn’t vanished but had instead been transferred to McFoy…

Then Nyx would indeed go straight to Aisa upon awakening, just as Ophelia feared. Even if Ophelia stood in its way, it wouldn’t matter. What Nyx coveted wasn’t her body but her power.

Nicholas’s thoughts grew heavier.

Just yesterday, the seal had shown signs of instability, causing a disturbance. What if the seal broke and Aisa McFoy was harmed? The mere possibility that he could lose both of them without a chance to act drove him to despair.

Feeling faint, Nicholas looked again at Norma’s face. His brother’s stern expression and anxious resolve to destroy Nyx confirmed that he, too, was aware of the danger.

‘I can’t let Nyx leave Baghdad, no matter what happens.’

Resolving himself, Nicholas was pulled from his thoughts when a high-ranking priest approached.

“Lord Diazi!”

The priest called urgently, restrained by the knights. At the sight of the priest, Nicholas narrowed his eyes. She was one of Hailot’s priests from Hugo.

* * *

After practically abducting Edio and tossing him into the auxiliary carriage, I fled the temple in a daze, like a soldier retreating from a crushing defeat. The black carriage sped recklessly down the muddy road, hurtling toward McFoy Castle.

Inside, silence reigned, heavy and oppressive as death. I could feel Erika’s worried glances darting my way more than once, but I kept my eyes shut. It felt as if my head might explode at any moment.

Had it already been half a year since I left the Tibey estate with Norma’s hand in mine? I had been so immersed in the quiet comfort of everyday life that this sudden threat felt all the more shocking. I was startled, not by something new, but by the long-forgotten reality of it all.

‘You knew this could happen.’

It wasn’t as though I hadn’t considered the possibility that I might not be able to defy *Ophelia and the Night*. And yet here I was, shaken to my core.

At last, I finished organizing my thoughts and slowly opened my eyes.

“Lord…”

I was met with a pair of pale green eyes that had been watching me anxiously, waiting for me to come around. In that moment, despite the clarity I had forced upon myself, I wanted nothing more than to grab Erika and wail, to scream and ask what I was supposed to do now.

“Once we’re back at the castle.”

I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

“Stop all preparations for Foundation Day. Evacuate as many people as possible beyond the estate borders. Those who cannot leave should take shelter in temples and sanctuaries. Archie McFoy’s safety, as well as that of our people, is the top priority.”

At moments like this, the head of McFoy had to regain composure and focus on what could be done. No time to crumble. Erika’s brow furrowed slowly at my calm yet ominous instructions, her unease growing with each word.

“Do you mean to say…”

“‘It’ is coming. For me.”

“If you’ve had a troubling dream, perhaps you should take a moment to breathe and—”

“If this were just a dream, I wouldn’t feel this terrible.”

“I truly don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I’ll say it once more. Nyx will come for me, to finish what it couldn’t in Tantaros.”

My voice, cold and detached, unsettled Erika even further. She shook her head slowly, as though refusing to accept what she had just heard.

“Please, calm yourself.”

“I am calmer than I’ve ever been, Erika. It’s you who needs to stay composed.”

“How could that… thing possibly come for you?”

“I can’t leave McFoy.”

“But the High Priest and Lord Diazi reinforce the seal daily! It won’t happen. Please don’t say such ominous things,” she said, her tone colored by dread as she snapped her head toward the window.

Her reaction didn’t faze me. I continued speaking in the same measured tone. “I know how Nyx operates. It kidnapped me once to lure Ophelia out. If I hide now, it’ll do the same, or worse, to draw me out.”

Erika turned back to me, her expression twisting. Her eyes begged me to tell her I was joking, but I couldn’t give her the reassurance she wanted.

“If I stay out of sight, it’ll tear McFoy apart until I show myself.”

The head of McFoy couldn’t run. No, I *mustn’t* run. Erika’s face contorted fully at my words, the weight of what I was saying sinking in.

“McFoy will not be safe if I flee,” I added, my voice resolute.

Erika’s silence stretched, her anguish written all over her face. Even as her worry clawed at me, I couldn’t waver. Not now.