Episode 167

As I returned home and had dinner with my family, the scenes I had witnessed at the imperial palace never left my mind.

The most shocking of all was, without a doubt, Lloydin’s death.

The image of him struggling to keep his eyes open until the very last moment was still so vivid, as if it were happening right in front of me.

‘I have to come up with a plan.’

Now that I knew Lloydin was in danger, I couldn’t just sit idly by.

Even if we couldn’t be together, I wanted him to live, to find freedom, and to be happy.

He absolutely deserved that, and considering all the years of suffering he’d endured, it was only right.

I couldn’t allow Lloydin to die such a meaningless death.

But with the limited time I had, there wasn’t enough time to stay cooped up and devise a detailed plan.

The Crown Prince was leaving tomorrow for the borders of the Black Forest.

If I was going to save Lloydin, I needed to get to him first, before the Crown Prince did.

‘But how?’

I didn’t even know exactly where the Black Forest was. Could I even find the place on my own?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it would be impossible to do it alone.

At that moment, I glanced across the table and saw my brother, Noah.

We were all sitting together in Noah’s room after dinner, enjoying dessert—just the four of us, Luke, Jade, Noah, and me.

‘If it’s Noah…’

Noah had recently returned from near the Black Forest, so he would definitely know the area better than anyone.

But would he agree to go back to such a dangerous place, especially with the war still ongoing?

And besides, he had just returned home…

I was lost in thought, staring at Noah when he seemed to notice my gaze. He looked at me and spoke.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I…”

“Why are you hesitating?”

Luke interrupted our conversation, chiming in.

“Are you two trying to have a private conversation again?”

He glanced between Noah and me with discontent, worried he might be excluded.

“No, it’s not like that…”

As I trailed off, unable to answer properly, Luke’s eyes lit up as if he’d known all along.

“Of course it is. So what is it? Tell us right here.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Jade, then Noah, and finally Luke.

“Ayla, is something wrong?” Jade asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Well…”

Noah gave me a small nod of encouragement. It felt like he was telling me to do what I wanted, giving me the courage to speak up.

That’s right. I couldn’t do this alone.

And I had my trustworthy brothers by my side, willing to help me with whatever I needed.

Looking at them gave me the confidence to begin explaining what Noah had told me about my abilities, recounting the situation where I had fallen into a sleep induced by spiritual power and the abilities that had emerged from it.

“So, Ayla, you’re saying you can see other people’s memories?” Luke asked.

“Yes.”

I smiled faintly as I answered his question.

“Is this true?” Luke still seemed skeptical and turned to Noah for confirmation.

“It is. And not only memories, she can see into futures that have yet to happen.”

“How is that even possible?”

Still filled with doubt, Luke stared at me. I grinned mischievously and extended my hand toward him.

“Give me your hand. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you myself.”

“What?”

“I’ll take a peek at your memories. Hmm, didn’t you mention someone you’ve been meeting lately? How about I take a look at what you’ve been up to?”

“Ah, no! That’s okay. I believe you!” Luke quickly recoiled from my hand, shaking with discomfort.

“Come on, let me show you. Just a little?”

“No thanks! If Noah says it’s true, I believe it! Right, Jade?”

Unlike the flustered Luke, Jade nodded calmly.

“Ayla, you went to the palace today, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You met with His Highness, the Crown Prince?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then… don’t tell me…”

“You’re right, Jade. I peeked into the Crown Prince’s memories.”

“What?”

“Seriously?”

Jade and Luke both stared at me in disbelief, while Noah remained composed.

“And I saw things I could never have imagined.”

“What did you see?”

Noah asked, and suddenly, all the scenes I had witnessed flooded back into my mind like a waterfall.

“The terrible things His Highness has done.”

“Terrible things? Like what?”

“They were truly awful. Even just thinking about it now makes my skin crawl, my stomach churn, and… I feel like crying.”

“Ayla…”

My eyes welled up with tears. Being around my brothers brought me a sense of comfort, making it easier for my emotions to surface.

Seeing me like that, Jade spoke to me in a gentle voice, trying to comfort me.

“Don’t worry, we’re here. Tell us everything. Don’t carry this burden alone—just spill it all out, without holding anything back.”

“I will.”

After that, I told my brothers everything I had seen. How the Crown Prince had fed the Emperor a potion laced with magical power, how he had been meeting regularly with the man from the Black Forest, about Ian’s magical rampage, and finally, Lloydin’s death.

“That’s everything I saw…”

Even after I finished speaking, my brothers remained silent for a while.

In that heavy silence, we all seemed lost in our own thoughts.

Eventually, Noah was the first to break the long quiet.

“Can you describe the man you saw in more detail?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. He was unbelievably tall, to the point that I doubted whether he was even human. His hands and feet were massive too. He reminded me of the demons I’ve read about in history books.”

“A demon?”

“Yeah. His entire presence was so dark and oppressive that just being near him made me feel like I could be sucked into some abyss. Is the man I saw the ruler of the Black Forest?”

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“The ruler of the Black Forest? How do you know that?”

Jade asked, and instead of answering, Noah stood up and walked over to his desk, picking up a book.

“What book is that? *The Secrets of the Black Forest?*”

Jade muttered the title as he flipped through the pages.

“This book explains everything. What the Black Forest is and who resides there.”

“What kind of book is it? I want to see too.”

“Hold on. Let me skim through it first.”

Jade quickly turned the pages, reading through the book, while Luke, too impatient to wait, was peeking over his shoulder.

Watching them, I turned my gaze to Noah and asked, “Noah, is there really a divine sword in the High Temple?”

“It’s not something anyone can see, so I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard that it exists.”

“So it’s real… it really exists…”

So, the sword that killed Lloydin was the actual divine sword.

“I’ve heard that the sword, imbued with the strongest divine power, is stored deep within the High Temple, and only the High Priest can access it. But it’s strange… Divine power is supposed to stabilize magic. So why did it…?”

Noah seemed to share the same confusion I had.

“That man said it was more than just stabilization. He said it was a way to completely deplete magic.”

I repeated the words I’d overheard from the man.

“Ah, that makes sense. He’s exploiting the fact that people like those in the Blighton family or monsters, who are born with magical power, would die if all the magic inside them were drained.”

Noah furrowed his brow, shaking his head in disgust.

“So, Ayla, what do you plan to do now?”

“I…”

At that moment, both Jade and Luke, who had been glued to the book, looked up and stared at me.

It was clear they were curious about what I was going to say. They watched me in silence.

I met each of their gazes in turn.

Then, with a voice filled with resolute determination, I spoke the decision I had made long ago.

“I’m going to the Black Forest. Right now.”

“What?!”

“What? Are you serious?”

“The Black Forest? Ayla, are you out of your mind?”

Despite my brothers’ strong reactions, my resolve didn’t waver.

To save Lloydin, I was prepared to go there, even if it meant walking into hell itself.

“I’m completely serious.”

I said it with a smile as I looked back at my brothers.