— Lucas LordMurt:
"Don't ever look at me with that kind of gaze," he snapped at a frightened girl, her face trembling several times before she finally lowered her head, not daring to meet Lucas' eyes.
"Answer now! Call me Master, you damned bastard." His booming voice echoed through the cave, and with a flat hand, he slapped the poor girl so hard that she surrendered instantly.
"Yes...! Master, Master..." she said helplessly, the already dark room seeming even darker as no one dared to look up, their faces grim with fear—this was their fate.
When someone in power abuses their authority, it brings disastrous consequences to anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with such greed.
This was a nature found in countless living beings on Earth, but it was closer to humans than to Elves, even Dwarves—something whose evil far surpassed that of beasts or anything else in the world.
The girl shivered, collapsing as her body could no longer withstand the cold after Lucas tore off her hood right in front of her face.
Her delicate fingers lay wide open on the ground, drawing Lucas' attention. He grinned, a grin that widened as he approached her.
"Master! Please forgive me, Master!" the girl croaked. Her face was grimy with dirt, and her tears spread the filth across her cheeks.
She pleaded with all the pride she had left, bowing her head and even prostrating herself before him, only to pull back weakly into a sitting position, her body powerless.
Once again, her body grew weaker, yet she remained bowed, worshipping him and crying out for mercy.
Lucas wore a terrifying expression, as if he were a psychopath, though he himself would have acted the same way if he were ever oppressed like this.
"You're beautiful... how about becoming..." His gaze bore into her face as he roughly yanked at the bangs of her brown hair, making her cry out.
"Aaaarrrgghhh!"
"Mpphhh... Aaack!"
He pulled harder, nearly peeling her skin from her skull.
"Please... stop... I beg you... MASTER Lucas..." Her voice was barely louder than the crackling torches, quieter even than the crickets chirping around them.
Lucas let go of her hair but followed it with another brutal slap, this time infused with mana, causing blood to splatter from her face.
"I'm sorry..." she coughed. "Master, forgive me."
The crowd edged further away, their faces twisted in anger—but what could mere commoners do?
The cold wind blew, a soft breeze that would usually bring peace, but here it became a nightmare for the girl. She whimpered in pain, shivering violently.
It was as if needles were slowly piercing her skin one by one. Lucas burst into laughter—loud, deranged laughter that echoed powerfully through the cavern.
Creating his own sadistic joy, Lucas lifted his boot. He stomped down on the girl's delicate fingers, the thick and sharp sole crushing them with a loud CRACK.
She cried out again, this time a horrifying, shrill scream.
Lucas moved on to the next finger, this time grinding his heel into it, crushing skin and bone alike.
Her sobs became silent, her body convulsing slightly, her throat swallowing but catching halfway, her breaths shallow and rapid. Her left hand was destroyed—five fingers reduced to mangled ruins.
The girl didn't dare look. Her body was limp—until, suddenly, something like a miracle happened.
The torches—no, the torches were extinguished by what seemed like a sudden gust of violent wind.
Seconds later, a deep and powerful voice was heard near the girl, though none could see anything—not even Lucas himself.
"Are you alright?" the raspy voice asked, as a figure approached her through the darkness, reaching for her shattered hand. A green glow slowly expanded from the figure's touch.
Her fingers regenerated, and he wrapped a new cloak around her, helping her withstand the cold.
Before standing back up, he used magic to keep her body warm.
Her sobs returned, but they were calmer now; her breathing steadied even though the trauma left her frozen in place.
In the midst of that darkness, no one could see what truly happened, except for the green healing light—and even that was hidden again once a single torch reignited.
The uneven walls reflected the orange glow, revealing a tall figure standing before Lucas.
He wore a mask and a ragged hooded cloak.
Yet the sheer intimidation radiating from him left Lucas powerless in his presence.
---
— Loraine Eleanoir:
I was brought by Wein to the edge of a cliff, where below us the sea could be seen—belonging more to the CyFil Empire's territory than to CyFil itself, for it was shrouded by natural mist.
They stood there together, looking up and down, admiring the breathtaking scenery.
Wein held onto the railing while Loraine rested her arm against it, their eyes shifting between the sky above and the abyss below, before returning to the heavens again.
The silence stretched on until Loraine grew restless.
"How long does it usually take?" she asked, pushing aside her impatience and regaining her enthusiasm.
"Should be any moment now, but in a few more minutes, the temperature will drop even lower," Wein grumbled in frustration, sighing tiredly—until something caught their attention.
Both of them slowly turned their necks, their eyes following a movement they couldn't ignore.
At the peak of the steep cliff, the world seemed frozen in sacred stillness. The sky above, vast and boundless, suddenly tore open with the dance of eternal light. The aurora exploded across the horizon like divine ripples, painting the night sky in shades of emerald green, deep purple, and pale gold. Each strand of light twisted and flowed in an inexplicable rhythm, as if unseen giants were painting a celestial canvas.
The lights rolled, dipped, and soared, casting magical glimmers across the snowy landscape below.
The cliff where they stood felt as if it were floating—like the world itself was nothing more than a tiny stage for this grand spectacle given only once in a thousand years.
The night wind, sharp as an ice blade, carried a gentle hum—the earth's own trembling prayer under the aurora's gaze.
As the lights danced, the world felt distant. Time faded.
Only the endless celestial glow tearing through the night remained, burning itself into the souls of those fortunate enough to witness it.
"I feel like fairies are singing when I see this." Her eyes sparkled.
"Am I dreaming?" she whispered so softly it was barely audible.