Rain fell.
First slow, then fast.
Tip. Tip. Tip.
Then—vigorously. A downpour, relentless and heavy.
Azel's lifeless body lay sprawled in the mud. Blood seeped from his wounds, too much of it, soaking into the cold earth beneath him. Steam rose faintly from the torn flesh where the holy sword had pierced through, burned clean by divine magic.
There was silence. Nothing more. Nothing less. A stillness too cruel to be peace—like the world itself was mourning him.
Then, laughter broke through.
"AHAHAHA"
It was strained. Shaky. A laugh carved from pain and fury. The kind of laugh that came with clenched teeth and tears. And then… he moved.
The body twitched.
Then it rose.
Azel's body stood, upright and unsteady, his eyes wide open. He was conscious. Aware and Breathing.
And grinning widely.
"You're losing control!"
Forbanna's voice screamed inside his mind.
But he didn't answer her.
He wasn't listening.
The rain drenched him. Blood and water mixed across his skin, but he didn't feel it. He was somewhere else—somewhere darker. His rage drowned everything out.
How could he forget?
The world hated him. Feared him. Wanted him dead.
He had forgotten that.
Anna made him forget. Her warmth, her smiles, her kindness—they dulled the pain. Hid the truth. That he was cursed, hated, hunted.
Now, he remembered. And remembering brought agony.
He was standing on the edge of his sanity.
"Multiply the curse magic. A hundredfold."
"You'll die. Your body will explode. And I'll die with you."
Azel clenched his fists in frustration.
"Calm down."
He was angry—not just for himself, but for Anna. The image of her being dragged away haunted him. He saw the way Hakugo looked at her.
If they laid even a finger on her he would burn the church.
Then—
A sound.
A presence.
A figure approached through the rain. A tall man in black, wearing a smiling joker mask, calmly stepping toward Azel through the mud as if the storm didn't exist.
Azel tensed, eyes narrowing.
"Who are you?"
He growled.
The man stopped. He slowly removed the mask.
He was… forgettable. Ordinary. Blonde hair, black eyes, a slender face. The kind of person you'd see in a crowd and immediately forget.
"I'm not your enemy."
Azel didn't lower his guard.
"I asked who are you?"
"Piero Macedona. Son of the Macedona household."
Azel's expression darkened.
"And what do you want?"
Piero didn't hesitate.
"To help you. I saw what happened. I was… watching. Peeking, if I'm honest."
Azel's glare sharpened.
"So you watched her get taken?"
"Yes! Hakugo noticed me. But he didn't care. Probably because my father's an important asset to the Church."
"..."
Piero gave a short nod.
"I want your help. Infiltrate the auction with me. We'll save them—Anna and someone else I care about."
Azel narrowed his eyes.
"Why should I care?"
Piero's voice tightened.
"The patriarch of my family—Luther Macedona—hates interspecies love. My childhood friend, Mary, is an elf. She's also the woman I love."
He clenched his jaw.
"When my father found out… he had her enslaved. And now, she's being sold at this very auction."
"So you were here to buy her back."
"Yes."
"And now you want my help."
Piero nodded again.
Azel scoffed.
"Why bother? Even if you save her, your father will come again. She'll be taken again. Sold again."
"I'm leaving this land with her. I'll run, disappear if I have to. But I need to save her first."
Azel shook his head, skeptical.
"You think love is enough?"
"I don't know but I will run away as far as I can."
Azel stared at him for a long moment.
"And what if I say no?"
"I'll expose you."
Piero said simply.
Azel's eyes narrowed, deadly.
"You saw me revive?"
"I saw everything."
"Then maybe I should kill you here."
"If you do, you'll be pursued. They'll know something's wrong. Think, Azel. There was one body: yours. If I die now, they'll suspect. Investigate. If word gets out that a Cursewright survived…"
He let the sentence hang.
Azel clicked his tongue, frustrated.
"He could be useful."
Azel stared up at the sky, soaked to the bone.
'I've fallen for her. I can't leave her in their hands.'
Forbanna didn't respond. She was unusually quiet, like something had shifted between them.
Azel turned back to Piero.
"Fine. What's the plan?"
Piero pulled out a folded scroll and opened it. A glowing glyph shimmered on the parchment.
"This glyph creates an anti-magic barrier within a limited area. It can't be escaped. Once activated, none of their magic will work, and no one will teleport or flee."
"And me?"
"You're a slave. I'll disguise you and sell you to the auction under a false name. I leave. You stay inside. When it begins, you cause a commotion."
"I'll free the slaves."
"No. You'll find her. Silver hair, mid-twenties, slender. Her name is Mary. You must save her."
Azel stared at him, quiet for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"I'll save her. And I'll get Anna back."
Piero handed him a small coin. It had the Macedona crest on it.
"This will mark you as part of my house. It'll get you through the gates."
Azel took it without a word.
Rain still poured. Thunder cracked in the distance.
He looked back toward the burning trees, toward where Anna had been taken.