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Noticing Azriel and Yelena approaching, everyone present bowed, thumping their fists against their chests in greeting.

Azriel stepped forward with a small smile, silently surveying the group.

Lumine furrowed his brows, noticing Yelena a few steps behind, her gaze fixed intently on Azriel\'s back for reasons he couldn\'t decipher.

The atmosphere grew tense under Azriel\'s presence, and Yelena quietly moved closer to Lumine.

Neither spoke; even though Lumine wanted to ask what was going on, the words simply wouldn\'t come.

\'Well, that\'s a surprise…\'

Azriel thought, his smile stretching wider as he focused on one of the government soldiers.

The man wore a black military uniform, his head shaved, his eyes sharp and seasoned, like those of a battle-hardened warrior. A fur-lined coat draped over his shoulders, adding to his formidable presence.

Azriel walked up to him, standing just an arm\'s length away and meeting his dark blue eyes. He narrowed his gaze, keeping the smile, though his eyes betrayed nothing of warmth.

\'The fucker who insulted my family… A Grade 3 Advanced.\'

The man was stronger than Azriel, but that didn\'t make victory impossible. Unlike Benson, this man wasn\'t a veteran with the strength to become an academy instructor.

\'I doubt I\'ll meet many who match Benson\'s overwhelming strength as an Advanced,\'

Azriel thought.

\'I didn\'t have time before, but I\'m close to breaking through and becoming a Grade 1 Intermediate…\'

He planned to make that breakthrough on the way to the Sunken Islands.

"You, what is your name?"

The man met Azriel\'s eyes, narrowing his own before responding.

"You can call me Cole, Prince Azriel."

"Sir Cole…"

Azriel repeated, as if memorizing it. His gaze shifted to the other government soldiers.

"I assume these men are all under your command, and you\'ll be joining us to the Sunken Islands?"

Cole nodded.

"It\'s only fair we join you, considering the men we lost attempting to rescue the Crimson King. And, with your need to complete this mission quickly, I\'m sure the Crimson King will be pleased to see us working together, rescuing him before word spreads."

Azriel sneered internally, looking at Cole.

\'Hypocrites. Always ready to insult the great clans but never hesitating to seek favors to survive.\'

He found it laughable, how the government acted mighty and prideful yet only survived by the great clans\' will in Asia.

\'Does he really think my father needs saving—or that he\'d care if the government teams up with us?\'

With Mira and Amaya present, everyone else would only slow them down in reaching the Sunken Islands.

But… everyone here had their own selfish reason for going, using the king\'s safety as an excuse.

Azriel\'s smile never faltered as he addressed Cole.

"Indeed, Sir Cole, you\'re absolutely right. It would benefit the Crimson Clan greatly to have the government\'s help. Allow me to thank you for your kindness in assisting us to save the king."

Azriel placed a hand on Cole\'s shoulder, his voice sincere.

Cole smiled, evidently pleased by Azriel\'s gratitude.

"Of course. It\'s only right for the strong to lend a hand."

As the conversation unfolded, two distinct reactions became clear among the onlookers.

On one side, the government soldiers looked pleased with themselves, their faces lit with satisfaction.

On the other… the Crimson Clan soldiers were glaring at Cole, some casting disapproving looks at Azriel, others confused by his behavior.

"Little brother, sometimes I do worry just how kind you are to people… and dogs, of course."

Suddenly, everyone\'s heads snapped up as a cold voice sounded behind Azriel. Jasmine walked toward them, her back straight, every step measured, her appearance flawless and her demeanor unshakable.

Like a switch, the reactions of the two groups reversed: government soldiers began to glare, while the Crimson soldiers looked pleased.

But no matter what, they all greeted her, bowing and thumping their fists against their chests.

\'Hmm…? I know the great clans and the government don\'t get along, but it seems Jasmine has something personal against them,\'

Azriel thought, intrigued but knowing now wasn\'t the time for questions.

As Jasmine reached Azriel, her gaze swept over everyone present. Though she might not have been the strongest, there was an unmistakable presence about her—an authority that commanded attention, similar to Mira, but in her own way.

Wearing a crimson military uniform that complemented her eyes, her hair fell loosely down her back, almost reaching her waist. She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Let\'s not waste any more time," she said, her voice decisive.

"Everyone\'s here, so let\'s head out."

With those words, it was clear who would be taking the lead.

It wasn\'t surprising. Jasmine was the heiress, trained to lead, with countless lessons and experience under her belt.

Her knowledge was in no way inferior to the others\', and her expertise in these situations outmatched most present.

Naturally, no one objected. Though some disliked it, they remained silent as the group prepared to move.

Azriel\'s lips twitched slightly as he took in the team assembled to reach the Sunken Islands.

\'It\'s like welding water with fire…\'

If the void creatures didn\'t kill them, Azriel feared this team might manage it on their own.

*****

The sky was an endless abyss, pure black, thick as ink, shrouding everything in oppressive silence. In that darkness, a castle stood—old, withered, and barely clinging to its former grandeur.

Its stones were chipped and worn, almost ghostly, as if a remnant of a world that had long since passed. Despite the consuming void around it, an untraceable light enveloped the castle, casting faint shadows that flickered like dying embers.

The castle lay alone on a small island, surrounded by dense, ancient trees that seemed to press inward, guarding or perhaps imprisoning it. Twisted branches and gnarled roots spilled over, merging with the rock and soil as if they had claimed the ground centuries ago.

And if one dared venture to the island\'s edge, they would meet only darkness—a suffocating emptiness that seemed to stretch infinitely.

But, gazing longer, it became clear: there was more beyond that darkness. Other islands floated in the void, each bathed in that same mysterious glow, as if they were tethered by some unseen force. Yet they bore no castles.

From the castle\'s highest tower, the islands lay sprawled out in the distance, each revealing a different, alien landscape.

One island held a colossal tree that towered skyward, its leaves white as bone, radiating an unnatural energy that chilled anyone who looked upon it. The tree dominated the entire island, sprawling roots and pale foliage giving it a serene yet unsettling beauty. Just staring at it sent an icy tremor down the spine, as though the tree held secrets older than memory itself.

Another island lay broken and strange. The remnants of an enormous statue—only legs and fractured feet—stood defiantly on its surface, the rest of its form shattered, eroded, and lost. Jagged metal and corroded stone lay scattered around, with a massive severed hand resting precariously near the island\'s edge. It seemed otherworldly, as if from a forgotten age.

And then, there was another island—one that defied sense and order. A vast, crystalline lake spread across its surface, impossibly clear, yet tinted with a faint iridescence that shifted with every breath of the stale air. The water\'s surface lay eerily still, reflecting the dark sky above, and ripples would sometimes appear with no cause, like invisible footsteps disturbing the glassy expanse.

At the center of this lake, a structure rose, unlike anything found in nature—a twisted tower of stone and bone, spiraling upward, its jagged edges jutting at odd angles. Half submerged, it seemed to be both growing and decaying at once, its surface dotted with clusters of luminescent fungi that pulsed with a dim, sickly glow. Veins of some unknown mineral traced the tower\'s length, emitting a faint hum, a vibration that filled the air, stirring an uncomfortable sensation deep in the chest.

Joaquin, perched atop the castle, took it all in, his gaze wandering from the islands back to the pure emptiness where no other land drifted.

Then, narrowing his eyes, he saw it—something stirring in that very darkness.

"Heh."

A sinister smile crept onto Joaquin\'s face as he watched the shadows.

"How cute… acting so shy, afraid of me."

As if in response, the abyss before him rippled slightly, causing Joaquin\'s smile to stretch even wider.

"You sure are lucky. I would have fought you right now if it weren\'t for the sake of keeping these islands intact... and my men, of course."

Whatever it was didn\'t dare to approach the island. It couldn\'t—not with Joaquin there.

But Joaquin didn\'t carelessly dare to approach it, either—or rather, approach what waited in that void.

In that Sea.