Chapter four

In the small interrogation room, there were no windows, only a black glass wall. Ancient glowing runes were embedded into the walls, their lines moving as if alive, exerting an intangible pressure. The intense protective energy sealed everything inside from the outside world.

In the center of the room, the vampire prince was bound to a steel chair, cables tightly binding him. His red eyes stared at Princess Zan, who stepped through the door with graceful poise. Her golden armor reflected the light from the lamps, revealing her cold and determined gaze.

"What are you trying to do?"

The vampire prince smiled faintly before chuckling. "Do you really want to know? But I wonder if you can handle the answer…"

"This isn't the time for games," she said in a calm voice, though it carried power. "How did you break through the sacred barrier?"

The prince leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with both mockery and weariness. "Why should I tell you? But if you're interested in visiting my kingdom, I'll welcome you with honor, especially you, my beautiful lady…"

Princess Zan suppressed her cold demeanor and walked around the chair where the prince was seated.

"I'll ask again. What exactly are you planning?"

"I'm thirsty for blood. In the bag you took from me, there's some high-quality synthetic blood. You might want to try a bottle. It's really tasty."

Princess Zan smirked at the vampire prince's nonsense. "In that case, if you cooperate, we may find a way to help you."

"Help me? What help?" The prince laughed softly. "I am the vampire prince... The only thing I desire is the freedom of my kind. But you wouldn't understand, would you? You've lived your life in the outside world, a world full of everything."

Princess Zan stopped walking, her face tightening. "As far as I know, the sacred barrier has started to weaken. I don't really care how you got out. Once I capture that witch, I'll send you all back to the Dark Continent, with the priests from the Grand Continent coming to repair the sacred barrier."

"Wow… how ruthless, Princess," the vampire prince smiled faintly. "We've been imprisoned there for generations. Let me warn you, if we escape again, your world will crumble."

"Then you better get out of here first, Prince."

With those words, Princess Zan turned and left the room, leaving the female knights to escort the vampire prince to a new cell, not even looking back at him.

Princess Zan walked out of the interrogation room, her face filled with pressure. She entered the meeting room within her fortress. The room was round, with magical glass windows all around, offering a view of mountains and lush forests.

Tae sat at the table, while Max and Aém leaned against the nearby wall.

"So, how did it go, Princess?" Tae asked, while swiping through some data on a holographic device.

"I got nothing from him," Princess Zan replied, sitting down in a chair, her posture weary.

"Not surprising," Max said, crossing his arms.

"Anyway, we need to capture that witch as soon as possible," Aém spoke up, his tone filled with unease. "She's the only one who knows the whole plan, and right now, we have no idea where she is."

"Why would we not know?" Tae replied, sliding his finger across the holographic map. "When she charged into my shield, some nano-particles dispersed into her clothing, allowing us to track her."

"Hey, that's lucky!" Aém exclaimed.

"The signal points to the ancient forest near the border," Tae reported.

"What is she going to do there?" Princess Zan furrowed her brow.

"We don't know either, but she's impressive. She managed to travel so far on foot in such a short time. If she'd flown, it would have been like teleporting," Tae laughed and took a sip of his coffee.

"She didn't fly because she's trying to avoid being detected by that system of yours," Max interjected. "That anti-extraterrestrial threat project of yours can detect anything beyond the standard thresholds."

"Wow, so you've actually done it?" Aém's eyes lit up, clearly excited about Tae's project.

"I never told you about this project, how did you know?" Tae furrowed his brow.

"What are you guys talking about? What's from beyond the world?" Princess Zan asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's nothing, Your Highness," Tae tried to change the topic. "The most important thing right now is that we need to make a plan to capture her again."

Princess Zan nodded.

Tae stood in front of the hologram in the center of the room. It displayed information about Laufey Whitewhole, the witch awakened from the dead.

"According to the data Sunday pulled from the wizardry records," Tae began explaining, "she is one of the heirs of the witch families that hold the secrets of the world of unsealing. There are currently five major families, but most of them reside in the northern Milky Way continent, as you know, that place is a global powerhouse. In simple terms, it's where the strictest border control in the world is..."

Aém shook her head at Tae's comparison.

"Anyway, that pale-faced one is very lucky to be here. And here's something important: she died two years ago and was buried in the White Rose cemetery. She has no criminal record and... she was resurrected just a few days ago by that vampire."

"This vampire must have received some plans from someone else, otherwise, it wouldn't fit together this well," Max said.

"We don't know who's behind this yet. So, could you summarize how we're going to capture Laufey?" Aém asked while resting her chin on the table.

"We'll need someone who can use magic as well," Tae said, glancing at Max.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Max asked, annoyed.

"You need to go apologize to Piana and get her to rejoin the team."

Max's eyes widened. "No... I'm sorry, everyone. We should find someone else."

"Are you crazy?" Tae shook his head. "I don't know what your problem is, but could you tone down the ego?"

Princess Zan, sitting at the head of the table, looked at Max with gentle eyes. "Max... I know you don't want to face her, but right now we all need to come together."

Max sighed deeply, his eyes lowered to avoid making eye contact.

"If you don't want to face her..." Aém spoke up. "I'll go find her myself."

Max looked up at Aém, his emotions complex, but he said nothing.

"Okay, Aém, you go find Piana," Tae said. "The three of us will track Laufey in the ancient forest... if anything unexpected happens, we'll inform everyone immediately."

…

The light from the lantern flickered in the corner of the dungeon. The cold, damp stone walls echoed with the footsteps of the guards patrolling outside the door. Prince Garrick sat on an old wooden chair, chained with magical chains. He stared at the floor with eyes full of anger and confusion.

Suddenly, a dark shadow began to form in the middle of the room. The figure of a mysterious wizard appeared. The tattered cloak moved slightly, as if there were no wind. A pale hood concealed the face, making it impossible to see clearly. Only the eyes, staring directly at the prince, were visible.

"Dammit!" the prince cursed before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Get me out of this damn prison now!"

The wizard let out a soft laugh, his voice as cold as the night wind. "I apologize, Your Highness, but I am only here in spirit."

The prince raised an eyebrow, slightly leaning forward. "Spirit form?"

The wizard raised his pale, bony hand and swept it across the prince's chest. His hand passed through the prince's body as if it were an illusion. "I cannot free you. My physical form is hidden in a place no one can find. I am still too weak to reveal myself... but I am here to warn you."

The prince furrowed his brow tightly. "Warn me? You promised to destroy the barrier if I followed your plan. I would resurrect her, even though she deliberately left me. I know she's gone to that ancient forest. I've done everything you've asked! Just send someone to help me!"

The wizard narrowed his eyes. "The mission is not complete. The city of Chopia must fall first, then I will destroy the barrier."

"Don't give me those vague words!" the prince growled in a whisper, glaring at the wizard. "Why must the city fall first?"

The wizard paused for a moment before stepping closer, his footsteps barely audible.

"Actually, I must destroy the three sacred stones first."

"What did you say?"

"Those stones were created by the power of ancient priests and were scattered in far-off lands, so your ancestors could not use the power of meteors to take over this world. You must know... the three stones are linked like an invisible energy thread, working together to create the barrier that traps you."

"But whenever one of those stones is destroyed... the barrier will weaken. And when all the stones are destroyed... the barrier will collapse. Your people will be free."

"Does this city really have those stones you mentioned?" The vampire prince furrowed his brow. "And you expect to flip the entire city upside down for this?"

"Destroying the city is for satisfaction, but the bat demon have the ability to find those stones. That's why the witch must unseal it."

"You're deceitful! Even if I succeed, you won't have the ability to destroy the barrier for me immediately as promised!"

"You live in a bubble. If you knew who I truly am, you'd be scared out of your wits before I even finished speaking. But since you've completed this mission for me, I will indeed destroy the barrier. Join me in conquering this world, Prince. Or, if you think of betraying me, once I regain my power, I'll return to settle things with you."

The wizard tilted his head slightly in mockery.

"Perhaps, if you're thirsty for blood, your wallet is two rooms away..."

With those words, his spirit form began to fade into the air, leaving the prince sitting alone.

"Damn it! Where's the hurry? Send someone to help me now!"

…

In Tae's airship, the planning room was filled with holograms that projected strange energy wave points, moving in ways unlike normal energy waves. The lines of these waves appeared unstable, as if alive, shifting unpredictably according to forces beyond comprehension. In one corner, a map of the Dark Continent was displayed, with blurred and unclear borders. Amidst the glowing holographic lights, Tae turned to look at everyone in the room with a serious expression.

"These ancient stones are the quantum energy centers, scattered across different regions. It's as if... each stone emits a certain energy signal in the form of waves, connecting with each other regardless of distance, much like quantum entanglement." He paused for a moment, allowing the crew to absorb and understand his words before continuing.

"The energy emitted from the stones converges into a vast network, which creates and sustains the sacred barrier surrounding the Dark Continent," Tae pointed at the hologram of the Dark Continent, which seemed to fade into the deep darkness.

"But the problem is... If any of the stones are destroyed, the energy connected to them will start to disperse. All the energy waves will begin to destabilize, and the barrier that is nourished by these energies will start to weaken."

Max nodded and asked, "So where are these stones located?"

"In the Great Continent, the Cold Palace, and..." Tae looked at Princess Zan standing beside him.

Princess Zan spoke for herself, "In my city... my father moved it to me when he gave me control of the city."

"Things are starting to smell bad," Max said with dissatisfaction. "Someone behind this... I have a bad feeling that Chopia will be the first target. That pale-faced guy is probably trying to break the barrier to unleash his kind.

"Besides Tae, who knows where the stones are, there must be others who know as well. And that person must be a traitor trying to destroy the barrier, hoping to harness the power of the ancient meteorite stones."

"I think that pale-faced guy wasn't the first to escape, but he was the first caught, thanks to his own advanced submarine," Tae said with a firm tone.

"Did you bring that ship back with you?" Max asked.

"No, we left it floating there," Tae replied flatly.

"When we catch her, I'll send her to the authorities of the Great Continent, and that vampire prince will be sent back to the Dark Continent as usual. The barrier will be maintained by the Priesthood to ensure no one can get in or out again," Princess Zan said.

"Excellent, Princess," Tae complimented with a small smile at the corner of his mouth.

...Meanwhile, the airship entered the airspace of Dali Village.

The sun began to rise from the horizon, casting a soft orange light mixed with pink across the sky. The airship slowly descended and landed a short distance from the village. Afterward, the three of them walked on foot into the village.

The ancient forest, located far from the village, was thousands of years old, with giant trees and unfamiliar plants growing in a tranquil silence. The villagers believed that this forest contained some kind of special power, as if it was a source full of secrets that no one could fully understand.

The village chief had received a secret message from Princess Zan just hours ago. The message indicated that the princess and her party would require two horses for a covert journey to the ancient forest, hoping to avoid drawing attention and causing panic in the peaceful village.

The village chief quietly received the message and gave instructions to prepare the horses promptly.

Back in the present, Princess Zan led Tae and Max to a small grassy field that stretched to the edge of the village. Nearby, two horses were waiting, with the village chief and his assistants standing respectfully. The sound of leaves rustling from the nearby forest was accompanied by a soft breeze.

The village chief bowed respectfully upon seeing Princess Zan approach, along with her companions. He lowered his head humbly and greeted her.

"Princess Zan, welcome. The horses have been prepared as requested."

Princess Zan stopped and nodded at the village chief, "Thank you for preparing everything for us."

Tae nodded slightly, "Thank you for your help."

Max, standing beside them, didn't speak but could feel the tension in the air. Every move they made had to be cautious, as Princess Zan's presence could attract the villagers' attention.

"Let's go," Princess Zan said.

The village chief bowed his head and spoke in a deep voice, "I wish you good luck. I will support you from here."

Princess Zan urged her horse forward confidently, with Tae following cautiously behind. Max, unaccustomed to horseback riding, was forced to ride behind Princess Zan. He held her waist to steady himself and avoid falling as the horse jumped over obstacles. Max could feel the vibrations from the horse's movements and the steady balance of Princess Zan.

Though no words were exchanged between them, a certain feeling hung in the silence, clear and undeniable. The rhythm of the horse's steps made Max sense Princess Zan's confidence, and in that moment, he felt an unspoken bond that needed no words to explain.

As they traveled along a narrow path shaded by large trees on both sides, the sound of the horse's hooves was soft, yet they could hear their breaths blending with the sounds of nature in the early morning. They were heading toward the ancient forest, still filled with mystery, and the tension in the air was palpable as they approached the dangerous area ahead.