Chapter 74 : The Gates of Ortheva

Dirga kept moving forward, step by step.

Nothing too dangerous crossed their path—no twisted beasts, no more monstrous Butchers. Just the slow rhythm of walking beside the river, the trees parting gradually as the dark, cursed forest began to thin.

Kaela had finally awakened.

Still weak, her body hadn't recovered enough to walk long distances, so Dirga continued to carry her, secured to his back with the Crimson Core's shifting bands. The warmth of her breathing on his shoulder was a quiet reminder—she was alive. And that was enough.

But when Kaela's voice broke the silence with a simple question—

"Where's Theryn?"

—Dirga faltered.

He glanced at Saelari. His throat tightened. Delivering bad news had never been his strength—and this was a wound too fresh, too raw.

Saelari understood the look. She stepped closer, her voice soft but steady.

She explained everything.

Dracula's mark.

The battle within Theryn.