Carrying Samael Strigoi

An explosion of chaos struck the heart of Zaratugha!

The entire valley erupted in turmoil. How could it be—someone had dared to lay a hand on King Ravnos Strigoi? Fear crept into every home, slithered through the alleys, and spread to the villages beyond the city's edge.

The royal guards sprang into action, sweeping through every street and corridor. Then, like thunder cracking in broad daylight, the news came crashing down.

"My Lord! Rene—the human child—he's returned! He snuck into the Empress's quarters and freed Lord Samael Strigoi!" gasped a breathless soldier.

"What?!" Ravnos roared. "That insolent brat?! First, he poisons my son's mind with foolish dreams of the outside world, and now he dares to steal him from me?! After them! Bring him back alive—I want to rip his tongue out myself!"

At the far end of the city walls, Rene and Samael had been cornered. Trapped. Only a towering wall and a battalion of royal guards stood between them and freedom.

"Lord Samael!" one of the commanders called out. "The king is furious! Come back—do not follow that human!"

But Samael stood firm. His eyes blazed—not with fear, but with the hope of escaping Zaratugha. "No. I'm leaving with Rene. I want to see the world… the world that's always been nothing more than a myth in the king's stories."

"My Lord, please!" the captain pleaded. "He's leading you to defiance! The King loves you—yet because of this prisoner, you turn against your people!"

And then all hell broke loose.

Swords were drawn, spells summoned. But Rene—once a frightened captive—now stood tall, fierce, the water magic in his veins spiraling into a storm. The royal guards fell one by one, overwhelmed by a power they had never anticipated.

And yet, none dared land a killing blow. Ravnos had made it clear: Capture him alive.

Just as the battle began to even out, a new figure stepped into the fray—Gobbe Strigoi, son of Ravnos, heir to the blood of fire. With a single strike, Rene was thrown like a ragdoll into the stone wall. A blast of crimson flame shattered his water magic and sent it sizzling into the ground.

"Incredible… Lord Gobbe is the rightful heir!" gasped the soldiers in awe. "He is the true successor of the Ten Kings of Noctharys—the future ruler of Zaratugha!"

Rene lay sprawled, blood trickling from his lips. Gobbe raised his hand for the finishing blow—but a staff whirled through the air and cracked hard against his head.

Crack!

Felix had arrived.

Rene sprang to his feet, breaking free of Gobbe's grip. Now they stood united—Rene, Samael, Felix, and Lumina.

Suddenly, a colossal wave of fire surged toward them—magic from Ravnos himself! But before anyone could react, Samael threw his body forward to shield the others.

The blow never came.

Felix's staff flew through the air and ignited a radiant shield of light in front of Samael. The explosion halted midair.

A jolt of memory slammed into Felix—Grovenborn's death. The rage he had buried boiled to the surface. And then... something inside him began to unravel.

Black fire—darker than the night—burst from his body.

The very air around him burned. The city caught fire from the heat of his fury. Samael and Rene backed away, pinned against the city walls, shielding themselves behind the golden glow of Lumina's radiant light—now flaring like angelic wings.

"Felix! Please!" Lumina screamed in desperation. "Grovenborn… he's gone! He won't come back! You have to stay with us! Don't lose yourself!"

But it was already too late.

A massive orb of black fire—large as a house—formed in Felix's hand. His eyes blazed like coals. And his voice… was no longer human.

"You…"

The voice rumbled—half storm, half curse.

"If I don't control this power… you only have two choices, Ravnos: Bow… or DIE!"

Ravnos trembled. He—one of the Ten Kings of Noctharys—stood paralyzed by the aura of a man with no title. This was no mere strength—it was a force of pure dominance.

Felix floated into the air, his body wrapped in shadowfire. And then—

BOOOOM!!!

A single blast of dark flame slammed into Thuga Palace, obliterating it into dust.

It was a warning—not a fatal blow. But the next one… wouldn't miss.

As his consciousness returned, Felix faltered—his body falling from the sky.

Lumina caught him—just in time.

From the distance, a horse-drawn carriage galloped toward them.

"Lumina! Hurry!" Rene shouted. "Get in!"

Struggling, they dragged Felix into the carriage.

Samael looked back at the city ablaze in black fire.

"Father... forgive me," he whispered. "I need to see the world. I can't stay locked away in this valley forever."

And so, they sped away—leaving Zaratugha behind, engulfed in a fire that could not be extinguished.

At the heart of the city, Ravnos stood still, watching his palace burn.

"My Lord," a captain said behind him, "everything's secure. No casualties. But the palace… it's gone. That fire… it's not ordinary. It consumes everything."

Ravnos clenched his fists.

"Let no one speak of this. No one. If that man had truly lost control… Zaratugha would already be ash."

Gobbe stepped closer, his expression confused.

"Father… what about Samael?"

Ravnos was silent for a moment. Then, in a heavy voice, he said,

"Let him go… with the one he trusts. He'll be safer… with that monster."

Gobbe swallowed hard.

"A monster? Father, I've seen all three Dark Empires—but I've never seen fire like that. That… that was terrifying."

Ravnos looked up at the sky.

"I saw it a year ago… when he was still protected by the old crone on Mataland Island. I don't know if this power ties to the prophecy of the Shadow Prince… but one thing is clear—he has no control over it. And… something inside him… is broken."

That day, Ravnos was truly forced to bow before a power beyond his comprehension.

For the first time, the feared king realized: his might was nothing more than a candle's flame in the face of a cosmic storm.

Even when Felix hadn't fully transformed into the Oragon Dragon—when his body was merely cloaked in roaring flame—Ravnos knew… he would never stand a chance.

Felix awoke.

When his senses returned, the chaos and destruction were no longer around him. His eyes slowly opened.

"Huh… inside… a tent?" His thoughts were still cloudy, wandering through the grim shadows of the moment he'd lost control.

His body felt lighter. The searing pain that once raged within him had faded. His hair had turned white again—a sign that his consciousness had fully returned.

"Felix? You're awake?"

A soft voice broke the silence. Lumina entered, holding a bowl of fruit.

"Here, eat this. Zaratughan apples. Rene and Samael brought them—along with the tent, the wagon, and everything else."

Felix turned toward her quickly. "Lumina… are you alright?" he asked, worried.

Lumina gave a gentle smile.

"Of course. Remember when you went berserk at Uncle Morro's place? I could withstand your black fire then. It was no different in Zaratugha. I know your fury flared because of Grovenborn's memory… and because you weren't wearing Hadrian's ring. But look at you now. You have so much more control than back in Torsgad—you nearly burned down a whole city that time."

Felix lowered his head, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Lumina… I really thought that after studying the Vorellum, I'd finally mastered myself. But when that rage rose again… it felt like everything I learned just vanished."

Lumina sat beside him, locking eyes with his.

"It's not about how much you've studied, Felix. It's about how much loss you've endured. You… you never truly knew love before. And when you finally found it—you had to lose it again and again. Anyone in your place… would have broken."

Felix let out a long sigh.

"But… the book…"

"You did incredibly well. You held back. You didn't kill the Vampire King, even when your vengeance burned inside you. That… that's more than enough."

Quietly, tears welled in Felix's eyes.

"Now, go," Lumina said, rising and tidying the tent. "Rene and Samael are waiting for you up the hill."

"Samael?" Felix frowned. The name was unfamiliar.

"Yes. Rene's friend. The son of King Ravnos Strigoi. Go on. I'll catch up."

"But Lumina—"

"I'll handle everything. Don't worry."

Felix stepped out of the tent and made his way toward the hill.

It was a bright, clear morning. Sunlight washed over the barren land between Zaratugha and Torsgadden—a stony borderland separating the Dark Empire of Noctharys and the Celestian Empire of Light.

At the top of the hill stood a young man in a light white cloak. His face glowed pale under the sun, his eyes narrowed slightly from the morning light reflecting off the valley. Beside him stood Rene, staring out at the horizon.

"Rene…" Felix's voice came softly.

Rene turned sharply. "Felix?! You're awake?" He rushed forward, gripping Felix's shoulders.

"You've been unconscious for nearly a day and a night! We were all so worried!"

"I'm okay…" Felix replied, though his body still trembled slightly.

Samael stepped forward with a kind smile.

"Felix, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Samael. Thank you… for sparing my father."

Felix looked at him. "You know who I am?"

"For the past day and night, Rene hasn't stopped talking about you. He told me everything."

Felix chuckled softly. "Let me guess—he said I used to bully him."

Samael laughed. "Exactly. But he also told me how much he looks up to you. How lucky he felt to meet someone like you—someone who could control such overwhelming power. He said you showed him what real strength is."

Rene playfully nudged Samael. "Samael! You're being too honest…"

They laughed together—a light, easy laughter.

Then Felix suddenly asked, in a quiet voice, "Samael… what does it feel like to have a father?"

Samael gazed toward the rising sun. His eyes seemed far away.

"A father… is like the sun. He lights the way… but if you get too close, he burns. Without him, I'm free to go anywhere. But… I don't know which way to go."

Felix gave a slow nod. The words struck deep.

Soon, Rene lowered his gaze. "Felix… there's something I need to confess. I've never truly told you who I am… or how I ended up in Zaratugha."

Felix looked at him.

"Rene… we're both searching for who we are. Maybe you're looking for power, and I'm trying to control mine. I never asked about your past, because our mission has always been bigger than our origins. But if you're ready… I'm here to listen."

Rene drew a breath.

"My father… a womanizer… fell in love with one of Ravnos' daughters. He brought her to our empire. But in return… I was given to Ravnos—as a prisoner."

Felix stiffened.

"I wasn't raised with royal blood. But Ravnos believed I was a descendant of House Zarthas—or so they thought. He wanted to use me in a ritual… to survive under sunlight. But when he found out I wasn't of pure royal blood, just a bastard… he tried to kill me—in front of my father."

Felix reached out, clasping Rene's trembling hands. Rene continued.

"Samael saved me. In that prison, he was the only light that kept me alive."

Felix didn't respond. But his eyes said he understood—completely.

"And now… you're bringing Samael," Felix finally said. "Are you planning to return to Zarthas? Or to travel with him? I won't force anyone to follow this path. But if you choose to stay… be ready for what comes."

"I'm coming with you," Samael answered without hesitation. "I know I might be a burden. But I'll learn. I'll work hard."

Rene turned, surprised. "Samael… are you sure?"

Samael nodded.

"Yes. I don't want to live in a cage anymore. I want to see the world. At first, I hoped it would just be the two of us… but now, there are four of us."

A voice from behind made them turn.

"Then let's go," Lumina said with a gentle smile. "Bernaum Village awaits."