Neven led the way, his steps heavy and quick, as if pursued by an invisible force. Alexander followed closely behind, his gaze intense, each step seemingly calculating every possibility ahead. Aria trailed behind, feeling a growing sense of pressure from all sides. Her steps grew more hesitant in the dimly lit corridor. Her mind churned with doubts: Had they truly changed anything? Or was everything inexorably sliding towards the abyss?

The unease was inescapable, gnawing at her like a persistent thorn. It weighed down each of her steps, making them feel increasingly burdensome. The faces of prisoners in the cells along the way flickered in and out of view, their eyes ghostly and fleeting amidst the interplay of firelight and darkness. The despair in those eyes seemed to have long surrendered any hope for freedom, leaving only a numb resignation to pain.

At the end of the corridor, two guards stood rigidly, their expressions tinged with doubt and confusion. Instinctively, they tightened their grip on their weapons, their demeanor alert, clearly unprepared for anyone to silently breach this restricted zone.

“Commander, what are you doing here?” one of the guards asked quietly, his eyes wary.

“Ordered to interrogate a key traitor; you were changing shifts when we arrived,” Neven's voice was deep and even, as if this lie came as naturally to him as breathing. “Where is Sage Solon?”

The guards exchanged skeptical glances but said nothing further, deterred by Neven's calm demeanor. One of them hesitated before responding, “Sage Solon is in the Great Hall, discussing the situation at Voidmarsh with the Lunar King.”

Neven nodded, his face impassive as if everything were proceeding as expected. He signaled Aria and Alexander to follow, and the three of them moved swiftly towards the stairs, leaving the dimly lit cells behind.

As the shadows of the corridor receded, the doubts in their minds grew sharper. Alexander let out a long sigh and asked in a lowered voice, “Where are we going now?”

“We need to see Sage Solon,” Neven replied, urgency tinged in his voice. “He might be able to tell us if we have truly altered the course of history.”

Alexander frowned, his tone subdued, “Sage Solon is with the Lunar King discussing an urgent matter at Voidmarsh. If we interrupt…”

“Then we’ll wait outside,” Neven cut him off, his eyes betraying an unspoken anxiety.

Just as they were about to continue, Aria suddenly stopped. Her voice was cold, slicing through the chill in the air. “Hold on, Neven.”

Neven’s steps faltered slightly as he turned to look at her, his gaze sharp as a blade. The firelight in the corridor flickered in his eyes, deep and inscrutable. “What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice low, hiding a well of suppressed emotion.

Aria stood her ground, staring at Neven, her questioning eyes piercing through his silence. “Before we see Sage Solon, I want to know how you restored your Essence Power.”

Her words struck like a hammer on the silence that had reigned for so long. Neven’s expression darkened abruptly, the air growing colder with his silence. His voice came out heavy and unyielding. “This isn’t the time for that discussion.”

“Don’t try to brush me off, Neven.” Aria pressed on, her determination clear. Each of her words was like a flame, seeking to burn through his concealed secrets. “I can sense you’re hiding something.”

Neven’s gaze flickered with a hint of anger, a flash of unmasked emotion in his eyes. He turned to Alexander, his tone icy. “Did you tell her?”

Alexander met his gaze steadily, his voice calm. “She has the right to know the truth. We visited that place.”

In an instant, the atmosphere grew heavy, almost tangible. Neven’s face was like ice, every emotion buried deep behind his unfathomable eyes.

“Aria, everything I’ve done is to save you,” he said, his voice low, filled with undeniable resolve and pain.

Aria’s heart tightened, an emotion deep within her stirred. She felt a crushing weight on her chest, almost unable to breathe. She understood his sacrifice but couldn’t accept the price.

“But you know, this will make you a Mara,” her voice trembled, filled with a despairing anguish. “Why are you willing to take this risk?”

Neven’s expression hardened, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. His voice was resolute and steady. “Because I have no other choice. If I don’t, you…”

He paused, his unspoken words more heavy than death. Aria’s eyes glistened with tears, moved by his determination yet pained by her own helplessness.

At that moment, Alexander cleared his throat and glanced toward the distance. “Someone’s coming.”

From the end of the silent corridor came the sound of hurried footsteps.

They hid in the shadow of a lion statue, trying to muffle their breaths. Soon, Oak let out a loud yawn, rubbing his round belly and sleepily heading toward the hall.

“I really should have sent him back to the battalion,” Neven muttered through gritted teeth, his tone full of frustration.

“He’s got a broken leg,” Aria reminded him in a low voice.

Neven glanced at Oak and snapped, “It looks like it’s fine now.”

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“Why are we hiding? We’ve already changed history.”

“Shh, it’s Alpha,” Alexander whispered. “We’d better avoid this trouble.”

Just then, Alpha’s sharp voice echoed from the end of the corridor.

“What are you doing?” Alpha’s voice reverberated through the hallway. Aria flinched and took a step back.

Alpha’s red robes flashed in the corridor as he marched straight towards Oak.

“Oh, I’m hungry…” Oak rubbed his belly, a tear still hanging from the corner of his eye from just waking up.

“Night Ghoul has been very active lately. Unless there’s an emergency, wandering outside after sunset is forbidden by the Lunar King’s recent decree.”

“Grand Mentor, I really have a special circumstance; I’m hungry,” Oak said, showing a big grin and revealing his large teeth.

Alpha’s face stiffened, his anger barely concealed. “Why aren’t you at Voidmarsh?”

“My leg’s broken. Remember Warrior’s Day? Your Executive Commander sent me alone to deal with that bear, and I got injured.” Oak’s voice carried a hint of grievance and discontent.

Alpha snorted coldly and scrutinized Oak again. “You imbecile.”

Aria hid behind the statue, observing Alpha’s harsh reprimand of Oak. She felt a faint red glow emerging behind her.

Neven straightened up, a dim red light seeping through his chest. Alexander also noticed the glow and quickly covered the light source.

In the dim light behind the statue, Neven’s gaze became unusual. It was as though he was seeing Aria and Alexander for the first time, his eyes filled with confusion. His eyes blinked slowly, and when they finally opened, they were completely black, the whites entirely filled with darkness.

Aria stared at his face in horror, the glow growing stronger through the narrow gap between her fingers. She stepped forward, pushing Neven against the statue, using her body to shield the blinding light. Alexander exchanged worried glances with her.

She realized they were facing a grave crisis—Neven was transforming.

Neven’s black eyes radiated a strange and dangerous aura. Aria knew that if Alpha discovered Neven’s condition, it would spell disaster.

Neven anxiously tried to lift his hand, but Aria held him down firmly. During their silent struggle, Neven suddenly pressed his face against Aria’s ear and whispered, “Arcane Crystal…”

Alexander quickly covered his mouth.

Despite the whisper being almost inaudible, Alpha’s scolding abruptly ceased. Aria stared at Neven in shock, her heart racing as if about to stop. Her greater fear was that Alpha’s cold gaze was scanning the statue they were hiding behind.

In the silent corridor, the sound of slow and heavy footsteps approached. Aria’s body tensed as she watched Neven’s black eyes, her heartbeat thunderous. The footsteps echoed down the corridor, her heart nearly leaping into her throat.

Just then, a long and exceedingly loud fart resonated through the corridor, filling the air with a sharp, unpleasant stench.

"You idiot!" Alpha roared, stopping in his tracks to curse at Oak again.

"I just ate a few cloves of garlic..." Oak explained awkwardly. At that moment, a few plump, gray mice scurried out from his oversized collar.

A swarm of mice darted beneath Alpha’s red robe, making his already furious face turn pale.

Alpha fists were clenched, his tone filled with a furious rage. “You’ve got a bunch of filthy rats; you’re a useless fool!”

Oak lowered his head, struggling to muster an innocent and aggrieved expression. His eyes shimmered with tears, looking particularly sad and bewildered. “They’re my pets; please don’t call them filthy rats.” His voice carried a slight sob, as if his internal pain and helplessness burst forth at that moment.

Alpha’s face darkened further, his fury almost uncontrollable, as if he wanted to incinerate everything around him. “This is a disaster!” Alpha’s voice conveyed extreme disdain and anger.

Alpha stormed off, his red robes fluttering under the corridor’s light. Oak sadly watched his retreating figure and then chased after the rats, disappearing at the end of the corridor. The hallway fell silent once more, save for the echoing roar of Alpha and the fading sound of Oak’s footsteps.

Once Alpha's footsteps had completely faded, Aria and Alexander cautiously stepped out from behind the statue. Neven was still leaning against it, his breathing shallow, the dark light in his eyes slowly receding, but he still appeared very weak.

“We need to take him back to the room. We can’t stick to the plan and go see Sage Solon now,” Aria said in a low voice, her expression serious.

Alexander nodded and helped Neven to his feet. “Can you walk?” he asked, concerned.

Neven looked up at them, his eyes filled with confusion, but he managed to nod weakly. With Alexander’s support, they quickly made their way back to their room in the castle.

Inside the room, Alexander gently laid Neven down on the bed and began using his Essence to examine Neven's condition. Aria stood nearby, watching anxiously.

Suddenly, Alexander’s hand brushed against something hard inside Neven’s clothing. He frowned and pulled it out. It was a black crystal, faintly glowing with an eerie light.

“This is… Arcane Crystal,” Alexander muttered, a hint of unease in his voice.

"Arcane Crystal?" Aria said, her eyes widening in shock.

“This is the source of the problem,” Alexander said, his voice grim. “I can feel it. The crystal is disrupting Neven’s mind, causing him to lose control. If we don’t take it away, things will only get worse.”

Aria’s heartbeat quickened as she realized the danger the stone posed, especially with Neven in his current state. Without hesitation, she reached out and took the crystal from Alexander’s hand, deciding to confiscate it immediately.

“We can’t let Neven keep this,” Aria said firmly, her eyes reflecting a steely determination.

Alexander nodded in agreement. “We need to be careful. The power of the Arcane Crystal shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s best to seal it away for now, to prevent it from harming Neven—or anyone else.”

Aria placed the crystal in a small cloth pouch, tying it securely. She turned to look at Neven, who was now breathing more steadily, though his face remained pale, as if he’d just escaped a terrible nightmare.

“What should we do next?” Aria broke the silence, her voice trembling with anxiety. “Neven’s condition is extremely unstable. If we don’t find a solution soon, he could completely lose control.”

Alexander pondered for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. “At the moment, I don’t know how to reverse this transformation. Neven’s body and soul are tainted by a powerful magic that exceeds my capabilities.”

“Isn’t there any other way?” Aria’s tone was heavy, with a touch of despair.

“There might be someone who knows,” Alexander suddenly said, a cold glint appearing in his eyes. “Lucius Argent.”

“Lucius Argent?” Aria frowned, recognizing the name.

“Yes, him,” Alexander confirmed with a nod, his expression grave. “He’s the one who used magic to transform Neven. This means he might also know how to break the curse.”

Aria's brows furrowed deeper, her concern evident in her eyes. “But Lucius is now controlled by Decil’s eye and has nearly lost his humanity. He wanted Neven to become a Mara—how could he possibly help us?”

“But this might be our only lead at the moment,” Alexander sighed. “I believe that although Lucius is under control, he hasn’t completely lost his sanity. If we can find a way to temporarily free him from Decil’s influence, he might be willing to help us.”

“Temporarily free him?” Aria’s voice was tinged with hesitation. She knew Alexander’s reasoning was sound, but the danger posed by Lucius still unsettled her. Nevertheless, to save Neven, she had no other choice.

The two fell into a brief silence, the air in the room feeling almost palpable with tension. The path ahead was fraught with uncertainty and peril, but to save Neven, they had to take this bold step.