Havel, his hands bleeding and his knuckles ragged, continued to punch frantically at the collapsed wall. His voice, broken by shouts, echoed in the corridor as he desperately called Shirei's name. Ada was slumped against the opposite wall, her eyes were still lost in space, but she seemed to have regained a certain level of lucidity.

“Damn it, Shirei!” Sidal's son screamed, each blow accompanied by a grunt of pain and frustration. “You can't do this! You can't sacrifice yourself like this! Idiot! You said your powers don't work!”

Suddenly, a powerful, primal roar shook the entire building, even drowning out the din on the other side of the wall. Havel froze, his blood freezing in his veins.

Ada, as if awakened, looked up and met the blonde's, the terror evident in her gray eyes.

“The lion…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “It's the lion, he wants us to reach him. He's tired of waiting.”

The air became heavy, filled with palpable tension. The shadows seemed to lengthen, dancing ominously on the walls of the corridor. The silence that followed was not at all reassuring, broken only by the distant echo of Shirei's battle and the breathing of the two demigods.

Then, slowly, the two demigods walked towards the room with the altar. Havel's heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway as he dragged Ada behind him. The demigoddess did not agree and silently opposed it.

Havel turned, instinctively positioning himself in front of her.

“I know, okay? I know you're scared, Ada. I know you're scared,” he gripped her forearm tightly, “But we won't solve anything by staying here! Shirei stuck himself there to make us escape! That idiot...”

He couldn't finish the sentence due to his growing anger.

“We must act and get this lion out of the way.”

Ada didn't seem convinced, but didn't answer. Havel turned again and continued to advance, without looking at her he added: “Leave it to me, Ada. No one can beat me when my comrades' lives are in danger.”

It was a lie, even Sidal's son knew it, but it was what the demigoddess needed to hear at that moment, so Havel would believe it for her.

He was unbeatable.

The two continued along the corridor, while a strange vibration ran through the air. The cold, damp floor beneath their feet contributed to the feeling that each step they took was bringing them closer to the source of their malevolent problem. The corridor was starting to feel narrower and narrower around them. The walls pulsed imperceptibly and the darkness within the cracks became alive, as if watching them.

They finally arrived at the altar room.

“Stay sharp,” Havel said in a low voice, without turning, but his still tight grip on his friend's arm showed his readiness.

There was no need to say it; Ada knew it better than him, even if fear inhibited her completely.

The blue light of the vines of darkness that climbed along the columns created a ghostly atmosphere, reflecting in the eyes of Rutia's daughter and dimly illuminating both Havel's tense face and the surrounding environment. Every time they passed one of the stone towers, it seemed infested with that growing evil. The negative energy that permeated the air became increasingly dense, almost suffocating.

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The enemy must not have been far away, yet he still chose to wait for them.

It was then that the leader of the Equinox Flowers stopped suddenly, his gaze fixed on a motionless figure in front of the altar, hidden in the shadows. Ada stiffened beside him.

The girl's hands were shaking wildly, but she said nothing, stuck in a sort of silent internal battle. Havel, sensing his companion's terror, took a step forward, shielding her with his body, and aimed his gaze straight at the man's.

The creature who stood before them was the very embodiment of natural ferocity. Tall and muscular, his body seemed sculpted from bronze, every muscle defined and tense like that of a predator ready to pounce. His tanned skin glowed, as if he had just emerged from battle.

Long dark hair fell down his back in wild waves, framing a face with sharp, regal features. His bare chest was adorned only by a necklace with large black spheres, which seemed to absorb the surrounding light.

But it was his eyes that captured and held attention. Golden like those of a feline, in the literal sense, with a vertical line forming the iris. They shone with an evil light, scrutinizing Havel and Ada with intensity.

The Dark Director stopped a few steps away from them, a predatory smile curving his lips. When he spoke, his voice was deep, in clear harmony with the aura of danger he gave off.

“Panther, you finally stopped running,” he said, his tone almost mocking. “You've grown up, no doubt about it, and yet you're still that scared little girl from the orphanage.”

Havel clenched his fists, “Who are you really?”

The very air seemed to crackle with energy as Sidal's son prepared to face that terrifying threat. Behind them, the sounds of Shirei's battle had faded, giving way to an eerie silence.

“I remember you, it's a shame there wasn't time to introduce ourselvesm” the wayfarer’s smile widened, “I am a predator... and you are my prey.”

Havel stood still for a moment, his eyes narrowed as he watched the man before them.

“Don’t make fun of me. Idiot.” he blurted out.

Ada, however, was still paralyzed, unable to respond to that strange familiarity that the lion boasted of.

“Who are you really? Don't beat around the bush, I don't want to repeat a question seven hundred times.”

“Nadim,” was the reply, perhaps too promptly, “It's my name. You can regard me as an old friend of the Panther.”

“Old friend?” Havel whispered, his tone full of contempt. It was obvious even to him that he was lying.

“You don't seem like the type to have friends.”

“They often told me so. I end up eating everyone.”

“So that's what it's all about, you want to eat a human and you call him a friend.”

“Not a mere human, a demigoddess… and not even a mere demigoddess.”

“You're just a monster in a human figure.”

Nadim smiled almost nostalgically, as if completely unaware of the hostility emanating from Havel. “Oh, but we were once. She and I often played, even though she was so young that she didn't understand our ‘game’. It was fun, a constant hunt…” His smile widened, revealing sharp white teeth. “And now that she's grown up, I thought we'd pick up where we left off.”

Ada staggered, her breath hitching.

“Besides, kid, you should study the definition of that word. Not everyone is a monster due to their physical appearance, some disguise themselves or wear masks to hide.”

The dark past Nadim spoke of began to emerge in Rutia's daughter's memory. With a sudden movement, the girl broke away from Havel, who silenced Nadim.

“Enough! Now you're really getting on my nerves.”

Sidal's son stepped forward, clenching his fists. “Stop hiding behind your games and your hunting. I am here. Do you want to fight? Get over it.”

Nadim raised an eyebrow, apparently amused by Havel's furious reaction. He licked the back of his hand, showing a tongue that Sidal's son found particularly long.

“Ah, the heroes. Always so impetuous, so ready to defend without really understanding who or what they are talking about.”

He took a step forward, approaching the two demigods in a threatening way, while the atmosphere became increasingly heavy and oppressive.

Havel, now tired of the provocations, grabbed the hilt of his weapon, ready to attack.

“You're just another monster to be destroyed, Nadim” he spelled out the letters of the name as if he were mocking him, “I have no problem with it, in fact, I'm happy to do it.”

“I already told you, I'm not a monster.”

“Spare me.”

Just when the blond prepared to launch himself at Nadim, the latter brought his hands together with a slow but decisive movement, evoking a strange energy in the air. “Believe me… I was once human too, many centuries ago.”