"How, Queen? We've lost the little girl's magic staff," said Alonzo's trusted commander, Ramon.

But instead of worrying, the corners of the man's lips lifted upward. "Don't call me Queen, Ramon. From now on, Alonzo's body belongs entirely to me. As long as I haven't obtained my perfect form, I will continue to use this body."

Alonzo's laughter echoed, causing the soul trapped within his body to pound the glass walls in an attempt to escape. But no matter how hard he screamed, no one would hear him.

Ramon grew increasingly fearful. Previously loyal to Alonzo, he knew that opposing the dark figure before him would not end well. He might even lose his own life.

"Ramon, we're still one step ahead of them," Alonzo said, his gaze fixed straight ahead. At the moment, he was seated on his throne.

Ramon, who was below, looked up slowly. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Bring Xander here. We will make him our prisoner," Alonzo commanded with a sharp gaze. His face was filled with dark veins as Ramon left to carry out his orders.

***

Meanwhile, Isaura and Darius were still hiding behind a wall, trying to avoid the soldiers patrolling the area.

"We must continue to be cautious, Isaura. It will be exhausting to fight them one by one," explained Darius, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Unlike Darius, Isaura kept glancing at their linked hands. Ever since Elf began holding her hand for her safety, she couldn't help but feel a strange sensation whenever they touched. It made her look up and gaze at his serious face.

Aware of her scrutiny, Darius returned her gaze. This made Isaura turn her face away shyly.

"What's wrong?" Darius asked.

With her gaze still averted, Isaura shook her head in response. This caused Darius to sigh heavily. "Listen to my directions, Isaura."

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Isaura nodded. After a few soldiers had left, they emerged from their hiding place. They continued to walk until they reached the room where Xander was last seen.

They both looked up at the large door. With his gaze still fixed straight ahead, Darius asked, "We need to go in immediately to get Xander out of here."

Isaura nodded, then followed Darius as he entered the room. Once inside, the first thing Isaura saw was Xander lying there in his position.

But due to his depleted energy, the wolf prince had transformed into his full animal form. This prompted Isaura to run and immediately kneel in front of him. "Xander, can you hear me? Prince, I've come back to save you. I've kept my promise, but you have to wake up."

Darius, standing behind her, then spoke up, "If your magic is still useful, try to restore his energy, even a little. We need to leave here immediately."

Without further thought, Isaura closed her eyes and focused. Her hands moved together, emitting a sapphire blue light that she directed onto Xander's body.

From her expression, Isaura truly looked pained. She had been using her magic tirelessly for days in poor condition. Naturally, she felt drained of her energy.

Their plan didn't go well when the door was suddenly opened. Revealing Ramon, who looked angrily at them. "What are you doing?"

Isaura, still focused, seemed disturbed. But Darius stepped forward, intending to protect them. "Just continue, Isaura. I'll try to handle him."

She nodded and tried to delve deeper into her magic to wake Xander. Meanwhile, Darius continued to evade Ramon's attacks.

Luck seemed to be on their side, as shortly after, Xander's form reverted to the prince with two wolf ears on his head.

Seeing her magic work well, Isaura smiled sweetly. "You've finally woken up."

"Why did you come back?" Even as he regained consciousness for the first time, that was the first thought that crossed his mind.

"I promised to come back and save you, Prince. How could I possibly leave you here alone?"

The man seemed to hold his head, which throbbed slightly. "What about Vegas? Did you manage to retrieve him?"

She nodded. "Vegas is safe now. But we need to leave here immediately."

They both nodded, then stood up straight. Seeing Darius being thrown backward while clutching his stomach made Isaura scream. "DARIUS!" She ran to Darius's aid, leaving him alone.

She continued to walk and looked at Alonzo, pleadingly. "Please don't kill Xander. He's the last generation of his kind. If he dies, there will be no one left to lead the wolf clan."

"Do you think I care? I am a demon if you've forgotten. Demons never care about anyone but themselves."

Isaura swallowed hard. She still looked up at Xander, who seemed to still be struggling in Alonzo's magic grip. Then the demon spoke again, "If you cooperate with me, then I might consider releasing him."

"Cooperate how?"

"Give me Vegas, and I will return him to you," Alonzo said with emphasis in each word.