Clara smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Good." She turned to Aleara, running her fingers through her daughter's hair, her hands trembling ever so slightly. "You too?"Aleara looked up at her, her expression more serious than a child her age should ever have to wear. "We're fine, Mom."

Satisfied but still uneasy, Clara stepped back, glancing at Ariane, who was busy tending to Kairo and Zola. Everyone was holding it together for now, but Clara knew that it was only a matter of time before the emotional toll of the day hit them all.

In the distance, Lily stood with Anya, her hand clutching Anya's sleeve. Nearby were Carmilla, Victor, and Amy, all huddled together. There was an air of fragility about them, as though they were trying to shield themselves from the weight of what they had witnessed, but the cracks were already showing.

Everyone seemed to be on edge, like glass on the verge of shattering. The battlefield might be quiet now, but the scars it had left ran deep. No one spoke much, but the weight of their collective trauma hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of what they had survived—and what they had lost.

Vas woke up disoriented, slumped in an ancient chair before an equally ancient desk, the eerie familiarity of the place tugging at his mind—it was The Void. His heart pounded in his chest as he blinked and took in his surroundings. Sitting across from him was The Archivist. This time, she appeared as a young, innocent child, her usual cold, detached demeanor nowhere in sight. Something was wrong.

For the first time, she wasn't buried in a book. Instead, she was staring directly behind him.

Unease prickled at the base of his spine as Vas slowly turned his head. Standing there, unnervingly close, were the Hekatonkhereis. The three of them. But in this ancient, surreal place, they didn't appear as the towering, fearsome entities he'd fought—they looked like children, just as lost as he felt. Above them, looming in the oppressive sky, were giant eyes, blinking and watching with unsettling intent. Vas could see them too, but something felt different. The eyes didn't hold malice toward him. Instead, they focused their cold gaze on the Hekatonkhereis.

With a delicate flick of her hand, The Archivist commanded the eyes. The Hekatonkhereis, these monsters that had once left him battered and broken, were suddenly swept away. They were helpless, dragged out of the void by forces far greater than they could resist.

It was a strange, twisted satisfaction, seeing them so small and scared. These beings, who had nearly torn him apart, reduced to frightened children—it felt almost… good. Was that wrong? The thought barely had time to settle before The Archivist's voice cut through his reverie.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Congratulations," she said in her soft, childlike voice, "You succeeded in bringing down three Forgotten."

But even as the words hung in the air, Vas felt it—the sudden, jarring absence. The spirits that had been with him, that had filled him with power, left him all at once. Panic surged through his veins like ice.

"What?!" His voice cracked, his heart racing. "Why?!"

"Because she messed up," another voice intruded. It was sharp, cold, and undeniably powerful. Vas turned, and standing before him was a woman of devastating beauty—Morrigan. Her presence hit him like a wave, her aura suffocating in its intensity. Her skin was pale, flawless, almost otherworldly, and her lips were the color of rich crimson, like a whisper of both passion and danger. Her raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, catching what little light there was, making it shimmer with an ethereal glow.

Her eyes, dark and stormy, locked onto him, piercing through him as if she could see straight into his soul. Every inch of her screamed authority and danger.

"I gave you too much," she said, her frustration barely concealed. "Far too much, far too early."

Vas blinked, overwhelmed by her presence. His breath quickened as confusion swirled in his mind.

"Wait, what?"

Before he could process, the woman stepped closer, her gaze never wavering. Her very presence demanded his attention, as if the world itself bowed to her will. She tilted her head slightly, a slow, deliberate gesture, and then—smiled.

"Nice to meet you," she said, her voice carrying a haunting, almost melodic quality, yet underlined with a sharp edge that made his skin prickle. "My name is Morrigan. From now on, I will be your teacher."

The simplicity of the words struck Vas like a hammer. Teacher? He didn't even know who she was, yet there was an undeniable finality in her tone, as though the matter had already been decided.

"I—wait. What?" he stammered, trying to wrap his head around the sudden shift.Morrigan's smile grew wider, but it wasn't warm. "I will be going with you, teaching you. She," Morrigan said, with a glance toward The Archivist, "messed up."

"You don't have to repeat it," The Archivist said quietly, her childlike form now shrinking into the background as Morrigan dominated the space.

"Well, it's true," Morrigan continued, her gaze turning back to Vas, her words slow and deliberate, like she was scolding a child. "You were given a huge responsibility, far more power than you could handle, and then she sent you to fight three ancient beings who once stood against gods. You did well by succeeding—but we both know that the Hekatonkhereis were weak compared to others that escaped."

Vas's mind whirled, struggling to process it all.

"I... I don't understand," he managed, the sudden departure of the spirits weighing on him like a loss he hadn't yet come to terms with. "Why did the spirits leave?"

Morrigan's eyes narrowed, though not in anger—more like a teacher preparing to explain a difficult concept to an overwhelmed student. "They were too strong for you to handle. They consumed more of your mental strength and anima than you even realized." She stepped closer, her very presence pressing down on him. "You were walking around crippled, barely holding it together because they were lying to you."Vas's mouth went dry. "Lying? About what?"