… Two young adults and two children raced through the tunnel, their footsteps carrying the weight of their parents’ final words—a promise to hold back the danger so they could escape. It wasn’t fear of capture that pushed them onward, but the aching knowledge of those they had left behind.0

“… Ah!”0

A dim light shimmered in the distance, hinting that the tunnel's exit was close.0

“We're almost there guys. Just a few more steps...”0

They rushed forward, only to stop dead in their tracks. The tunnel’s exit loomed just ahead, and there, a solitary figure waited. He held a book as if reading, but with a slow, deliberate motion, he turned toward them. 0

In the darkness, a cold blue light flickered in his eyes, sharp and merciless. At that instant, they were paralyzed, every thought of retreat erased from their minds. It was Deculein of Yukline—the heir of an ancient, cursed bloodline and the fiend who had laid waste to thousands in the desolate plains of Roharlak. 0

Now, that very monster stood before them. His presence alone demanded silence, making threats unnecessary. The two children trembled, wet themselves in terror, while the young men felt tears stinging at the corners of their eyes.1

“… Hmm,” Deculein murmured, his eyes drifting past them to the tunnel beyond and asked, "Are you the last of them?"0

No one dared to respond. The question hung in the air, tightening around their throats and sealing their lips in silence.0

“… Please.” 0

In the suffocating silence, a young woman in her early twenties finally spoke. Her lips trembled as she forced out a desperate plea and said, "Please, I beg you, take my life. The children are still so young. Please let them go. I beg you..."0

“Do not overestimate your value. You are but one among many,” Deculein said as he slipped his book inside his coat. In that moment, a cold breath of death surged through the tunnel. To the four,...0