The air within the colosseum was thick with tension as the people had no idea what was happening outside.

The heads of the noble families who had been summoned earlier had been gone for quite some time now, including the King, Marquis Ocean himself and both Princes.

"Papa, when will Prince Eric come back?"

"What was that earlier? Was that an explosion?"

Whispers spread through the crowd, yet everyone remained in their places, for Ocean had assured them they were safe here.

"Could it be that an enemy attacked us?"

"Is that why they all rushed away?"

After several tense minutes, Roger returned alongside Marquis Fairisles and Archmage Silas.

Roger ascended to the royal family’s balcony, took up the sound resonance crystal, and turned to face the people.

"People of Sestia, noble and common alike, hear now the words of your King and remain at ease."

The masses fell quiet as Roger started speaking.

"A hostile force has struck parts of our realm beyond these walls. The matter is grave, yet it is already being met. Our noble houses, the Royal Knights, Marquis Ocean, and both Princes have departed at once to defend the kingdom and restore order."

The people gasped hearing that and Roger held his hand out in a gesture for them to remain calm.

"For your safety, all within this colosseum are to remain where you are and heed the guidance of the mages and guards. This place is protected by protective spells and barriers; within these walls, you are secure."

Despite his words, the unease spread throughout the people as they glanced at each other with anxious faces.

"Do not surrender yourselves to fear or disorder. Trust in your Crown, trust in those who fight for you, and know that this threat shall soon be brought to heel."

"Y-Your Majesty, may we ask who has attacked us?" Elder Mira who had been sitting anxiously up till now stood up from her spot and asked.

Roger looked at her, his lips pursed, "We are investigating, Elder Mira."

"And what about the others from our families?" One of the commoners spoke up.

"I-If there is an attack then what of those who are outside this place?"

"H-How can we be sure that this place is safe?"

"Is it Denril who attacked us?"

"I want to return home!"

"Your Majesty, allow us to return! Our families might be in danger!"

"Please let us go, Your Majesty!"

Archmage who stood in the booth for the Mages picked up his sound resonance crystal as the people started raising their voices.

"Silence." He spoke making the people flinch and turn to look at him.

"The enemy is not Denril," he clarified and then continued without giving anyone a moment to speak, "It’s natural that you will worry about those who are outside, but it was an unprecedented attack so, our people are doing the best they could to save everyone. You all making a fuss over here won’t do any good."

"H-How could you say this, Archmage?!"

"Our families might be in danger right now!"

Silas’s response was icy in the face of the apprehensive people, "So, what will you do after getting out? Fight the enemy yourself?"

The people flinched hearing that cold response.

"The only thing you’ll do after leaving this place is get in the way of those who are risking their lives to fight for you all and your families."

His words were harsh and blunt but nobody could say anything, Alys watched Silas, his one hand was clenched tightly at his side, the veins stood taut on the back of his hand with the knuckles turned bone white.

He was worried himself, and the words he was throwing to others were probably the same ones he was trying to convince himself with. His family was out there fighting the enemy after all.

Alys touched his fisted hand gently before she took the sound resonance crystal from his hand and stepped ahead.

"I apologise," she spoke, her voice softer and more empathetic- a complete contrast to Silas’s.

"Our Archmage, when he is worried often speaks quite coldly."

Silas frowned at her as she kept holding his one hand while she addressed the people, "In truth, he is just as worried as you all since even his family is out there, fighting the enemy. We understand your worry which is why it’s a request, please, stay put this place is indeed safe for you all."

Alys then created a ball of fire and then shot it up towards the sky, it had flown several meters before it collided against the inside of the invisible mana dome and dispersed.

"You saw that? The attacks from outside- physical or magical will also not affect the inside."

The people watched and slowly sat back in their seats, they were worried but after having someone empathize with their feelings they felt a little better.

"Thank you." Alys spoke before she placed the sound resonance crystal down and faced Silas.

She didn’t say anything to him as she just gave him a smile and squeezed his hand gently.

"Don’t worry, you know Reina and Rune are strong. They will be back unscathed." She assured him.

Silas closed his eyes for a moment. He had never found himself worrying about anyone as much. He believed that his sister was the strongest person after their father but when she passed away, the tension between him and his father strained enough for him to leave everything behind and throw himself into research and magic. After years, the only one link that reconnected him to the world was Reina. She was so alike Serene that Silas often feared that just like his sister even Reina might disappear one day. He didn’t doubt her power but he still couldn’t ease his worries.

Marquis Fairisles watched his son and future daughter-in-law from his booth before turning his head as he noticed the Golden Serpent and Roger talking.

"What’s going on? Who is this enemy?" Katherine asked.

Roger looked at her with a bleak expression, "Like I said, they are investigating."

Katherine’s face had gone all pale and her eyes were wide.

"Tell me the truth!" She demanded grabbing his arm.

Roger frowned, he wanted to smack her face right then and there for mingling with the dark forces. She was partially the reason that they were under an attack.

The undead, the horde of shifters and the explosions, it couldn’t be hard to deduce as to who could be behind it. Ocean had told Roger that Katherine had probably made a deal with the dark forces to make sure her son won- she even had gone to the lengths of getting her son possessed by some spirit to enhance his capabilities. Taking all that and even Roger’s own observations and investigation in account, he was sure that this attack was led by the dark forces and who else could be blamed but the greedy woman in front of him.

"I don’t know." Roger spoke coldly, yanking his hand free from her grip.

Katherine shook her head, appearing as if she will grow even more hysterical if she stayed around so, Roger looked at Colette who stood up and held her shoulders.

"I think Mother is not feeling well, Father. I shall take her to the resting chambers here."

Roger didn’t say anything but just gave her a curt nod. Colette wrapped her arms around Katherine’s shoulders leading her away while Katherine kept mumbling under her breath.

"It must be them... Must be them..."

Keira, Katherine’s lady-in-waiting stepped ahead to support Katherine’s other side wordlessly.

A few guards and maids who watched Colette and Keira leading Katherine away offered to help but Colette simply smiled and declined them.

After reaching to the royal resting chamber, Keira helped Colette in laying Katherine on the bed.

Colette watched her mother before she turned to Keira.

"You may leave now."

Keira’s eyebrows twitched before she could say anything, Colette’s eyes grew sharp.

"Didn’t you hear what I said?"

Keira shut her mouth and bowed her head before she walked out of the room.

Once outside, she tapped her feet a few times while standing in the same spot to make it sound as if she had walked away. Keira stood near the door with her ears perked.

Colette waited till she heard the sounds receding before she smiled at her mother whose face was flushed and eyes frantic.

"It seems like the incense that I gifted you is working splendidly, mother." Colette said.

Colette pulled the armchair close to the bedside and watched her mother who lay there with her eyes dazed.

"You know who gave it to me? It was your well-wisher, too sad that you abandoned them after taking their help...just like how you did with a lot of people." Colette said.

A small smiled appeared on Colette’s face, "You know I always thought that you were an exceptional woman who was so smart that she could make the kingdom kneel before you. I always looked up to you and followed your example, but all you did was keep trying to cover up Carlos’s mishaps."

Katherine couldn’t feel her limbs anymore as she lay there listening to her daughter, "I kept thinking that maybe some day, he will also realise his own responsibilities and try harder to be the King but," she sighed exasperatedly, "He’s been a disappointment so far."

"Even a concubine’s son proved worthier than Carlos." She spat.

"I was so angry at that, I am the Princess of this Kingdom and my brother should be the King, but this half-bred came and turned the tides on us. How can I take it? And even after everything Carlos was still a loser and you? You were also unable to do anything, every scheme you touched collapsed....You couldn’t even do anything about Father or the Marquis who constantly posed threat to us."

Colette fell silent for a moment watching her mother before she crossed her legs one over the other as she smirked, "But then I realised, that instead of placing my bets on you or my loser of a brother. Why can’t I do it?"

Katherine’s eyes widened slightly, and Colette smiled, "You wanted your child to be the ruler, right? So, what’s the problem with me being the Queen?"

Katherine opened her mouth to speak but apart from raspy breaths no words escaped.

Uncaring of her mother, Colette continued, "I knew you or Grandfather wouldn’t be of any help for my ambition so, when I was approached by your well-wisher, I made a deal with them."

Katherine’s breaths were labored now as she heard that, she tried to force her limbs to move but Colette simply chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder keeping her down.

"Why didn’t you tell me that you’ve been delving into the dark ways, Mother? You even tried to destroy the Marquis but failed so miserably that...I feel so ashamed. So, I arranged for an even bigger disaster to take out both my sorry excuse of a brother and that bastard."

Katherine moved her lips rapidly trying to form words and Colette sighed, "But don’t worry, I’m your daughter and I will fulfill your dream. I will become the ruler of this Kingdom and make sure that Marquis Ocean is crushed."

Katherine shook her head desperately but Colette smiled at her sympathetically as she reached out and touched the side of her face.

"Unfortunately, you won’t be here to see that day, Mother."

Katherine’s blood went cold after hearing that and she watched Colette pull out a the folded piece of paper from her sleeve.

"This is a gift given to me by my well-wisher. With this, I’ll remove Father out of my way too." She smiled.

Katherine grunted, desperately trying to speak but could only manage some barely coherent words, "No! Co...No!"

Colette watched her mother drawing ragged breaths before she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss over her mother’s cheek.

"Goodbye, Mother."

Katherine could only watch as her daughter held up the paper which had the crude drawing of a monster before she tore the paper and the black mist escaped from the page and rushed towards her.

In the next moment, her body was subjected to the agony beyond words and her vision went black.