Five Hours Ago,
Just after Reon had annihilated the entire party sent by Niu Ling...
In a vast, opulent mansion nestled deep within the Miu Family's estate, a grand chamber flickered with a soft, sacred glow.
At the front of the room stood a towering wooden almery—an intricately carved shrine-like cabinet.
Within it, hundreds of soul lamps burned steadily, each flame representing the life of a Miu family member.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
One of the flames vanished, snuffed out in an instant.
A servant, in the midst of cleaning, froze mid-motion. His eyes shot toward the soul lamp—now dark and empty.
His eyes widened, the color draining from his face as he read the name beneath the lamp—realization striking him like a thunderclap.
"T-That lamp... No, it can't be...!"
Without another word, he dropped his cleaning cloth and sprinted from the room in a panic, his footsteps echoing through the marble halls.