Echoes of the Forsaken.

Something was coming from both sides? Nero's thoughts spun into chaos. Both sides?!

If something was approaching from the east, it was probably a beast. The cold side of the planet didn't belong to humans, after all.

But how had it passed through the Blue Castle? A Sage was stationed there…

A chilling realization crept through him, sending a shiver down his spine. He forced the thought away, steadying himself.

"I can't be sure. Not until it shows itself."

And Viser had also mentioned the other side. What? Humans?!

Nero's gaze snapped toward the Song Mountains. A thick forest stretched between the mountains and the village below. The first trees had yet to begin, but beyond the clearing, the village lay exposed.

Viser turned to Flavia, his voice tight with concern. "Where are the other kids?"

Nemsus lowered Flavia from his shoulder. Her face was flushed, but she still lifted her head to meet Viser's gaze.

"In the village," Flavia said quickly, her words tumbling over each other. "None of them went to school today. There's a puppet show." She hesitated, glancing away before scratching the back of her head. "An old man came from the south… he's performing for free. It should end in about twenty minutes."

Nero clenched his jaw. He hated being left in the dark, but his voice remained steady, controlled.

"What exactly are we dealing with? Beasts? People? Both?"

Viser exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting between the mountains and the forest. "I don't know. But whatever's coming… they're strong. Stronger than anything I can fully sense. Their numbers, their speed—I can't tell."

Two immense mana signatures loomed on the edge of his perception, their presence suffocating. They were so vast that he couldn't gauge their exact movement—or if more lurked beyond them.

He had a choice. Stay with these five, or rush to the village. But without knowing when the approaching forces would arrive, every second felt like a gamble.

He and the children were at the orphanage, a few miles northwest of the village. He could reach it in seconds. But moving all those kids back here? That would take time.

And what about the villagers? He couldn't just abandon them.

If a battle broke out when these beings arrived, the entire village would be caught in the crossfire. If he moved quickly, he might be able to get them to safety before it was too late.

Meanwhile, he could hide these five in the underground rooms.

"Oof."

Viser let out a slow breath, the flicker in his eyes turning serious. He decided to take the risk. He'd head to the village as fast as possible, get the others, and return. Then, he'd figure out the next move.

He took a step forward, locking eyes with Nero. "Go to the rooms. I'll be back as soon—"

Before he could move, the sky split with streaks of shadow.

Nine figures shot in from the southwest, their movements sharp and precise, slicing through the air like blades.

They came to an abrupt stop above the village, hovering in eerie silence. No words. No signals.

They didn't even glance at the villagers staring up at them. Their eyes were locked on the forest to the east, unmoving, watchful. Waiting.

They weren't waiting for nothing.

The distant trees groaned. The ground trembled.

Something enormous appeared.

From the depths of the forest, two towering figures emerged, their sheer presence swallowing the light. Their movements were unnervingly smooth for something so massive.

Nero's stomach twisted. Even from this distance, it was obvious.

They were dangerous.

The air grew heavy. Even the wind seemed to hesitate.

Flavia's breath hitched beside him. Unlike the others, she had no idea what she was looking at. But she didn't need to.

The ground shuddered beneath their feet.

The nine figures in the sky remained still, their gazes fixed on the monstrous beasts below.

At first, it seemed like one was chasing the other—until the creatures noticed the humans above them.

The first beast was unlike anything natural. Its sleek, predatory form resembled a panther, but its fur was pure white, crisscrossed with jagged black markings.

Three long tails flicked behind it, each movement eerily precise. Its ears resembled butterfly wings—delicate yet vast. And its mouth… was a nightmare. A maw filled with far too many teeth, jagged and unnatural.

A ridge of armor-like spines lined its back, curling up to its skull. The spines twitched as if aware of their surroundings.

But the most unsettling thing wasn't its appearance—it was how it moved.

Or rather, how it didn't.

The earth itself rippled beneath its paws, carrying it forward like a wave of distorted reality. It didn't run. It glided, untouched by gravity, the ground warping beneath it.

Wherever it passed, the forest withered. Trees blackened, their leaves curling and crumbling to dust. As if time itself recoiled from its presence.

The very air felt wrong.

The second beast was worse.

A towering mass of darkness, shaped like a wolf—yet something far more unnatural.

Its fur dripped like liquid shadow, seeping into writhing tendrils that bled into the earth.

It moved with impossible fluidity, defying its size.

Six glowing eyes burned in its skull, each moving separately, scanning in all directions at once.

At first, its gaze was locked on the panther-like creature.

Then, as if sensing something more important, it slowed.

Its head tilted upward.

Toward the nine figures in the sky.

The children barely dared to breathe.

The first monster had been running—but not on its own. The world itself had carried it forward.

The second, however, had no need for such tricks.

It simply followed.

Relentless. Inevitable.

Even miles away, they all felt it.

The beasts had sensed them. Just as the nine figures in the sky had sensed the beasts.

Viser's jaw tightened. His fingers curled into fists.

No. This isn't happening.

His mind raced, but no calculation gave him the answer he wanted.

If they fought there…

His gaze flicked to the children.

The shockwaves alone could kill them.

But the truth stood before him, undeniable.

The enemy was between them and the village.

No one there would survive.

Slowly, he exhaled, forcing the rage down, shaping it into something steady.

His fists unclenched. His expression sharpened.

He knew the other children were doomed.

He turned to the five beside him, his eyes dark with resolve.

He needed to protect them.

But could he?

Just when Nero thought it couldn't get worse—it did.

Something unexpected happened.

The panther-like beast spoke.

Its voice was shattering. Like glass breaking.

"Humans?"

The children stiffened. Their breath caught.

"They can talk!?"

Nemsus barely got the words out before Viser responded, his voice steady yet heavy.

"After any beast becomes a Sage, it gains full consciousness. The smartest can speak. The rest… will gain speech when they become Sovereigns."

Their faces paled.

"That beast is a Sage?" Nero asked.

Viser shook his head, his expression grim.

"No, Nero. They are Sovereigns."

A Sovereign.

Nero's blood ran cold.

Here's the fully corrected and refined version, keeping your tone and intent intact while improving clarity and flow.

"We're dead… we're fucking dead," Nemsus muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The youngest of them, Flavia, turned to Viser, confusion flickering in her gaze.

"A Sovereign? What does that mean?"

This time, it was Delilah who answered, her voice tight, measured.

"Both humans and beasts follow the same ranking system based on their Eny level—the sphere you have in your heart. It starts with a Mage, then an Ascendant, followed by a Dominus, a Sage, a Sovereign… and finally, a Celestial."

Nemsus swallowed hard. "The strongest humans… they're Sovereigns too, right?"

Viser gave a slow nod. "Yes. In this era, the mightiest humans are Sovereigns."

Nemsus clenched his fists, his breath unsteady. "That means…"

Viser's gaze darkened. "There is one in this empire… or rather, two. The current emperor, Octavian" Viser hesitated, his voice dropping lower" and his father. Who I thought was dead. But it looks like he's alive."

The children froze.

"What does that mean?" Nemsus' voice was barely a whisper.

Viser let out a quiet curse before pointing toward the figure leading the eight others. "See that man in front? That's the previous emperor, Gaius Julius Imperius."

Something about Viser's tone made it clear—he was not happy to see that man. And Nero could feel it.

The name alone sent a chill through the others.

Gaius Julius Imperius.

The Gate of Hell.

The man who had murdered his own weak father 400 years ago and seized the throne. A blood-soaked monarch who forged the empire from a fragile kingdom into a true superpower, through war, through slaughter, through unrelenting conquest.

A legend of history, standing right before them.

"He's still alive?" Nemsus asked, his voice tight.

Viser exhaled sharply. "I thought he was dead too. No one has heard of him in the last 30 years… but as you can see, he's right there."

A heavy silence fell over them.

Nero's mind started calculating. That would make him what? At least 500 years old? More?

Their eyes locked onto the old emperor, a figure both stark and unshakable. His silver hair, a sharp contrast against the darkening sky, gleamed even from a distance.

Dressed in pristine white, he floated in the air, hands clasped behind his back. He carried no weapon, no armor, yet exuded an authority that made such things seem unnecessary.

He didn't look as if he was preparing to fight.

He was simply watching.

Calm. Unbothered. As if the two rampaging monsters before him were nothing more than a passing spectacle.

Then. A roar shattered the stillness.

The ground trembled. The air cracked.

The monsters attacked.

The world exploded into motion.