Thunder rumbled across the skies of Dawnhold Province in the Holy Sun Empire as a violent storm swept over the imperial city. Rain lashed against the towering buildings while cold winds howled through the streets like restless spirits.

At one corner of the city stood an abandoned castle.

Its silver architecture still reflected faint flashes of lightning despite the years of neglect. Tall spires pierced into the stormy heavens, while elegant towers and marble halls spoke of a time when the place had once belonged to a flourishing and prestigious clan.

Now, however, the castle stood empty and deserted in the middle of the city, completely untouched by humans.

The Moon Clan that once occupied it had long since disappeared after its downfall nearly a decade ago. Dust, weeds, and silence had become the only residents remaining within its walls; even thieves did not try to barge inside, fearing they might be caught by the church and misunderstood as members of the moon clan.

Yet tonight, one of the descendants of that very clan had returned, though no one stopped her and the church was now destroyed, yet instead of pride, only grief could be seen on her face as she carried her dead son.

The massive doors of the main hall burst open violently.

Annasthasia stepped inside while carrying William’s lifeless body in her arms.

The storm roared behind her as cold wind rushed into the abandoned hall, disturbing years of settled dust. Overgrown weeds and creeping vines trembled beneath the force of the wind before silence returned once more.

Everything inside was dark.

Then, with a faint hum, a small sphere of energy appeared beside Anna and illuminated the massive hall with pale silver light.

Thunder echoed again behind her.

Tears had long streaked down Annasthasia’s moist face, yet her expression remained frighteningly cold and composed. She did not stop walking even once as she carried William toward the upper floors of the castle.

Behind her, three women followed silently.

Yue and Andrea supported Tamasya from both sides as the latter continued sobbing uncontrollably while being drenched with rainwater. Her entire body trembled with grief, and even breathing seemed difficult for her.

Despite their own fear and shock, Yue and Andrea kept glancing toward Anna with concern. The woman looked too calm.

Far too calm for a mother carrying her dead son.

Yet Anna continued forward without hesitation until they finally arrived at the highest spire of the castle.

The chamber at the top was wide and circular, lined with cracked crystal windows through which moonless stormlight occasionally flashed. At the center stood a large crystal platform covered in dust from years of abandonment.

Anna carefully laid William’s body upon it from his side; the massive sword pinned to him rested against the surface of the platform.

Then did she finally turn toward Tamasya, Yue, and Andrea.

"We have to take out this sword, but the problem is that it has passed through his mana core; we need to take the blade out without breaking the core any further."

Her tone remained steady and clinical, almost as though she were discussing a patient rather than her own son.

"What do you intend to do??" Andrea asked carefully, uncertain whether she even wanted to hear the answer.

Anna looked directly into her eyes.

"I will revive my son."

The declaration caused different reactions among the women.

Andrea and Yue stared at her in stunned disbelief.

Meanwhile, Tamasya simply shook her head weakly. She had checked William’s condition countless times already. His breathing had stopped. His heart had stopped. His life force was gone.

Revival sounded impossible.

"Tamasya, you will be holding his core in place using your superior control over shadow while Andrea and Yue will pull out the sword."

Tamasya barely reacted to the instructions. Her mind remained trapped in grief, and her quiet sobbing continued as though she had not even heard Anna’s words.

"TAMASYA!!"

Anna’s voice suddenly thundered through the chamber.

"GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!!! WILLIAM NEEDS YOU!!"

The shout shook Tamasya from her daze.

She slowly raised her head and looked toward Anna with hollow, lifeless eyes. For several long moments, neither of them spoke.

Then Tamasya silently stood up from the ground she had collapsed on.

Anna understood the answer hidden within that silence and gave a slight nod for everyone to begin.

Anna anchored William’s body firmly against the crystal platform using mana while Tamasya summoned strands of shadow energy around the damaged mana core, carefully holding it so it would not collapse further.

Yue and Andrea stepped toward the sword.

The moment their hands wrapped around the hilt, both women immediately felt a crushing pressure descend upon them. It was as though the sword itself carried the weight of a mountain.

Still, they gritted their teeth and pulled.

The blade did not move even slightly.

Frowning deeply, they gathered more strength and tried again with far greater force. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Nothing happened.

Minutes passed.

Both Yue and Andrea strained with everything they had, yet the sword remained embedded inside William’s body as though reality itself refused to let it budge.

Finally, both women turned toward Anna nervously.

"What should we do now? The sword won’t budge."

By now, sweat covered Annasthasia’s face.

Her mind raced desperately for a solution.

The goddess had clearly told them that removing the seal from William’s physique was the only way to save him, but she had never expected the sword itself to become an obstacle impossible to move.

Anna knew she was running out of time.

She believed she only had until the next sunrise before William’s soul would truly disappear forever.

If that happened, she would lose her sun completely.

"Remove the core as well!!"

The sudden suggestion came from Tamasya.

Her sobbing had finally stopped, but her tone remained cold. Her face had become emotionless, her eyes hard as frozen stone.

"Can someone even live without a mana core??" Yue asked immediately, horrified by the idea.

Before anyone else could answer, Andrea suddenly spoke.

"I think he has a spiritual core as well; even if he loses his mana core, he will still be able to use spiritual energy."

Anna’s eyes flickered rapidly as she thought through every possible outcome.

In the end, she slowly nodded.

Even if William became crippled for the rest of his life, she did not care anymore. She would protect him herself. She would remain beside him forever if necessary.

She only wanted her son alive.

Nothing else mattered at this point.

Seeing Anna’s agreement, Tamasya gave a silent nod.

Then she turned toward William’s pale face.

For the first time since entering the castle, the coldness in her expression cracked slightly. Her lips trembled painfully as she wrapped one arm around his shoulders and rested her forehead briefly against his chest.

"I am sorry."

The apology sounded utterly broken.

Then, without hesitation, one of her hands gripped the sword’s blade directly.

With terrifying force, she pulled it out.

Squelch

A horrifying sound echoed through the chamber. William’s mana core was violently ripped out together with the sword.