The imperial study remained silent beneath the dim glow of dying candlelight.

Scrolls covered nearly every inch of the long wooden table.

Ancient records.

Forbidden histories.

Documents so old that touching them carelessly could reduce them to dust.

The Emperor sat alone in the center of it all.

His eyes were tired.

But sharp.

Focused.

The deeper he read—

The more unsettled he became.

Outside the palace windows, dawn had slowly begun appearing over the horizon.

A pale gray light spread across the sky.

Yet inside the study—

The atmosphere remained heavy.

Cold.

As though the darkness described within those records had seeped into the room itself.

The Emperor slowly lowered one of the scrolls.

His fingers pressed lightly against his temple.

A headache pulsed faintly behind his eyes.

Because now—

He was certain.

Every strange incident happening across the kingdom connected back to forbidden black arts.

There was no longer any doubt.

The villages.

The spirit sightings.

The suicides.

The strange illnesses.

The emotional instability.

The attacks.

The palace incidents.

Even the Empress nearly losing her soul.

All of it pointed toward one thing.

Forbidden spirit manipulation.

The Emperor leaned back heavily in his chair.

But one question refused to leave his mind.

"...Who?"

Who was behind this?

Who could possibly possess such knowledge?

Who even remembered these forbidden techniques?

The kingdom had erased them centuries ago.

Every practitioner hunted down.

Every ritual destroyed.

Every book burned.

At least—

That was what history claimed.

The Emperor’s eyes slowly drifted toward the ancient scroll before him.

The title itself felt ominous beneath the flickering candlelight.

Forbidden Black Arts and Spirit Manipulation.

This book should not even exist.

Yet here it was.

Hidden inside the secret section of the imperial library.

Accessible only to emperors.

His fingers brushed lightly against the faded ink.

Then suddenly—

A memory surfaced.

His mother’s voice.

Calm.

Serious.

From many years ago.

—

"You must never open those shelves unless absolutely necessary."

—

At the time, he had been young.

Curious.

He remembered asking her why.

And she had answered quietly—

—

"Because some knowledge should remain buried."

—

The Emperor slowly closed his eyes.

Then opened them again.

"...Buried..."

His gaze darkened.

If all practitioners were truly erased...

If all knowledge was destroyed...

Then how was this happening again?

How could someone revive forbidden arts after centuries?

It made no sense.

Unless—

Someone survived.

Or someone rediscovered it.

But how?

The Emperor stood slowly and walked toward the hidden shelves again.

Ancient books lined the walls behind concealed panels.

Most untouched for generations.

Dust covered nearly everything.

Meaning—

Very few people even knew these records existed.

And yet—

Somewhere in the kingdom—

Someone understood these arts well enough to use them.

That realization sent a chill through him.

Because it meant the enemy was not experimenting blindly.

They knew what they were doing.

Carefully.

Precisely.

Patiently.

The Emperor looked down at the ancient text again.

One line caught his attention.

—

"Though the practitioners were destroyed, resentment never disappears completely."

—

His brows slowly furrowed.

Resentment.

Revenge.

His mind immediately moved toward another possibility.

"...Could this be revenge?"

The words escaped quietly into the empty room.

Revenge from whom?

The black practitioners destroyed centuries ago?

Their descendants?

Hidden survivors?

Or perhaps noble families secretly involved long ago?

The Emperor’s thoughts became heavier.

The more he tried to connect the pieces—

The more complicated everything became.

Because every answer created even more questions.

If someone sought revenge—

Then why now?

Why wait centuries?

Why target random villages?

Why involve the palace?

Why target the Empress?

Why manipulate Lady Chen?

And what was the true purpose behind creating fear throughout the kingdom?

No matter how much he thought—

He couldn’t find a complete answer.

Only fragments.

Broken pieces floating in darkness.

The Emperor walked slowly toward the window again.

Outside, palace servants had begun moving through the courtyards.

Morning had arrived.

But instead of relief—

The dawn only made him feel more exhausted.

Because daylight could not remove this darkness.

This threat existed beyond ordinary politics.

And that made it far more dangerous.

A knock suddenly sounded outside the study doors.

The Emperor’s expression immediately returned to calm.

"Enter."

The doors opened slowly.

An older palace servant stepped inside carefully.

"Your Majesty..."

"The Empress Dowager requests your presence."

The Emperor paused briefly.

Then nodded.

"...Tell Mother I will come shortly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The servant bowed and left quietly.

The study fell silent again.

The Emperor looked once more at the forbidden scrolls spread across the table.

Then finally rolled them closed.

But even after closing them—

The unease remained.

Because now he knew too much.

And still—

Not enough.

—

A short while later—

The Emperor entered the Empress Dowager’s palace.

The older woman sat calmly near the window, drinking tea.

Sunlight illuminated her elegant but aging features.

She looked peaceful.

But the moment she saw her son—

Her eyes sharpened immediately.

"You didn’t sleep."

It wasn’t a question.

The Emperor sat down quietly across from her.

"...No."

The Empress Dowager studied him carefully.

Then her gaze lowered toward the ancient scroll in his hand.

For the first time—

Her expression changed slightly.

"...You opened it."

The Emperor nodded slowly.

"Yes."

A long silence followed.

Then the Empress Dowager sighed softly.

"I told you only to read those records if the kingdom faced true danger."

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

"...And now it does."

The older woman became silent.

Because she could hear the certainty in his voice.

The Emperor spoke quietly,

"The incidents happening across the kingdom..."

"They’re all connected to forbidden black arts."

The Empress Dowager’s fingers paused lightly against her teacup.

But she did not look shocked.

Only tired.

"...So it has returned after all."

The Emperor immediately looked at her.

"You knew this could happen?"

She shook her head slowly.

"No."

"But I feared it."

Her gaze moved toward the distant sky outside the window.

"When your grandfather ruled..."

"...the kingdom nearly collapsed because of these people."

The Emperor remained silent.

Listening carefully.

The Empress Dowager continued quietly,

"Every practitioner discovered was executed."

"Every book burned."

"Every ritual erased."

Her eyes slowly returned to him.

"This scroll survived only because imperial rulers needed to remember the danger."

The Emperor frowned deeply.

"That’s what confuses me."

"If everything was destroyed..."

"...how are these arts appearing again?"

The Empress Dowager became silent for several moments.

Then finally whispered—

"...Perhaps someone survived."

The Emperor’s expression hardened immediately.

"But after centuries?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head slowly.

"I don’t know."

"Perhaps descendants."

"Perhaps hidden followers."

"Or perhaps..."

Her voice lowered slightly.

"...someone seeking revenge."

The room fell silent.

Because that possibility terrified both of them.

The Emperor leaned back slowly.

"But revenge against whom?"

"The royal family?"

"The kingdom?"

"The nobles?"

"Why now?"

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes briefly.

"...I don’t know."

And that uncertainty frightened her deeply.

Because if even the imperial family’s hidden records lacked answers—

Then the enemy was moving from shadows history itself had forgotten.

The Emperor lowered his gaze toward the forbidden scroll again.

His thoughts became heavier.

More complicated.

Everything felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.

No clear enemy.

No clear purpose.

Only fear.

Darkness.

And unanswered questions.

The Empress Dowager finally spoke again.

"You must be careful."

The Emperor looked up.

"These people..."

"...if they truly returned..."

"...they are not ordinary enemies."

Her voice carried old fear buried beneath years of royal composure.

"They hide."

"They manipulate."

"They destroy slowly."

The Emperor nodded silently.

Because now—

He understood that better than anyone.

And somewhere within the palace walls—

Someone was already moving unseen.

Morning sunlight filtered softly through the windows of the Empress Dowager’s palace.

The atmosphere inside remained calm and quiet.

Fresh tea had just been poured.

Incense drifted slowly through the room.

But despite the peaceful surroundings—

The Emperor’s expression remained dark.

Heavy.

Thoughtful.

The forbidden scroll still rested beside him on the table.

The Empress Dowager watched her son carefully.

Ever since reading the ancient records—

Something inside him had changed.

His eyes carried constant calculation now.

Constant unease.

As though every shadow in the palace had become suspicious.

The older woman sighed softly.

"You cannot carry the entire kingdom’s burden alone."

The Emperor lowered his gaze briefly.

"I am the Emperor."

A simple answer.

Yet exhaustion lingered beneath it.

Before the Empress Dowager could reply—

Suddenly—

Hurried footsteps echoed outside.

Fast.

Urgent.

The peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly.

A palace servant rushed inside nervously.

"Your Majesty!"

Behind him—

The General entered immediately, still wearing armor, his expression grim.

The Emperor stood at once.

The moment he saw the General’s face—

A bad feeling rose inside him.

"What happened?"

The General bowed quickly.

"There is an urgent court meeting."

The Emperor’s brows furrowed deeply.

"At this hour?"

The General nodded.

"Yes."

"The ministers insist it cannot wait."

The atmosphere inside the room changed immediately.

The Empress Dowager slowly placed her teacup down.

Even she could feel it.

Something serious had happened.

The Emperor looked toward the General sharply.

"...Speak."

The General hesitated briefly.

Then finally answered.

"Multiple villages reported mass disappearances during the night."

Silence.

The Emperor froze.

"...Disappearances?"

The General’s expression remained grim.

"Yes."

The Emperor immediately asked,

"How many?"

The General’s jaw tightened slightly.

"...Current reports estimate around two hundred people missing."

The room fell completely silent.

Even the Empress Dowager’s face paled slightly.

The Emperor’s voice lowered dangerously.

"...Two hundred?"

The General nodded.

"From around ten villages."

"Children."

"Young women."

"Old villagers."

"No bodies found."

"No signs of struggle."

"They simply disappeared."

The Emperor’s expression darkened instantly.

"How is that possible?"

"How does two hundred people vanish in one night?"

No one answered.

Because no one understood either.

The General continued quietly,

"The villages are panicking."

"Some people claim dark shadows appeared before the disappearances."

"Others say they heard strange whispers during the night."

The Emperor’s eyes sharpened immediately.

Whispers.

Shadows.

Again.

The same pattern.

The same fear.

The same darkness spreading across the kingdom.

The Empress Dowager slowly stood.

Her expression had become grave now.

"...Go."

She looked at her son seriously.

"The court cannot see hesitation right now."

The Emperor nodded once.

Then turned toward the exit immediately.

But before leaving—

He paused briefly.

His eyes moved toward the forbidden scroll still lying open on the table.

And for the first time—

He truly felt fear.

Because the situation was escalating far faster than expected.

Someone was no longer hiding quietly.

They were moving openly now.

The Emperor left quickly alongside the General.

The palace corridors were unusually chaotic.

Servants whispered nervously.

Guards moved rapidly between halls.

Even officials waiting outside looked pale.

By the time the Emperor entered the imperial court hall—

The atmosphere inside had already become suffocating.

Every minister stood gathered together.

Whispering anxiously.

Some looked frightened.

Others angry.

The moment the Emperor appeared—

Everyone immediately fell silent.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

But even their voices sounded uneasy.

The Emperor walked toward the throne slowly.

His sharp gaze swept across the hall.

Every face carried tension.

Fear.

Confusion.

He sat down heavily upon the throne.

Then immediately spoke.

"Explain everything."

An elderly minister stepped forward first.

His hands trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty..."

"...during the night..."

"...people vanished from multiple villages."

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

"How many confirmed?"

The minister swallowed hard.

"Current numbers suggest around ten to twenty missing from each village."

"Combined..."

"...over two hundred."

Murmurs spread through the hall again.

Even experienced ministers looked disturbed.

The Emperor’s expression turned colder.

"How?"

"No witnesses?"

"No guards?"

The minister shook his head weakly.

"That is what confuses everyone."

"Doors remained locked."

"Some victims disappeared while sleeping beside family members."

"Others vanished while walking outside briefly."

Another official stepped forward quickly.

"One child disappeared while holding his mother’s hand."

The entire court hall became silent again.

Several ministers visibly paled.

Because this no longer sounded human.

The Emperor’s fingers slowly tightened against the throne armrest.

His mind immediately connected everything back to the forbidden records.

Spirit manipulation.

Mass fear.

Soul disturbances.

The kingdom was descending deeper into darkness.

A younger minister suddenly spoke nervously,

"The common people are beginning to panic."

"Rumors are spreading rapidly."

"Many believe demons have entered the kingdom."

Another added quickly,

"If this continues..."

"...there may be riots."

The Emperor closed his eyes briefly.

Prince Liang’s earlier warning echoed in his mind.

The people would not remain silent forever.

Fear always became chaos eventually.

The Emperor opened his eyes again.

Cold authority returned immediately.

"Send additional guards to every affected village."

"Seal surrounding roads."

"No one enters or leaves without inspection."

The ministers bowed quickly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor then turned toward the General.

"I want investigations immediately."

"Search forests."

"Search mountains."

"Search abandoned temples."

"Every suspicious location."

The General nodded firmly.

"It will be done."

But the Emperor wasn’t finished.

His voice lowered dangerously.

"And I want answers."

The entire court hall became tense.

The Emperor slowly stood from the throne.

His eyes swept across every official present.

"...In one day."

Shock flickered across many faces.

Even the General looked surprised.

One day?

That was nearly impossible.

But no one dared question him.

Because everyone could see it now—

The Emperor himself was furious.

And beneath that fury—

Fear existed too.

Not for himself.

But for the kingdom.

The Emperor’s voice echoed through the hall again.

"Find out who is behind this."

"Or this kingdom will descend into chaos."

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Oppressive.

Because everyone understood the truth now.

This was no longer isolated incidents.

No longer rumors.

Something terrifying had truly entered the kingdom.

And no one knew how to stop it.