The air turned cold and sharp. Maybe it was because they had been wrapped in warm happiness just moments ago. Now, it felt as if someone had poured icy water over them.

“What... is this?” Song Ha-Eun stared blankly at the TV in disbelief. “Y-You didn’t accidentally put on a movie channel, did you?”

She tried to brush it off, but knew all too well that this wasn’t a movie.

Flames engulfed the city. Terrifying screams and cries echoed through the broadcast. It all carried a raw despair that no artificial production could ever replicate.

“Ah...” Isabella staggered back, her face turning pale. “W-Why is this happening?”

Cassia quickly caught her and steadied her trembling frame. “Calm down.”

Isabella had been born in Italy, so the shock struck her even harder.

Kwon Oh-Jin bit his lip as he watched Rome burning on the screen. It slightly differed from Lee Shin-Hyuk’s memories.

They aren’t vampires.

In those memories, Rome had fallen to an army of vampires led by the Blood Witch. Instead of vampires, an army of demonic beasts now ravaged the city.

Different demonic beasts...

Animals varied from lions to rabbits and tigers. Demonic beasts also contained hundreds of distinct species. Just as lions and rabbits didn’t live side by side, these creatures instinctively rejected those not of their own kind.

But here...

Demonic beasts of entirely different species moved together as if part of a perfectly drilled army.

Kwon Oh-Jin only knew two beings who could control demonic beasts of different species like puppets.

He turned to look at one of them. “Cassia...”

Still supporting Isabella, Cassia made eye contact with him and nodded slowly. “It has to be Mobius.”

Kwon Oh-Jin pressed his forehead and laughed self-mockingly.

What did I think I could change?

He had been too arrogant and cocky. For the past three months, he had physically grown at an explosive pace. However, his mentality had dulled and rusted in the safety of peace.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes deeply sank as he stared at the flames onscreen.

—Regarding the current situation, the Seven Stars Assembly...

Bzzzt, bzzzz.

Suddenly, static broke across the broadcast. The announcer’s words cut off like a broken radio, and the screen flickered to black.

Song Ha-Eun frowned and cocked her head. “Did the transmission cut off?”

A chilling noise, like serpents slithering across the ground, came from the speakers.

Shhhh.

The black screen lit up again, revealing a man as pale as snow. He wore a faint smile so gentle that merely looking at it seemed to warm anyone’s heart, but his green eyes gleamed with a poisonous madness.

—Test, test, can you hear me well?”

The man chuckled awkwardly as though unaccustomed to the broadcast. He bowed with courteous grace.

—I’m Mobius, the Celestial of Ophiuchus.

His smile carried a boyish innocence that felt disarming and almost pure. However, screams of agony and terror echoed out behind this warmth.

—Aaaahhh! Ugh! Kyyaaaaa!

Mobius stood against the backdrop of a city engulfed in flames. It felt peculiarly eerie.

Then, a man stumbled into view, gasping and stumbling out of the inferno.

—Haa, haa!

Clutching twin blades in both hands, his eyes flared when he spotted Mobius.

—Y-You bastard...!

The Stigma on his chest burned brightly, and a blue sword aura ignited across the twin blades.

“Vittorio Calvani...?” Isabella trembled as she uttered the man’s name while staring at the screen.

“You know him?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“He’s a well-known Awakener in Italy with the Stigma of Cancer."

Cancer was one of the twelve Zodiacs, making it incredibly powerful. The Stigma of Cancer was infamous for its terrifying power that could slash through even space itself.

The twin blades in Vittorio’s hands glowed with a deadly brilliance.

—Oh? I thought I’d killed all the Awakeners, but there’s still one left.

Mobius turned to Vittorio and smiled.

Vittorio’s face twisted in rage. He crossed his twin blades into an X and shouted.

—Celestial of Cancer, Tarf! Please grant me the power to stop this wicked demon!

Woong!

Vittorio’s Stigma flared violently, and a long blue blade-aura crawled up along his crossed swords.

Mobius laughed and shook his head.

—Hahaha, it’s useless. No matter how much you plead, no matter how much you yearn, no matter how desperate you are... Celestials will not save humans. Never.

—Shut up!

Vittorio spat a coarse curse and lunged at Mobius. His rising blue sword aura crossed like an X and slashed through the air. His fast sword strike couldn’t even be caught on camera and cleaved through Mobius. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

However, as if the footage had been skipped, Mobius suddenly reappeared and clamped his hand around Vittorio’s throat.

—Kuh! Gak!

Mobius smiled sweetly and reached toward the left side of Vittorio’s chest.

Crunch.

His hand pierced Vittorio’s chest, and he pulled out Vittorio’s still beating heart.

—Can you hear Tarf’s voice now?

—Kuh, gak, ugh!

—Haha. See? I was right.

Mobius shrugged and roughly gripped the beating heart in his palm. The heart burst, and the blood stained his snow-white hair. Now soaked in blood, Mobius strolled leisurely toward the camera.

—Well, with this, the Awakeners in this city are all dead.

Holding the camera, Mobius smiled refreshingly.

—But don’t worry. There are still plenty of people left who are alive.

At the snap of his fingers, white serpents slithered out from the shadows. Thousands of serpents had tied up civilians ranging from wrinkled old men to children who didn’t even look to be ten years old. Countless people lay unconscious.

—Hmm. I don’t like how this line sounds like some bad villain, but...

Mobius snorted in amusement and continued.

—Come to Italy if you want to save these people.

He bowed politely with a hand over his chest like an announcer calling down the curtain. His green eyes gleamed chillingly as they stared straight ahead.

—I'll be waiting for those who have received the blessing of the stars.

Bzzzt!

The screen glitched, and the footage switched again.

—Test, test! Due to a sudden communication failure, another video was broadcast. W-We apologize for the technical issue!”

An anchor appeared and repeatedly bowed in a panic.

A heavy silence settled over the living room.

“That footage... was broadcast nationwide, right?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“Probably,” Song Ha-Eun answered.

He deeply sighed and pressed his forehead. The city, engulfed in flames, had been burned into his mind like a brand.

To make a declaration of war at this time...

The news of Italy under attack had probably already spread all across the world. Mobius had effectively declared war against Awakeners worldwide. He even took hostages and openly told them to come to Italy.

He must have already prepared everything.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s clenched fist trembled.

“N-No... this, this can’t be...” Isabella staggered toward the TV, her face as pale as snow. She collapsed in front of the screen and trembled. “Did fate... not change after all?”

Kwon Oh-Jin could only remain silent.

“I thought if I didn’t become the Blood Witch, then everything would be okay...”

Isabella had been sure that fate had changed. In the end, everything turned out the same.

Kwon Oh-Jin placed a hand on Isabella’s shoulder. “I’m sorry...”

“That pale-ass bastard is Mobius, right?” Song Ha-Eun gritted her teeth. “Let’s go to Italy.”

“What?” Cassia asked.

“There are still people who are alive.”

“To be precise, those are people who haven’t been killed yet.” Cassia sighed deeply and shook her head. “This is a trap to lure Awakeners to Italy.”

Heading to Italy now would be no different than jumping straight into a death trap.

“Are you saying we should just leave those people?”

“I hate to say this, but the ones who were captured are practically as good as dead.”

“What are you talking about!”

“Think about it. Even if we rushed to Italy right this moment, do you really think those people could survive?”

Song Ha-Eun could only remain silent.

“To Mobius, those hostages are nothing more than bait to lure in Awakeners. Once they’ve served their purpose... they’ll be discarded,” Cassia said with bitter eyes. “It’s already too late to save them.”

“That’s...” Song Ha-Eun bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

She also knew that Mobius had set a trap for them.

“Should we just do nothing then?”

Were they really supposed to just stand by even after seeing those people bound and unconscious?

“If necessary, yes...” Cassia avoided Song Ha-Eun’s gaze and bit her lip.

“My child...”

All eyes turned to Kwon Oh-Jin.

With his hand still resting on Isabella’s shoulder, he asked quietly, “What do you want to do?”

“What...?”

“Bella, I’m asking what you want to do.”

Isabella pressed her lips tightly shut. She also understood that Mobius’s declaration was a trap. Even if they went to Italy, the chance of saving the hostages was slim.

“I think it would be best... to wait and see,” she barely spat out the words between her clenched lips. “It’s tragic for the people who were taken, but... acting according to Mobius’s plan is too dangerous—”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” Kwon Oh-Jin shook his head. He wasn’t asking about the situation. “I asked what you want to do.”

Isabella fell silent again. Her hand, clutching the edge of Kwon Oh-Jin’s shirt, trembled faintly. “I want to save them.”

Even knowing the chances were slim.

“If there’s even a glimmer of hope... I want to try.”

“Alright.” Kwon Oh-Jin faintly smiled and patted Isabella’s head. “We’ll save them.”

If that’s your wish.