After receiving the Goddess's blessing, the man stood with a bowed head, the glow around him fading like the last embers of a dying flame.

He didn't speak for a long moment, then finally whispered, "I… understand."

His fists clenched at his sides. "I will go. I will be your agent in the shadows."

"Then go, my Child," the Goddess intoned, "with my mark and purpose. And may the world never see through your mask until the final blade is drawn."

The stage darkens. A spotlight follows the man as he walks with quiet resolve, exiting the divine chamber and heading to the one person he trusted the most—his eccentric friend, the army's mechanical genius.

The next scene bursts with energy as the workshop of the military genius fills the stage.

Sparks fly, tools clang, and strange machines

buzz with electric life. Amidst it all stands the wild-haired genius, laughing at his own madness.

"Ho-ho! You're back already?" he grinned, twisting a spanner with his elbow. "Don't tell me the Goddess gave you a golden halo and you're now a priest."

"I need equipment," the man replied. "Something that can help me operate undercover."

The genius's eyes lit up like twin suns. "I've just the thing!"

He pulled out a peculiar object with exaggerated flair—a sleek monocle, glinting with runes and rotating gears. "This, my friend, is the Lens of Insight. Put it on your eye and it'll read your enemies' levels, intentions, even possible disguises. Pretty neat, huh?"

The man took it with curiosity and raised an eyebrow. "Looks ordinary."

"Well, try it on! Press this side, it'll adjust itself to your eye.Believe me..Its impressive..With this you can see through the disguise and check their level.'

Seeing the man not believing he urged, to try it.

With a slight shrug, the man brought it up and clipped it over his left eye. He pressed the side gently—and then—

BOOM!

A small but sharp explosion cracked out. Sparks flew. The man screamed and staggered backward.

"AH!!"

He fell, clutching his face. Smoke rose from the device, now charred and broken. The entire stage froze in shock.

At first, the audience thought it was part of the performance—until the screaming didn't stop.

Gasps filled the theatre. One by one, concerned murmurs broke the illusion.

"Is he okay?" "Was that real?" "That scream sounded too… raw…"

"That's awesome acting.."

"I have never seen some acting so realistic."

Whispers of applause echoed around the place.

However, as time passed by, they felt odd as the person's scream wasn't stopping.

Soon, stagehands rushed forward from the wings and pulled him down.

Then abruptly the act was halted.

"What happened?" cried Sol, running down the aisle with urgency.

Freya appeared beside him, her brows furrowed. "How does a monocle even explode? Was it trapped or cursed?"

The crowd began chattering in alarm.

"Is this some kind of sabotage?" "Did someone tamper with the props?" "Wasn't that monocle part of the old Heretic tale?"

From the back of the crowd, a stunned voice rose.

Martina, her complexion pale as parchment, was staring intensely at the stage. Her lips trembled as she muttered beneath her breath,

"Y… Your Highness, do you know something?"Freya asked

Her whisper drew the attention of everyone nearby.

Eyes turned toward her. The stage dimmed. Silence once more.

Kael's gaze narrowed.

"What is it, Tina?"

She looked down for a moment, clearly hesitating—but then straightened her back, as though deciding the truth could not stay buried.

"…It's the Curse of the Heretic," she said at last.

A chill swept over the audience like a sudden wind.

"The Curse of the Heretic?" "Impossible!" "Is that true?"

Sol turned toward her, visibly unsettled. "What curse? I've heard whispers of it but never the details."

Martina looked around at the growing circle of listeners and spoke louder, her voice grave.

"The Heretic… was a madman once aligned with the Gods, but who defied their order. He always wore a monocle over his left eye. After his death, it's said he laid a curse over the world—declaring that no one else but him may ever wear a monocle on that eye."

"Anyone who wears the monocle on the left eye will find it explodes."

Freya's eyes widened. "So the monocle exploded because…?"

"Because the curse was triggered," Martina replied. "A kind of divine safety net. Anyone able to wear a monocle on the left side without it detonating… must be the Heretic himself reborn. Or… someone who has inherited his power."

The silence that followed was heavier than any shout.

Kael froze for a moment.

A cold shiver ran down his spine, as memories clawed their way up—memories of a certain monocle… a certain eye…

He looked away quickly, his heart racing.

'Does this mean… if I wear a monocle on the left eye and it doesn't explode… I'd be marked? I'd be hunted?'

'Fuck…When did I put such a curse.'

He grit his teeth, furious and helpless.

'Damn it! I was planning to use one just like that! This is so damn frustrating…!'

He hid his clenched fists beneath his cloak as the scene ended, the echo of the explosion still ringing faintly in the minds of everyone present.

The echoes of chaos from the earlier incident had barely settled when Kael stood frozen in place, a distant look etched across his face. His heart thudded heavily in his chest, not from fear, but from a gnawing realization.

"Wait a minute… now that I think about it…" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as his mind raced.

Something wasn't right.

The performance—the lines, the characters, the way the Goddess had spoken to the man, and the very explosion of the monocle—all of it had mirrored moments from his own life with uncanny accuracy. These weren't just well-written fictional scenes.

"They knew… too much."

Kael's expression hardened. Beads of sweat formed on his temple as a sharp tension coiled in his chest.

"How do they know about this? This isn't something you pull out of thin air... only a few people knew these details."

Driven by an urgent need to confront the truth, Kael stepped forward.

"Your Highness!" he called out, raising his voice enough to draw the attention of the group.

Martina turned toward him, eyebrows lifting slightly. "Yes?"

"May I take a moment to meet the performers?" Kael asked, his voice carrying a weight that made even the bickering around them pause.