Cecelia glanced toward the entrance of Graylight. "Jin and Edwin just followed you," she said.

"They went in right after you disappeared. I thought they’d catch up to you, but... they never came back."

"We should wait," she replied. "They’ll return soon."

Cecelia frowned. "I don’t like this. That entrance... something’s wrong with it. It plays tricks on your mind."

Elysia stayed quiet for a moment.

(What does all this have to do with Kael?) she thought. (Oh... I forgot to ask about Kael.)

The image of the old man’s cold smile flashed in her memory.

"Every traveler must trade a coin to enter... or to leave."

She clenched the coin tightly in her palm. (I’ll find out what this ancient coin does... and what it trades for.)

But then another thought crossed her mind. (How do I even find that out?)

Meanwhile, inside the City of Graylight, Edwin’s desperate voice echoed through the ruins.

"Jin! Jin, snap out of it!"

He grabbed Jin’s shoulder, shaking him violently.

Jin’s eyes were wide open, but he wasn’t seeing the real world.

His body trembled and drenched in sweat.

"Jin!" Edwin shouted again, holding his arm tightly.

But Jin wasn’t there anymore. His mind—his entire being—was trapped inside the illusion.

In his vision, Jin stood in the middle of a massive battlefield.

The sky above was blood-red, clouds swirling like a vortex of fire.

Around him, mountains of broken weapons and corpses lay scattered across the scorched land.

He wasn’t alone.

Hundreds of armored knights bearing celestial insignias stood behind him—his soldiers.

And on his head, a golden crown gleamed faintly beneath the crimson light.

He looked down at his hands—two elegant twin swords rested in his grip, one black and one silver.

He recognized the weapons. "My blades..." he whispered. "Ashfang and Lumensteel."

Suddenly, a horn blared in the distance. The ground shook as dark shapes emerged from the fiery fog.

Demons.

They came in hordes—giant beasts with claws like blades, and humanoid figures with molten eyes and charred wings.

Their screams filled the air as they rushed forward like a black tide.

Jin gritted his teeth. "If this is an illusion... then I’ll fight my way through it."

He raised both swords and dashed forward.

His movements were fast—too fast for mortal eyes.

The silver sword glowed as it cut through the air, leaving streaks of white light, while the black blade followed in deadly silence, absorbing the faint glow around him.

Every swing of his sword was clean, precise, like a dance between light and darkness.

He sliced through one demon’s neck, spun, and drove his heel into another’s chest, knocking it back.

Three more lunged at him from behind. Jin ducked low, crossing his swords in an "X."

"Twin Break—!" he roared, unleashing a sudden burst of energy.

A blinding wave of light burst outward, tearing through the demons in a wide arc.

The ground split beneath his feet, and molten cracks spread outward.

Still, more came.

He twisted his body, sliding through the chaos with inhuman speed.

His fighting style was both fluid and ruthless—like water shaped into blades.

Every movement followed another without pause: slash, spin, block, thrust, leap.

One demon’s claw grazed his shoulder, drawing blood, but he ignored the pain.

"You’ll have to do better than that," Jin said.

He swung both blades in opposite directions—one parrying a heavy blow, the other cutting deep through another demon’s torso.

His movements created a storm of motion, the sound of steel against flesh echoing endlessly.

But even as he cut them down, more rose from the ashes. The demons regenerated, fueled by the cursed flames surrounding them.

And then, amidst the chaos, a dark figure appeared in the distance.

He was not a demon. He looked human.

But his presence was suffocating.

Jin’s instincts screamed danger.

The figure walked slowly toward him, each step echoing like thunder. "You wear the crown," the man said in a deep, chilling voice. "But do you deserve it?"

Jin raised his swords. "Who are you?"

The man didn’t answer. He raised his hand, and black energy exploded outward, forming a massive sword of darkness.

Jin barely dodged as the sword struck the ground, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

He jumped high, twisting midair, and slashed downward with both swords.

Sparks flew as his blades collided with the man’s arm—blocked barehanded.

The shockwave threw Jin back, crashing him through a mound of debris.

He groaned, pushing himself up. "He blocked that?!"

The hooded man stepped closer. "The king’s crown does not belong to the weak."

"I don’t care about your crown!" Jin shouted, charging forward again.

"I fight for my friends!"

Their blades met again—this time, Jin struck with full force, his twin swords glowing with opposite energies. The clash shook the entire illusion.

Black and white light exploded across the field, scattering the remaining demons like dust.

The air burned, and cracks split through the very fabric of the illusion.

But the hooded man remained unshaken. He countered Jin’s next strike effortlessly, then thrust his hand forward.

A black spear pierced Jin’s chest.

His eyes widened. Pain surged through his body.

"Wha—"

The man’s voice echoed, distant and distorted. "You cannot win. The crown chooses when to awaken."

Then everything shattered.

"Jin!"

Edwin’s voice dragged him back to reality.

Jin gasped, coughing violently. His body trembled as he collapsed to the ground.

Edwin caught him before he fell completely.

"Hey! You okay?!"

Jin’s eyes fluttered open. His chest still burned where the sword had hit him, though there was no wound.

"I..." He looked around—the city of Graylight loomed silently again.

The illusion was gone.

"What happened?" Edwin asked.

Jin’s breathing was ragged. "There was... a war. Demons. And I was wearing... a crown."

Edwin frowned. "A crown?"

"Yeah. And then... a man appeared. Stronger than anything I’ve ever faced." Jin clenched his fists, his voice shaking. "He said... I didn’t deserve the crown."

Edwin looked uneasy. "You were shouting in your sleep. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t move. Then suddenly, everything turned white, and we were both pulled here."

Jin slowly stood up, looking at the entrance gate. "So... we were thrown out."

The mist around them thickened again.

Jin’s grip tightened around his swords. "That wasn’t just an illusion, Edwin. It was... a memory."

Edwin tilted his head. "A memory? Of who?"

"I don’t know," Jin said softly. "But I could feel their pain. Their desperation. The demons weren’t after me, they were... ."

"Jin, Edwin? You have returned" Cecelia said.