Alisiya Attacks the Kingdom of Omeron.

We walked in a line, our eyes fixed on the marks in the roots.

"It's a possibility, but either she returns to this forest, or she tries Omeron ," said Melissa.

"If it's Omeron , the problem is enormous," Koharu murmured.

"I was still listening for any resonance... nothing. Just the wind."

Behind us, Max remained silent, his eyes narrowed. I felt a discomfort in my throat, a warm pang.

— Argh … — I put my hand to my neck.

"What happened?" Koharu ran up to me.

"A little pain here... it's gone now," I replied.

I saw Melissa give me a sideways glance.

"She understood something."

"Let's go," she said.

Ten steps further, the heat grew beneath my skin. My body was sweating unnecessarily.

"Guys..." I staggered; Koharu and Max caught me.

"You're burning up," Max said.

"Shade... over there. Let's sit for a while," I pointed to a fig tree.

"Okay," Melissa agreed briefly.

I sat at the foot of the tree.

"You can go ahead. I'll catch up with you later. I don't want to delay the search," I said.

"Are you sure?" Melissa measured my pupils.

"I have it," I replied.

"We'll be right back," Melissa said.

They moved a few meters apart, and Melissa, with a swift movement, pressed the blade against the side of Max's neck. Koharu startled.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Koharu said .

Fujimoto 's temperature ," Melissa fixed her gaze on Max.

"Is that correct?" Melissa asked.

Max held his breath for a second.

"Yes. I've already reversed it," Max replied.

— Why? — Koharu 's voice came out small and tense.

Max breathed a sigh of relief.

"Because I wanted to talk to you two without him. And... to cut to the chase: Koharu and I have formed an alliance to get Shana out of the group," Max said .

The floor seemed to creak. Koharu blushed and bit her lip.

"That was a secret," he whispered.

"Three days ago. And, on the eve of Omeron … the two of us… got involved," Max continued .

Melissa stood still for a moment; then her expression hardened, professional. Koharu , unsure where to look, simply shook her head.

"Begging won't help. The truth will come out to those who need to hear it," Melissa said softly.

"He won't tell us anything we don't already know how to handle. You can try to stop us, but you won't." Max lifted his chin to Melissa.

"Spare yourself the blackmail. Grinn knows everything she needs to know about me. And about you... whatever is relevant to the mission, I myself will decide how and when it will be discussed," Melissa retorted.

"I'll take responsibility for my part... but I want to fix things the right way." Koharu took a deep breath, her voice choked with emotion.

Melissa lowered her sword.

"Great. Start by telling the truth to those who deserve to hear it," said Melissa.

Silence. Birds chirping. The rustling of leaves.

"Let's go get Fujimoto ," Melissa said finally.

Melissa, Koharu , and Max are back.

"So, feeling better?" Max asked.

" Yes , I am . Did you find any clues?" I replied.

"Unfortunately, no," Koharu replied , carefully choosing her words.

"You seem down, Melissa. Did something happen?" I asked .

"Routine concern. Alisiya 's next move is unpredictable." She smiled awkwardly.

"I sensed there was more to it, but I didn't push it. Not yet."

Grinn 's team ," Melissa decided.

As we left the forest, we met up again with Grinn , Cassandra, Kairo , and Shana .

Reports exchanged: zero signs of Alisiya .

Back at the palace, Sebastian was waiting for us in the main hall.

"Your Majesties, two soldiers from Lilibel request an audience," said Sebastian.

“Bring them,” said Grinn .

Kimek and Balak entered . Grinn and Melissa recognized them immediately.

"I remember you. What brings you here?" said the king.

"We discovered... something," Kimek swallowed hard and said.

"When we went to Lilibel because of the massacre at the adventurers' house, you examined the bodies," Melissa recalled .

Ros 's body . — she confirmed. Balak .

"They said he had been buried," Melissa frowned.

"We lied... but not willingly. Our minds... became strange, confused, on the way there. A girl stopped us and... kissed our cheeks. After that, our memory faded." Kimek looked at the ground and said.

The entire room froze.

— Black hair? — Shana .

"Yes," he replied . Kimek .

— Alisiya . — she said Shana .

Ros 's body ..." Cassandra brought her hand to her mouth.

"He disappeared," Balak finished.

Grinn clenched his fist, seriously.

"What does she want with his body?"

"Thank you for your courage in coming. It's not your fault. We will send an immediate report to Lilibel and the other kingdoms. Now, rest," said the king.

When they left, the silence was heavy.

I felt my stomach churn.

" Alisiya ... if even the dead don't find rest in her hands, what game are we stuck in?"

I looked around: Koharu stared at the ground, pale; Max stared blankly; Shana growled softly; Cassandra and Kairo exchanged fearful and angry glances.

I took a deep breath.

" Whatever comes next, I will face it. With them. And with the truth."

Sebastian appeared in the main hall, punctual as always, with the same calm demeanor of someone who never seems to be shaken.

— Majesties, dinner is served. said Sebastian .

Everyone went to the dining hall. The food was plentiful, but silence reigned at the table, each person lost in their own thoughts after the turbulent day. When we finished, each group went to their respective rooms.

The following morning.

The sun streamed through the stained-glass windows as we gathered for coffee. Grinn and Melissa were the first to finish and returned to the main hall. Shortly after, Sebastian reappeared.

— Your Majesty, the elf Leskip is at the palace gates, Sebastian said .

Grinn raised his eyebrows.

— Understood. Let him in. And see if the others have finished eating. If so, bring them in too. — he replied . Grinn .

Sebastian bowed and went to carry out the orders.

A few minutes later, Koharu , Max, Cassandra, Kairo , Shana , and I were back in the hall. The air was different; it was as if something important was about to happen.

Leskip entered soon after, with the same tired look as always.

"Did you come to talk about aphrodisiacs?" he asked . Grinn .

"Yes. There's just one detail missing. I need a drop of Max's blood in this container," the elf replied .

Max nodded, lightly tearing the skin of his right arm with the dagger. The blood dripped into the jar. Shana approached and healed the wound with a touch.

The two exchanged a silent look; there was something there, somewhere between anger and longing.

Leskip murmured words in an ancient tongue. Lights danced inside the cauldron until a small silver pistol appeared on the table.

"There you go. Three projectiles with an aphrodisiac effect," he said . Leskip .

"Three?" Max raised his eyebrows.

"I managed to produce one more than expected. Use it carefully. The effect is unstable." The elf handed over the weapon.

Grinn thanked him, but Leskip just shook his head.

"There's no need to thank me. I did what was asked of me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go back home," he said . Leskip .

Melissa nodded.

Hours later, in his humble suburban home, Leskip was leaning back when he heard loud knocking at the door.

A loud bang sent the wood flying. The elf fell backward, astonished.

He hid behind the sofa.

A soft sound echoed, the sound of footsteps.

A woman with black hair entered, throwing a glittering artifact on the floor.

"There's no point in hiding, Leskip . I will find you." Her voice was cold and beautiful.

He tried to activate the teleport , but nothing happened.

The furniture was thrown against the walls. Alisiya found him huddled up, trembling.

"I found you... little elf ." Her smile seemed to cut through the air.

Suddenly, inside the palace, a magical alarm began flashing red.

"An unregistered presence within Omeron ," Melissa warned.

"In the suburbs?" he asked . Grinn .

"Yes. We need to go there," said Melissa.

But before we left, the crystal stopped blinking.

"That doesn't make sense. The intruder disappeared off the radar," Melissa murmured.

We returned to the hall, confused.

"Could it be Alisiya ?" I asked .

"Or just an ordinary criminal," Cassandra pondered.

"A merchant doesn't cross through the suburbs. Something's wrong here," Melissa denied.

Shana frowned.

"The fact that the signal disappeared too quickly?" Shana asked.

— Exactly. — Melissa replied.

At the palace entrance, Alisiya was calmly conversing with the guards.

"I need to speak with Sebastian, it's urgent," he said . Alisiya .

"Your name, ma'am?" the guards asked.

— Fedorova Alisiya . — Alisiya replied.

The guards' blood ran cold. One of them ran to call Sebastian.

The butler appeared, calm as always.

Fujimoto 's sister ?" Sebastian asked.

Alisiya 's gaze shifted to a dark, almost demonic one.

She approached, kissed him on the cheek, and Alisiya handed Sebastian something in a transparent box ; it was like a living parasite.

"Go downtown. And... eat this," she whispered.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, blankly.

Inside the palace, Shana suddenly stood up.

"I sensed the energy of a succubus," she said . Shana .

Before we could react, Alisiya materialized in the middle of the room, a provocative smile on her face.

"Hello, my dears. How are you?" Alisiya asked sarcastically.

Max didn't think twice, pulled out his pistol and fired. The bullet hit Alisiya .

"What a strange feeling... I think I'm... in love with you, Max," she laughed.

Shana roared and lunged forward in a pre -demonic form, attempting to strike her.

Alisiya dodged with elegance.

"You ruined my play. But before I go, I have a warning: Sebastian needs you," he said . Alisiya .

And it disappeared in a flash.

Melissa's eyes widened.

"That... is Leskip 's teleport ," Melissa said.