Amidst the remnants of the apocalyptic battle with the Black Knight, Fredrinn slowly made his way through the piles of rubble that covered the room, walking toward the shimmering blue stone.

The scene around him was a perfect depiction of hell; shattered pieces of armor, molten stone, and the thick, acrid smell of burning hanging in the air.

But Fredrinn's steps were determined.

Each step he took was not just the herald of a victory won, but also the announcement that he was one step closer to his life's greatest purpose: finding his lost brother, Julian.

His heart beat with a complex dance of hope and anxiety.

Finally, he stood before the stone at the top of the stairs, which shimmered like a piece of a collapsed universe.

The stone, in defiance of the destruction around it, glowed with a pure and untainted beauty.

Fredrinn stared at the stone for a moment; the swirling energy within it felt as if it were drawing his very soul inside.

Taking a deep breath with the gravity of the moment, he instinctively turned and looked at Cassian, who was watching him from the other end of the room.

Cassian was looking back at him, an unreadable expression on his blood-and-dust-covered face.

It was clear a storm was raging in the depths of his eyes, but he gave a slight nod toward Fredrinn.

This simple gesture was more than an approval; it was an encouragement, a silent command that said, "Do what you have to do."

Empowered by this silent consent, Fredrinn turned back to the stone.

He slowly extended a trembling hand.

The moment his fingertips touched the stone's smooth surface, a light electric current passed through his body. It was a cold, yet vibrant, energy.

He took another deep breath and, this time without hesitation, took the stone in his palm.

In that instant, everything changed.

The stone hidden beneath his armor in Fredrinn's chest, the one that granted him the dark power, reacted to the Stone he held in his hand.

The stone in his chest and the Stone in his palm began to glow in sync with an intense blue light that illuminated the room.

Fredrinn's stomach suddenly churned, his head spun, and he began to lose his balance as if his world had been turned upside down.

The Stone in his palm was visibly shrinking, changing in size as if its energy were being absorbed.

Simultaneously, the color of the stone in his chest was also transforming. The once pure blue stone was now gradually becoming blacker, taking on faint black hues as if the deepest shades of darkness were being etched into it.

"ARRRGGHH!"

An involuntary scream of pain tore from Fredrinn's throat.

His body began to convulse uncontrollably as it tried to adapt to the current of energy created by the merging of these two immense powers.

It wasn't blood flowing through his veins, but what felt like shards of molten glass. Every single cell was burning, his bones were cracking.

He collapsed to the floor and began to writhe in agony.

Minutes passed like centuries for Fredrinn. The pain pushed the limits of his consciousness, bringing him to the brink of madness.

During this time, Cassian did not move from his spot for even a moment.

His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's; he was carefully watching Fredrinn's every move, even the slightest fluctuation of energy in the room. He was on full alert for any sudden change or unexpected danger.

But however calm he appeared on the outside, his mind was a battlefield of absolute chaos.

His mind was filled with a burning rage for having failed to obtain an ability from the Black Knight. This failure had pierced his pride like a dagger.

And in this moment of mental weakness, an ancient enemy began to whisper.

The Crown of Madness.

In every moment Cassian fell into despair or lost his composure, this cursed artifact would never miss the opportunity to try and control his mind with its venomous whispers. It was not silent even now.

"Why are you letting him take the stone?" the Crown whispered in a seductive and logical voice. "You were the one who defeated the Black Knight. You were the one who put your life on the line the most. Without you, they could have never reached this stone. You know this too, don't you, Cassian?"

Cassian replied inside his mind, gritting his teeth. "I can't survive alone. I need people to support me. Strong people."

The Crown's voice echoed with a mocking laugh. "Strong? Hah! Aron was strong. Evelyn was strong. Everyone in the Inferna Duchy was strong. But what was the result? You know the answer as well as I do: A BIG FAT NOTHING! No one protected you. No one could help you. That day, when you fought that man, what did Aron do? He licked his wounds and watched you from a corner like a scared little kitten. And the Duke? He was wasting time fighting the weaklings in the center of the battlefield. I bet he was terrified of truly putting his life in danger."

The whispers became even more venomous, bringing the painful memories of the past to the surface one by one.

"They deceived you with empty promises like 'love' and 'friendship,' Cassian. They used you. They brought you nothing. And now, you are making the same mistake again. Understand it already! No one can be your equal. No one can be strong enough to help you. What you have to do is very simple. Go and kill Fredrinn. You can see how defenseless he is. This might be your only chance. Just think of what you could do with the combined power of those stones! Why are you letting someone else get stronger instead of yourself? Do you really believe, after everything you've been through, that someone can be your 'friend'?"

The Crown's final words were the most painful.

"Your family abandoned you. You suffered for years. When you found a new home, you were abandoned again. And that girl... the only person you might have started to love in your life, Iris! Where was she while you were suffering and putting your life on the line for them? I'll tell you: hiding cowardly in a fancy and safe room in the castle while you fought."

As Cassian listened to this cruel speech from the Crown of Madness, he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He was gritting his teeth, trying to free himself from these thoughts that were poisoning his mind. But at the same time, he couldn't help but think how logical the Crown's words were.

Did he really need an ally? Or was this just a big lie he told himself, a fabrication to end his own bottomless loneliness?

Against his will, his feet moved him toward Fredrinn.

He stood over the writhing Fredrinn like the Grim Reaper.

What he had to do was very simple. Just one, simple attack. It would be so easy.

His heart was beating like a war drum in his chest. His hands trembled, undecided on that thin line between doing it and not.

In his mind, an image of a blood-soaked Fredrinn flashed.

At that critical moment, a wave of warm power from deep within his chest spread to his mind.

The Dragon Heart had activated.

The poisonous thoughts that were clouding Cassian's mind, pulling him into darkness, suddenly began to fall silent. The whispers had stopped, but the damage they had done was permanent.

The poisonous seeds were now sown in his mind.

While Cassian was busy with this internal battle, Fredrinn's writhing stopped. His pain had subsided.

He remained motionless on the floor, gasping for breath. His body had acclimated to its new power.

He slowly sat up and joyfully turned around to report his success.

"Cassian! I... I did it!"

But the words caught in his throat. The sight he saw was enough to freeze the blood in his veins.

Cassian was standing right behind him. But his presence was so faint that if he hadn't seen him with his own eyes, it would have been impossible to know he was there.

The way he was looking at him...

It was not the look of a friend or an ally.

It was the cold, emotionless gaze of the Grim Reaper, come to collect a soul whose time was up. There was no expression on Cassian's face; not joy, not anger, not relief.

Just an absolute void.

After a short, fearful exchange of glances, Cassian's old, mocking smile returned to his face as if he had put on a mask.

"You did a great job," he said, his voice colder and more distant than usual. He extended his hand to Fredrinn, who was still frozen on the floor.

Fredrinn continued to look at Cassian with eyes full of fear and suspicion. In that moment, touching the hand Cassian offered felt like making a deal with a devil. But he had no other choice.

Finally, he extended his trembling hand to Cassian and, with his help, got to his feet.

As soon as Fredrinn was up, Cassian immediately turned his back. It was as if he no longer wanted him to see his face. He spoke with his back to Fredrinn.

"Get Rose and let's go. We have a lot of work to do from now on... partner."

The slight emphasis in his voice as he said the word 'partner' was enough to send shivers down Fredrinn's spine.

The battle was over, but Fredrinn felt that the real danger was perhaps just beginning.

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