Gabriella might've been the only one in the house who was acting according to the situation.

It had been three days since the army appeared in the county, and for those three long days, Gabriella couldn't shake the feeling that disaster could strike at any moment.

The main town had already been evacuated for safety, and the counter forces had taken their positions around the estate.

Her father had been tirelessly reaching out to other rulers for assistance, but no one was responding.

Ever since the summit agreement, all major houses had dedicated their troops to strengthening the kingdom's defenses in preparation for the upcoming war.

Her father himself commanded around seven hundred soldiers stationed in the capital.

And considering the vast difference between humans and beastkin in terms of strength and agility, their effective force could easily be considered double.

"Aren't we doomed?" she muttered as she walked into the reception hall.

"You're freaking out for nothing. Father will figure something out," came the careless voice of her brother—the very reason they were in this mess to begin with.

A vein pulsed on Gabriella's forehead. She turned sharply toward him.

"Do you even realize the weight of this situation?" she snapped. "If Father could've handled it, he would've done it by now! But nothing's working, you get that?!"

Normally, she would never raise her voice at him, no matter how foolish he acted.

But right now, she simply couldn't hold back her anger.

They were surrounded in their own territory, living like hostages who had no one ready to help. It was such a helpless situation and her brother doesn't seem to realize the severity of the matter at all!

Devon growled, "Why are you saying it like it's my fault?!"

"Then whose fault is it?" Gabriella shot back, genuinely baffled by his nerve.

"You can't possibly expect me to accept that pig as my bride!" he shouted.

"Oh, but she's still a woman, you idiot!" Gabriella snapped. "She has feelings—feelings you should've respected! Especially after she defeated you in just the second round of the tournament!"

"Shut it!" Devon roared, his aura bursting out as he sprang to his feet.

Gabriella didn't back down. Her anger burned too deep. If she had to fight him to make him understand the weight of his stupidity, she would.

He needed to realize just how grave his mistake was—and what it had cost them.

But before the argument could explode any further, a commanding voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Back off, both of you."

The words froze them in place.

They turned toward the entrance, where a tall blond man stood, his presence alone enough to silence the room.

His eyes were bloodshot—clear evidence of sleepless nights and unending stress.

Behind him stood his most trusted aide, the head butler of the house, Tristain.

Gabriella was the first to lower her gaze and step back.

Devon smirked, clearly satisfied, before calming his aura as well.

Trevon let out a long, tired sigh and took a seat in the nearest chair. His expression showed the weight of too many sleepless nights.

"Did you find out where Mum went?" Gabriella asked softly.

Just yesterday, their mother had vanished without warning, leaving only a note that said she would return with help.

Trevon had been just as worried about her as he was about the army closing in around their mansion.

He shook his head. "I couldn't track her… but I have a feeling where she might've gone."

He couldn't tell them the truth—not yet.

Neither of his children knew that Hades wasn't human… and that he no longer existed in this realm.

Quintessa had no allies left here who could possibly turn the tide of their situation.

That's why Trevon felt almost certain—his wife had gone to seek help from that boy.

Trevon looked at his daughter. "I'm sending you to your aunt's house today. You can return to the academy in a few days."

Gabriella shook her head. How could she leave her family when everything was so uncertain?

Before she could protest, Devon piped up, "Hey — why only her? I want to keep going to the academy too."

Trevon let out a tired, exasperated sigh. "Like I've told you, if you leave this house I won't be able to protect you."

They'd come for Devon's head and given Trevon seven days to hand him over. Until then, he had to find a way to keep his son safe. If Trevon himself walked out, the enemy wouldn't wait—they'd hunt him down immediately.

Devon scoffed. "Can't your men be my meat shield and let me escape? Isn't that what they're meant to do?"

Tristain's fist tightened at the insult. Gabriella's eyes flashed; she was ready to strike back.

Then, everyone froze.

*SLAP.*

A crisp smack echoed through the reception hall. Devon hit the floor, eyes wide with shock. Trevon stood over him, hand still raised, staring him down.

"I'm warning you one last time," he said coldly. "Think hard about every word you say from now on—or forget you ever had the right to speak."

It was worth noting that Trevon—despite his stern nature—had never once laid a hand on his children. That alone showed how grave of a mistake Devon had made to push his father this far.

Tears welled up in Devon's eyes, though he tried his best to hold them back. His left cheek was bright red, the clear outline of Trevon's fingers burned into his skin.

The room was swallowed by a heavy silence. But before anyone could speak—

"Your Lordship!" A soldier burst through the door, breathing hard. "A few foreigners have arrived—with the Lady!"

"Quintessa is here?" Trevon spun around, his fatigue replaced by urgency. Without wasting a second, he rushed out of the house, with Tristain and Gabriella close behind.

As they stepped outside, the first thing they saw were rows of tents set up beyond the mansion gates. Beastkin soldiers stood on guard around them, their attention fixed on the narrow path cutting through the encampment.

And walking down that path, as if the watchful eyes meant nothing, were several figures—some familiar, some not.

On the left walked three women. One was a beastkin, with long pink hair, and held am air of calmness around her. She was getting the most attention from the soldiers.

The one beside her had long violet hair and carried herself with such regal poise that even the beastkin instinctively gave her space; her aura alone radiated danger. Beside her was a blonde elf, graceful and composed, her expression unreadable as her golden hair swayed lightly in the breeze.

On the right was Quintessa herself, speaking comfortably with a silver-haired girl—the same one who had visited the manor just weeks ago. Despite the intimidating atmosphere, the two seemed perfectly at ease, their light chatter cutting through the tension. The girl's presence alone seemed to steady Quintessa, who otherwise would've looked uneasy amidst so many hostile eyes.

And then, in the center of it all, walked the one man Trevon could never forget.

Hades.

Once, Trevon had looked upon the boy as a warrior—strong, reckless, but still within reach. Back then, he had believed he could defeat him if it came to it, though it would've been a hard-fought battle.

But now…

Now Hades carried himself differently. His steps were steady, his gaze unwavering, and an aura of quiet dominance surrounded him. He moved with the calm confidence of a leader—one who feared nothing, not even an army at his gates.

Trevon's heart sank as he watched him approach. He no longer saw a boy he might defeat.

He saw a man he dared not challenge.

The group soon reached the mansion's gate.

The one who stepped forward was Quintessa.

But before she could have said anything, Trevon wrapped his arms around her.

His stiff shoulders seemed to have relaxed feeling her warmth close to him again

Having the danger looming over was one thing, but seeing his wife, his support pillar not beside him, disturbed his heart.

Peri closely watched the man. She barely concealed her hostility towards the man who has tormented her husband for so long

Although Hades himself didn't tell her about his life before he joined the academy, Peri found out about it from Luna.

Just because he was different, this man treated him like a plague all his life. And when Hades was at his weakest, this man abandoned him as well. As if the years of relationship they carried meant nothing.

Hades could feel his mates emotions, that's why he smiled and held their hands and told them through the connection,

'We had already talked about this before. We are here because of my mother, remember?'

Peri just huffed while Luna's expression remained unchanged.

Averis studied the three, suddenly feeling that the man before them was somehow wronged by her Lord.

"...!" Trevon suddenly flinched as he felt a piercing gaze on him.

The ominous aura was coming from the violette standing beside Hades.

His breath came out shallow and sweat started to accumulate on his forehead.

Quintessa noticed the unease so she helplessly looked at her son.

Hades realized what was happening so he held Averi's hand and said, "Calm down, Averis."

Steam erupted above her head as the heavy weight from Trevon's shoulders disappeared.

With her face turned red, the girl meekly nodded.

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