Aria's voice cut through the silence, trembling but firm. "The Gods are in the wrong, Azreal."

Azreal stood abruptly, his expression tightening. His voice sharpened as he snapped, "Stop it, Aria. You're letting what Sin told you crawl into your head. Can't you see?" His eyes searched hers, filled with frustration and disbelief. "When you came here, all you ever spoke about was the Gods—about going to heaven. So what happened now? Where did all that go? You're not thinking straight. Rest for now. You've only just recovered. We'll have this discussion later."

His words fell heavy in the room, and without waiting for her reply, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Aria's lips trembled, her throat tightening as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. Her voice cracked, fragile and broken. "Azreal… why can't you see what I'm trying to show you?" Her fists clenched against the sheets, knuckles white as her tears fell faster. "Why… why are you supporting the Gods?" Her words echoed softly, drenched in sorrow, but he was already gone.

Outside, Azreal strode down the hall with heavy steps, his mind clouded. He entered his room and shut the door behind him with a dull thud.

He sank onto his bed, elbows on his knees, hands dragging down his face. His chest tightened with a weight he couldn't shake.

Sarah materialized in the air before him, her form glowing faintly. Her voice was calm, but edged with concern. "What's the matter, Lord Azreal? You look… troubled."

Azreal exhaled sharply, his eyes lowering. "It's Aria."

Sarah tilted her head, her brows furrowed. "Did something happen to her?"

"No," Azreal said quickly, almost defensively. "She's fine. She's already woken up."

Sarah's lips curved into a small smile. "Then that's good news. Why, then, are you so tense?"

Azreal leaned back, staring at the ceiling as if it might answer him. "Since Aria woke up… she's been acting strange."

"Strange?" Sarah blinked in confusion. "I don't understand, my lord."

Azreal's voice dropped lower, more serious now. "Do you remember Sin's goal with the key to the Hollow Realm?"

Sarah's expression hardened immediately. "Of course I remember. He wanted to merge the Hollow Realm with the mortal world."

Azreal's jaw tightened. "Aria… she supports him in that goal. She thinks he's right—claims it's only his actions that are wrong. She believes in his vision of creating a so-called peaceful world… a world without heaven or hell, without good or evil. And she wants me to help him achieve it."

Sarah froze, eyes widening. "What?" Her tone turned sharp with disbelief. "Why would she start thinking that all of a sudden? I thought she refused him when he first sought her help. Why now?"

Azreal rubbed his temples. "She says Sin is just like Selmora—someone who hates the Gods. That's why he's doing all of this. And now…" His voice grew heavier. "She's even started questioning the Gods themselves."

Sarah's face softened slightly. "My lord… I think it's stress. Let her rest for a while, let her mind cool down." She paused, then her eyes narrowed. "But tell me, what was your reply when she asked you to help Sin?"

Azreal's voice was firm, unwavering. "Of course I refused."

Sarah let out a quiet sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. But remember this, my lord. If you ever… ever decide to believe her and follow her suggestion, you must understand the risk. The creation of such a world isn't as beautiful as she imagines. She doesn't know what it costs. That's why she speaks so freely. I wonder… if she discovered what must be sacrificed for such a world, would she still be so eager to see Sin's dream fulfilled?"

Azreal stood, his shadow stretching against the wall. His voice was cold. "Leave it at that, Sarah. She doesn't need to know."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Are you certain? If she keeps pressing you, telling her the truth might be the only way to silence her once and for all."

Azreal's voice grew sharp. "That matter doesn't concern her. The result of creating such a world—the sacrifice—only you and I know it. And I intend to keep it that way."

Sarah's her voice calm but edged with warning. "Very well. If you insist, then she won't know. But let me remind you, my lord—you are the King of Hell. Don't let her emotions sway you to the point where you forget how to make the right decision."

Azreal's eyes flared, his voice harsh. "Mind your language, Sarah. Push me further, and I can shut you off again."

Sarah's eyes softened, but her words pressed deep. "Then let me remind you of something else, my lord. We still don't know why she was sent to Hell. No leads. No reason. And now, suddenly, she supports your enemy's dream." Her gaze cut through him like a blade. "You've already developed a soft spot for her, though you don't see it. That… attention you give her will lead you astray. But as long as I exist, I won't allow it. I'll alway remind you of the path you must walk. That's my role."

Her form shimmered and vanished, leaving silence in her wake.

Azreal stood there for a moment, frozen. Finally, he whispered to the empty room, his voice laced with conflict. "The ultimate sacrifice to create a peaceful world… Aria, what is your reasoning? Why do you support Sin's dream?"

He sank back onto his bed, eyes closing as his thoughts spiraled endlessly.

Meanwhile, in Nena's room, Aria lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her mind replayed Azreal's words like a cruel echo. Her lips parted, and she whispered bitterly, "A false paradise…"

Her chest ached. She shook her head furiously, covering her face with trembling hands. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore…"

Her eyes slid shut, exhaustion overtaking her. When they opened again, she was no longer in Nena's room. She stood in a world of pure white emptiness—silent, endless, suffocating.

Her breath caught. "This place… isn't this Yuzara's domain?"

A vast shadow loomed, and suddenly a giant nine-tailed fox materialized before her, its tails swaying with power.

Aria gasped, tears drying on her cheeks. "Yuzara!"

Yuzara's eyes glowed, voice deep and knowing. "You're finally awake. So… what are you doing here?"

"I-I don't know," Aria stammered. "I closed my eyes, and suddenly… I was here."

Yuzara's tails flicked. "Then it seems you subconsciously sought me out. Regardless, leave now. I don't have the leisure to babysit."

Aria shook her head, desperation flickering in her eyes. "Yuzara… you've lived for over a thousand years, haven't you? Please, answer me a question."

The fox's gaze narrowed slightly. "A question? Very well. Ask."

Aria swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "If there was a way to create a peaceful world… wouldn't you have tried to achieve it? We're bound by the laws the Gods force on us. Their rules chain us." Her voice lowered, breaking. "If there was a way to be free of their laws… free of heaven, free of hell… free of good and evil… wouldn't you want that too? A world of equality?"

Her eyes glistened as she took a step closer. "Tell me, Yuzara. You've lived so long. You've seen so much. You hold knowledge I can't even dream of. So tell me—would it be wrong… to try to create such a world?"

Yuzara's voice was quiet, edged with warning. "Aria, isn't that what Sin told you? Are you really going to listen to what he said? At this rate you're only giving in to his manipulation."

Aria's hands trembled at her sides. She stared into the endless white as if it might answer her. "No. You don't get it. You don't understand—or you just don't want to understand. Sin didn't manipulate me. He showed me a world he wants to create. I felt his pain… I felt his dire hatred—dire hatred for the Gods."

She swallowed hard, eyes glittering. "Selmora hated the Gods, but look at her now—she's living happily with Azreal. You… you— that's right, the Gods sealed you. You must despise them too, don't you?"

Yuzara did not speak. Silence settled between them like a cold cloak.

Aria pushed on, urgency breaking through her voice. "So does Sin. That's what compels him to do what he does. We need to understand his pain and his suffering, and find a way to build such a world—not the way Sin wanted, by killing—but the right way."

Yuzara's tone was blunt, immovable. "Aria, the world of which you speak—the one Sin told you about—shouldn't exist. Or rather, it must not be created. It's a dream. A false sense of peace and equality."

Tears flowed from Aria's eyes. They came suddenly, hot and unwanted. "You're just like Azreal… you all keep saying the same thing over and over," she choked out. "Can't you see that we're not bound by our own will? We need to be freed from that bondage." Her voice broke; anger and despair tangled together.

"Sin is fighting for peace and freedom." Her declaration trembled into a whisper that might have been a plea. "It was a mistake asking your opinion. I will create such a world where all can be free."

Yuzara's question cut through her like a measurement. "And how are you going to do that? You don't intend to merge the Hollow Realm with the real world, do you?"

Aria's shoulders sagged. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet. The key is also missing."

Her knees gave out and she dropped to the white floor, the motion small and hollow. "I don't— I just don't know what to do."

Yuzara's voice was careful. "And why's that?"

Aria's answer was a whisper, raw and honest. "Because I'm confused. I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore." She pressed her palms to her face, as if she could hold the pieces together. "I want to create a peaceful world, but I don't even know where the key is. You were the guardian of the key and I lost it. I don't know if I can protect everyone and stop all this from happening."

Yuzara's expression softened, just a fraction. "Aria, you're not as weak as you think. You are the answer to many questions. You are the chosen one who possesses the God's mark. As a human you awakened your flames—that alone sets you apart from other mortals."

Her voice steadied ,earnest. "If anyone can end this war and bring about a peaceful world, it is you, Aria. You are the bridge. You are the closest thing to divinity there is. You are a living weapon against the Gods. If you truly want to create the world you speak of, first learn about yourself—your powers, your origin—and become strong enough to build such a world."

Her words were both a comfort and a challenge. "Because right now, Aria, you're just talk. You dream, but you don't yet have the strength to fulfill that dream. I remain against your idea with the key and the Hollow Realm, but if you learn more about yourself and grow in strength, you can fulfill your dream—and perhaps Sin's dream—without bloodshed."

Aria sniffled; the sound was small and stubborn. "I need to learn about myself… my powers and my origin." Her voice shook. "What do you mean by that, Yuzara? I know who I am. When I was alive I had no powers—none at all. Not until I died and awakened in Hell."

Yuzara's eyes were distant, old with secrets. "There is more than meets the eye, Aria. There are secrets you must find—truths the Gods hide. To see them, you must know yourself."

Aria pushed herself to her feet and wiped her face with the heel of her hand, smearing tears across her skin. "Can't you help me, Yuzara?" Her plea was small, edged with the ache of someone asking the impossible.

Yuzara's answer was final, almost sorrowful. "No. I will not involve myself in the affairs of Gods and mortals. This fight is yours alone."

For a moment disappointment collapsed inside her, and then something else—iron replacing the brokenness. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Fine, then. I will do it. I will get strong enough to prove my statement." Her voice was fragile but resolute. "Thank you, Yuzara."

With that she turned and walked away, her figure swallowed by the white expanse until she vanished.

After a long beat, Yuzara's voice followed, low and grave. "Aria—if you do grow strong enough to create the world you speak of, will you still go through with it once you learn what you will lose when that world is made? For something terrible is brewing."

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