ROYAL PALACE – AZREAL'S ROOM
Azreal laid still—lifeless, pale, caught between two worlds. His chest barely rose, every breath a whisper. Beside him sat Laisa, her hands trembling, her eyes swollen from crying. A single tear slid down her cheek and landed on his hand.
Time froze.
Inside Azreal's Mind — The Crimson Domain
The moment the tear touched him, Azreal's eyes snapped open—but he wasn't in his bed. Instead, he stood in the middle of a vast crimson room. The sky above was swirling fire, and pillars of flame cracked through a burning stone floor. The heat was suffocating, and the air reeked of ashes and power.
"What… is this place?" Azreal muttered, stepping cautiously forward.
Then he heard it. A slow, echoing clap. From the towering staircase before him, a shadowed figure descended—regal, confident, dangerous.
"Well well," the figure said, voice smooth and mocking, "you're finally awake, huh?"
Azreal squinted at the silhouette. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
