Chapter 186 – The Invisible Fracture of the World
Night in this world was always different. Never truly dark, yet never fully bright either. There was always a soft glow from dim stars floating high above, as if the sky itself was unsure when night should truly begin.
Sylvia sat on her bedroom balcony, leaning against a large wooden chair carved with roses intertwined with thorny vines. On the small table in front of her, a teacup still released a thin stream of steam, its gentle vapor drifting upward into the quiet night air before vanishing into the silence.
She wore a simple dark satin nightgown. Her long black hair was left loose, cascading down over her shoulders. Her face, lit faintly by the dim light, looked calm yet serious, her violet eyes reflecting a thousand tangled thoughts within.
On the table also lay a stack of recent reports from various scout units she had dispatched across the foreign world. Among the papers, one in particular drew Sylvia’s attention tonight: a report about the appearance of a strange new dimensional fracture, eerily similar to the demonic gate she had seen before.
Sylvia picked up the report once more, reading it slowly while occasionally sipping her tea. The contents stated that several scout teams had found similar dimensional fracture formations in three different locations. These gates had not yet opened, but their mere presence was enough to disrupt the surrounding atmosphere. The air shimmered, chaotic magic emerged randomly, and dark energy slowly spread around them.
She placed the report back on the table and sighed deeply. "They’re appearing again," she whispered, her gaze drifting toward the dark forest beyond the castle. "What exactly is happening to this world?"
She remembered the incident some time ago the first time she saw a demonic gate threatening to destabilize the balance of the world. It was the first sign that demonic forces, something even the gods themselves couldn’t fully control, were trying to rise to the surface.
But now, it wasn’t just one. There were three locations at once. She knew exactly what that meant: either the dark forces were becoming more unstable, or someone was deliberately accelerating their emergence.
Sylvia rubbed her forehead gently, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She knew, even though the zombies under her command were powerful and loyal, their numbers were still insufficient to handle the threat of three gates if they truly opened in the near future.
She looked back at the night sky, at the stars that shimmered faintly and seemed so far away. In her heart, a longing resurfaced. She thought of Sofia in Nocture, hoping the world they had left behind was still safe. If she had to face this threat much longer, her return might be delayed even more.
"Are you seeing a night sky like this too, Sofia?" Sylvia whispered softly, almost like a prayer carried by the night breeze. "I’m sorry, but it looks like I’ll have to stay here a bit longer."
She took the last sip of her tea, letting the warmth soothe her throat and bring a touch of comfort. With a gentle motion, Sylvia rose from her seat, picked up the reports, and stepped back into her room.