"As I said, I'm fine, Mom." Damien sighed, reassuring his mother for what felt like the third time.

It wasn't only her—everyone around him still looked tense, their faces lined with worry.

Normally, Damien wasn't someone who drew much notice. Family gatherings were often the same: a few polite words exchanged with him before the attention inevitably shifted back to his sister, who always stood at the center. He had long convinced himself that his relatives didn't care much about him.

But now, seeing the genuine worry etched on their faces, he began to wonder if he had been wrong.

"Why did you jump into danger? Do you realize how much your mother was worried?" Mary scolded sharply, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

Damien didn't respond to that but it was a fact that if that situation arises again. If his family is in trouble, he would come between them once again. Even if he has to go through that experience again.

Naturally, he didn't say that or he would have caused his mother to cry more.

On the other side, Reid and William stood together.

"What just happened?" Reid asked, his eyes fixed on his son being embraced by his wife.

Damien was awake. Healthy. Not a trace of his earlier wound remained—as if he had never been injured at all.

Everyone had witnessed the miracle unfold before their eyes, yet disbelief lingered. Some refused to accept what they had just seen.

"Brother… what about Ruby? Should we go after them?" William asked, approaching the eldest.

Earlier, Adrian had lifted both Ruby and Ariana and vanished before anyone could fully register what had happened with Damien.

Reid looked up at the sky. "I've already sent people, but I have a feeling they won't be able to track them down."

"Is she in danger?" Tessa asked, knowing full well that her brother wouldn't be able to tell if Ruby was truly at risk.

Adrian moved like a phantom, slipping past the barrier as though it weren't even there.

In contrast, they had to muster their combined strength just to create a small opening in the barrier and defeat the Acolytes outside.

There were fewer than twenty Acolytes, and they were weak—an easy task for the Vermillion patriarch.

Soon after, Reid called the main house, and reinforcements arrived not long after that.

The Tower had yet to make a move, and now, with the main force present, it was highly unlikely they could act against them.

Reid hummed, crossing his arms. "I have a bad feeling about this…" he muttered, thinking of the eerie presence Adrian had radiated earlier.

But then he shook his head slightly. "Still… I trust him. He won't hurt Ruby. I trust Adrian that much."

°°°°°°°

"Tch, where the hell am I?" Adrian cursed as he prowled through the city, his boots striking against the uneven cobblestones.

This place—its narrow streets, its heavy air—was unknown to him. Yes, this was part of his memory. Yes, once upon a time, he might have walked these paths. But right now, it was all foreign.

And here, of all places, he was supposed to find himself.

He had torn through houses, stepped into shadowed churches, and swept along deserted streets. It felt like hours had passed, though in truth, only minutes had slipped by.

Only minutes—because Adrian could move as fast as he willed, crossing ground in a blur. Even so, despite scouring every corner, he found no sign of the man he sought—the old man with the grey beard.

"System," he muttered at last, frustration leaking into his voice, "you have to help me here."

Ariana and Ruby were in pain. He was the person behind their pain. His fault. Even now, he could hear their cries, feel their agony echoing through his mind.

He had to get out. He had to reach them.

[The system can't locate your past self, host.]

Adrian clicked his tongue, frustration flaring. But before he could move again, a memory stirred—one he hadn't thought of in a while.

The dream he'd had after taking the herb Eros gave him. He remembered it vividly. He had been in a village… a strange, empty village, with not a soul in sight.

If that too was part of his memory, if Avirin had once been there… then could it be that he was in that very village now?

'But this place… this city… it's lavish. Well-built. Not anything like that underdeveloped village.' Every street was lined with sturdy houses, every corner spoke of a moderately comfortable life.

Unlike most capitals from the current era, there wasn't a single slum in sight.

So… where could that village be?

While he wondered where to go—standing idle wouldn't get him anywhere—Adrian suddenly caught a voice.

"You used the western gate again?! Didn't I tell you never to go that way?" A woman in her late forties scolded a young man, his face bruised, a sword hanging loosely at his side.

"That gate's closer to the hunting zone. It's convenient, ma," the young man replied as they stepped into a nearby house.

Adrian frowned and followed them, passing through the door effortlessly, simply willing it.

The older woman continued, "That area is dangerous, Afoldo. You must take another route, even if it takes longer."

The young man nodded. "I understand, ma. Now, can you make me some—"

Adrian ignored the rest of their conversation. His focus was already fixed on the western side of the city.

He hurried out of the house and made his way west.

Until now, he had stayed within the city's boundaries, never venturing outside. But the woman's warning made it clear: whatever danger lay ahead, it was beyond the city's perimeter.

Within seconds he stepped past the western gate and noticed that the security on this side was more strict than the northern gate.

Soldiers were continuously moving around, and several of them stood before the massive gate as if no one was supposed to enter from this side.

Adrian looked out and soon his eyes widened as he saw it.

Surrounded by pointy bamboos and attached to the city's wall was a small settlement.

Its structure from the outside clearly indicated that it was underdeveloped.

Adrian knew that he had found the right place. Maybe this was it.

This was the place where he might find who he once was.

The greatest Runesmith to ever exist.

And the person who might help him get out of this place.

'Please be there…'

°°°°°°°°

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