They tore at the magic. The [Knight] pulled—and, at last, Dalius felt his bindings breaking. He tore an arm free, and the air shook with his voice. A cry of triumph. Then he bent towards the figure on the ground.

The [Singer]’s head didn’t move, but her eyes flickered. In the depths of her consciousness, that dark world, she heard a voice.

[Singer Level 20!]

[Conditions Met: Singer → Grave Singer Class!]

[Skill – Song of Death’s Call obtained!]

It was cold. But someone touched her. Sidheag felt herself rising. A warm hand touched her. Pulled her up. She glanced up, blinking. Someone helped her to her feet, and she weakly leaned on the figure. But who was so…?

“Dalius?”

He stood in front of her. The [Knight] lowered his hand and stared at it. Cara/Sidheag watched the frost melting on her arm. The ghost looked at her, and then around the tomb.

Glowing eyes filled the darkness. Worn bodies. At first, Cara was reminded of the horrors she had seen and quailed.

Then—she regarded them. Men and women. Some bearing cloth, others worn to bone. Yet they stood with the dignity of the grave, without madness, watching her and Dalius.

Afiele’s children stood there. Waiting.

An army of the dead. Cara’s tongue moved in her mouth, but she had no words. There were a thousand things to say. Cara looked at Dalius in the silence. And let all but one be unspoken. The [Knight] slowly bowed to her. He smiled gently, then put a hand on his sword. He drew it and saluted her. Saluted the tomb and his people. Dalius looked at Cara and nodded.

“Miss Sidheag. Afiele calls for us. Shall we go?”

The [Singer] from another world looked up at him. She smiled.

“Yes.”

They walked, living and dead, hand in hand. To the end. And Afiele’s children followed, to lay their kin to rest.

1.16 P

The [Necromancer]’s army of the dead marched on the bastion of House Ladel at the end. A castle, taller and far more fortified than Afiele’s keep.

But he had brought the giant. And an army capable of damning the living by sheer numbers. He had ignored Afiele’s fleeing people to seek his true target. The [Princess] of Calanfer was not his quarry.

She could have fled, but Seraphel had not. She marched now, surrounded by the Thronebearers of Calanfer. Next to the people of Afiele, every man, woman, and child. Following the Lord of Afiele. They saw the army of the dead surrounding the castle.

The undead had sieged the castle for five days and nights. The Zombie Giant had withstood all assaults.

Magic spells bound to the castle’s walls, Skills—the bravery of Duchess Grishen’s soldiers—it had availed them not.

So long as the [Necromancer] lived—he could repair even the most egregious of damage to his creation.