"Rose!"
As Rose stepped out of the bleak darkness, Russell, who had spotted her exit, rushed toward her.
He carefully positioned the torch to prevent it from toppling over and immediately began assessing Rose's condition.
"Rose, you're alive. Oh, thank God!"
"Your Majesty..."
Rose clutched Russell's sleeves. Her emotions had yet to settle.
Instead of relief upon seeing someone else, all she felt was the weight of Elliot's death.
The realization had hit her hard.
"Your Majesty... Elliot, he... Your Majesty... He... Hic..."
All Rose could do was repeat Elliot's name in grievance.
Russell, understanding the tragedy that had befallen Rose from her tears and the anguish spoken in Elliot's name, embraced her tenderly.
"All right, it's all right. I understand. I was so scared that something might have happened to you. Are you alright?"
Rose sobbed uncontrollably, burying her face in Russell's arms.
After a while of crying, her shoulders shaking with emotion, she began to feel like her mind was clearing.
Russell patiently waited for Rose to regain her composure.
When she finally did, he spoke gently.
"Rose, I know you're going through a lot, but for now, it's crucial that we reseal Abaddon."
"I know, and I have something to discuss with Your Majesty regarding that."
"Alright, but first, let's go upstairs. We're currently on the underground level of the Imperial Palace, so there's a way up."
With one hand holding the torch and the other supporting Rose, Russell led her at a slow pace, befitting her limited mobility.
[TL/N: Her foot was injured from the fall. Refer to ch 96.]
It felt like a long time of walking the seemingly endless corridors and climbing the countless stairs.
Eventually, she and Russell managed to emerge from the basement.
Although only an hour had passed, it felt like an eternity since they had last seen daylight.
"Is this the Imperial library?"
Rose glanced around and made the observation.
The place where they had emerged was indeed linked to the Imperial Library, within the depths of its deepest part.
Russell nodded silently in reply.
"Yes, the Imperial library has a door leading to the basement. Not many know about it, though. Let's return to the banquet hall for now."
Supported by Russell, Rose left the Imperial library at a hurried pace, barely mindful of the pain in her limbs.
Despite the broken seal of Abaddon, the area around the Imperial Library remained eerily quiet, almost unnaturally so.
The silence seemed peaceful.
However, the arrival of knights and Wells running towards them from a distance reminded them that peace was not yet fully restored.
"Rose! Your Majesty!"
A bright smile lit up Rose's face as Wells approached with his knights and provided support. With a tense face, Wells began briefing Russell on the situation.
"Your Majesty, Abaddon is causing chaos at the banquet hall, but... I don't think it's fully formed yet. His form seems unstable. Now is the time to figure things out."
"Alright, listen up! Now, our aim is for Abaddon's body to be resealed."
Russell took a mirror from his pocket.
It was a gift from Kate at the Temple of Gloria.
His hand, gripping the mirror firmly, grew tense.
"I'll reseal its body in this mirror."
Russell promised, his voice filled with uncertainty.
"The problem is... its soul."
A moment of silence hung in the air, and Russell knew the reason why.
Where had the soul originally been? We all know it. Where should it be sealed? We all have an idea.
After a brief pause, Wells spoke up.
"I'll do it."
"Duke Honeywell?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I can't let Rose bear this burden again."
"It's not certain whether it will succeed, Wells, and even if it does, we can't be sure the Duke will remain unharmed."
"It's alright."
Wells reassured the emperor.
"Please seal his soul in my heart, Your Majesty."
Russell didn't stop Wells any further. It was not his place to judge his actions.
Though he felt sorry for him, he wanted Rose to live even more.
However, Rose herself objected to Wells' decision.
"No."
She spoke firmly.
"I will seal Abaddon's soul in my heart."
"No, Rose, you don't have to sacrifice your life again."
This time, Rose had no intention of backing down.
"Brother, please don't see this as a sacrifice. This is exactly what I, as the original vessel, should do."
She looked back at Russell.
"I don't want to see this world brought to a halt by that monster."
Russell remained silent, but his expression betrayed his dissatisfaction with her decision. Rose reminisced about the Russell she had known before returning.
"I love you, Rose. Let's stay together forever in this world, where time has stopped."
Rose didn't want to accept that fate.
She yearned to live with her loved ones in this river-like flow of time.
"I will survive in this world no matter what, and I will never leave you alone again."
Rose swallowed her words, but Wells wasn't easily deterred.
To persuade him, she placed her hand on her chest.
"It seems like the vessel that sealed the soul wasn't completely broken, brother. That's probably why I'm still alive. I can feel its heartbeat beneath my palm."
Elliot had aimed at my heart with the holy sword.
Whether it was his mistake or his intention, the holy sword was unable to completely cut through Rose's heart.
Because of this, only half of Abaddon's soul was awakened in Rose's heart. The other half remained in a dormant state.
That may be the reason why the body that awoke in the mirror has not yet fully formed.
Rose delicately wrapped the back of Wells' hand, who was providing her with support.
"Brother, allow me to protect you too. Please."
"Rose, you were the child who shielded me with your radiant smile alone."
"I am no longer a child. This time, I shall safeguard my brother with my own strength. "
Wells, who perceived the resolve in Rose's eyes, had much to say but found it challenging to put his thoughts into words. Against the determination that burned within his beloved sister's eyes, he couldn't muster up the words to deter her.
"Rose."
Before Rose embarked on her journey with Wells' assistance, Russell called out to her.
Rose met his firm gaze.
"Rose, if anything should go awry during the soul-sealing process once more, I..."
Rose could infer what Russell was alluding to.
Consequently, she beamed at him reassuringly, a smile that Russell had long yearned to witness.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry. I can endure it."
Russell said nothing further and did not impede her plans.
He directed his knights to evacuate any remaining individuals in the Imperial Palace.
The knights executed the emperor's orders with utmost precision.
"Let's proceed."
Russell led the way towards the gathering.
Wells carried Rose, whose injured leg hindered her mobility, and they managed to reach the gathering place slightly more swiftly.
A substantial pit occupied the center of the gathering area.
The very pit into which Rose, Russell, and Elliot had descended
On one side, a black fog swirled, appearing to be in agony as it writhed.
Russell passed the mirror he held to Wells.
"The duke will hold this. Once I pierce the body with the holy sword and separate the soul, I will confine the body there. It was bestowed upon me by a priestess from the Gloria Temple, so it should work according to our needs."
"Very well. Please take care, Your Majesty."
Russell subtly glanced at Rose and Wells while scanning his surroundings.
The holy sword dangled precariously at the pit's edge.
Russell suppressed his presence and muffled his footsteps as he approached the location of the holy sword.
The black fog seemed not to have detected Russell's presence as it continued to writhe in torment.
Russell gingerly lifted the holy sword and advanced towards the black fog, seeking an opportune moment.
Observing this, Rose clasped her hands together.
...May everything conclude smoothly!
The distance between Russell and the black fog shortened.
The black fog, which had been writhing aimlessly, finally became aware of Russell's presence and surged menacingly towards him.
"Your Majesty!"
Rose and Wells exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with alarm.
Russell was swiftly enveloped by the black fog, but he did not forget his mission with the holy sword.
Unhesitantly, he thrust it deep into the black fog.
The aged, dulled holy sword pierced something, and simultaneously, a brilliant light emanated from the holy sword.
Russell, clutching it, struggled to open his eyes fully.
"Wells! Get the mirror!"
Russell's voice rang out from within the black fog.
Wells released Rose's hand and hurried into the black fog, clutching the mirror Kate had given him.
The mirror began to emit a soft glow as it commenced absorbing the black fog.
As the black fog put up a struggle to evade the mirror's suction, Wells, holding the mirror, swayed back and forth.
Rose's crimson eyes, which had been unwaveringly observing the scene, discerned something and sparkled with recognition.
"It's here!"
A darkened soul emerged from the black fog.
Abaddon's soul darted around swiftly, causing anything it touched---the walls, floor, and party decorations---to dissolve and vanish.
Rose took a limping step forward, her gaze unrelenting upon Abaddon's soul.
Abaddon's erratic and destructive spiritual presence suddenly ceased.
She was certain that if that soul possessed eyes, they would be fixed directly on her.
Rose extended her arms.
"Return. Your rightful place lies within me."
Abaddon's soul, hovering in mid-air, raced towards Rose with the swiftness of an arrow.
The soul seamlessly melded into Rose's heart, causing it to beat rapidly.
What followed was an overwhelming sensation of agony.
"Ahh!"
Rose cried out and collapsed, her hands clutching her heart.
It felt as though her heart was melting, and she writhed in torment as an inferno raged within her.
"Rose!"
Russell, faster than Wells, who was ensnared within the mirror and unable to move, dashed through the black fog.
Breathing became arduous for Rose, and the pain that was liquefying her entire body threatened to render her unconscious.
In reality, she slipped into unconsciousness only to be forcefully awoken in pain repeatedly.
...I cannot perish. Even after sealing this within me... I shall endure.
"Rose! Damn it. Hold on. Hold on, Rose!"
Russell arrived and enveloped Rose in his arms.
His face contorted with anguish as he felt powerless to alleviate her suffering.
Rose wished to reassure Russell and speak words of comfort, but her voice eluded her. Trembling and wracked with agony in Russell's embrace, she sensed a gentle breeze coming from somewhere.
The breeze swept over Rose from head to toe.
Astonishingly, the excruciating pain that had consumed her began to recede.
...This breeze is somewhat familiar.
Even after that, the wind remained by Rose's side.
Thanks to its soothing and caressing presence, her tension ebbed, and she gradually regained her senses.
Elliot Proud's lifeless body was discovered in the palace's basement.
His demise was attributed to falling debris that had punctured a hole through the floor of the banquet hall.
The turmoil during the event was managed exclusively by Wells Honeywell and the Imperial knights who had borne witness to it.
The disturbance was officially characterized as an act committed by an unidentified terrorist.
Those absent from the scene had merely heard the thunderous collapse of the palace's structure, leading them to reach a unanimous consensus.
Subsequently, the Emperor relayed the news of Duke Elliot Proud's demise resulting from the aforementioned commotion.
The deliberate omission of any mention of rebellion was intended to safeguard the honor of the Proud family, which had long been associated with the Imperial lineage.
Elliot had harbored dreams of Tristan's downfall, yet in the end, he was interred as a sacrifice in the name of terrorism.
Furthermore, Ilya Titonsser, who emerged from the incident unscathed, faced no charges, given the circumstances of her manipulation.
However, her involvement in the attempted assassination of Rose Honeywell led to her current detention in the Imperial Prison.