The moment Hana stepped foot back into Aikyo’s palace, she called for an emergency meeting. Hime, Haruka, and the highest-ranking members of the imperial court gathered in the war chamber, tension heavy in the air. Hana sat at the head of the grand table, her hands clasped together, her expression grave.

  She wasted no time. “The curse will return on the night of the next lunar eclipse.”

  The room fell silent.

  Hime’s fingers lightly tapped against the armrest of her chair. “You’re certain?”

  Hana nodded, her voice unusually firm. “The vision I saw in Eldoria wasn’t just some warning—it was a prophecy. When the moon disappears, the curse will awaken again.”

  Haruka crossed her arms, scowling. “Tch. Damn thing won’t stay gone, huh?”

  The court officials exchanged uneasy glances. Aikyo had been at peace ever since the curse had been broken, but now…

  “Then we must prepare,” Hime stated.

  One of the senior strategists, Lord Renshin, spoke carefully. “How severe is this relapse expected to be, Your Highness?”

  Hana exhaled slowly. “I don’t know.” She looked down at her hands, gripping them tightly. “The curse was always tied to my body. Before, it was bound by fate. Now, it’s something else—something older, something deeper. I felt it in the vision. The cycle isn’t completely broken.”

  Another official hesitantly added, “Then… does that mean you will be in danger again?”

  Hana forced a small smile. “Most likely.”

  Haruka immediately slammed her fist onto the table. “Like hell we’re letting that happen!”

  Hime glanced at her before turning to the court. “We will reinforce the protective measures.”

  For the next several weeks, Aikyo mobilized its greatest minds to prepare for the eclipse.

  A reinforced containment chamber was constructed deep within the palace—a barrier-protected sanctum layered with magical seals, modern reinforcement, and divine inscriptions. It was designed to withstand even the full force of Hana’s reality-altering power if she lost control again.

  The empire’s best healers, and scholars were gathered. The teams were stationed on standby, with every possible treatment prepared. Special elixirs and emergency medications were crafted, along with a prototype device designed to stabilize Hana’s energy flow if necessary.

  Hime personally oversaw the construction of the barrier system, ensuring that every layer was perfectly in place. “This must hold, no matter what,” she instructed.

  Haruka took charge of military reinforcement, setting up security in case the curse tried to spread beyond containment. “No one’s getting through unless we say so.”

  Even Kurohazan and Uriel patrolled the area, both guardians sensing the impending disturbance.

  Hana, meanwhile, watched it all unfold. For the first time, she saw an entire empire moving to protect her.

  And that… made her even more afraid.

  As the final night before the eclipse arrived, the palace was eerily quiet. The preparations had been completed, and all that was left… was to wait.

  Hana stood on the balcony of her room, gazing at the bright, full moon. In just one more night, it would disappear, and everything would change again.

  She barely noticed when Hime approached.

  “You should rest,” Hime said softly.

  Hana smiled faintly. “Like I could sleep.”

  Hime stood beside her, her presence steady and calm. “You’re afraid.”

  Hana didn’t answer at first. Then, after a long pause, she whispered, “I don’t want to put everyone through this again.”

  Hime’s amber eyes softened. “That’s not your choice to make.”

  Hana clenched her hands. “But it’s because of me that—”

  Hime placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “You carry too much alone. Let us share the burden.”

  Hana looked up at her sister, her vision slightly blurred. For once, she let herself accept it.

  Behind them, Haruka’s voice broke the moment.

  “Oi, stop being all sentimental and get inside before you both catch a cold.”

  Hana snorted. “You’re the last person who should be lecturing me about responsibility.”

  Haruka grinned. “Damn right.”

  As the three sisters stepped back inside, the night stretched on.

  Tomorrow, everything will change.

  —

  The Eclipse Begins

  As night fell upon Aikyo, an eerie stillness settled over the capital.

  The moon hung high in the sky, its silvery glow illuminating the palace walls. The streets were emptied, the citizens having been warned to stay indoors. A strange, unnatural silence filled the air, as if the entire world was holding its breath.

  Inside the palace, the containment chamber stood ready.

  Hana sat in the center of the reinforced room, surrounded by layers of magical barriers, enchanted seals, and reinforced walls. The room itself had been designed to withstand the worst possible scenario. Every precaution had been taken—healers and guards were stationed just outside, while Hime and Haruka waited within the inner sanctum.

  Kurohazan and Uriel paced restlessly around her, their divine senses detecting the growing disturbance in the air.

  Haruka, arms crossed, scowled. “I don’t like this.”

  Hime, standing calmly beside her, responded, “None of us do.”

  Hana let out a slow breath. “We don’t have a choice.”

  She lifted her gaze to the ceiling, as if she could see beyond the stone walls to the moon above.

  And then—

  It began.

  A wave of pressure filled the room.

  The protective barriers shuddered as an unseen force began to pulse through the air. The sigils engraved into the walls flickered, struggling to contain the energy beginning to unravel within Hana’s body.

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  Hana gasped, her vision blurring. The sensation was familiar—too familiar. It was the same suffocating feeling she had endured all her life, the weight of a power that never truly left her.

  Kurohazan’s fur bristled. "Master—"

  Uriel’s golden eyes narrowed. "It is coming."

  Haruka took a step forward, tense. “Hana?”

  Hana tried to speak, but— Pain exploded in her chest. She clutched at her heart, a sharp, searing agony spreading through her body like wildfire. The room distorted, the air thickening as her reality-warping abilities flared uncontrollably.

  Hime immediately gave the order. “Activate the stabilizer—now!”

  The healers team rushed into action, one of the healers activated a prototype energy regulator, designed to keep her power in check.

  But the moment it activated— The device shattered.

  A wave of golden-red energy erupted outward, slamming against the barriers. The entire chamber trembled.

  Hana’s breathing was ragged, her body trembling violently. “I—can’t—”

  Her vision darkened.

  Then, a voice.

  "It was never broken. The cycle shall continue."

  Hana’s eyes widened in horror.

  The curse… It wasn’t just returning. It had been waiting.

  —

  The moment the last sliver of the moon disappeared, the entire palace shook. A surge of raw, uncontrollable power erupted from Hana, slamming into the walls. The sigils flickered dangerously, some of them cracking under the immense strain.

  “DAMN IT—” Haruka lunged forward, trying to hold her sister still, but the sheer force of the magic sent her staggering back.

  Hime clenched her jaw. “The barriers won’t hold for long.”

  One of the healers attempted to administer an emergency stabilizing elixir, but the moment the vial was brought near the barrier, the liquid boiled over, shattering the glass.

  One of the healers gasped. “Her energy—it’s rejecting everything!”

  Kurohazan let out a low, guttural growl, stepping protectively in front of Hana. "Something is different this time."

  Uriel’s fur bristled. "This is not a simple relapse. The curse is fighting back."

  Hana let out a strangled breath. Her body was burning—too hot, too unstable.

  The visions—the endless darkness, the whispering voices, the unseen force waiting beyond reality—they weren’t just warnings.

  This was the curse’s retribution. Her heartbeat skipped. Then stopped.

  For a single, horrifying moment, Hana’s heart stopped. The world around her blurred, the sounds of shouting, crackling magic, and shattering barriers fading into distant echoes.

  Her body felt weightless.

  Then—a single pulse.

  Her heart kicked back to life, but it wasn’t a normal heartbeat. It was wrong. Instead of the steady rhythm she had always known, it thundered violently, pulsing with an unnatural energy.

  Hana gasped, her back arching as a surge of golden-red power tore through her body, expanding outward in waves.

  The containment chamber shook violently. The protective sigils flickered erratically, some of them burning away entirely. The reinforced barriers cracked, the air distorting under the sheer force of the curse’s resurgence.

  Haruka cursed, “SHE’S GONNA BLOW THE WHOLE DAMN ROOM APART!”

  Hime snapped to the medical team. “Prepare another stabilizer!”

  A healer shouted back, “It won’t work—her energy is interfering with all our equipment!”

  Another wave of force erupted, sending several attendants crashing into the walls.

  Kurohazan roared, his shadowy form expanding, trying to contain the energy with his own. "Master! Hold on!"

  Uriel’s white fur bristled, her golden eyes sharp. "She is losing control. If we do nothing, her body will not withstand it."

  Hana’s mind spiraled. Her vision was a storm of flickering images—flashes of the past, echoes of ancient voices, and the looming abyss she had seen in her vision. Then, in the depths of the chaos, she felt it.

  Something waiting.

  Something hungry.

  It wasn’t just a relapse. It was a reclamation. The curse wasn’t simply returning—it was trying to consume her entirely.

  No. No. No. She refused.

  With all the strength left in her, Hana forced her consciousness back to the present.

  She clenched her fists. “I’m—not—letting you—TAKE ME!”

  The energy inside her flared violently, but instead of giving in, she reached out—toward Kurohazan, toward Uriel, toward the reality that was slipping away.

  For a split second, everything froze. Then—

  A massive explosion of golden-red energy erupted from her body.

  The blast shattered the remaining barriers. The containment room collapsed inward, stone cracking, magic scattering like broken glass. The force of it rippled through the palace, sending guards and officials stumbling as tremors shook the foundation. The outer forces rushed forward, alarms ringing throughout the city.

  Inside the crumbling chamber, Haruka shielded her face from the storm of raw energy, her feet digging into the ground to keep from being thrown back.

  Hime, barely holding her stance, reached for Hana. “HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!”

  Kurohazan’s roar shook the walls. "She is losing herself!"

  Uriel lunged toward her, her voice booming like a command. "Hana! BREATHE!"

  Hana, trapped in the hurricane of power, gritted her teeth.

  The force was too much. It was like a dam had burst inside her, an unstoppable flood of cursed energy surging forward. Her body wasn’t just in pain—it was breaking apart under the sheer force.

  She felt it pulling her under. Then— A hand grasped her wrist. A voice cut through the chaos.

  "You’re NOT going anywhere."

  Haruka’s grip was iron-clad, unwavering. She wasn’t letting go. Beside her, Hime placed a firm hand on Hana’s shoulder, stabilizing her. The two of them—her sisters—anchored her back. For the first time since the relapse began, Hana felt solid ground beneath her.

  The energy wavered.

  Her heart slowed.

  The explosion of force receded, the cursed magic collapsing inward, folding back into her body. Hana gasped, her vision clearing. The unbearable weight that had been suffocating her finally loosened its grip.

  And then—she collapsed.

  —

  The Night Still Isn't Over

  The containment chamber was completely destroyed.

  The entire room lay in ruins, the once-glowing sigils reduced to burned-out remnants. Debris was scattered everywhere, and the air still crackled with the remnants of Hana’s unstable energy.

  Healers rushed forward, carefully stepping over the shattered stone.

  Hime knelt beside Hana, pressing two fingers to her neck. “…Her pulse is weak, but stable.”

  Haruka, still catching her breath, let out a relieved chuckle. “Damn it, Hana. You sure know how to make a scene.”

  Kurohazan coiled protectively around Hana’s unconscious form, his golden markings dim. "She fought back. That alone is a victory."

  Uriel nodded. "But this is far from over."

  The lunar eclipse had not ended yet. And something told them—the night’s worst was still yet to come. The Eclipse’s Darkest Hour

  The containment chamber lay in ruins, the remnants of shattered barriers still flickering in the air. The city outside was on high alert, the tremors from the explosion having sent shockwaves through Aikyo.

  But the eclipse wasn’t over.And neither was the curse.

  Hana remained unconscious, her breathing shallow, her body trembling from the immense strain. The air around her was still unstable, warping slightly, as if reality itself was struggling to decide whether to settle or fracture once again.

  Haruka exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t like this.”

  Hime, who had barely moved from Hana’s side, finally spoke. “Neither do I.”

  Healers had already rushed forward, attempting to stabilize Hana’s vitals. Some of the empire’s most skilled healers were present, but none of them had ever dealt with a curse of this magnitude.

  One of the lead physicians hesitated. “Her body has stabilized, but…” He looked at the scattered remains of magical equipment, each one rendered completely useless. “Her energy is still… active. I don’t think this is over.”

  Uriel’s golden eyes narrowed. "It is not."

  Kurohazan let out a low growl. "Something lingers. The curse is waiting for something."

  Then, the air shifted.

  A deep, unnatural silence filled the room. The kind of silence that felt… wrong.

  Hime’s hand subtly tightened on the hilt of her sword.

  Haruka straightened. “Did anyone else feel that?”

  A gust of cold wind swept through the chamber, despite there being no open windows or doors. The flickering remnants of Hana’s energy suddenly snapped into focus—no longer erratic, but eerily still.

  Then— Hana gasped awake.

  ---

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