******
The moment Xylen re-entered Fallen Realm, his eyes snapped open, sharp and alert. He found himself back in the dimly lit barony’s bedchamber.
Unlike when he had logged out a few hours ago, however, the early morning sunlight now spilled through the window, painting streaks of gold across the cold stone floor.
Yet, the room’s warmth did nothing to ease the weight on his chest.
Xylen exhaled slowly, his heart thudding against his ribs like a war drum, each beat echoing with the anxiety of what loomed ahead.
He finally shifted his gaze to the corner of his vision after a moment, locking onto the relentless countdown timer that hadn’t left since it appeared.
In the following second—
04:10:50:029
Xylen’s breathing hitched.
"I have less than five hours left from the initial 24..." he whispered, sweat gathering on his palms.
As soon as he voiced this grim reality, another thought crashed over him like a cold wave.
"I need to finish the mission at least an hour before the final countdown... otherwise, I will be forced into another hateful quest I know absolutely nothing about."
As soon as he muttered this, his thoughts flashed to the beast horde he and Lilith had spotted the previous day in the forest, and in the following moment, a shiver raced down his spine.
Xylen clenched his jaw, his expression hardening like steel.
He couldn’t afford to fail—not after his recent meeting with Aurelia.
Even if it was only for her sake, he had to complete this mission as quickly as possible and get out of there.
Without a second’s hesitation, Xylen jumped up from the bed and snatched the Rusthorn blade from the dressing table.
Then, inspecting its edge with a critical eye for a moment, he tucked it beneath his clothes and quickly opened his stats, meticulously reviewing every attribute, leaving nothing to chance.
Satisfied with his finding, Xylen sifted through his skills, mentally mapping out each ability’s order of execution.
Only after perfecting his strategy did he finally release a shaky breath.
"Time to end this damn quest," he muttered under his breath, his voice low but charged with unwavering resolve.
With this, Xylen turned to sit on the bed, prepared to wait for Lilith, when suddenly—
Bang!
The door exploded open, slamming against the wall with a deafening crash.
Not expecting this, Xylen instinctively jolted to his feet, his pulse spiking, his body coiled like a predator ready to strike.
He quickly spun toward the source of the noise, his muscles taut and his senses razor-sharp.
Then he saw it...
Lilith stumbled inside his room with her face drained of color, her chest heaving as if she had sprinted the entire way.
Fear radiated from her like a suffocating aura, her demonic features twisted with distress.
Xylen’s brows shot up at this, feeling a sudden sense of foreboding.
"Lilith?" he called out, stepping forward, his voice laced with concern. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
But Lilith, still gasping for breath after sprinting here as fast as she could, could respond immediately.
When she finally spoke, however, her voice trembled, thick with urgency.
"My... My Lord... they... they’re coming!" she rasped, her body shaking uncontrollably.
"Huh?"
Xylen stiffened, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Who?"
"That bastard Kaelrik’s guards!" she spat hatefully, her eyes widening with panic and anxiety. "They’re coming to take you for execution!"
For a beat, Xylen froze, then he blinked, his racing heart gradually slowing down as realization slowly dawned on him.
Then he smiled, startling Lilith.
"Isn’t this exactly what we were waiting for?" he reminded her gently, his voice steady.
"Huh?"
Lilith blinked, her breath catching. But after a moment, a realization dawned on her.
Then, deep embarrassment flushed her face.
"Oh..." she whispered, lowering her gaze. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling foolish.
She had completely forgotten about the plan just now.
No... she hadn’t truly forgotten the plan. But waking up to the intel that Xylen was moments away from being dragged to his death had ignited her instincts, leaving no room for logical thought.
But now that she had calmed down...
"I—I’m sorry, my lord. I forgot," she admitted. "I woke up to the news and rushed here without thinking."
Xylen chuckled softly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It’s fine," he said. "This just means the bait worked."
Lilith nodded her head, shakily exhaling as she steadied herself.
"We stick to the plan," Xylen said, his voice firm like an anchor in the storm. "I’ll feign unconsciousness. Let them think I’m still comatose so they continue lowering their guard. And when the moment comes..."
"We strike," Lilith finished, her eyes glinting with newfound resolve.
Without another word, Xylen took a deep, unsteady breath, knowing there was no turning back now. Then he returned to the bed, lying down and slowing his breathing until he appeared utterly lifeless.
Seeing this, Lilith hesitated, then forced a calming breath.
She grabbed a small towel, sat on the wooden chair beside the bed, and began to gently dab at Xylen’s face — just as she had always done when he had been unconscious.
The plan was very simple: pretend Xylen was still unconscious and let his uncle proceed with the execution. However, they would strike at the perfect moment—when his uncle had completely lowered his guard and was about to deliver the final blow.
Xylen would seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, killing Kaelrik on the spot, and at that moment, their hidden allies would emerge, overwhelming his uncle’s minions before they could react.
It felt almost too perfect—so flawless that Lilith found it hard to trust.
Yet, no better alternative existed. And this plan had the smallest margin of failure... if everything unfolded as expected.
Lost in thought, Lilith absentmindedly continued dabbing Xylen’s face, desperately praying in her mind that the plan wouldn’t fail.
With this, time slowly slipped away, everything seeming peaceful... just like the calm before the storm—until suddenly:
Bang!
The chamber door quaked, the violent impact rattling the walls.
Xylen’s body instantly flinched, an abrupt tremor racing through him, but he swiftly forced himself to stay still.
On the other hand, Lilith stiffened, her heart leaping into her throat.
"They’re here," she muttered, her pulse hammering as her fingers twitched against the towel.
Bang!
Another strike slammed against the door, harder this time, the sound reverberating through the room like a death knell.
Lilith swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the cloth as her knuckles blanched.
The storm was about to break.
\\\\\\\\\\\\
{A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone!
A special shoutout to those who continuously support this book with golden tickets and power stones—I truly appreciate it.
Your support is crucial to the book’s success, so please keep it up, and if you haven’t yet, consider contributing!
Thanks again.}