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The malevolent presence that had emerged from the depths of Hades was overwhelming.Dantriel approached her, wrapping an arm around her waist, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong, my queen? Are you alright?" "Something in these mountains has made me ill," she replied, her voice strained. "It's malevolent and perverse, its mere presence is suffocating." "Is it a monster?" Dantriel asked, his brow furrowing. "I don't believe so. This presence is far stronger than any monster we've faced." Moments later, the first guardian appeared, and he spoke with urgency.noveldrama"He is the dark king; he has entered this world, and he is bringing Hades with him." Abril felt so sick that she could barely stand. Barto rushed to her side, worry etched on his features. "Your Majesty! What is happening?" "I don't feel well, but Cira is in worse condition. We need to find her-she's in the elven realm." Alessandro, having heard Abril's distress, sprinted to her side. Cassian had helped her to her feet, but when Alessandro saw how pale she looked, his heart raced with concern. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice tight with worry. "No, I'm just...not well," she replied, trying to reassure him. "Is there any way to save Cira?" he pressed. "Yes, but we didn't reach her in time. The doors are completely open now; the dark king is here with his army. We must prepare ourselves. What we faced before was nothing compared to what is coming." Alessandro felt a surge of power coursing through him, heightened by the tremors. He turned to Cassian, but now was not the time for questions. He lifted Abril into his arms, his voice gentle yet firm."You must rest and regain your strength." "Don't worry about me..." she murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. "How can I not worry? You are my wife, and you are more valuable in battle than many of us. We need you." Abril felt a wave of nausea, as if her stomach were turning inside out. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to lean into him until he gently laid her down on the bed in their tent. "Don't concern yourself with anything right now. Just rest," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before stepping out.Alessandro found Fay waiting for him outside. "The others are gathered in Princess Elisha's tent. The first guardian is with them." He hurried to Elisha's tent, where everyone was present except Enora. Ethan was the only one representing the elven kingdom. "Where is the elven kingdom?" he asked, scanning the room. "I went to check on Cira; she was very unwell," Enzo replied. "Why waste time healing someone who clearly betrayed us?" Alessandro snapped. "She didn't cooperate with them; she was poisoned to force her to speak," Enzo defended."This is not the time for infighting," Elisha interjected. "The doors of Hades are wide open, and the dark king is here. We don't have time to quarrel among ourselves." "I'm glad you're here," Elisha continued. "I feared you wouldn't show up." "I've had many matters to attend to," she said, her voice heavy with the weight of centuries. "But as I said, we must focus on holding off the dark king. This is the best place to do it, as there are no innocents around." "My kingdom is the closest," Elisha added. "If the battle extends further, it will be the first to be attacked.We must prepare." Elisha turned to Cassiel. "So, what can we do to defeat the dark king once and for all?" Cassiel sighed, regret clouding his expression. "There is no strategy. We can only pray that your grace is with us to defeat him." "Are you suggesting we pray to win this battle?" Elisha asked incredulously. "We will need more than that," Cassiel replied. "But part of it is true. When I close the dark king, it is the grace given to me that allows it. Now we need that grace to destroy him." Cassiel looked at Alessandro and Cassian. "You two were responsible for closing the doors of Hades.You are the source of the dark king's power. The rest of us will fight against him, but we cannot destroy him as long as the doors remain open. We don't have many guardians left; we need more." Alessandro knew that Lissana was part of the lineage of guardians, but there was no one else. "Are there any guardians apart from us?" he asked. "Yes, but you are young, and the other day was when the doors of Hades were opened," Cassiel explained. Enzo interrupted, "Is my sister not a guardian?" "She is now, but how do you think she became one?They are not my children; I never had a relationship with any human. I only fulfilled my father's desires." Enzo was confused. "How did the line of guardians begin?" "If I believe in my blood, I can share my essence with some humans. That's how the lineage of guardians was born." Alessandro frowned. "If it's that easy, why aren't there more?" "It's not as simple as it seems. There are times when people resist my blood, and it's a slow, painful process. I can't create more guardians, and we don't have time for that. I must rely on those we have.My power has not fully returned, so I cannot do it alone."