Sylas shot toward the mysterious woman.
"Who are you?"
But he froze mid-strike.
His body locked up.
His breath caught in his throat.
His legs wouldn't move.
No—not just his legs, his entire body couldn't move.
His mind was telling him to run, but his body wouldn't listen.
His skin started to crawl.
Every part of him was screaming, begging, pleading for her to not come closer.
It was like death coming to claim his soul.
Like his body had already given up, and accepted what was about to happen.
His body felt cold. Heavy.
The shadows that covered her body slowly peeled away. Underneath the shadowy layer was pure beauty.
And she…
She was still walking toward him.
Slow. Calm, like she had all the time in the world.
Her face was perfect.
Flawless—so flawless, it made even the god of beauty seem ordinary.
Her skin was pale—almost unnaturally so.
Smooth and glowing, like moonlight poured over her face.
High cheekbones were sharp, giving her the look of someone that was shaped by divine hands.
Her eyes…
Deep violet. Cold. Playful.
And her smile—
Soft. Gentle. Seductive.
She wore a long black dress that clung to her like living shadow.
The fabric moved with her—slow, like it breathed with each step.
The others lunged at her.
"Get away from him!" their voices overlapped.
"Don't interfere."
Her voice tore across the battlefield like a command from the void.
They all froze.
Sylas could see the fear in their eyes.
She reached out toward Sylas, his life flashing before his eyes.
Her clawed finger brushed against his cheek—slow, deliberate.
He closed his eyes.
Ready for the end. Ready to be pierced through the heart like fake Arthur had been.
But it never came.
She didn't strike.
Instead, her hand stayed there.
Cold against his skin.
Then she moved her hand.
Slow. Gentle. Like she was making sure she didn't hurt him.
Her fingers glided across his face—cheek to jaw, then up to his temple.
Like he was something fragile.
Someone she had longed for.
He didn't move.
Didn't breathe—because he couldn't.
"Oh Arthur… how I missed you."
She cupped his face and pulled him closer to hers.
"You are amazing. As always."
Sylas didn't know what was going on.
The only thing running through his mind was—
Who is this crazy lady?
He managed to move his lips.
"Who are you?"
The words escaped through his gritted teeth.
She pulled her hand back, placed it on her forehead, and said in a dramatic tone—
"How could you forget me, my love?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sylas asked, irritated.
"That look…"
She lifted his head up gently.
"That beautiful, menacing look. How I adore you, Arthur."
She turned toward the fake Arthur and began stomping on his lifeless body, like a child throwing a tantrum.
"This one is nothing, nothing like you."
She spun back to Sylas in a graceful manner.
She lifted his chin up with one of her fingers.
"You are perfect. The one and only Arthur."
His lips moved again.
"How do you know me? I've never met you in my life," he asked.
She circled around him, shifting between the form of Merlin and the woman.
Sylas's eyes widened.
He forced his mouth open.
"Who are you?"
His voice came out sharp and heavy.
She cupped his face again.
"I am Lilith," she whispered.
Instantly he realized that name.
The same name from the blessing he got after killing that monster.
"I've been watching you since day one," she said softly.
"The day you leapt off the tree naked and kicked that man."
She pressed her hand over her chest.
"You stole my heart that day."
She turned away.
"From that moment on… I watched over you."
"Lady, you are nuts," he muttered through his teeth.
"No, Arthur. I just adore you so much."
She wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I watched you win. Conquer. Rise."
Her voice dropped, almost mournful.
"But they said you were weak. That you'd break easily."
"What are you talking about?"
His voice was low. Careful.
Worry sat behind the words.
"You were happy. But they wanted to test you.
Try to break you.
They wanted to show me that my champion wasn't strong enough."
She paused.
Her voice was calm, but the madness behind it echoed.
"So… I accepted the challenge."
She walked toward Guinevere.
"Don't go near her!" Sylas shouted, still frozen in place.
"First, they ensured your best friend—someone you would have died for—"
She pointed at Lancelot.
Then her finger drifted to Guinevere.
"Meet the woman you loved more than your own life.
They betrayed your trust."
She pointed at Guinevere.
"She betrayed you because she felt lonely."
Then she turned to Lancelot.
"He took the most important person in your life because he fell in love with his best friend's wife."
She looked back at Guinevere again.
"You know what's worse? They didn't even do anything. She just fell… for the man who saved her once."
She paused.
"Together, they shattered your heart."
She moved quickly toward Sylas.
"And all you had to do was kill them—just like every enemy before."
Her voice grew deeper. Slower.
"But you let them live.
Let them be happy… while you suffered in silence."
She pointed at Guinevere and Lancelot.
"You believed they'd stand with you in your darkest hour.
But no.
They lived a good life while you were left broken."
They all stared at him.
Eyes locked in place.
Elizabeth. Ryan. Liz. Morgana.
He felt their gazes, except Lancelot and Guinevere couldn't look at him.
His head dropped.
He stared at the ground.
"Please stop."
He collapsed to his knees.
"No more."
She knelt down and pressed his face into her hand.
It was soft. Gentle.
"Look at them."
She pointed toward the others.
"They betrayed you. They tried to kill you. Left you alone to suffer alone.
It's because of them your kingdom fell."
All the sound around slowly went away.
He could only hear her voice.
She smiled at him. It was calm. Soft.
"I was there. Through it all. Through every moment you broke."
"What…?" Sylas muttered.
His voice barely audible.
"When I found out they tricked you—used you to have a child with her…"
She pointed at Morgana.
"A child that could take your throne."
She paused.
"I had no other choice.
I killed Merlin and took his place."
That snapped him back.
She continued.
"From there, I guided you.
I showed you visions of your future.
I tried to make you kill that child."
Her voice softened.
"But you couldn't.
You accepted your fate.
You died… at the hands of your own son."
She walked toward the dead Arthur.
"I was furious. You made me look like a fool in front of them."
She kicked Arthur's lifeless body.
"I resurrected you.
But I removed all the weakness that caused your suffering."
She returned to Sylas and wrapped her arms around him.
"But even then… he wasn't you.
He was missing something."
Their eyes met.
"I didn't know what it was… until I saw you two fight."
She hugged him again.
Tighter this time.
"Now I know.
The flaws you carried—those were what made you perfect."
She helped him to his feet.
"Join me, Arthur.
No—Sylas.
Together we'll take the surface.
You as king.
And I as your queen, and I will never betray you, or leave you."
Sylas didn't respond.
His mind had gone blank.
But then something clicked.
"If you were Merlin," he asked.
"Yes," she answered without hesitation.
"Then… remember when I asked you to guide Mordred? To raise him as my heir?"
His jaw tightened.
He already knew the answer.
"What happened to him?"
She took a few slow steps back.
"I was going to keep your word.
But I was angry.
So I killed him.
I had to avenge you, my love."
As the words sank in, the memories of him holding Mordred as child flashed back.
His red eyes began to glow—deep crimson burning into gold.
Behind him, Morgana's eyes turned pitch black.
His fingers trembled. Rage climbed up his spine like a serpent, coiling around his heart.
"You did what to my son?" Sylas and Morgana cried out together.
Their voice cracked through the silence.
Sylas raised his sword.
An explosion of golden light erupted from the blade.
He swung downward.
Clean hit.
That moment, he saw Morgana raise her hands—black magic pulsing wildly, compressing into a dense sphere.
Then she hurled it at Lilith.
Sylas leapt backward right before the impact.
A massive explosion tore through the battlefield.
Dust covered everything.