Eliza had grown accustomed to the weeks she had spent in this strange realm, though the adjustment was anything but smooth. She spent most of her time away from the prince, wandering the vast, crumbling halls of the castle, speaking with Lady Mirabella and Zanac, and marveling at the world that felt more like a waking dream. Yet, no matter how much she tried to settle into this reality, the absence of answers gnawed at her. Every time she asked to see the prince, her requests were politely but firmly declined.

At first, she accepted it. He was their ruler, after all. But as time wore on, her patience thinned. Finally, after yet another dismissive response, she snapped, demanding to see him. Her outburst left Lady Mirabella visibly unsettled, her stitched features pulling into an uncharacteristic frown of envy, while Zanac remained stoic but offered no protest.

To her surprise, her demand was granted. Eliza was escorted to the prince’s chambers, the imposing double doors creaking open with a slow, deliberate groan. The room beyond was bathed in the pale light of the Forever Moon, its glow spilling over the luxurious yet hauntingly cold furnishings. The scent of roses and lemons lingered faintly in the air, a reminder of the prince’s strange and otherworldly presence.

Tenebrae stood near the massive window, his bare chest illuminated by the moonlight, his skeletal hand resting casually on the windowsill. He turned to face her, his glowing green eyes sharp and calculating. “Why have you requested to see me?” he asked, his voice smooth but edged with annoyance. “Have my servants treated you poorly?”

“No, they’ve been kind,” Eliza began, her voice trembling slightly as she stepped into the room. “But I’ve requested to see you because I wish to understand. Why is it you keep me here? I am unable to return home, and while I am grateful for your hospitality, am I also unable to enjoy this world?”

Tenebrae’s expression darkened, his gaze narrowing. “This world is different from yours, woman. You will not enjoy—”

“Eliza,” she interrupted, her voice sharper now. He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes flashing with a hint of offense at her interruption. She faltered under his gaze but quickly cleared her throat and pressed on. “My name is Eliza. And I need you to understand I am a person, not… not some—”

“Treasure? Gem? Rare thing beyond compare?” he cut in, his voice tinged with mocking disdain. His glowing eyes seemed to pierce through her as he stepped closer. “Because that’s exactly what you are now.”

Her breath hitched. “What?” she whispered, her brow furrowing. “I don’t understand.”

He smirked, his expression both amused and condescending. “The name,” he said simply. “Understanding is in the name.”

“What name?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Do you mean… your name?”

“Yes. My real name. My true name. The name I gave you.” He stepped closer, the weight of his presence pressing down on her. “That name is the one that banished me, the one that brought me back here. The true birth name of a lich is something very, very few people know, because with that name… you can cast some truly horrible spells.”

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She felt the weight of his words sinking into her, a dawning horror she hadn’t anticipated.

He continued, his tone measured but firm. “By trusting you with that name… by giving you the spell that returned me to this realm and brought you here… it bound us. In a way.”

She recoiled slightly, her heart pounding. “What?” she whispered, her voice sharp with both shock and offense. “What do you mean, bound us?”

He smirked again, the faintest hint of amusement flickering in his glowing eyes. “Well… at some point, I’d like to determine whether this body has fully returned to life. And with you being the only other human around…” He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

Her face flushed with heat as she glared at him. “You monstrous pervert!” she snapped, her voice trembling with anger. But as the words left her mouth, another thought struck her, one that sent a chill down her spine. “Wait… other humans? But you’re a lich.”

“Indeed, I am,” he replied, stepping even closer. Only now did she notice that he was bare-chested, his pale skin illuminated by the moonlight. His lower half was wrapped in loose, dark fabric, leaving little to the imagination. Her cheeks burned as she tried to avert her gaze, but his towering presence made it impossible to ignore him.

“The most dangerous liches,” he continued, his voice low and almost seductive, “are human liches. While we are not the most powerful, we are the most willing to burn away pieces of our humanity for the sake of power. That is what makes us different.”

Her throat tightened as she managed to stammer, “How… how much of your humanity have you burned away?” Her voice wavered, betraying her growing fear.

His glowing eyes locked onto hers, their intensity freezing her in place. “Enough,” he said darkly, his tone dripping with menace. He leaned in slightly, his skeletal hand flexing as if testing its grip. “I will murder you if you annoy me,” he said bluntly, his voice like a knife cutting through the silence.

She swallowed hard, her heart racing, but before her fear could consume her, he added, “But I will never take you without your consent. Because I…” He paused, his eyes narrowing as his voice softened slightly. “I am not a monster.”

The conflicting emotions swirling within her—fear, confusion, and a flicker of something she didn’t dare name—left her speechless. She stared at him, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to feel. For the first time, she truly began to grasp the depth of what she was dealing with—and the dangerous line she was walking.

Tenebrae had promised Eliza they would spend more time together, and for once, he kept his word. Their days grew more intertwined as the weeks passed, and to the shock of his servants, the once cold and stoic prince began to change. His patience grew, his sharp edges softened, and he even started to join Eliza for meals. While liches did not require food, Tenebrae found himself curious. He discovered that much of his body could function as it once had, though some parts required magical compensation. Eating didn’t sustain him, but he found himself savoring the experience nonetheless, perhaps for the simple fact that it connected him to the life he had left behind.

Though the heavy loneliness that had once haunted him and her began to fade, the elephant in the room still gnawed at them both. The castle and the kingdom were in shambles, and there was no magic or wealth to restore them—save for the crown. Yet, the crown had been silent. It neither offered power nor issued its tests. Tenebrae felt its weight on his head as a constant reminder of its judgment, its silence almost mocking.

It was Eliza who presented the idea of restoring the kingdom by venturing into the human realm of this universe. She had learned that while this human world was medieval in its technology and society, it still held opportunities—gold to be earned, treasures to be found, and cities to be explored. Her idea was simple: disguise themselves as adventurers, form a party, and work their way up to raise the funds needed to rebuild the Kingdom of Goodnight.

At first, Tenebrae dismissed the idea outright. The notion of donning a disguise and mingling with humans struck him as beneath his station. But Eliza, persistent as always, wore him down. Eventually, he agreed, though not without conditions. He would not use magic, only his sword. They would remain low-profile and avoid unnecessary attention. She assured him it would work, even if he remained unconvinced.

With their disguises ready, they stepped through the gates of the human realm. Eliza marveled at the portal, a swirling mass of light and energy, and how it spat them out onto the bustling streets of Newbark City. She had never experienced anything like it before and found herself gawking at the medieval yet vibrant town. When warned not to draw attention by mentioning portals or realms, she realized just how out of place she might seem compared to other humans. Ten explained further if not for the filter magic it temporarily puts on you upon exiting humans would freak out seeing us appear so easily.

Ten, dressed in a full suit of enchanted armor, walked beside her like an impenetrable wall. His towering presence exuded authority and danger, though he kept his silence. The sword strapped to his back seemed to hum faintly with restrained power, its hilt gleaming in the sunlight. Eliza, on the other hand, had embraced her role with excitement. She wore a sleek, enchanted set of archery gear—light, flexible, and imbued with magic that made her faster and stronger. Her new bow felt like an extension of her body, and she was eager to prove herself.

As they entered the guild house of Newbark City, Eliza burst through the doors with a bright smile, her enthusiasm immediately earning them stares. The adventurers inside looked them over with suspicion and disdain. Whispers filled the room, dripping with condescension.

“Entitled brats with fancy gear. Probably rich kids playing at being heroes,” one man muttered.

“They’ll be dead before the week’s out,” another sneered.

Some, however, eyed them with greed, plotting to rob them the moment they left the safety of the city walls. Eliza noticed the glares but ignored them, too focused on registering their party.

When asked for a party name, she blurted out, “Eternal Kiss.”

Tenebrae raised an eyebrow at her choice. “Why that name?” he asked quietly.

Eliza hesitated, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I… wasn’t thinking. It just sounded… cool,” she lied, though in truth, the name held a personal meaning she wasn’t ready to share.

The clerk gave them their first rank: Wood, the lowest. The list of available quests was unimpressive—gathering herbs, hunting low-level monsters, escorting merchants.