Only a week had passed when Zora arrived at Asphodel but news reached the Emperor that she will be leaving immediately for an urgent business. 

Out of all the letters he wrote to her, not once has she replied but now that she is leaving again, a letter arrived informing him of her abrupt decision to suddenly travel abroad.

The question crossed Davien's mind. He was clueless as to what is going on Zora's mind. How will he even deal with someone who was supposed to be dead already? For now, all he can do is silently watch for an opportunity to strike again. It was a feeling he isn't comfortable with but he had no choice but to bear with it.

He felt that patience was slowly becoming harder and harder to practice as he sees how the war is turning out but being rash would just be a foolish move and will definitely be his own march to his own grave.

Zora on the other hand is already on the ship destined for the small country of Rysanthe. One of the allied country of Asphodel. It's a small country in the east known for their products like silk, rare flowers, food products and their knowledge about medicine.

It is Rysanthe that have been providing medical provisions during the war, their doctors are also top notch that Zora can't help but praise their skills in bringing back soldiers on the verge of death back to life but of course no matter how skilled a doctor is, or how effective a medicine is it won't cure her cursed ability and it's tendency to take over the owner's mind when bloodlust is involved.

Unless... 

'He' indeed exists.

There are Eight Generals who wield the power of mana, the energy of this world and each of these Generals have supernatural abilities that manifested at a very young age.

It is no secret that Zora is one of them but what if there was more than eight mana wielders?

It's nothing but an old legend but Zora knowing the capabilities of her own ability of manipulating blood, can't help but consider even a shrivel of hope of being cured from the madness that came along her ability.

It was an old story in her family that all who succeeds in attaining this ability that she now has, has at one point gone mad and slaughtered like a mindless killer, not even recognizing their own family or children.

The most recent proof of this story being true was when her uncle who can also manipulate blood like her, and was also an official who hold a high status in the empire was driven to madness after losing control of his own ability. The reports about this incident was covered up to save the Clyborne family's prestige and her uncle was branded as someone who suffered from a mental illness that has long plagued him and due to the pressure of the status he hold, he succumbed to his illness and go berserk, killing off even his own wife. 

His children were in a safe place by pure chance and on the day when the incident happened, the twins were under the care of a relative, they arrived when their father was already being dealt with but Zora was sure seeing their father in that maddened state had scarred them for life.

Now, even if the twins were somewhat fond of Zora then, when they see her now. Zora can't help but notice how they tremble before her, or avoid even being seen by her in fear that maybe like their father, she would go mad and slaughter them along with the people around them just like how their father killed their mother and their servants on that day.

Zora, learned from thereon that avoiding people to not hurt them was the best option and distancing her heart to what could be called 'affection' would help her cope in her current situation.

It was useless to hold on to such feelings when in the first place, she could at any time become a mindless beast who devours even her own kin or those she hold affection for.

That's why when that letter arrived, it was like a ray of light beckoning to her and that maybe, this long tunnel of darkness that she had been treading alone would finally come to an end.

And she would finally be rid of this curse of madness.

After waiting for an hour or so, the ship has finally departed and Zora sat inside her room looking out her window seeing the sea with the bright azure sky and white foam-like clouds.

Zora was distracted for a moment, seeing such sceneries was not common for her and she was taken aback by it's beauty for a moment but the letter she tightly holds in her hand  got hold of her attention again.

She read it once more to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, and she was right that in the letter it says what she had been hoping for all these years. 

Zora let out a sigh and held the letter close, covering her eyes in the process. And behind the letter that she hold ever so tightly was eyes where rain fell uncontrollably.

It was a moment of weakness, and yet it is the first time she could be honest with herself.

It was the first time that the heavens may have listened to her plea and she was glad that after all this time, there was hope for someone like her who is on the verge of forgetting that she too is a human capable of feelings, capable of having desires and such things like hope.