Back at the Valkyrie Camp, Alex, Jian Gang, Lumi, and Eirik stood frozen as the ground rumbled beneath them. Alex instinctively reached out to steady Lumi on his lap, his face etched with worry.
"What the hell was that?" Jian Gang asked, his voice shaking.
Eirik scanned the horizon, his jaw clenched. "This… this isn't normal. This isn't just an earthquake."
Lumi, however, seemed oddly excited, her eyes wide with wonder. "Whoa! It felt like the whole world jumped!" she exclaimed, grinning. "Is this war already starting?"
Inside Castle, the ground trembled as Gariel himself stood in the living room, sensing the earthquake.
Anya hurried toward him, panic in her voice. "What happened?"
Gariel's expression darkened, his voice low and filled with dread. "...Liebbe... he forced one of the Four Cores. It's just like the other dark forces, stealing power from the darkness, from the fallen angel who became evil. The Four Cores are awakening."
