Parallel Memory

Chapter 745: The Shadow Behind the Peace

The doors of the meeting hall closed behind us.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The sound of our footsteps echoed through the corridor as Mia walked ahead, Lilith beside her, and me a few steps behind.

The guards assigned to accompany us followed in silence.

The atmosphere had changed completely.

Only an hour ago, the room had been filled with arguments about land, borders, privileges, and whether humans and devils could coexist.

Now the question was much simpler.

People were dying.

And if the reports were true, the ones responsible were devils who wanted Lilith’s peace treaty to fail.

Mia stopped near the end of the corridor.

"How long until the border force can move?"

One of the Authority soldiers answered immediately.

"They are preparing now. We should be able to leave within the hour."

Mia nodded.

"Good."

Lilith remained unusually quiet.

I looked at her.

"You don’t seem surprised."

She slowly shook her head.

"I’m not."

"You expected this?"

"Not exactly this."

She looked toward the windows.

"But I knew some of Aamon’s followers wouldn’t accept me."

Her voice became quieter.

"They lost their leader. Their ideology didn’t disappear with him."

That made sense.

Aamon was dead.

But his beliefs had survived him.

Hatred was rarely killed alongside the person who created it.

Mia crossed her arms.

"How many followers do you think remain?"

"I don’t know."

Lilith paused.

"There were many who followed him because they feared him."

She looked down.

"But there were others who truly believed in what he wanted."

"Chaos," I said.

Lilith nodded.

"They believe conflict is what gives devils their strength. To them, peace isn’t an achievement."

She looked at me.

"It’s surrender."

I understood.

There were always people who benefited from war.

People who became powerful because others were afraid.

People who found purpose in having an enemy.

And when that enemy disappeared, they needed another reason to fight.

Mia sighed.

"Then we stop them."

Lilith looked at her.

"You’re not afraid?"

Mia gave a small smile.

"Of course I am."

Lilith seemed surprised.

Mia continued.

"Being afraid doesn’t mean you stop."

For a moment, Lilith simply stared at her.

Then she smiled faintly.

"I understand why they call you a hero."

Mia’s expression immediately became uncomfortable.

"Don’t."

Lilith blinked.

"Don’t what?"

"Call me that."

She looked away.

"I’m tired of hearing it."

I almost laughed.

Mia noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You were about to laugh."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

Lilith looked between us.

"Are you always like this?"

"Unfortunately," I answered.

Mia turned toward me.

"You should be resting."

"I’m fine."

"You said that before."

"And I was fine."

She stared at me.

I looked away.

It was easier than arguing.

Lilith watched the exchange with an amused expression.

For a few seconds, the tension disappeared.

Then a distant bell rang.

The sound reminded all of us why we were here.

Mia’s expression became serious again.

"Let’s move."

We continued toward the outer gates.

I followed silently.

But my mind wasn’t on the border.

It was back in the meeting hall.

A faint pulse of dark mana.

I had felt it.

Only for an instant.

It hadn’t been strong.

It hadn’t felt like an attack.

It had felt almost like...

A signal.

I couldn’t explain why.

Maybe I was imagining things.

Maybe the pressure from the meeting had simply made me overly cautious.

But there was one thing I knew.

It hadn’t been Lilith.

And it hadn’t come from the border.

It had come from somewhere inside the capital.

I kept that thought to myself.

Not because I wanted to hide something.

Because I didn’t have enough evidence.

Accusing someone without proof could be more dangerous than remaining silent.

Especially now.

The humans were already suspicious of Lilith.

If I told them I’d sensed dark mana inside the capital, they would probably assume she had something to do with it.

And that was the last thing we needed.

***************************************

By the time we reached the outer courtyard, preparations were already underway.

Soldiers were moving equipment.

Horses were being prepared.

Messengers ran between formations.

The entire atmosphere had changed from political tension to military urgency.

Mia walked toward the waiting soldiers.

"I want the first group ready within ten minutes."

"Yes, Lady Mia."

Lilith stopped beside her.

"I will travel with the main force."

Several soldiers looked uncomfortable.

Nobody wanted to stand next to a devil.

Even if she was supposedly their queen.

Even if she had offered to help them.

Fear didn’t disappear because someone signed a treaty.

Mia noticed their expressions.

"She is coming with us."

The soldiers straightened.

"Yes."

No one argued.

Mia’s reputation had that effect.

I looked around the courtyard.

The soldiers were preparing weapons.

The city gates were opening.

People had gathered at a distance, watching.

Some whispered.

Others pointed toward Lilith.

A few looked frightened.

But not everyone did.

An elderly man stood near the edge of the crowd.

He looked at Lilith for several seconds before lowering his head.

Not in fear.

Almost in respect.

Lilith noticed.

Her expression softened.

Then a shout came from the gate.

"The road is clear!"

Mia turned.

"Let’s go."

The gates opened.

The first group of soldiers moved out.

Lilith followed.

I walked beside her.

The capital gradually disappeared behind us.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

***********************************************************************

We had traveled for nearly an hour when the first scout returned.

He jumped from his horse.

"Lady Mia!"

Mia stopped.

"Report."

"The eastern road is clear."

"And the towns?"

"Still holding."

Mia exhaled.

"Casualties?"

"Unknown."

Lilith stepped forward.

"What did you see?"

The scout hesitated.

"Devils."

"I know that."

"No."

He shook his head.

"I mean... something was strange."

Lilith’s expression sharpened.

"Explain."

"They aren’t moving like an army."

"What do you mean?"

"They’re attacking different locations."

The scout pointed toward the eastern road.

"They hit one town, disappear, then appear somewhere else."

Mia frowned.

"Hit-and-run?"

"Something like that."

Lilith’s eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

"Hard to tell."

"Are they taking territory?"

"No."

"Destroying military positions?"

"Some."

"Then what are they trying to accomplish?"

The scout hesitated.

"That’s what we couldn’t understand."

I finally spoke.

"Are they killing civilians?"

The scout looked toward me.

"Some."

My expression hardened.

"Some?"

"They’re mostly attacking soldiers and defensive structures."

That was strange.

If the goal was conquest, they would seize territory.

If the goal was revenge, they would probably attack civilians indiscriminately.

But this force wasn’t doing either.

They were causing damage.

Creating fear.

Forcing humans to react.

And then disappearing.

Mia looked at Lilith.

"Could they be testing us?"

Lilith shook her head.

"I don’t know."

I looked toward the horizon.

"What if they’re not trying to win?"

Everyone became quiet.

Mia turned toward me.

"What do you mean?"

"What if they only want the humans to believe they’re being attacked by an organized devil army?"

Lilith’s expression changed.

"Then the purpose isn’t the towns."

"It’s the reaction."

Mia understood immediately.

"They want us to retaliate."

Lilith nodded slowly.

"And if humans retaliate..."

"The treaty collapses."

Nobody spoke.

The idea was suddenly obvious.

The attacks didn’t need to conquer anything.

They only needed to create enough fear and anger for the humans to abandon peace.

The Church would point toward the attacks and say:

We warned you.

The Authority would face pressure from the people.

The War Council would struggle to prevent escalation.

And Lilith’s position would become impossible.

Her own people would see peace as weakness.

Humans would see it as a mistake.

Everyone would return to the same hatred that had existed before.

I looked down at the road.

It was too convenient.

Too effective.

Too simple.

Then I remembered the dark mana inside the capital.

My suspicion deepened.

"There’s something else."

Mia looked at me.

"What?"

I hesitated.

Then I told them.

"I sensed dark mana before we left."

Lilith immediately looked at me.

"Where?"

"Inside the capital."

Mia’s expression became serious.

"You’re certain?"

"Yes."

"Could it have been yours?"

"No."

Lilith shook her head.

"It wasn’t mine."

Mia looked toward the capital behind us.

"Did anyone else sense it?"

"I don’t think so."

"Why didn’t you say anything?"

"Because I wasn’t sure what it meant."

Mia was silent.

Then she nodded.

"Good."

Lilith looked surprised.

"Good?"

"If you had said that inside the meeting hall, half the people there would have accused you."

Lilith sighed.

"She’s right."

I looked toward the horizon again.

"That’s why I didn’t say anything."

Mia turned toward the scout.

"Send two riders back."

The scout blinked.

"Back to the capital?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Tell them to quietly investigate the area around the assembly hall."

Lilith immediately understood.

"Without informing the Church?"

Mia nodded.

"If someone is trying to sabotage the treaty, we don’t want them to know we’re looking."

The scout saluted.

"Understood."

He mounted his horse and rode away.

I watched him disappear.

For the first time, I felt like we were no longer simply responding to events.

We were looking for whoever was shaping them.

***********************************************************************

The rest of the journey passed quietly.

But nobody was relaxed anymore.

Even Lilith seemed lost in thought.

Eventually, she spoke.

"If you’re right..."

Mia looked at her.

"If this attack is designed to destroy the treaty..."

Lilith stopped.

"What happens if we fail?"

Mia didn’t answer immediately.

I did.

"Then the treaty dies."

Lilith looked at me.

"And after that?"

I shrugged.

"Humans and devils go back to killing each other."

She lowered her head.

"My father wanted to prevent that."

"I know."

"I don’t want his dream to end before it begins."

Mia looked toward her.

"Then don’t let it."

Lilith raised her eyes.

Mia’s voice was calm.

"You wanted peace badly enough to walk into a room filled with people who hated your kind."

She looked forward.

"Don’t give up now."

Lilith smiled faintly.

"You’re surprisingly encouraging."

Mia shrugged.

"Don’t get used to it."

I almost smiled.

The three of us continued forward.

But somewhere far behind us, inside the human capital, another story was unfolding.

A story none of us could see.

A quiet figure stood in an empty corridor near the assembly hall.

There was no army.

No dramatic attack.

No weapon drawn.

Only a faint trace of dark mana.

The figure looked toward the direction of the departing forces.

Then slowly disappeared into the shadows.

**************************************************************

By sunset, the eastern border finally came into view.

Smoke rose beyond the hills.

The distant sound of fighting echoed through the air.

Mia stopped.

"Everyone prepare."

The soldiers immediately formed ranks.

Lilith looked toward the smoke.

Her expression changed.

The queen disappeared.

For the first time since leaving the capital, she looked like a ruler preparing to confront her own people.

"I know this isn’t what you wanted," I said.

She looked at me.

"No."

She tightened her grip.

"But if they truly want to destroy peace..."

Her eyes hardened.

"Then I will stop them myself."

Mia drew her weapon.

"Let’s go."

The soldiers surged forward.

And as we approached the battlefield, I realized something.

The real battle wasn’t simply between humans and devils anymore.

It was between those who wanted the world to remain divided...

and those who were willing to risk everything to change it.

And somewhere in the shadows, someone was making sure that hatred survived.