Azphira Tales

[Odette] "Oh, brother. Have you returned from the Imperial Palace?" She wore an expression of wide-eyed innocence, staring directly at his horrified face as if she had no idea why he was upset. [Ferdinand] "Why are you sitting here all by yourself without any supervision? Answer me! Who gave you permission?" He had likely just come back from seeing Zion at the palace. Zion’s capacity for mockery knew no bounds; after tormenting the Count with false hope and the discarding him

[Maid 1] "What on earth are you talking about?" [Maid 2] "During the Foundation Festival, a fortune teller set up a shop in Canaris Plaza. She predicted that the Crown Prince’s berserk symptoms would vanish as soon as the festival ended!" [Maid 1] "Wait, is that the place right across from the Count’s casino?" [Maid 2] "...You know about it too?" [Maid 1] "Good grief. That woman even said a meteor shower would fall on the final day of the festival!" The other maids began to c

The golden light faded from his eyes, returning them to a perfect, chilling violet. His expression shifted into one of genuine surprise, as if the fact that his brainwashing had been broken was truly shocking to him. [Zion] "That was... impressive, Albrecht. Are you a Transcendent rather than a Purifier? I’ve never seen anyone withstand that before." The wretched man actually looked as if he were admiring her. [Zion] "You’ve got me there, Albrecht." He admitted defeat, yet he

There were only about thirty minutes left. I should have chosen not to check that bastard’s loathing level. At least then, I might have avoided this hideous mental debuff. Just as she felt a flicker of relief, believing she could reach the hotel with time to spare, a heavy sound echoed through the air. Thud! A man dropped from the sky, landing heavily before her. [Odette] "...Ah." It was an entrance that felt strangely familiar. That wretched man. She stared at him with a bit

He felt as though he could never stop these impure thoughts while in her presence. His emotions had always been neatly refined. The feeling of becoming vulgar, or the sensation of being unilaterally unsettled, was foreign to him. He felt that if he met those calm, blue-green eyes, he would feel like a criminal facing interrogation in a torture chamber. What if she saw through these dirty feelings? What if she mocked his desire? What kind of torture complex is this? What is sh

Their relationship was said to be so antagonistic that no one would ever guess they were a Transcendent and a Purifier. It seemed he was determined to torment her by any means necessary. [Zion] "And besides, I don’t find that woman all that repulsive." His voice sounded as if the words themselves were strangling him. Sure, sure. I understand. You must find her quite repulsive to speak in such a strained tone. It’s sarcasm. It has to be. In the end, Max took the side of his co

The Kleist Bank It was a building that looked more like an opera house than a bank. The structure appeared practical, yet it never sacrificed aesthetic beauty—a perfect reflection of its master. She stopped her horse in front of the building, which reminded her of the Beaux-Arts style she had studied during her life as Han Suwan. [Odette] "Whoa, easy now." Dismounting, she bit her lip as she checked a watch engraved with the crest of the Marquis von Kleist through the fine me

The Imprint. It was the sacred oath of the Fenrir clan, a vow to serve and protect a partner as one's eternal companion. Rooted in the nature of the wolf tribe, who loved only one person for their entire lives, the tradition symbolized a loyalty that transcended time. Once the vow of the Imprint was made, the one who gave the oath could no longer use physical force against their partner. Conversely, they could exert ten times their normal physical strength against anyone who

[Odette] "There, Karl. All done." She brushed away the stray hairs clinging to his face and gave him a satisfied smile. The haircut was a complete success, looking quite handsome on him. Though she had done the work, she admitted to herself that it was his face that finished the look, rather than her own skill. [Odette] "You look even lovelier now that your eyes are visible." His frame was slightly thin, but he possessed a beautiful bone structure. His face, full of a certain

[Karl] "What?" [Karl] "The reason you want me so badly is because of my power, isn't it? The strength that the leader of the Fenrir clan possesses." She remained silent. [Karl] "Then why do you have no interest in the other Fenrir children? It is strange. Why is it that you only wish to possess me?" He spoke with an emotionless tone, as if pointing out a logical inconsistency that he could not grasp. The question caught her off guard, but hid peculiar way of speaking was even

She ordered Karl to dig one large pit and three smaller ones. She needed graves to bury the corpses that had been spat out by the Calamity. She considered the fact that he had only just received his sentence of slavery today. She had expected him to refuse her orders or feel a deep sense of humiliation, especially since he was once a Crown Prince. Yet, he followed her instructions with surprising compliance. As she watched him laboring with the shovel, she made a mental comma

The massive Calamity was already retching, spitting out the lifeless bodies it had devoured. It was a gruesome sign that the void had sated its hunger, having drained every drop of life force from its victims. [Karl] "No... No!" He lunged at the monster. He gripped the tip of its shimmering tongue as it vomited another mangled husk. While it usually took fifty trained soldiers to wound such a beast, Karl was the leader of the Fenrir. His strength was not human. With brute, te

The final child of the Fenrir clan, whom Odette had not yet met, burst into the shack. Theodore was taller than the others, his face twisted with suspicion as he clamped a hand onto Odette’s shoulder. [Theodore] "Who are you? Why is Lara on her knees before you?" Lara’s voice was frantic as she pleaded with him. [Lara] "Theo, stop! It’s Lady Odette! Quickly, bow with us! She is our savior!" At the mention of her name, Theodore’s expression turned predatory. [Theodore] "Why ar

The train station was more than just old; it was eerie. The wood was rotting, and not a single station employee was in sight. As she stepped onto the platform, a bright red warning sign caught her eye. ※Members Of The Fenrir Clan Are Forbidden From Using Main Roads※ The notice went on to explain that the Fenrir people were allowed only to travel through the sewers alongside the roads. That miserable excuse for a human being. She thought, her jaw tightening. How much more coul

Odette slipped out of the mansion before the first light of dawn. She made her way to Edelweiss Station, the capital’s central hub. Before she could head to the containment zone, there was one person she needed to see. The streets were silent, the hour far too early for even the cheapest hired carriages. After a long walk, she stopped in front of a modest boutique tucked between a flower shop and a coffee house. Madam Sarah’s Boutique Odette waited patiently. She knew the own

She stared into the darkness, her eyes raw and swollen. It hadn't been a dream. The experience had been too visceral, too real—as if she had been forced to live through her own death a second time. A wave of nausea washed over her. She wrapped her arms around her trembling frame, trying to ward off the phantom chill of the stairs. She could still feel the coldness of the blood leaking from her skull and the hollow, gut-wrenching realization of her own worthlessness. The traum