Over the course of a thousand years, Ser gradually became different. She had lost all hope and thought that she wouldn't ever escape this place and see the light ever again.

But when Laontel appeared, her hope returned.

"I have to see Laontel, my friend Laontel!"

She pulled herself together in desperation and managed to break the seal.

"When it completely breaks, I can meet Laontel. My Laontel!"

But Phillip's descendants sealed her again.

The seal, which she barely managed to crack, was patched up again.

Serphania was in absolute despair.

While she was going through this, she saw Laontel living happily.

"Ancia, you can't leave me!"

The Crown Prince was a reincarnation of Rakshul.

Laontel had reincarnated with Rakshul and looked so happy everyday.

She only thought of the Crown Prince and forgot about Ser.

"I've been forgotten..."

Ser hated Laontel, but Laontel was her only friend. Ser did her best to help Laontel remember her memories.

She often called out to Laontel to help her regain her memories.

Finally, Laontel remembered Ser.

She helped Ser break the seal.

"Why are you so late!? You're too late! You said you'll save me! You're my only friend!"

"I'm sorry Ser, I'm sorry..." She apologized to Ser.

"I hate you, I hate you! I called you so many times! You're the only one I have..."

Ser vented her sorrow at her friend whom she met again after a thousand years, but she knew it wasn't Laontel's fault.

Laontel was the only one who saved her.

This was all Phillip's fault. She wanted to get rid of everything he owned, his descendants and the country he founded.

She'll get rid of them all and then live together with Laontel.

She didn't need anything else.

She just needed to get rid of his possessions to exact her revenge.

"Ser, don't do it. You shouldn't kill innocent people in the name of revenge..."

But Laontel stopped her.

Laontel didn't take Ser's side and protected the dirty empire instead.

Serphania felt betrayed. Was Laontel choosing Phillip over her?

Was Phillip's empire and his descendants more important than her?

Or, was it because of the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince...yes, he was the problem.

The moment Rakshul tried to get closer to Laontel was the beginning of all this destruction.

Phillip changed due to the Crown Prince.

Phillip wouldn't have used that kind of method if it wasn't for Rakshul. Phillip thought that if he became the emperor, Rakshul would lose to him.

That's why he betrayed her and killed countless innocent people!

It was all because of that prince!

It was also the Crown Prince's fault that the Laontel who was reincarnated after a thousand years didn't listen to her.

She didn't listen to Ser because she fell for him.

She abandoned Ser because she was in love with him.

After bearing Phillip's betrayal and being trapped in the door of darkness for a thousand years, Ser had completely lost her mind.

"If he's that precious, then give me your life instead."

Ser exclaimed to Laontel.

"Kill me right now. But in exchange for my life, don't touch him."

At that moment, Ser felt a wave of anger rise up inside of her.

"Then die! Die for me! I trusted you and waited for a long time!"

She was angry. She was angry because of the fact that Laontel gave up her life so easily for the Crown Prince.

She was leaving Ser for the Crown Prince?

What would happen to her if Laontel died?

Ser had waited for a thousand years for Laontel but she was going to leave just like that?

Ser attacked Ancia.

Ancia was the reincarnation of Laontel so she had the power of light Ser had given her.

So of course, Ser thought Ancia would stop her attack. She wouldn't die for the Crown Prince.

Their love was shallow.

She hoped that Ancia would realize this soon and didn't want Ancia to have the same regrets as her.

But Ancia didn't stop her attack and motionlessly accepted it instead.

"La-Laontel?"

Ser was surprised and tried to cast a healing spell, but it was too late.

'I killed Laontel?'

Ser's legs became weak. Suddenly, a white light came out of Ancia's bracelet and wrapped around her whole body.

The bracelet had protected Ancia.

"Laon!"

Ser rushed to her body.

"Laon, no. No!"

The bracelet had protected her, but it wasn't enough. She could feel Laontel's faint heartbeat.

She was still breathing but she wouldn't last long.

Ser quickly switched their bodies to save her.

Ser's body had only survived because of her soul.

After Ser came out of the body, it wouldn't last very long.

She could only live for a hundred days or so.

But it was still better than Ancia dying in vain.

Due to the urgent situation, she quickly swapped their bodies.

However, taking over someone else's body was dark magic.

Even though Ser's intention was good, she was still punished. Her feelings and memories were shattered into smithereens like glass.

Her feelings of love, compassion, hatred, longing, loneliness and many more were nowhere to be found.

Ser broke down even more.

She looked at Ancia. She didn't know what to do with Laontel, her only friend.

Ser didn't know what would happen later. This space was created solely to seal Ser. As soon as the seal was completely released, the door of darkness would be gone.

In order to protect Ancia, she had to go far away from her. Ancia needed to get out of here too.

Ser managed to hold on and clean her clothes, but she could see burn scars on her body.

She quickly got up and sent Ancia out of the door of darkness.

Compared to the outside world, time flowed differently inside the door of darkness.

Inside the door of darkness, time wasn't fast or slow, but it was distorted.

Ser didn't know when Ancia would be able to find the way out herself if she didn't help her now.

She needed to do this because it was safer than being next to her.

***

Ser sent Ancia out of the door of darkness.

Her soul managed to heal Ancia's body.

But her feelings and memories were no longer intact.

"I hate you, I hate you!"

Resentment against Ancia filled Ser.

She hated Laontel for choosing a man over her.

She hated Laontel for abandoning her.

At the same time, she was worried.

What if Laontel experienced the same thing as she did. What if Laontel was abandoned like her?

She might even be killed.

No.

That couldn't happen.

She had to live.

She had to live to save her only friend.

She needed to help Laontel.

She had to let Laontel know just how useless love was.

Serphania's body that was occupied by Ancia couldn't hold on and she also lost her voice.

But Ancia kept being stubborn.

So Ser didn't return her blessing and powers of light.

'This is all a lesson to Laontel, my one and only friend. Laontel would understand her in the end."

That's what Ser thought, but it was useless.

Laontel, who was now Ancia, didn't listen to Ser.

She chose the Crown Prince instead and the Crown Prince didn't turn away from her either.

Even though she had a different body, no voice and lost the power of light, he still recognized her.

'Why, why, why?'

Ser was confused.

After the whole chaos, she went to Richard's side.

Why did she come here?

Even Ser couldn't answer that question.

Not only was Richard Phillip's reincarnation, his face also resembled Phillip's.

The silver hair which he hated so much was now black, resembling the royal family of the Zelcan Empire. His appearance was nearly the same as it was a thousand years ago.

Richard was kind to Ser, so she was happy.

But the kinder he was, the emptier she felt.

She was already not sane in the first place.

'Why? Why was I stuck in that darkness? Why did Phillip betray me? Was it because of my appearance? That's right. Phillip's behaviour towards me changed since I got those burn scars. Laontel is pretty and she reincarnated into a beautiful body as well. Is that why he likes her? Is it?'

She didn't even know what she was saying anymore.

Now, she couldn't even remember all of the events that happened in the past.

She only remembered the sad and miserable memories. She thought she should stop her one and only friend from walking on the same path.

Before long, Richard showed his true colours.

After giving Ser a lot of bad advice, he put the bottle of poison in her hands.

"In order for us to be together, we must kill the Crown Prince."

He tried to use Ser again.

Ser knew everything Richard had done to her, but she still pretended to be brainwashed and went into the palace like Richard instructed.

She thought that humans were greedy and obsessive. She was sure that the Crown Prince would be like that too.

If a woman with the same appearance as Ancia appeared, the Crown Prince would forget the real Ancia soon.

"What would Laontel think if she saw the Crown Prince abandon her and fall in love with me even though I am a fake?"

Ser felt guilty and sorry towards Ancia but she couldn't give up.

Once Laontel was abandoned, she would soon realize what's right and what's wrong.

But the Crown Prince was not that easy.

Why?

Ser did what Phillip had done to her before.

She tried to drift the Crown Prince away from the people around him and pretended that only she liked him sincerely.

Ancia's body had a beautiful appearance, but the Crown Prince didn't spare her any glance.

He wasn't shaken by her appearance and recognized Ancia instead.

He even offered his life to save Ancia.

"If I died under your curse, would your resentment be gone?"

She couldn't find the answer even when she recalled the past.

She didn't know. She had no idea what she wanted.

She could hear Blake's voice.

"In my dreams, you screamed so painfully, yet I always forgot when I woke up. I couldn't remember you, so I couldn't help you."

"I'm really sorry."

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Tears streamed down Ser's face.