"You've pushed this far enough. It ends here."

Immaculate snow-white wings burst open like a bud about to bloom.

A shower of crystalline light scattered across the air.

Radiant specks swirled around the silver-haired maiden as she spread her wings.

With a flick of her wings and a light tap of her toes against the ground, she floated gracefully into the air, revealing her full figure.

Her face held such breathtaking beauty it could dim the heavens and earth—a loveliness even the Creator might envy.

Knee-length silver hair streamed in the wind like a waterfall.

Verlith turned her pink crystal eyes slightly, radiating an icy aura.

She gazed down imperiously with overwhelming presence.

At the border of the Volthus Empire’s territory.

Melam. Not a person’s name.

A colossal river carving across dozens of nations on the Igudora continent, linking to the Sea of Nothingness. Its furious currents slammed against rocks with tremendous force. Towering waves roared like the fiercest beasts of the forest, crashing back into the broad river before surging downstream.

Low, leaden clouds hung over Melam like crushing mountains.

The steel bridge spanning Melam—connecting the Volthus Empire and Tree Spirit Forest—

This structure, built less than a decade ago, now lay shattered like a child’s mud bridge after battle. Debris rained down steadily into the raging currents, swiftly swept away.

Amidst the wreckage, hundreds of knights in silver imperial armor screamed as they plunged into the icy waters.

On the broken bridge at the Volthus end—

The lead knight captain had sacrificed his mount to escape the fall. But as he leaped back to the bridgehead using his steed’s momentum, snapping steel cables crushed him with devastating force. Badly wounded internally, he now leaned on his flaming greatsword to keep his trembling body upright.

This towering, fierce knight captain watched helplessly as his subordinates vanished into the river—lives uncertain. Fury burned in his eyes as he glared up at the peerless figure floating above.

Biting wind whipped the flames on his sword.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, the knight captain channeled Nature Energy from his bonded Fire Tree Spirit. Scorching flames erupted across his body, turning him into a human torch. Slowly, he straightened and raised his blazing sword toward the maiden.

"You murdered an imperial duke! You’re a wanted fugitive of the Volthus Empire. Running is endless—I urge you to surrender now!"

"Captain," Verlith called down, "have you ever tested your IQ? The situation clearly favors me. What makes you think I’d listen to your utterly unconvincing words?"

"Enough talk! You won’t escape imperial pursuit!"

"I’ll admit your tracking skills are impressive. But it ends here. I’ve crossed Melam—this is Eastern Pearl Empire territory now. The Aerial Parliament’s ceasefire decree forbids armed groups from entering foreign lands. I doubt you want to shatter a century-old peace. Besides," she added lightly, "you’ve chased me for three days and nights. Go rest."

"How could I possibly give up?! While evading our knights, you destroyed a mag-lev train at East Imperial Station—sparking panic among ten thousand souls! Now you’ve wrecked a vital imperial bridge, leaving over three hundred knights fighting for their lives! For a criminal like you, I’ll hunt you to my dying breath to see justice done!"

"What a list of crimes," Verlith murmured. She gave him a cold glance and shrugged helplessly. "Since you came to kill me, you must’ve accepted death as your fate. I had no choice—you’d never stop otherwise. By the way," she added, "Melam’s current slows downstream. If you want to save them, hurry. I won’t wait."

With the bridge destroyed and pursuers cut off, Verlith spread her wings to leave.

"Hold it! At least leave your name!" the knight captain roared across the churning river.

"Why don’t *you* leave yours first?" Verlith scoffed.

"Listen well! I am Aosufu Taring!" The knight captain shouted toward her vanishing form: "Don’t run! It’s your turn now!"

"Tch. Only a fool would give their name…" Verlith chuckled. "Goodbye, fool. Or rather—I hope we never meet again!" With a powerful flap of her wings, she shot skyward, shrinking to a speck against the clouds.

"Damn you! This isn’t over!" Realizing he’d been mocked, the knight captain cursed. He cast one last glare at Verlith’s distant silhouette before sprinting downstream.

Across Melam lay Tree Spirit Forest.

Soaring above, Verlith gazed down. Vast and dense, the forest’s uneven canopy stretched like rolling waves across a green ocean. Mist curled between the trees, forming a natural veil.

The Silverhaired Maiden slowed her wings and descended gently onto a treetop.

She leaped lightly between branches, leaves fluttering around her like falling stars, until she landed softly on the forest floor. Her white wings folded slowly behind her, shrinking to fist-size before melting softly against her back.

This had always been enough before. But now, Verlith wondered: *Could she make them disappear completely?* She focused, forcing the wings to compress further.

Agony flared—like pushing through the final stretch of a marathon on empty legs.

Sweat beaded on her brow as she gritted her teeth. The wings kept shrinking, pressing deeper into her spine.

*Shhk…*

At last, they vanished entirely. Her porcelain-smooth back showed no trace of wings. Dizziness crashed over her; strength drained from her limbs.

Bracing against a tree trunk, Verlith took deep breaths until her stamina returned.

She turned, clenched her fist, and drove it with all her might into the tree trunk.

*Crack!*

Leaves rained down. Deep fissures spiderwebbed across the thick bark—but the tree stood.

*Proof my power isn’t gone… but I should’ve shattered it.* Clearly, those hidden wings were a wellspring of her strength. Without them, she wielded barely forty percent of her full power.

Still, Verlith felt satisfied—at least she looked human now.

"But why…" she murmured, staring at her slender hands, "*was I supposed to be a man?*"

"Seriously?!"