And on that day, he made a vow. One day, he would become powerful enough to enter the Mystic Realm and bring his girlfriend back.

No matter the cost. Years later, he finally gained enough strength to do exactly that.

He entered the Mystic Realm. He searched tirelessly, explored dangerous territories, and questioned countless people.

But despite all his efforts... he never found her.

The result left him utterly despondent. Even now, he could only cling to a single hope.

That she was still alive somewhere. Because if she wasn’t... a dangerous darkness flickered inside his eyes.

If she wasn’t... then one day, he truly would have no choice but to throw his own parents into the Mystic Realm and let them experience the same despair they had inflicted upon others and then die.

When Axel finally emerged from those painful memories, his mood had sunk to rock bottom.

His footsteps echoed softly as he returned to Lucian’s mansion far later than usual.

He assumed Lana would already be asleep.

After all, it was well past midnight.

However, the moment he stepped inside, he froze.

The entire mansion was bright. Confused and exhausted, Axel let out a tired sigh.

Without bothering to investigate further, he collapsed onto a nearby sofa.

He vaguely noticed that the surroundings looked different than before.

There were decorations. Yet he wasn’t in the mood to pay attention.

His mind was simply too exhausted. Closing his eyes, he leaned back.

Then suddenly... the lights went out.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Before Axel could react, a soft voice drifted through the darkness. "Happy birthday to you..."

His eyes slowly opened. Standing there was Lana. She held a beautifully decorated cake in her hands.

The candlelight danced across her smiling face. "Happy birthday to you..."

As she continued singing, more people emerged from behind the corners of the room.

Lucian appeared first. Then Connard and Lucy.

Several of Lucian’s most trusted subordinates followed behind them.

Together, they continued singing while approaching him.

For a moment, Axel simply stared.

His mind went blank.

After all the pain and bitterness he had relived... he had completely forgotten.

It was his birthday.

As he watched them approach, emotion surged through his chest so suddenly that he almost couldn’t breathe.

He instinctively looked away. Not because he disliked what he saw.

But because he was afraid that if he continued looking at them, they might notice the faint redness forming around his eyes.

Lana carefully placed the cake in front of Axel. "Happy Birthday, Uncle."

The moment those words entered his ears, Axel’s gaze fell upon the cake.

Memories he had tried so hard to suppress surfaced once again.

He was suddenly reminded of his girlfriend.

Back then, she had always been the source of warmth in his life. Whenever he returned exhausted or discouraged, she would greet him with a bright smile that made all his worries disappear.

In a way, Lana and his girlfriend shared certain similarities.

Both of them possessed a warmth capable of brightening the lives of others.

However, the feeling they gave him was completely different.

His girlfriend had filled his heart with romance and affection. Whenever he looked at her, he envisioned a future together.

Meanwhile, whenever he looked at Lana, he felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

A feeling that he had failed her somewhere along the way and needed to make up for it. As well as... a maternal fatherly feeling. Like she was the child he couldn’t have...

Seeing him lost in thought, Lana tilted her head slightly. "Uncle, make a wish quickly."

Her voice carried obvious excitement.

Hearing the urgency in her tone, Axel smiled faintly.

He slowly closed his eyes. Inside his heart, Axel made two wishes.

The first wish was simple. ’I hope I can find her.’

No matter how impossible it seemed, he still wished to find his girlfriend.

The second wish appeared almost immediately afterward.

’I hope Lana lives a happy and beautiful life.’

After making both wishes, he opened his eyes and gently blew out the candles.

A burst of applause immediately erupted around the room.

Lana’s smile grew even brighter. Axel picked up the knife and carefully cut the cake.

After slicing the first piece, he didn’t hesitate. He handed the very first bite to Lana.

The moment she accepted it, her eyes curved into crescents.

A mischievous grin instantly appeared on her face.

She turned toward Connard and proudly puffed out her chest.

"See? Uncle loves me the most."

As she spoke, she even stuck out her tongue playfully.

The childish gesture caused everyone present to laugh.

Rather than appearing rude, she looked unbelievably adorable.

Even Lucy couldn’t help shaking her head with amusement.

After the cake-cutting ceremony ended, the atmosphere became even livelier.

Soon afterward, Lana excitedly brought over a gift box.

At the same time, Lucian also handed over another carefully prepared present.

Axel looked somewhat surprised. He had not expected anyone to prepare gifts for him.

Lana practically bounced on her feet. "Open it quickly, Uncle."

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Seeing her unable to contain her excitement, Axel chuckled softly. "Alright."

He slowly opened the gift box. The moment he did, a strange jade pendant came into view.

The pendant possessed an ancient appearance.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary. Yet the more Axel looked at it, the more mysterious it felt.

For some reason, it matched perfectly with the special jade pendant Lana had gifted him previously.

However, it was clearly far more valuable than that.

As Axel examined it closely, Lana immediately began her explanation.

"Uncle, this is a multi-functional talisman called the Jade Pendant."

Her voice was filled with pride.

"As long as you activate it, it can randomly teleport you away from danger three separate times."

A hint of surprise appeared in Axel’s eyes. However, Lana wasn’t finished yet.

"Not only that, it can also protect you from ghosts up to four hundred years old."

Lana continued enthusiastically.

"It can heal injuries. It can release poison. It can create defensive barriers. If you encounter an enemy, all you need to do is direct the pendant toward them, and poison mist will immediately spread out."