With a groan of frustration, she turned her sharp gaze on Nyx. "Right... you are his wife, arenât you? Then tell me thisâ" her words cut like a blade, "where is the Grenthollow?"
Nightfire, who overheard those words, went pale instantly. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. âShit, shit!!â she cursed inside.
She crawled backwards on her hands and knees, already imagining the end of the world unfolding right in front of her eyes.
Nyx, meanwhile, only blinked and said, "I donât know."
Nightfire froze mid-crawl, her heart thundering against her ribs. âSheâs lying!! Sheâs even lying!! OH MY GOD!â
It was Nyxâs first time lying... and not to just anyone.
To her Majesty!!
Nyx herself felt the sharp sting of guilt, disappointment swelling heavy inside her chest.
She wasnât the kind to speak lies, not to Mary, never. But Aether had warned her, begged her not to give away that secret.
Holding it back tore at her heart, yet she forced herself to stand her ground.
If she revealed the truth, she would betray Aetherâthe man who risked everything for her.
If she withheld it, she would betray her Empressâthe woman who raised her, taught her, shaped her life.
It was a cruel choice.
Both of them mattered more than her own existence. Whether Mary cared for her or not, Nyx had always seen the Empress as divine... as something like a god walking the earth.
Her lips parted again, and she forced the words out. "But... my husband knows where it is. He told me he put it in a secret place."
That was it.... Her compromise!
Simple, clean. She hadnât fully lied, not entirely.
She had kept her loyalty intact on both sides. She didnât rat out her husband, and she didnât completely deceive her Empress either.
Simple and sweet... right?
Howeverâ
Maryâs frown deepened, her face shadowed with dangerous calm. "Nyx... this is the first time youâve lied to me." Her crimson eyes burned, her indifferent tone made Nyx flinch as if struck.
âFuck!!â Nightfireâs hands scrambled across the floor as she resumed her crawling escape. Every instinct screamed at her to run before that same gaze turned on her.
Nyx blinked rapidly, her throat dry. "What are you talking about, Empress?" she asked, trying to deflect, her voice shaking despite her attempt at composure.
Maryâs eyes narrowed further. "Girl, I may not be your mother, but I watched you grow. I taught you everything you know. You are like my child... and I know you better than any new filth thatâs slithered into your damned life."
Nyx swallowed hard, a tremor running down her spine.
Inside, she felt an unexpected flicker... Happiness?
She hadnât thought her Majesty would see through her lie so easily. She hadnât thought Mary still knew her that deeply, still saw her as the child she raised.
What a miracle!
Her majesty, who never cared for her... saying that?
She was happy... but why now, of all times?
Why, when her heart was being torn in two?
Nyx wanted to run, to leave the room before the weight of those eyes crushed her completely.
Mary stepped closer, "Where is that Grenthollow?" she asked, every word heavy with command. Her gaze sharpened as she added coldly, "The reason I havenât already used my manipulation... is because I donât want to use it on you. You do understand that, donât you?"
Nyxâs lips parted, but no sound came. Slowly, she nodded.
"Then donât make me use it, Nyx dear."
The way she said "dear" made it sound less like affection and more like a bladeâs edge resting on her throat.
Nyxâs eyes flicked toward Aetherâs still body. Her heart twisted painfully. Should she tell the truth? Should she betray the man who came to save her, the man who gave her a reason to keep living?
Or should she hold the lie and risk losing the only woman she ever revered like a god?
Nyx bit her lips hard as she turned toward Mary, who herself was biting her own lips in barely contained rage. Nyxâs voice shook. "I... I... jusâ"
"HAA!"
Suddenly, Aether sat bolt upright, exhaling heavily, the sharp breath tearing through the tension and making everyone in the room flinch.
"Aether?" Nightfire immediately jumped into the room. To her, it felt like her pillar had finally returned. With him here, she didnât need to worry about any bitch killing her anymore.
Aether panted lightly, pressing his chest with one hand as though steadying his own heartbeat. His eyes drifted across the trio, tired but alert. "You all here ahâ"
"Where is my daughter?!!"
Maryâs voice cut him off like a blade. She grabbed his collar with both hands and shook him violently, her crimson eyes blazing.
Nightfireâs lips twitched at the sight. âGive him a rest, bitch,â she thought, but wisely kept it locked inside.
She definitely didnât want to die within the next few seconds.
Aether let out a weary sigh, his expression drained. The connection with his puppet had taken more out of him than he could show, and his whole body still ached from the strain. Slowly, he raised one hand, and a large shimmering portal bloomed open in midair.
From its glowing depths, Snowflake slithered out, the enormous serpentâs belly grotesquely swollen.
Mary blinked, her anger halted for a moment as she stared into the glowing gateway with cautious curiosity.
But the portal snapped shut the instant Snowflake came out.
Her frown deepened again, her wrath ready to erupt, whenâ
"Cough, cough... rrhhhhh!! COUGH!!"
Lia suddenly spilled out from Snowflakeâs maw, collapsing to the floor in a drenched heap.
"Euuugh!!" Nightfireâs face contorted in disgust. Seeing Lia covered in slime, spit, and gods-knew-what else was too much.
She twisted her head sharply away, refusing to even describe the mess in her mind.
Mary, on the other hand, wasted no time. She rushed forward, her hands moving in a sweeping gesture. With a wave of her power, the sticky saliva clinging to her daughterâs body vanished in an instant.
She knelt, scooping Lia up with trembling arms. "Darling? Darling?" she called desperately, her voice breaking as she cradled her limp child.
For a few agonising seconds, Lia didnât move. Maryâs heart plummeted, her soul trembling on the edge of shattering.
Then her eyes caught itâa stab wound right over her daughterâs heart.
Maryâs breath froze. Her vision blurred. She nearly lost her soul right then.
But before despair could consume her, the wound suddenly began to knit itself back together, the Primordial bloodline forcing the flesh to mend.
"Aaarrhh!!"
Lia gasped violently, her body jerking as her eyes shot open wide in shock. "M-Mom?"
"Dear?"
"MOM?"
"DEAR!!!"
Mother and daughterâs cries overlapped, the voices desperate, broken, and relieved all at once.
Mary collapsed around her daughter, hugging her so tightly that her tears poured like a flood. "Awwwwww~ my darling! I missed you so much... give Mama kisses, baby~" Her sobs rattled her words as she clutched Lia close, burying her face in her daughterâs hair as if to prove she was real.
Liaâs trembling lips softened into a smile. She pressed a gentle kiss to her motherâs cheek, her voice carrying a fragile warmth. "Iâm fine..."
"Iâm so sorry...
sniff, sniff
... I should have protected you...
sniff, sniff
... Please, please forgive this, Mommy," Mary begged, hugging her child so tight it felt more like a rock than comfort.
The embrace was so fierce that Lia thought she might break from the pressure.
"O-Okay, Mom... Iâm fine, right? What happened has already happened. Thereâs no need to worry too much." Liaâs voice was soft, soothing, as she patted her motherâs back gently, trying to calm the storm of grief.
Aether glanced at Nyx and Nightfire, catching the way they were staring at the bizarre scene before them.
Nightfireâs expression was twisted in horror, her lips parted as though she had just seen the end of the world itself.
Nyx, however, wore a different lookâsomething softer, a flicker of longing in her eyes that she quickly masked beneath calm composure.
"Oh? Nyx is here too?" Lia murmured.
Nyx nodded with an indifferent expression,"Yes. Majesty was too worried... she hasnât slept for two days."
"Aww..." Liaâs face softened instantly... But when her eyes slid toward Aether, her lips pressed into a frown.
The memory of him stabbing her chest flashed before her, the phantom pain still echoing faintly inside her. She wanted to ask him why.
Why he had done that!!
But then her gaze shifted back to her mother, and the question withered.
She let it go, after all... she finally came to her mother, right?
Aetherâs eyes locked on her.... She remembered her mother... She remembered Nyx.
But... not him?
His chest tightened. He couldnât understand.
What was happening here?
Why was he only one she forgot?
"Letâs go, baby. Letâs go to our new home," Mary whispered, her voice trembling with relief as she scooped her daughter up like a princess. With one last glance at no one in particular, her form shimmered and vanished, taking Lia with her without another word.
Aether let out a long, tired sigh.
He would deal with Mary later... There was no escaping that confrontation.
But right now... he needed to process the new chaos unfolding before his eyes.
Nyx suddenly leaned closer, "Aether... there is one more thing I need to say."
Nightfire crossed her arms, her sharp gaze flicking between the two of them. She gave a firm nod, urging Nyx to speak.
Aether frowned, "What now?"... he wanted to cry, feeling something even more shitty about to come.
Nyx hesitated only a breath before saying, "There are... six Empires."
Aetherâs eyes widened slightly... Six?