Deep within the vast abyss of eternal darkness, a lone silhouette sat upon a throne of gnarled, blackened bone.
The figure, unmistakably regal yet ominous, exuded a presence that twisted the very void around her.
Shadows writhed and swirled like living phantoms, creatures of darkness birthed from the depths of her being.
They danced in an eerie, rhythmic waltz—an extension of her will, a reflection of her emotions.
It had been so long since she had felt sothing like this.
A flicker of amusent.
A taste of intrigue. Erebil, the primordial goddess of darkness—the root of all evil—felt an unfamiliar excitent creeping into her existence.
All because of one young man.
"Ah… Riley Hell."
She uttered the na like a sacred whisper, the very sound of it sending ripples through the void.
He was sothing worth waiting for.
Even with only a glimpse, a re taste, the sensation he had given her was intoxicating.
He was not yet the beacon of light she had hoped he would beco, not yet the perfect counterpart to her abyss.
And yet, it was precisely his unyielding resolve, that unwarranted, foolish determination to defy reason—to even compromise with her, the very embodint of darkness—all for the sake of a single human…
It was laughable.
And yet, it was exhilarating.
She felt sothing more than re satisfaction.
A rare and insatiable hunger.
If Riley had once been an exquisite dessert to be savored, now he was evolving into sothing far greater—sothing luxurious, sothing divine, a delicacy ant to be consud at its peak.
A slow smile crept onto her lips, her dark eyes gleaming in the endless dark.
Now that her deal with Riley was technically over, her hold over him had ended.
Yet, their interactions weren't quite finished—not yet.
He still had to fulfill his end of the bargain.
She raised her hand, palm open, and a faint, white light flickered into existence.
The fiery visage of a soul took form, its delicate glow pulsating with a fragile energy.
The transition from the mortal realm to her domain was never seamless, especially for a human soul.
So adjustnts would be necessary.
Her dark eyes flicked toward her minions, and with a simple snap of her fingers, they obeyed.
The endless abyss of her realm began to shift.
The deep void twisted, stretched, and reford, morphing into sothing more… familiar.
A vast expanse of soft, erald-green grass spread beneath her, swaying gently under the breath of an artificial breeze.
A golden sun now lood in the sky, casting its warm glow upon the newly forged plains.
The air carried the crisp scent of nature, blending with the soft rustling of leaves.
Her throne, once an imposing monunt of darkness, dissolved and reshaped itself into a simple wooden chair.
In front of her, a modest table materialized, followed by a delicate porcelain teapot and two cups.
Every detail was ticulously crafted to reflect the human perception of normalcy.
Everything was set.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
The soul's recovery would take ti—perhaps days.
A re blink for an immortal such as herself. And yet, as she watched the flickering essence before her, a peculiar sensation stirred within.
Ti moved differently when it involved him.
She let out a quiet sigh, resting her chin on her hand.
For the first ti in a long while, waiting felt like an eternity.
....
Deep into the night, I found myself wandering through the vast expanse of a white forest—an ever-familiar yet strangely unfamiliar place.
The trees, the flowers, the ground beneath my feet, even the creatures that stirred within the undergrowth—all were bathed in a pristine whiteness, untouched by color.
Everything was white, except for the sky above.
I squinted at the crescent moon hanging in the heavens, its soft glow illuminating the endless sea of pale foliage.
This wasn't the world I knew. Not the one I had co from, nor the one I had adapted to.
No, this was sothing else entirely—the domain of the White Queen.
But why was I here?
My footsteps pressed into the frost-like ground, leaving faint imprints that barely lingered before vanishing.
Was this a dream?
A lucid dream, perhaps?
The sensation of cool air against my skin, the rustling of the pale leaves as my fingers brushed against them—I could feel it all, real and tangible.
Yet, when I pinched my own arm, expecting a sharp sting, there was nothing.
No pain, no resistance.
"I guess this really is a dream," I muttered under my breath.
Not knowing what else to do, I kept moving, drawn deeper into the unknown.
The further I walked, the more I saw—things that I had never encountered before, even in the ga.
Strange plants with luminous petals, small creatures that scurried between the roots, leaving trails of glowing dust in their wake.
Hidden alcoves, tiny waterfalls reflecting the moonlight, whispering trees whose branches swayed even in the absence of wind.
The usual divine and regal aura of this place was softened under the moon's silver embrace, turning the white expanse into sothing almost… tranquil.
It felt different from the overwhelming presence I had always associated with the White Queen's domain.
Instead of suffocating majesty, there was an almost dreamlike serenity.
As I wandered through the unfamiliar landscape, my feet carried toward an unexpected discovery—a vast, bluish-clear lake that stretched endlessly before .
The surface was so still and pristine that it perfectly mirrored the night sky above, creating the illusion that the stars were suspended within its depths.
It was breathtaking.
The sight of it left montarily speechless, a stark contrast to the rest of this strange realm where even water was supposed to be white.
Yet, this lake alone defied that rule, standing apart as a solitary anomaly alongside the boundless night sky.
Curious, I crouched down and reached out, dipping my fingers into the water.
It felt just like any ordinary lake—cool, smooth, and fluid, without any hint of the otherworldly qualities that had set it apart visually.
A quiet ripple spread outward from where I touched, disturbing the lake's mirrored illusion, and for a mont, it felt as if I had disrupted the stars themselves.
Rising to my feet, I continued my exploration, following the lake's edge.
It was enormous—circling its entirety would likely take a great deal of ti—but as I pressed forward, sothing caught my attention in the distance.
At the very center of the lake, surrounded by the shimring water, was a small island.
A lone tree stood proudly at its core, unlike anything else in this realm.
Its bark was an ordinary brown, grounding it in familiarity, yet its leaves glowed with a soft white luminescence, blending in with the surreal nature of this world.
Tiny, glowing flowers blood at its roots, their radiance harmonizing with the tree's ethereal glow.
I stood there, captivated by the sight.
Curiosity gnawed at until I finally gave in. With a single leap, I soared through the air and landed effortlessly on the island.
My S-rank strength made the jump trivial, but the landing?
Not so much.
The impact sent a small tremor through the ground, scattering petals and bending delicate stems beneath my weight.
I exhaled, glancing at the tiny crushed flowers beneath my feet. "It'll take so ti before these bloom again," I muttered, feeling a small pang of guilt before shaking it off.
Turning my attention back to the island, I approached the tree at its center.
It stood there, eerily ethereal, its presence strangely out of place yet entirely natural.
Reaching out, I ran my fingers along the bark, expecting... sothing.
A reaction, a shift—anything. But just like every other ti, nothing happened.
I sighed, half-expecting a mystical response and half-knowing better.
Resigning myself to leave, I bent my knees slightly, preparing to leap off the floating landmass—until sothing caught my eye.
Beyond the other side of the tree, a young woman knelt on the soft grass, carefully placing a flower crown atop a small, white rock.
The gentle breeze played with a few loose strands of her soft pink hair, swaying them in the air.
Then, I heard her voice—soft, familiar, laced with quiet sorrow.
"Sorry for being late, Mother..."
Alice.
There was no mistaking it. It was Alice—the sa Alice I knew.
And yet, sothing was different. She was taller, more refined... more mature.
She looked like a vision of what Alice would beco in the future, her presence radiating a quiet elegance that took my breath away.
She hadn't noticed yet.
Her fingers lightly traced the surface of the white stone, her expression solemn, lost in a mont I felt like I was intruding upon.
I remained still, watching.
It was clear now—whatever I was witnessing wasn't reality as I knew it.
It was likely a visage, a lingering mory from another world.
A world I had failed.
Or at least… that's what I told myself.
But as I looked at Alice, at the warmth in her expression, at the way she smiled so gently—this world didn't feel broken.
It didn't have the telltale cracks of a shattered reality.
It felt… whole.
Alice let out a soft chuckle, her voice carrying a familiar warmth, tinged with sothing nostalgic.
"Hehe… a lot happened while I was gone, you see," she murmured, her fingers absentmindedly brushing over the white stone. "I ended up being late for our reunion. We were all supposed to co together, the others and I… but I wanted to co here first. I hope you don't mind."
She smiled, her laughter soft but carrying a weight beyond re words. Then, her expression shifted—more serious, yet still brimming with emotion.
"Actually… I wanted so advice. No, not advice—" she hesitated for a mont before shaking her head, correcting herself. "Since you're not exactly here anymore, I just wanted you to hear out." She paused again, a quiet breath escaping her lips before she added with a soft nod, "No… I wanted you to hear it first."
With that, Alice leaned in closer to the small, white rock, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Although there was a bit of distance between us, my enhanced hearing allowed to catch every word.
"You're going to be a grandma soon…"
She smiled, a soft blush dusting her cheeks.
"Hehe… I haven't told Riley or the others yet, so you're the first to know, okay?"
Pride shone in her golden eyes as she gently rested a hand over her stomach, her fingers tracing slow, careful circles.
It was such a small gesture, but it held a quiet reverence—an unspoken promise.
Alice is pregnant with my child….?
A part of was in disbelief. A whirlwind of emotions—joy, surprise, and sothing indescribably warm—swelled within as I listened to her soft, affectionate voice.
"I wonder… what should I na our child?" Alice mused, her fingers tracing absentmindedly over the surface of the white stone. "If it's a boy… is it alright if I na him Shirley? No, that's a girl's na, isn't it? Then what about Lux? That has a nice ring to it, right?"
She chuckled lightly, the sound carrying a tenderness that made my chest tighten.
"And if it's a girl… I'm planning to na her after you, Mother. Mirana is a pretty na, don't you think?" She smiled softly before adding, "Of course, I'm going to ask Riley's opinion—and the others too. Hehe~"
As she continued her one-sided conversation with the white rock—presumably the grave of her mother, the White Queen—it beca clear to that this place, this mont, wasn't just so illusion or fleeting mory.
No, this was likely a glimpse into the near future.
Alice sighed before leaning back slightly, her expression shifting into sothing a little more mischievous.
"You know, Riley's been a bit too lenient lately," she murmured, her voice laced with amused exasperation. "I get it, really. But there are limits, right? Being too lenient with Rose and the others can only go so far… Even though he's just as lenient with , he can't keep putting babies in them all the ti just because they ask for it, right?"
I froze.
"And Snow—oh my gosh, don't even get started on Snow. She keeps making excuses about needing heirs, but honestly? She's just horny as heck, I swear. Even Seo's gotten mixed up in their whole ss—"
I tuned out the rest, my face heating up as I processed what she had just said.
Hearing about the things I'd supposedly do with my future lovers… even if this was just a dream, an illusion, or a vision of what was to co—it still felt weird.
I shifted uncomfortably, torn between curiosity and embarrassnt, all while Alice continued her candid rant as if none of this was out of the ordinary.
Alice sat before the grave, the cold air brushing against her skin as she absentmindedly traced a pattern.
The stone before her was worn, standing tall yet silent, as if waiting for her words.
She had made a habit of visiting, though she never truly knew what to say.
Life had been hectic—perhaps too much so—but still, she found herself here, seeking so kind of peace in the quiet company of the past.
She had changed a lot since the days when fear and doubt clouded her thoughts.
The girl who once second-guessed every choice was now soone who stood firm, facing dangers she never would have imagined.
Responsibilities weighed on her shoulders, but she bore them with a quiet determination, just as her mother once did.
Alice sighed, closing her eyes as mories played through her mind—monts of struggle, laughter, fleeting happiness, and ever-looming conflict.
There were so many things she could say, so many complaints, so many victories she wished she could share. But there was no rush.
"Hehe, I want to tell you a lot more things, but… that can be done once we're all here," she murmured with a soft smile. Her voice carried a quiet fondness, a whisper of sothing she rarely let herself express.
"That's all from for now, Mother… and as always, you don't have to worry about . I'm doing fine. Everybody's doing fine."
She paused, glancing up at the sky before adding with a small, knowing smirk, "And also… my beloved is always right there to protect . Right, dear?"
Her golden eyes flickered with amusent as she turned, locking eyes with .
"You can see ?" I asked, surprised.
Alice tilted her head slightly, as if I had just stated the obvious.
Before I could take another step forward to ask her sothing, my body suddenly halted.
No—it wasn't just .
Everything paused.
A heavy pressure descended upon the space, thick and suffocating, as if unseen hands were pressing down on my chest.
It was a familiar sensation—one I couldn't quite place.
My heartbeat pounded against my ribs, aching, warning of sothing beyond my understanding.
Then, without warning, black chains erupted from the ground, piercing through my chest.
The cold bite of the tal wrapped around my heart, squeezing, pulling—
What… what was happening?
"Do you like what you're seeing, darling~?"
A voice, ever-familiar and dreadful, whispered into my ear.
It sent an icy chill down my spine, and every hair on my body stood on end.
I turned my head slightly, my breath hitching as I t those unmistakable draconic red eyes—burning with amusent, deep and haunting.
Her lips curled into a smile, sharp and knowing, like a predator toying with its prey.
The wind danced through her flowing white hair, strands flickering across her face, but her gaze… her gaze had already shifted.
She wasn't looking at anymore.
She was looking at Alice and her belly.
"L-Liyana…?" My voice ca out hoarse, disbelief choking as I took a step back.
"You've been a very naughty boy, darling~" she purred, her tone dripping with sothing sickly sweet. "Did you really think sealing away was enough? Keke~ You even made so mistakes along the way… Allow to heal you from that, okay~?"
A pit ford in my stomach.
Before I could react—before I could even breathe properly—Liyana moved.
Faster than I could process.
Her figure blurred, and in the next instant, she was already dashing toward Alice.
No—
I reached out, fingers grasping at nothing but air. My entire body lurched forward in desperation.
"STOP!!!!!"
The scream tore from my throat.
My vision snapped into focus.
My breath was ragged, sweat dripping down my forehead as my heartbeat slamd against my ribs.
What… what just happened?
I sat up abruptly, my hands trembling as I darted my gaze around the unfamiliar space.
This wasn't the graveyard.
It wasn't the battlefield.
It was a room.
A grand, beautifully furnished room.
The windows were slightly ajar, allowing the soft rays of morning sunlight to seep in.
The gentle scent of fresh air and linen lingered.
Huff…
A short, quiet breath reached my ears.
I turned, my body still tense, only to find Alice sleeping peacefully beside .
Her face was serene, warm, untouched by the horrors I had just witnessed.
The tension in my chest loosened as I watched her, my breathing slowly evening out.
It was just a dream.
"That was a fucking nightmare…."
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