In the Pyra Empire, inside the laboratory where the air always slled faintly of tal and sterilised blood, Xara stood with her arms crossed, watching Thalia with narrowed eyes.
Pale light from floating alchemical panels cast shifting reflections over the headless, skinless body lying on the blood pool.
Thalia had appeared without warning and was now crouched beside the grotesque body, pressing her Origin Card against its chest.
"Are you planning to explain what exactly you’re doing," Xara asked, "or should I just assu you broke into my lab for entertainnt?"
Her fingers tapped against her elbow in restrained irritation.
Thalia did not respond imdiately. She leaned closer instead, tilting her head slightly as though studying a puzzle... The Origin Card glowed faintly between her fingers as she pressed it harder against the creature’s exposed muscle.
Slucckk... Slucckk...
The wet sound echoed obscenely in the quiet chamber.
"Yuck, this is disgusting," Thalia muttered, her nose wrinkling as she shifted the card to another position across its chest. "If this thing splashes one more drop on , I’m burning the entire lab."
She tried again, dragging the card across the muscle fibres as if searching for a hidden slot.
Nothing responded.
She closed her eyes briefly and reached out through her ntal link.
/Nope, no card is coming out./
/It seems we have to kill it first to see if it works... maybe that triggers the release./
/Should I kill it?/
Her fingers curled slowly into a fist.
Aether’s voice responded imdiately, /No, dear. This is the first real clue we’ve found. Killing it now would be reckless after everything we’ve uncovered. Let Xara do what she does best./
Thalia exhaled softly as she cut the connection. She lifted her card away, now slick with dark, half-coagulated blood, and grimaced.
"This is revolting," she said, holding it between two fingers as if it offended her personally, "Can you clean it properly? And don’t lecture while you’re at it."
Xara placed both hands on her hips.
"I’ll clean it," she replied evenly, "but first you’re going to tell ... what the fuck you are doing here?"
anwhile, Aether stood on the balcony of his chamber, the night wind brushing against his bare skin. He leaned against the railing, his gaze fixed on the vast stretch of stars glittering over the Zephyra Empire like scattered shards of crystal.
Snowflake coiled around his right hand, her slender body cool against his warm skin. She let out a soft hiss before resting her small head against his wrist.
The door behind him slid open quietly.
Aria stepped out carrying a quilt. She draped it over his shoulders and then wrapped her arms around him from the side, resting her cheek against his chest.
"You’ve been standing out here for a while," she murmured softly. "Tell what’s weighing on you."
Aether let out a slow breath, his gaze still locked on the sky.
"It’s confusing," he said quietly.
Aria shifted slightly, looking up at him.
"What’s confusing?"
He ran his thumb absently along Snowflake’s smooth scales.
"The victims," he said. "The ones captured by those tallic figures. Their mories were erased, yet their cards gained points. That part doesn’t fit with what we assud."
Aria frowned faintly as she processed his words.
"You’re right," she said after a mont.
"If the card points and the sky points are directly linked," she continued, her voice more analytical now, "then the total should already exceed 109. Unless..."
Aether’s jaw tightened slightly as he said, "Unless she lied? That’s one possibility, but I don’t think she lied outright.... I think we misunderstood the system."
He turned slightly toward her, his expression thoughtful rather than frustrated.
"Void was trading with Terra. That much we confird. If I’m right, their sky points increase through trade agreents or sothing. But the card points increase differently. That ans we’re dealing with at least two separate chanisms feeding into the sa visible outco."
Aria’s brows knit together as she absorbed that implication.
"So there are two thods to increase the points in the sky," she said slowly, "but only one that affects our personal cards?"
"Yes," Aether replied. "Void and Vesperine use different thods but the sa result, while Victims... they are different"
The wind shifted, carrying a colder current across the balcony.
"Why build sothing so complicated?" she asked.
Aether finally looked away from the stars and down at her.
"That," he said quietly, "is exactly what worries ."
Aether looked up at the sky where golden letters shimred softly against the dark canvas of night.
"For that," he said slowly, "we need to reach the peak. Only then will the answer reveal itself."
Aria humd thoughtfully.
After a mont, Aether spoke again,
"I also need you, Aqualina, and Helena to visit Void again and finalise the deal with Mary. Take Nyx with you. She hasn’t stayed there in a long ti"
Aria raised her brows slightly, turning to face him fully.
"I thought you didn’t want to make a deal with her."
Aether let out a quiet breath.
"I didn’t," he admitted. "And part of still doesn’t. But..."
His words trailed off.
Aria studied him for a second before a small, knowing smile touched her lips.
"Is it Lia?"
Aether sighed and leaned on her.
"The only reason I’m holding back is because of Lia," he said, "If she weren’t involved, my approach would be entirely different... I wouldn’t hesitate."
His hand tightened briefly into a fist against the balcony rail.
Aria watched that subtle shift in him and asked softly, "Should I talk to Lia about her mories? Maybe if she hears it from soone close, she might reconsider."
"No," Aether replied imdiately, "The current Lia wouldn’t accept anyone’s words. Even the previous Lia never tolerated anything concerning her mother lightly. Forcing it now would only make her retreat further."
He rested his forehead lightly against Aria’s.
"Let handle that part. I need to choose the right mont."
Aria nodded slowly.
They fell into silence afterwards, standing together beneath the luminous sky, sharing warmth while the empire slept below them.
After a pause, Aether tilted his head slightly.
"Wait a second," he said with a hint of curiosity returning to his tone. "What did your mother say?"
Aria’s eyes glead with mischief.
"Finally, you ask," she replied, trying to suppress a grin. "Do you know what happened during our bath?"
Aria laughed softly, her voice lowering as she began to recount the incident in animated detail.
And with shared whispers and gentle teasing, the night passed peacefully, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
****
The next day.
Aria, Nyx, Aqualina, and Helena stood before Empress Mary, accompanied by their guardian Drakhairs.
Mary sat upon her temporary throne, her silhouette blurred by faint distortion.
She blinked once, her gaze sweeping over them.
"Hmm," she murmured, "Where is he? Shouldn’t the Ruler of Three Empires personally attend to sign such a contract?"
Aqualina stepped forward, her chin lifted proudly.
"Our Emperor is occupied with matters of greater urgency," she replied smoothly. "As his wives, we are more than capable of representing him.... Or is that a problem, Empress Mary?"
Mary gave a small shrug.
"I don’t particularly care who stands before ," she said coolly. "A signature is a signature."
Aria moved forward then, holding the docunts firmly in both hands.
"We have reviewed the terms and conditions your empire proposed," she said calmly, "We are here to renegotiate certain clauses that disproportionately favour Void."
Mary’s lips curved into a faint smirk beneath her hazy outline.
"Renegotiate?" she repeated, almost amused. "Your beloved husband did not ntion the negotiation part? Hahah... I am not interested in altering the structure. You either accept the terms as they are, or you walk away."
Helena stepped forward, "With respect," she said, "the terms you presented lack balance. The values offered in return are neither proportional nor clearly defined. Furthermore, declaring yourself the final authority without discussion contradicts the spirit of an agreent.
This is not a unilateral rule."
Aqualina nodded in agreent.
"We are simply requesting transparency in the rates you proposed," she added. "What guarantees do we have that Void will not adjust them arbitrarily?
No rational party would agree to such conditions."
Mary’s gaze sharpened, the distortion around her throne intensifying faintly.
"It was you who approached ," she said coldly, "You ca seeking assistance. Do not forget who holds leverage here."
"So you thought it was acceptable to take advantage of us?" Helena asked, "That is both wrong and idiotic."
Mary’s aura flared instantly, dark energy rippling outward from her seated form like heat waves over scorched stone.
"Who," she said slowly, each word sharpened to a blade’s edge, "did you just call an idiot?"
Helena did not retreat. She stood firm, her own aura rising in response. Aria and Aqualina stepped forward as well.
Aqualina tilted her head slightly, a deliberate smirk forming on her lips.
"She did not call you an idiot," she clarified coolly. "She said your terms are idiotic. There is a difference."
Aria lifted her hand subtly. Aether’s warning echoed in her mind.
Stay composed....
"It is not as though Void is the only option available to us," Aria said evenly. "We approached you first out of courtesy, not desperation."
Those words settled into the chamber like a stone dropped into still water.
Mary went silent.
Behind her blurred silhouette, tension coiled.
Aria allowed a faint inward smirk. Just as he predicted. Lia must have ntioned Vesperine!
Mary’s fingers tightened against the armrest of her throne.
’Damn him... I knew that bastard would use leverage like this. That is why I ordered her eliminated.’
Her thoughts darkened briefly.
There had been no report yet.
Was Vesperine dead?
Or had Aether already reached her first and turned the situation to his advantage?
Mary’s jaw tightened subtly.
If he had secured a better arrangent elsewhere, he would not have sent his wives to negotiate.
Which ant this was still a battlefield.
In truth, she would not lose resources here.
What she risked losing was advantage.
Her gaze sharpened as she studied the won before her.
’What is the better move?’
Seconds passed.
At last, Mary exhaled slowly, the tension in her aura retracting like a tide pulling back from shore.
"Very well," she said, "I will entertain your negotiation."
User Comments
0 comments from readers