[Capital City, Akasha.]
"Huff…"
Christina gently blew on her hands as the cold made her hands freeze.
"It's really cold here." She said, glancing to her side. "Lumina is better in winter."
"Yeah…" Zenith, who was walking beside her, said. "Akasha is smaller with nothing to heat it from the inside."
Christina nodded, looking around the place.
The people were moving about like normal, but she could still feel the tension.
....Not everything was going well.
"…I never thought I would see you as an elf." Zenith said, her ember eyes on Christina. "You look a lot different."
"I don't like it." Christina replied. "I feel stronger but I still liked my old body."
"..."
Zenith nodded slightly, looking at the street they walked on.
Her face looked confused and sad and Christina noted that as well.
"So, Himl brought you back?" She asked with a smile. "…He must really love you."
"Yeah…" Christina replied but stopped midway. "—I thought you weren't aware he was my fiancé."
Zenith smiled slightly at her words. "….I guessed it." She mumbled. "It's not that hard."
Christina slowed her steps a little, eyeing Zenith from the corner of her eye.
"…Guessed it?" she repeated.
Zenith nodded, her breath forming small white clouds in the cold air.
"It wasn't hard," she said quietly. "Not with those dreams I always had."
Christina nodded her head slightly. "Avelia."
"You rember her." Zenith smiled. "You were the first I told about her."
"…Yeah." She replied, stopping close to a bench. "Did you see anything new?"
"Nope, nothing else." She replied, sitting on the bench. "I did see you… holding a child in your usual hair colour."
Christina nodded her head. "..I plan to dye my hair soon." She replied. "I am just keeping up with this for Qais."
Zenith nodded as her eyes moved slightly lower. "…I thought they got bigger because you beca a mother."
"…What?" Christina asked slowly.
Zenith blinked innocently, her ember eyes wide.
"I an…" she gestured vaguely toward Christina's chest, "they're definitely bigger now."
"Zenith," Christina cut her off sharply, cheeks heating, "stop talking."
Zenith's lips ford an "oh," but she still looked her over with obvious curiosity.
After a long second, Christina finally muttered. "They are definitely the sa size."
"No, they're not."
"Zenith."
"I'm just saying you look…fuller."
"ZENITH."
Zenith held up her hands. "Okay, okay. Sorry."
Zenith leaned back on the bench, breath visible in the cold.
For a long while they both sat quiet on the bench without speaking anything.
"…Hey." Zenith mumbled. "Is Avelia your child?"
Christina didn't reply as she looked up. "…I don't know." She spoke. "I am not the one who can see the future."
Zenith chuckled softly, closing her eyes. "…Yeah."
Christina slowly turned to look at her, staring at her new body.
"You look more like your mother now."
Zenith nodded, smiling. "I heard that a lot."
Christina hesitated before speaking. "Is Yennefer…?"
"Her soul is with ." Zenith said softly. "We share the sa body now."
"…I see."
Christina said, her voice soft as she looked at her hands.
Zenith leaned forward, her voice soft.
"….She refuses to take over the body." She mumbled. "Mother wants …to keep living my life."
"Mothers are like that." Christina said softly. "…They want their children to live their life."
"…I don't know." Zenith whispered. "I feel like… I don't deserve this life."
Christina frowned, gently slapping her arm. "Don't say that." She scolded. "You deserve the world."
Zenith remained quiet as she stared at Christina.
After a long while she finally spoke.
"But my world is with you." Her voice felt bitter. "And maybe my world hates now."
Christina's face imdiately turned blank as she understood who she was referring to.
…Qais.
Zenith stared at her clenched hands, her voice cracking just enough to betray how deeply she ant it.
"I know I ssed up," Zenith whispered. "I hurt people. I hurt him. And then Mother… forced him to make a choice."
She shut her eyes tightly.
"…How can soone like him not hate after all that?"
Christina sighed through her nose, leaning back against the cold bench.
"You think too much," she muttered.
Zenith looked up, confused.
"If he hated you, Zenith, you wouldn't be alive."
Zenith opened her mouth but Christina raised a hand to stop her.
"Let finish. You know the future, right? You do know things will work out, don't you?"
Zenith swallowed, closing her eyes. "…Then what does he feel?"
Christina shrugged lightly. "It's complicated, that's just how he is."
Zenith didn't respond as she just sat there in confusion.
Christina stood up and stood in front of the girl.
"How about this." She said with a smile. "I will help you both get back together."
Zenith blinked up at her.
"…What?" she whispered.
Christina crossed her arms, her breath forming a little puff in the cold air. "I said I'll help you two get back together."
Zenith slowly rose to her feet, stunned. "Christina… why?"
"Why not?" Christina shot back. "I'm not insecure."
[]
'I am not you, Inna.'
Christina leaned closer, poking Zenith's forehead lightly.
"You still love him, right?"
"…Yes."
"And you still regret what happened?"
"…Every day."
"Then," Christina nodded, "stop being miserable and start fixing things."
Zenith looked at her before she nodded. "….Thank you."
Christina smiled brightly.
'Plan success.'
Christina's grin lingered for a mont before she rubbed her hands together and exhaled sharply.
"Alright, enough talking. Let's move before I freeze to death."
But just as she moved, she paused in her place.
[]
'…Yeah, I see her.'
Christina cut off her words as she saw a woman standing right in front of her.
Her long platinum hair flowed gently as she wore a simple black dress.
Her emotionless grey eyes stared at the elf.
"I was waiting to find you alone." Esray said, her voice cold. "…It's been a while, Christina."
Christina smiled slightly. "It has, mother-in-law."
---
[Aljanah's hotown.]
[Island of Sunset, Ocean Nagar.]
The Aljanah has always been the best-known family within the world of Lumina.
In a world that has always seen constant wars, there was always one thing common in them.
The Aljanah family was never part of it.
The Aljanahs have been on Lumina for as long as the elves.
But unlike elves, the Aljanah had never been invaded or conquered in their thousand years of history.
The creator god created Paradox Apostates with the best of his capabilities.
They were given everything: power, charm, and strength.
The descendants of Samyaza, though carrying not even a fraction of his blood, were still far stronger than most.
…And the one leading them was an ambitious man.
---
Within the high castle at the center of the island, a man sat on a throne carved from solid gold.
Jacob Noah Aljanah.
The newly crowned demigod of the family.
His pure black eyes gazed at the man kneeling in front of him.
He sat lazily, one leg crossed over the other, fingers tapping the armrest.
"Report,"
A man in a black and gold coat lowered his head.
"…Your Grace, the talk with House Atretic; they have decided to take your offer."
Jacob's fingers stopped tapping.
"How much did they ask?" he asked calmly, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
The man hesitated as he looked down at the ground.
"…They ask for life." He spoke. "The life of Esray's son."
Jacob didn't react at first.
"…Esray's son," Jacob repeated softly.
The ssenger swallowed and nodded. "Y-Yes, Your Grace."
"Life," he whispered, tapping the armrest once. "They're asking for too much."
The ssenger dared to look up.
"So you… refuse, Your Grace?"
Jacob tilted his head.
"Did I say that?"
The ssenger stiffened.
Jacob leaned back on his chair as he looked up at the ceiling.
"House Atretic is desperate," Jacob continued calmly.
"Desperation makes people blind. They believe killing Esray's son will buy them survival."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"It won't."
The man bowed his head deeper, not daring to breathe too loudly.
The man didn't dare to look up as he quietly knelt there.
"…I always wondered." Jacob thought out loud. "How good it would feel to rule over an empire like that of House Atretic."
The man understood the aning of his words but didn't say a word.
"….What do you think?" Jacob asked, looking at him. "Would Himl be able to kill everyone within House Atretic?"
The ssenger's breath hitched.
He slowly lifted his head… just enough to glance at Jacob's expression.
Jacob looked… amused.
"W-With respect, Your Grace…" the ssenger whispered, "Himl is… dangerous."
Jacob raised an eyebrow.
"Only dangerous?"
The man swallowed hard. "…Extrely dangerous."
Jacob smiled.
"Better."
He tapped one finger against the golden armrest again.
"Would he be able to kill House Atretic?" Jacob repeated, sounding genuinely curious. "Their twelve dukes? Their army? Their High Council?"
The ssenger hesitated.
"Answer."
"…Yes," the man forced out. "If he wants to… he could kill them all."
"Exactly," Jacob murmured. "That is why their offer amuses ."
He rose from his throne, his short black hair combed properly.
"The fools are asking …" he spread his arms lightly, "…to hand over the life of the only man capable of wiping them out."
The ssenger pressed his forehead to the floor.
Jacob continued walking, hands clasped behind his back.
"I wonder," he mused aloud, "what makes them think they deserve his life?"
He paused.
"Perhaps," he added, "they believe their legacy is mighty."
Jacob smiled as he looked up at the ceiling once again. "What do you think, dear?"
A pair of golden eyes opened up as a huge body moved out of camouflage.
A snake wrapped around the throne as her face touched Jacob's.
Her scales moved like liquid gold, her gaze sharper than any blade.
"You can take over House Atretic, dear." The snake spoke softly. "You can take everything in this world."
Jacob smiled brightly as his ego was getting fed. "Of course, I can."
"But…" the snake spoke again. "You need to take over the Aljanah of Akasha first."
Jacob nodded his head slightly. "I will get them soon." He smiled. "Without even lifting a finger."
The golden serpent tilted her head, amused.
"That's why I love you dear."
Jacob chuckled as he proudly raised his head. "Still, I need to do better…"
The snake nad Nora whispered. "You can, dear."
"Y-your grace." The ssenger spoke once again. "…There is sothing else."
Jacob looked at him annoyingly. "What is it?"
"…They sent another ssage, my lord."
He spoke trembling.
"The Lorelei family."
Jacob turned serious as he whispered. "…The rmaids did?"
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