Since it was night, the people hadn’t noticed the Pyra Empire getting closer. But once the Sunless light appeared, the entire empire would erupt into chaos.
For now, a peaceful night lingered before the inevitable storm!!
However, Marisandra Naiadia, the Empress of Aquaris Naiadae, was not in her grand palace. Instead, she was preoccupied elsewhere with matters far graver than her royal duties.
“Fine… I’ll do it!” Marisandra snarled, her teeth clenched in fury as she stared daggers at the Master. His expression was calm, almost mocking, as he held a small cube that contained her daughter, Aqualina, and her maid/sister, Celestia.
“Good girl,” the Master said smoothly, nodding with satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, the broken tables and chairs in the room restored themselves to perfection. He sank into one of the newly repaired chairs with a calculated ease.
“We’ve received some rather intriguing information about a new species spotted in the Pyra Empire. While the details remain unclear, our sources claim it’s a hybrid—part Phoenix and part Dragon.”
Marisandra’s brow furrowed deeply. ‘So, they’ve infiltrated now that Aether has seized control of the empire? Tsk, I cannot believe he made such an amateurish mistake,’ she thought, frustration bubbling within her. Aloud, she said, “And you expect me to fetch this creature for you? Do you seriously think they’ll just let me waltz in and—”
Before she could finish, the Master placed a blue horn on the table between them… “Use this,” he interrupted coolly. “It will allow you to control them effortlessly. No resistance, no struggle.”
Marisandra’s gaze lingered on the horn… After a tense moment, she picked it up and gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But remember our deal—once I’m done with this, you release them. Both of them!”
The Master’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Of course,” he replied smoothly, leaning forward slightly. “But don’t forget the… wish.”
Marisandra bit her lip hard, her gaze shifting to the cube imprisoning her loved ones. A heavy sigh escaped her. “Very well,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. She rose from her seat…
The Master waved his hand, and Marisandra began to fade from sight. “My team will accompany you,” he called after her.
She cast one last piercing look at him before vanishing entirely.
Ssssshhhhhhhh!
As her form disappeared, the Master turned his attention back to the cube, his expression one of dark satisfaction. “It won’t be much longer now,” he mused. “Soon, I’ll—”
A sudden flicker interrupted his thoughts. A hologram materialized before him, its projection trembling slightly as if in haste. “Master, you need to see this!” came the urgent voice of an assistant.
The image of the Pyra Empire advancing toward the Naiadae Empire!
The Master’s brow furrowed deeply, “Why the sudden acceleration? This… this wasn’t part of the plan. Something unexpected has happened,” he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration and confusion.
“Should we delay the operation?” the hologram asked hesitantly.
The Master frowned, the this situation then it would be hard to get out Victor of the Empire… ‘Hmmm… what should I do?’ He thought. “Time is already against us…. Maybe I should postpone Sandra… Hmm… Very well, Watch the scene and as for Dora…. we will proceed with Plan”
Meanwhile…
Marisandra reappeared within the castle walls, collapsing into a chair… Her hands trembled slightly, and her chest heaved with laboured breaths. She rubbed her forehead, sweat trickling down her temple. “H-He’s stronger than before…” she murmured, her voice laced with disbelief and exhaustion.
She reached for a glass of water and drank deeply, the cool liquid steadying her nerves. On the outside, her expression had calmed, but inside, a storm raged.
The Master had both her daughter and her sister…. she had been avoiding but… Fate would never miss a chance!
Her mind spun furiously, calculating, strategizing. Every possible plan and contingency ran through her thoughts. She was Aqualina’s mother, after all, and her cunning far outstripped anything her daughter could yet comprehend.
“The time has come… ah…” she whispered, her lips trembling as a weak smile formed. “Haa… I feel like I’ve truly lived a lifetime already,” she added, her voice tinged with melancholy. Tears glistened at the edges of her eyes as she continued, “I wonder how Aqualina and Celestia will feel about this… and him… how will he react when he finds out?”
Drip…
A single tear fell from her eye, splashing onto her trembling hands…. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, forcing herself to regain her composure.
“There’s no point in crying,” she said firmly. “I knew this was inevitable from the start…” Her words trailed off as her gaze shifted toward the window…. Her heart sank when she saw the Pyra Empire’s borders advancing unnervingly close to her own.
“This is… unexpec—” Her words were abruptly cut short as her senses flared. Someone was inside her palace. Without hesitation, she vanished from the room, reappearing instantly in the Throne Room.
“Hmmm… What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp with both surprise and suspicion. Her eyes locked onto Aether, who was seated upon her throne with his eyes closed…. His posture radiated a casual confidence as if the throne belonged to him.
Marisandra’s lips twitched in irritation. “You realize it’s treason to sit on my throne without permission, don’t you, brat?” she said as she began walking toward him.
Aether exhaled deeply, his broad shoulders rising and falling as he nodded, “This feels… weird too,” he mumbled quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself.
Marisandra narrowed her eyes, “What’s weird?” she asked, studying him intently. For some reason, Aether seemed different—more composed, yet strangely intense.
Aether slowly opened his eyes and the moment his gaze fell upon Marisandra—the regal and commanding Empress standing before him—his lips curved into a gentle, almost nostalgic smile.
It wasn’t the kind of smile she was used to seeing from him; this one was soft and genuine, as though he were seeing someone he deeply cherished after a long, painful separation.
From all his previous iterations, except for the last three…. Aether had never fallen in love beyond missions…. well not love, they only cared for missions, so they loved no one!
His focus had always been singular, detached from emotions.
The women he encountered were merely objectives, stepping stones to escape the unending cycle he was trapped in.
He never once paused to notice beauty beyond the rigid framework of his tasks.
Though he thought he… but he knew he was not them and they were not him…
He was different…
“A-Aether?” Marisandra stammered, unnerved by the way he was looking at her.
His gaze felt almost too intimate, as though he could see right through her. Her mind raced with questions. ‘What is going on? What’s gotten into him? We danced just a few hours ago, and now he’s looking at me like I’m someone he’s loved and lost a lifetime ago.’ She couldn’t make sense of the shift.
Aether stood, his movements deliberate and measured, radiating an energy she couldn’t quite place.
Now, free of Nightfire’s illusion, his presence was more imposing—his form taller, broader, and undeniably magnetic. The heat radiating from him seemed to press against her, making her pulse quicken.
“Where have you been?” Aether asked his tone calm and composed as he stepped down from the throne.
Marisandra flinched, instinctively stepping back. It was a reflexive move, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t, and her cheeks flushed with a hint of guilt. “W-Well, I was just… moving around, you know,” she replied, her voice faltering under his intense scrutiny.
Aether nodded thoughtfully, his eyes still fixed on her, “So, nothing important, right?” His tone carried a subtle edge that made her hesitate.
Marisandra nodded slowly, taking another step back, her voice softer. “Nothing important,” she repeated, almost as if she needed to convince herself as much as him.
Aether took a deliberate step forward, effortlessly closing the distance between them. “You’re not busy tomorrow, are you?”
Marisandra flinched again, her composure slipping further. “W-Well, I might be,” she stammered. “There are Empress duties, you know—”
“Can’t you postpone them?” Aether asked, his tone casual.
Marisandra shook her head firmly, her voice gaining strength. “That’s not possible. You know how demanding it is to be an Empress.”
Aether nodded again, his lips twitching into a faint, knowing smile. “Then what about tonight?” he pressed, his voice softer now, almost teasing.
Marisandra hesitated, “Tonight? I’m… tired. No, wait, first of all—what do you want?” she asked, trying to regain her footing in the conversation.
Aether’s smile widened, and he winked at her, his playful demeanour catching her completely off guard. “You already know what I want~”
[+5000 AP]
Marisandra’s heart skipped a beat, panic flashing across her face, ‘What is happening to me?!’ she screamed inwardly. She was usually the one teasing others, always in control of such situations. But now, with Aether’s sudden shift to a bold and aggressive approach, she felt completely unprepared.
Her back hit the wall, and her breath hitched as Aether finally cornered her. His piercing gaze locked onto her misty eyes, and she felt her knees grow weak under his unrelenting stare. He raised his hand, brushing a tear from the corner of her eye with a tenderness that sent a shiver down her spine.
“You seem to be crying for someone who’s supposedly just tired,” Aether said softly, his voice a mixture of concern and teasing. Marisandra turned her face away, unwilling to meet his eyes, but her resolve faltered as his words settled into her heart.
She glanced back at him with a frown, her pride battling against the vulnerability she felt.
She was the Empress, after all!
She couldn’t allow herself to appear weak, not now!!
But just as she was about to assert herself, Aether spoke again, “Those eyes… You know, I’ve always loved your eyes,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky, reverent tone.
“Those misty eyes that look at me like that… they shook my soul the first time I saw them. Sandra, I fell for you that very moment. And honestly, I wish those eyes would look only at me…. Always, only me~” his expression turned pure possessive.
Marisandra’s legs trembled, and her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Her mind screamed at her to move, to take back control of the situation…. but her heart longed to savour the moment. This might be the last chance she had to cherish something so deeply personal before everything fell apart.
After all, she was going to die anyway!
So her heart wanted this moment for her.
Aether leaned in slowly, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her eyelids.
~chu~
[+5000 AP]
~chu~
[+5000 AP]
Marisandra didn’t resist him. Her heart raced wildly, and the tender kiss left her breathless, unable to form coherent thoughts.
When the kiss ended, she quickly tried to regain her composure, her cheeks still burning brightly. “Y-You have some nerve kissing the Empress like that!” she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound authoritative.
Aether’s grin widened as he reached out and tugged her hair playfully. His voice dropped to a teasing whisper as he leaned closer. “I’ve got plenty of nerve in other places too… want me to show you?~” he said, his sly tone and mischievous look catching her completely off guard.
Marisandra’s face turned an even brighter shade of red. Of course, she fucking knew what he meant!
‘This bastard!’ she thought furiously. Yet, she was too flustered to form a proper retort.
She was just like Aqualina when it came to teasing… both of them were so easy to tease!
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“H-How dare you say something so improper to an Empress?! I should kill you a hundr—!” But before she could finish her threat, Aether pulled her into a tight embrace, and the world around them vanished as they disappeared together.