Meanwhile, back in the Pyra Empire, the entire kingdom was on high alert. People stormed through the streets, their eyes scanning every shadow, every corner, searching desperately for someone important… No one slept that night—the Empire echoed with fury and tension!
Amidst the chaos, a hooded figure—Sandra—moved swiftly across the rooftops, her steps silent as a whisper. Draped over her shoulder like a sack of stolen goods was Raven, her unconscious form swaying with each movement…. or she tried to act like one!
“What’s the point of doing this?” Raven suddenly asked while swaying.
Sandra’s grip on her tightened slightly, but she said nothing.
Since Aether never explained anything, Raven could only guess.
Still, that didn’t stop her.
“Why are you doing this? You know your Empire is at risk, right?”
“What’s the endgame here?”
“Are you seriously going to throw everything away for this?”
“You guys just lost someone important, and now you’re making things worse?”
“Are you even thinking straight, or—”
…
…
Raven, who had always been the quiet observer, was suddenly rambling like a broken radio with no pause button.
Sandra’s lips twitched in irritation, but she held her tongue. She wasn’t foolish enough to fall for Raven’s little trick. The more someone talked, the more they revealed… And Aether—he was always up to something.
Soon, they reached an abandoned village… Sandra slipped into a decrepit house where another hooded figure was already waiting.
“Finally! Took you long enough. Did any dragons tail you?” the figure asked with impatience.
Sandra shook her head. “No.” Without another word, she dropped Raven onto the floor with a little less care than necessary.
Raven, still pretending to be unconscious, made a soft, dramatic sound—something between a groan and a sigh.
Sandra’s lips twitched again. ‘This brat…’
She turned to the hooded figure and asked, “What’s the plan now?”
The first hodded figure, let out a long sigh, crossing her arms. “Master wants us to hold the position for now. Apparently, he’s dealing with… other issues first.”
Sandra frowned. ‘Other issues? What the hell is going on?’
She had never been given the full picture—only the order to retrieve someone and bring her to the Zephyra Empire…
The first hooded figure moved toward the window, peering out cautiously. A few dragons were patrolling overhead, their glowing eyes piercing through the night. Her expression hardened.
“You know,” she muttered, her voice low and edged with danger, “it would be easier to just kill them all rather than hide. Especially with your ability—you’ve already taken down two chosen ones before.”
Sandra’s expression darkened instantly. “Have you lost your damn mind?” she hissed, stepping in front of the woman.
“They know who I am. They know my face. The second word gets out that I kidnapped someone from their Empire—and worse, killed their people—what do you think will happen? My Empire will burn for my mistake. My daughter’s future will be shattered. She will suffer because of me, you reckless bitch.”
The hooded woman scoffed, “Oh, please. Like you’re not already making a mistake by being here?” She turned to Raven, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “So… this is the hybrid. A Dragon and Phoenix mix… Interesting. I never thought I’d see more than one miracle in my lifetime.”
Sandra didn’t respond, but she was thinking the same thing.
The woman’s expression shifted, a deep frown settling on her lips. “But even so… it doesn’t quite add up, does it? Why would the entire Empire be in a frenzy over one girl? Sure, she’s unique, but it’s not like she’s their Empress or something, right?”
Sandra’s frown deepened. ‘That’s… a good point.’
She glanced down at Raven, who was still feigning unconsciousness. For the first time, a mild suspicion crept into her mind.
“Maybe we should dig into who she really is,” Sandra murmured.
The first hooded figure snorted. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that? The second they see you, they’ll sense you don’t belong to one of them… And trust me, once that happens, thousands of dragons will hunt you down. Now that would be amusing to watch.”
Sandra’s lips twitched violently… The temperature in the room dropped sharply, frost creeping along the edges of the broken windows.
The woman raised her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, calm down. No need to freeze me to death. Anyway, for now, we stay put. We wait for reinforcements. Once they arrive, we take Raven and—well, we might as well wipe out Drakhairs and Thalia too. They know about you, after all. It’d be better to clean up loose ends, wouldn’t it?”
Sandra exhaled sharply through her nose but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Raven, who had heard everything, was doing her best not to react. She remained still, her breathing steady, because….
Aether’s plan… was to prolong her kidnapping.
Yes.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He had given her one instruction: Hold them here and stay alive.
Nothing more, nothing less. He hadn’t explained why. He hadn’t given her the full details. All she knew was that unless her life was in immediate danger, she was not to fight back.
‘Just what the hell is he planning?’ Raven thought, baffled by her husband’s cryptic mind games. None of this made sense—not to her, not to anyone.
But one thing was certain.
…. All in all… everyone was playing their part in prolonging this twisted game…
…
…..
Next Morning
Aquaris Naiadae Empire – Inside Frostblade Mansion
“Mmm…” Selene hummed groggily as her eyes fluttered open, a sleepy expression still lingering on her delicate face.
The moment she saw Aether lying beside her, she smiled softly and instinctively wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling into his warmth. His scent was familiar, and comforting, and made her feel safe. She was just about to drift back into sleep when something made her pause.
Aether’s eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling with an unreadable expression as if lost deep in thought. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all, his gaze distant, as if his mind was elsewhere.
“A-Aether?” she called out, her voice laced with concern.
Aether turned his head toward her, his soft smile immediately easing some of her worry. “Good morning, sleepyhead~” he murmured, his fingers slipping into her hair, ruffling it gently.
“You didn’t sleep, did you?” she asked, cupping his cheek as her thumb brushed lightly against his warm skin.
Aether hesitated, his expression shifting into something thoughtful, as if he were trying to find the right way to respond without making her worry too much. He clearly had something on his mind, but he wasn’t ready to say it out loud.
Selene’s lips twitched. ‘This dummy… The answer is obvious.’
Instead of pressing him further, she abruptly shoved Snowflake, who was curled up on top of Aether’s chest like she owned the place. The sudden movement startled the little snake awake.
“MASSTTERRRR!! I’M DROWWWNNNNIII—wait?!” Snowflake shrieked in alarm, her body tensing as if she had been thrown into an ocean. But as she quickly realized she was very much on land, she blinked, her golden eyes narrowing as she turned toward Selene, who was cheekily smiling down at her, clearly amused.
Snowflake’s lips twitched furiously before she muttered something under her breath—something no one quite caught—before slithering off the bed to curl up underneath it, choosing to sulk in her own way.
“She’s pissed,” Aether noted in amusement, his lips quirking up slightly as he watched the little snake retreat.
Selene shrugged nonchalantly, her expression was still playful, “She’s always hogging your chest,” she grumbled, folding her arms. “How could I not be jealous when even a snake gets more cuddles than me? It’s not fair.”
Aether chuckled at her adorable sulking before pulling her closer, his arm wrapping securely around her waist. “Oh? And what exactly do you plan to do now that you’ve claimed my chest?” he teased, “Sleep?”
Selene smirked, her eyes gleaming mischievously as she leaned in, her lips mere inches from his ear. “Sleep? That’s for idiots,” she whispered.
Without hesitation, she captured his earlobe between her teeth, nibbling lightly before letting go, her warm breath fanning against his skin. She didn’t stop there. Her lips trailed down, brushing against his jaw, before finally capturing his lips in a deep, slow kiss. She wanted him to forget everything that was on his mind, to drown in nothing but her touch.
“I know a much better way to put you to sleep,” she whispered against his lips, her fingers slowly tracing his toned chest. “One that’ll make you forget everything else…”
As she spoke, she teasingly rolled her hips, pressing her soft curves deliberately against his crotch, making sure he felt every slow, sensual movement. Her hands slid lower, fingertips grazing his skin through the thin fabric of his clothes.
Aether grinned darkly, his hands moving down to cup her ass firmly as he whispered back, “Then show me the way, darling~”
His lips parted, anticipation thick in the air as her hand finally slipped beneath the waistband of his pants, fingers ghosting over his growing length—
“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, KAI?!!”
A loud, furious voice exploded through the mansion, shattering the charged atmosphere in an instant.
Selene froze.
Aether went rigid.
The tension evaporated immediately as both of them registered the voice.
Selene blinked, her mother’s unmistakable shout still ringing in her ears. She slowly turned her head toward Aether…. who, casually averted his gaze, whistling as if he had nothing to do with anything.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Selene’s lips twitched violently.