Marisandra Naiadia’s POV
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone carrying both indifference and a slight frown as I tried to look in her direction.
Celestia, my little sister, remained expressionless as she replied, “You haven’t eaten with us for a while, so I came here to bring you this.” She placed a plate filled with food on the table, her voice eerily devoid of warmth. Then, just as casually, she added, “Though it’s mixed with poison.”
My lips twitched violently at her words. “What the fuck? You shitt—” I was about to curse her out when she interrupted me.
“My mother added it and told me to bring it to you,” she stated in that same emotionless tone as if she wasn’t involved in anything.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of remorse in her voice, no guilt, no hesitation—just cold compliance.
I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth in frustration. ‘That fucking bitch… Now she’s finally decided to get rid of me too, huh?’ The thought burned in my mind.
Just as I was about to snap at Celestia, she suddenly tilted her head slightly and spoke again, “Elder sister, you’re not supposed to place the glass on the bed. It’s dangerous” with a blank tone.
My eyes narrowed in confusion. “Glass? What are you—” My breath caught in my throat as my mind instantly made the connection.
My expression twisted into horror as I realized what she was talking about. “W-Where is the tube?!!” I shouted, my voice rising in panic.
It was the only thing Master had given me to increase my strength. I had placed it carefully on the bed before taking a bath, thinking it would be safe. My heart pounded as I turned to grab it, only for Celestia to deliver the fatal blow.
“It’s broken,” she stated plainly as she looked a stained and crumbled parts of glasses on the quilt.
I froze. A deep chill ran down my spine. “…Pardon?” I managed to whisper, though my voice barely came out.
She looked at me with the same unreadable expression, “I sat on it, and it broke. You shouldn’t have left it on the bed, especially under the quilt.”
Her words echoed in my mind, each syllable like a dagger stabbing into my sanity. The only thing I had… the only hope I had left… gone.
Thud!
My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to the floor.
Tears welled up in my eyes before spilling down my cheeks uncontrollably. My body trembled as raw anguish took over. “W-Why… WHY?!! AHHHHH!!!” I screamed, my voice cracking with a mixture of despair and rage.
I gripped my hair tightly as I sobbed, my whole body shaking. “Can’t you people just let us live?! Sob… Why are you doing this to me? Your mother already took my mother away, and now… you’ve destroyed my future too… WHY?!!!” My hands balled into fists as the overwhelming surge of emotions took hold of me.
Before I could process it, I lunged at her, my fingers wrapping tightly around her throat. My vision blurred with fury. I had hidden the tube there thinking this foolish girl wouldn’t dare touch it, wouldn’t even notice it. But instead…
“You must have the same disgusting blood as your filthy mother,” I spat venomously, my nails digging into her skin as I tightened my grip.
Celestia, however, merely blinked at me, her voice as monotonous as ever, “…Of course, that’s how bloodlines work. I have My Mother’s, and you have yo—arrh!” A choked gasp escaped her lips as I squeezed harder, watching her struggle for breath.
And yet… she didn’t fight back. She didn’t even try to push me away. She just stood there, taking it, letting me do whatever I wanted.
That only fueled my rage further!
“Tsk!” I clicked my tongue in frustration before shoving her away roughly. “Get out of my room. Now.”
“Understood,” she said without hesitation. She turned to leave but paused at the door. Glancing back at me, she asked, “Should I help you clean up the glass?”
“NO FUCKING NEED!!” I roared, my voice filled with fury and devastation.
As soon as she left, I collapsed onto my bed, my entire body trembling.
I had messed up!
I had seriously messed up!!
My face turned pale as the reality of the situation sank in… deeply!!
How was I supposed to tell Master about this?
He must have put so much effort into creating that miracle for me, and I had lost it so carelessly.
‘I have no idea how to explain this to Master… He’ll see this as utter disrespect.
And if he decides to abandon me because of this?
If he refuses to teach me any longer, how will I ever get my revenge?’ My thoughts twisted and turned, creating endless worst-case scenarios in my mind.
That night felt like an eternity. No matter how much I thought, no matter how many different ways I tried to justify or explain it, every possibility led to the same disaster.
All I could picture was Master abandoning me… turning his back on me… leaving me with nothing.
‘I DON’T WANT THAT!!’
And so, in the end, I made my decision.
When he arrived the next morning, I forced myself to stand tall and looked him straight in the eyes. “I drank it,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm of fear inside me.
Master Snape narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. “Any kind of reaction?”
I hesitated for just a second. “…Pardon?”
“The side effects I warned you about. Did you experience anything?”
“Oh? Uh… I don’t know. I didn’t feel anything,” I answered, forcing a casual shrug even as tension built up in my body. My hands felt clammy, and my stomach twisted with nerves. I prayed he wouldn’t see through the lie.
“….hmmm”
A long, suffocating silence followed. I could feel his gaze boring into me…. My throat tightened as I fought the urge to squirm under the unbearable tension.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he nodded. “Fine…” His tone carried a note of satisfaction as if he had unexpectedly this outcome.
Relief flooded through me, but I barely had time to process it before he motioned for me to follow. He led me to the same training grounds as always.
He had once called it a garden or something, but since I was blind, I had never been able to see it.
I threw myself into training harder than ever before, pushing myself to the limits. It wasn’t just for revenge anymore—it was out of fear.
Fear of losing the only hope I had left!
And before long, I reached a level where I could finally take down a Chosen on—
“Stop there!!!!” Aether’s voice suddenly boomed, snapping me back to reality. My eyes widened as I turned to see him staring directly at me, his expression unreadable.
Third Person’s POV
“What?” Sandra frowned when Aether abruptly stopped her from continuing, even though he had been the one who practically begged her to tell the story.
Aether shook his head, his expression riddled with confusion,
“Am I missing something here? I mean… what do you mean by reaching the level of the Chosen Ones? Didn’t you just say you never drank that weird concoction your Master gave you? Then how the hell did you manage to get that strong? What in the hell is actually going on here?!” His voice carried not only curiosity but a growing sense of disbelief.
Sandra smirked, tilting her head slightly as she observed him with amusement. “What? You don’t know? Even though you act like you know everything about your women?”
Aether’s lips twitched in irritation.
She was still hung up on that? He stared at her blankly, refusing to take the bait.
Sandra let out a scoff before leaning in slightly, her gaze narrowing. “Let me jog your memory then….. What is my bloodline?” Her tone carried a challenge as if daring him to forget something so important!
Aether remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. That tiny pause made Sandra narrow her eyes, disappointment flickering in them… She was about to answer herself when—
“The Meridian Bloodline of the Mermaid race,” Aether said flatly, his words exactly like hers, “It possesses the innate ability to soothe and warm others… nothing more than that.”
Sandra blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then, crossing her arms, she let out a huff. “Hmph, at least you remember that much, I suppose,” she muttered, though the small smirk tugging at her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
Aether exhaled, shaking his head. This woman… she was too much like her mother or… Daughter… whatever!
“But that’s all, isn’t it?” Aether frowned, his scepticism returning, “It doesn’t enhance physical strength or anything like that, right?”
Sandra’s smirk grew, her eyes glinting with a hint of pride. “True, my bloodline isn’t as rare as Celestia’s, nor is it as overwhelmingly powerful as some others… but I do have one distinct advantage.”
Aether raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“Adaptation.”
“Adaptation?” He repeated, his interest piqued.
Sandra nodded, her expression turning serious, “Mermaids have the ability to adapt to their surroundings. We can survive both in water and on land. Our bodies adjust based on what’s needed. That’s why, even though I didn’t drink that potion, I was still able to push my limits, refine my skills, and grow stronger.” Her voice carried confidence, almost as if she was reliving every moment of her growth.
Aether, however, remained unconvinced, ‘What in the avocado she bullshiting?’
What she said wasn’t incorrect—the adaptability of Mermaids was well known—but something about her explanation didn’t sit right with him.
Her power increased due to her adaptation… what the fuck?
If there was one who knows the real answer then…
‘Tell me, Log… what’s the real reason? There’s something deeper to this, isn’t there?’
!~Ding~!
[It was indeed due to her Meridian Bloodline of the Mermaid race. However, her knowledge about it is significantly limited. The true ability of her bloodline is not merely adaptation… but ‘Growth’. The ‘soothing’ and ‘warming’ effects are actually just its side effects.]
‘Oh?’ Aether’s eyes slightly widened in surprise.
Now this was interesting!
More importantly, it was shocking that the Log had just provided him with the knowledge that even Sandra herself was unaware of.
But something about it didn’t sit right with him. His brows furrowed as another thought crossed his mind, ‘How come they didn’t know about this? Why was this information lost? and if they can grow why Arcane card is blank?’
[Due to their heavy reliance on Arcane Cards and external power sources, they gradually lost their natural ability to grow. Their bloodline’s true potential requires deep emotional stimulation—both in the heart and mind—to activate. However, since such intense emotions are rare, their ability has remained dormant for generations. The stronger their emotions, the faster their growth…. This was Arcane’s last creation in this world.]
‘Huh? Last creation…?’
[Affirmative. It is the exact opposite of what Mother created… A Heartless Mo—tsk!!!]
!~Ding~!
[No further information available!]
Aether blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden cut-off. Then, a slow smirk crept onto his lips. ‘Did you just slip up the truth?’
He was highly amused. His Log had just revealed something it wasn’t supposed to, which only made him even more curious.
However, the amusement didn’t last long. His smirk faded as his mind pieced together the implications. If the Mermaids were Arcane’s final creation… then the ‘Heartless’ thing means only one person he knew…
‘So Celestia is Mother’s creation, huh?’ Aether frowned as he was slightly shocked to think that.
After a few moments, he turned his gaze back to Sandra and asked, “Could you… show me your Log?” His voice was even, but there was a sharp edge of urgency to it.
He needed to see it for himself, to confirm everything.
Sandra’s expression shifted slightly. Her eyes studied him for a moment before she responded, “Show me yours first.”
Aether blinked. “…”
For a second, he hesitated, but then he nodded. “Oka—”
“The real you, Aether,” Sandra interrupted, her gaze unwavering and sharp. “Not that fake thing you’ve been using around.”
Aether’s mind froze for a brief second. How the hell did she know that? But he quickly masked his reaction, maintaining his composure as he calmly responded, “Please finish the story first.”
Sandra’s lips twitched violently as she realized just how blatantly he had just changed the subject.