When Dora sensed something powerful entering her Academy… Without wasting a second, she teleported back to her Academy, her senses on high alert.
The moment she arrived, her sharp eyes caught sight of something unusual.
A tiny hooded figure sat casually on top of one of the buildings, its small legs dangling freely in the air as if it had all the time in the world.
Dora’s gaze darkened, “Who are you?” she demanded.
A frown settled on her face as she studied the small figure. The aura was unmistakable—it was the same presence she had felt when Alaric was snatched away from her grasp. ‘So this was the one who entered my Academy before…’ Her fingers twitched in frustration.
The tiny hooded figure flinched slightly but didn’t immediately respond. Instead, it lifted its head, its gaze shifting toward the sky where Isadora floated ominously. After a moment of stillness, the small figure stood up, its movements slow yet deliberate. From the depths of its cloak, it pulled out something.
Dora’s eyes narrowed. Her body tensed, instinctively preparing for battle. But the moment her gaze landed on the object, her breath hitched… Her pupils dilated!
A cube!
Inside it, Victor was trapped. His tiny form was curled up, his face barely visible through the eerie glow of the prison-like cube. He looked unconscious, completely unaware of what was happening.
Dora’s blood boiled. Her figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, she materialized right in front of the tiny hooded figure. Without hesitation, she snatched the cube away and, with the same deadly swiftness, seized the figure by its neck.
“You have some nerve,” she hissed, her grip tightening with seething rage. Her fingers curled menacingly around the figure’s throat, “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?!” She was seconds away from snapping its neck when—
The figure vanished.
Dora’s grip closed around empty air.
‘What the—’ Her heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to register what had just happened.
“W-We have Victor in our hands,” a trembling voice echoed from behind her.
Dora turned sharply, her eyes locking onto the hooded figure standing a fair distance away.
Her jaw clenched. She glanced down at her other hand, where she had been holding Victor’s cube just moments ago—but it was gone.
Her scowl deepened.
‘What kind of trickery is this…?’
Her gaze snapped back to the hooded figure, now holding the cube once more as if nothing had happened.
Dora was about to unleash her full force when—
“It’s just a reflection. Nothing more,” the figure said coldly. Then, without hesitation, it crushed the cube in its hand.
Dora’s breath hitched. Her heart nearly lurched out of her chest at the sight of Victor’s supposed prison shattering into countless pieces.
Her lips pressed into a tight line. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. “Are you after the children?” She studied the figure closely, but deep down, a sense of unease gnawed at her. ‘Did Aether screw up his plan?’ They had initially discussed how to deal with Master, but she hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly. If Aether had been caught—
‘That idiot. I told him he was playing with fire.’ Dora gritted her teeth. She should have handled this differently.
But to her surprise, the tiny figure shook its head.
Dora’s brow furrowed. “No?” she echoed. “Then what else could you possibly want?”
This time, the hooded figure reached into its cloak once more and retrieved an orb. A deep, indifferent voice echoed through the night.
“If you want him, then come to The Void’s Cradle.”
Dora stiffened. A shiver ran down her spine. That voice—
Her expression darkened, her hands curling into fists. “Master Snape,” she muttered under her breath, her teeth grinding together.
Her gaze flicked back to the hooded figure, and in an instant, she lunged. Her fingers closed around the small frame once more, her grip like a vice. “Do you think you can just toy with me?” she snarled. But the moment she squeezed—
Nothing.
Her fingers only grasped an empty hoodie.
Her brows twitched in irritation. “Tsk,” she clicked her tongue, her gaze shifting downward to the Academy.
‘They didn’t come for the children…? Then why?’
Something about this didn’t sit right.
She sighed, exhaling heavily. None of this made any sense. The only thing she knew for certain was that no matter what Master wanted, she wasn’t going to switch sides. Not now. Not ever.
If he wanted her, all he had to do was summon her, and she would come—if only to fight him. But instead, he took Victor.
Her fingers curled. ‘Does he know who Victor really is?’
A thousand possibilities ran through her mind, each more unsettling than the last.
“Just what are you trying to achieve…” she muttered under her breath before teleporting straight to the Void Empire.
…..
…
In the heart of the Void Empire, inside a colossal black palace, an eerie silence filled the air. The throne room was bathed in dim, flickering shadows, and on the throne sat a blurry figure, shrouded in mystery, her presence both ominous and commanding.
“Hmm…?” The figure stirred slightly, her voice a soft, melodic hum as she frowned. “A visitor?” Her words echoed through the vast hall, rolling like a whisper against the dark walls—just as—
Dora materialized before her.
“Where is the Void’s Cradle!?” Dora demanded, her voice sharp and impatient.
The blurry figure chuckled softly, her voice carrying an amused lilt. “Not even a single word for pleasantries? Not even a courteous nod? Just how far have you fallen, Sovereign?”
Dora’s lips twitched, irritation creeping into her gaze. “Mary, I’m not here to play games with you. And as a matter of fact, this concerns you too, whether you like it or not.”
Mary tilted her head slightly, “Me? Now why would that be?”
Dora inhaled deeply before delivering the words that would shift the atmosphere entirely.
“Master is alive.”
A suffocating silence descended upon the room as if the very walls of the palace were absorbing the weight of those words.
Then—
“Who?” Mary asked, her tone genuinely puzzled.
Dora’s eyebrow twitched violently. “Bitch—who the hell do you think I mean when I say Master?”
Mary smirked, reclining slightly on the throne, her voice dripping with mischief. “Maybe your secret lover boy? Role play? New Play? Anyplay?”
Dora clenched her fists, but she forced herself to take another deep breath. “Master Snape. He’s alive. Alaric working under him”
This time, the silence was even deeper, stretching between them.
“You cannot be seri—” Mary started, but Dora cut her off with a sharp, unwavering stare, her expression deadly serious.
“I am dead serious, Mary. He’s alive. And worse—he took my only disciple from me. He’s holding Victor captive and has ordered me to come to the Void’s Cradle.”
Mary fell silent again, absorbing the information, but the scepticism was evident in her expression.
Just then—
“Victor was kidnapped?”
Another voice echoed through the hall.
Both women turned toward the corner of the throne room, their gazes locking onto Lia, who had been secretly eavesdropping from the shadows.
Mary’s lips twitched in disapproval. “Dear, it’s not polite to listen in on adult conversations,” she scolded. But then, as if she couldn’t help herself, she broke into a grin and gave her daughter a thumbs-up. “But I kinda like it!”
Lia let out an awkward chuckle before stepping forward. She walked up to Dora, her expression unreadable, before asking, “You mean Victor was actually taken and is being held captive in the Void’s Cradle?”
Dora frowned. There was something unsettling in Lia’s tone—an odd lilt of satisfaction, like she was pleased with the revelation.
‘What the hell is wrong with her? Does she hate Victor or something?’ Dora thought, eyeing the girl warily.
Still, she nodded and answered in a grim tone, “Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Oh?” Lia’s eyes lit up, and a wicked little grin stretched across her face. “Oh…” She exhaled with satisfaction before boldly declaring, “Well, that’s what he gets for torturing my poor, innocent Aether!”
Dora blinked… Then her eyes widened in realization. ‘Ah… fuck.’
Before she could say anything—
“My?”
The air suddenly grew heavy. A chilling wave of killing intent flooded the room!
Lia’s body stiffened instantly. She swallowed hard before quickly correcting herself. “I-I meant my friend Aether! Y-you know, Mother—just a friend. That’s all!” She forced a wry smile, inwardly cursing herself for getting too excited and slipping up.
Mary’s eyes bore into her daughter for a long moment before her killing intent receded. “Okay… just a friend,” she muttered.
Turning back to Dora, she changed the subject. “Nobody goes to the Void’s Cradle. But if you insist, I can have one of my soldiers escort you.”
Dora’s brows knitted together. “You’re not coming?” she asked, a flicker of surprise in her voice.
Mary snorted. “Huh? And why the hell would I?”
Dora studied her carefully before realization dawned. “…You don’t believe me, do you?”
Mary huffed, folding her arms. “Of course I don’t! I was there, Dora…. I watched you rip him apart—cut him into pieces with your own hands. And now you expect me to believe he’s suddenly alive again?
What kind of bullshit are you trying to feed me?”
Dora gritted her teeth. She should’ve known. Mary was just like her—too stubborn to accept the impossible.
Still, a part of Dora desperately hoped Mary would come along. Because truth be told, she wasn’t sure about the situation herself. And if Master really had his full power back, she would need Mary’s help more than she wanted to admit.
Her eyes flicked toward Lia for a brief moment before a sly grin curled on her lips.
“Also,” she added, tilting her head slightly, “Aether is going there.”
“…Huh?” Lia’s face drained of colour instantly.
“After all,” Dora continued, her tone deceptively casual, “Aether and Victor are friends, right?”
Lia’s expression twisted into sheer horror, her mouth slightly agape.
Dora smirked, ‘Gotcha.’
