TTttttrrrrrrrrrrr!!
“Mom, who is this Master Snape you keep talking about?” Lia asked curiously, her head tilting slightly as she sat comfortably on Mary’s lap. Her mother held her close, hugging her like a cherished doll while they rode on a massive black spider-like creature that skittered forward at an alarming speed.
Mary hummed thoughtfully, rubbing her cheek against her daughter’s soft hair before answering, “He’s kind of a devil… a monster that devours children whole… Awwwaayy!!” She stretched out the last word in a ghostly tone, clearly trying to scare Lia.
However, the little girl merely nodded, completely unfazed. “I see…”
Mary blinked. “Huh? That’s it? You’re not scared? Not even a little?” She squinted at her daughter before sighing dramatically. “Alright, never mind then. Let’s just go back, my dear. No need for this pointless vacation~” She made a move to turn the spider around,
But Lia quickly grabbed her arm. “Wait! But Aether will be there, Mom! I can’t let my friend face danger alone. And you just said that Master Snape is some kind of monster, right? That means my friend needs my help even more!” Her voice was firm, her eyes determined.
Mary stared at her daughter in disbelief. Since when did her little girl become so… responsible?
And why did it have to be because of that annoying servant boy?
Her gaze darkened as she thought, ‘Hmph! That brat has been influencing my innocent daughter way too much. He’ll pay for this.’
She glanced back, her sharp eyes settling on Dora, who stood behind them. The woman’s expression was etched with worry and unease, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Mary let out an exaggerated sigh. “Still blaming yourself, aren’t you?” she asked in an exasperated tone.
Dora snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes shifting to Mary.
“I don’t know if what you said is true… or if it was even remotely possible. But don’t forget, in that moment, if it wasn’t for the Saintess, we’d all be dead. She didn’t just sacrifice herself… she made a choice. The best choice,” Mary said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
Dora blinked when saw her comforting, “Who… are you?”
Mary clicked her tongue. “Tsk, that’s it, bitch? You wanna fight?!” Her fingers twitched, as if ready to throw hands right then and there.
But Dora merely whispered, “I don’t know… Maybe I am… or maybe I’m not…” Her voice was barely above a breath, her tone distant.
Mary’s eyes narrowed as she studied Dora’s face.
Just then, Lia, who had been watching them closely, asked with innocent curiosity, “Are you.. two really friends?”
To an outsider, the way they spoke, the weight of their words, the emotion behind their gazes—it would seem like they were.
But…
“Hell no! I’d rather rot in hell than be friends with her.”
“Fucking no way! I’d rather kill myself than be friends with this bitch!!”
Both women spoke in unison, their words different but carrying the exact same disgusted tone.
Lia giggled softly. “So, that means you two are…”
“NO, WE ARE NOT!”
“NO, WE ARE NOT!!”
This time, they spoke the exact same words, once again in perfect unison.
Lia chuckled even more.
Dora’s lips twitched before she quickly changed the subject, “Why are we even using a spider for this?” she asked with a frown. “If we just used our powers, we’d be there way faster.”
“Because, dumbass, we’re taking a shortcut,” Mary answered with a smirk.
“Shortcut?” Dora glanced around, trying to make sense of their route… Nothing about it seemed like a shortcut.
“Yup… heads up, bitch!” Mary suddenly warned as she ducked her head.
“Hu— OUCH!”
Thud!
Before Dora could react, something hard smacked against her head, sending her flying off the spider.
But before she could hit the ground—
Spsshhh!
Thick webs shot out, catching her mid-air.
Tttttrrrrrrrrr!!
The massive spider crawled through a narrow, twisting pathway, rapidly shifting directions, moving up, down, left, right—without warning or pattern.
Meanwhile, Dora was being dragged behind it like a broken doll, her body bouncing off the rocky ground.
Thud!
“Ouch.”
Thud!
“Ouch.”
Thud!
“Ouch— FUCK YOU, BITCH!!!!” Dora screamed, flailing as her face scraped against the dirt.
“Hahahaha! Suck it, bitch! How’s that? How does it feel, huh?! Hahahahahahahaha!” Mary cackled like a madwoman, watching Dora get dragged along without mercy.
Lia blinked, then smiled sweetly. “You guys are really friends.”
“NO, WE ARE FUCKING NOT!!”
“NO, WE ARE FUCKING NOT!!”
…..
…
The Void’s Cradle
Plop… Plop…
A thick, sticky black substance oozed across the barren ground, spreading like an inkblot in the vast emptiness. It slithered unnaturally, as though it had a mind of its own, corrupting everything it touched.
There was no life. No meaning. No clouds. Just… nothing.
Only jagged rocks and that ominous black liquid. Nothing more. No wind. No sound. Just an eerie stillness that felt as though time itself had stopped existing in this forsaken place.
Trrrrrrr—
The giant spider skidded to a halt, its many legs clicking against the cold, uneven ground as Mary, Dora, and Lia gracefully stepped down. The beast let out a low, guttural hiss before curling its limbs slightly, awaiting further orders.
“You are so fucking paying for this, bitch!” Dora growled through gritted teeth before swinging her fist straight into Mary’s stomach!!
But no one looked surprised. Not even Lia, who merely watched with mild curiosity, her expression unbothered by the gaping hole in her mother’s torso, as if it was something completely normal.
Mary let out an amused snort, her lips quirking into a smirk. “Oh please, I warned you, didn’t I? Not my fault you didn’t listen, dumbass,” she taunted, swatting Dora’s arm away like an annoying insect.
Ssllgcchhhhggghhh!
A grotesque squelching sound filled the air as the hole in her stomach began to mend itself, the raw flesh and tissues knitting back together at an unnatural speed—Vampiric regeneration at its finest.
It was almost hypnotic to watch, the way her body restored itself as though nothing had happened.
“Mom… someone’s there.” Lia’s small voice broke the momentary silence, pulling everyone’s attention.
She pointed toward a distant rock formation, where a lone hooded figure stood ominously, watching them in complete silence.
Mary’s playful demeanour vanished in an instant. The smirk disappeared, replaced by something colder.
She and Dora turned their full attention toward the mysterious figure.
“Looks like you’ve brought some visitors with you,” the figure spoke, amusement evident in his tone.
Dora took a step forward, ready to respond, but before she could open her mouth—
“That’s not how you should address your Empress… Jack,” Mary interrupted.
From the depths of her shadowy figure, two glowing crimson eyes pierced through the darkness like a predator locking onto its prey.
“!!!”
The hooded figure flinched, his entire body stiffening.
A strange, eerie stillness settled over him, and then… his eyes lost all colour, turning into lifeless voids as if something inside him had just been forcibly stripped away. Slowly, almost mechanically, he reached up and pulled back his hood.
The moment his face was revealed, everyone tensed.
“It’s really him…” Lia muttered in shock, her wide eyes fixed on the familiar face.
Dora’s frown deepened. Something felt… off.
“Nah, it’s just his puppet,” Mary scoffed in annoyance, waving a dismissive hand as if she were swatting away an irritating fly. “Come on, Jack, don’t play dumb.”
The moment she spoke, the blank expression on Jack’s face shifted. His lips curled into a smirk as if he had been toying with them all along, playing a game only he understood.
“Indeed… you truly are the Empress of our Empire,” another voice echoed from behind them, smooth yet laced with an underlying amusement.
Mary and Dora swiftly turned—
And what they saw made even them pause.
Hundreds of fox-like monsters stood before them, their grotesque bodies glistening with rainbow-hued Arcane Crystals embedded deep within their flesh. Their eyes shimmered with an unnatural glow, filled with intelligence, hunger, and something far more sinister.
And in the middle of the monstrous horde…
A massive mechanical fox stood towering over the others, its metal plating gleaming under the dim light. The ground beneath it trembled slightly as it let out a guttural growl, its sharp metallic fangs bared as if eager to rip into flesh.
Perched atop the mechanical beast sat the real Jack, his legs crossed casually, an elbow resting on his knee as he gazed down at them with a lazy, knowing smirk.
“Well, hello there~” he drawled, his voice dripping with amusement, his sharp eyes scanning their reactions with interest and,
“Welcome to your death~”