Seeing how the queen and the beast did not say anything, Malleus hummed, "You're not saying anything? So, can I take it as confirmation, then? What happened? Not the cover up story. Why is the princess here to recover?"
The firm tone surprised the queen. As expected, her grandson does bear some resemblance to the queen of Briar Valley. However, the queen frowned and turned to him, "You should ask your magic mirror that question instead."
"I see..." Malleus frowned having lost his amused look upon hearing this.
Before they could stop him, he reached out and grasped her hand. It was then that he felt it. A cold feeling of despair touched his palm as he raised a brow. However, as the feeling grew more dense and thick of other emotions, his eyes widen in surprise. Finally, he let go and turned around, "I shall go find the Magic Mirror, then."
Once he left, the queen suddenly felt movement in her arms and looked down with bright eyes full of relief and joy, "Peony! Oh Peony!"
"Mom...?"
The queen hugged her tightly in her arms as she cried tears of joy, "Oh, thank goodness! You're all right!"
Smothered by her tears of joy and relief, Peony struggled in her mothers arms, "M-mom... C-Can't... Brea... the..."
.....
Leaving the greenhouse, Malleus looked back down on his hand again with a hesitant expression across his face, "So cold... You are the same as me... Heh. How ironic... How could a human have the same feeling as me?"
However, he stopped himself. He recalled how they were once in the same space within their subconscious a few days ago. Are they really all that different?
The anguish and unrelenting sadness that latches on to them. This cold feeling in the chest...
Have she always felt this way too?
Cultivators live with lifespans that correspond to their level of power. The stronger they are, the longer they can live. However, Peony encountered something powerful enough for her to retreat to a private boys school to recuperate and hide. Not only that, but the place doesn't seem to have contributed to protecting her as much. Yet, could it be true that she was brought here by the mirror though? But, why?
How is it that a school be more protective than the fairy kingdom itself?
With this in mind, he teleported himself to the Dark Mirror room.
He immediately found himself before the dark mirror as he approached it. The dark mirror's illuminated face mask appeared ready without waiting for his call as he noted, "So, you're already here... I didn't have to summon you, after all..."
The dark mirror did not respond as Malleus began despite the confusion over the mirror's strange behavior, "Why did you deemed the school safer than the fairy kingdom and brought the princess here? You've seen a lot of history, right? So, you must be aware that the culture according to royalty does not deem a princess in a building of men as appropriate. What made you think otherwise, dark mirror?"
The dark mirror remained quiet before finally opening his mouth, "Ten years from now..."
"Eh?"
"Ten years from now... The seed of chaos shall sprout."
Malleus jolted with eyes wide in surprise, "Is this... a prophecy?"
"Time and space shall be wrenched asunder. A raven, dark as night, seeks out the last remnant of Light. Under its wing, the last remnant will immerse themselves in the power of time and space and re-ignite lost stars. With its guidance, seven constellations shall be given another chance to light the night."
Malleus frowned as he thought to himself carefully. Night Raven College matches the description of the raven and the night. The mention of time and space reminded him of Yuu's dilemma. But seven constellations? The only thing he knows for seven is the number of dorms prior to the re-emergence of Ramshackle dorm. But, how could Yuu have helped the dorms gain another chance?
"The light of the stars shall protect the seeds of chaos and guides the seeds of order. Ten years from now, the seeds of chaos shall sprout. Within the darkness, the seeds of chaos shall wrench time and space asunder. The flower of chaos shall bloom in the blood of celestials. Seven constellations shall seek the lotus amidst the murky mud. It shall guide the seven to the chaos in their light. A new page shall emerge once the other blooms."
With that, the mirror's face soon vanished without a trace and left Malleus with an even more surprised look, "Huh? That's it?"
It is widely known that the last remnant of light it mentioned should be Yuu. He is the only one that has something to do with time and space. The raven and night refers to this school, but the problem is the re-ignite of the stars. What could it mean?
"The last remnant of light will re-ignite seven constellations. It would seem like Yuu will be the one to give the seven fates another chance at life."
Malleus paused and turned around rather guarded as he raised a brow in surprise, "Lotus... No. Princess of Fairy kingdom."
Peony sneered, "You know, if the situation still wasn't so serious, I would've lost my bet to the mirror by now."
"You're still so bold to show your face on school grounds?" Malleus looked to her in surprise.
"It's not like I don't want to leave either." Peony huffed indignantly, "If I had not taken the mirror's trade, I would not have been here as a student to begin with."
"What do you know about the prophecy?" Malleus questioned.
"Not as much as you do." Peony responded, "This is also my first time hearing it. However, I do know one thing."
"What do you know?"
Peony sighed, "I shared this with one of the dorm leaders once... Nothing is as it seems in this world. Everything has a double side. For example, did you know that the great maleficent was the first in the world to display the effects of being affected by blot over a long period of time?"
Malleus paused in surprise. Does she know?
"Many, many years ago..." Peony began with a heavy sigh, "Maleficent was not admired by humans and other faes in the world for her powers or knowledge but was feared for the destruction brought upon by utilizing those powers. Her only true companion was her dark raven who stayed by her side for the longest time. Many had forgotten her or choose not to remember her out of fear for the havoc her powers would bring. Hence, a human king neglected to extend an invitation to her for his daughter's baby shower, despite having invited the three wise fairies during that era. Two of three gifted the princess with great beauty to be loved and grace. She was also betrothed to the neighboring kingdom's prince to unite their kingdom despite her infant age. Enraged for not being invited, she cursed that child the royal couple loved so much with a prophecy of death as her gift. Once the princess is pricked by the needle of a spindle, she would meet death. The time of the death would be before the dawn of her sixteenth birthday. After delivering that prophecy, she disappeared still upset for not having been invited. Afraid that she would die such a death, the last fairy, who had been conflicted on what to gift this infant at first, gifted the princess a chance to overcome this conflict utilizing the so-called true love kiss to awaken from this curse and what little power she had to change from death to deep slumber. The king then ordered all weaving spindles to be destroyed and the princess was to be brought into hiding by the three fairies. For fifteen years of her life, she grew up in the forest away from the eyes of Maleficent and the people. Nobody could find her, none knew where she was. Not even Maleficent. At the same time, the child did not know of her own identity nor the curse she has upon her until she met the betrothed prince disguised as a commoner. She then returned home on her sixteenth birthday to tell them of her love for this man to which they were forced to reveal to her of her true identity and her pre-arranged marriage not knowing that it was with the same person she had mentioned."
"This..." Malleus frowned, "Isn't this tale... where the prince then kisses the princess and she re-awakens from her long slumber?"
Peony nodded, "That's right. The tale originated from this event long ago. She was brought back and discovered the great difficulties of living as a royalty which she once admired and dreamed of compared to her life as a common peasant. She lamented struggling to reconnect with her real parents and the light of her arranged marriage. During this lament, Maleficent finally found her and lured her to a spindle she had prepared during the child's remorse. With that, the princess pricked herself and falls into a deep slumber. The fairies discovered this too late and quickly took her to the tallest tower then placed the entire kingdom into a deep slumber. They would not awaken until she does. Knowing the key to awakening her was the prince, it was said that Maleficent kidnapped the prince and tried to make him feel the same distraught feeling she had but by showing how he could not save his loved ones who was the princess he had mistaken for a commoner and locked him up. The three fairies who had been searching for him saved him after that. They armed him with a silver sword and a shield then he went to go save his princess. Maleficent was furious upon seeing this and did everything she could think of to stop him aside from killing him. She destroyed the bridge and shrouded the castle in thorns. However, all was futile. Finally, she turned herself into a dragon and decided to kill him instead. Yet, that silver sword was imbued with great magic and silver was also her weakness. One strike to the chest ended her life. He later reawakened the princess which also awakened the entire kingdom and brought peace to the kingdom."
She sighed, "However, the world was blind to the sufferings of the 'villain' in the end. None realized the reason for Maleficent's actions and none chose to look into it. As time continues to pass the tale began to alter and change as it passes through the turbulence of time. It wasn't until distant descendants of Maleficent appeared in search of their long-lost family members. Instead, they found the child of the deceased family members and her great powers that her name was brought back into history. They admired her and showered her with the love she had wished for back when she was still alive. Thus, her figure is remembered as the most powerful person throughout history. That tale was how the humans remembered her until her relatives came in search for her."
"One can only imagine the sorrow and anger after discovering what had happened and the loneliness she suffered before doing what she did." Malleus muttered in shock upon hearing the tale of the humans' side, "So, all the tales surrounding our kingdom all connected to this one past event. What a huge misunderstanding..."
Would it be similar for himself?