"I will bring you to the Lord; he is currently inside the Headquarters. I will have some people take care of your men."
Austin turned around and started walking. He stopped after a few steps and looked back at Alex, who hadn't moved.
"Miss Alex, my master doesn't have all day."
Gritting her teeth, she followed Austin to the broken-down doors leading inside the remains of this once great citadel of power.
"Master is inside. You will find him if you walk for a bit inside."
Alex nodded and neared the double doors. As she pushed the doors open, dust swept down her face, and she sneezed in reaction.
Opening her eyes, she saw a truly sensational scene. The large atrium of the headquarters had collapsed, and moonlight set in as plants growing in the halls basked in its refreshing glow.
It was a picture of beauty in ruin. This place was once inhabited by humans, but now nature had reclaimed the once grand building, turning the collapsed ruins into a natural sanctuary.
Tendrils of ivy curled around broken pillars, and plants sprouted through the rubble, showing their tenacity. The sweet scent of night-blooming flowers wafted on the breeze.
As Alex walked, the smell of earth and rusted metal filled her senses, harmonizing with the floral notes. Her boots crunched on broken stone and glass, punctuating the silence.
Alex soon saw Cain. His figure was obscured, but she could see him standing atop a large pile of rubble, perfectly stationed in the moonlight.
As she closed the distance, walking over plants and rocks alike, she saw his appearance once again.
His long black hair fluttered in the breeze. He wore ornate black robes and jewelry - an elaborate costume. Alex furrowed her brow, troubled by the opulence. Before she could speak, he did.
"I know it's a bit much, but appearances matter. Let's not pretend this reunion is welcomed."
Cain didn't move his head; he remained standing as he looked through the hole in the roof and out into the sky, staring at Lunaria, the white moon above the others.
"You're nothing but a cancer," Alex said coldly, meeting his deadened eyes. "And I intend to excise you before you infect anything else."
"Yes, you are right. But my goal isn't some simple disease; it's a pestilence that lingers everywhere. My goal is far beyond this place, so I need you to quickly succumb to the truth and die... but you will not do that. So instead, I will do this slowly."
Alex watched as Cain's head turned to her, and he looked at her directly in her eyes. Her body shook as fear immobilized her.
Alex searched Cain's face and found it utterly devoid of warmth or humanity, his dark impenetrable eyes like empty voids. His stony expression was unlike anything she'd witnessed - a mask of perfect indifference chilling her to the bone.
In Alex's experience, when people act indifferent, there are remnants of emotion—wrinkles, slight movements, and even hints still showing some emotions in their indifference. Yet Cain had a blank face, like a porcelain doll devoid of any error—no wrinkles, no movements, no emotion, as if he was born with a face of stone.
Under his gaze, she felt like nothing. It was like his mind had ascended with his body; he no longer cared for mortals like her. Alex now understood why he was going to give up the Empire; she could now begin to understand it.
"Why... why did you wish to meet me? Your pope said you wished to make a deal; the letter said you will give up the Empire."
"And I shall. But you must give something in return, more exactly... I need something only you can create."
Cain descended the hill silently, his robes pooling like liquid night. He drew close, inches from her face, his expression as cold and remote as the dark side of the moon.
Alex searched Cain's face, but his stony expression betrayed no emotion. His dark eyes were two voids, as empty and cold as the void of space. They chilled Alex to her core.
"I am bored, so I will leave. In my place will be an heir, but I need to make sure they will be strong. With this logic, I need the mother to be strong as well, and no one is better than you, holder of the Great Earth Tree's legacy. His legacy improved your body and mind; there is no doubt the child will be strong if you bear it."
Alex reeled in shock, heat flooding her face. She stammered in bewildered outrage, unable to process Cain's depraved request.
How could he expect her to bear a child for him after everything he'd done? She wavered, swallowed hard, feeling violated by the mere suggestion.
"As I've said, in return you shall receive the entire lands of the Empire, as I've said."
Alex's cheeks burned, but she composed herself as Cain's impatience showed.
"Either agree or disagree; don't get lost in your own head. This is a transaction."
Alex met his gaze steadily. "If you give me the Empire with no strings attached... I will do it."
"Good, since the transaction is done, the Empire will be handed over in a few days. I'll also have you know I will be keeping Ansross. You can go now."
Alex raised a brow at the sudden closure of their meeting. "What?" Alex blurted, heat flooding her cheeks again. "You can't just - I don't - how could we possibly..." She trailed off, flustered into incoherence.
"Already done. Once you agreed, I had it conceived. Once it is born, I will be taking it. That is all."
"I-.... okay" Alex left without looking back, she clearly overstayed her welcome seeing Cain turned around.
Cain's eyes followed Alex as she departed, her determination evident. Little did she know it had all been a clever ruse, a fabrication to steer her actions. Cain allowed himself a thin smile. Soon, the child he needed would come to him, and his ultimate plan would be set in motion. All was falling perfectly into place.
Alex strode away without a backward glance, Cain's cold eyes boring into her back. Her hands balled into fists, anger and shame churning inside her.
She had to find a way to stop him. The Empire was not enough if that monster was still alive.
...
As soon as Cain dismissed her, Alex swiftly turned on her heel, eager to put distance between them. She and her anxious delegation began the long journey back home.
Unlike Alex's first suspicions, she and her group were not attacked and were free to go.
The journey back passed in a tense haze. Alex was locked in her own thoughts, contemplating Cain's vile request and plotting her next move.
By the time the appearance of the capital came into the horizon, an idea was forming in her head.
Upon returning to the federation, Alex learned the Church had already announced its relinquishment of the Empire's lands.
Learning of this news, she instinctively looked to her stomach where Cain's child grew.
She planned to never hand this child over no matter what. Even if it's for an heir, she will not give Cain anything; she will end him and his tyranny.
'Instead, I hope this child becomes the pillar that supports Netherane and prevents its destruction.'
Alex rested a hand on her stomach. Though the child had come from Cain, it was innocent. She would be damned before letting that beast twist an innocent life.
This little one would be raised with her love, not Cain's malice. Alex vowed then to defy Cain until her last breath. With the Empire, defying Cain might be possible.
....
Cain sat in his laboratory as he stared at the black box on a nearby table.
In truth, everything he told Alex was a lie, but he had his reasons. Unfortunately, he also knew Alex would do everything in her power to keep the child from him, but it wouldn't matter.
Cain sat back, grinning as his intricate web of lies and schemes coalesced in his mind. The child was merely a means to an end. The babe would provide the final key to unlocking what he wanted.
'Well, with this extension, I suppose it will be a little while longer. But I need a child of the tree to use it; I just have to wait until everything sets into place.'