"It's been a while, my dear pawns."
The dark moon, with its red lingering aura, radiated a menacing atmosphere over the desolate world in the new space. A girl with overwhelmingly ominous intentions welcomed her visitors from the eye of the storm, standing before them and staring excitedly as if she were seeing her prey after a thousand years of hunger.
However, Anna and the Young Man recognize the aura she emanates from her appearance and mana flow—a wicked aura that makes people tremble before her presence. A being who once stood above all and brought despair in the past.
Diavolo, The Evil King.
Shocked to learn that the lord they once served is still alive, Anna and the Young Man immediately kneel before her. The girl laughs, remembering how obedient her subordinates were. But instead of acknowledging their devotion, she returns to her knees and plays with the flowers again, letting them remain kneeling before her.
For a moment, the Young Man doubts whether the figure before them is truly the lord they once served. But her mana flow, the intense aura she emanates—all of it is identical to the lord they knew. Her appearance may have changed due to a strange phenomenon that affects the physical structure of dark creatures like Anna, but her personality doesn't match.
The Evil King he knew was a sovereign with an insatiable thirst for power, who held prestige above all else. Once he took control of his subordinates, he would immediately command them to bow and serve him in pursuit of world domination. But now, before their eyes, she was different—the bloodthirsty lord was gone, replaced by an eerie young girl.
The Young Man couldn't accept the sudden change. He immediately assumed the being before him was a false lord and then raised his leg towards the young girl's head as if he were going to kick her.
"Malakar isn't it? Guess you do remember me very well..." the Young Lady didn't spare a single glance.
The world then turned black once again. But not long after, the world reappeared, and they found the young lady sitting on a throne she had created in this space, looking at the Young Man. The Young Man lowered his foot, realizing that the young lady was now out of his reach. He stared at the young girl, trying to uncover what was on her mind as he always did, but he found nothing except her excitement at meeting them both.
Now convinced that the young lady is indeed the former lord he served, the Young Man bowed even deeper, hoping his apology would be accepted.
"Good boy, I've made a good choice for giving you that eyes." the Young Lady smiled eerily.
The Young Man and Anna fell into silence, having nothing more to say except for the fear and joy they felt at meeting the lord they once served. The young lady then stepped down from her throne and created a dark coloured cloak from nothing in this new space. She smiled as she donned the cloak, unable to hide how much she missed her slaves.
"Malakar and Belladonna, raise your head." the Young Lady order.
But none of them raised their heads; instead, they continued bowing as if they had never heard that name. The only thing they remembered was how they served their lord and obeyed whenever their names were spoken. The young lady took the hint and now understood the aftereffects of having put them to sleep for almost an eternity.
"My dear warlords, please raise your head." the Young Lady order again.
Anna and the Young Man then raised their heads as instructed. The young lady's assumption was correct—they were no longer bound by their names and had fully disengaged from the contract she had made with them long ago. However, the fact that they could still stand before her and bow their heads was something she still couldn't understand.
"Tell me, what do you call yourself now?" the Young Lady ask calmly.
Anna then stood up and prepared to tell her story. "First, my apologies. When I was awake, I feel confused as I having a great headache. I forget my blessed name you give to me and who am I that day. But as time passes, I recall who I am and where I truly belong. It just... Not my name. But then I realized that I've been freed because I forgot my name and you're nowhere to be found. Just then I decided to make my own name and live freely with it. The name's Anna, Anna Marigold."
As she had expected, Anna had forgotten her blessed name, but the young lady hadn't anticipated that she would create her own name. That being said, Anna was completely in control of her own consciousness and not under anyone's control. Thus, the young lady smiled happily, though her face did not quite match the expression, leaving an eerie smile instead. "That's beautiful, I love your quick thinking. That could save me some times. And the name Anna, I like that."
Anna's face turned red; she never thought that her lord, with a new face, could so easily praise her—something that was quite arduous in the past. "Thank you, my lord."
"Then, how about you?" the Young Lady avert her eyes towards the Young Man.
Unable to speak, the Young Man fell into silence, as he could never provide good answer. He simply dropped his head even lower, too embarrassed to offer an excuse for forgetting his name and failing to come up with a new one, as if he were a baby asking for food.
But Anna understood his feelings and took his place to answer the young lady's question.
"My deepest apology, my lord. But your warlord here still can't move on and looking for the name you gave him. We also assumed that Malakar was his name, but it doesn't quite seem right to us. Once again, I am sorry for replacing his right to speak."
Another thing she doesn't understand about the contract is that, despite becoming a new being who obeys her orders once again, the Young Man remains the same. However, he suffers partial memory loss, similar to the first time he served her. This time, though, he remembers her.
"And his name?" ask the young lady.
"Well it's-"
Before Anna finished her hesitant words, the Young Man cut her off, "It's okay, Anna. I'll answer."
The Young Man stood up and place his right hand on his left chest. "My apology, my lord, for I have forgetting my name. As I intended, I don't need another name. I just need the name you give me so I could serve you once again. My heart is belong to you, my lord."
The Young Man was the most obedient slave she had in the past. He dared to stay for eternity to guard the gate to the throne chamber in The Evil King's Palace. He also dared to cross boundaries for deliveries to The Kingdom of Valhalla, as long as it was a command from The Evil King. But she never expected that the Young Man still retained such loyalty after forgetting most of his memories.
"I see. I'm glad to see you both once again." the Young Lady nods and accept his apology.
Anna and the Young Man then bowed to the young lady, feeling grateful that their lord was happy to be with them again. The young lady then ascended to her throne, and her subordinates followed, standing not far from her.
The young lady grasped the situation at hand—an unusual phenomenon caused by the broken contract they had made in the past. Previously, she had come up with two solutions to address the matter. However, seeing the enthusiasm of her subordinates, she made a decision.
"My dear warlords, it is I who bound you by the contract to serve me for all eternity. But the contract has been broken. The memories fade and you no longer the servants of the darkness. Freedom has awaiting for your arrival. So tell me, what do you think?!"
The truth revealed by the young lady shocked Anna and the Young Man. They had finally found new meaning in their lives, but suddenly their lord offered them a hard choice: between living bound by the thread of fate or living free as the wind.
But the Young Man found the choice was not difficult to answer. He had already found his reason to live and was ready to prove himself worthy of being a servant. He was determined to be a better self and not disappoint his lord any longer.
"My resolve is clear, I will become your sword and shield once again!" answer the Young Man, pledge his loyalty.
But for Anna, it was a tough decision. She lowered her face and contemplated whether to join The Evil King's army once again or live freely without any bindings, just as she had always wanted.
She recalled every event that had brought her to this place, every adventure she had undergone in the name of the freedom she held in high regard. Discovery, amazement, warm, nostalgia. Loneliness, routine, cold, nothingness.
Laughter....
Anna remembered that every discovery she went through felt different when there was someone to share it with. Moments of misery could be alleviated by trust and encouragement. She recalled what made freedom unforgettable and that the freedom she sought was the happiest of all.
Therefore, Anna decided.
"My lord, I'm sorry for late to tell you this." Anna then grabbed the Young Man's shoulder and held him tight against her body, "This man is my servant after you lost him. Then I, Anna Marigold, will always be with him to the end of the world and show him how beauty this world can be."
The young lady's eyes widened in disbelief; she could hardly believe what she was hearing. A greater anomaly than any phenomenon had appeared before her—a miracle, the falling stars of the night.
Anna's eyes looked so bright as she embraced the Young Man. The young lady could hardly believe that she was the same girl she had once found under the old banyan tree that day—the day when her journey towards world domination began.
The young lady covered her face, laughing as if she had found something she lost a long time ago in a ridiculous place. Her laughter grew louder and louder, and she laughed uncontrollably, unable to stop. Eventually, tears began to flow, and her laughter came to an end.
"What is this? What is this feeling? You both are going to make me mad."