"Paulina… what do you even see in him?"
Paulina turned to Raphenia as they sat in the garden of Orynthar.
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" she asked, meeting her gaze.
Raphenia chuckled, her tone teasing. "Don't try to hide it. You have some positive feelings toward him. Never have I ever seen you go out of your way for someone like that."
Paulina frowned, turning her eyes away. "Whatever do you mean?"
Smiling slyly, Raphenia leaned closer. "Well, I don't think it's pity, nor is it your natural habit to look after someone like that. So… is it love?" Her grin widened as she drew out the word.
Paulina's cheeks flushed red as she glanced down. "No… that's not it."
Raphenia laughed softly, standing and moving to Paulina's side. "Well, whatever you decide, just know I'll support you." She left the garden, her laughter lingering in the air.
Paulina sat in silence as a gentle breeze passed through. She looked up at the sky and murmured to herself, "He went to the Grand Library… when will he return?"
---
Paulina was tying Serel's hair into a neat braid, her hands moving with care. "There. Done," she said, stepping back.
Serel turned to the mirror, her face lighting up. "Pretty…"
Paulina smiled warmly. "Of course you're pretty, Serel."
"Will Papa say something?" Serel asked, turning to look at her.
Paulina hesitated before answering, "I sure hope so. He's late, but he's in a class with Her Highness. Shall I call him?"
Serel tugged at Paulina's hand, shaking her head quickly.
Paulina chuckled, sitting beside her on the bed. Serel climbed onto her lap, resting her head there.
"Sleep with me," Serel said, patting the bed beside her.
Paulina looked at her for a moment, then sighed and lay down, pulling Serel close. I'll just rest here until Kieth comes… that should be fine, she thought, holding Serel tightly as a gentle smile crossed her lips.
---
"Kieth! Please, don't give up! Keep breathing! Please… please!"
Paulina's hands trembled as she applied the boilsphere to his torn body. His wounds reopened faster than she could close them, and her panic only grew.
Passersby rushed over, lifting Kieth as Paulina's voice cracked with desperation. They carried him to a nearby doctor, and she followed, clutching what was left of the expensive boilsphere she hadn't used.
Hours later, she sat by his bedside, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. His breathing had evened out, but her heart still ached.
"Kieth… you hide so much from me," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I don't like it… you barely tell me anything about yourself. I wish you'd trust me."
She rested her head on his hand, her voice breaking. "Please, don't shut me out. When we get back to Orynthar… we can… we can be toge—" She stopped herself, her tears falling silently as she clutched his hand tighter.
---
Paulina cradled Serel in her arms as they walked through the castle halls. Her voice was low, almost a whisper. "A spirit…"
Serel buried her face in Paulina's chest, her small body trembling. Around them, lifeless eyes stared from guards and servants alike.
"Hey… something's wrong," Kieth muttered, his tone wary.
Paulina's throat tightened. She didn't want to speak but knew she had to warn him. "Whatever you do, don't speak to anyone," she said, her voice shaking.
Serel looked up suddenly, and Paulina froze. The spirit had appeared, its translucent form touching Serel's small hand.
Paulina's body stiffened in terror as Serel asked innocently, "Who are you?"
"No…" Paulina tried to cry out, but her voice never left her lips. She was trapped in her own body, unable to move or act. Her limbs grew heavy as Serel's eyes fluttered shut, and the little girl slumped in her arms.
---
"That's right… I don't want you to die," Paulina said softly, looking at Kieth.
Kieth stood trembling, tears streaming down his face as they stood in an empty, desolate landscape. "But… why? I don't—I can't keep losing people…" His voice cracked, a mixture of despair and anger.
Paulina smiled faintly, her gaze warm. "I'm sorry, Kieth. Even I wanted to stay with you. So please… don't think this is your fault."
Kieth collapsed to his knees, slamming his fists into the ground as sobs wracked his body. "I KEEP MESSING UP! I'M A FUCKING LOSER! I—I—I CAN'T… PLEASE… DON'T LEAVE ME!" He looked up at her, his face a portrait of anguish, tears falling unchecked.
Paulina stepped forward slowly, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around him. "It's alright," she whispered. "I promise. Please… take care of yourself. That's because…" She hesitated, wiping a tear from her own cheek as she looked down at him. "Because I love you, you know?"
But when she looked again, he was gone. Kieth was nowhere to be seen. Her hands, which had been holding him, were now empty and pressed against the cold floor.
"Huh…" she muttered weakly, her voice barely a whisper.
Her eyes fluttered open, and her bleak reality came into focus. Kieth was crouched over her, crying uncontrollably as he tried to piece her torn body back together. Her upper torso was severed from the rest, blood pooling around them. She couldn't speak anymore, her voice trapped in her throat. Her vision blurred as her strength faded.
It was a dream… huh… she thought, her heart heavy with regret. I really wanted to tell you…how much I love y—
Her eyes shut for the final time, her lips curling into a faint smile as her life slipped away.
"NOOOO!" Kieth screamed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. His eyes were bloodshot, his tears streaming down his face as he held her lifeless body.
He turned his gaze to the spirit watching from afar, a wicked grin playing on its lips. Rage consumed him.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DIE! ILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Kieth roared, his voice filled with a fury that could shatter worlds.
He grabbed a spear from the ground, his grip so tight it made his hands bleed. With a burst of speed, he hurled it with all his might. The weapon passed through the spirit harmlessly, but as it turned, Kieth was already upon it.
In an instant, he tackled the spirit to the ground, his fists raining down with unrelenting ferocity. Each punch grew harder, his blood mixing with hers as the spirit's skull cracked under his left hand.
He kept punching, his voice a guttural scream of grief and rage. His vision blurred with tears and blood, but he didn't stop. The world around him seemed to vanish, leaving only his unyielding hatred and the broken remains of the enemy beneath him.
"Papa…"
Serel stood at a distance, trembling, her small frame shaking as she watched her father mauling the spirit with unrelenting fury. Her scared expression made Kieth falter.
"Serel…" he whispered, his rage dissipating for a split second.
That moment was enough. The spirit took the opportunity to push him away and flew towards Serel with terrifying speed. Kieth scrambled to his feet, desperation driving him as he screamed, "SWAP PLA—"
Before he could finish, the spirit was hurled back violently, as though colliding with an invisible barrier. Kieth froze, staring in shock.
"What…?" His voice trembled as his eyes landed on the spirit, impaled by what looked like crystalline rods.
Then he heard it—a familiar voice cutting through the chaos.
"I'm sorry, Kieth… for being late."
It was Komain. She stepped forward, her presence calm but commanding. "For now, grab Serel and get somewhere safe."
Kieth rushed to Serel's side, cradling her trembling body. To his surprise, his bloodied hands were suddenly clean. He looked back at Komain.
"I cleaned them," she said firmly, her gaze never leaving the spirit. "Now go. Your wounds aren't healed. Head to the dungeon—the gate will be open."
Kieth hesitated, his voice breaking. "Can't you save them? Please…"
Komain's expression softened, but only slightly. "I'm sorry, Kieth… No one can. Save yourself and Serel."
Tears stung his eyes as he nodded, holding Serel close. He turned and began running, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow.
Komain watched him leave, then turned her attention back to the spirit, who was struggling violently against the crystalline rods impaling her.
"You…" Komain's voice was low and cold. "You're twisted. No matter how cruel the world was to you, you weren't any different. You killed others, just as it killed you. So, I won't show you any mercy."
Her arms, which had been severed, began to glow a brilliant blue. Ethereal hands formed, delicate yet powerful, as though the very stars had taken shape within them.
"The planet doesn't even consider you a threat," she continued, her voice steady. "Though… I suppose the same can't be said for that child of yours."
She glanced to the side, where faint blurs of red, blue, and green light flickered in the distance—Veilern, fighting against the child's relentless attacks. The child hovered within a glowing red sphere, their energy chaotic yet intense.
Komain refocused on the spirit. "I'll deal with you first."
The spirit let out a scream, an ear-splitting screech that reverberated across the kingdom. Yet, Komain remained unfazed, her ears unaffected.
A massive glass shard erupted from the ground, impaling the spirit and launching her skyward. Another, even larger shard descended from the heavens, colliding with the first. The impact was catastrophic, shattering both shards into billions of fragments.
The glass rained down, but before it could touch the ground, the fragments reversed course, swirling upward in a dazzling display. They orbited the spirit with blinding speed, creating the illusion of a radiant sun.
Within seconds, the fragments formed a perfect halo around the spirit, trapping her within a glowing sphere of light-speed motion. It wasn't light—it was the fragments circling so fast they created the illusion of a star.
"I'm not even borrowing the planet's power," Komain said coldly, her glowing hands steady. "Yet you, bound to a concept, can't even stand a chance against me alone. You're weak."
Her voice cut through the air as the glass fragments hovering above descended upon the spirit with the speed of light.
The skies above Thelaria lit up, blindingly bright as the fragments collided with the spirit. The impact was devastating, as though a million meteorites had struck simultaneously, each focused on her with surgical precision. Komain ensured no energy escaped the onslaught, every spark of destruction directed inward.
Despite the immense damage, the spirit hung on, her body ravaged and torn. Linked to a concept, she clung to existence, but her form looked fragile—on the verge of shattering entirely.
Komain stared at the spirit, her expression unyielding. "Reflect on your actions." With that, she turned and walked away, heading toward the child floating in the distance.
---
Kieth clutched Serel tightly as they reached the ruins. His gaze fell on the massive starry door ahead, cracked and broken open. He stepped carefully through the gap, holding Serel close.
As soon as they entered, the fires lining the walls flared to life, illuminating the chamber. Kieth looked around, noting how pristine the room appeared despite the ruin surrounding it. There was something off about the place, an eerie stillness that made his skin crawl.
Serel tugged at his sleeve. "Papa…"
He turned to her, his voice soft. "What is it?"
She pointed toward the far end of the room, her small hand trembling. Kieth followed her gaze and froze.
At the far end, a glowing void shimmered with an ethereal light, stars swirling within its depths. The vortex was mesmerizing, as though countless universes were contained within its infinite expanse.
The vortex...
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