I blinked my eyes open, my body still aching from the fall. Jack stood nearby, his expression grim, while Queen Andromeda sat on the edge of the bed. Her face was concealed behind a bandage-like ribbon, as was Jack's. Despite her apparent frailty, she reached out, her left hand gently gripping my right.
"Did you find her?" I whispered, my voice hoarse.
The queen's bandaged face turned slightly in my direction, and though I couldn't see her eyes, her presence was imposing.
"I sent my knights through the traveling portal," she began, her voice heavy with weariness. "None have returned. I believe the witch and the Wolf King have set a trap at the border."
She paused, her unseen gaze weighing on me.
"Did you know the Wolf King would attempt this ceremony?" I asked, my voice laced with anger despite its hushed tone. "Or let me ask this—did you know there was a chance your daughter would be kidnapped?"
Queen Andromeda pulled her hand away, tilting her head toward the window.
"No," she replied, her tone steady but tinged with sorrow. "I didn't know they would take my daughter from my own kingdom. If I had known, I would never have held the ceremony."
She rose gracefully and walked to the window, exhaling deeply.
"A few months ago," she continued, "Jack discovered wolves entering the Kingdom of the Blood Clan, disguised as vampire merchants. Upon investigation, he realized their magic of illusion was crafted by the demon witch who killed the late king. My spirit beast and I deduced that their true target might be me. To protect Meredith, I sent her to the Earth World, hoping she would find you and be safe as the future heir to the throne while I dealt with our hidden enemies. But I was wrong."
Her voice faltered briefly, filled with regret.
"I now realize the wolves' disguises were merely a ploy—to make me send my daughter away, exposing her to danger. I didn't know the Wolf King had stolen your grandfather's pendant and replaced it with a fake one. After I sent Meredith to your world, trusting she would find refuge with you, I consulted the red crystal at the apex of the castle. That's when I saw it—a transverse portal opening from the wolf clan."
She turned to face me, her expression unreadable behind the ribbon.
"I had no choice but to leave the kingdom," she concluded. "I came to your world to save you both from one of the wolves."
"It was you all along? The day the wolf attacked us, you saved our lives?" I asked as memories of the past flooded back.
"Yes, I did. I killed the wolf before it could attack you and Meredith," Queen Andromeda confirmed, her blindfolded gaze somehow piercing.
"Are you saying werewolves can cross from this world to ours with magic other than the pendant?"
"No, they need the pendant to travel. Your mother's blood has the power to open portals between worlds. Before she created the pendant, she could travel to Earth using her blood magic. She was the first ethereal to discover beings different from our kind. Fascinated, she shared her findings with the king, who demanded proof. She couldn't transport him with her; he was furious. In her attempt to please him, she abused her powers."
"What do you mean by that?" I pressed, curiosity piqued.
"She later found a way to transport up to three people using nature's energy combined with the pendant, which contained her blood."
"Earth, sun, air, and water?"
"Yes. These elements merge with your mother's blood in the pendant to create a dimensional gateway."
"If she had so much power, why did she die so young? Vampires live long; why did she die in such pain?"
"She passed early due to the abuse of her powers and the sun's negative effects. Though she could travel between worlds, the sun's energy shortened her lifespan."
"Was she in constant pain on Earth after abusing her powers? Did she get sick?"
"No, she was never sick after traveling to Earth. But on that fateful day, it seemed all the sun's energy she'd absorbed fought back, and it was too late before I could act." My tears fell, the truth a double-edged sword cutting deep into my heart. My mother died trying to please the king, but if she hadn't come to this world, she'd never have met my father.
"I feel there's something more you're not telling me," I said, my mind racing about my mother's relationship with the king and her sacrifice.
"You're right. There are secrets about your mother and your place in the blood-clan kingdom, but I can't share them until you help me find my daughter and bring her home."
*
I stood on the veranda, my gaze sweeping across the vast expanse, pondering where Meredith might be hidden in this sprawling land. The queen had entrusted me with her sword, the very weapon she wielded in all her battles. After the night she shared the tale of my mother, she promised to unveil the rest of the secret and heal my father, contingent upon my success in bringing Meredith back.
Fortuitously for the kingdom, the queen had a second Phoenix crystal, which she had placed at the newly repaired apex of the castle. As I contemplated the task ahead, the sound of footsteps approached from behind.
"Are you scared of the journey ahead?" the queen asked, her voice as calm as ever. She joined me at the railing, her eyes fixed on the distant cities of the kingdom.
"Yes, I am afraid," I admitted, my voice threaded with concern, "but I'm willing to save Meredith, even if the journey might cost me my life."
"It's natural to be afraid," the Queen responded, her tone serene. "You're in a world you never knew existed, a realm of beasts and creatures, some benevolent, others malevolent. A world that defies the natural laws of your own..." She paused, tilting her head slightly to look at me.
"The villain you will face belongs to the demon clan, a vicious and evil race whose kingdom was destroyed long ago."
"The woman who kidnapped the princess is from the demon clan?" I asked, my gaze locked intently on Queen Andromeda.
"Yes. I believe the king resurrected this demon using blood magic. He must have sacrificed a loved one, perhaps his wife, to bring the demon back." With a faint smile, she placed her hand on my left shoulder. "You won't be going alone. Caesar and your spirit beast will accompany you."
"My spirit beast? What do you mean by spirit beast?" I inquired, curiosity coloring my tone.
"Come with me," the Queen gestured towards the parting curtains, and we walked into a room where a pool of luminous water lay. Beside it stood my cat, Scar, who looked at me and growled softly in discomfort. The Queen approached her, lifting Scar into her arms.
"Dear, dear little one. It's time to serve your master," she whispered into Scar's ears. "Come forward, Jaze," she instructed, and as I stepped closer, she placed Scar into my arms, gesturing for me to enter the pool of blue waters.
I waded in slowly until the water reached my chest. Scar began to panic, scratching at my arm, but I held her steady.
"Immerse her wholly into the pool of spirit water," the Queen commanded, her eyes now glowing with a reddish hue. Scar's growls grew louder as I gently submerged her into the spirit water.
"Wait for her transformation," the Queen added, standing quietly, her gaze fixed on the pool. Minutes ticked by, and I felt Scar's body elongate. At first, I still felt her fur, but it slowly transformed into smoother skin. I peered into the water, where a slender, feminine hand now gripped my arm.