[The Forbidden Hall]
"Gaga!"
Faye floated effortlessly in mid-air, her laughter bubbling over as the Fairy Queen gently manipulated the air currents to guide her playful flight. She pursued a transparent, shimmering bubble that the Fairy King had conjured, her chubby legs paddling through the air like a duckling striving to swim for the first time.
It was a scene of pure, unadulterated joy.
In stark contrast, Libinea sat silently by the throne chair. Her gaze was not on the joyful child; instead, it was fixed on the western horizon visible through the tall windows, towards the Phoenix Tribes.
Thinking of her homeland brought a hollow ache to her chest. She released a quiet, trembling sigh, turned on her heel, and slipped out the back exit without a word of farewell.
Raiking watched her shadow fade from the hall.
"Will she be alright?" Ezmelral inquired, her eyes shifting from the playful baby to the now-empty doorway.
"Do you know why she chose to join me a thousand years ago?" Raiking asked, his voice low.
Ezmelral had an inkling. Although she had been in her blade form when Raiking first encountered Libinea in the Void Realm, she had conversed with the Phoenix Queen many times over the centuries. She knew the story: The Divine Realm had pursued them. She sought justice. She had failed.
"For power," Ezmelral answered confidently.
Her answer wasn't technically incorrect. The evidence was etched into Libinea's very soul. For the past millennium, she had pursued power more fervently than anyone else. Even the grueling, bone-crushing training of the Void Realm hadn't caused her to falter once.
"That's what she tells herself," Raiking corrected. "But I've lived long enough to understand a simple truth: When someone relentlessly looks forward, it's usually because they're terrified of looking back."
He glanced at his Sword Spirit.
"You're still too young to grasp the complexity of the heart."
"No I'm not!" Ezmelral protested, puffing her cheeks in offense. "I'm the second eldest here! And didn't you just praise me earlier for my wisdom?"
Raiking looked at her, then back at the door. "Perhaps I was mistaken."
"YOU!—"
"Me what?"
Raiking shifted his gaze, his eyes narrowing with a hint of the killing intent that could frighten even immortals.
Ezmelral froze. Her outrage instantly transformed into a frantic, placating smile.
"N-nothing Master! You're the best!"
She quickly floated behind him and began massaging his shoulders with gentle, rapid taps of her fists. Though her facial expression clearly conveyed she had much harsher words to say, she chose survival instead.
Raiking allowed himself a slight, amused smile. He stood up.
"Prepare enough milk bottles," he instructed. "We'll be heading to the Skyward Region soon."
He vanished from the hall before Ezmelral could respond.
---
[The Highest Tower - The Star Gazing Platform]
Raiking appeared at the highest point of the sect, where the cold, biting wind howled around him. Yet, he stood still, gazing at the stars that glared back from the night sky.
He waited.
Soon, the sound of soft footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Libinea emerged from the shadows, sensing his presence even before she completed her stride. With a playful tone, she said, "Are you following me now?"
"I'm just making sure you're not planning an escape."
"Escape?" she chuckled softly, "Who would dare make this queen flee?"
Raiking offered no verbal response; instead, his gaze seemed to pierce through her, revealing the vulnerable person beneath her regal exterior.
Unable to endure such scrutiny, she moved closer to him, leaning against the balcony to look at the stars.
"To confront the past," Raiking eventually broke the silence, "one must first achieve results that secure the future."
Libinea gripped the stone railing so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Do you think they will harbor hatred towards me?" she whispered.
She already knew the answer. Part of her wished he would lie, to assure her they would welcome her with open arms and garlands of flowers. But Raiking was not one to indulge in comforting falsehoods.
"Those who lack foresight will," Raiking replied calmly. "They will see the abandonment. They will see the Queen who left them to languish in the mountains for a millennium."
Libinea winced.
"But," Raiking continued, turning to face her, "in time... they will understand the truth. They will realize that a thousand years of suffering is a small price for eternal salvation."
Libinea looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with sadness. "Salvation..."
"You are granting them freedom, Libinea. Not just from the hunters, but from the curse of their own nature. If they are angry, let them be. You did not do this for their applause. You did it for their survival."
His words struck a chord with her more deeply than he could ever comprehend. She lifted her eyes, her golden gaze locking onto his deep, void-like stare.
The atmosphere transformed, becoming peculiar and magnetic. It was so intense that she was unaware her subconscious mind had acted quicker than her heart, as her trembling hand neared his face.
Raiking remained motionless, neither flinching nor retreating, yet before her hand could touch his skin, she hesitated, the weight of what the future might bring dawning on her.
"The Phoenix Tribe holds their Queens in high regard," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Are you not concerned that I might not return with you?"
"I would still choose to go with you."
His voice carried no hesitation, and his eyes were filled with resolve.
That very sincerity was a double-edged sword. It was the light that dispelled the darkness in her mind, yet at the same time, it pierced deeper than any blade.
He was indeed devoted to her, but not in the way she longed for.
Having been his companion for a millennium, she had observed his intimacy with Maryal and heard tales of his union with the Goddess of Creation, and yet even these two extraordinary women could not secure his loyality.
What chance do I have? she pondered, her thoughts tinged with bitterness.
"Now that you have a little faye to cling to your arm, I suppose this mighty Queen no longer has a shoulder to lean on," she remarked, her voice a delicate mix of humor and sorrow.
Raiking did not laugh. He looked at her, seeing the invisible chains that still bound her soul.
"Can you ever truly find happiness... until the knots in your heart are untied?" he asked.
He wasn't being cruel. He understood that fleeing from the past would only taint the future.
Libinea closed her eyes. She was not unaware of this truth.
She knew that until she confronted her people, she would always see herself as the "Fallen Queen." Despite her brave facade, this haunting image lingered in her shadows.
If I want to truly embrace the future, she reflected, I must first confront my past.
She opened her eyes, the fatigue replaced by the resolute determination of a Queen who had made her decision.
"Then, let's face it," she declared, a smile touching her lips. "Together."
As the words left her mouth, the space around them shifted.
Raiking appeared at her side.
They stood together at the edge of the tower, their gaze set on the western horizon, ready to embrace the future.