I took my time reaching the others.
Even though the place seemed on the verge of closing, the atmosphere remained heavy.
Seraphine still hadn't awakened; I truly wonder how she'll act once she does.
Upon my arrival, Cassane and Morgana were the first to notice me, but it was Julius who reacted most strongly.
When he saw his sister in my arms, something seemed to break inside him: an unstable mixture of relief and incredulity.
I avoided explanations, as well as Morgana's gaze, which never stopped analyzing both Seraphine and me.
Valeria, for her part, remained isolated; it was difficult for her to think about anything other than a sword.
Victorio looked at me with intrigue; unlike the three women, who had already seen me do things that weren't exactly "normal," he was clearly more lost.
I scanned everyone with my gaze and said in a flat tone, "We should be expelled at any moment. If any of you want to do something before that, I suggest you do it now."
I looked at Leonardo on the ground.
It seemed no one had bothered to move him, though it was definitely better for him to stay right where he was.
I sighed, thinking about how I would handle the matter of Caelia upon my return.
I was curious to see not only how she would hand over her son, but how she would utterly destroy him.
The only annoying part would be dealing with her afterward, though I'm sure I'll enjoy doing it; I just have to decide how much importance I'll grant her once everything is over.
Morgana, after narrowing those eyes that always seem to be calculating the value of everything they see, let out a dry chuckle and crossed her arms.
She ran her eyes over me, lingering a second too long on Seraphine's condition.
"It looks like you and Seraphine had some fun," Morgana let slip, crossing her arms with a hint of jealousy she couldn't quite hide, yet continuing with that playfulness that came so naturally to her.
"Next time you should invite me, instead of making me wait so long under this sun."
Cassane seemed to immediately grasp Morgana's implication.
She shot me a searing glare and bit her lip hard.
However, her Ice Queen mask quickly returned; her features hardened and her eyes turned cold, forming a glacial shell around her.
Fortunately, I didn't have to answer or prolong that interaction.
In the next moment, we were outside; the gate that had previously dominated the landscape had completely vanished.
Someone, finally, had claimed the inheritance.
However, the scene was bleak: those of us who had returned could be counted on two hands.
It wouldn't take long for word to spread through all the human kingdoms and empires that the survival rate of this gate had been in the single digits—the lowest reported in millennia.
And so, an Empire that rarely featured in the "major leagues" would once again become the center of attention.
This time, it wouldn't be because of the rise of a new Transcendent, but because within that miniscule percentage of survivors, the Demor Empire represented nearly fifty percent.
But there were other interested parties.
Although the gods had surpassed the level of Transcendents, the reality was that they had also sent emissaries.
Various races sent spies as well; when power is what is sought, no opportunity is ever truly yielded.
Humans always believed they were alone—or at least those lacking important positions—but the reality was far from it.
Although it was a "lesser world" in terms of raw power, World 237 possessed a complexity that very few others in the universe had.
And one person in particular, thousands of galaxies away, was very interested in the latter.
...
"Nereon," a woman pronounced with a soft, ethereal voice.
He raised his head toward the woman he followed, his goddess, who had shown him the path beyond.
"There are more and more movements seeking to stop us. How much longer until you get what I asked for?"
"Soon, my goddess. The sirens are defenseless without my help; I will ensure the corroded beasts harvest everything you need."
"Mmm..." The woman's golden eyes gazed into the void, lost in thought. "When the chains of this world finally lift..." she murmured to herself.
She reclined on her throne and, with a deliberate movement, crossed her legs; the fine silk of her dress parted with an almost inaudible rustle, revealing the pale, smooth skin of her thighs. Nereon, hypnotized, did not dare to breathe.
"Come closer," she whispered, extending a leg toward him.
He crawled across the floor until he lay prostrate at her feet.
Without warning, she placed the sole of her bare foot upon Nereon's head, forcing his forehead against the cold marble.
The gesture was one of absolute humiliation, but for him, feeling the softness and weight of that foot was a privilege that clouded his judgment.
The goddess leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee, allowing the neckline of her dress to yield to gravity, revealing just enough to keep Nereon in a state of agony and desire.
"I like seeing you like this, at my feet," she said, as her fingers toyed with a strand of her own hair. "It is a delicious sensation... knowing that your life and your sanity depend on whether I decide to press a little harder or if I allow you to kiss the ground I walk upon."
She applied pressure with her foot, enjoying her servant's faint moan of submission.
Her golden eyes ignited with a sadistic glow.
...
"My lady, updates from various worlds continue to reach us, and there is one in particular you asked us to give special importance to."
Nix Aeterna, with her heterochromatic eyes and a posture of absolute relaxation, tilted her head toward the informant with terrifying elegance.
"237?" she asked, with a certainty that suggested her mind had never strayed from that place.
"That is correct, my lady. This time the message includes more information: those with power similar to the Spirit Transformation level in that world assure that they will soon fulfill their part of the deal. In fact," the informant added, lowering his voice, "many have reported that they already have."
A chilling smile curled the corners of the woman's lips. Her eyes shined with a malicious light as she let out a short laugh that seemed to make reality itself vibrate around her.
"So those fools finally got to work properly," she murmured, relishing the news.