Mother...?

She was seated on a throne, wearing a luxurious, golden coloured robe.

Her skin was moon white, without any blemish, and looked extremely tender. Her golden eyes, cherry lips, the small nose and long golden hair that cascaded down her back and shoulders made her look extremely charming.

Just a glance at her, and anyone would find themselves spellbound by her beauty. However, from the regal and holy air she exuded, Eric doubted anyone would dare to raise their head and look at her face if they were standing in front of her.

Currently, she was looking at a newborn baby in her lap with a pained expression on her face, tears in her golden eyes. 

When Eric first saw her, he was also spellbound by her beauty and didn't want to take his eyes off of her, but when he noticed her expression, he suddenly felt sad and couldn't help but wonder what could have cause this seemingly perfect woman, to wear such an expression.

Just then,

Boom!

Bang!

Boom!

Some explosions resounded. The woman, however, didn't seem to hear it as her attention remained on the baby.

"Sigh!"

After a while, she sighed. A sigh filled with endless pain, powerlessness, and unwillingness.

"I'm sorry." She said as tears started falling down her cheeks and onto the baby's face.

For some reason, Eric could clearly feel her emotions and without him realising, he also started crying.

He wanted to walk over to her and stop her from crying, but he was unable to move.

"I'm sorry, my sweet baby. Mom is useless. I have to leave you when you need me the most. Please forgive me." She sobbed, her shoulder shaking.

"My sweet baby, Mom very much wants to talk to you, hold you in my arms, love and pamper you and watch you grow up. But… I can't do that."

"I have to send you away to some isolated world, far away from me. I know you will hate me for it… I know… It pains me very much… but I have to do it because… if I don't… they won't let you live."

As she said this, her golden pupils blazed with fury and her killing intent condensed around her.

Hu~!

A moment later, she took a deep breath and calm down. 

Just as she was about to continue speaking,

BOOM!!

A loud explosion sounded, and the golden palace started crumbling down.

Because of how realistic everything was, Eric felt as if the broken pieces would crush him into a mincemeat, but when everything calmed down, he was safe and sound. 

Sighing in relief, he glanced at the place where the woman was standing and saw that she was also fine, without a speck of dust on her.

She was looking up at the sky with a dark expression on her face.

Just then, a shout sounded from above.

"Milady, please hurry up. We won't be able to stop them for long."

Hearing this, Eric glanced up and could barely make out some blurry figures fighting in the distant sky. Each time they clashed, powerful shockwaves erupted out and swept across the sky.

Frowning, the woman waved her hand. 

Whoosh!

A golden radiance surged out of her and covered the place, blocking out every sound and the shockwaves.

She then turned to the baby once again and sighed. 

"Eric, my baby boy, I know you will have many questions, and I wish I could tell you everything in this message. But as you can see, the time is running out. But I promise you, if mother survives, I'll come find you and tell you everything."

'Huh? Eric?' Eric was stunned when he heard her call the baby Eric.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, as she continued, "B-But if I fall here, please forgive mom for everything. I just hope… you'll be able to live a carefree life and do whatever makes you happy."

She then smiled through her tears, touched the baby's nose, "I know my baby will be fine even if I'm not there for you. After all, you have your father's blood flowing in your veins."

She then took out a small golden box and opened it to reveal a thumb sized crystal.

Eric's eyes widened when he saw it because it was the same crystal he had.

'How… why she has the same crystal? She… the baby… am I that baby?' He thought, having a hard time believing the obvious.

The woman, or his mother, attached a string to the crystal and put it around the baby's neck.

"Although your father isn't here right now, this crystal is your father's gift to you. Always keep it with you."

Boom!!

Suddenly, the golden barriers she erected around them shattered and several figures appeared in the sky above them.

One of them, a middle-aged man in violet robes with a violet crescent moon tattoo on his forehead, put his left hand on right chest and bowed toward her.

"Greetings, Miss Aina Belthorn, the heiress of the renowned Wargod."

His mother, Aina, however, didn't respond and just coldly stared at him.

Seeing this, the man chuckled darkly, "Heh, alright. We'll forego the greetings. So, tell me, would you be an obedient little girl and come with us, or do we have to force you?"

"Force me?" His mother scowled. Then suddenly, a black, palm sized dagger appeared in her hand which she thrusted to her right at seemingly nothing at a lightening fast speed.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Immediately, a horrified shriek sounded out, and a masked figure materialised there, the dagger lodged in its chest. The masked figure raised its hand toward the dagger but before it could reach it, its body turned into tiny particles and disappeared.

Everyone looked at this scene in shock and gulped nervously.

Taking advantage of the situation when no one was coming to attack her, she stabbed the dagger into her chest, took out and slashed in the air in front of her.

The dagger absorbed the blood and glistened with an eerie light. 

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Immediately, it shattered into pieces, emitting a strong penetrative force which cracked and shattered the surrounding space, creating a small rift.

Noticing this, the middle-aged man's expression changed, and he shouted out, "Stop her!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Everyone rushed toward her, hurling deadly attacks at her.

Aina, however, ignored everything and let attacks land onto her. She took out a note and placed it inside the cloth wrapped around the baby, kissed him on the forehead and said, "Be safe, my love." 

Saying this, she put a hand over him, covering him in a golden energy, clenched her jaws, and threw him into the spatial rift.