Chapter 216

[Third Person's PoV] 

Akane sat on the stone steps in front of the castle, her gaze distant, her face shadowed with a pensive expression. She was lost in her thoughts, wrapped up in a world far removed from the imposing grandeur around her  buried in the questions that weighed heavily on her heart.

From behind her, Cid approached quietly, his footsteps barely disturbing the stillness. He took a seat beside her, settling in with a calm demeanor. "So, what's on your mind?" he asked, his voice gentle but probing.

Akane let out a slow, heavy sigh and turned to look at Cid, her expression both curious and conflicted. "Why am I here, Cid? Why did you bring me to witness the birth of your children? Don't get me wrong; it was a beautiful moment, but... I just don't understand the reasoning behind it."

Cid looked at her with a soft smile, a hint of sadness in his gaze. "You've been surrounded by so much misery and death lately. I thought you needed a moment to step away from it all. This was supposed to be a break for you, a reminder of life and hope, a way to appreciate the small things again."

Akane's eyes softened, and she leaned her head gently on his shoulder. "It's not that I don't appreciate it; I really do. But it doesn't erase the blood on my hands..."

Cid nodded, understanding the weight of her burden. "You're right; nothing will change what's already happened. The past can't be undone, and dwelling on it endlessly will only drive you mad. Instead, focus on what you can control—your future. Think less about what happened, and more about what you're going to do next."

Akane wrapped her arms around his, holding him close. "Why are you so good to me, Cid?" She chuckled softly, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips. "Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if you have an ulterior motive."

Cid smirked, glancing at her with a playful glint in his eye. "Would you believe me if I told you that you and I were fated to be together in every life?"

"Pfft, hehehe!" Akane chuckled, her laughter like a breath of fresh air amid the tension. "No, I wouldn't believe you… but it'd be nice if it were true," she murmured with a shy smile.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then settled back against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Shouldn't you be back there taking care of your newborns and wife?"

"They're all asleep," Cid replied with a contented sigh. "Alpha's exhausted from giving birth, and the babies don't have much energy yet—they're still so new to the world."

Akane nodded, lost in thought, before turning to Cid with a furrowed brow. "So... you're Shadow, huh? Is it true? You said someone else is responsible for the monsters that keep appearing?"

"Yes," Cid answered, his voice turning grave. "He's from the same race as me."

Akane tilted her head, confusion evident in her eyes. "The same race? You mean... you're not human?"

Cid shook his head, smiling wryly. "I was, once. But that was before I was reincarnated. Remember when I told you I was an entity of death? I wasn't lying."

Akane's mouth dropped open in shock. "You're... you're serious?"

"I did say I wasn't joking." He gestured around them. "And you're sitting here, in my dimension—that alone should be proof enough."

She stared at him, still grappling with the enormity of his words. "Then what are you? And who's this being that's sending monsters into our world, trying to tear it apart?"

Cid exhaled, as if preparing himself. "We're Monarchs—the physical embodiments of universal laws. There are two types of beings: Rulers and Monarchs. Rulers represent the light, while Monarchs represent the dark. I'm the Monarch of Shadow and Death, created by the Absolute Being, the universe's creator."

Akane's jaw dropped further, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're... a creation of God? That's... overwhelming. But wait—doesn't that make you, well, the villain? Since you're from the 'dark side,' as you put it?"

He laughed softly. "It's complicated. You know how, in the Bible, Lucifer was once God's favorite angel? I'm something like that. I was the Absolute Being's favored creation, loyal until my death at the hands of the Rulers. When I died, I was reborn as a Monarch, only to discover that the Absolute Being was killed by those very Rulers." Cid then turned behind him tilting his head in confusion narrowing his eyes as Akane continued

Akane blinked rapidly, trying to process it all. "Wait, hold on! Aren't Rulers supposed to be the 'good guys'? Why would they kill their own creator? And... God is dead? Is that why everything's falling apart?"

Cid scratched his head, realizing how much he'd left out. "Yeah... I'm not explaining this well." He placed a finger gently on her forehead, transferring the knowledge of the Monarchs and Rulers directly into her mind.

When it was over, Akane gasped, clutching her head as everything fell into place. "My whole understanding of the world... it's shattered," she whispered, her eyes unfocused.

Suddenly, Aurora's voice echoed behind them, sharp with worry. "Celeste! I told you to stop teleporting like that—you're going to hurt yourself!"

Cid turned, his face quickly mirroring Aurora's concern. They locked eyes, a shared anxiety bubbling between them. "Where's Celeste?" he asked, his voice tense.

"I thought she was with you!" Aurora's tone turned frantic. "I was going to bathe her, but she kept calling for you before she disappeared. I assumed she'd come to you!"

Cid's eyes shifted, his pupils narrowing to sharp dragon-like slits as he extended his senses, sweeping across his dimension and into the physical world.

When he looked up, his face was filled with horror. "Celeste… she's not here."

Aurora's face crumpled, her hands gripping Cid's shirt as tears welled in her eyes. "What do you mean our daughter isn't here?" Her voice broke with desperation. "I swear, Cid, if anything happens to her…"

He held her arms firmly, trying to reassure her even as his own fear grew. "Do you think I'm any less worried? She isn't in this reality—she teleported to an alternate one. But Igris is with her, hiding in her shadow, as always."

Aurora's expression turned from worry to fury, and she pounded on Cid's chest. "I told you to seal her abilities until she could control them! Now look!" She broke down, clutching him tightly as she wept. "Please… please, just bring our daughter back."

Cid nodded resolutely, then disappeared into the real world, his senses honing in on Igris's location. As his awareness merged with Igris's perception, his eyes widened in shock.

"Celeste…" he muttered to himself, realization dawning with a chilling finality. "That crazy girl… she's in the original Cid's world."