Chapter 26

-Call the doctor," ordered the Empress to one of the valets who had gathered at the sound of the argument.

The latter bowed and rushed down the corridor to carry out his mission. Seiran, who had fallen slowly to the floor, his strength suddenly gone, was still curled up in the same spot. His mother wrapped her arms around him like a she-wolf protecting her offspring.

A guard bowed to her and gave her the latest report on Yousmaïl's pursuers.

-The vampire is heading for the land of Mondée. They're still chasing her, but can't catch up. It won't be long before they lose sight of her."

The regent clenched her teeth, her lips pale from the pressure with which she pressed them together.

-Send out the scouts," she then ordered.

The guard's eyes widened at the announcement he had just heard. The scouts were the fastest squadron in the demon army. They were mobilized only very rarely, for particularly sensitive missions, so he was surprised to hear the regent request their deployment. But they were dealing with a high-ranking vampire, one of the fastest species in the intergalaxy. The squadrons were needed if they were to capture her. The guard pulled himself together and clicked his heels before answering.

-Well, Your Majesty, I'm telling them to leave at once!"

He turned on his heel and headed for the command room to pass on the orders.

Seiran's ears were ringing. All the commotion was making him dizzy, and he closed his eyes in an attempt to regain his senses. But nothing helped. Everything revolved around him. As if echoing in the distance, he heard his mother's voice talking to one of her attendants who had stayed behind to assist her. Calm had returned now that everyone had left, busy with a task assigned by Meolhe.

-Where's Eviris? Why isn't he with Seiran? It's his job to protect him. If he'd been there, Yousmaïl wouldn't have even put a fingernail on my son!" the demoness snarled, her pupils blazing like flames ready to devour everything around them.

-It would appear that Lord Eviris has been assigned to watch over Lord Jangta Okram on the orders of His Highness Prince Seiran," replied the next in line in a perfectly professional tone.

The regent turned to her son, who was slowly coming to his senses. She watched him for a moment, saying nothing. Ever since the festivities had begun, she'd had the impression that her son was drifting further and further away from her and that the reason for this was this angel she'd had to invite out of pure convenience. The idea pained her as much as it enraged her. She, who had done everything to prevent such a situation from recurring, now found herself powerless. Seeing her son fall in love with an angel was like a betrayal for her.

-Why, Seiran? I don't understand... how could such a thing happen? Does this angel mean so much to you that you're willing to remain defenseless in a palace full of potential enemies?"

She stared into his clear eyes, her deep gaze betraying all the pain she felt. For her, it was like losing her son to see him love an angel.

-Mother, if you love me, why do you hurt me so much?" questioned Seiran, returning her gaze with the same depth.

Meolhe flinched for a moment before pulling herself together. She was about to answer when the castle doctor came running into the room.

-Your Highness!" she gasped as she pounced on Seiran, almost forgetting the customary ceremonies.

Without asking any more questions, she began her inspection. Cut off from their conversation, mother, and son fell into an awkward silence as they awaited the doctor's verdict. After several long minutes of inspection, a sigh of relief from the expert eased the tension.

-Your life is not in danger, Yousmaïl only scratched your skin. No damage has been done to your organs."

Seiran relaxed immediately on hearing the royal physician's diagnosis. He wasn't feeling particularly bad, but hearing that he was out of danger took a heavy weight off his shoulders. The regent also relaxed and smiled faintly, also relieved.

-Fortunately, Her Majesty is a former army general and was able to detect the danger in time," the doctor continued. "A millisecond too late and you'd be dead by now. The attack the Amadean princess exerted on you was extremely lethal."

The demon swallowed. He knew he'd been close to death, but realizing how lucky he'd been made him feel even more fragile and weak than ever. A shiver ran down his spine. The sensation of cold death caressing his skin made him nauseous.

-You'll have a scar where she touched you with her finger, but that's all," said the doctor, applying an ointment she'd pulled from her medical kit. "The skin was completely burned there and will never regenerate. As for the rest, I suggest you get some rest - your mind needs calm to recover from what you've just been through."

Meolhe thanked the doctor and dismissed her. After she had put away her equipment, the demoness bowed and left the room with the other attendants still present. The regent had made all the staff leave, asking that she not be disturbed with her son. Once the sound of the door closing on them, silence fell over the room, leaving mother and son to face the wall of truth they were about to touch.

-You should rest and..."

-Answer my question, Mother. Why are you doing all this? Why are you forcing me to live a life I don't like? You took my father's counter-example after his death and decided to bridle me into obeying your every word. Is it because you hate angels that you behave this way? I know you love me, so why are you forcing me to marry Yousmaïl when you know full well I don't want to?"

The regent closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and plunging them into her son's question-filled ones. Her lost, vulnerable gaze only heightened the anger growing inside Seiran. The anger he'd repressed for years could no longer be contained within the walls of willpower he'd built around himself over the years. Too shaken by what he had just experienced, the demon didn't even think twice before dropping his mask and speaking honestly with his mother for the first time in ten years. He couldn't hold back the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. For too long, he'd let his emotions run free in front of the one who was supposed to give him unconditional love from the moment he'd let out his first cry.

-Is that why you killed Father? Out of hatred for angels? When you loved him? If you love us, why do you hurt us so?"

-H-how is that...?" stammered the regent, clearly in shock.

-Don't play innocent! I saw you coming out of Father's room just before he was poisoned to death!" he shouted through the angry tears that were now streaming down his cheeks.

Taken by surprise, the demoness didn't know how to react. She looked at her son, her mouth open in amazement. She had thought she had succeeded in turning her son into a person she could trust but now found herself at a loss to realize that she had been deceived from the start. Her hands began to tremble as she pursed her lips in an attempt to contain her emotion, which threatened to break through behind her stony façade.

-You don't know anything about what happened, you can't understand," she whispered hoarsely.

-I know very well what I saw! You killed him!"

Your father is the one who betrayed me first!" she shouted back, letting out the anger she'd buried deep inside.

She stopped, panting. Her troubled gaze intimidated Seiran, who didn't dare push her any further. It was the first time he'd seen his mother like this.

-It was he who first deceived me, by getting close to this angel..." she began, before realising that it was all in vain.

Seiran knew. He had seen her, he had deceived her by pretending to follow her and listen to her. There was no point in trying to lie to her any more. Hiding the truth from someone who was prepared to deceive his own mother to get the answers he wanted was pointless. It would only drive him away from her, and she wasn't prepared to lose her son. She'd lost enough as it was. The thought of losing Seiran was simply unbearable. So she gave in and resigned herself to giving her son the answers he wanted.

-During the War of the Great Schism, there were three of us generals fighting together with a spy. Your father, myself, and a third person who wasn't a demon, Aroslan and Lefferina who he joined in this fight."

Seiran said nothing. His ears were wide open and his heart was racing. This was the first time he'd heard about that time in his parents' lives. The Great War was a subject that brought back traumatic memories they tried to forget, so they had made an implicit pact never to speak of what they had experienced to their children.

-Aroslan was not yet emperor at the time, he was a pupil at the school for state officials and had no combat training. Your father was a young prince in training, whose education had been neglected by his father, who saw no point in investing time in a child who had no interest in power or arms. Aroslan had become involved in the war because he was following his wife, who had joined Egea's volunteer corps. This madman had decided to take part in the combats in one way or another just to protect the woman he loved!"

The disdain in the demoness's eyes made her son gag, as he listened to her without saying a word. Engrossed in her tale, the demoness continued.

-Your father and I met by chance. I was a lieutenant at the time, proving myself in the army. My dream was already to become the commander of the demon's army, so I gave everything I had in this conflict. I was convinced that we were doing good and that we had to exterminate the enemy, the evil. When I rescued Hijvrik from a deadly attack, we found ourselves stranded on a neutral planet, uninhabited because it was hostile to life. We stayed there for ten days before we were able to find help and return to the military base. I think that's where it all started for us."

Suddenly, the demoness's eyes had softened, as if she were recalling a happy memory with nostalgia.

-After spending time with him, I thought your father was admirable. He lived in the shadow of his older sister, who was a genius strategist and a gifted fighter. She radiated such an aura that everyone naturally obeyed her. Her father, your grandfather, adored her. Hijvrik, on the other hand, was the lame duck. The second son, who had no particular talent and spent his time blending in with the city crowd. He had no interest in the social life of the aristocracy, nor in power. He spent most of his time running the streets and lending a hand to whoever needed it, sympathizing with everyone. His father despised him."

She paused for a moment, staring into space. It was as if she'd lost herself in a world to which Seiran had no access. The young demon didn't interrupt.

-He had found himself thrust into this war against his will. He thought it was a pointless, pointless fight. A conflict that could have been resolved by means other than armed force. But he wasn't the Crown Prince, so he had no power. He had no choice but to resign himself and do as his father ordered. When I first saw him, I thought he was crazy. After spending ten days with him in this reclusive place, I realized that he would die if I didn't protect him. So I decided to follow him to make sure he didn't sully the image of the imperial family and, above all, the honor of his sister, whom I adored. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a love story that would mark my life forever."

A sad smile had appeared on the demoness's dry lips, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by that hateful look Seiran knew so well.

-But by this time, your father already knew Aroslan and Lefferina. The angels had sent a corps of volunteers into battle that included only fifty-two combatants. Ridiculous when you think that the demons had sent over three thousand soldiers and one hundred and fifty generals! And among them was Lefferina, an outstanding diplomat who specialized in espionage and infiltration. She soon played a key role in the victory. I never liked either of them. Aroslan was a gentle dreamer, a pacifist, and a non-violent to die for! His wife was an outstanding fighter, but she had a free spirit that repelled me. She obeyed no one and did only what she wanted, imposing her opinions on the other generals of the organization taking part in the war. But then, so did all the other angels. Angels have no hierarchy and operate solely by consultation and consensus. The fifty-two fighters they had sent responded to no orders and submitted to no will other than their own and that of their Empress at the time.

I, who had unshakeable faith in my superiors and the hierarchy in general, completely rejected this way of operating."

His eyes had gone dark. The black pearls haloed in blue-gray were like bottomless pits into which Seiran didn't dare dive.

-But Hijvrik was fascinated by these free beings. He soon decided to follow in their footsteps and no longer obey his hierarchy. It was then that he began to rebel against his father. I was already too much in love with him to let him go. So I continued to follow them, disillusioned at having to protect the man who was the cause of my torment. But I couldn't let go. Your father had this incomparable charm that made anyone want to follow him anywhere. And I was no exception. Torn between my contempt for these two angels who were leading the man I loved down the wrong road and the love I had for your father, I could never really choose, and I had to keep this resentment for these two beings deep inside me, whom I considered to be devils disguised as saviors."

Seiran listened to his mother's story with unabashed greed. He'd been wanting to hear this story for so long! At last, he could know what had been hidden from him, and understand why his mother had become so evil, even though he knew that deep down she only wanted good.

-One day, Lefferina and Aroslan made a drastic decision. They separated to achieve their goal, and Hijvrik decided to follow them. I tried to convince him, but he'd already stopped listening to me. Against the advice of more than half the military decision-making committee, they set off on a secret mission. A mission we know today as Operation Sakura, which put a definitive end to the conflict. Much to everyone's surprise, it was Aroslan who played the role of hero. Lefferina, always a behind-the-scenes actress, had done most of the work, but it was her companion, whose power no one suspected, who drew all the attention. Sadly, this operation signed the organization's victory, but it also caused the death of Dame Ojvrine, your father's older sister."

Seiran frowned. He had learned from the history books recounting this tragic episode at the end of the war that the conflict had ended with his aunt's victory over the enemy. There had been no mention of Niris' father's intervention.

-Why does history only mention Aunt Ojvirine's sacrifice? Emperor Aroslan is never mentioned... how is that possible?" interrupted Seiran, looking confused.

The demoness's face darkened. She continued in a deeper voice.

-This is the concession made by Egea in compensation for your aunt's death. They agreed to have history rewritten in her favor to save their honor. Nobody knows what really happened except the late emperor of Ornikarn and the empress of Egea, as well as the only survivors present at the time, i.e. your father, myself, Aroslan and Lefferina.

Seiran watched his mother with eyes as round as saucers. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

-What had happened? Why did the angels make such a concession?"

The demoness seemed to hesitate for a moment. It was as if she were lifting the seal on an ancestral secret of which she was one of the last protectors, along with the Emperor of Angels. Suddenly, she felt the heavy weight of the secret on her shoulders collide with the greed for truth in her son's eyes. She finally gave in and told what she knew to the one who would be her transmitter.

-Lefferina and Aroslan had come to one conclusion: the war would never end unless the people decided to end it themselves. Except that these same populations were being manipulated by power-hungry governments and leaders. They used their fears to pit them against each other, and those who threw themselves wholeheartedly onto the battlefield were blinded by the goal of victory brandished before them. Of course, I was one of those people, although I didn't realize it at the time.

She paused for a moment, seeming to fight against the emotion in her chest. Her breathing deepened, and she resumed her story.

-So Lefferina set off on a mission to reunite the master spirits. With Aroslan, they were convinced it was the only way to bring everyone back to their senses. The fighters would lay down their weapons and return home the moment they saw the master spirits manifest themselves. With time running out, Lefferina staked her life on bringing the seven spirits together and making them manifest to the intergalactic population.

Again she paused, a dark gleam in her eyes.

-Unfortunately, not everyone agreed. Many feared that an awakening of the master spirits would lead to an even more deadly war, while others feared that the angels were only awakening them for their own profit and that they intended to put this institution back on its feet by gaining control over the seven master spirits. Fear animated all consciences, but Lefferina and Aroslan did not allow themselves to be intimidated. When word spread that two angels were in the process of bringing back the master spirits who had extinguished themselves, allowing themselves to disintegrate in the darkness of the cosmos for centuries until they disappeared, people began to change. They became more hesitant. Many began to desert, others threw down their arms against the orders of their leaders, and others simply refused to fight. Already, before they had carried out their weighty task of awakening the spirits, peace was gradually returning. This is the weight that the reputation of master spirits has on people's unconscious.

Seiran listened attentively. He had the impression of attending a forbidden history lesson, one that had been censored for the good of the many, as was often said. But now he realized how manipulable and manipulated history was, and how it was as uncertain as the future, the only difference being that we knew it. This legacy he was receiving through his mother's story made him realize the importance of transmission and of understanding events at their true value. It was fascinating for him, but also terribly frightening.

-Master spirits are the ancestral spirits that governed the seven masters, right? The institution of the masters was abolished as too controversial two hundred years ago, and since then the master spirits have, of their own free will, dissipated into the cosmos never to be invoked again, is that what happened?"

Meolhe nodded.

-How did Empress Lefferina manage to revive them?" she asked with a hint of incomprehension in her voice.

But the regent shook her head.

-No one knows. Lefferina was a woman of mystery, and this is one of them. No one, or perhaps Aroslan, knows how she managed to perform such a miracle. All we know is that she succeeded and that the manifestation of the master spirits before the peoples of the entire intergalaxy marked the definitive end of the fighting and the beginning of peace. The conscious species asked the master spirits to disappear and cease all intervention with the mortal world for fear of their power and origin, but as soon as they and the masters who served them disappeared, they didn't stop killing each other. When they miraculously reappeared, the memory of the past suddenly came back to them, and the fear of a force greater than themselves descending upon them stopped them in their tracks. It is said that the spirits of masters are the instigators of peace and that masters are its protectors. Nothing could be further from the truth, for I've seen it with my own eyes.

Seiran swallowed. He knew, as did everyone else in the intergalaxy who had been to school, that the spirits of masters had been invoked and that this was what had brought about the end of the war. But in her version and that of almost the entire intergalactic population, the spirits had suddenly manifested themselves, and her aunt, Ojvirine, had sacrificed herself to send them back to nothing. The death of a war heroine had calmed everyone down, and the realization of the mortality of a being considered the strongest of all had made the combatants realize the futility of this war and its objective. After that, peace treaties were signed, and the dissident planets accepted the existence of the intergalactic organization without further conflict. For its part, the organization accepted the existence of non-member planets as long as they accepted its construction without fighting it and recognized its rules concerning universal rights, and applied them in their exchanges. The war of the Great Schism was over.

A completely different version of what he had just heard.

-If the fighting stopped on its own, why did Aunt Ojvirine die fighting it?"

He finally formulated his question, although he knew his mother would find it very difficult to answer. Dame Ojvirine had been a role model for her in her youth, and her death still troubled her. Relating such an event must have been deeply painful for her, but he wanted to know. He was determined to lift the veil on this forgotten part of history.

-As you know, the demons only agreed to join the organization because they wanted to be associated with the most powerful clan. Of course, relations between angels and demons have always been complicated, but your grandfather was a wise man. He knew how to recognize Egea's power and understood that attacking an enemy stronger than himself would only lead to his downfall. That's why, instead of getting bogged down in a conflict with an uncertain outcome, he took the gamble of joining the organization. It was also a way of controlling it from the inside. But not all demons were of this opinion, and Dame Ojvirine in particular had always felt that joining was an act of submission and weakness. She blamed the angels for using her father's advanced age to bend him to their will and spread their ideas throughout the organization. Beyond that, she was also among those who considered that the masters were all under the control of the angels. So when she got wind of Lefferina and Aroslan's plan, she went berserk.

Her eyes trembled in the daylight. She stared into the distance, her gaze fixed on a scene only she had experienced.

-When Lefferina summoned Master's spirits, she threw herself headlong into killing her and preventing her from carrying out her plan. But Aroslan stepped in. I said Lefferina was a woman of mystery, but so was Aroslan. I wanted to throw myself into battle to help Lady Ojvirine, but I was busy stopping your father from joining forces with Aroslan. I didn't want him to become his sister's enemy, and I didn't want him to die. When I saw Aroslan stand between Dame Ojvirine, who was launching her powerful killing attack, and Lefferina, who was in the middle of her invocation, I was convinced he was a dead man. I was surprised to see him counter your aunt's attack without taking any damage. Arolan hid within himself a considerable strength that he never used because he was convinced that violence did not solve violence. It was the first time in my life I'd seen anyone surpass Dame Ojvirine in terms of power.

Lost in thought for a moment, the demoness blinked and seemed to come back to reality for a moment. Then she resumed her story.

-The fight was incredible. It was two Titans facing off. In all my life, I've never seen such a display of power. And most impressive of all, Aroslan had deployed an energy barrier enclosing himself and Dame Ojvirine to prevent any damage from being done to the surrounding area. It was impressive. Not only was he capable of fighting a super-powered monster, but he was also able to maintain a powerful protective energy barrier. From the start, Dame Ojvirine hadn't stood a chance. She had thrown herself headlong into this fight, while he was holding back to avoid hurting her. He tried to dissuade her, but Dame Ojvirine was enraged. She saw their action as a betrayal. Aroslan had no intention of killing her, but tragedy struck. Seeing that she couldn't outwit the angel, Dame Ojvirine turned on Lefferina, hoping to drive him to despair if she succeeded in killing her. But this was to underestimate Aroslan's power. Reacting instinctively, he killed her before she could lay a finger on Lefferina's hair. That was how it all ended, and the invocation of the master spirits went off without a hitch.

She looked down, her voice fading.

-I was shocked. I'd never imagined it possible that Lady Ojvirine would be defeated. But what shocked me most was Aroslan. This man, whom I took for an idealistic fool, weak in body and mind by nature, had not only just killed the person I admired most, but was in tears over her lifeless body. Aroslan has never forgiven himself for your aunt's death.

A silence fell between the two demons. Meolhe broke it to finish his story, his voice trembling.

-After that, everything went very fast. We returned to Ornikarn with Lady Ojvirine's body, and Aroslan and Lefferina left for Egea. Peace was signed, and a new intergalactic era had begun. But your grandfather was furious at losing his beloved daughter to a totally unknown angel. So to avoid another diplomatic conflict, the two governments agreed to rewrite history and save the honor of Dame Ojvirine and Ornikarn through her. It would be written that the spirits manifested themselves and began to lose control. Dame Ojvirine is said to have opposed them and reduced them to nothing, sacrificing her life in the process. Lefferina's and Aroslan's intervention would be concealed. That's the official version.

Seiran frowned. He recognized that this was what he had learned, but one detail was missing.

-What about Lord Aroslan's intervention? Why isn't it in the version you've just told me?"

His mother smiled faintly.

-Indeed, there's something missing from this version. Today, what people think they know about this episode is that Dame Ojvirine fought the spirits alone, while Aroslan protected the population with his natural energy barrier. And while Lefferina's miracle of summoning master spirits has been forgotten, angels are now called "master spirit summoners" and feared for that title. Amazing isn't it?"

Seiran was a little confused by his mother's smile.

-It's called the power of angels. It is said that angels have a strange power to influence history. They're said to be able to bring out facts in people's unconscious while others seek to erase them."

The demon stared at him in perplexity. It was the first time he'd heard of this. The story had upset him. Everything he had taken for granted was in fact false or truncated. All the history he thought had built the world around him was in reality smoke created by those who couldn't bear the shame of a story that condemned them. But above all, it was his mother's reaction to all this that struck him. Why had she, who had witnessed all this and seemed deeply moved by the tragedy, perpetrated the circle of violence and killed his father, who had remained close to the Emperor of Angels?

-Mother, why did you kill Father? Tell me the truth! After what you've just told me, I know how much you love him, and I know you don't blame Lord Aroslan for killing Aunt Ojvirine, so why? I know you're an upright woman, you'd never have done such a thing in your normal state!"

His mother's eyes lit up as she grabbed her son by the forearms in a deeply desperate act.

-At the time, I was frightened! I was afraid of history repeating itself! Your father wanted to modernize the empire, he wanted to change mentalities and bring demons and angels closer together. He was educating you in that vein, and I was afraid every day that you'd be targeted for assassination!"

She was trembling now as if she were surrendering her life to her tormentor, vulnerable and powerless.

-One day I couldn't take it anymore. The thought of losing you both was unbearable, and your father wasn't listening. The voices around him grew louder and louder, and he violently silenced them all. I decided to take the initiative and kill your father before anything worse happened. I acted out of pure selfishness! I thought that by killing him and raising you in a classic line that would please your father's detractors, I'd avoid a catastrophe! I was afraid for you and for the empire..."

-That's not true, and you know it! Father was aware of the discontent rising around him, and he took it into account! He always gave a voice to those who opposed him and never forced a project or a law that didn't get at least a majority of his council! Yes, some people wanted him dead, but he was a respected and listened-to leader, even if contested! A coup or assassination attempt against us would have been unlikely, so why did you do it?"

Anger had seized Seiran and he began to raise his voice. But seeing his mother shed tears of regret in front of him felt like whiplash. Then he realized. She was trying to convince herself. She didn't want to face reality because she knew she was dirty, and she was probably afraid she wouldn't be able to stand it. Something in her behaviour told her that she hadn't acted entirely of her own free will, but that she had been led to act in this way by justifying her actions with lies. Lies she was telling herself.

His mother was a victim too. She had been the victim of a malicious will that had infiltrated their family and power. A personality he'd been chasing since his father's death but couldn't quite put a name on or identify.

-I'm sorry Seiran, I beg your pardon! I was lost at the time, I didn't know what I was doing! I was convinced I was doing the right thing, I'm so sorry! I loved Hijvrik with all my heart, there's not a day goes by when I regret having poisoned him..."

Seiran laid a soothing hand on his mother's. He closed his eyes for a moment, repressing the anger that had risen up inside him. Slowly, he opened them again, controlling himself with an iron fist.

-Who told you to do that? There's someone behind this, isn't there? Tell me who it is. I need to know who it is to know what to do.

His mother shook her head through her tears, begging her son with an imploring look.

-You can't, he's too powerful," she refused to speak. "You'll get yourself killed, don't try to face him, I beg you!"

His blood rushed through his veins. He clenched his teeth to continue containing himself. How had this person managed to instill fear in the heart of a general of the demon army, one of the most powerful personalities in the intergalaxy?

-Mother, Emperor Aroslan is going to be killed if we don't do something. We can't let him do what he wants! He must be stopped! Tell me who it is!"

-It's too late," she replied in a breath. "The attack is scheduled for an hour from now, he won't be able to escape it."

-What do you mean?" asked Seiran, who was beginning to panic.

-I gave Aroslan's weakness to whoever was behind his assassination. The interdimensional portal is in place, all we have to do is activate it and we're done. Not even Aroslan can escape it, however powerful he may be.

Seiran frowned again, trying to understand what was happening.

-"Mother, it was you who organized Lord Aroslan's assassination, why do you say 'Him'? "

The demoness pressed her hand to her son's and looked into his eyes.

-I'm just his puppet. From the start, he's been pulling the strings! I can't do anything against him, he's too powerful."

-Who the hell are you talking about?" shouted Seiran, who couldn't take it anymore.

-Run away from here with Jangta, go far away, to an unknown planet. I'll hold him back as long as I can. It'll soon be chaos here. No one can resist him! Don't even try to convince him, he's an excellent manipulator!"

Excited by his mother's behavior, Seiran took her hands in his and gave her a determined look.

-Never! Never! This is my planet, my people, I refuse to abandon them, especially if you tell me there's a danger threatening the intergalaxy! I'm sure Emperor Aroslan will know how to defend himself, he's intelligent and powerful, and in my opinion, he's long been aware of your assassination attempt. I don't know what's happened to make you succumb to fear like this, but I refuse to follow you. It may cost me my life, but I'll fight to the end."

He got to his feet and headed for the exit when he stopped before saying these last words to his mother.

-If you refuse to tell me where the interdimensional portal is, I'll find it myself. And I'll stop this person you fear so much. You can't stop me."

Seeing no response from his mother, he resumed his walk and left the room. The door slammed behind him, leaving the Empress alone in her despair. She had dedicated her life to protecting her son from this man who had left her destitute, but she had failed. She laughed nervously as she thought back over her life. Everything she had wanted to do, everything she had undertaken, had ended in failure. She'd never succeeded at anything. She had wanted to be the commander of the demon army, she had become the emperor's wife. She had wanted to save her husband, she had killed him with her own hands. She had wanted to protect her son, she had just thrown him into a losing battle. Nothing, absolutely nothing, she had undertaken had been successful.

Taking stock of her pathetic life, she stood up and walked over to the window. Outside, all seemed peaceful. Under the warm afternoon sun, life seemed calm, far from the turmoil and agitation that animated the castle. She remained like this for a while, lost in the nostalgia of her memories.

-Your son is like you, Hijvrik. Stubborn and full of goodwill. He's an upright man who does what he wants and doesn't give in to outside pressure. He didn't take anything from me. He's as weak physically as you are, and as good a politician. And that willpower that drives him is surely what's going to be his undoing...

Suddenly, the regent caught her head in her hands. What was she doing, talking to a dead man as if he could hear her? What world was she living in? Where had she lost herself to become so pathetic, she who was promised such a great future?

She bit her lower lip. "Pull yourself together, Meolhe! Your son is in danger, this is no time to lose your temper!" She thought for a moment, intensely. There had to be something she could do, even if she balked at it. She knew it was hopeless... No. She'd convinced herself it was hopeless, but she'd never actually tried. She was a fighter, a soldier. Since when did she give up before even trying?

She clenched her hands, suddenly furious at what she'd just realized. She'd had enough of being manipulated so easily. If she didn't rebel, she'd never earn the right to claim her freedom. It was time to confront this demon who had oppressed her for so many years. No sooner had she decided to finish him off than she heard the door open behind her back and a familiar presence entered. She giggled.

-You're just in time, I was going to find you" she said without turning around.

The interpellant didn't reply. Under a large brown cape with a hood pulled down over his bald face, he stood in front of the door, which he had closed behind him without saying a word. They both knew. The first to move would be the signal for the confrontation to begin. Taking a deep breath, the regent slowly turned to face the man she feared so fiercely. Her chamberlain.