With noiseless steps, Evélyne headed to the exit of the cavern. As she walked for a bit, she felt the intent of the domain core tease her mind. Aware of its intent, Evélyne's stride didn't pause as she calmly thought,
/I'm not interested./
With that, the domain core retracted its intent and tried to re-established its link with Lucas. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Apart from the fact that he was within Evélyne's core, he was also trapped in that strange device.
All of its attempts were casually rebuffed by Evélyne. As Evélyne walked further and further, she could ignore the Domain core's weakening attempts, deep in thought.
'Why was it so… hate filled in the end? Domain Lords don't go as far as mutilating themselves to achieve more power. At least I haven't read of such events. More than that… I felt its deep anguish. That was not something a Domain creature should be capable of.'
The more she thought about it, the more unsettled Evélyne felt about the whole situation. It almost seemed like she had… killed another sapient life form simply for sport? She shook her head, there was no reason to jump to such conclusions yet. Domain creatures lacked any form of Will. When she got home, this would all be cleared up.
About fifteen minutes later, she was out of the cavern. Walking over to her aircraft, it went out of its stealth mode. The vessel was sleek and angular, forged from a composite of lightweight, hyper-durable alloys and energy-reactive materials.
Its deep, matte black finish absorbed ambient light, reducing visual detection, while subtle golden trim along its edges pulsed faintly with stabilizing energy.
Despite its compact size, it bore a refined aerodynamic form, almost predatory in its efficiency.
The forward fuselage curved smoothly into an elongated cockpit, encased in an adaptive canopy that shifted between transparency and opacity based on external conditions.
Twin propulsion thrusters were seamlessly integrated into the rear structure. Designed for silent yet immense thrust and acceleration.
The landing struts hovered just above the ground, indicating an anti-gravity stabilization system that minimized disturbance to the terrain.
With Evélyne standing a few meters away from her vehicle, a soft crimson light escaped from her chest to her waiting palm. With a backdrop of expansive forest and a late afternoon sun hanging above, a circular and mirror-like device appeared in Evélyne's palm.
A small smile appeared on her face as the device lit up with a buzz. A few moments later, an image of her mother appeared with a warm smile. She asked with obvious pride,
"Did you already clear the Domain darling?"
With a soft nod, Evélyne said,
"Yes, mother. Most of its inhabitants were not noteworthy. The Domain lord however was quite strange."
Her mom raised an eyebrow at that.
"Strange in what way?"
"It's difficult to explain… we shall speak more on this when I am back. See you in four hours mother."
"Okay dear, I will be waiting."
The mirror device dimmed as it shut off. A crimson light flashed from Evelyne's chest once more, reabsorbing the device as Evélyne walked to her aircraft. The foul air of the cavern was left behind as she stepped into the cockpit of her aircraft.
The aircraft hummed softly, its systems awakening with a gentle glow. The sleek canopy retracted in a smooth, near-silent motion, sealing Evélyne in the minimalist cockpit.
The moment she took her seat, her eyes glowed with power as the neural interface of the vehicle synchronized with her. The ship automatically engaged its pre-launch sequence.
Thin, golden lines traced along the dashboard as holographic controls materialized around her hands. A gentle pulse of energy ran through the frame as the craft's core systems activated. The plane's thrusters realigned while the landing struts retracted quietly into the aircraft.
Evélyne executed the launch sequence with a mere thought. The aircraft levitated smoothly, thrusters counteracting inertia as the craft levitated higher and higher.
A soft thrum vibrated through the cockpit as the twin thrusters initiated, their energy output dynamically adjusting to the surrounding conditions.
With an imperceptible delay, the craft transitioned from hovering to skyward acceleration, piercing through the air with hypersonic yet silent velocity.
A barely visible energy veil formed around its exterior, dispersing atmospheric friction as the ship climbed in altitude. Within seconds, it had blinked away, leaving nothing but a faint shimmer in its wake.
——— About three hours later…
At a launch pad in the Lifeblood manor, Katlyn Lifeblood stood alongside the Beastkin Sasha in tranquil silence. The late evening sky was already giving way to starlight. Sasha politely stood behind Katlyn, tail concealed within her maid gown.
Katlyn was dressed in an elegant white dress, threads of red and gold marking it beautifully. Without turning to her, Katlyn spoke softly,
"It's okay Sasha, you know Evélyne hates it when you restrain yourself."
Sasha blushed slightly at this. Her bushy tail slowly poked out of her gown and wagged frantically, prompting a chuckle from Katlyn.
Before she could press the issue, she saw a faint streak making its way to the manor. This sight brought a soft smile to her face.
Given its distance, Katlyn could tell her daughter was about fifteen minutes away. She turned to Sasha and spoke once more,
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"Your mistress is almost here Sasha. I'm sure she has quite a bit to tell us. But given how she usually is, we have to coax it out of her. So don't be shy okay?"
Sasha nodded frantically as she stuttered out,
"Y-yes, my Queen."
Walking over with her soft smile, Katlyn patted her on her head lovingly. Her hands brushed against her fluffy ears.
"No wonder Evélyne is so fond of you. You're so cute."
Sasha just blushed harder as she received the head pats. A soft growl could be heard from her from time to time.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the faint streak had already closed the distance to the manor. It now hovered over the launch pad as it gently sank down for a smooth landing.
The cockpit door opened soundlessly to reveal Evélyne's impeccable features. She stepped out into the pleasant air of the manor, she took a deep breath free of death and decay.
As she walked towards her mom and Sasha, the former smiled brightly while the latter watched her with starry eyes. Her mood automatically lifted as she said,
"…Mom, Sasha, I'm home."
Katlyn stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug while whispering,
"Welcome home, my Veliris."
Letting go, Katlyn gave Sasha room to step forward as well. Her arms half spread as she stepped forward stiffly. Evélyne's tranquil expression cracked, a bright smile blooming on her face. She wrapped the smaller Sasha in hug before asking,
/Did mother put you up to this?/
Sasha shook her head firmly, to a thumbs up from Katlyn. Evélyne narrowed her eyes and asked again this time out loud,
"Really Sasha?"
Sasha froze before nodding softly. She said,
"The Queen just asked me not to restrain myself around you... I-I missed you mistress."
Evélyne tightened her hug slightly before she nodded with a "Hmmm."
Letting go, Evélyne turned to her mom, who said,
"We should head inside."
With a subtle nod from Evélyne, the trio headed to the manor.
On their walk, Evélyne slowly explained how her rather short trip went. Katlyn and Sasha listened quietly as she narrated her experiences in the cavern.
Her words were punctuated by the surprising weakness of the cavern inhabitants and her mild disappointment. With a somewhat helpless expression, Katlyn couldn't help but point out,
"If I sent you to a Domain with stronger creatures, the chance of facing creatures at level six and higher would rise considerably, darling. That would be too dangerous."
"I know mother… I just… wanted the trip to be more exciting. It's not everyday I get to leave the manor."
Evélyne responded absentmindedly as she walked forward. Katlyn frowned slightly but fixed her expression as she changed the subject.
"So did you capture the Domain Lord you were talking about?"
"Yes I did mother. On that note, we should analyze it now while you have some free time."
"You're not going to get some rest first? My schedule should be clear for the day."
Shaking her head, Evélyne responded with,
"It's fine mother, I used up more energy piloting my jet than fighting."
"Okay, let's head to my laboratory."
With that, the trio headed for her lab. In a few minutes, they stood at the entrance. Two, heavy black doors sealed the lab.
They carried a soft white glow from the innumerable microscopic Runes engraved in them, giving the doors a rather solemn look.
Katlyn released a small stream of oscillating red energy towards the door. It vibrated at an extremely precise yet complex frequency. The steam flowed throughout each of the door's Runes at an incomprehensible speed, unlocking the door in less than a second. They walked through the now opened doors and were greeted by an impressive sight.
The laboratory was a masterpiece of refinement and precision, its every surface sculpted with purpose. Soft lights pulsed from the engraved walls, flowing along delicate runic pathways that curved in elegant, almost organic patterns. The air itself was charged, humming with a contained power but awe inspiring power.
As they walked in deeper, Evélyne and Sasha felt a gentle nudge at their minds which they didn't resist. It came from the center of the laboratory. At the center of the chamber on a raised circular platform housed a translucent spherical construct of shifting energy.
The sphere flickered between stability and motion. Each shift contained myriad types of energy, each one interacting with each other in complex, almost contradictory ways.
Its surface rippled like liquid glass, displaying fragmented symbols one moment and complex, interwoven sigils the next. Each symbol was created with a different and unique strand of energy, barely existing for a few moments.
Occasionally, a stray pulse of energy would arc toward the ceiling, only to be absorbed by the containment field that shimmered above.
This was a Domain core. It was far more powerful than the one at the cavern but somehow, the Queen had bound it to her laboratory.
Holographic constructs woven from Spirit energy, taking the form of precise tools, data displays, or interface nodes. They hover around certain parts of the laboratory.
To the left, a series of containment chambers lined the wall, each holding suspended masses of material. Some pulsed faintly, others lay dormant, their internal compositions too volatile to risk exposure. Runic containers encased these chambers, keeping their contents frozen in a state of equilibrium.
To the right, where numerous cages. Each contained a unique creature or item. Just from a simple glance you could tell they were quite strange.
As the trio moved through the lab, the room adjusted to their presence—tools floated nearby, displays shifting their focus to match the Queen's thoughts.
A flick of her fingers sent Runes scattering through the air, reorganizing into intricate equations before dissolving into the core at the center.
After a quick mental check, Katlyn could tell everything was running smoothly. She said to Evélyne,
"Follow me, let's place this creature of yours in a proper containment field."
———
Wake up.
'…'
Wake up, Lucas.
'Mom?'
You have to wake up now.
'Why? Isn't it over? I lost.'
You did. But you're still here, you still persist.
'It doesn't matter. I failed. I failed you, I failed Crash. I failed everyone. My persistence… was a mistake.'
The voice sank into silence at that. Lucas felt his consciousness begin to drift. It floated through his memories from earth. His relatively normal life, the friendships he had and his mom.
Even though he cherished all those things, in this transient moment he felt profoundly ungrateful. He knew none of his choices could have influenced what happened at the end of his life.
But right now, he realized just how much he took all of it for granted. Even when he died, he barely thought of his friends or mom. Everything had been about him, his survival, his goals, his strength.
All that ego in the face of that final blade was comparable to whispering in an absolute void—completely irrelevant. His self identity, the very state of being, had been cleaved apart by that final slash. So now, he floated here. In this mental domain of his own creation, unwilling to face himself or the world.
Suddenly, he felt something probe his mind. It was extremely gentle, almost imperceptible in its actions.
'Hmmm?'
It probed again, this time deeper and more intimate. Its soft power gleaned some of his thoughts, memories, and feelings.
'Leave me alone.'
The mysterious intent didn't heed his words as it probed further, directly touching his Psyche. The sensation provoking Lucas fury as he lashed out.
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
The connection snapped as Lucas released a burst of his Will which visibly slammed into his containment field like a tsunami. Katlyn and Evélyne bore thoughtful expressions as they processed what they had just seen. Sasha on the other hand shivered, the events of the final scene still vivid in her mind
Katlyn frowned and was about to speak but Evélyne beat her to the punch. Placing a hand on Sasha's head, she said,
"Open the containment field."
Katlyn paused for a moment. She watched as Lucas aura retracted while his healed but still horrid form rose from its slumber. She nodded slightly and deactivated the field.
Evélyne stroked Sasha's head twice before walking forward with a measured stride. She got into the containment cell and stood just a few meters away from the waking Lucas.
As he stumbled to his feet in confusion, he spread his senses before instantly jumping back in sheer terror. His body responded to this shift in emotion by writhing and shrinking as he prepared to escape.
His [Spirit sense] spread to its maximum range. All this frantic motion came to a screeching halt as Evélyne bowed deeply. She sent him a simple mental message,
/I'm sorry./
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