"Father… are you sure this will work?" Alpha asked, his voice low but laced with concern.
"I don't know, son," Caelum answered truthfully. "That's why we're calling it an experiment."
Yesterday's quiet walk through Ceres's Empress Palace sparked an idea in him, a potential loophole.
He couldn't see her, not until he fulfilled his end of the bargain with Lucifer. That part was set in stone. But maybe, just maybe, he could speak to her. Touch her. The trick, he believed, was all about intent.
As long as he didn't will himself to see her, as long as the desire to gaze upon her face didn't spark within his soul, then perhaps... everything else might still be possible.
There was only one problem, his teleportation was always blocked within a certain radius of her presence.
So, he decided to use Luna as a conduit.
If this worked, it would change everything.
The doors to Alpha's office opened, and Luna entered with Tuf behind her.
In her hands was a black silk blindfold. Midnight-dark. Cursed with a spell only she could conjure.
"You cursed it?" Caelum asked.
"Yes," Luna replied. "You won't be able to see anything as long as it's on. But… Father, your life force literally consumes both curse and magic. I don't think this will last long," she added, worried.
"That's why you must always be present when I'm with your mother," Caelum said calmly. "In case the curse breaks, I'll need you to recast it instantly."
"Kitten," Tuf chimed in, stepping forward, "don't use your powers unless absolutely necessary. If some pests out there piss you off, let the young ones handle it. Or better yet, have Comet discipline them for you, okay?"
Luna nodded silently.
Then, Tuf handed Caelum a small obsidian earring, twin to the one he himself wore.
"It chains fifty percent of my power," Tuf said. "I don't know how much of yours it can hold back, father."
Caelum smiled faintly. "This is fine, cub. It's only a precaution anyway."
He took the earring and clipped it on.
Luna approached him next and slowly placed the blindfold over his eyes.
Darkness swallowed his vision instantly.
Not just darkness, but void. Like the abyss he'd once awakened into when he'd decided to end everything. The same abyss where he'd made his deal with the Devil.
He could already feel his life force feeding on the curse, tugging, devouring, resisting. But it didn't matter. Today was only a test. He just needed to know if the loophole held.
Caelum reached beside him and felt for the bouquet of flowers he had carefully arranged the night before, deep crimson roses laced with black-tipped lilies, and held Luna's hand.
"Wish me luck, children," he said, even if he couldn't see them.
"Good luck, Father," both Alpha and Tuf answered in unison.
Luna took a deep breath, released her signature shadow mist, and with one silent thought, teleported herself and Caelum into the Empress Palace.
They reappeared in the center of the Receiving Hall.
Gasps erupted from the attendants cleaning the area, but they quickly dropped into respectful bows upon recognizing Luna.
"The Empress is in the garden, Mistress Luna," one of them reported. "She organized a tea party for the little Regent."
Luna gave a curt nod in acknowledgment, then vanished again with Caelum in tow.
In a breath, they reappeared in the Empress Garden.
The shadow mist wrapped tightly around them like a shield. No eyes, not even Seiryu's holy gaze, could detect their presence from afar.
And then… Caelum felt her.
She was there. Right in front of him.
Her presence washed over him like a tide of light against the black ocean of his soul. His body trembled, his ancient blood stirred, the old bond throbbing under his skin.
But there was no force pushing him back.
No divine wall slamming into his chest. No invisible rejection.
His hands tightened slightly around the bouquet, lips parting on a silent breath.
It was working.
The loophole held.
He just needed to take the next step.
"If Zeus and I had children back on Earth… he would have been the best dad."
Caelum stood still as he listened, the sound of her voice trembling beneath the weight of a dream that never came true.
"You know," Ceres continued softly, "he actually wanted ten. Nine boys and the youngest, a girl. He said he'd spoil her rotten. He already had it all planned out… how he'd carry her everywhere, throw her up and catch her like she could fly, braid her hair even if he had no idea how. He even told me how he'd walk her down the aisle himself, only if the guy passed his standards, of course."
Caelum felt the ache in her every word. It wasn't just grief, it was the ghost of a life denied.
Luna quietly released his hand but kept the shadow mist cloaked tightly around him. He still couldn't see Ceres, but he didn't need his sight to know she was standing in front of him. His heart, silent for a thousand years, beat as if it remembered. Remember why it beats and for whom.
And then, instinct took over.
He reached forward and gently covered her eyes, eyes he couldn't see but knew must be filled with tears. With his other arm, he pulled her close, wrapping it around her waist and burying his face in the back of her head. He kissed her hair and held her tighter, anchoring them in a world that, for a moment, held only the two of them.
"Shhh... Don't cry, love," he whispered when he felt her body begin to tremble.
"Zeus," she breathed out, brokenly.
"Yes, love," Caelum murmured.
She turned around quickly, and without hesitation, kissed him.
A kiss he had dreamed of endlessly. A kiss he thought he'd never taste again.
He deepened it, hands tracing the lines of her face with reverence, memorizing every curve like a man dying of thirst drinking her in.
"I love you so much. I missed you so much, love," Caelum said between desperate kisses, unable to stop the tears that now soaked beneath the blindfold.
"I love you too. I missed you more than you'll ever know," Ceres whispered back, breathless. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for letting you go through that hell alone."
He held her even tighter, kissed her temple, then her brow.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, love. If this is the result of that hell, I'd walk through it again every time."
And he kissed her again, like a man reclaiming his soul.
"What's with the blindfold? Is this… a new kink?" Ceres teased gently, trying to lift the corner of it.
Caelum stopped her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers.
"It's an experiment. But now that you mention it, I think it's a good kink. We haven't done this before."
Ceres laughed, real, unrestrained, and almost musical.
"You're crazy."
"We'll defeat that bastard," Caelum said, voice low and deadly, referring to Lucifer. "Just a little patience, okay? I know patience isn't your strong suit."
"Of course not. Then I wouldn't be me anymore," she smirked. "It's your job to be patient. Especially with me."
"True," Caelum chuckled, before kissing her all over her face, like a child rediscovering his favorite story.
"Oh, by the way. I brought you flowers." He reached behind him, gesturing toward Luna.
Ceres turned and saw her daughter holding the bouquet, a chaotic arrangement of blooms in mismatched hues. Clearly handmade.
"You made them?" she asked, amused.
"You can tell?" Caelum asked, a bit hopeful.
"It's ugly," she deadpanned.
There was a flicker of uncertainty in his expression. "You… don't like it?"
"I love it," Ceres smiled, taking the bouquet from Luna's hand. "But that doesn't change the fact that it's ugly. I told you before, flower arranging is on the very short list of things you have no talent for."
He hugged her again. Longer this time. As if trying to memorize the way her body fit into his arms. As if afraid to let go.
But the sky began to rumble in the distance, and the silk blindfold cursed by Luna began to lose its strength, its magic now nearly consumed by Caelum's overwhelming life force. The curse faltered. He could start to see her silhouette, faint and blurry.
And he wasn't the only one noticing something shift.
They could hear the murmurs of the staff nearby. A hush, a tensing of magic in the air.
"It's okay, kitten," Caelum said calmly when he felt Luna move closer, trying to recast the curse.
"What's happening?" Ceres asked, eyes narrowing in concern.
"Luna will explain everything," Caelum whispered, stealing one more kiss. "But for now, I have to go. You'll see me at the banquet, right?"
"Yes," Ceres nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Delphine?" Caelum called out, his voice slightly raised in the direction where he sensed her presence.
"My Lord?" Delphine responded, stepping forward.
"I know I still owe you from our last agreement," he said, smiling faintly. "But will you do me another favor? Take care of this stubborn Empress of yours for me, will you?"
"You do not need to ask that of me as a favor, My Lord," Delphine replied, smiling warmly. "I will take good care of Her Highness."
Caelum turned to Ceres once more, cupping her face with both hands. He kissed her gently on the forehead, savoring the warmth of her skin.
"She's very loyal, love. You chose well," he said softly.
"I know," Ceres replied, rolling her eyes, fighting the tremble in her voice.
Another roll of thunder echoed from above.
"I have to go now," Caelum whispered, brushing one last kiss on her lips. "I love you."
And just like that, he vanished.
The moment he did, Ceres collapsed.
Luna caught her immediately, holding her tightly as silent sobs wracked her body. She said nothing, simply stroked her back in slow, calming motions.
"Thank you, kitten… thank you for doing this for us," Ceres whispered between sobs, clutching her daughter tightly.
Luna didn't speak, but Ceres could feel it, the slight shift in her aura. It was weaker. This experiment was draining her.
"You don't have to worry about me, Mother," Luna said, gently. "I can handle this much strain."
"Mama!" a small voice cried out behind them.
Ceres and Luna quickly composed themselves. Luna helped dry her tears as Ceres turned with a soft smile to greet the little girl running toward her.
"Yes, baby?" Ceres asked as she knelt to meet her daughter's eye level.
Pixie rushed into her arms, eyes big with worry. "Were you crying, Mama?"
Cupping her face gently, Pixie kissed her cheek.
"It's happy tears, baby," Ceres assured her with a kiss on the forehead.
Pixie's eyes fell on the bouquet Ceres was holding.
"Who gave you flowers, Mama? It's ugly," Pixie said with perfect honesty, scrunching her nose.
"Really?" Ceres said, lifting the bouquet. "But I love it."
"You love it?" Pixie looked utterly unconvinced.
"Yes. Your papa gave it to me."
At once, Pixie's face changed.
"Ahmmm… If you put it like this, " Pixie rotated the bouquet to hide the most chaotic part of the arrangement, "then it's beautiful."
Meaning, it's only beautiful if no one can see it properly.
Ceres burst into laughter.
"Don't worry, baby. I told Papa it was ugly, too," she said with a smile. "How about we rearrange it later tonight so it looks a little better?"
Pixie nodded eagerly.
Ceres handed the bouquet to Delphine. "Please take this to my room, Delphine."
Delphine bowed and walked off with the awkwardly arranged flowers in her arms.
"We're going to play bubbles now, Mama! You said you'd play with us!" Pixie tugged on her hand.
Ceres opened her mouth to respond, but a new presence approached.
"Your Highness," Legion said, bowing respectfully. "Sir Draven is at the receiving area. He was sent by Duke Aurelian to inform you that there are guests."
Ceres straightened slightly, brows furrowing.
"Who?" she asked sharply.
"Emperor Syron Pyrrath, along with his mother, Empress Isolde Arwyn. His first concubine, Celine Valeria, and second concubine, Aelira Thornmere. They are accompanied by a small delegation of nobles, priests, and high-ranking magicians from the Pyrrathis Kingdom."
A dark chill settled over Ceres's expression. She did not like what she heard. Not at all.