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The air in the Grand Throne Room of the Purple Demon Kingdom was thick and heavy, saturated with raw, oppressive magic. Torches, fueled by strange purple fire, cast dancing shadows on the obsidian walls. This was the final stage of the ritual for the new queen.
Lia stood upon a dais, dressed in heavy royal silks that felt like a cage. Opposite her, Liora, the Former Queen, watched with glittering anticipation.
"One more ritual, my dear, then you can take the throne," Liora announced, her voice smooth as dark velvet.
Lia shifted uncomfortably. "Is that necessary now? Actually, I'm not willing to be queen."
Liora's smile didn't falter. "No, my dear. You have to. I have waited for this moment for too long. It has finally arrived." Liora stepped closer, her expression shifting to one of intense scrutiny. "I think your inner core has regained its power. Let me see it."
Lia recoiled, shaking her head. "No!"
"Why?" Liora demanded, closing the distance.
"Actually, I willingly lost my power," Lia confessed, dropping her voice. "I gave it up to protect someone. Don't ask who." Suddenly, Lia gripped her head and shouted, a raw cry of pain and stress. She blinked, calming herself quickly. "So, I couldn't possibly have gotten my power back."
Liora's eyes narrowed, a flash of frustration crossing her features. "Why are you shouting at your own mother?" she hissed.
"No! Don't force me!" Lia pleaded, her back hitting the cold stone of the dais wall.
Liora's eyes flared a vibrant, terrifying purple. "Lia, listen to me." She advanced, her power swelling around her.
Lia panicked, throwing her hand out instinctively. A pure, violent bolt of silver-white energy—an energy completely foreign to the Demon Kingdom—erupted from her palm. It slammed into Liora, throwing the Former Queen violently backward.
Liora tumbled, catching herself before she hit the ground. She stared at Lia, initially about to bellow her name in fury, but then she paused. Her mouth curved into a slow, victorious smile as she stood up.
Lia stared at her mother, confused and trembling. "Why… what's happening here?"
"Because you got your power back, dear," Liora purred, advancing again.
"No way," Lia whispered, shaking her head rapidly.
"Come near," Liora commanded.
"I can't be queen!" Lia shouted, tears blurring her vision.
Liora's patience shattered. Her purple aura exploded outward. "Why?!"
"Because..." Lia sobbed, the truth a painful weight she could no longer hold. "I am not your daughter."
Liora's face went white with fury. "Don't say nonsense, Lia!" She unleashed a burst of dark energy, aiming to incapacitate the girl.
Before the magic could strike, a brilliant white aura erupted between them. Ren, the Heaven King, materialized, his strong arms wrapping around Lia and pulling her from the blast's path.
Ren's usually gentle eyes were now blazing red. He looked directly at Liora. "She isn't your daughter."
Liora stared, disbelief hardening into cold denial. "No way! You… Heaven people are saying lies!"
Ren helped Lia stand, holding her steady. Lia looked at him, her face stained with tears, overwhelmed by emotion. "I won't leave. I will always be with you, even if you try to avoid me," Ren vowed. Lia simply let a tear roll down her cheek.
"Lia, listen to your mother!" Liora pleaded, her voice cracking. "Don't believe his words! He wants to separate us!" Liora summoned a sphere of swirling purple magic. Ren responded instantly, manifesting his shining silver sword and unleashing a counter-blast of pure white energy. The two powers collided, detonating in a blinding explosion that shook the foundations of the throne room.
Blue Moon Kingdom
In his opulent chamber, King Dylan of the Blue Moon Kingdom paced, his brow furrowed with deep worry. The air felt heavy, sensing the distant, violent shift in the magical currents across the realms.
A guard rushed in, kneeling quickly. "Majesty, a report from the scouts!"
Dylan paused, his anxiety spiking as he listened to the breathless account—the chaotic energy signatures, the clash of Heaven and Demon power in the Purple Kingdom, and the confirmed presence of the Heaven King, Ren.
Dylan's eyes widened. "Lia..." he breathed.
He barked an order. "Take care of our Queen! I have to go." Without waiting for a reply, Dylan raised his hand, performed a quick, complex spell, and vanished in a swirling cloud of blue smoke.
The Purple Demon Kingdom
The throne room was scarred and smoking, debris scattered across the marble floor. Liora stood opposite Ren and Lia. Lia now wore the heavy purple ritual gown; Ren wore his pristine white king's costume.
"How can you abandon your mother for him?" Liora asked, her voice wrenching with genuine, raw emotion.
Lia remained silent. Ren stepped forward. "Don't listen to her words, Lia. She is a demon."
Lia turned to Ren, her voice soft but filled with sorrow. "Yes. She is a demon," she said, her eyes meeting Liora's devastated gaze. "But she is a mother, too. A good mother."
"Lia, no!" Ren warned, trying to pull her back.
Ignoring him, Lia walked slowly toward Liora, who was openly weeping now, the grand queen reduced to a heartbroken woman. Lia came closer, and Liora instinctively pulled her into a tight, desperate embrace.
"But… I'm not your daughter," Lia whispered against Liora's shoulder.
Liora shoved her away, her face twisting in denial. "Don't say nonsense, Lia!"
With sudden resolve, Lia grabbed Liora's hand and pressed it fiercely against her own chest. A violent torrent of strong purple demon aura streamed from Liora's body directly into Lia's core. Lia gasped, unable to breathe as the foreign, dark power invaded her. Ren shouted, "Lia!" from the other side of the room.
Liora, meanwhile, focused, searching Lia's inner core with her power. The realization of what she felt—or rather, what she didn't feel—sank in. Her eyes widened in pure horror.
"No… No… Impossible!" Liora stammered, tears instantly replaced by cold dread.
Lia looked at Ren, forcing a weak smile. "I'm okay."
"How?" Liora demanded, her eyes turning from purple to a terrifying, blood-red. She lunged, moving faster than a shadow, and grabbed Lia by the neck. Lia choked, unable to pull away.
Liora brought her face close to Lia's, her red eyes boring into the girl's soul. Her voice, no longer sad or angry, was utterly desperate.
"Then… where is my daughter?! Tell me!"
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