When Valroth marked Morvena, she had been nothing more than an ordinary girl. But unlike Elara, Morvena's love for him was a wildfire—reckless, all-consuming. What set her apart, however, was her will. Despite being human, her spirit was unbreakable, something even Valroth had to admire. He favored her greatly.
The only trouble was Aya.
As usual, Aya had taken a liking to Morvena. But Morvena despised her for it, believing her presence tainted the bond she shared with Valroth. She refused to accept Aya's healing, relenting only when Valroth ordered her to. At the time, he truly believed that this time, he would succeed.
But then, Aya told Morvena about Elara.
"Valroth still loves her, you know," Aya had said, her voice deceptively casual. "Sometimes, he even dreams of her. Look."
With a careless flick of her hand, Aya conjured a swirling mist. Within it, strands of moonlit hair shimmered, images of the past twisting and expanding like echoes in a dream. And when Valroth's voice emerged—soft, gentle, calling Elara's name—Morvena could bear it no longer.
She threw herself into the mist.
"Enough."
That night, Valroth made a mistake.
They had been locked in a spiral of pleasure and torment, their bodies entwined, her gasps and cries blending into something indistinguishable—pain or ecstasy, he could no longer tell. He sensed the storm of emotions inside her but failed to recognize the danger in time.
His sword had already pierced her chest.
Before he could process what had happened, a blinding green light filled the room.
Only by dying in hatred could an Erinys awaken. Only then could she become what she was truly meant to be.
"Her mark had already darkened, though I don't know when it happened," Valroth said, his voice devoid of emotion, as if he were recounting someone else's story. "But when she was reborn as an Erinys, the mark I left on her vanished entirely."
Later, the humans waged war against the other races, bringing their Dead Warriors to the battlefield. And there, amidst the chaos, Valroth met her again.
Morvena had found others of her kind. She had become one of their strongest.
She had asked him—no, pleaded with him—to mark her once more.
And Valroth had seen Elara again, too.
She was no longer the girl he had known. She had become one of the Dead Warriors, her face twisted beyond recognition. And yet, in a single fleeting moment, she had saved his life.
Like all the others, her mind was clouded, lost in the void. But even then, she had called him "Master."
Her defiance cost her everything. Her commander executed her for disobeying orders.
And this time, she truly vanished into nothingness.
Aeris's hands clenched around her spear, her body trembling. The pain in her chest that had been gnawing at her since Valroth began speaking was slowly ebbing away.
"So, you can feel my pain," she whispered.
Valroth studied her, his smile cold and knowing. "I feel everything."
Tears spilled from Aeris's eyes. She wiped them away with a trembling hand. Then, as if afraid of the truth she had just uncovered, she hesitated before speaking again.
"So… all of our suffering… you've been enduring it alongside us?"
"This is my choice," Valroth said, his tone indifferent. "And it's not just pain. I feel your emotions. Your thoughts. Your entire being." He met her tear-streaked gaze without a hint of warmth. "But that isn't the point."
His voice turned sharp, unwavering.
"The point is, I expect you to become like Morvena—strong, rational, independent… but utterly obedient when it comes to my orders."
Then, in a softer, almost uncertain voice, he added, "But… not too much like her, or them"
For a moment, he seemed lost in thought, his words meant for someone else entirely.
Aeris wiped away her tears and nodded, though her expression remained distant. Her reddened eyes and blank face belonged to two different people.
"But you didn't," Valroth said suddenly, his voice like ice. "You disobeyed me. You stood in my way."
Aeris stiffened. Fear flickered in her gaze, quickly followed by something uglier—disgust at herself.She was terrified of losing him. And she hated herself for giving him a reason to walk away.
Lowering her head, she stood in silence, like a scolded child afraid to meet his eyes.
"Don't embarrass me again."With those final words, Valroth turned and walked away without looking back.
Aeris remained where she was, rooted to the ground, did not know if she should follow, but was unwilling to be left behind.
Then, cautiously, she lifted her head.He was waiting for her.
"Well?" Valroth called. "Are you coming or not?"
At that, a smile broke across her face, childlike and relieved. She ran to his side, her crescent-shaped earring gleaming in the dim light. Valroth chuckled softly, but his heart remained empty.
Morvena's revelation still weighed on him.
The Book.The Upper World. The secret that had shaped everything.
If it was true that only the Annunaki could enter The Book, then he needed to find one even if they were solitary creatures, long thought to have vanished.
If he could train an Annunaki, make them his own, then perhaps—perhaps—he could uncover the truth of this world.
And if there was even the slightest chance that Morvena was right…
No. He would not give up.
He had to find an Annunaki.
Even if it meant abandoning his newest pet.
For the first time in a long while, Valroth let out a quiet sigh.
What a shame.