After finishing my negotiations with Aurelius and securing his approval to act against the Vaelgrim family, I returned home. I had only been gone a few hours at most.
When I reappeared in my throne room, Diablo was already waiting. He bowed deeply before speaking.
"Your Excellency, the security around the palace has been doubled, per your orders."
I nodded.
"Good. I just came from Aurelius—he's agreed to sanction our actions in exchange for a portion of the Grand Dungeon's profits."
At that, Diablo's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"So we have the green light! When do we leave to make the Vaelgrim family extinct?"
I regarded him for a moment before replying, my tone calm but firm.
"Not yet. We need to be careful, Diablo. The Vaelgrim family isn't some backwater noble house. Marcus Vaelgrim may be prideful and arrogant, but he's also cunning. I intend to be certain before we move. I have something worth living for now—something beyond power. I won't make the same mistakes I did in the past. Not again."
Diablo blinked, clearly surprised by the rare glimpse of emotion behind my words, but quickly recovered and bowed again.
"Of course, Your Excellency."
"Send a team of Shadows to observe the Vaelgrim estate," I continued. "Watch closely for the next few days. I want to be sure there are no traps. They'll be wary after learning I've taken in my daughter."
"Understood," he said. "And you, my lord? How will you prepare?"
I turned to the floor-to-ceiling windows beside the throne. Beyond them stretched Luminosity, my city—the beating heart of my domain. Even from here, I could see the citizens moving through the streets below.
"I'll ascend the mountain," I said softly. "It's time I return to my cultivation chamber. I can feel it, Diablo—I'm close. So very close to reaching Grand Mage. If I achieve that, no trap, no scheme, no threat the Vaelgrims conjure will matter."
Diablo's expression brightened like a child's.
"Your Excellency, that's incredible news! I'll await your return."
He turned to leave but paused halfway to the door.
"Ah, before I forget—Her Highness has been asking after you. What should I tell her?"
For a brief moment, I froze. I had wanted to spend more time with Aurora. But between the coming storm, my cultivation, and this strange sense of foreboding lingering in the air… I simply couldn't. Something was stirring—something I couldn't yet name.
I turned from the window and said quietly,
"Tell her the truth. I'm entering seclusion for cultivation. I'll see her in a few days."
And with a wave of my hand, reality fractured and reformed, leaving Diablo alone in the throne room.
Diablo's POV:
He stared at the spot where his master had just stood, then smirked.
"This master of mine… he really does need to work on expressing his emotions. Or maybe that's just who he is."
He chuckled softly to himself.
"Either way, serving him is never dull."
With that, he turned on his heel to carry out his orders—and to deliver the message to the little princess.
Aurora's POV
I sat before an ornate, gilded dresser, the surface gleaming under the soft morning light. My reflection stared back at me from a grand mirror as Angela, my head maid, brushed my hair with gentle strokes. I kicked my legs idly, lost in thought.
So much had happened in just a few days.
Since arriving at the palace, I'd spent nearly every meal with Father—breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the Grand Dining Hall. We walked the gardens together, speaking about nothing and everything all at once. It didn't matter what we talked about. Just being near him was enough.
After losing Mother, I thought I'd never feel love again. For a long time, I lived in darkness—until he came. Until he found me. Just as I had dreamed he would.
Angela's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Your Highness, your hair truly is beautiful. You must take after His Excellency in that regard."
I smiled. Yes, I thought. I do. And the idea filled me with warmth.
When I first met Angela and her staff, they were so nervous they could barely look at me. But over these past few days, they'd relaxed, learned that I wasn't some untouchable noble. They'd begun to see me—not just the daughter of the Lightborn.
I was learning more about myself, too. While I resembled Mother in many ways, I could see Father in me as well—in my drive, in my understanding of strength and what it means to survive in this world. I'd learned the hard way what powerlessness felt like, and perhaps that's why I could already understand him more deeply than I expected.
Just thinking about it made me excited for the day of my Awakening.
I was about to ask Angela a question when a knock came at the door.
"Enter," I said.
Alphonso, or "Hawk Eyes" as I'd nicknamed him, stepped in and bowed.
"Your Highness, Lord Diablo wishes to speak with you."
"Let him in," I replied.
Angela gave a graceful curtsey.
"I'll give you some privacy, Your Highness."
I nodded, and she departed as Diablo entered, the doors closing softly behind him.
He waved in his usual flamboyant way—a strange mix of menace and charm—and grinned.
"Your Highness, I bring word from your father. He wanted me to tell you he's entering closed-door cultivation for the next few days. It seems he's close to reaching the legendary Grand Mage realm. But—" he leaned in conspiratorially "—don't tell anyone yet."
He winked, and I couldn't help but giggle.
"He's really going to break through? Wouldn't he be the first in centuries to do that?"
"Indeed you're right," Diablo laughed. "Sharp as your father, you are. That's why I call it legendary—he'd become a true legend if he succeeded."
A swell of pride rose in me, followed by a flicker of unease. What if… I wasn't talented enough? What if I disappointed him?
My excitement dimmed, and I felt my chest tighten. What if I awaken to no magic at all?
But before I could spiral too far, Diablo knelt before me, his tone softer than I'd ever heard.
"Your Highness, I can see what's on your mind. Don't worry yourself. Your father is an anomaly—a monster among men. But even if you never match his power, he will not love you any less. If the world dares to scorn you, he'll scorn the world right back. So stop worrying about what's beyond your control. Just be there for him, as I know he'll be there for you."
His words washed over me, steady and reassuring. I exhaled softly and nodded.
"You're right, Diablo. Thank you… for helping me clear my thoughts."
He smiled, stood, dusted off his trousers, and gave a playful wave before exiting.
As the door closed, I turned back to my reflection in the mirror. My heart swelled with something fierce and quiet—a determination born of love and loss.
Father wasn't just cultivating for himself. He was doing it for me. For us.
For our future.And for the retribution that was yet to come.