The moon hung low in the sky above the palace of Gaia, casting a cold blue light that filtered through the tall pillars and stained glass windows. Iris stood alone on the balcony, her hands resting on her slightly protruding belly. Her breath felt heavy. "I have to be strong… at least this time, I don't want to be a burden to him," she murmured, her voice almost swallowed by the night wind.
From the hall, the sounds of celebration echoed faintly: music, laughter, and whispers of politics. But Iris closed her eyes, allowing the night to pull her back ten years—a night that shattered everything.
"Iris, wake up." A soft voice from a young slave girl shook her shoulder. "The guards will be here soon."
Iris awoke, her body weak, the scars on her back and thighs stinging. She adjusted her torn, thin dress, but her body shivered against the cold, shame, and trauma she dared not name.
"Listen, get ready. They're coming."
Heavy footsteps approached, and the iron door swung open. "Take her to the main room. The King is waiting," commanded one of the Gamma guards, his voice cold and firm.
Iris fell silent. With her eyes closed, she allowed herself to be dragged out. In the dark corridor, other slaves bowed their heads, too afraid to look up. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, iron, and unspoken filth.
In the underground throne room, King Chaos awaited with a piercing indifference. He sat on a stone throne, a bitter smile etched on his face, his purple robe shimmering with dark glyphs. "Ah, you're back, my most beautiful slave," his voice dripped with weight. "Have you finally learned the meaning of obedience today?"
Iris remained silent, her heart constricted. The guard forced her down, her knees hitting the cold floor. She fought back tears, feeling the darkness enveloping the room.
Chaos laughed cynically, his voice breaking the silence. "In this world, there is only one law: power. You are merely a decoration on my sad table of authority." He waved his hand, and the guard stepped back, leaving Iris in painful solitude.
In an instant, smack! Chaos's powerful hand landed on Iris's cheek, pulling her face to meet his. "Forget honor, slave," he said, highlighting the darkness in his heart. "There is only fate and fear before me."
Iris took a deep breath. "If one day a miracle breaks through this darkness… I just hope, even for a moment, to be free from this prison, to breathe easily." That prayer flowed through her mind, as if building hope amidst the pain.
"Take her back to the cell after I'm done," Chaos said coldly, ending the conversation with an indifferent tone. The guard dragged Iris out, throwing her unceremoniously onto the cold, hard cell floor.
In the corner of the cell, her fellow slaves looked on with empathy, wrapping Iris in fragile hope. Senna, a brave girl, whispered, "Hold on, Iris. They say the Earth forces have breached the western territory. Maybe this war could be our salvation."
Iris laughed bitterly, tears streaming down her face, leaving trails of hurt. "War? Isn't that what turned everything into this hell?" The question reflected her endless bitter journey.
Senna bowed her head, her heart trembling. "But… listen! There's an explosion above! Maybe this is our time to fight!"
Screams, booms, and the sound of collapsing walls filled the prison, as if voicing the horrors trapped within the cold stones. From the dark corridor, a spiral of light burst through, blue and purple glowing sharply, carving dark shadows in the room. The guards, their faces pale, panicked and scattered.
A silhouette stepped through the stinging smoke. His body was covered in wounds, his tattered robe billowing as if showcasing an unending battle. And his gaze—it burned, as if capable of incinerating anyone who dared to stand in his way. He raised the spiral magic sword—Voidlight—that trembled with the spirit of forgotten stars.
"There he is! Fitran Fate!" shouted a guard, his voice trembling between fear and excitement, as if new hope had emerged from the darkness.
Fitran deflected magic with a single swing, his movement sharp and decisive, then blasted the cell door with a spiral spell that tore through the silence. "Iris!" he shouted, his voice filled with concern, as if his soul depended on the answer to come.
Iris trembled, her body covered in dust and wounds, looking fragile amidst the darkness. "Why… are you here?" her voice was hoarse, each word carrying a deeper weight than the torment that plagued her.
Fitran knelt before her, his eyes filled with anger and pain, like many memories that 'shouldn't' exist. "Because no one deserves to be destroyed in this place. You deserve to live, Iris—not just to survive in the shadows, but to truly live." One sentence, yet heavy as a stone, placing hope before her while simultaneously pressing down on her pain.
One guard lunged at them with a drawn sword. Fitran turned, his face filled with determination as he called forth a protective glyph. "Protect them all!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos around him. "Run to the east corridor! Don't look back!"
Senna grabbed the hands of the girls, pulling them out of the shadows. Meanwhile, Fitran lifted Iris, looking into her fearful eyes. "Can you walk?" he asked gently, trying to ease the anxiety that gripped her.
Iris shook her head, her voice hoarse, "My legs—they still hurt, like they're bound by memories that never fade."
Fitran held her tightly, his murmurs no more than a soft whisper that seemed brave. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm here. I will take you away, even if we have to fight a god."
A roar of anger thundered from the main hall, tearing through the silence. King Chaos strode in quickly, his robe gleaming black, like the dark night ready to swallow everything. "Traitor!" he shouted Fitran's name with hatred. "No one can take what is mine!"
Fitran held Iris tightly, her body trembling in his embrace. "Hide behind me," he whispered, his voice firm even as his heart raced. "Don't listen to him. He is not your reality."
Chaos formed a black glyph, destructive magic dancing wildly in his hands, his cold expression looming. "You think you can just take my slave?"
Fitran stepped forward with blazing courage, his voice booming, "She is not your slave! Today, the Gamma world will crumble beneath our steps!"
Chaos laughed cynically, "You've lost your mind, little hero. My magic is older than every wound you hide."
Fitran stood undeterred, countering with a spiral spell, creating a radiant protective shield, and firing a burst of light toward Chaos. The clash of energy shook the room, dust swirling to create a dark atmosphere. Iris covered her face, her body shaking violently, as if trapped between reality and her wounded feelings.
"Go, Iris!" Fitran shouted, his voice filled with awakened hope, "I will hold him off, even if our story may end here!"
Iris hesitated, tears flowing freely, marking how deep her hidden wounds were. "I can't leave you! Where would I go without you?"
Fitran turned, his eyes shining warmly despite the pain. "Iris, I promise. I will pull you out of this darkness. The world must know that you are more than just a victim of all the wounds and shame they created," he said with deep conviction, as if the magic of hope was creating light in the darkness.
Chaos charged, the wind swirling with the thunder of magic, but Fitran stood firm, deflecting every attack with a burning spirit. One last swing before he severed the magical chains binding Iris's feet, freeing her, pushing her toward the corridor opened by the explosion that separated them from despair.
"Iris! Run now! This is your only chance to be free!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency and hope.
Iris ran, her breath quickening, holding back the sobs that threatened to overflow, breaking through the rubble that blocked her path, following Fitran's voice that continuously called her, giving her strength from afar. Behind her, the battle of two great forces shook the air, adding tension to her journey to save her soul.
Finally, outside the corridor, the Earth and Gaia forces surged in with stunning power. A commander, his face reflecting concern, held Iris. "You… a victim?" he asked with a tone full of empathy.
Iris nodded weakly, her voice trembling, "Fitran Fate is still inside! Please—save him!"
Time felt like it slowed down. Iris sat in the emergency treatment room, her body shaking, her dress stained with her tears. She stared at the wall, shadows of fear and sadness looming in her mind, unable to stop crying.
The door to the room opened on its own. Fitran appeared, his body covered in wounds, part of his face smeared with dried blood, creating a dark atmosphere. "You… are safe?" he asked in a hoarse voice, as if hoping this was all just a nightmare.
Iris nodded, sobbing, "You… why did you come back? You should have left!"
Fitran smiled, even though pain tortured every muscle in his body. "Because you deserve a better life, Iris. I'm just doing what I must, because I can't let you be trapped in this darkness."
Iris looked down, her voice soft, "I feel dirty, Fitran. I don't deserve anyone, not even myself."
Fitran held Iris's hand, his voice trembling. "No one has the right to judge you for the wounds you carry from that hell. All the pain you've experienced… that is your reality. But your life, your worth, will not fade. I see you… not just as a burden and shame."
Iris let the tears flow, feeling the warmth of his sincere embrace. That night, amidst the ruins of war, two souls found a glimmer of hope.
Back in the present, Iris wiped her tears on the palace balcony. In her mind, there was one strong reason that kept her going—to become a queen and now a mother; all because of the simple courage of Fitran who saw her not as a shadow of the past.
From behind the curtain, Fitran watched Iris, a worried shadow in his eyes. He tried to suppress the urge to ask deeper questions. Yet, the love that remained waited, anticipating the moment to share strength and hope.
Under the dim moonlight, Iris vowed in her heart, "I will protect this life, just as you once protected me. I will carry this secret until the time comes—until this world is safe enough for our child."
The party may have ended, but the night was just beginning for two once-broken souls, now ready to weave a new destiny in a world of darkness filled with magic and hope.