"You may choose to remain a mortal and lose your immortality and my protection. Leave my abode and return to the mortal realm, where you will carve your own destiny with your own hands, like any other mortal. Or," she continued, "you may choose to beco a god, an Olympian like the others, and remain my son. But know this: if you choose the divine path, your mories of the mortal world will be erased. You will be reborn as the God of Music, Knowledge, and Justice, and you will battle for your titles with the other gods who hold them. Once I connect you to Chaos and turn you into an immortal, you will be bound to the ways of the Olympians. So, freedom with no benefits or having all the benefits without freedom to act."
Icarus's mind raced. He had always known there would be a choice like this, but now that it was before him, his heart couldn't help but race.
Gaia smiled gently at him. "Take all the ti you need, Icarus. But the next ti you co to , I will need your answer."
Icarus stood before Gaia, his expression calm, even serene, as the weight of her words hung in the air. I
It would have been a mont of shock for anyone else, a crossroads that might have caused hesitation, doubt, and perhaps even fear.
But not for Icarus.
His heart raced not in fear, but in great excitent.
This was, in fact, the mont he had been waiting for years.
Without hesitation, he smiled widely, declaring boldly without any waver. "Mother Goddess, I choose mortality." There was no pondering on the matter, at all.
Gaia's eyes widened in surprise. She was no stranger to the whims of her children, yet Icarus's decision seed almost too quick. She regarded him closely, her gaze shifting between him and the plants she tended to so lovingly.
"You're not even going to think about it?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with a hint of disbelief. "You choose mortality without a second thought?"
Icarus's smile remained, though his eyes darkened slightly with a quiet resolve. "I've already thought about it for the past 11 years. There's no need to think about it."
Gaia's expression softened, a weary sigh escaping her lips. She turned back to the plants before her, the soft hum of life filling the space between them.
"Well then, as you've made your choice, I must now give my judgnt. From this mont onwards, you are exiled from my abode. You will no longer have my protection, nor that of the Olympians. Go, Icarus."
Her words were final, and though they carried the weight of authority, there was a tenderness beneath them—one that only a mother could offer, even in the face of such a decision.
Hearing those words, Icarus stood still, his mind flooded with a gush of mories. He thought of the love Gaia had shown him over the years—how she had nurtured him, taught him, cared for him when he was a child, and even when he had stumbled in his adulthood. She had always been there for him, even when he faltered.
And yet, in the sa breath, Gaia had been harsh at tis, punishing him for his flirtations against her priestesses, his disregard for their celibacy vows, and charming them. She had disciplined him when necessary. Still, it was clear to him that her love had always been unwavering.
Kneeling before her, Icarus lowered his head in respect.
"Goodbye, Mother," he said softly. "And thank you for everything. Whatever I do in the mortal world, I promise you that you won't feel ashad of this son of yours."
Gaia blinked in surprise, her gaze softening at the unexpected words. It was the first ti Icarus had called her "Mother" ever since he stepped into her abode. He was only 11 back and now, returning as an adult. She created many children and nurtured them, but Icarus was special to her. He was the first mortal she had ever created, and she treated him way differently compared to the rest, because he was much more fragile than her other sons.
She wanted to say sothing, but she didn't and kept mum.
anwhile, Icarus stood up slowly, turning his back on her, his steps purposeful. He didn't look back. There was nothing more to say.
As he walked away, Gaia's gaze lingered on his retreating figure, her lips barely moving as she mumbled a quiet farewell. "Good luck, Icarus... on your journey. Though I'm sure you won't miss . I've already sent you a gift for the path ahead... one that will surprise you when you return."
Icarus made his way to his winged unicorn, standing majestically at the edge of the sanctum. He reached out to caress its silken mane, his smile returning. "Are you ready for our next journey, Nimbus?" he asked, his voice filled with both anticipation and excitent.
\\*Neigh\\*
The magical beast let out a soft, lodic neigh in response, rearing. With a graceful leap, Icarus mounted its back, and the unicorn's wings unfurled. "Let's Go."
With a single powerful flap of its wings, Nimbus took to the sky, soaring higher and higher until it was a re speck against the backdrop of the heavens. The unicorn's horn glowed brightly, unleashing a beam of energy and creating a portal. Icarus grabbed it tightly as Nimbus flew into the portal, like a ray of light.
*
"Haaah..."
Qin Wei gasped, suddenly waking up. He looked all sweaty, and his heartbeat was going at a crazy rate. Wiping off his sweat, he murmured, "What's with that mory? It feels too real..."
Sitting up and ditating, he controlled his erratic breathing, "Calm down, Qin Wei. It's just a dream. But... I had such lucid dreams before in my past life, when I was a writer... but it never felt this real... Aria, it's just a dream, right?"
However, there is no response from the system this ti.
*
anwhile, back at the Blossom Tower, Luna continued deeper into the Silver Vault, her steps slowing as her eyes moved from case to case. Then she stopped.
It was not the most radiant artifact in the room, nor the most imposing. Yet sothing about it pulled at her attention with quiet insistence. Inside the reinforced glass rested a dark crimson necklace, its surface smooth and almost liquid in appearance, as if it were alive. The gem at its center pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat waiting to awaken.
Tiara noticed her pause and cleared her throat. "That one is called the Necklace of Vlad," she said. "Its price is six thousand rit points."
Luna's gaze sharpened slightly. "What does it do?"
Tiara leaned closer to the case, lowering her voice. "The wearer can temporarily convert their own blood into mana and use it directly. It's not permanent, and it's dangerous if misused, but in desperate situations, it can be the difference between life and death." She hesitated, then added, "There is… a restriction. A non-virgin cannot wear it. If they try, the necklace will drain their life force instead."
Luna blinked once.
She did not ask why.
It was irrelevant.
Her master was not a virgin. That much she knew with absolute certainty.
As Luna reached a decision, Tiara spoke again, almost as an afterthought. "There's sothing else you should know. This necklace has a seal. The abilities you see now are incomplete." She tapped the glass lightly. "If it were fully unsealed, it wouldn't be sitting in the Silver Vault at this price. That's the only reason it's here."
Luna frowned slightly. "How is it unsealed?"
Tiara's lips pressed together. "Only one way," she said. "The blood of a vampire."
Luna stiffened.
"Vampire?" she repeated quietly.
A mory surfaced instantly.
A mission briefing she had once read and ignored. A request marked with a danger rating requiring at least a rank-seven combatant. The image of a na flashed through her mind.
Rosemund.
Luna inhaled slowly, steadying herself.
She nodded.
"I'll take it," she said.
Without hesitation, she transferred the rit points. The number on her stone dropped sharply, years of careful saving vanishing in an instant. The case opened, and Luna lifted the necklace gently, feeling a faint chill spread across her palm.
She did not regret it.
Clutching the necklace securely, Luna left the vault and made her way down to the third floor. At this hour, the mission hall was nearly empty. Only a single receptionist remained on night duty, half-buried in ledgers and yawning softly.
Luna walked straight to the mission board.
Her fingers moved across the parchnts pinned there, eyes scanning until she found what she was looking for. A faint smile touched her lips as she pulled the parchnt free and read it carefully.
Ever since Baroness Martha took control of the territory of Vestoria, mysterious deaths had begun spreading through nearby villages. Victims were found drained of blood, their bodies left cold and hollow. Initial investigations cleared the baroness of suspicion, revealing a far darker truth.
A vampiress nad Rosemund had infiltrated Martha's manor.
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