The wives needed a lot more ti to settle down than Noah had initially believed.
After Selene was done talking with Maryam, she joined the group, hugging her own son, relief emitting from every inch of her body.
Maryam was not one to be left behind. Shalessly, she strode toward them, passing by Luminara without a glance, to participate in this heartfelt reunion of the Vaelgrim.
Luminara, anwhile, simply watched. She was still kneeling on the ground, mouth open wordlessly as she stared at her family. Or was it really her family?
Sothing inside her shattered.
No one seed to care about her after what she had done.
She bit her lips, searching her daughter's eyes, but Neko didn't even bother to look at her mother.
As for Selene, the divine beast knew better than to expect anything. Still, a part of her couldn't help but hope... hope that Selene would not forget everything she had done for her.
How she had always protected her from the greatest dangers without flinching.
And if Maryam was the origin of Selene's soul, then it was Luminara who was the origin of her flesh, her body. In a sense, she was also Selene's creator.
She wanted to remind her of that, but the words were stuck in her throat, refusing to co out.
As for Maryam... Luminara had expected a grander welco. A show of love, or anything similar, for what she had done for her.
Luminara had lived in fear, worrying about when the Progenitor of the Divine Beasts would co for both her and Selene.
All for Maryam's plan. To please her and thank her for the second chance. She... wanted to be closer to the Soul Ruler.
Yet now that Maryam had t her son, Luminara realized that she was nothing more than a pawn with no value.
At that point, Luminara regretted her past decision of not mingling with the wives.
Because of that, none of them held a particularly strong feeling toward her, strong enough to help her.
She was sure that if Selene wanted her to die, none of them would object. And if they did object, it would only be for Neko.
Only for Neko. Never for herself.
Luminara whimpered, painfully suppressing a sharp cry as tears began to trickle down. Regret swallowed her whole, but the universe didn't care. It never did.
Yet she was not the only one in a tight spot.
The Origins, the Legacy Bearers, and even Luelle all watched the
scene of Noah hugging his wives in complete dread.
If even the Soul Ruler was Noah's own mother, then they were all dood.
They were not foolish enough to believe they could go against a Ruler in her own dominion. It was completely impossible.
For a brief mont, they wondered if True Death would not have been a better choice than what they would soon experience.
But...
"A way out," Luelle whispered, speaking in her mind with the others, her voice tight and heavy. "We need a way out of this situation."
"Isn't all of this your fault?" the King in the North scowled at Luelle, angry veins slithering across his forehead. "All the progenitors do not bother themselves with the matters of their factions. Only you do, fucking Luelle. Only you! And now see what that constant ddling has brought!"
Luelle spared him a dark glare. "I would shut-!"
"You shut up." The Mother of Change cut her off rcilessly, careful not to make any movent that would draw Noah's attention.
"Let's make things clear, dear Luelle. Here, you are nothing more than a soul trapped under the hand of a ruler like any of us. So get down from your high horse. All of this is your damn fault. And I knew sothing like this would happen one day with you. Adding to the King's point, you let your own grandson do everything he wanted. Of course a day would co when soone would retaliate."
"It's easy, isn't it?" Luelle scoffed, unimpressed and only angrier. "It's always easier to point your finger at soone else instead of yourself
when things go bad, huh?"
"Your arrogance would-!"
"Don't speak about arrogance with , King," Luelle growled. "You are more arrogant than any of us here. And please, are you fucking blind? This madman would have targeted both of you even without .
Look..."
Luelle made a wide sweeping gesture, pointing at the Origins and the other Legacy Bearers.
"Their goals were the Origins! So with or without , Noah would
have targeted you."
She paused, her green eyes spitting flas of wrath and hatred. "So
shut your mouth and think of a way out!"
"A way out?" Tiamat giggled, but it was cold.
Luelle, the King, and the Mother of Change snapped their heads
toward her.
She stood there, her beauty unique even in that dreadful situation, with her serpent Ouroboros coiling protectively around her body.
Tiamat was calm.
Far too calm, especially considering how, from the beginning, she had watched everything unfold without resistance.
"Are you giving up?" Luelle said with scorn. "Esray would have been disappointed to see you like this."
Tiamat shook her head softly and pointed toward the other Legacy
Bearers.
Their faces were drenched in fear and inner turmoil, unable to do anything but fold in on themselves under the oppressive aura of
Noah.
They wanted nothing more than to disappear.
"Whatever you plan, it will be useless with these beings," Tiamat said.
"If you plan to go alone, they won't hesitate to scream and draw that monster's attention. And if you plan to go with them, they will cripple you."
"But all of that is needless."
Her lips curled coldly as she pointed next toward the direction where Noah and his wives stood.
Luelle, the King, and Change chanically turned their heads, their
bodies trembling as they took in the sight before them.
Noah's two mismatched eyes were resting on them, smiling mockingly, paired with the soulless white eyes of Maryam. "You are in the domain of a Ruler and in the presence of sothing unheard of," Tiamat continued smoothly. "Who told you even your own thoughts are your own, now?"
Words were robbed from their mouths. Even speaking through their
minds was impossible? They began to realize the dreadful situation
they were in.
And just at that mont, the Vaelgrim family finally broke out of their
hug and faced
them.
Noah was standing a little ahead, with his wives and Maryam behind
him, their faces more relaxed.
Undoubtedly, they would need ti to process all the recent events, and Noah planned to give them just that.
Ti for themselves. For their own family, to bond again.
It was reckless to do so in such a strange place, but all he needed to
do was to kill ti itself and enter a space where ti held no
aning.
But first, he needed to conclude so things.
Maryam took a step forward and stood beside him, on his right.
Selene did the sa, on his left.
"How should I call you now?" Noah asked, amused, his eyes still on
the captives.
"We have thought of many things, my baby," Maryam said, Selene continuing smoothly, "but in the end we decided to keep it simple. Call Mother Selene."
She took his left hand and kissed his palm lovingly.
"Mother Maryam," Maryam added, mirroring Selene. Noah chuckled. "As you will, then, mothers."
"Now, before we start the bloodline awakening," he continued, looking
at Luelle and the rest, "how about I ask you all sothing. I won't
repeat myself, my dears. So hear well."
All of them unconsciously straightened, listening more closely, hope
and fear evident on their faces.
Tiamat watched them with hidden disdain. How easy it was for these
n to be blinded by fear when things were no longer in their favor.
These were the sa n who shouted their might all over the universe.
And now look at them, cowering and on the verge of tears in front of Noah. Worthless, that's what they were, Tiamat thought scornfully. She shook her head, reminding herself of a saying. 'Fear is a cloud.
Don't let it cloud your mind, Tiamat! Noah's voice rang out next, pulling her focus back to him.
"Accept willingly to bind yourselves to , and of course, dear
friends, nothing shall happen to you," he smiled. "Refuse, and you will
not like what happens next."
He paused, watching them, his arms rising like wings of reality.
"Now, please, let's be productive." His eyes glowed.
"You have one minute to decide." -End of Chapter 451-
Reviews
All reviews (0)