Cathiel smiled sweetly at her mother’s touch. Her tiny hands reached up, grasping Caelia’s pale fingers with surprising warmth. The newly formed family stood bathed in the quiet, intimate atmosphere of the room.
Amaniel watched the interaction with a soft, lingering smile, a profound sense of peace settling over him. They were completely lost in the tender warmth of their new bond.
However, the world outside the Spire had other plans. Before Cathiel could even lower her tiny hands, a thunderous roar ripped through the sky and tore the fragile quiet apart.
A deep, violent grumble echoed across the surrounding Nightmare Realm.
The very fabric of the dimension trembled under the acoustic weight.
The ambient void energy outside the Black Spire began to boil and churn aggressively.
Space itself was torn apart in the sky surrounding the towering structure.
Jagged rifts opened wide in the dark atmosphere. One after another, several imposing figures stepped out from the dimensional tears. They hovered menacingly in the turbulent air above the Spire.
Their gazes pierced straight through the reinforced walls of the bedroom. They locked their sights onto the three people inside, their collective focus finally settling entirely on the tiny baby resting in Amaniel’s arms.
These entities shared a striking resemblance to Caelia, possessing the same ethereal, terrifying ’beauty’. Furthermore, distinct and unsettling differences set them apart from the Mistress. Their eyes were entirely pitch-black voids devoid of any light. A strange, glowing symbol pulsed rhythmically on each of their foreheads. They wore strange, flowing black garments that seemed woven from the night sky itself.
A majestic and overwhelmingly powerful vibe radiated from every inch of their bodies.
They stood there like ancient monarchs passing judgment on the world below.
The oppressive weight of their combined auras pressed down on the Spire. The sheer density of their presence caused the air inside the bedroom to stagnate and grow freezing cold.
Caelia’s expression shifted instantly.
The gentle, vulnerable mother vanished in a fraction of a second. The terrifying Mistress of the Black Spire returned, her crimson eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as an apocalyptic aura erupted from her body to shield Amaniel and Cathiel from the crushing pressure.
Amaniel gulped inwardly. A single bead of cold sweat slid down his spine. He instinctively tightened his protective grip on the tiny girl in his arms. The sheer scale of the threat hovering outside made everything click into place. He finally understood the profound desperation hiding behind Caelia’s earlier request. This was the exact reason for her intense distress and worry before the hatching.
Then again, considering the heaven-shaking pillar of void energy and the apocalyptic roar that accompanied Cathiel’s birth, it was entirely logical that such a grandiose event attracted immense attention. A birth of that magnitude served as a blazing cosmic beacon across the entire realm.
He took a slow, deep breath. He forcefully buried his rising panic deep within his mind and masked his expression. Forcing himself to project an aura of complete calm and indifference, he tilted his head up and gazed fearlessly at the imposing entities in the sky. Every single one of his senses heightened to their absolute limit. He silently prepared to push his Absolute Synthesis Well to the brink and use every single skill in his arsenal the exact moment the situation deteriorated.
However, the newcomers held their ground, completely subverting his anticipation of an immediate attack. The majestic figures hovering in the jagged rifts simply observed them.
The oppressive silence broke as hushed, echoing voices rippled down from the turbulent sky. They began to mutter among themselves, their tones carrying a unique mix of absolute reverence and deep uncertainty.
"The ancient prophecy has actually come true..." one of the figures murmured, its pitch-black eyes fixed intensely on the baby.
"Our lord has returned to us," another voice echoed with heavy fervor.
"The True Nightmare Sovereign is born!"
"But look closely. Why are her eyes different?" a fourth entity questioned, a hint of suspicion creeping into its tone. "One is slate gray, and the other is crimson. That is highly unnatural for our royal bloodline."
"Furthermore, she is her child," the first figure added, shifting its dark, empty gaze toward Caelia’s glowing, apocalyptic barrier.
"Yes... that is incredibly troublesome..." Another chimed in.
"It seems her cursed existence has finally yielded something of value," a voice whispered, the tone dripping with veiled malice. "Perhaps the child should be removed from such a toxic environment before she is ruined."
"And what of the human holding her?" another asked, a sharp edge of wariness cutting through the cold air. "Is he her new mate?"
"But how?" a majestic horned one commented, its pitch-black eyes narrowing as they ruthlessly scrutinized Amaniel. " He died long ago. How could another one possibly appear?"
Amaniel managed to overhear their hushed conversation. He furrowed his brows, rapidly piecing together the fragmented information. He understood that Caelia had a connection and deep history with these people and that there was a previous mate who had perished. Still, a thick layer of profound confusion clouded his mind regarding the actual depth of this possibly royal drama.
Just then, a deep, bone-chilling female voice cut through the air.
"Silence."
The hovering entities instantly shut their mouths. They bowed their heads slightly, glancing toward the space where the figure had been just a second ago.
The center figure had already bypassed Caelia’s apocalyptic barrier entirely. She stood quietly inside the bedroom, mere steps away from the bed.
She was a breathtaking, pale beauty who resembled Caelia, possessing the same ethereal grace. Yet, her features were much sharper and radiated an ancient, absolute authority.
The woman first coldly gazed directly at Amaniel. A raw, undisguised trace of killing intent flashed within her pitch-black eyes, sending a fresh wave of chills down his spine.
She then turned her head toward Caelia. Her expression instantly shifted into a mask of pure indifference and profound disappointment. She scoffed at her before turning away.
And finally, her dark eyes landed on Cathiel. The terrifying aura around the woman vanished completely. A genuinely gentle, loving smile blossomed across her flawless face.
"Hello, little one," she spoke softly, her voice carrying an impossible warmth. "I am your grandmother."
"I have come to take you back home."