"hmm?" Sara questioned as she saw her mother handing her a golden invitation, but her mother didn't respond, as if encouraging her to open it.
Nagasawa was curious about what this invitation could be. Usually, golden invitations indicated special occasions.
"We invite Sara Vortex and Nagasawa Scarlet to the Coronation Ceremony of the Next Emperor Ethan Smith..." She read aloud, and Nagasawa began to boil with anger.
"Are you kidding me?!" Nagasawa suddenly stood up, slamming her hand on the table. "He's the cause of Dante's death! Why does this worm want us to attend his coronation?!" She roared, visibly furious. If the table weren't sturdy enough, it would have broken, but that wasn't the case.
Lyrianna, sitting cross-legged, said, "Finish reading the letter." She sighed, and Nagasawa turned to look at Sara, who had a different expression, somewhat surprised.
"I have information about your beloved. From: Aldria Luminus." Sara finished, and Nagasawa's eyes turned as red as blood, as if she were ready to kill.
"Aldria is an old acquaintance. If she's asking for something like this, something is wrong. And if it has to do with that idiot you both love so much, you better go." Lyrianna said, and both of them wondered for a few seconds what could have led to such information being delivered.
It wasn't just Lyrianna and the two women who were intrigued; it wasn't just them who received official invitations.
In fact, the entire human world received this invitation, especially the top-level rulers of the other continents also received, as everyone knows in the human world, there are five continents.
For unknown reasons, the remaining three rulers decided not to attend, leaving only the Eastern Continent, which had a diplomatic "friendship" with Emperor Adam, confirming their attendance.
This, on the other hand, made Aldria slightly more confident with the final act of the coronation. Her initial plans weren't to blindly trust Dante Scarlet, an extremely dangerous man, as he was not really the same Dante from ten years ago and could be someone impersonating him.
Aldria knew about Dante's three wives and knew very well that, of the three, only Nagasawa could recognize him at the current moment, as Valentina was sealed and she had no news from the witch's continent for days.
It was a risky move, as she was aware of the two women's obsession Lyrianna had as support. One mistake, and her trust could be shattered. However, she was more agile and cold and made that move.
Needless to say, Dante had no idea what Aldria was doing behind the scenes. In fact, she was the epitome of mystery, and not even the Emperor himself could have information about what she was planning.
A calm, cold, and calculating woman, that was Aldria Luminus, the three-headed crow.
While Aldria's moves were happening behind the scenes, the corridors of the Prince's Palace were in a state of complete frenzy, with frightened maids and butlers fleeing from Ethan Smith's personal office.
Loud footsteps could be heard as a man paced back and forth, biting his nails and pondering over the issues.
"Who was that man?!?!" He shouted as he threw the entire table to the ground, seething with anger. "Who the hell was that man!" He yelled, and the entire room trembled slightly.
His anger was justified; he was extremely humiliated, his inner fury could no longer be contained.
"Who is he?" He shouted, hurling a pitcher at a gigantic mirror. Ethan was already losing it at this point; his inferiority complex was beginning to affect his reasoning.
"Damn it!" He yelled. Meanwhile, Jun-he and Axilen watched the scene with neutral expressions. It wasn't the first time they had seen this scene; in fact, it was quite common.
"What a pathetic man," thought Axilen as she moved to open the door and leave, but she was surprised when a hand stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?" Ethan questioned authoritatively, his eyes flashing with anger as she stared at him disdainfully.
"It's not necessary for me to tolerate your foolishness," her voice was cold, cutting, echoing through the room. She pushed his hand away from her arm, leaving a reddened mark where he had previously held her firmly.
"You can't leave," he insisted, his voice faltering in the face of her audacity.
"Shut up, inferior being," she retorted, her expression icy, revealing a profound contempt. "I'm here because of my family, don't think you have control over me, vile worm."
Ethan was speechless, his idealized image of Axilen crumbling before his eyes. Before he could react, she warned him with a deadly tone: "Touch me again, and I'll kill you."
A golden flash cut through the air as Ethan launched a bolt towards her back, a treacherous attack. But Axilen didn't flinch. With swift motion, she caught the bolt, altering its color to an intense purple.
"I warned you," she whispered, her voice laden with determination and disdain. In a swift movement, she sent the bolt back with triple the force, sending Ethan flying backward, screaming in pain as his hand burned while trying to hold the bolt.
"Argh!" Ethan groaned, trying to get up as his vision blurred. The last thing he saw was Axilen's cold gaze, etched in his mind, before losing consciousness, leaving Jun-he, the secretary, rushing to his aid.
Ethan lay unconscious on the ground, his mind shrouded in darkness. Meanwhile, a sinister shadow began to creep into his mind, fueled by the poison of greed.
Everything had been going wrong in his life ever since that day, ten years ago; his world had turned into a hell, his mind in constant despair, always seeking more. Every opportunity to grow, he seized, even when he was down, he kept climbing his ranks.
In his disturbed mind, Ethan found himself in a distorted world where the gleam of gold overshadowed everything around him. He saw mountains of wealth stretching to the horizon, saw images of himself reigning supreme in everything, and his power was immense, while a voice began to seductively whisper in his ear.
"Look, Ethan," the voice whispered, "all this power can be yours. Just grasp it. There are no limits to what you can achieve."
Tempted by the promise of more, Ethan plunged headlong into the frenzied pursuit of more power to avoid being humiliated in that way again. He found himself involved in shady dealings, betraying those who trusted him in his insatiable quest for profit.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting more, Ethan," the voice insisted, increasingly seductive. "The world is yours to dominate. Just follow your deepest desires, and you will achieve greatness beyond your wildest dreams."
As his greed consumed him, he became increasingly distant from his values and those around him. Bonds of friendship and love unraveled before his insatiable greed, leaving him alone in a sea of empty wealth.
"You deserve all this, Ethan," the voice echoed in his mind. "Nothing can stop you from achieving what you desire. Let yourself be carried away by greed, and you will be unstoppable."
Ethan found himself in a new setting, a luxurious office, where a shadowy figure sat on the other side of a polished mahogany table.
"So, Ethan," the figure spoke with a seductive voice, shrouded in a cloak of mystery. "I see you desire more than what you currently possess."
Ethan's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he nodded in agreement. "Yes," he murmured, almost trance-like. "I want more. Much more."
A contract was slid across the table towards him, the words printed in golden ink gleaming under the dim light of the office. "This contract will grant you everything you desire," the figure explained, a malicious smile dancing on their lips. "Power, wealth, influence. All you need to do is sign here."
Ethan reached out with a trembling hand, his eyes fixed on the contract before him. The promise of power and dominion called to him like a siren seducing a lost sailor.
"Sign," the voice echoed in his mind, the temptation of greed enveloping him like a mist. "With this contract, you will be unstoppable. Nothing can stand in your way."
Without hesitation, Ethan took the pen and signed his name on the paper. A feeling of triumph filled his chest as he felt power coursing through his veins, fueled by the greed that now consumed him completely.
Ethan slowly regained consciousness, his mind emerging from a dark fog. He blinked a few times, trying to orient himself, until finally, his eyes adjusted to the light.
Upon opening his eyes, he found himself lying in a strange environment. A slight tremor ran through his body as he struggled to remember what had happened. Then, the memories came rushing back in a whirlwind.
The contract. The promise of power and wealth. His signature marking the pact with the mysterious figure.
A shiver ran down his spine as he realized what he had done. Greed had consumed him, leading him to accept an agreement whose consequences he could barely imagine.
With a heavy sigh, Ethan got up, feeling the weight of regret on his shoulders. He knew he needed to undo what he had done before it was too late.
But as he moved through the strange environment, a sense of oppression enveloped him. He could feel the sinister presence of greed around him, as if he were being watched by invisible eyes.
"You can't go back, Ethan," a voice whispered in his mind, laden with malice. "You've made your choice. Now, you must face the consequences."
Ethan clenched his fists, determined to resist the corrupting influence, but he couldn't. He succumbed to temptation, his eyes subtly changed, and his figure, once weak compared to others, changed. He began to feel good, his thoughts aligned, and soon, he forgot everything that had happened.