After coming back from the chasm, Esdeath finally returned home. Luckily, she got back before the time she had fixed to meet with Maruti.
The first thing she did was to use a special essence stone to seal the room. She created a thick invisible barrier to make sure no aura could leak outside. This was important because starting from Rank C, every essence stone gave off some kind of aura. Especially the Rank B and Rank A ones—they had a very strong and dense aura that could spread far. If Esdeath just took them out carelessly, the entire Faynapotterz might get flooded with energy.
She still remembered what happened last time. When she had shown the loot to Maruti, she had sealed Maruti's room too. But even then, Maruti had told her to wait one more week before splitting. That had really annoyed Esdeath.
"Wasted my time," she had muttered that day, clearly irritated.
———
After setting up the barrier, Esdeath quietly sat down. She didn't have to wait for long. Just a few minutes later, Maruti entered the room.
She looked tired and slightly defeated. There were a few small injuries on her arms and legs, proof of the battle she had just been in. She had fought against Kailith and Arlecchino—and even though she lost with a score of 30 to 3, the fact that she won three times against them was still impressive.
Without saying anything, Maruti jumped straight onto the bed and stretched out her arms and legs like she had no energy left.
Esdeath glanced at her, but she didn't speak either. Instead, she calmly took out the treasures one by one.
First, two shiny Rank A essence stones.
Then six glowing Rank B stones.
And finally, a whole pile of thirty Rank C essence stones, each glowing with different colors.
But that wasn't all.
There was also a red dragon egg, quietly giving off a warm, powerful heat.
Beside it, a heavy bundle of 20 kilograms of blue dragon bones, smooth and glowing faintly with a soft light.
And the strangest of all—three pairs of cosmic tuna fish eyeballs, completely white and without any pupils. They had a faint silvery glow, like they came from some otherworldly sea.
Maruti sat up the moment she saw all of this. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she rubbed her palms together eagerly.
"Let's get started, shall we?" she said, her voice filled with energy.
———
She looked over everything with shining eyes, her gaze sweeping across the treasure like a child in a candy store. But after a moment, her happy mood started to fade.
Her face turned a bit disappointed.
"Why is every essence stone either from the time path or the transformation path?" she complained, her voice sounding like a soft whine.
She was right—most of the essence stones were from the transformation path, followed by the time path. The few remaining ones were either from the light or nature path.
"What else did you expect?" Esdeath replied in a flat voice, completely unbothered. "Elara was refining a time path essence stone."
Esdeath had a clear advantage when it came to this—after all, her Constellation was of the Time Path, and she also had many time path skills. That gave her a big head start in using these kinds of essence stones compared to others.
Especially now, she had a powerful new trump card called "Steal Life." It wasn't just for show. It was a dangerous move that could even give her a chance to seriously injure someone with a Rank A level of power. It was the kind of skill that made people afraid to fight her head-on.
But for Maruti, things weren't so good. She was clearly at a disadvantage.
With a sigh, she picked up a Rank B essence stone. It shined a soft golden-yellow and had the shape of a glowing cross. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the name.
"Judgement Bringer."
It was a powerful holy-type essence stone. When activated, it allowed the user to summon a huge pillar of holy light from the sky. The attack had strong offensive power, but its real strength was shown when used against corrupted creatures, demons, or anything that didn't belong in the natural world. It burned away anything "evil" with terrifying force.
Then she picked a Rank C essence stone called "Halo of Light." This one was more subtle, but it had its own kind of beauty.
When used, it would create a shining halo that floated above the user's head, making them look like a divine being. At the same time, it would boost their aura, making them appear more divine, holy, and full of light. It was a support-type essence stone that gave a strong presence in battle.
After picking those two, Maruti didn't say anything for a while. She just stared at the rest of the items with a blank face.
Then, with a groan, she turned her head to Esdeath and complained,
"Now what? There's nothing else here that suits me!"
Esdeath blinked and gave it a moment of thought.
She could have teased Maruti or taken advantage of the situation, but honestly, she was also in a bit of a similar spot.
Because out of the two Rank A essence stones she had, both were from Transformation Path and Nature Path—and not exactly useful for her current setup.
The first was called "Scales of Mountain Turtle."
It was a famous essence stone, known as a core ingredient in creating the killer move "Mountain Turtle." It was one of the most powerful defense-based killer moves ever created, forming thick, nearly unbreakable turtle-like armor over the user's body.
The second one was from the Nature Path: "Earth Fetus."
This stone was legendary for support-based fighters. With it, as long as you were standing on earth or natural ground, you could continuously draw energy directly from the land. You wouldn't get tired. Your defense, healing speed, and mana recovery would increase a lot. But of course, to use it properly, the user needed strong Nature and Earth affinity—and Esdeath had only earth one.
She stared at the stones in front of her, thinking deeply.
"Even though these are supposed to be supporting ingredients... why are Transformation and Nature path essence stones used to refine a Time path essence stone?" she murmured with a puzzled look.
"Was this because Elara trying to go against the flow of nature by forcing the creation of something that shouldn't exist?"
While she was lost in her thoughts, Maruti suddenly spoke up with a confused voice and waved something in front of her.
"You think that's weird? Then look at this!"
She held up a Rank B essence stone in her hand, her eyes full of frustration.
"This one is called 'Throat Control'! What the hell kind of name is that?! Why would anyone use something like this to refine a Time Path essence stone?! Elara must've been seriously out of his mind!"
Esdeath blinked and immediately snatched the stone from her hands, her eyes lighting up in recognition.
"You're getting it all wrong,"she said firmly, holding the stone carefully. "Its other name is 'Sparkling Butterflies'. It's actually a Time Path essence stone."
Maruti blinked in surprise as Esdeath explained.
"You can release tiny butterflies from your mouth made of time energy. They float around and look harmless—but they can explode and cause powerful time-based explosions. It's enough to crack the flow of time around your enemies. It slows them down and deals heavy damage."
But just as she finished explaining, Esdeath's cheeks turned slightly red. Her eyes darted away and she mumbled under her breath.
"…Throat Control is just a side effect. That's not important."
She then quickly stuffed the stone into her pocket without another word.
"I'll take it. It'll be useful for me."
After that, Esdeath got an idea she said, "How about we go to some auctions and sell or exchange our essence stones for the one that suits us?"
Maruti nodded but with puzzlement, "But where do we get an auction where these high ranking essence stones are exchanged?" Her worry was clearly right. Even Rank C essence stones were very expensive and in high demand. As for Rank B, they were even more rare, to the point that even many Rank B awakened individuals didn't have a single Rank B essence stone.
As for Rank A essence stones, they were not available in the market, only in very secret auctions or exchanged between kingdoms.
Esdeath gave some thought to it, "I know about an auction held in the future, but if we want one now, then I think Lortell or Cassandra might know!"
Maruti's eyes lit up as she nodded, "That settles then. The remaining should be auctioned and we'll exchange them for the ones that suit us!"
Esdeath nodded back. "I need to provide Selene with powerful essence stones too," she said softly while taking a last glance at all the things.
Except Rank A, B, and C, all F ones were not too useful. They were the same as the "Third Clock Essence Stone" that could fasten one's refining speed or absorbing speed by three times for twenty-four hours.
But of course, it would also cost three days of lifespan.
And then her eyes went on the ingredients—the dragon egg, bones, etc. She remembered how she had to throw away so many ingredients that she looted from Trynne's treasure because with time, they were getting rusted and degraded.
The need to sell these ingredients as soon as possible was a must.
——
Esdeath split the Rank D and E essence stones equally between her and Maruti, and with the essence stones that Maruti chose, she stood up with a smile.
"Finally, some offensive light path essence stones!" she had a sigh of relief.
And then she turned back and left while waving her hand and saying goodbye in a casual voice, even though the sun wasn't even set yet.
-------------
By the time Maruti returned to the three-story building where her apartment was, the sun had already gone down. The sky was slowly turning dark, and a soft orange glow was fading in the distance. Her shoulders were slouched from the exhaustion of the entire day. Her steps felt heavier than usual.
"Phew… Thankfully, they know I'm tired after fighting so much… and they're waiting till tomorrow," she muttered to herself with a deep sigh of relief, slowly walking up the stairs. "I'll *definitely* think a hundred times before making any kind of bet again," she added, learning her lesson the hard way. She really felt like she had just gone through a life-changing experience.
When she reached the second floor and walked up to her room, she paused. The door was slightly open. Her eyes narrowed with confusion. Only Brenna had the keys to her place… but why would she be here now? It was still early evening, not the usual time for delivering food.
Her body grew a little tense. Slowly, she stepped inside the room with cautious steps, her eyes scanning for anything strange. But as soon as she saw Brenna standing inside the room, her whole body relaxed.
"Oh… What are you doing here so early?" Maruti asked with a tired smile.
Brenna, who had been slightly startled, quickly calmed herself when she saw Maruti. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding eye contact.
"I… I got a small fracture in my foot, so I'll be resting all night. I just made a quick dinner and brought it here," she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Maruti didn't say anything right away. She simply walked toward her, sat on the soft sofa, and patted the seat in front of her.
"Sit here," she said gently.
Brenna's cheeks turned a little pink as she looked away, flustered. "Already? It's… too soon," she mumbled in a tiny voice.
But Maruti smiled faintly and added, "I'll heal you."
"Ohh!" Brenna suddenly snapped out of her daze. Her eyes blinked wide with surprise.
She walked slowly and sat beside Maruti. Maruti didn't hesitate and placed her hand gently near Brenna's injured foot.
"Heal!" she chanted softly, and in an instant, the injury was gone.
Brenna looked down at her foot, amazed. She opened her mouth to say something—probably a sincere thank you—but then, the heavy feeling in her heart returned. The guilt she had been hiding quietly came back. Her face turned blank again, as if all emotion had drained.
"I'll be going then," she said, getting ready to stand up.
But before she could, Maruti asked calmly, almost like she was just casually wondering, "Can I ask you something? Did I do something that hurt you?"
Brenna's body jolted. "Wh-what? No! Of course not!" she shook her head and waved her hands fast, as if trying to brush the question away quickly.
Maruti just nodded quietly. "Is that so? I've been noticing for a while now… it just feels like something's been off. Maybe something's going on in your personal life… or maybe I said something that hurt you? You can always tell me anything. I'm a chill person, you know."
Brenna went quiet. Her eyes dropped to the floor. Her fingers fiddled nervously in her lap. "No… it's not your fault… it's just… umm…" She bit her lip. She didn't know where to start, or what words to use.
Seeing that, Maruti added softly, "Is it something from your past? I mean… being a single mother in this era must be really hard."
Brenna's eyes snapped up. She looked at Maruti in shock. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Maruti gave a faint smile. Her voice was calm but serious. "So I was right then… it is something from your past."
Brenna lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes... Actually—"
She was just about to talk about her past when Maruti gently interrupted her.
"There's no need," Maruti said calmly, leaning a little closer—not in a romantic way, but like someone who had seen enough of life to understand pain. "I'm not someone who cares about what someone has done or been through. And you shouldn't let your past hold you down either."
Maruti's voice grew soft but firm.
"I can see it… that pain in your eyes. It's like it's been locked up for years, just waiting for a moment to break free and let you breathe."
Brenna's lips trembled. Her eyes turned red, filling with tears as she looked up.
"Can crying really help me forget my past?" she asked, her voice shaky and small.
Maruti stayed quiet for a second, then gave a soft shrug.
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "But you can give it a try. You don't have to hold it in anymore. Use my shoulder if you want to cry. Just let it out."
She opened her arms wide without hesitation.
That was all it took.
Brenna broke down. She couldn't hold it anymore. Years of pain, guilt, and loneliness burst out like a dam breaking. She threw herself into Maruti's arms, burying her face into her shoulder. Her body shook as loud sobs escaped her lips.
"Sob... sob... sob... if only I had stopped you..." she cried, her words muffled and broken.
Tears soaked Maruti's shirt, but she didn't mind. She gently patted Brenna's back again and again, her gaze drifting up to the ceiling.
"Hah..." she sighed inwardly, "I should become a therapist at this point…"
A small smile tugged at her lips despite the heavy mood.
"Well, at least this makes us even. She cooks for me every day... and now I don't owe any favour to her either," she whispered to herself.
That's the real reason Maruti had taken the first step to talk. It wasn't because she was good at reading girls—because honestly, she wasn't. She was bad at this kind of thing.
But she remembered… a long time ago, something very similar had happened to her.
Back when she was still Predictor, someone else had cried like this on her shoulder. She had no idea why that women was crying, and she'd never asked.
Even now, Maruti didn't understand exactly what Brenna was crying about.
But it sure made her remember, The Only sane friend she had.
---------
Meanwhile at the same time, in Esdeath's apartment, Lortell had finally come back.
As always, she sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, quietly reading the morning newspaper—even though it was already night. Her silver-white hair gently rested on her shoulders, and her sharp red eyes moved slowly across the page. She looked calm, serious, and distant, as if the world around her didn't matter.
On the other sofa, Selene was playing with her toys. Her soft giggles filled the quiet room as she moved her little dolls around, completely lost in her own world. Her short legs swung back and forth, and her silver eyes sparkled like stars. Her innocent laughter echoed gently through the space.
And Esdeath…
She stood silently in the corner of the room, watching both of them.
She didn't say a word. Her hands were resting behind her back, fingers twisting together. Her black hair fell loosely down her back, and her red eyes, usually full of fire, looked strange—soft, distant, as if they were staring into a different time.
That moment… it reminded her of something she hadn't thought about in a long time. A memory, buried deep in her mind
In that memory, it wasn't Selene sitting on the sofa.
It was her.
A boy with wide, curious eyes and slight messy hair, quitely watching his father read the newspaper. Her father had sat just like Lortell, calm and proud, And where Esdeath was standing now… back then, it was her mother.
Her dream wasn't always about blood, or blades, or killing.
There was a time—long ago—when her biggest dream was just to have a "happy family."
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[author]
Yes it's time for a flashback guys, But I'll make it clear, having a sad backstory doesn't mean I'm justifying his deeds, He was, Will and always be evil.
And also the backstory is very related and inspired by a certain game, You'll know if you know about that story too...and if not then pretend you never read it
[/author]