This story was originally written in Indonesian. I used AI to help translate it into English, so I apologize in advance for any translation errors or awkward phrasing that may appear.
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A few days had passed.
Inside her office, Pandora sat studying a pile of reports. Due to the shortage of manpower after the massacre incident, even Pandora was forced to help with the palace's administrative work.
"It's been days, yet no suspicious movements... Something feels off from the beginning," she muttered while flipping through the reports.
Vivian, standing beside her, chuckled.
"Don't overthink it. If you find an intruder, just beat them up," she said casually.
Pandora merely glanced at her with a 'whatever' expression, then fell back into thought.
"From the start, I felt something was wrong. The demons in the palace do avoid me, but their gazes... they're not disdainful. They're cautious," Pandora said, half-whispering.
Vivian shrugged.
"Maybe they're scared of ending up dead, like your servant who was executed."
Pandora nodded slowly. That was possible. But her instincts told her there was more to it than simple fear.
"Let's go undercover and spy on them, Teacher!" Pandora suggested excitedly.
Vivian gave a mischievous smile.
"Good idea. Your instincts are sharp, but you're still too careless. What if I were an infiltrator too?" she teased.
Pandora paused. Deep inside, she felt a strange trust had grown since meeting Vivian.
"You said it yourself. I'm smart and have sharp instincts. If you were dangerous, I would've sensed it already," Pandora replied confidently, then left the room.
Vivian smiled gently and followed after her.
> ItsJustDafa: Pandora trusts Vivian because she believes in her own instincts and intelligence.
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After changing into ragged clothes and messing up their hair, Pandora and Vivian disguised themselves as ordinary townsfolk. They wandered through the city, observing their surroundings.
"This city... it's in ruins," Pandora muttered. Around them, demons looked starving and desperate.
"No wonder they hate their ruler," she said quietly.
Their goal was to approach palace guards stationed around the city and eavesdrop on their conversations. As they neared the location, Pandora prepared to sneak in.
However, Vivian stopped her.
"Are you planning to hide behind trash bins all day? Just sit here. I'll handle it."
Vivian summoned a swarm of tiny bats and scattered them around. She kept one perched on her shoulder—capable of relaying sights and sounds from the others.
Seeing this, Pandora scowled.
She pinched Vivian's thigh and snapped,
"If you could do that, why did we bother dressing up, you idiot teacher!"
"Ouch! I forgot," Vivian laughed, scratching her head.
Then her expression darkened.
"Maybe... I just wanted you to see the state of the city yourself," she said quietly.
Pandora fell silent. The image of starving citizens remained vivid in her mind. But now was not the time to daydream—they had to act.
---
Throughout the day, Pandora and Vivian monitored the palace guards' conversations through the bats. Although tedious, their patience finally paid off.
Pandora obtained important information, but suddenly, someone sensed the bats' presence—and their link was cut off.
"Damn it! We've been betrayed! Teacher! We have to report to Mother—I mean, Her Majesty!" Pandora cried in panic.
Vivian reminded her with a small smile,
"Mind your language. A princess shouldn't speak so roughly."
Pandora ignored the remark.
Vivian extended her bat wings, scooped Pandora into her arms, and flew toward the palace.
As they soared through the sky, signal flares lit up across the city—a sign that something major was happening.
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"What should we do, Princess?" Vivian asked urgently.
Pandora thought quickly.
"It's pointless trying to stop them now. We go straight to the Queen!"
"Understood!" Vivian accelerated at full speed.
---
They crashed through the throne room's window. Pandora immediately shouted,
"Reporting in, Your Majesty! We bring urgent news!"
The Demon Queen stared at them blankly from her throne.
"Mind your manners. But I'll overlook it this time. Speak."
Pandora quickly explained everything they had overheard via the bats.
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(Flashback: The Information Pandora Discovered)
While eavesdropping, they overheard suspicious conversations among the royal soldiers.
Pandora asked Vivian to try spying on Mammon and Velmora too, but...
"I can't," Vivian replied. "They're experienced demons. They would notice my bats immediately."
So they kept observing the ordinary soldiers until they heard terrifying news:
"Prince Agramon and Princess Rusalka have arrived," one guard reported.
Pandora and Vivian were shocked.
Sensing Agramon's arrival, Vivian quickly tried to recall her bats, but it was too late.
"What's wrong, Teacher?!" Pandora asked anxiously.
"We've been found out. All the bats near the guard posts... are dead," Vivian answered grimly.
Pandora clenched her fists, her face pale.
"No wonder there were no reports of intruders. They... they've all betrayed us."
---
Switching Perspective: Agramon and Rusalka...
In the city, Agramon smiled coldly upon hearing the report.
"Captain Mammon has prepared everything, Prince," a soldier reported.
Suddenly, Agramon sharply turned toward a dark corner. In a flash, he threw small fireballs.
Shrrt!
Several bats were instantly burned.
"This is bad, Commander. Looks like we were being watched. These... belong to Vivian," Rusalka said, inspecting the bat corpses.
Panic spread among them.
Agramon quickly gave orders.
"Inform Mammon. We move now. There's no more time."
Immediately, flares shot up into the sky—marking the beginning of a coup.
---
A brief look back to a few days ago...
Pandora had ordered all demon troops to guard possible paths that Agramon and his allies might use.
She also dispatched air squads to patrol the barrier's edges. Thanks to winged troops, what normally took a week on horseback could now be traveled in three to four days at full speed.
---
Back to Agramon, Rusalka, and their troops.
Currently, they were riding across a vast plain. After a while, Agramon raised his hand, signaling a halt.
"Everyone stop! We'll rest here. Set up rotating guards," he commanded.
The soldiers obeyed, maintaining vigilance even while resting. Agramon himself told them to rest as much as possible, trusting the guards to keep watch.
However, one soldier, Ivan, seemed restless.
Noticing it, Agramon approached him.
"You seem uneasy. What's wrong?" Agramon asked.
Ivan, a human, answered awkwardly.
"Sorry, Commander. I'm just... anxious. I was chosen for this mission because I survived a previous encounter with the Demon Queen. I'm scared... that this time, I might not make it back."
He clenched his fists tightly, his fear clear.
Agramon gently patted Ivan's shoulder.
"You're worried because you know how strong she is, right? It's okay. I understand," Agramon said calmly.
"I've fought her hundreds of times... yet somehow, she always lets me live."
Ivan looked surprised.
"You mean... the Queen spared you?"
Agramon nodded, giving a bitter smile.
"The first time we fought, my siblings, the Drengr, and I thought we could defeat her. But our strength compared to hers? Like ants against an elephant."
> ItsJustDafa: "Drengr" means brave warrior in Old Norse.
Still curious, Ivan asked,
"Then why did you keep fighting after realizing the difference in power?"
Agramon looked up at the night sky, his voice low.
"I've seen too many families destroyed, too many comrades killed. I fight... because I want to end it all."
Those words made Ivan respect Agramon even more.
After a moment of silence, Ivan shared his deepest fear.
"Commander, I'm willing to risk my life for our cause. But... my wife just gave birth to our first daughter. I'm afraid... I won't make it back."
Hearing that, Agramon stared at Ivan deeply, then gripped his shoulder.
"Then don't die. Stay alive for your family. Go home," he whispered.
Agramon added,
"Sometimes I wonder... is the Demon Queen really as evil as we believe? Something feels off. But my heart... my heart is closed off because of all the pain. If this were a fairy tale, readers would call me selfish for not seeking the truth. But they never lived what I lived."
Before Ivan could respond, Rusalka suddenly stiffened.
"Something's coming!" she shouted.
The troops prepared themselves.
Soon, three winged demons landed before them and saluted.
---
"You're... with Captain Mammon's rebel forces?" Rusalka asked warily.
One of them replied,
"Yes, Princess Rusalka. Captain Mammon sent us to report the situation and guide you to the next phase."
They explained that a mass uprising had begun. The citizens and palace soldiers had joined forces, driven by fear after the massacre days ago.
Thus, Mammon made an extreme decision: incite a full rebellion and evacuate as many people as possible, even knowing many might die.
Hearing this, Agramon's face hardened.
"This is reckless," Rusalka muttered angrily.
"Mammon is endangering too many lives."
Reluctantly, Agramon and Rusalka agreed to help.
An air squad with fifteen griffins arrived, carrying them swiftly to the battlefield—without magic, to avoid detection.
---
Back to Pandora's Perspective.
The Queen listened to Pandora's full report. Yet she showed no emotion.
The Queen turned to Vivian.
"Vivian, what do you think?" the Queen asked.
Vivian knelt.
"Though a bit late, I believe the Princess succeeded, Your Majesty. She's truly remarkable for her age."
Pandora, not understanding their exchange, paced back and forth, glancing between Vivian and the Queen.
Finally, the Queen rose and left, followed by Rezafh. Pandora and Vivian were now alone in the empty throne room.
---
Vivian looked at Pandora seriously.
"Princess... do you hate Her Majesty?" Vivian asked.
Pandora was shocked by the question. With a sad expression, she answered,
"I'd be lying if I said no. A child always wishes for a happy family. I wanted to be praised... to be loved... But she abandoned me."
Pandora continued,
"I know many mothers in this world hurt or even kill their children. But I believe, even in the coldest heart, there's a sliver of love... and regret, even if it comes too late."
Pandora vowed not to let herself be consumed by hatred.
Vivian smiled warmly.
"Perhaps... you are the child from the prophecy," she whispered, confusing Pandora.
Vivian then asked again,
"What if the Demon Queen had slaughtered countless humans and creatures, spreading suffering everywhere?"
Pandora fell silent, thinking deeply.
"I don't know. Should I still defend her? But the goddess told me to honor my mother in this world."
Pandora looked at Vivian and answered honestly,
"I don't know. But one thing's clear—whether demon or human, people don't truly grieve for strangers. Real grief only comes when it's someone close."
Just like on Earth, tragedy became nothing more than news headlines.
If a stranger died in an accident, suffered from illness, or lost their family, people offered formal condolences.
But if it was someone dear to them, the pain was real.
Vivian was stunned by Pandora's profound answer.
She let out a long sigh.
"Haaah... I understand. But be prepared, Princess. Blood will be spilled... and perhaps, your view of the Queen will change forever."
Hearing that, Pandora reacted quickly, beginning to understand Vivian's meaning.
"Wait, Teacher! D-don't tell me... the Queen is going to..."
Vivian turned away and beckoned Pandora to follow.
Pandora knew she had to see with her own eyes... the horror her mother was capable of.
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> ItsJustDafa "If you enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Your support keeps me and Pandora going!"
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