Maxi led her out of the party.
No one really noticed. Everyone was still too busy flocking around Moon like moths to divine flame. It was almost convenient.
The hallway they entered was calm, dimly lit by long crystal sconces that glowed with golden light. The quartz beneath their feet clicked softly with each step. It felt like they'd slipped into their own little world.
"So," Maxi said, looking over at Kate, "where should we explore first?"
Kate tilted her head, chewing thoughtfully on the fork still in her mouth. She mumbled something, but Maxi couldn't make it out.
He chuckled. "What was that?"
Gently, he reached over and slid the fork from her mouth.
Kate blushed and gave him a shy smile. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he replied with a smile of his own.
"What I was trying to say..." she continued, a little more clearly now, "is-let's explore the top floor first. Then we can go.... down from there."
Maxi nodded. "That sounds good."
But just as they turned to walk, he felt something.
From a place both infinitely distant and yet somehow closer than his own breath, something pulsed. A familiar presence stirred-one of his gods. The kind of stirring that made his chest flutter and his spine tighten in awareness.
Then came the squeal.
High-pitched. Giddy. Too giddy.
He recognized the presence instantly.
The Demon Queen of Lust.
(Oh no.)
She rarely reacted to anything. But this time, her excitement practically burst through their connection. It felt like she was squealing, kicking her legs in the void like some fangirl watching a romantic scene
Maxi blinked and slowly glanced down.
He looked back up at her
watching the way her eyes flicked between curiosity and embarrassment, how she gently squeezed his fingers
Still cute. Still innocent. Still smiling.
(No way... This? This is what made her react?) Maxi thought. (I mean-it's just holding hands! We're kids! This is adorable, not seductive. This has nothing to do with desire or lust or anything like that.)
A theory struck him like a flash of lightning
He sighed inwardly. (Unless... Wait. What if she's not reacting out of jealousy like I thought? Maybe she's a shipper. One of those people who watches romances and gets annoyed when their "perfect couple" doesn't end up together.)
Maxi chuckled at the thought
(If that's true, she's not sinister-just aggressively invested)
(Maybe that's why she got nefarious for being jealous of couples deep in love. It's not because she's jealous of love itself-but because the ship didn't sail the way she wanted it to.)
He groaned internally. (Gods are weird...)
(but so are people)
Still, he did feel the connection between them deepen ever so slightly.
As if her excitement at this little moment-this innocent exploration-had gently tugged at the threads between them.
(If I were power-hungry, I'd try to farm this moment to unlock another piece of my passive blessing... But nah. That's not my style, and i am not that kind of guy. I'll just go with the flow. If she wants to come along for the ride, let her enjoy it.)
No, he wouldn't manipulate it.
He'd just enjoy this moment.
If his connection with the Demon Queen deepened naturally, so be it.
Maxi smiled and squeezed Kate's hand gently. "Come on. Let's go."
They made their way up the staircase to the top floor. The air grew colder, quieter. It had the sterile silence of a place not often visited.
As they wandered through the upper rooms, Maxi couldn't help but notice a recurring theme: paintings. Dozens of them. Portraits of his ancestors lined the walls-men and women alike, all with either blood-red eyes or unnervingly devilish smiles. Some had both.
There were other things too-ancient weapons, some rusted beyond use. Armors dulled with time. A few rooms bore signs of being bedrooms-likely belonging to his older brothers. Ten of them in total. But beyond that?
"Nothing much," Maxi muttered.
Kate giggled. "What were you expecting?"
Maxi sighed. "I haven't been here much, if at all. I always thought the top floor held secrets-hidden treasures or lost history."
He turned, motioning her toward a nearby window.
"Here," he said. "Let me show you where I live."
They approached the tall crystal-paned window. Through it, they could see the vast grounds of the castle estate. Far off in the distance stood a much smaller castle, separated from the main one by trimmed gardens and a winding path.
"I stay there," Maxi said, pointing. "That tiny place over there. I usually head outside to train or just to get some air. And whenever I looked up at this giant castle, I imagined mysteries. Wonders. Secrets locked away."
He looked around at the quiet, empty halls.
"But in the end... it's just a whole lot of nothing it's so...."
Kate giggled again. "So... disappointing?"
Maxi nodded solemnly. "Exactly! See? You get me."
Kate shook her head with a smile. "No, I don't."
They both laughed.
"Okay, let's check out the middle floor," Maxi said, still chuckling. He reached for her hand again, and she let him take it without hesitation.
They descended together.
And this time, the exploration delivered.
The middle floor didn't hold paintings, but it did hold beauty. Room after room was filled with breathtaking sculptures-crafted from amethyst, onyx, and other gleaming minerals. Some were abstract, some divine. Many depicted gods, their features exaggerated-either terribly beautiful or terrifyingly divine.
There was something primal about the way some rooms were arranged. As if reverence was carved into the floor itself.
Other rooms had locked doors. Ten bedrooms again-just like upstairs. They didn't enter those.
But what they did see was enough.
"Wow..." Maxi whispered. "That was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be."
Kate nodded. "Like a whole new world
He laughed. "I still can't believe there was an obstacle course in one of the rooms."
Kate covered her face with her sleeves. "It's cool... but so embarrassing..."
"Don't worry," Maxi chuckled, ruffling her hair. "You did a flip before landing. That makes it epic."
"But..." she whispered, peeking up through her sleeves, "I... landed on top of you."
"I'd say I caught you," he smirked, "rather than you landing on me."
She whispered again. "Still..."
"It's all the same," Maxi said gently, patting her head again. "You're safe. That's what matters."
Slowly, hesitantly, she started to reach for his hand-but before she could make full contact, Maxi (completely unaware) grabbed it himself and tugged her along as they descended to the bottom floor.
There, they found exactly what one might expect from a palace: a great hall (where the party was still underway), private apartments, a massive kitchen, storage rooms, and the treasury, which remained locked and guarded.
Maxi exhaled. "Well, not shocking... that's exactly what I expected. It's like my little castle-just bigger."
Kate smiled. "And grander."
Maxi groaned dramatically. "Yes. Grander, Cat. Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
She giggled, hiding her face in her sleeves. "Sorry."
Maxi grinned. "Just teasing."
As they continued down the corridor, they nearly bumped into another girl-their age, with an air of unmistakable nobility.
She had vibrant purple hair tied into twin ponytails that curled near the ends, adorned with peach, pink, and white ribbons. A charcoal-gray empire-waist dress hugged her frame, detailed with soft silk tulle in delicate patterns. A fan covered her mouth as she studied them.
Then she stepped forward.
Her voice was smooth and elegant. "Excuse me... may I have the honor of knowing your name?"
Kate sighed-audibly and very clearly.
Maxi raised an eyebrow. "Who, me?"
The girl smiled and closed the distance. As she approached, she slowly lowered her fan, revealing a face not cute like Kate's, but beautiful, like it belonged in a painting.
She held her fan lightly beneath Maxi's chin.
"Yes, you. Who else would I be talking to?"
Maxi blinked. "Uh... I'm Maxi. And you are?"
She stepped back with a curtsy, her smirk never fading.
"My apologies. My name is Geminid."
"Like the constellation?" Maxi asked.
She laughed-gracefully, like a royal opera note. "No, darling. I don't think there's a constellation beautiful enough to carry such a name."
Kate snorted softly.
Maxi chuckled, amused. (Ah. So that's the kind of girl you are. This'll be interesting.)
Suddenly, Maxi felt it again.
A flicker of divine emotion pulsing through his soul-not excitement this time, but worry.
The Demon Queen of Lust. Watching. Judging. Feeling uncertain.
Maxi laughed internally.
(Oh, this is going to be one hell of a rollercoaster-for her, and for me. But you know what?)
He smiled politely. "Nice to meet you, Giminid
(I'll tell you now, Demon Queen...)
"It's not ending in a harem."