Darkness stepped out of the grand hall, her aura slowly retracting like a tide receding from the shore. The night air outside was cool, yet even that felt heavy against her skin. Her stride was steady, but each step carried the lingering weight of the storm she had unleashed. She told herself she only needed to cool her mind, to ease the pressure that pressed upon her chest. She could handle the strain—she always could—but for once, she asked herself: was there truly a reason to bear it alone?
"I never paid attention to the Clastrus Kingdom… so I never knew about her," Darkness murmured under her breath, her voice softer than a whisper carried by the wind.
Friends had never been a part of her life. She did not seek them. She never wanted them. To her, bonds only made one vulnerable. And yet, this was different. Fate—or perhaps something more—had forced an encounter she had never anticipated.
'She knows too much about me… a side no one else has ever seen. Not in this world. She even carries the knowledge I entrusted to her—the truth of the Saints, the forbidden wisdom. And before her… I am powerless to hide.'
Her steps faltered, and for a fleeting moment, the unshakable Darkness wavered.
For the first time in her long existence, she felt the sting of uncertainty creeping into her heart—an unfamiliar fear not of enemies or battles, but of what this girl meant for her future.
As Darkness moved forward, she suddenly felt a presence — one so familiar that her heart trembled. Without the slightest sound of movement, a girl approached and spoke softly:
"Oh Great Warrior and Sage, please accept my greetings."
The girl wore a flowing blue dress; her brown hair framed a face of rare beauty, and her piercing blue eyes held both grace and strength. Though her figure was slim, her body bore the unmistakable marks of a warrior's discipline.
"Nyx… you are teasing me, aren't you?" Darkness said without turning.
The beautiful girl was none other than Princess Nyxera of Clastrus Kingdom, guest of Emperor Zenak De Luxus Otrion, the ruler of the Otrion Empire — and, more importantly, Darkness's closest friend, the one who knew her better than anyone else. Darkness knew Nyxera was not wrong, yet she still spoke those words.
"Not at all. No one would dare tease you," Nyxera replied seriously.
Darkness resumed walking in silence, and Nyxera followed quietly at her side.
After a moment, Nyxera spoke again, her voice calm yet firm.
"I came here for you, Darkness. I know it is only a matter of days now, but once it passes… I want you to come with me."
Darkness froze. Her entire body went rigid, struck by a truth she had long wished never to face.
"I never agreed to it," she said coldly.
"But your mother did."
"It wasn't right. You were disguised as a boy — that was deception."
"But the promise remains true. It still holds power."
Darkness's voice quivered, frustration breaking through her calm mask.
"Nyxera… why must you make this so difficult?"
"Because I am helping you," Nyxera said firmly. "You are bound by your own laws, and the longer you resist, the deeper it will wound you. Accept it… and be free."
Her words struck like a blade. Darkness's emotions surged, breaking past her restraint. The energy radiating from her body spiraled outward, raw and uncontrollable, tearing the life around her as the air grew heavy with her unleashed power.
But it doesn't affect Nyxera because she knew that Darkness won't hurt her, actually she can't hurt her but she never try to tease her.
Why Nyxera want Darkness, the reason is simple, Darkness is strong, will never betray her and just her presence is enough to bend world according to her.
Darkness stop her energy before it reach Nyxera, she can't hurt her, She can kill her but her mother promise the marriage and gave her hand to Nyxera and she know that she will follow Nyxera like a wife.
Her words struck like a blade. Darkness's emotions surged, breaking past her restraint. Power burst from her body in a violent wave, raw and uncontrollable, stripping the life from everything around her. The very air grew heavy with the weight of her unleashed energy.
Yet Nyxera stood firm. It did not touch her. She knew Darkness would never harm her — in truth, she could not. Darkness might have the power to end her life in an instant, but she had never once tried to wound her heart.
The reason was simple. Nyxera desired Darkness because she was unlike any other: strong beyond measure, unyielding in loyalty, and a presence so overwhelming that the world itself seemed to bend under her existence. To have Darkness at her side was to command certainty, strength, and a bond that would never break.
Darkness forced herself to halt the storm of power before it could reach Nyxera. She could kill her… but she would not. Her mother's promise weighed upon her like chains — the vow of marriage, her hand given to Nyxera. Darkness knew the truth: sooner or later, she would walk beside Nyxera like a wife.
But the path before her was merciless. No matter which road she chose, pain waited at its end. She had duties to fulfill — a revenge carved into her soul, a promise she could not ignore, and dangers lurking in shadows she could not yet reveal. She was bound by too much. Even if she felt weak, her very presence was enough to keep the evil forces of the world at bay.
'You are forcing me, Nyxera,' she thought bitterly, her mind racing. 'But I need time… and your help in this.'
Nyxera's expression softened. Though joy flickered in her heart, she tempered it, knowing that if Darkness sought her aid, it meant the matter was dire indeed.
"I will do anything for you, dear," she whispered, stepping closer.
But Darkness withdrew, avoiding her touch.
"I think… you need to know some secrets," she said at last.
And so she spoke. For three long hours, she revealed truths and mysteries, laying bare the weight she carried. Nyxera listened in silence, her face shifting from shock to awe, from disbelief to wonder.
When Darkness finally left, Nyxera remained rooted in place, stunned by the torrent of revelations. For a long while, she sat in a daze, the sheer gravity of what she had learned pressing against her chest.
At last, she laughed softly, shaking her head.
"Wow… it's like some great and thrilling story. If a book were written about this, or a play performed, it would be a masterpiece — a hit beyond measure."
She rose slowly, her mind still reeling. Even after absorbing it all, she struggled to believe. The tale sounded like a drama spun for the stage — and yet, every word had been real.