(Purple Demon Kingdom)
In the shadowy opulence of her new chambers, Lia sat opposite her mother, Liora, the air thick with unspoken tension. Liora had been recounting the perceived injustices of the Heaven Realm, and Lia's expression was an unsteady blend of doubt and newfound conviction.
A maid burst through the door, breathless. "Princess, Heavenly Ruler Ren has come to see you!"
The maid's simple words acted like a switch thrown in Liora's mind. Her eyes, once soft, instantly sharpened, blazing with cold vengeance. Lia's lips parted in a soft, painful whisper, "Ren…"
She swiftly masked her emotion, hardening her features. "Tell him," Lia commanded, her voice steady and aloof, "I don't want to meet him."
Liora shot a subtle, chilling look toward the maid—a look that promised dire consequences should the message be mishandled. The maid nodded quickly, turning on her heel to retreat.
In the vast, purple-hued visiting hall, Ren stood alone, the regal Demon Kingdom's decorations mocking his escalating frustration. When the maid returned, he looked immediately behind her, his heart anticipating the sight of Lia. He saw nothing.
He was about to question her absence when the maid delivered her message, her voice trembling slightly under Liora's unspoken threat. "Our Princess does not wish to meet with you, Heaven King."
Ren's composure shattered. "She is not your princess! She is my wife! How dare you speak to me this way?" He summoned his Heaven Sword—a brilliant, golden flash of divine energy—and it materialized instantly in his hand. He raised it, preparing to strike the terrified maid down, when a voice cut through the silence.
"Stop, Heaven King."
Ren froze. He turned and saw Lia, and the sheer, overwhelming relief of seeing her alive instantly extinguished his rage. His sword vanished. The maid, seizing the opportunity, fled.
He took a step closer, but halted. The woman before him was familiar yet utterly changed. She wore a long, flowing gown of deep, imperial purple, the color of the Demon Kingdom. Her innocent, almost childlike demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, distant attitude. She was a chilling, beautiful stranger—not the gentle Fairy Girl he knew. He couldn't reconcile the image in his mind with the reality before his eyes.
He closed the distance, reaching out to grasp her hand, but Lia smoothly withdrew it before his fingers could brush her skin. Ren was visibly shocked.
"Lia," he pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.
Lia's reply was glacial. "I am not your wife, Heaven King. Don't behave like this."
"Lia, what are you saying?" Ren begged, his voice cracking. "You cannot believe the words of Liora—she is fooling you, poisoning your mind!"
Before he could finish, a swirling plume of purple smoke materialized between them, and Liora emerged, standing close enough to Ren to physically clutch at his neck, though she did not touch him. Her eyes were incandescent red, burning with pure rage. Ren struggled to breathe under the sheer spiritual pressure.
"How dare you trap my daughter in the Heaven Realm?" Liora hissed, her voice a low snarl. "How dare you try to separate her from me!"
Lia watched, momentarily frozen, her mind unable to process the violence. But seeing Ren struggling galvanized her.
"Mom! Release him!" Lia cried out.
Liora's grip on the invisible chokehold vanished, and Ren stumbled back, gasping, as Liora stood cold and triumphant. Enraged, Ren summoned his sword once more, his entire body shaking with fury.
But Lia's voice, now laced with authority and cold fire, cut him short. "How dare you come here, Heaven King!"
Ren recoiled. "Lia… I am your husband. Don't treat me like others."
Lia's gaze intensified, fueled by deep, heartbreaking emotion. "You are the one who told me, before our marriage, that it was just an act in front of everyone—not a real one. Am I right?"
Ren's shoulders slumped, his anger draining away, replaced by profound despair. He couldn't deny it. Tears streamed from his eyes.
"Don't come here ever again," Lia whispered, the words laced with finality. "Between you and me, it ends here. Our fake relation."
Liora smirked, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Come, Lia. If he dares to come here again, I won't leave him alive."
"Mom!" Lia's eyes widened, a flicker of her old self returning.
Ren watched, utterly defeated. Lia's sorrowful declaration—end here, our fake relation—echoed repeatedly in his ears. He sank to his knees, utterly broken. Liora took Lia's hand and pulled her away. Lia turned her head, unable to truly leave him like that, unable to watch him kneel, but Liora's grasp was firm, and she vanished with her mother into the depths of the Demon Kingdom.
The Impossible Choice (BlueMoon Kingdom)
In the BlueMoon Kingdom, Dylan was consumed by deep sorrow, sitting on the edge of his grand bed. He picked up one of the small, hand-carved toys and playthings he and Irin had collected—treasures she had set aside for their future children. The memory of Irin's hopeful smile as she arranged them twisted his heart.
Tears welled in his eyes. He looked at the framed photo of his parents on the bedside table. He whispered, his voice thick with grief, "I already lost my father, then my mother too… I can't lose Irin. She is the only one left for me." He closed his eyes, his breathing ragged.
A frantic knock preceded Ruther's entrance. "Majesty! Come fast! The Healer is calling for you!"
Dylan, snapping instantly back to reality, rushed toward the door, Ruther close behind him.
In the Healer's place, Irin lay unconscious, her life force stable but weak. Healer assistants moved around quietly, administering medicine, while Xizi, Irin's devoted maid and best friend, stood stoically by the bedside.
Dylan entered the room, his eyes instantly locked on his wife. The Head Healer approached him with a solemn look.
"Majesty, the Queen is recovering," the Healer announced, and Dylan managed a weak smile of relief.
But the Healer continued, his voice heavy. "But… I don't think we can save your child in her belly."
Dylan's smile vanished, replaced by shock, which swiftly morphed into blazing fury. "What are you saying? At any cost, save my child, too!"
The Healer remained silent. Dylan, in a terrifying display of raw power, summoned his sword and pointed the tip directly at the Healer's neck.
"Save both!" he shouted, his voice echoing with desperate authority. "I don't want excuses!"
The Healer immediately knelt. "Majesty, I am saying the truth. If we try to save the child, every minute we delay treatment for the Queen will dangerously affect her, and it will lead her life into danger."
Ruther stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Dylan's shoulder. "Majesty, he is a healer. He is speaking the truth. Every healer wants to save their patients."
The Healer looked up, his expression one of agonizing sympathy. "Majesty, you have to take a decision… now."
Dylan dropped his sword, which clattered on the stone floor. He slowly knelt, completely broken by the impossible choice. He closed his eyes, whispering through his anguish, "I am sorry, my child…"
He opened his eyes, the light of his resolve grim and certain. "Save my Irin," he ordered.
The Healer nodded, standing up immediately to return to Irin's side, preparing the final, decisive medicine.
Dylan watched the Healer work, tears streaming down his face. He whispered in an emotional, despairing voice, "What will I say… if my Irin asks me what happened to our child?"
-------------