"Myrith, of course I didn't forget him! What do you take me for?"
She paused, squinting suspiciously as if her own memory might be hiding something.
"…Wait. Where did I send him again?"
A few seconds later—snap!—it came back to her.
"Oh, right! The big kingdom in the center. I remember now! The one that grew ridiculously fast. Caelus made his debut there too—brilliant work, honestly. I really outdid myself."
She nodded in approval of her own genius.
"I planned everything perfectly for Myrith. Not only born into the royal family, but not the firstborn—he can have all the luxury and none of the responsibility. A flawless setup for a life of pure, guilt-free relaxation."
She smiled dreamily, already imagining him bursting into tears of joy when they finally went back home.
Now all she had to do was build her base near the palace and wait for his grand arrival.
. . .
It was taking… longer than expected.
How many generations had it been already? Three? Ten?
Aerisse let out a dramatic sigh. "If he doesn't show up soon, I'm going to reincarnate out of boredom."
—shhh—crkkk—
"What are you doing? Don't come this way—ah! Hey—!"
The signal crackled violently. Aerisse winced as her communicator buzzed.
Ah, wonderful. Someone found out.
Zaryssa.
"AERISSE! Can you hear me? HELLO?"
"Stop yelling, I'm not deaf," she muttered, covering her ears.
"What in the stars do you think you're doing, Aerisse? This is illegal! Do you have any idea what will happen if anyone finds out?"
"That's why no one's going to find out, my dear Zaryssa. I'm just… fixing a few things. Giving my little pet his well-earned vacation."
She could almost feel the disbelief radiating through the signal.
"You should come too! Myrith's taking forever and I'm dying of boredom."
"You still have the nerve to ask me that?" Zaryssa exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll check why Myrith hasn't been born yet and send my shadow to act as my eyes there. As for this mortal stunt of yours—I'll pretend I didn't see it. But Aerisse, if you're caught, I cannot protect you."
"You're such a kind soul, Zaryssa. Truly, a gem."
Aerisse's calm tone did nothing to reassure her friend.
"Wait—shadow? You can do that? Why didn't you say so earlier? I wouldn't have come here myself!"
"You really don't read the manuals, do you?" Zaryssa groaned. "I'm honestly amazed you've managed to build an entire world without blowing it up. You're… something."
Was she mad? Probably. Aerisse wasn't sure what she'd done wrong this time.
"The shadow," Zaryssa continued, "is a co-creation of myself within the world's structure. She'll be born without my memories or powers, but with my will. Once she dies, we'll merge again. So treat her well, okay? I will remember you."
And then—click—the connection died.
"She threatened me and hung up." Aerisse sighed. "Classic Zaryssa."
Not long after, the Empress of Valthera gave birth to Zaryssa's shadow—Zaryne Solas de Valthera—and promptly passed away.
From her tower, Aerisse watched the child grow.
Zaryne was a fluffy little ball of sunshine: kind, endlessly curious, adored by everyone.
A perfect little human.
"Well, I definitely picked the right family," Aerisse said proudly. "Myrith's going to love it here."
She leaned back, satisfied. Soon he would arrive.
But until then, she couldn't just sit around doing nothing. His "vacation" wasn't her only mission—she was also supposed to guide the species' development.
Preferably before they destroyed each other again.
"Alright then," she clapped her hands. "First stop—the Fairy Realm. Let's see if those sparkly gremlins still remember basic diplomacy."