The silence between us lingered after her words, thick with the weight of authority and something more delicate—trust, tentative but real.
Sephie turned away, her long hair flowing like a river of gold as she walked toward the crystalline window. Beyond, the Devilukean fleet shimmered in orbit, ready to obey her command with a single order.
"You may have earned a fragment of my trust," she said, her reflection staring back at me in the glass, "but I cannot ignore what you are. You are not only bound to my daughter—you are bound to something larger. Something that threatens balance itself."
Her words made the system stir again.
[Notice: System signature concealed. Source detection: Unknown.]
My gaze sharpened. She knew more than she should.
"You've seen systems like mine before, haven't you?" I asked quietly.
Her reflection smiled faintly, without warmth.
"Not quite. But I've lived long enough to recognize the scent of power that does not belong to this world. Artifacts. Entities. Parasites. Blessings. Curses. Call them what you will—they always carry the same truth: their gifts are never free."
Her words echoed deeper than I wanted them to.
She finally turned to face me, eyes glowing faintly with her Devilukean majesty.
"I need to know this, Scourge: will you consume my daughter's future—or will you protect it, even if it means defying the very force that sustains you?"
I felt the system's whisper rise in protest—
[Warning: Loyalty diversion detected. Mission parameters conflict.]
I silenced it. Again.
"I don't serve the system," I said, my voice like steel. "It serves me. And I serve her. That's all that matters."
Sephie studied me for a long moment. Then, she extended her hand—graceful, commanding.
"If that is true, then you and I are allies. But allies share more than trust. They share knowledge."
Her hand glowed with a sigil, an ancient Devilukean crest that pulsed with hidden energy.
"There are forces watching Deviluke—far greater than my husband's temper or this court's politics. If you are to remain at Lala's side, you will face them. And if you fail…" her eyes softened for just a moment, "you won't be the only one who suffers."
The chamber grew colder as her words sank in.
I reached out and clasped her hand. The sigil flared, burning against my skin before merging into me, leaving behind a faint scar across my palm.
[System Notification: Secret Key Acquired]
[New Quest Unlocked: The Queen's Mandate]
Objective: Protect Lala from "the Watchers."
Failure: ???
Sephie released my hand and stepped back. "Now you bear more than her love. You bear my command. Do not waste it."
For once, the system stayed silent. Almost… wary.
And I understood why.
The Queen had just placed me on a path even the system hadn't foreseen.