Villain: The Play of Destiny by FateDevilAce

Inside a room made out of wood, stood a girl in her early twenties, with chocolate brown hair and light brown eyes.

There was a sense of unease in her as her hands fidgeted and her body trembled from time to time, and if one could hear her heart beating, they would find it very restless.

Even though she had asked for this, she could not help but question if it was the right thing. And to do this, she has gone against the words of her best friends.

Kiara was clearly upset when she voiced her decision to meet Yexuan, and though Rebecca had not said anything, she did see some disappointment in her eyes.

Her friends were worried about her safety, and even though she had promised them that nothing would happen to her, she was, in fact, quite scared right now.

Alana flinched when suddenly the door of the room was knocked and opened, and she saw her younger brother cautiously look inside before his eyes met hers.

They looked the same as she remembered, those dark eyes of his, but the look inside them was not the same.

She could feel that his gaze held more than just his love for his older sister, and it made her very uncomfortable. And then there was this doubt in his eyes that made her feel alienated.

"Alana." The boy finally decided to enter the room. "I am sorry." He immediately apologised, but Alana lowered her head, not willing to look at him.

"Sorry for what?" She asked, feeling her heart constrict.

Was he sorry for stealing Yexuan's body?

A sudden thought crossed her mind that made her feel a little dizzy and made her eyes misty.

Seeing the change in her expression, Yexuan misunderstood it as her expressing the hurt that he had caused. Though not entirely wrong, be could have never imagined the thoughts that were in her mind right now.

"I am sorry, Alana. I was a little impulsive and made you feel uneasy." He started speaking. "I just could not help but express my feelings for you. It was getting unbearable... I am sorry." He apologised again, and she started feeling a little sick in her stomach.

"I am your sister." She reminded him, though it was an excuse she made as she tried not to speak the words in her heart and confront him about who he truly was.

Yexuan again mistook her words as the reason why she hesitated and hated him for what he said, but as he considered that she grew up in this society and did not belong to the Worlds he lived in for thousands of years, it was quite reasonable that the idea of Incest would repulse her, even though his love for her could not be considered incestuous.

"We are adoptive..." He lightly said, and frowned when he watched her flinch at his words.

"Please..."

He saw it clearly on her face right now. The pain and repulsion, and his heart dropped as he sensed that it was directed at him.

"It's wrong..."

The draconic blood in his veins suddenly raged, and he blurted out his neck words without thinking twice.

"It sickens you that I love you, but you claim to be in love with a man who is married to his own mother!"

As soon as he said those words, fear whispered in his heart, and his eyes instinctively looked around.

It was quite a shock to him as well when he learned that Venessa was, in fact, Keith's mother and not his daughter. But a lot of mystery surrounded his family that he had yet to unravel.

The rest of the girls around him did not seem to be related to him as well, specifically Qingyue and Rebecca. And Yexuan had on more than one occasion wondered if this was some alternate Time and not his past.

Things were very different from what he remembered.

Amelia was still in this world, and the Mourntale was still very strong. The Ravenstein of Magic City still existed, and most of all, Alana was not a waitress but a world-renowned celebrity.

He did not remember much about Keith and his family from his past life. His past life was filled with hardships that did not allow him to focus on any other thing. But he did remember that Demiliore of Sameran existed and so did Keith. But at that time, the Lord of Darkness had nothing to do with his sister or Magic City.

The thought equally conflicted and scared him.

Things were so different that they also made him wonder if he was inside some sort of limbo and if this was all just a dream.

"Who are you?" Alana was finally a little angry after hearing his words where he was once again trying to badmouth Keith. And she just ignored what he said and decided to directly confront him.

"What?" Yexuan was taken aback by her sudden question.

"You are not my brother." She looked him in the eyes with pain and anger, and her words cut deep into his heart.

"They filled your head with some nonsense, didn't they?" He ruefully smiled.

"My brother was impulsive, but he was never impulsive enough to take someone's life." She clenched her fist as she tried to keep her fear in check. "He was not a monster."

Again, her words cut deep into his heart, and this time, he even flinched. Her words were true, and he could not refute them.

He was her Yexuan, but not the Yexuan she remembered.

"Alana..." He managed to control himself as the sudden urge to reveal everything to her weighed heavily on his mind, but in the end, his sanity prevailed.

The last thing Yexuan wanted was for Keith to know that he had returned from the future. And God knows how many people were listening to their conversation.

He could not afford to risk the Evil God learning about him possessing the knowledge of the Future. God knows what methods he had up his sleeves, and even though he doubted his mind could be read, he did not want to risk handing the knowledge of the Future to the man whom he wanted to stop at all costs.

Yexuan glanced at her, and seeing her waiting for an answer, he debated if he should wisk her away and take her inside the Steele of Time & Space. But he knew that he could not keep her forever in that world, nor could he himself stay there forever.

In the end, he would have to come out, and his instincts told him that Keith would be waiting for him here when he returns.

"I am your brother." He finally replied, looking right into her eyes.

"Are you?" She asked again, and despite herself, a tear leaked out of her left eye.

"Yes, Alana."

"Alright, I will believe you." She nodded her head, wiping away her tears, and Yexuan was about to sigh in relief when she spoke to her. "If you are my brother, then promise me something."

Even though she had not told him what she wanted him to promise her, Yexuan already felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

"Yes?" He dryly asked, and she lowered her head.

"Go away." She told him. "Please don't ruin our relationship." She lightly added, and even though she had not explained her words, he understood that she wanted him to get out of their way and not ruin her and Keith's relationship. "I beg you to drop all these silly thoughts..."

When he heard her crying words, he felt a little dizzy, fearing the worst.

"They threatened you?" He grimly asked and watched Alana still at his words, which he misunderstood as confirmation of his guess. "I told you he is evil. They are all evil!" He gritted his teeth and clenched his right fist, but the next instant, he felt heat on his cheek, and the sound of the slap that he had just received rang in his ear.

Yexuan raised her head in disbelief as he watched Alana look at him angrily with her body trembling in rage.

"Don't make me hate you." She warned him, and he just stared at her dumbfoundedly.

A tear leaked out of his eye as he suddenly felt sure that he had lost her.

It was now clear in her eyes that she did not trust a single word he said to her. Her mind and heart already believed Keith over him.

"He is not what he seems, Alana." He painfully said. "Even if you want me gone, I can't leave you alone and let you fall in his Evil clutches."

Alana finally felt a little guilty as she heard the pain in his voice.

"He won't harm me..." She tried to assure him, but he shook his head.

"You could die at his hands or the hands of anyone from his Family." He warned her. "And he is likely only interested in you because you possess something he needs."

"Yexuan..." She frowned at his words, but her brother shook his head again.

"I know you don't trust me. But you are important to me and my only family. I can't let you die..." He told her, stooping short of saying anything more that should not be said right now. "If you don't love me the same way as I love you, I am fine with it, Alana. I promise you I will never speak about it again, but please, believe me when I say to you that Keith is not what he seems. He's evil..."

"Shut up!"

"Listen to me!" He raised his voice, making her flinch and look at him fearfully. "You don't belong with him even if he is sincere to you, Alana. Your heart is pure, and he will ruin it. It does not matter to him if one is innocent or guilty, he only cares about himself. His hands are likely already stained with the blood of innocents, and he will taint you..."

Alana listened to his words, and in her heart, she felt more restless.

"And I belong with you? If he is what you say he is, then what is the difference between you and him? Did you not kill those people that day for sport?" She clenched her fist and questioned.

"Alana..."

"I would rather be with him than you." She ruthlessly said, and the colour drained from Yexuan's face. "I choose him. Please go away."

"Alana..." He tried to speak again, but his heart nearly stopped when he heard someone speak from right behind him.

"Why do you think I am an evil person, Mr Parker?"

Yexuan's mind blanked as he recognised the voice, and then an irresistible fear jolted his soul from deep within.

There was a pregnant silence in the room as Yexuan stood still, deep in shock, his body slightly trembling.

"Keith..." Alana was a little flustered as well when she saw him suddenly appear behind her little brother.

She was worried that he had taken offence to Yexuan's nonsense, even though she knew that it would take a lot more than just words to make him angry. He was not someone who could easily be triggered.

And seeing his narrowed eyes, her heart suddenly clenched.

"You seem sure that I am an evil person. I wonder why that is the case, Mr. Parker?" He spoke again, and though his words were light, Yexuan stood frozen in fear.

Alana looked between Yexuan and him over and over again, and every passing second made her more anxious.

Keith smiled in his heart when the boy suddenly relaxed and then turned to look at him with his brows furrowed.

"How did you come inside?" He asked. "I need to speak to my sister. Please leave." He kept his voice low, and Keith smiled at him.

"You are not Yexuan." He confidently said, and his words dismayed Alana and the boy, but the latter managed to keep his anxiety from showing on his face.

"Please stop whispering in my sister's mind. It is ridiculous that you are making her believe that I am not her brother." He sighed. "If this is not evil, what is it then?"

"You smell of Blood that does not belong in this world, Mr. Parker. You can't blame us for believing that you are not Yexuan." Keith lightly said and watched the boy's body stiffen at his words. "And you are not exactly a Monster either. Not quite yet." He narrowed his eyes. "You are the one who has been killing the Aurors of Mondini and Solanari in the past few months."

Alana, who was still trying to process what Keith just said, doubtfully looked at Yexuan, making him more uncomfortable.

"I don't know what you are talking about..."

"Is that so?" Keith smiled and then suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the boy by his neck and pinning him against the wall behind him.

Alana looked around to find where the two of them disappeared, but soon heard Keith speak and found him holding her brother by his neck.

"Who are you?" He grimly asked, and Yexuan struggled in his hold, his eyes quivering in fear.

"Keith." Alana immediately rushed up, beggingly looking at him, but he ignored her and kept looking into the boy's eyes.

"I am Yexuan..."

"Are you?" He smiled, and the Child of Destiny nodded his head, struggling to breathe under his tightening hold on his neck.

"I-I am.." He nodded again, and closed his eyes, feigning more pain than he was in, hoping that Alana would rescue him today.

"Keith... He will die.." The girl shed tears as she finally reached forward and grabbed his arm, pleading to him to let Yexuan go.

"You trust him?" He asked, not looking at her, and Alana flinched at his question.

"Please..." She pleaded again, and Keith let the boy go.

It would have not mattered to him if she pleaded with her life, but the boy was still under an Invincible Halo, and he could not kill him without taking serious risks.

And he did not intend to kill him today anyway.

"If you truly are Yexuan, then you should listen to what your sister asked you earlier." He harmlessly smiled. "You wouldn't want her to suffer under the hands of an evil man if you do something that causes him displeasure. Would you?"

Yexuan was dismayed at his blatant threat, but his heart dropped when he found Alana still hugging Keith's arm.

Could she not hear what he just said? Was she really too far lost for him to save her?

Before he could even decide what to say, he watched Keith take his eyes off him and then grab his love into his arms, capturing her lips in a kiss.

Yexuan watched his sister struggle a little, but then she just gave in, allowing him to kiss her the way he wanted.

His mind was in utter chaos as he witnessed the love of his life reacting to another man's kiss, and the blood in his veins suddenly started boiling.

But along with rage, helplessness and fear crept in as well, and all he could do was lower his head and then walk out of the room.

He stopped in his tracks when he suddenly heard his sister moan, and he could discern that it was not some forced moan, but something that voiced itself from deep inside of her.

There was this unbearable urge to turn around and rip Keith off of Alana, but Yexuan knew that it would only result in his death.

He could still feel Keith's grip on his neck, and he pretty much understood that there was a huge gap between their strengths that he could not surmount anytime soon.

His heart ached as he stepped out of the room and let the door behind him close. He felt weak, unbearably weak, and as he blankly walked towards the arena, he was quite sure now that he had lost Alana.

Keith smiled when he suddenly heard a System prompt and checked that he had managed to rip off nearly 900 Fate Value from Yexuan just with this brief encounter, inducing more fear into him and creating a hole in his heart that was filled with his feelings for Alana.

He was yet to conquer her, but he had successfully marred her image in Yexuan's mind, who would always remember the scene where he witnessed them kiss every time he romantically thinks of her.

What more he could have done was to easily press and force Yexuan into a corner, questioning him about his Blood and forcing him to reveal some things, or even triggering him to take a rash step. However, it would have scared the mouse away, and it would have led to unforeseen circumstances.

At least, now Yexuan was more apprehensive of him, and he would slowly become sure that Keith did not believe that he was not the same Yexuan.

It would drive him restless, and knowing that he had been identified as the one behind the disappearance of Mondini and Solanari Aurors, he would rest low after the Trials, focusing on assimilating the Bloodline quietly, not raising more suspicions.

Or perhaps, he would make a foolish move and make a run for it, but Keith had already marked him earlier when he grabbed him by his neck, secretly injecting him with a Potion.

Had Yexuan been in the right mind, he would have noticed, but now, the Potion was going to remain dormant in his body, and since it was completely harmless, Keith doubted he would be able to sense it before it is triggered, revealing his location.

However, even if Yexuan did figure out that he was marked in such a manner, it would not matter much.

All his reactions and responses were already under his calculations.

"You did it deliberately..." Alana lowered her head after they separated. "He..."

"He needs to understand whom you belong to." Keith cut her off and pulled her chin up, looking into her light brown eyes. "What do you think of his words?"

She furrowed her brows a little, recalling everything Yexuan had said about Keith, and then tried to lower her head again in shame, feeling guilty that she nearly believed in those words and doubted Keith.

"I don't believe him..."

"The greatest trick the Devil has up his sleeves is that he speaks the truth, but just twists it and leads people to think the way he wants them to. And what it results in are doubts that can corrupt a heart." He smiled, quoting the words from one of Alana's favourite novels. "What he said was true, almost all of it."

Her breath froze as she heard his words, and she looked into his eyes to explain himself.

"There is indeed a reason why I like you so much, and it is because you are special and important to me." He told her. "You possess something that would prove a great asset to me, and that is a major reason why I am interested in you."

"What?"

"Your talent." He smiled and watched the relief wash over her face, but his next words froze her again. "And your Special Physique."

"I..."

"You have one." He nodded to her, and then chuckled, making her snap out of her surprise.

She kept looking into his eyes, trying her best to stay serious.

"So you are the devil." She narrowed her eyes, but a smile crept on her lips.

Now that the surprise had worn off, she truly felt relief wash over her heart.

It would have been wrong to say that she had never wondered why Keith was always so kind to her.

She had wondered if he had some ulterior motives, but as she spent time with him and his family, getting to know them, she slowly started wishing that there was something very special about her that he valued enough to pay so much attention to her. And it was because only if she was special enough would she ever have a chance to stand on her own in the family that she wanted to become a part of.

It was mostly because she had seen how talented everyone else was, and she wanted to be just like them.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But I lie too."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"So you like me only for my Special Physique?" She pouted a little, already sure in her heart that Keith was not insincere to her.

How could he be?

She believed in actions more than words, and he had never given her reason to doubt his sincerity.

Alana knew very well how he treated everyone in his family. And she was sure that a man like him would not mistreat those he considered his.

Even if he was only interested in her because of her Special Physique, she still did not feel too restless with the idea. She loved him, and she knew very well that her happiness lay by his side.

"That and the fact that you are gorgeous and quite loveable." He nodded, earning giggles from her.

Alana closed her eyes and cherished the feeling when he placed his hand on her head and gently caressed it.

"You are silly to love me so much." He sighed.

"My choice." She smiled and heard him chuckle at her words.

"Well, it's too late to have any second thoughts and regrets." He shrugged again. "I won't let you escape my evil clutches."

"I don't want to escape." She stepped forward and tightly hugged him. "I love you, Keith."

"I know." He gently stroked her back. "Let's go. The event is about to start."

She nodded to him and reluctantly let him go, following him out of the room.

"Keith..."

"Yes?"

"What's my Special Physique?"

"I will let you figure it out. You are smart enough to realise it." He teasingly said, making her pout. "Do you think he is your brother?" He suddenly asked, and Alana furrowed her brows.

"I don't know, Keith." She honestly replied. "But there is a part of him that is still Yexuan..."

"Which is why you don't want me to hurt him." He understandingly nodded his head, and she gratefully nodded hers.

"I want to know what is wrong with him..."

"So do I." He smiled and grabbed his hand, gently squeezing it.

The sky was dark with clouds rumbling, and inside the Colosseum, the Aurors who had managed to make it into the finals stood solemnly as they held onto their weapons.

Some might have believed that seeing constant bloodshed would have scared many in the last few days, but the truth was that most were pumped up and were seemingly more committed and determined to win.

Today, the Aurors had no age group, and old men, along with a few teenagers, could be seen ready to slay each other if they were forced to.

And among these Aurors stood a lone young man with golden highlights in his hair.

He was being eyed by a lot. Some looked at him in fear, some in apprehension, and others in determination to get rid of him.

It was especially the case with the Solanari, Mondini, Jafarrys, and Hazenborne, who were prepared to avenge their fallen today. The Eastern Faction had sent in Aurors of Spirit Profound Realm, and even some Elders who were at the Peak of the said Realm, only to get rid of this despicable young man who had slayed so many of their talented younger generation in the Battle Royale he participated in.

"Today, each Elimination earns you two points. There will be no additional reward for taking the first spot in this round, and thirty-two of you will pass and progress into the next round of Knockouts. The knockouts will determine the victor, earning their side an additional 12 Points. The runner-up's side will receive 8 additional points, and the third-place will earn 4."

The Master of Ceremony announced the rules and also informed them that there would be additional rewards that Lady Hectate would reveal when the Knockouts start.

Rebecca sat inside the King's Box with the girls, and she was already quite bored after watching all the Honour Duels that took place today. Again, none of them resulted in anyone's death, so it was just not fun. Therefore, she was very much looking forward to the Finals.

"Victor seems very happy." Kashish noticed that Keith's Muscle-Head Servant was grinning ear to ear as his eyes looked around, marking his targets.

He was standing alone as well, but a little close to the Mourntale Group. And given his very tall and bulky stature, he was very noticeable.

"It's because Keith promised to finally help him if he manages to eliminate more than fifteen Aurors and makes it into the Quarter-Finals," Kiara informed her with a bright smile.

"Help him?" The daughter of the Mir Family quizzically looked at her, and the little Miss of the Demiliore Family nodded her head.

"He once used to be nearly as strong as Yingying, at least, in terms of Cultivation, and then Ryou came..." She informed Kashish how the Muscle-Head had made a new friend, and how Ryou had left him in the dust thanks to the secret help he received from Keith.

"Where's Ryou now?"

"He is no longer in this world." Kiara smiled at her, making her look at her in surprise.

"He ascended?"

"Not really." She shook her head. "Keith just sent him out on a mission."

"What?"

"Yes." She giggled as she saw the shock on her friend's face, but did not explain it to her.

Kashish understood that Kiara was not willing to divulge more details, so she just dropped the subject and looked inside the Arena again, soon spotting an acquaintance.

She noticed something on his waist that she found familiar, and then her mind clicked to the dagger that she had seen in the backroom a few days ago.

"The dagger that Samrath's wearing..."

"It's the Flame Dagger." Kiara nodded to her. "Keith gave it to him to prevent any accidents."

"Is it special?"

"It's deadly sharp and can cut through the Aura Defence of anyone in or under Primal Desolation Realm even if you do not imbue your Aura in it." Iseul, who was sitting close to them, repeated the words Keith had once said to her. "And a single cut can burn the blood inside the body, which is excruciatingly painful. And only someone in Nascent Profound Realm or above can negate it with their Aura, however, if there are multiple cuts and a fatal injury, then even they might not be able to prevent their blood from burning."

Not only Kashish but others who were also unaware of its functionality were shocked at those words as well.

"It must be very precious..." Reina immediately looked at the dagger again but heard Rebecca giggle.

"By the standards of this world, yes. But it is a very common Magical Weapon in Lower Heaven."

"But it is still very dangerous in this world." Kashish frowned.

"Precisely why Keith gave it to Samrath so that he can stand a chance against Yexuan if the latter comes after his life."

Alana, who was sitting in the box with them, was very uncomfortable after she heard those words.

And when the girls glanced at her, it made her feel more uneasy.

"I am fine." She told Kiara, who gently squeezed her hand.

"Is he your brother?" The little Miss of the Demiliore Family finally asked, and everyone looked at Alana for an answer.

They had not questioned her about what happened in the morning when she met Yexuan, giving her time to collect her thoughts. But that did not mean that they were not curious about what was going on with this boy.

"He's Yexuan..." She lowered her head and whispered.

"Is he?" Rebecca smiled at her words.

It was clear in her voice that she did not believe Alana word's, and soon everyone watched the poor girl lower her head some more and tremble.

"There's still my brother in him..."

"I see." The blonde nodded to her and sighed. "I am sorry, but we have to take cautions against him."

"I understand." Alana nodded her head. "Keith told me that he will keep an eye on him."

"I see." Rebecca smiled at her words and then called out to her. "Alana?"

"Yes?"

"Would you hate me if I killed him?" The sudden question took everyone off-guard, and Alana raised her head to look at her in disbelief.

"W-what..."

"If he ever harms anyone in the family. He will have to die. So I want to know if you would hate me for doing it." She lightly said.

Her words made the girls very uncomfortable, especially Amira and Reina, who worriedly looked at Alana. But the girl who had to answer managed to regain her bearings very quickly.

"I don't know." She truthfully replied, having already asked herself this question when Keith said the same thing to her in the morning.

"I won't blame you if you hate me for it." The blonde smiled at her.

"Rebecca, please..." She nearly cried at her words.

"Sorry, but you should know that if he proves to be big enough of a threat, he will have to be eliminated." She clearly said. "You can not tolerate things that you know can hurt you and your Family."

There was an underlying threat in her words that Alana did not miss, and her heart dropped a little as she understood that Rebecca would even kill her if she proved a danger and took Yexuan's side if the day ever came.

There was a very solemn atmosphere in the box after her words, and no one said anything more.

It was a few minutes later that the clock hit noon time, and the Battle Royale started.

As soon as the siren rang, the Aurors of the Eastern Faction rushed straight at Yexuan, who was half-expecting them to take this course of action. But he was not expecting that the Mourntale, Ravenstein, and Glasisius would not jump on the opportunity to deal a blow to their enemies.

No one interfered with the member of the Four Ancient Families who surrounded him, and Yexuan, who was already very upset with what happened in the morning, dangerously growled before his body was soon coated in his yellow Aura.

"Come."He threateningly said, and the enemies faltered a little at the madness reflecting in his eyes.

Nothing was going as he hoped it would, so he just decided to go along with what was happening.

Yexuan had already made up his mind that he would go into hiding after the tournament. But he had to do something before that, and it was to steal the treasure that Samrath Arya possessed.

He could sense that it was something filled with unreal vitality and power, and he wanted to get his hands on it as he needed everything that would help him against Keith.

A soul-stirring battle ensued in the Arena as Yexuan took on nearly two dozen Aurors, and unlike the last time, he was not as Invincible as he suffered damage too, which made him bleed as well.

However, to the dismay of the audience, he slew one Auror after another, ignoring the damage he was taking, and then even managed to kill an Auror who was at the Peak of Spirit Profound Realm.

The loss of the Elder deterred the enemies, who now hesitated to go forward, but Yexuan was like a madman who came right at them, ripping through them.

He was like a lion surrounded by hyenas, determined to show them who was the king of the jungle, and finally, a few people interfered in their battle.

Since the Eastern Faction was already battered, the Aurors from Mourntale and Ravenstein Families started taking them out whilst the Glasisius guarded their backs.

Seeing that his prey was being stolen, Yexuan was enranged, but instead of going after the Mourntale and the rest, his eyes turned to look at the tall and bulky man who was fighting against a group of Aurors, and the scene made him recall the battles where he had witnessed the very same man slay countless people.

A part of him wanted nothing more than to kill Victor before he grows stronger and becomes the menace he was bound to become. But he knew that if he killed this servant of the Evil God, he would likely not live to see tomorrow.

But that did not mean that he could not inflict some serious damage.

It was his rage that clouded his mind and forced him to rush at the Metal Esper, and up in the box, a tear slipped out of Alana's eyes as the words that Rebecca had earlier spoken hammered and rang in her mind again.

On the night before the Ancient Trials were to begin, a young man and a girl in her early twenties traversed the dark forest, gliding side by side as they travelled further and further away from Magic City.

Though the girl was curious why her Master had not brought anyone else with them, and why he had even asked his Shadow to stay behind, she did not raise any questions.

She did not even ask where they were going and what they were going to do.

To her, being by his side was everything, and in times like these where they were alone, she felt happier than ever.

Time passed, the night became quieter, and then they finally reached a waterfall, which was quite beautiful, it looked simply surreal as the flowing water shimmered under the moonlight.

Her curiosity finally peaked when she watched her Master construct a small wooden cottage by the side of the stream, and then enter it.

She followed him inside and entered the room where he was.

"What are your intentions, Senpai?" Iseul playfully asked as she watched him create a bed with a softer wood, and then tested it as she proceeded to sit on it. "It's comfy." She curiously nodded, a little surprised that it was comfier than any bed she had slept in before.

"Is that so?" Keith chuckled at her words and then pulled her chin up, making her look him in the eyes.

He smiled as her heart suddenly started racing, her eyes quivering in anticipation, and he did not pull back when she suddenly reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a kiss.

Putting his hands under her things, Keith gently picked up, and Iseul instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, fearing that he would escape her kiss.

Her silly fear, however, proved unfounded as he reciprocated her kiss with more aggression, and when they separated, she was left breathless.

"Take me..." She requested whilst she panted, and kissed her again, this time, very softly.

"I intend to." He told her before he climbed into the bed, digging his knees in it, and then he dropped her down on it before proceeding to unbutton his shirt.

Iseul immediately supported her with her hands and then started taking off her own clothes, throwing them on the floor as she discarded them.

It was not the first time she was seeing him naked, but she still felt a little lightheaded as she traced his perfection with her hands like a curious maiden, which she was.

She moaned when he leaned in and planted a kiss on her neck, and Iseul just pulled him down on her as she sealed his mouth. Her right hand clutched onto his hair and her left went down as it grabbed onto his hardness, clumsily stroking it.

She did not want to wait even a minute more as she gently lined him up on her soft folds, bringing him to her entrance.

"Hurt me." She broke the kiss and demanded, inciting a smile on his lips.

"Be careful what you wish for." He bit onto her lower lip as he suddenly thrust into her, tearing his way in.

"Ahhh!" Iseul screamed in pain as he kept entering her without stopping even for a moment, but she bore it and never once asked him to stop.

She wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him down on her, wanting to be pressed under his waist.

When he finally filled her to the brim, her tears uncontrollably poured out of her eyes in pain, relief, and fulfilment.

She was finally his, completely his, and he was hers too now.

Keith gently planted a kiss on her head, giving her the time she needed to control her emotions, and when he felt her insides relax a little, he moved.

He picked up the pace gradually, hurting her as she wanted him to so that she would forever remember this moment.

As a defence mechanism against his assault, her insides soon started secreting some lubrication to ease the pain, and minutes later, wet, sloppy sounds could be discerned in the room as he pounded her insides without remorse, making her cry in an aching ecstasy.

As he left his marks inside of her, she took marked his body with her teeth and claws as she passionately moaned and cried under him, and then painfully sank her teeth on his shoulder when her mind threatened to go blank as a powerful orgasm jolted through her.

"Drop stop..." She managed to tell him as her mind went blank, and he was not going to stop even if she had not asked him.

Keith was relentless, selfish, and adamant about torturing her, and the poor inexperienced her had to bear for nearly an hour before he gave in and pressed harm against her cervix, unleashing his essence straight into her womb.

"Master!~" She cried out again as another orgasm hit her, and this time, there was this strange warmth that accompanied it that made her feel happy from the depths of her soul.

Keith gritted his teeth as her insides painfully clamped around him, providing him immense pleasure and fueling his lust, but he bore the urge to start ravishing her again.

He gave her a couple of minutes as he planted kisses on her head, and when her mind finally regained some clarity, he kissed her on her lips before he started to move again.

Iseul moaned into his mouth as tremors ran through her body, and unbeknownst to her, tears started leaking from her eyes again as a sense of fulfilment washed over her.

He was her everything, and she finally had a part of him for herself as well.

This time, he was gentler much gentler as he made love to her, allowing her to experience a different form of pleasure, and after filling her up with more of his essence, he flipped her over, taking her form behind in another relentless assault that threatened her consciousness.

Their carnal indulgence continued until dawn before Keith sneakily put her to sleep.

"Let's start." He spoke to the System in his mind, and closed his eyes, focusing on his heart and looking deep inside it.

Keith watched as a vibrant drop of Blood suddenly disappeared from his heart, and soon he sensed its presence again from his side, from the girl who was wrapped in his arms.

When he opened his eyes again, he watched the changes take place, her body growing taller, her skin and hair gaining more lustre, her already beautiful features being perfected some more.

Under the instructions of System, Keith unleashed the Black Flame from his body, shrouding them both in it, and then Iseul's body started leaking a black flame of her own.

An Orb of white light suddenly appeared in the air, above Iseul, and then it slowly descended into her body, starting a new round of changes inside her.

Keith waited for an hour to let the Blank Physique assimilate with the Bloodline he had granted her, and then he started on the next phase as he pressed her under him, and then entered her again, beginning to make love to the sleeping girl, who soon opened her eyes, meeting his Amethyst orbs with her now jet black orbs.

Perhaps she did sense the changes that had taken place, as the black flame emanating from her flared up, but Iseul chose to not pay attention to them as she reciprocated his love by thrusting her hips back at him whilst she pulled him into a deep kiss.

All her tiredness had mysteriously been washed away, and she felt more invigorated than ever. And she was the aggressive one this time as she fought for dominance in the bed, inciting hours of aggressive carnal indulged that they both enjoyed to their heart's content.

Keith only stopped when he sensed her Blank Physique finally assimilating with the purest Darkness, which meant that the first step was finally underway, and the Black Flame around her body started receding into her, and he recalled his as well.

"Senpai." Iseul frowned as she failed to get hold of her Aura. "My Aura..."

"The first phase of Primal Desolation, Earth Refinement." He told her. "It will take a few days before you can use it again."

"Oh." She was not surprised that she had entered the Primal Desolation, and now her curiosity was on the power that she sensed coursing through her body.

Even though she had not tried it, she felt that her physical strength had seen an immense rise.

However, her mind was soon occupied by some other thoughts as a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

"Senpai, I want more..." She seductively whispered, planting a kiss on his neck.

"Do you?" He smiled as he grabbed the soft mound on her chest and squeezed it.

"I want to try the lotus and the wheelbarrow." She giggled and then grabbed onto his hardness, squeezing it as she reached for his lips.

To her happiness, she chuckled and kissed her before pulling her onto his lap and getting into the lotus position.

Iseul moaned in pleasure as she dropped her weight on his hardness, filling herself up again, and then wholewheat indulgence in her lust once again, trying different positions one after another and choosing her favourites.

The two did not care what was happening in the world as they were solely focused on each other, and hundreds of miles away, in Magic City, the first day of the Ancient Trials was in full swing.

Saturday, December 9th, 2045
Hortus Florenae, Magic City, Netheria

The first rays of the sun peered through the mist as they illuminated the beautiful colosseum, and then men, wearing black capes and masks opened the gates for the people who were waiting outside.

Their appearance raised quite a lot of questions in people's minds, and they wondered who these masked men were. However, all of these men in black were exuding powerful Auras, and they were wearing an emblem, the Strophalos of Hecate, on their clothes, announcing their identity to the people who recognised it.

As the stands started filling up, which were marked for each faction that was participating in the Trials, making it easier for them to find their spots, the tension in the air rose as well.

It was especially the case with the Ancient Families of Magic City, where Solanari, Mondini, Hazenborne, and Jafarrys found themselves sitting adjacent to Mourntale, Ravenstein, and the Glasisius.

It was quite clear by how the Heads of Mourntale, Glasisius, and Ravenstein sat together that the alliance had been formed between them. And the people who looked their way could sense that another war would soon erupt between these two factions, if not today or tomorrow, then after the end of the Trials.

The others, who could not care much about the enmity the Ancients of Magic Cutu held towards each other, marvelled at the beauty of the Colosseum they were inside.

It was even more stunning from the inside than it looked from the outside, and the name of the Colosseum too caught their attention.

"Hortus Florenae? What does it mean?" Someone asked, and luckily for him, the person next to him had the answer.

"The Garden of Florena."

"You know Latin, Yexuan?" The old man behind them surprisedly asked as he looked at his most promising student.

"A few words, Sir." The boy, who was Half-Asian, with a tall stature and some striking golden highlights in his hair, respectfully replied.

"Good." The old man, whose name was Max, nodded appreciatively, understanding that Yexuan was only being polite, and then his aged grey-eyed turned to look towards the main Enclosure, right under the name, where the King's Box was situated.

Two Guards, wearing the same clothes as the others, suddenly walked into it and stationed themselves at the Pillars. And then everyone strangely heard some footsteps, which were loud enough to make everyone go quiet and turn to look at the King's Box, and soon they watched an enchantingly beautiful girl with golden blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes walk into the Main Enclosure.

As soon as she appeared, all the guards in the Colosseum bowed to her, and then a powerful pressure descended on the hearts of those who looked her way, making them lower their eyes.

"I welcome you all to the Garden of Florena, and I hope you will abide by the rules of the Ancient Trials. Anyone who violates the rules would have to pay for their transgression with their life. It was something you agreed to before you came here, and it's too late for you to change your mind."

Her words resounded in the Colosseum, even though she had spoken very lightly, and people could not help but tense up at the indifference to life that her voice contained, and if it was not enough, her next words chilled their hearts.

"I hope I will get to see this white sand turn red with your blood."

There was a hint of playfulness in her words how, and fear gripped the hearts of many, but they soon relaxed when a guard walked into the Arena, carrying a small chest, and then opened it for all of them to look at what was inside it.

Two golden and shining crystals appeared before everyone, and the Guard allowed them all to take a good look at the two Aura Stones.

"Your reward awaits you, so let the game begin!"

They heard the girl speak again, and the pressure descending upon them suddenly receded.

"I-I felt like my lungs would crush under the weight..." A young man panted heavily as he caught his breath, and the old Max nodded to his words.

"She is an Inheritor of a Goddess. Aurors like us can't compare to her." He reverently spoke but did not notice his favourite student clenching his right fist tightly.

He had heard those same words all his life, and he no longer wished to stand amongst people who considered these Mortal Gods invincible. Yet, he forbore his agitation, knowing well that the way things were right now, he could indeed only stand amongst these people and be on his best behaviour.

His eyes searchingly turned to look at the King's Box again, where several ladies were now seated around Rebecca, all wearing half-masks, except for Kiara and Amelia. And he immediately recognised the one he was looking for.

Alana was there, dressed in a beautiful blue dress, wearing a butterfly mask. And she looked gorgeous.

Yexuan could not help but recall the time he has seen her again after being separated for over a decade, and she had looked just as stunning as she did now.

He remembered how the two of them had grown closer, how they nearly got married when the feelings sprouted between them, and then he remembered how he had lost her, feeling utterly helpless as she was killed in a Trial, but that despicable woman.

Rage bubbled up in his heart when he recalled her face, and her name, Medusa.

Yexuan hated how he had failed to avenge Alana even after he had grown strong enough to kill that despicable woman, all because she had started serving someone that no one dared to make an enemy.

He nearly sent a glare at the Inheritor of Hecate, who was sitting in the King's chair, remembering that this very woman was the wife of the man whom Medusa served, but then a soul-chilling fear jolted through him as flashes of her devastating power and cruelty emerged to the front of his mind.

And she was not sitting there alone. The others were with her, and Yexuan hated how he still felt so fearful of them though they had not grown that strong yet.

He reminded himself that he too now had a chance to grow as strong as them, but then he himself found the idea laughable. However, he was determined to fix everything and not let anything happen to his beloved Alana.

It was for her that he returned. How could he lose her again?

But soon he felt helpless again as his eyes inadvertently lolled at the girl with raven hair and emerald eyes.

This time, a feeling of dread washed over him as he felt even more helpless.

The Heavens had been fooled. They had all been toyed with!

But his heart still hoped that it was not the case...

"Yexuan."

Someone grabbed his shoulder and broke him out of his thoughts, and Yexuan nearly punched the guy in alarm but managed to compose himself just in time.

"What's wrong?" The old Max asked.

"Just excited for the Trials." He smiled, and they all bought his excuse. After all, most of them felt it too, the fear and excitement of the Ancient Trials.

"It's about to start." Old Max informed him as two Aurors stepped into the Arena from where they were seated.

And Yexuan realised that he had been lost in his thoughts for some time now, and he has even missed these two Aurors issuing a challenge to each other and the Vampire Guard revealing other rewards of the Trials that everyone could vie for.

He was not there to watch these stupid battles or earn some useless rewards. So, it did not bother him much.

His eyes soon started scanning the stands and the enclosures, and he frowned as he found no trace of the God of Darkness.

Yexuan wondered where Keith was when his Shadow was still in the King's Box, but then something else caught his eye and he curiously looked at the handsome young man who was sitting in the stands adjacent to him.

There was something about the young man that called onto his instincts.

Perhaps it was his thousands of years of experience that told him that this young man was very special, and Yexuan could not help but utilise the Blood he had ingested, unlocking his very special sense of smell, and just one whiff sent him brimming with excitement.

It was brief, but it was there, and even though he had not completely assimilated the Bloodline, he was still capable of using the power of the Divine Drgaon that could smell vitality.

Yexuan was sure that this young man possessed some very precious treasure in his body, and he was thinking about taking it for himself.

He did not know why he felt like he should not target this young man. But the allure of the treasure, which had sent his Blood brimming with excitement, was just too great for him to give up on it.

If he wanted to save Alana and survive against this evil Family she has been enticed by, then he needed every little thing that could help him grow stronger. And he was certain that whatever treasure that young man possessed could help him assimilate his Bloodline faster.

Yexuan knew that he could not kill that young man here. After all, he was not there to kill people.

He had to prove himself to Alana, catch her interest and attention, and he had to win over some strong Allies, especially the Mourntale Family.

Calming himself down, he took a deep breath, and then he silently watched the battle that had begun inside the arena.

A shrill cry rose to the sky as the Auror lost his left arm, allowing the white sand to finally receive its first bountiful flow of blood.

"Enough, Han!" An old man in the stands stood up and shouted, stopping his son from landing the killing blow on the already fallen Auror.

"Yes, Father." The young man in white did not even hesitate as he retracted his Aura Blade, and the judge of the battle, a soldier of Hecate, raised his right hand and declared him the winner.

Up in the King's Box, the blonde Mortal Goddess disappointedly shook her head as there had been no deaths so far, and then she giggled when she glanced to her right and saw the twins pale in fear.

They were really trying to put up a brave front, but after watching the brutal duels of the morning, they were already feeling a little sick.

It was the twelfth and last round of the Open Challenges of the morning, where people entered the arena to settle their disputes, and now, there was going to be an hour-long break before the Battle Royale for the strongest Auror under fifteen years would start.

The last ten standing young Aurors in the Battle Royale would be declared winners, earning a point each for their respective Families, Sects, or Schools that they represented, or if they were independent, they would earn a point for themselves. But no one participating today in the Under Fifteen category was an Independent Auror.

"Amy, are you sure about letting Helena fight in the next round?" Kiara could not help but ask, fearing the worst.

Groups from all the Ancient Families in Magic City were going to send in their best Aurors Under Fifteen, and even though killing was forbidden in the Under Fifteen Battle Royale, everything else was allowed.

She was certain that the enemies planned on crippling the brightest of the next generation and allowing Helena to fight was very risky.

"She will be fine." The emerald-eyed Demiliore assuringly nodded to her. "She has Strength and Speed Runes on her body, as well as some Shields."

"Oh..." Kiara was a little surprised but then mischievously smiled. "That's cheating."

"Maybe." And Amelia simply shrugged at her. "But she's only going to use them if she finds it necessary."

"Do you think he will figure it out of she uses the strength or speed Runes?" Rebecca smiled and asked, and Amelia narrowed her eyes at the question.

She knew who she was referring to, and she inadvertently glanced at the boy who had returned in Time.

"It's possible. And I want to see his reaction as he watches Helena fight." She meaningfully said, and this time, Rebecca narrowed her eyes as she understood her intentions.

"Clever."

"I am letting Victor fight as well. He requested it." She informed them, and all of them understandingly nodded their heads.

The Muscle-Head had been ecstatic when he learned what the Ancient Trials were about, and he had been requesting all of them to allow him to fight as well. But since he was currently acting as Amelia's bodyguard, it was her call.

"He will represent the Mourntale?" Kashish curiously asked. "Or is he going to fight Independently?"

"Independently, but he will be helping the Mourntale, Ravenstein, and Glasisius fighters," Amelia told her and then turned to look at Marianne, who was quite interested in fighting in the Trials as well. "And you?"

"I am not going to participate." The girl with a bob cut shook her head, obediently standing behind her Master.

It was clear that Rebecca had refused her request, and it was understandable as well. She was her Shadow, and the blonde was not keen on letting people know how strong she was and what she was capable of.

Even though it would have not mattered much, since no one would really take advantage of it even if they knew how strong her Shadow was, Rebecca was still a very cautious person. Also, she did not want to give anyone the opportunity to harm her Shadow. She was mostly taking into account the boy who returned in Time, and she was not wrong to be wary of him. It was an unnecessary risk.

It was clear that Yexuan held hostility towards her, and he could take advantage of the opportunity and harm Rebecca under the guise of the Trial.

Amelia now frowned as she felt that Victor could be in danger as well, but she highly doubted that Yexuan would kill people today. Nonetheless, she stood up and excused herself, going to the backroom where the Muscle-Head was stationed.

"My Lady." Victor respectfully bowed to her as soon as she entered the room and the Vampire Guards did the same.

"Don't drag the battle with Alana's younger brother if it happens. Forfeit before it turns serious." She clearly told him, and Victor could not understand why she wanted him to Forfeit if he battles against Yexuan.

"Yes, My Lady." He still nodded her head, and Amelia kept looking at him intently.

"He will kill you if you drop your guard or prolong the battle." She saw his hesitation at the prospect of forfeiting a battle. And knowing his personality, she had to make him very aware of the danger that could befall him.

Victor looked at her in surprise, but seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he lowered his gaze and obediently nodded again.

"I will not let my guard down and will Forfeit the battle before he can harm me." He promised.

"Don't hesitate to use the Rune if it comes down to life and death." She sighed and then returned to the King's Box, taking her seat.

"Why let him fight?" Kiara asked, having clearly heard their conversation. "Is it because of the enemies?"

"The plan is already set." She nodded. Victor would be needed to help the Mourntale and their allies. "And I want to see how he reacts."

The others thought she was talking about Victor, but those who knew understood she was referring to Yexuan.

They were not taking his name because Alana was sitting with them, and the girl was unaware of the things that surrounded her now estranged adoptive brother.

"Yingying, where are Keith and Iseul?" Alana curiously turned to look at the Shadow who was standing behind them.

They went out last night, and they had still not returned.

"I don't know." Yingying shook her head, and Alana turned to look at Kiara, hoping she would know.

"He did not tell us where they were going. But it must be something important since he has not shown up here." The girl guessed.

"He's not going to come today or tomorrow." Rebecca shook her head, and everyone turned to look her way.

"Why?"

"He will come to the Trials when the Finals start. That's what he told me." She revealed. "But I am not sure where he is or what he is busy with."

The girls nodded to her words, and Alana felt a little sad at not having him with her.

She had already spotted Yexuan in the stands, and she had caught him looking her way as well, which had made her a little restless. It would have helped her if he was there by her side, but then she decided to distract her mind by chatting with her friends.

The hour passed quite quickly, and the Under Fifteen Battle Royale was announced, along with its rules.

There were only three rules.

First, killing was not allowed. Second, the Auror that forfeits can not enter the battle again and can not be attacked as well. And third, the last ten standing Aurors will be declared the winners of the round, earning a point each for the group they represented.

A few seconds later, Aurors Under the age of Fifteen, entered the Arena from the stands, and the Vampire soldiers ascertained the ages of those participating in the trials by tasting a drop of their blood.

It was only then did some people understand what these men in black were, and they became even more fearful of them.

Surprisingly, none of the participants broke the rules, and they were all under the age of fifteen.

Seeing the Arena filled with over a hundred young Aurors, the crowd was excused, and encouraging cheers rose to lift the spirits of the fighters, who were a little alarmed at finding themselves up against so many enemies.

Rebecca stood up from her seat and then approached the edge of the King's Box, smiling as she looked at the Young Aurors.

"The Auror who takes out the most enemies in this round with receive a monetary reward from me, and they will be healed completely of their injuries, as long as their limbs are intact. The monetary reward is 10 Million Neris."

The people in the stands were shocked at her words as the sum of 10 Million was not a small amount for most of them. And even the young Aurors were excited now.

Only girl girl was seemingly indifferent to the reward, and she was a girl of eleven with beautiful emerald eyes and raven hair.

Her eyes were focused as she found herself surrounded by enemies who were most older than her, but she did not seem scared of nervous at all.

Seeing her calculatively picking up her first targets, Rebecca and Amelia smiled in their hearts.

Little Helena was truly special.

It was another misty morning in Magic City, and the fog was so thick that you could not see the person standing next to you. It was zero visibility.

And through that fog pierced the fog lights of a series of cars that swiftly ran towards their destination, climbing the hills as if the lack of visibility was not even an issue.

The Gate of Mourntale Family opened even before they approached it, and the five cars continued on their way to the main compound where dozens of people were waiting for them.

"Master Demiliore." Vladimir stepped forward as soon as Keith exited the car, greeting him with a bright smile.

"Lord Mourntale." He smiled and then lightly hugged the man before shaking his hand.

Since they were relatives now, it was only right to not treat each other with too much formality, and seeing that he was quite amiable about it, Amelia's aunt stepped forward and dotingly greeted him.

It was the first time he was visiting the Mourntale Family since they got married, and so he did bring them a lot of gifts, which he and Kiara personally handed to each member of the Main Family.

Afterwards, Keith finally walked over to his wives who were patiently waiting for him and hugged them one by one.

The two of them curiously looked at the girl who was standing behind him, and then Rebecca smiled as she stepped forward and hugged Kashish.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Kashish. And I am not surprised that he is enamoured by you." She playfully whispered the second sentence in her ear, making the girl burn in a furious blush.

Keith felt rather awkward when the girls happily started chatting with each other, and he was left alone to follow them to the section of the compound that had been prepared for them.

He sighed in his heart when both Amelia and Rebecca through glances at him, having caught on to the changes in Kiara, and he knew that was going to be subjected to an interrogative session later.

Fortunately, after they settled in their rooms, it was time for breakfast, and then all of them gathered again in Amelia's room, late in the morning after she showed the girls around the estate.

Amelia smiled when she found him lazily laying in her bed, and then walked over to the side to lean in and plant a kiss on his forehead.

Kiara tried to tease her about it, but she was not one to feel shy about kissing her husband in front of others, not to mention that everyone in the room was family.

Keith then stood up and lazily stretched his arms and then settled his eyes on the girl who was trying to hide behind Rebecca and Kiara.

"Alana." He called her name, and both Kiara and Rebecca playfully stepped aside, leaving her defenceless against him. "Come." He smiled at how she was not trying to meet his eyes and then walked into the backyard.

He only had to wait a few seconds before the girl joined him, and then they both silently stood next to each other for the next few minutes, which allowed the girl to calm down a little.

"Did he call you after you left?" He asked, and Alana suddenly tensed up.

"Yes..." She informed him. "He tried to call me a few times, but then stopped."

"So, he is in love with you?" He teased her, and Alana did not feel well at the way he asked the question. "Well, I can't fault him for it. After all, you are very beautiful." He indifferently shrugged, and Alana felt even more uncomfortable.

"It's not right..."

"Why not?" He curiously turned to look at her.

"He's..."

"He's your brother?" He chuckled. "Adoptive brother." He reminded her. "Besides, even if you truly were siblings, there was still no harm in it."

"Keith!" She shouted his name a little angrily, feeling hurt by his indifference to the matter. "We are not some Ancient Family!"

She had been living at the Mourntale Estate for some days, and she had learned a lot about their ways.

"And..."

"And?" He smiled.

"I love you!" She glared at him, and her eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly leaned in and captured her lips.

"The answer that matters." He told her, nudging his nose with hers.

When he hugged her in her arms and she buried her face in his chest, Alana felt at peace, and all the weight pressing on her heart disappeared.

Keith gently stroked her back, relaxing her more, and when they finally separated, she looked at him with misty eyes.

"Why are you so good to me?"

"That's a stupid question." He tapped her head, making her wince a little, and then engaged her in a conversation about music and her plans for the new year.

"Keith... Can I stay with you for some time?" She requested.

Keith knew what she was talking about, and what she wanted to achieve.

Perhaps she was now driven by her feelings to prove to him that she loved him and belonged to him, an attempt to make her gain some confidence about their relationship and forget about all the unpleasantness that had suddenly crept into her life.

She was vulnerable right now, and the poor Yexuan had miscalculated the feelings of a girl, despite being an Immortal Sovereign in the time he returned from, having lived thousands of years.

Then again, according to the Plan of Destiny, he was never meant to be with any girl before returning in time and fixing everything.

Keith knew that the Plans of Destiny no longer mattered since his existence was always meant to jeopardise them, and he was there in the timeline that Yexuan returned from, which Destiny had never accounted for.

Maybe things did change, and maybe Yexuan did find a girl as the Plans changed, but from the looks of it, he was quite inexperienced when dealing with a maiden's heart.

Perhaps he had thought that by revealing his feelings he could make Alana feel disturbed, making her feel like she needed some time away from everything, which would have earned him some time to grow stronger and come up with a plan of saving her from Keith's clutches, but the stupid him only ended up scaring her and driving her away from himself.

Now, her insecurities were heightened, and since she was ever more sure of where her heart lay, she wanted to take things a step further to make Yexuan understand that she only belonged to Keith.

"You can stay at the manor for as long as you want and whenever you want. It is your home." He teasingly said.

"With you." And she did not shy away from making her intentions clear.

He smiled at the adorable blush on her face as her eyes stubbornly bore into him.

"I am leaving for Iceland at the end of January." He revealed. "You can come with me."

"Thank you!" She happily hugged him and then tip-toed to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down into a kiss.

"You are welcome." He smiled at her, and then teasingly snaked his hands onto her ass, clawing her flesh.

Alana felt the heat rush up her face, and she immediately escaped his arms, running inside Amelia's room with her heart racing for its life.

"System. How much time is left in Yexuan's Invincible Halo?"

{It's been fluctuating lately, Host. But it's likely to wear off after eight months.}

"He's already on the verge of stepping into the Spirit Profound Realm." He narrowed his eyes.

Seven months were not enough for Yexuan to reach Primal Desolation. He had not yet fully assimilated the drop of Blood he had brought with him from the future. And it would require him around eight more months to succeed.

One thing was clear Destiny was trying to protect Yexuan. More so than it had tried for any other Child of Destiny. And Keith felt like it was all because of him and because Yexuan had returned from the future and knew things about him.

"If I take Alana now, is it possible for Yexuan's Invincible Halo to wear off ahead of time?"

{He will lose a great chunck of his Fate Value, yes. Which can result in his Invincible Halo wearing off ahead of time. But it also means that he would receive an early boost in strength and will likely fully assimilate the Bloodline of the Divine Dragon earlier than it is supposed to happen.} The System replied.

"It is possible that he will leave this world before his Invincible Halo wears off?"

{There is a possibility of it happening, yes." The System affirmatively answered. {Would the host like to know the approximate odds of it happening? It will cost 999 Fate Points.}

Keith was surprised at the cost he would have to bear to know the approach odds, but he did not hesitate in his decision.

"Yes."

{Initialising Host's request...}
{999 Fate Points have been used...}

Keith patiently waited for several seconds before the System collected the answer for him.

{There is a 3% chance that Yexuan would be able to complete his Primal Desolation and leave the world with his Invincible Halo still active if Host waits for it to wear off and does not eliminate or conquer Alana Parker.} The System informed him. {In case the Host decides to eliminate or conquer Alana Parker, the chances will rise to approximately 9% and 7% respectively, depending on the choice the Host makes. Lastly, if the Host decides to push through the process and take the risk of killing Yexuan when he's still under his Invincible Halo, the chances of him escaping safely to another world are 47%.}
{Please beware that there might be other unforeseen consequences of attacking Yexuan when he's protected by the Invincible Halo as he has a Divine Treasure on him.}

Keith was once again amazed by the power that the System held, and he was very curious now about the Laws that govern it. He knew that Systems were not supposed to be as powerful as the one he possessed, but he could feel that it was not the time to raise all those questions yet.

"The chances would remain the same even if I steal Alana and then attack him when he's still under the Invincible Halo?"

{Yes, Host. Even if there is only a day left in it wearing off, the chances would not drop.}

"I see..."

[Author's Note: What do you think Keith's decision would be?]

As he had expected, Keith was covered by his eldest wives right after they had lunch, and now, he found himself sitting across them at the table, subject to their narrowed eyes.

He found it quite amusing that both of them refused to raise any questions and waited for him to start speaking on his own accord. Then again, it was only right that he explained and clarified some things to them as he did owe it to them.

"So, how do you like the weather in this city?" He asked as he looked at his blonde wife.

"Seriously, Keith?" She glared at him and then leaned back into her chair, turning her head away, making it clear that she was in no rush and could play the game too.

Keith waited for a good couple of minutes and then started chuckling.

"Ask."

"Yexuan." Amelia immediately said, and Keith nodded to her.

"Very well."

Seeing that he was finally willing to give them some answers, Rebecca looked at him again and smiled a little as their eyes met.

However, she soon narrowed her eyes as he crested a mist of crimson light on his right hand, which shimmered beautifully, and then he started shaping it in all shapes and forms.

She could feel that he was flaunting his Mana Control on her, and she was right. He was indeed teasing her but stopped as soon as she was about to open her mouth.

The crimson mist changed into a rhombohedral shape and settled into it.

"There exists a certain Divine Treasure, which holds immense power. It's so powerful of a weapon and tool that even the Gods covet it and would be willing to take all the risks to get their hands on it." Keith started speaking, and both of them seriously listened to him. "It's called the Steele of Time & Space." He revealed.

As soon as Rebecca and Amelia heard the name, their minds started racing, and the blonde soon had a deep frown on her face.

"It's a Treasure that is very elusive, which is why it has not appeared in a very long time. It is capable of travelling through Time, and can be present anywhere in the Past, Present, or Future, and in any existing Timeline. Therefore, it is pretty much impossible for even most Gods of Time and Space to locate it."

The more they heard, the more pensive the two of them became.

"How did he find it?"

Sure enough, Rebecca figured out what was going on with Yexuan.

"Perhaps by Luck?" He shrugged. "However, even though the Treasure is capable of travelling in Time, it does not mean that its wielder can travel as well with its help. At least, not without the consequences."

"It is forbidden to play with Time." The blonde nodded her head.

"Yes. Even the Gods of Time have to respect the Divine Law of Time." He smiled. "Nevertheless, the Steele of Time and Space is indeed capable of taking its wielder back in Time if they are ready to bear the price."

"The price?"

"Death." He answered Amelia and smiled. "The erasure of your existence from the Present you escape from."

"Escape?" Rebecca caught onto his choice of words and smiled. "So he came back to fix the past and was willing to sacrifice his present for it."

"Possibly." Keith nodded. "The Steele can only help its Wielder travel back in a Time where he lives. It is because no living being unless they are in their Astral form, can travel with it to the Past. And once it arrives in the Past, the future soul merges with the present one."

"So travelling in the future is out of the question." The blonde nodded.

"Yes."

"It needs to recharge?"

"Yes. It requires a very long time to be ready to travel again in the Past with its wielder." Keith nodded and watched Rebecca grin.

"So, he can not escape."

Keith kept looking into her eyes, knowing well what was going through her mind. She had her mind and eye set on her target now.

"He knows about our Future." Amelia frowned.

"Yes. And it makes him a threat to us since it is clear that he hates Keith and fears us. Whatever future he came from, he was not on our side and is not on our side." The blonde smiled as she looked at her husband. "Maybe you stole Alana from him in that Time as well." She teased.

"How can I steal something that belongs to me?" He shrugged, and she giggled at his words. "But we can not know for sure that he hates me because of Alana."

Rebecca nodded her head understandably and then looked into his eyes with seriousness.

"Nyx knows about the Steele of Time & Space?" She suddenly asked, and Amelia's eyes widened at her words as she had failed to take the Goddess of Night into the equation.

"She is not interested in it." Keith shook his head.

"You talked about it?" The emerald-eyed girls asked.

"Yes."

His answer also answered some of their other unvoiced questions, which included how he knew so much about Yexuan. But Rebecca also knew that Keith seemed to have some prophetic dreams, so she was not really much curious about it.

"So the Treasure is ours to take after we kill Yexuan." The blonde happily smiled.

Amelia frowned at her words but understood the reason why Rebecca announced a death sentence to Yexuan and did not even consider the hurt Alana would suffer in this matter.

Someone who was hostile to them and possessed the knowledge of the Future could not be allowed to exist and develop into a threat that could prove harmful to them. It was unwise to bet against it.

"Rebecca believes that he is no longer an Ashaya." She looked at Keith and said. "Is that a consequence of coming back in Time or something else?"

"It is not a consequence." He shook his head. "He had gotten his hands on a very powerful drop of Blood in the future, and since he had saved it in the Steele of Time & Space, it returned with him."

"Which blood?"

"One of the Divine Dragons."

Only Rebecca understood the gravity of his words and she furrowed her brows.

"Beast?"

"Yes." Keith nodded to her.

"So, he will become part Monster."

"33%." He nodded again.

Rebecca knew it was more than enough and was capable of granting a person unimaginable power. It could also become the deciding factor of an Immortal ascending into Godhood.

"However, he shouldn't be able to assimilate it completely into his body so soon. Even with the Time Dilation of The Steele of Time & Space, it should take him several years."

"Time Dilation?"

"Yes, once inside its personal Space, the Time Dilates relative to the world the user lives in. Several hours inside the Steele of Time and Space could equal several days of this world."

"What?" Amelia amazedly asked, and Rebecca too seemed shocked. But then the blonde smiled as it was all the more reason for her to kill Yexuan and get that treasure for themselves.

"When did he return in Time?" Rebecca asked.

"Three years ago."

There was a brief silence before Amelia furrowed her brows.

"Keith."

"Yes, Amy?"

"Is it possible that he holds some weapons or Artefacts as well that the Steele of Time & Space brought from the future?"

Since a drop of Blood came with him, there was a high chance that he possessed a lot more things that could be very dangerous.

"Yes." He seriously nodded to her.

"He won't be easy to deal with." She frowned. "We don't even know how powerful before he returned in time. And how many tricks he has up his sleeves."

"That's true." Keith nodded to her. "He does not possess the same strength, but he remembers his life and holds onto his experience."

"There is something else." She raised her head and met his eyes.

"Yes?"

"I saw Runic Shields on his body," Amelia revealed, taking Rebecca by surprise. "Strength and Speed Runes as well. My designs."

Silence reigned in the room for several minutes, and Rebecca meaningfully looked into Keith's eyes, gauging his expression.

"I am afraid I don't have an answer for it." He shook his head. "Only Yexuan knows why and how he has them. Maybe you taught him those Runes, maybe he learned them from someplace else or stole them. There are a lot of possibilities, and only he can answer the truth."

"Are we going to deal with him now?"

"Not yet." He shook his head at Rebecca's question.

"Keith. Every passing day increases his threat." She seriously said, and he shook his head again.

"There is something else in play. We can not deal with him just yet."

"What?" She asked, but he shook his head once again, refusing to answer her.

"You have a plan?"

"I will deal with him when the time is right." He nodded to her.

Neither Amelia nor Rebecca was comfortable with the thought of Yexuan growing stronger over time and becoming a bigger threat, but they both decided to trust in Keith. They understood that he was not oblivious to the danger Yexuan posed, which only meant that he knew some more things that he was not telling them.

"Now tell me about Kiara." Rebecca immediately changed the subject and excitedly asked.

She giggled when she watched him sigh but shook her head when he was about to shake it.

"You must answer my couple of questions." She adamantly said.

"Ask." He looked into her eyes and permitted her.

"She's your daughter now?"

"Yes."

"Half-Blood or Pure-Blood?"

Keith narrowed his eyes at her question as he knew that the answer to it was an answer to a lot of questions on her mind.

She had already figured out what was going on, at least the gist of it, but wanted to ascertain the key factors of it now.

"Pure-Blood." He answered her and watched a beautiful smile bloom on her face.

"Daddy~!" She playfully called out to him, making her intentions clear, and Keith, despite trying hard, failed to hold back his laughter.

The Rosario Valley, a valley situated at the border of Mourntale, Glasisius, and Hazenborne estates, was land of vast expanse surrounded by hills on all sides. It was the place where five Ancient Trials had been previously held, and it was the venue of the upcoming Ancient Trials that Rebecca and Amelia had decided.

They chose this place as it did not belong to any one party, and the enemy would never be against the idea of coming there for the Trials.

Keith was standing on the soft grass as he looked around the beautiful place, his mind running with some ideas, and behind him, the girls stood as they appreciated the beauty of the place.

The Hazenborne scouts in the vicinity, along with the Mourntale and Glasisius had been turned away by Keith, so, they were not going to get disturbed as he makes some changes there.

"What are you thinking?" Rebecca curiously asked as she found him assessing the terrain.

"Well, I am thinking about making this place a venue fit for the event that is going to take place here." He smiled, rousing everyone's curiosity. "Excuse me." He said to them before he used his telekinetic power and lifted them all in the air, several metres above the ground.

They all watched intently as he crouched down and then placed his palms on the ground.

For the next few seconds, nothing noticeable happened, but then both Kiara and Minami narrowed their eyes, and soon the birds up the hills in the valley started crying as they flew up in the sky.

Rebecca soon sensed the changes as well, and then to their astonishment, the ground started shaking as thick roots, which were as thick as some big tree trunks, sprouted from the ground before they changed shapes and transformed into the stands.

In a matter of fifteen minutes, the girls found themselves present inside a large wooden colosseum that seemed to have come to life straight out of some fantasy. It was colossal and majestic, even bigger than the Colosseum of Rome, and at the same time, it was beautiful, covered in vines and flowers, with a beautiful floral scent and greenery surrounding them.

And then they witnessed another sight that shocked them.

The grass in the arena suddenly vaporised as white sand started flowing out of the ground, flooding the arena.

Amira, Reina, and Alana were the most shaken after witnessing Keith create things out of nothing, and when they touched the ground again, now covered by thick white sand, tightly packed in the arena, they subconsciously crouched down and touched it to make sure that they were not inside some dream.

And only now did Alana believe that Keith was indeed a God.

She had laughed at the notion whenever Rebecca had told her about it, taking her words as a joke, but now she knew that the blonde was not kidding.

"It's simple, but it will do." Keith shrugged after he looked around, nodding to himself in satisfaction, and Rebecca pouted at his words.

"It's not simple." She folded her arms on her chest. "You just created the most outrageous wonder of the world."

"That's true." He nodded, and then grinned at her, making her roll her eyes.

"You don't seem tired." Amelia pointed out as she keenly observed his state, and Keith chuckled at her words.

"I am fine. I can create another one and I will still be fine." He told her, smiling as they all looked at him unbelievably.

Well, he had not lied to them. No average Auror was supposed to possess as dense Mana and Aura reserves as he possessed, and thanks to his Bloodline, controlling the elements just came naturally to him.

Only Minami and Kiara were not too surprised at his words as they knew they could perform similar feats with their respective elements as well, but they still lacked in Mana and Aura reserves compared to him, so they would have felt a little tired after pulling off such a feat.

"Do you like it?" He turned to look at the youngest ones, and both Amira and Reina dumbly nodded their heads before excited smiles broke out on their faces.

"It's beautiful!"

"I know."

Rebecca rolled her eyes again at his narcissistic behaviour, but could not really argue about it. After all, the place was indeed very beautiful.

"Let's go and design the enclosures." He said, and Amelia was the first to follow him as soon as she heard that they would be taking part in designing the place.

She was quite curious about his Powers, but more than that, she was already thinking about ways to make this place stand out even more.

For the rest of the day, Keith listened to all their suggestions and requests as they designed the place.

"Brother, can we name this place Florena?" Reina expectantly said after they stood in the centre of the arena, having finished designing this Colosseum.

"That's a girl's name." Amira giggled at her sister's suggestion, and everyone around them smiled as Reina pouted at her words but still expectantly looked at Keith, hoping that he would agree to her suggestion.

"Hortus Mortis." Iseul suddenly said, making the girls look at her. "It's Latin for The Garden of Death." She informed the ones who did not know the language.

"That sounds grim." Alana frowned, and the twins nodded to her words.

The rest of them smiled in their hearts as they knew that despite its beauty, this was a place that will see a lot of Death and this white sand would eventually turn red.

However, they could not deny the appeal of naming this place with something ironic.

"Let's go with The Garden of Florena. Hortus Florenae." Kiara smiled and suggested, and Reina's eyes sparkled at her words.

"Please!" She hopefully looked at him.

"Fine." Keith smiled and agreed, and happily hugged the girl back when she jumped into his arms.

"You are the best!" She planted a quick peck on his lips and told him.

"I know." And he nodded to her words seriously, making her and the girls giggle.

Keith then used his Elemental Magic to create wood and craft the name of the Colosseum out of it, right on top of the main enclosure.

"Thank you!" Reina kissed him again, and he nudged his nose with hers playfully before he looked at the sky and then at the girls.

"I am hungry." He told them, and his words kicked in their hunger as well, making them realise that they had not eaten anything for the entire after since breakfast early in the morning.

"Let's head home." Amelia nodded to him.

Keith knew what Amira wanted to say as soon as he glanced at her, and then he smiled at his emerald-eyed wife.

"Let's camp here." He told her, and then created a few benches, wooden blocks, and three firepits, and then brought out the glamping equipment he had been keeping in his storage ring.

"What are we going to eat?" Alana curiously asked.

"We will hunt something good!" Kiara excitedly said.

"There is a stream in the west, a couple of miles away." Amelia informed them, and Keith nodded to her.

"I will go catch some fish. You will hunt something delicious. And the rest of you will set things up and stay there."

He did not specify who had to stay and who had to go hunting. He left them to decide for themselves and rushed out of the place in a blur.

"We will go!" Kiara volunteered and after nodding to Rebecca, disappeared with Minami in the same way Keith did.

The rest of the girls then started setting up the tents, and then they set up the firepit and lit the fire using the blocks of wood Keith had created and left there for the very use.

Even though they all had to bear a few more hours of hunger, which became very excruciating due to the appetising smell that emanated from the fish and the stag when they were finally put on the fire, the girls managed to pass the time chatting with each other and playing different games to distract themselves.

Only Keith, Minami, and Amelia stayed by the firepits as they were responsible for preparing the meal. Well, Amelia was just keeping them company as the two handled everything, but she was enjoying herself as well as she chatted with him about various things, and then asked him to explain to her the phenomenon behind Elemental Magic.

She was not one to explicitly voice her desires, but Keith knew that she too wanted to learn more about Magic and be proficient at it. The allure of Elemental Magic was too much even for someone as blessed as her.

"You will be able to perform it as well. It will take time, but it will happen." He gently told her, and her lips curved into a beautiful smile.

"But I would never be as good as you at it, right?"

"I highly doubt it, but you can try." He smiled back at her, and then they both laughed lightly, promoted by the sweet giggle that escaped Minami's lips.

Days like this were the days they truly appreciated having so many friends within the family. It truly was a blessing that they were forever grateful for.

Kiara could not contain her giggles every time she caught Kashish sneaking glances at Keith and then furiously blushing at the thoughts that ran through her mind.

The girl had been behaving like that since last night and given her lips which were slightly swollen, neither Kiara nor anyone needed to ask her what had occurred between her and Keith that turned her to behave in such a manner.

"What did he tell you?" She decides to finally pull the girl's legs a little.

"He... I.." Kashish was about to subconsciously tell her what he said, but stopped herself and lowered her head, blushing again.

"Come on!" She urged, and the girl sighed before she informed her of the reason behind her unusual behaviour.

"I asked him to help me awaken my Special Physique if I possessed any..." She meekly said, but both Minami and Kiara heard her.

"And he told you that you would need to sleep with him to awaken your Special Physique?" Kiara grinned as the girl raised her head and looked at her in surprise. "He did. Didn't he?"

Kashish nodded her head before lowering her eyes, now more flustered than before.

"Relax. He was not bluffing." The little miss of the Demiliore Family gently grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Besides, there is no harm in it. You already belong to him." She pulled her leg again, which made the girl groan and pleadingly look at her.

"Did Master tell you which Physique you possess?" Minami raised the question, and Kiara too perked her ears to that.

"No."

"Maybe you possess some kind of a Dual-Cultivation Physique, which helps you grow stronger through sex." Kiara mused, giggling in her mind as Keith's image appeared in it.

"No." Kahsish adamantly shook her head, which amused the two girls.

"How are you so sure?"

The daughter of Mir Family found herself at a loss for words, but she really hoped that it was not some Dual-Cultivation Physique. And she had a strong hunch too that it was not something like that.

"I don't know." She shook her head, and Kiara squeezed her hand again.

"Relax. And Keith is serious." She stopped teasing her and lightly smiled. "He helped Qingyue in the same way."

"He did?"

"Master also helped Rebecca in her awakening in the same way," Minami added, to which Kiara nodded her head.

Kashish knew who Rebecca was. She was the Inheritor of the Goddess Hecate, but she was not so familiar with Qingyue but knew that she was one of his wives.

"Qingyue possesses a Special Physique, and Keith helped her awaken it by sleeping with her. I suppose he wanted to tease you and did not tell you why it was a good method, right?" Kiara guessed and watched Kashish nod her head to his words. "Well, it's because Keith possesses a Special Physique as well, and it works quite mysteriously."

The girl with the ice-blue eyes looked at her in surprise, and finally pieced things together, which helped her calm down.

"How does it work?"

"Not sure. But thanks to his Special Physique, we can get stronger by sleeping with him. It is some sort of a Dual-Cultivation Physique." She told her.

Keith had never really gone into much detail about his Special Physique, and he did not tell them its name either. So she could not really tell Kashish much about it.

"You can grow stronger by sleeping with him?" She was quite curious now and watched Kiara nod her head.

"Every time I sleep with him, my Cultivation sees a rise. My Aura becomes purer and denser as well."

"Maybe it is because you possess one too?" She frowned, but Kiara shook her head.

"Everyone in the family who sleeps with him receives the same benefits." She informed her.

"I see..."

Kiara and Minami did not disturb her thoughts anymore and excused themselves.

They were thinking about what they should do today, when they watched Keith come downstairs, dressed in a suit.

"Can we come?" Kiara did not ask where he was going. She knew it would be fun being by his side even if it was some boring meeting.

"Caspian is going to ascend tonight. I am going to Fiji."

"Poseidon?" His little sister looked at him in surprise. "That's sudden."

"His circumstances are unique." He smiled. "If you want to come, ask Kashish to take care of Amira and Reina."

"Okay!" Kiara immediately nodded and then rushed back to the living room to inform Kahsish that they were leaving.

They did not really need to change clothes since they were already dressed up for the day, and without delaying Keith's time, they left the Mansion with him and Yingying.

An advanced jet was already waiting for them at the airport and after a 5-hour long flight, which would have normally taken 9 hours, they landed on an island in Fiji where a few Black cars were waiting for them.

"Whose men are these?" Kiara curiously asked since she was not too knowledgeable about the mechanics of the Underworld.

"Hermes. He's the one who takes care of transport and housing." Keith informed her and led the girls inside the Range Rover that was waiting for them.

It was late afternoon in Fiji, and they reached their destination after taking a small ferry to a beautiful Island which she learned belonged to the Inheritor of the God of Seas, which only took them an hour.

"This place is beautiful!" Kiara exclaimed when she saw a beautiful wooden mansion, which was Caspian's home, but before she could say anything more, a group of people came out to receive them.

"Lord Erebus!" The man leading them was nine other than Hermes, who respectfully greeted them.

Hodur was with him well, and the other two were Aphrodite and Demeter.

Unlike the ascension ceremony of Abuzar, not many Mortal Gods were present here, and it was because Caspian did not have many friends.

Kiara had heard about Aphrodite from Rebecca, and though the woman was indeed beautiful, most of the girls in their family surpassed her in terms of it.

Demeter on the other hand was good-looking but possessed an easy-to-forget face. However, she carried herself with grace and confidence that could impress anyone who met her.

"Is Caspian meditating?" Keith asked, to which Hermes nodded his head.

"Please, come. Your lunch is ready." The Messenger God politely invited them inside, and then they were allowed some privacy as they had their meal in a private dining room.

After lunch, Keith let the girls roam around the Island, and do whatever they liked, whilst he walked to the room where he sensed Caspian's presence.

He smiled when the door opened on its own and closed behind him when he entered.

The blonde man, who was sitting on the couch stood up and took his seat again once Keith sat adjacent to him.

"You seem lost."

Caspian remained silent at his words, wearing a thoughtful expression. But after a while, he finally spoke.

"I have been waiting for this day for so long, but I don't find myself as happy as I should have been." He said and then gently traced the Sacred Rune of Wedding on the back of his left hand, which was no longer dull but glowed in a brilliance.

"You have fears that stop you from being happy. You know what is about to come your way, and the burden you bear had finally settled on your heart." Keith spoke, and Caspian frowned a little before nodding his head.

"I need an answer, Lord Erebus." He lightly asked.

They had talked about it on the day of Abuzar's ascension, but Keith had not given him an answer back then.

"You are dwelling in the thoughts that are unimportant at present. You have time, Caspian. Both of you have time. As I told you before when the day comes, you can find me, and if you are willing to pay price I state, I will help you in your quest." He smiled and watched the True Inheritor of Poseidon raise his head and look at him.

He was tempted to say that he was willing to accept any price but stopped and collected his thoughts.

"Let's play." Keith created a game of chess out of crystals and then assembled it on the table between them.

Caspian narrowed his eyes as he saw that it was not some normal chess of 8x8 but a chess of 16x16 that was famous in the Heavens.

"The Emperor's Chess?"

"The Emperor's Chess." Keith nodded and invited him to make the first move.

The two of them kept playing for well over an hour before the lone White Emperor stood on the board, having lost his queens, princes, and his court.

"Supero." Keith smiled as the Black Emperor moved and struck the White Emperor, destroying it into specks of light.

It was a cruel game of chess that had forced Caspian through a myriad of emotions, but strangely, at the end of it, which resulted in his devastating loss, he felt calm.

"Another round?" He smiled and asked, but Caspian shook his head.

"Thank you, Lord Erebus."

"You're welcome."

When the night fell and all the guests had arrived, Caspian joined them at the dinner table, having one last meal with the people he got to know in this world.

And then they all happily chatted as they reminisced about their endeavours over the years.

It was mostly Volos and Caspian chatting and sharing some laughs, whilst the other interstellar listened to what they had to share.

"Don't stay here for long." The Inheritor of Poseidon lightly smiled at Volos. Having known him the longest in this world, he was aware of the attachments his old acquaintance, who could be considered his friend, shared with this world. And today, he felt that he needed to advise him about it. "The Heavens have a lot to offer." He did not say anything, and Ian lightly nodded his head, not in the mood to talk about it.

Caspian took his silence as his refusal to listen and then did not raise the matter again.

"It's time." The Inheritor of Poseidon stood up and smiled at his guests, and everyone respectfully stood up and followed him to the lawn at the back of the Mansion.

Keith, Kiara, Minami, and Yingying stood a little away from the rest, and after Caspian greeted everyone one last time, he approached them.

"I hope we will see each other soon." He smiled.

"We will see each other again." Keith smiled back and shook his hand. "Be safe."

"I will." He nodded and then politely bowed to the ladies by his side. "Farewell!"

Kiara excitedly watched when Caspian started levitating in the air, closing his eyes and raising his head to face the sky.

Time passed, and eventually, red streaks of lighting started flashing around his body, and then a massive portal appeared in the sky with dark revolving clouds that thundered.

All of a sudden, the red streaks of lighting around his body started binding him up, and then he was struck by a massive bolt of the Law of Judgement and Space.

When the light subsided, Caspian was gone, and the Portal in the sky started slowly started closing.

"What would happen if someone jumps in it?" Kiara asked as she watched the portal close.

"They will die with the Spatial Force shattering their body into innumerable pieces," Keith replied, and those who were around, could not help but wince at the thought.

So, those red streaks of lighting also protect the subject?" She guessed, but Keith only smiled, not answering her question.

He turned to look towards Volos, who happened to be looking his way, and they both nodded to each other.

Sometime later, when the guests left, only Keith and the girls remained at the Mansion, and Kiara was heartily lagging as she read the letter and papers Poseidon left behind.

"Rebecca told Caspian to transfer all his properties to her before he leaves this world!"

"I know." Keith smiled at her, shaking his head. "Well, now we have this place all to ourselves." He playfully smiled, and Kiara beamed a smile at him.

"Can we stay here for a couple of days?" She requested, but he shook his head.

"Well will come back here some other time. Some things require my attention back in Netheria."

She pouted at his words but also nodded her head.

"I will hold you on that promise."

"Of course." He chuckled at then stood up from the couch, stretching his limbs and walking towards the door.

He signalled to Yingying to stay behind, and his Shadow obediently nodded her head.

On the beautiful white beach on the other side of the island, a lone man stood, staring at the sky, lost in some deep thoughts.

"Contemplating on Caspian's words?"

A sudden voice pulled him out of his train of thought, and his heavy skipped a beat in fear.

He had not felt anyone approach him, and now someone was standing on his left, only a couple of feet away.

"Yes." Volos finally answered as he glanced at Keith, and then lowered his head, relaxing a little. "I have been thinking about it since the last time we talked. And as much as I want to deny it, a part of him does yearn to experience everything that life has to offer."

"Everyone yearns for it to an extent, but their hardships, guilts, and sorrows plague their lives, depriving them of the opportunities or making them too blind to spot them." He smiled. "And Time heals everything, provided that you are willing to let it help you when it presents you with the opportunities. If not, you will just keep losing interest in everything around you, and there might come a point in life where you might start to believe that your existence is meaningless. A true tragedy, especially for someone as talented as you."

"And this is my opportunity? To leave this world forever?"

"Yes." He smiled.

"You are only saying these words to me because you want me to live to serve you, Lord Erebus." Ian lightly smiled.

He remembered the words Keith had said to him the last time they had talked.

"At least, I want you to live." He shrugged. "And you are only useful to me if you can live up to your talent, so I mean what I have said to you."

Volos stayed silent at his words and then raised his head to look at the sky again.

"I don't think I like the idea of serving someone." He commented. "I am the Inheritors of Volos, after all. A Wandering God."

Keith smiled at his words and then turned around to leave.

"Time shall tell."

He left those words, making Ian frown at them, and then returned to the Mansion to the Mansion where the girls were waiting for him.

"You did not give an answer to my question." Kiara reminded him as soon as he entered the lounge, and he quizzically raised his brow before he realised what she was talking about.

"Yes, those shackles protect the subject, but they don't exactly pull the subject into the portal. The moment the bolt of Judgement lands on you, the Law of Space whisks you to your destination. It happens even faster than you can blink."

"Oh..."

"As for jumping into the portal, yes, you will die as the Spatial Force will shatter your body into immense pieces, but if by any chance you survive, you will land in the Great Void for an indefinite time before you can find an opportunity to get out. No Mortal can survive in the Great Void, but there are always some exceptions." He slightly smiled. "But then kicks in the real problem. "If you are lucky enough to find an opportunity to escape the Great Void, you might land anywhere, in any world, or even someplace where only death awaits you."

The girls listed to his words and got lost in their thoughts. As if on cue, both Minami and Kiara turned to look at each other at the same time, and then they happily smiled before they excused themselves to their room.

"Don't do it." He stopped them, and they both looked at him in surprise.

"What?" Kiara smiled and asked.

"Do not experiment with your magic. Especially the Spacial Magic." He seriously said, and his little sister pouted.

"Okay." She nodded and then smiled at Minami. "We will test something else then." Her mischievous grin made Keith sigh in his head, but he did not stop them this time.

If they wanted to learn more and experiment with their magic, it only meant that they had the desire to improve and grow stronger. And he could not deprive them of it.

Besides, he knew that they were wise enough to not try anything dangerous after the warning he had just given them.

"Come." He looked at Yingying, who was silently sitting on the couch, and she obediently followed him to the room that was prepared for him. "Take off your clothes." He ordered as soon as they entered the room and he locked the room with his magic.

Yingying understood what he wanted and obeyed his command, working out of her clothes, and then approached him, helping him take off his clothes as well.

He amusedly smiled at the blush that crept on her face in anticipation, and he gently lifted her chin before leaning in and capturing her soft lips.

She moaned in his mouth when he clawed on her bubble butt, and with one swift motion, he picked her up in his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Ahn~" Yingying gasped when he forcefully pushed himself inside of her, and threshers to break past her cervix as he filled her to the brim.

Soon she found herself pinned against the wall as he ravaged her insides, making her moan and scream to the intoxicating and mind-numbing pleasure that jolted through her body.

She always liked it rough, and she loved it when he ravaged her body like a beast as he was doing right now. And it was even better when he threw her on the bed and then mounted her from behind, making her legs go weak as he refused to stop and kept hammering her cervix rather painfully.

And just like always, she failed to keep count of how many times he made her jump off the Peak throughout the night.

When it call ended, she just clung to him like a little kitten, peacefully asleep with her head resting on his chest.

Thursday, November 30th, 2045
Griffin Society, Griffin City, Netheria

On a cold and misty morning in Griffin City, a young man stood on the lawn, vacantly staring at the winter roses that had bloomed beautifully.

He has just settled one of his debts, avenging someone who had been taken away from him, but he still felt a little lost.

"Young Master, the new Master of the Rovic Family is selling their businesses and is planning on moving out of the country with the children and the women."

One of his Shadow Guards informed him and patiently waited for the young man to speak.

"Where are they planning on settling?"

"Britain."

"Inform the people we have there to take care of them from the shadows, and not let anyone take advantage of their weakness." Samrath closed his eyes and spoke. "As for the remaining men in their family, no need to deal with them. Everyone responsible for Samantha's death has already died."

"Yes, Young Master." The old Shadow Guard smiled at the young man's decision and appreciatively nodded his head.

"Any news on the Wislaw?"

"Wislaw have isolated themselves." The old man spoke. "There is no concrete news, but rumours say that they are not even welcoming their close ones into their territory. They abandoned the Rovic, and they are not even pursuing the matter of their Young Masters' deaths."

"What do you think has happened?"

"I believe that they have lost most of their strength. The Grand Elders and Elders are gone. And their Head is gone as well."

"Killed."

"Yes. And undoubtedly by Lord Erebus."

"I see."

"Aunt Viya, what do you think of him?" Samrath narrowed his eyes and asked.

A person walked onto the lawn after hearing his question, wearing the same clothes as his other Shadow Guards.

"It's hard to get a read on him, Young Samrath." The aged woman lightly spoke. "He's the most powerful person in this world if we don't include Lady Nyx in the equation. And yet he does not carry himself with an arrogance that most with that much power would succumb under. He has a big family, and everyone around him seems to hold love and respect for him. Which speaks a lot about a man."

Samrath nodded to her words.

"Continue."

"He is an existence that no one should make an enemy of. It's not as much because of the power he holds, but because of the person he is." She solemnly said. "If we look deep into his success over the last few years in the business world, we would find it littered with the fall of his enemies and rivals. The death of the Falken of Sameran is evidence of it. No one survived, except for children and some elderly. They all died under mysterious circumstances, and the Family has been scattered beyond any hope of coming together and rising again." She meaningfully spoke. "It's strange isn't it that even the oldest Ancient Families of our world, ours included, hold him in high regard. We never held any other Mortal God in such high regard, so why him?"

"Because unlike them, he does not isolate himself or actively try to take advantage of you." Samrath frowned and spoke. "And people..."

"People feel compelled to him." Vidya smiled as she spoke the words Samrath had not finished. "He's deadly charming, and he is ridiculously talented to add to it. If the rumours are true, he killed Nergal with his own hands, and how old is he again? 23."

"He's an ally that everyone wants." The young man understood what she was trying to say. "That's how he presents himself."

"Maybe." She shook her head. "Or maybe he does not even try." She added. "In either case, he's an extremely dangerous person."

"But is he just?" Samrath asked, and Vidya could not find words to answer him for a few minutes.

"It's hard to say, Young Master. Outwardly, he appears to be a man who shows restraint and does not give in to his evil. He is not shy of taking responsibility, like in our case where he admitted that he killed the Young Masters of the Wislaw Family, and then asked you to not worry about them, even when he was not obliged to take responsibility. And he proved true to his words." She frowned. "As vicious as he is, he is still capable of sparing the children and innocents amongst his enemies. A remarkable trait."

"The Monarch's Justice." Samrath smiled.

"Yes. He can be just if he sees that there is room for it." The old lady nodded her head. "Is there something on your mind, Young Samrath?"

"I don't know why, Aunt Vidya, but recently, I have had this bad feeling gripping my heart as if someone's been keeping an eye on me and finding my plight amusing." He sighed.

"And you believe it is Lord Erebus?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "But I am inclined to believe that it is just my mind playing games on me."

"It is possible. You have not slept well in the last few weeks, and you have been restless about that girl Sunaina." Vidya nodded.

"Young Master, the Ozell have refused to entertain you at their home."

A Shadow Guard arrived behind them and informed him, and Samrath clenched his fist.

"They are testing my patience now." He felt his rage bubble up, but a hand on his shoulder calmed him down.

"Young Samrath, it is time you take a more active approach." She advised, and he immediately nodded his head.

"Do you have anything in mind?" He asked, and the three guards behind him thought over a solution.

"The Ozell are going to participate in the Ancient Trials that are going to be held in the Magic City." The man who had come with the news spoke again. "The reward is two Aura Stones and so many Ancient Families in Netheria are tempted."

A hint of brilliance flashed in Samrath's eyes at the mention of Aura Stones. They were something he needed to access the mysterious treasure that now lived inside him. It would undoubtedly help him gain more knowledge about Medicine and improve his strength as well.

But then he calmed down when he realised that these Ancient Trials were only meant for the Families in Netheria, and he alone stood no chance of winning it as an outsider.

Samrath thought things over for a while, and then made up his mind.

"Send Ozell a letter and tell them that I will be fighting them for Sunaina's hand in the Ancient Trials. We will settle our dispute in the old and sacred way."

"Yes, Young Master." The Shadow guard listened to his command and left to execute it.

"They are not obliged to agree." Vidya lightly said.

"They will if they have any pride. And by the looks of the things, they have plenty." He smiled. "Gather all the information you can on these Ancient Trials."

"Yes."

The two Shadow Guards acknowledged his command and then got to work.

It did not take long for them to gather the necessary information, and at the dinner table, they informed him about everything they had managed to gather.

"The Mourntale of Magic City, the maiden family of Lord Erebus' first wife." Samrath was surprised when he learned about the situation that the Mourntale were in and a little more when he learned that the one behind the Ancient Trials was none other than Lady Hecate, Lord Erebus' second wife. "So the Trials are being held on an agenda."

"Yes." Vidya nodded her head. "However, it does not concern us or the Ancient Families outside the Magic City, therefore a lot of them are keen on participating in it for the prize or to settle their own disputes."

"I think we should talk to Lord Erebus first." An old man spoke. "If he allows you to participate in it, then it will also guarantee some security in the trial and Ozell would also feel pressured to accept your challenge on the day."

"You are right." Samrath agreed to his words and nodded his head. "We will go see him in the morning." He decided, and then hopefully finished his meal and went to his room to finally take some good rest.

However, as soon as he fell asleep, the nightmares came haunting him again.

He could hear and feel the pain of his beloved Sunaina, who was begging him to save her, and then there was his late beloved Samantha, who kept shedding tears and looking at him with accusing eyes.

Samrath woke up gasping for breath in the middle of the night. He did not know why, but all of a sudden, he had a hunch that he had failed to avenge his beloved, that her killer still lived, and that justice had not been served.

"Old Bali!"

"Young Master." A voice answered him after a few seconds as the door to his room opened.

"Investigate everything that happened on the night Samantha was killed. Everything!"

The old man hesitated to answer since a lot of time has passed since the incident, and he did not know what exactly his Young Master wanted him to investigate. However, he still nodded his head.

"I will try my best, Young Master." He promised.