Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 246. Midnight Vale

246. Midnight Vale

“Can we please get on with it and pray tell what exactly you want me to see?” Nyrethein’s lips were whining, but her legs kept walking, betraying her difficult facade. “I’m truly not in the best of moods when two of my Lunarius mages are missing during the raging tide of demons…”

There was no counter or even the slightest reaction from the empress, who led her through the narrow hallway, their footsteps muffled by the plush carpet.

“Great, now you’re giving me the silent treatment,” Nyrethein rolled her eyes.

Eventually, Aurora stopped at a thick metal door. It groaned, letting the filtering purple, ominous light creep across Nyrethein’s sandals.

“Eh?” Nyrethein flinched and stumbled back. “What is that?” she blurted in panic.

“Fear not. Come,” Aurora clipped, her expression darkened.

They approached the Thanatos-spatha, chain-bound securely against the frame atop a stone-like pillar.

Nyrethein’s eyes bulged at the sight. Whatever she was about to say evaporated from her mind. The beautiful yet terrifying blade was on full display. For centuries, she had only seen glimpses of it, the purple flame of death cleaving in the distance. Now that she got the chance to witness it in close proximity, her keen eyes studied its intricate curve and lethal edge.

She crept closer and closer, only realising her hands were pressed against the phoros barrier when her palms met the resistance. Her mind could only scream, truly enticing.

Aurora exhaled softly and dismissed the phoros. A deep chuckle filled the chamber as its cold voice emitted, “Who have you brought me this time, Aurora?”

Nyrethein gasped loudly, her lips parted. “The god of death himself has spoken… It’s truly a blessing.”

“Ohhhhh… This dark elf has a divine-like perception. I like this one,” Thanatos said, his tone light-hearted.

“My name is Nyrethein Vale, my lord,” Nyrethein bowed in reverence. In truth, this Thanatos was a mere fragment of the true god of death, but Aurora didn't want to pop her bubble. Seeing how overly excited she became.

“She’s the grand master of the Dreamless Realm,” Aurora said, dragging a cushioned chair over to sit on. She leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees, her posture relaxed.

“Very well. The Dreamless Realm, where the concept of chaos shaped form, would be a nice place to conquer. Except, there was no one to conquer. It is the place where the gods didn't want to touch,” the blade babbled.

“I want to know if Cronos was sealed in this realm or not. How do I know for certain?” Aurora asked directly, while Nyrethein hugged herself and pondered in silence.

“Hmm…” The blade hummed, deep in thought. “Why don’t you go see for yourself? Didn’t you just claim you had the grand master herself? The Master Wayfinder?”

“Of course! I’m the best suited for such a task,” Nyrethein thumped her chest with pride.

“That is not why I’m here,” Aurora grumbled, her face grimacing.

“Oh. Come then, take me with you,” Thanatos said, and chuckled deeply, “Together, we shall be the destroyer, the engine of death. We shall become death itself.”

Nyrethein snapped her face between the empress and the blade. She bounced on her feet, her eagerness to watch it all unfold palpable.

“Unshackle me, and we shall pile the underworlds with the corpses of those who dare oppose us! Even Hades will not—”

But Aurora wasn’t convinced. She waved her hand, and the spherical barrier enclosed it, muting the blade entirely.

Disappointment creased her forehead. “Empress?” Nyrethein eyed her questioningly.

“Sorry for wasting your precious time, Nyrethein.” Aurora stood up, her shoulders slumped — a rare break in her regal self.

She was exhausted, more than she admitted.

Recently, it had been taxing on her. The summit had become piling evidence of a grander scale of demonic uprising, growing more ferocious and violent. According to what the scribes had claimed, the helltide had been unleashed upon mortals, and it was just the beginning. The worst had yet to come. In the end of the summit, they weren't able to reach a solution. There was no cure, except to mount a relentless counter-assault against the tenacious force. Their future was grim.

“Why?” Nyrethein asked as they walked out of the room, sealing the doors behind them.

“I’m not certain,” Aurora muttered under her breath.

Aurora? Hesitant? That would be a first. Nyrethein watched her with unblinking eyes. “But then you’d have to disregard your ultimate weapon. Is that not a risk?”

“I’ll have to figure it out soon enough.” Aurora winced. “You heard him, did you not? All he wanted was to murder…”

“So what, Empress? We need to destroy the roots of demons!” Nyrethein insisted, her words firm. “Bring the fight to them.”

Aurora paused mid-stride and spun. “To hell?”

“Yes.”

“Mm… That’s not a bad idea at all.” Aurora brushed her lips, pondering. What if I can stop the helltide by journeying into…

“I shall accompany you, Empress. You need only give the command,” Nyrethein suggested, her eyes gleaming with resolve. She always wanted the empress to ask — just simply ask her, and she’d deliver. But Aurora never did.

Instead, Aurora shook her head. “No…” And continued walking.

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Nyrethein bit her lips and hastily grabbed the empress's arm. “Why?” she snarled. “You think I’ll be a dead weight that gets in your way?”

Surprised, Aurora’s gaze fell to the floor. “Because if I fail, you’ll be the only one who can defend our reality.”

That was not the answer Nyrethein expected. Her hands snapped back. What Nyrethein had mistaken for arrogance was, in fact, strategic excellence. And she entrusted the fate of the empire to her.

“I… understand, Empress.” She shrank, her voice small.

“Come, we've got work to do.” Aurora gestured for her to follow.

At the circular landing adorned with slit windows that reached to the five-metre ceiling, afternoon shadows cast onto the royal blue carpet. The scent of fresh flowers whiffed past Nyrethein's nose, coming from the opposite side of the window arrays.

She turned to the source.

An ornate statue of a staff monument and a sword-and-shield monument stood at the entrance to the guest lounge area. The engraved oak doors were ajar.

"Go ahead. I'll fetch the others in a minute," Aurora instructed, and her steps already faded away.

Nyrethein shrugged and strode inside. A very tall embroidery curtain greeted her, shutting off the natural light but replacing it with the dim, pale light from the chandelier. She curled her lips down, admiring its grandeur and luxurious aesthetic.

The lounge had a large fireplace with a painting of Ventiff’s demise. Bold choice, she thought. She strode around, studying the relics on pedestals until something caught her eye.

“Well, well! Isn’t this a lovely arc relic? An Everfeast?” Nyrethein lilted with joy. She held the arc gourd and opened the lip from the top of its head. Hmm. The metal casing looks a bit strange, though.

Then a low purr, like a little kitten, spooked her. She wasn’t alone.

Nyrethein scanned the room, tiptoeing to gain a better vantage point, and there he was. A silver-haired young man was sleeping on the plush couch. He was awfully far too peaceful for her liking.

Suddenly, she found herself searing hot with inexplicable feelings.

“Even with a soft fur blanket, too. How envious,” she hissed loudly, her voice venomous.

Zetius’s eyes snapped open, “Hmm… What’s going on?” He murmured, seeing Nyrethein fidgeting with the arc gourd. His face shifted into a frown.

“Hi, slouch,” she exclaimed, “the priceless Everfeast. Catch this—Oops!” The gourd seemingly slipped from her hands.

His pure instinct kicked in. His grogginess vanished in an instant; he shot off the couch, hand extended to its maximum.

His grasp caught air.

“Ugh!” His chest slammed into the floor, causing a loud thud.

“Ahahaha!” Nyrethein laughed behind her hand, finding amusement in his demise. She wiggled the item at his face. “If you had some eyeballs, you’d realise I already caught it mid-air, see?”

“Stop playing around.” He muttered and sprang up to his feet, his head feeling a sense of vertigo. His legs wobbled slightly out of control.

“Awwwww…” she teased, her wind magic spinning the gourd on her fingertip. “Did I disturb you from your lovely dream, honey? Would you like to go back to sleep like the lazy fool you are?” Every word that came out of her lips was corrosive and grating.

Confused and now red-faced, “Hand that back!” Zetius growled through his gritted teeth.

“Why?” Nyrethein stared down her nose. “Try me, if you could.” She licked her lower lip, part seductive and part provocative.

“Fine!” Zetius bolted sharply at her.

She spun and faded to the left, her movement precise, yet acrobatic, like a seasoned ballerina. Gently, she transferred the spinning gourd from her left to her right.

Zetius’s eyes set on the target, and he jumped at her again.

She side-stepped effortlessly, her silver hair whipped at his eyes.

“Ouch!” Blinded, he slammed onto the low table. The books and the flower vase jumped from the impact. He quickly snatched the vase before it collided with the surface.

“Hades!” Zetius hissed, snapping back at her with red eyes and bared teeth. Her boisterous, villainous laughter was fuel to his anger.

“Tired already?” She kept spinning the gourd around, her gaze looking down on him like he was a circus clown.

“Celestius!” Zetius snapped and launched himself into the air, but this time he didn't aim at the item. He tackled her thin waist and hurled them both down onto the carpeted floor.

A sharp shattering noise followed, and the arc gourd became pieces.

“Oww!” Nyrethein groaned in pain, her hands pushing on his chest. “You raging fool!”

Z’smite me… I messed up! Zetius’s mind was still processing, his arm pinning her collarbone to the floor. His breath was panting heavily on her dark elven skin.

“Eeeeeeek? What’s going on?!” Cubie exclaimed with shock. The party had just arrived at the worst possible time.

“O’ Heavenly Mother, such sinful debauchery!” Triss hastily shielded Cartier’s eyes, but Cartier yanked her hand away to watch anyway. Curiosity and cats were a dangerous combination.

Zetius scrambled back, his face remaining red, now with shame. “It~it’s not what you think, I can explain!” he blurted.

“I left for three minutes…” Aurora grumbled, shaking her head in disappointment.

“It’s the Celestius—she kept playing around with the relic!” Zetius blamed her, his finger pointing. “You broke it.”

“Really, Zetius?” Ever graceful, Nyrethein rose, adjusting her chiton and her hair. “This raging fool tackled me down and knocked it out of my hand. So it was Zetius who broke the relic.”

“You!” They locked gazes with equal hatred, eyes flashing.

“It’s fine. Mirai, please kindly resolve this.” Aurora turned to her head maid, and the cat Wildren bowed and strode off, her tail swishing.

“Please punish me how you see fit! I failed to protect the invaluable relic,” Zetius joined his master’s side, biting his lips with guilt.

“It’s fine, Zetius. It’s not the authentic one, anyway.” Aurora delivered her words like a big, heavy punch.

“Ahahaha!” Another peal of Nyrethein’s maddening laughter reverberated through the room. Her condescending eyes chipped away at the marble of his resolve.

“You knew?” Zetius snapped at her, his brows furrowed deeply.

“Of course. That’s actually funny, you know,” Nyrethein said between lingering laughter. She wiped a tear from her eye. “Clearly, you knuckleheads are only interested in power. You won’t go far in the world.” Another corrosive diss came. His eyes twitched; he wished he could just walk away.

“Hey! That’s rude!” Cubie interjected.

“Shush!” Nyrethein just waved her off dismissively.

Zetius bit down his tongue; he knew better than to fall into her game. A hand squeezed on his shoulder; it was none other than Aurora’s. “As your master, I feel responsible for that. Should we have met in a more peaceful time, I would have taught you about everything — philosophy, and politics.”

“It’s not your fault at all, Empress. I simply need to be better,” Zetius whispered bitterly, shaking his head. He had hoped he would have come up with a smart retort, but his tongue wasn’t as sharp as his arcane.

“A heartfelt moment as this. I’m touched…” Nyrethein exhaled deeply before sweeping her eyes to the people in the room. She only sensed hostility from them. Perhaps, except for the Novitcius mage of Virgo, that lady seemed neutral.

“Very well, this is everyone.” Aurora raised her arms, and Nyrethein nodded sombrely; her playful nature vanished.

Despicable woman… Zetius scowled at how someone could change mood like a flip of a switch.

The air grew heavy and stale.

Nyrethein whirled around, hair fanning out behind her, and called forth the Primordial essence. Unnatural black light flooded the space, throwing the room into a negative exposure where shadows writhed on the walls.

“The Nyxphaos…” Cartier whispered, gently holding Triss’s hand tightly, drawing her lips into a thin line, while Triss gently squeezed her hand in gentle reassurance.

“Aesthetically, shall we journey into the Dreamless Realm then?” Nyrethein proposed with a devious smile.