"What's causing this tremor?"
The sudden shaking furrowed the brows of a young princess who had never experienced such an event before. "Is there something wrong with Ptolemy?"
"Hira, go ask the grand steward what caused this disturbance," she ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The maid, standing nearby, obeyed immediately and turned to leave, but just as she did, she saw a child who had appeared behind her without any warning.
"Ah—!"
Though the child wasn't frightening or grotesque, the shock of his sudden presence made the young maid scream and take several steps back.
Recovering quickly, the maid demonstrated her training as a royal servant. Scarlet light began to gather on her body and condensed between her hands, forming a fiery orb.
"An assassin!"
Despite summoning all her power, the maid did not attack immediately. Instead, she called out loudly, hoping to alert the palace guards. Then, she hurled the flaming orb at the mysterious child who clearly didn't belong among the Leshine people.
"Not bad. You're quite vigilant." Muria caught the orb effortlessly, as if it were nothing more than a tossed rubber ball. The maid's eyes widened in shock.
"That's impossible!" Seeing something beyond her comprehension unfold before her, the young maid became flustered but didn't forget her duty.
"Princess, you need to leave! I'll hold him off. The guards will arrive soon and capture this intruder!"
"Hira, stand down."
"Your Highness?" The maid turned and despaired when she saw the princess still standing there calmly, even smiling at the strange child.
"Why haven't you run?"
"He's here to see me." Though she had no memory of him, Princess Astia was certain this visitor had no intention of harming her.
"Of course, he's here for you—he's an assassin!" The maid was panicking now.
"Little one, you shouldn't jump to conclusions before understanding the situation. Why would I harm my wife?" Muria smiled warmly as he looked at the two girls. Now that he had found the person he cared about most, all his worries faded, leaving him in a much more relaxed and joyful mood.
"Wife? What nonsense are you spouting? In a few days, Her Highness is set to be engaged to Lord Vijay Kumar!"
"It's been called off."
"What?"
"Your empress issued the order just moments ago," Muria explained, waving his hand. "Enough playing around. Loyal little one, go entertain yourself elsewhere and don't interrupt my reunion with my wife."
An irresistible force swept the maid away. Moments later, she found herself standing in a completely different location. Terrified, she dropped to her knees upon realizing where she was.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Where did you send my maid?" Princess Astia asked calmly. Though she had seen Hira vanish before her eyes, she could somehow sense that her maid was safe.
"Somewhere she won't be able to disturb us for a while," Muria replied, gazing at the girl before him with a peculiar sense of familiarity. "Tell me, do you recognize me?"
"No." The princess shook her head honestly.
"If you don't know me, then why aren't you afraid of me?" Muria was puzzled. Even though he knew that his wife, Mikaela, was still in a dormant state, her reincarnation's lack of caution was baffling.
"Because I feel that you won't harm me."
"And you trust your instincts that much? Aren't you afraid they might be wrong?"
"My instincts have never failed me," the red-haired princess replied with a smile, tapping her forehead.
"I see. Then, can you guess who I am?"
"My future partner?" The princess tilted her head, studying Muria's childlike form before teasing him with a playful tone.
"No, not just your future—I was also your partner in the past."
"Wait, are you serious? The engagement with Lord Kumar has really been annulled?" The excitement in the princess's voice was unmistakable.
"Of course."
"But how is that possible?"
"Nothing is impossible. Your empress said so herself. If she doesn't follow through, she'll face the consequences."
"What did you do to make her agree?"
"Simple. I used force." Muria slowly approached the princess, his hand outstretched.
"Force?" Astia hesitated for a moment, then felt something warm touch her face. Instinctively, she took a step back, only to see the child's face cloud with disappointment.
"Just as I thought. You're not her. If you were, you wouldn't have stepped away from me."
"Who is this 'her' you keep mentioning?" Though she had no context for his words, the princess remained remarkably composed as she sought answers.
"Your past self—my true wife."
…
Golden divine blood flowed across shattered ground, spreading like rivers under a sky crackling with lightning. The colossal, dismembered bodies of defeated gods lay scattered across the landscape.
At the center of this devastation, a titan, soaked in divine blood, sat upon a throne, resting his head on one hand. His eyes gazed down upon the ruined terrain of a divine realm.
"Is that all you've got? How disappointing."
His voice dripped with boredom. Despite having waited a long time for reinforcements, the three gods who had come to rescue their ally had failed to meet his expectations.
"I've lost my patience. Tell me—how can I reach the Peak of Endless Mountains, where your father resides?"
The titan addressed the god whose severed head lay beneath his foot. From the gaping wound, more golden blood streamed out, adding to the rivers flooding the land. Despite his decapitation, the god had not perished.
"You're insane! You dare challenge my father? Do you have any idea of his power and reputation?"
"I'm aware, which is precisely why I'm interested," the titan replied calmly.
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