The demi-human procreation project through IVF had become a turning point, one of the greatest triumphs in Velrathis history.
With the birth of healthy demi-human children, co-existence, had begun to take root in the hearts of many.
Gone was the looming fear that their bloodlines would vanish. Gone was the quiet desperation in the eyes of every fading clan. In its place was hope, raw, burning, and enduring.
Demi-humans no longer feared extinction.
And for the first time in centuries, humans walked the streets of Velrathis. Likewise, demi-humans now wandered the cities of human kingdoms without hiding their ears, tails, scales, or horns. Though the Blinding Mist barrier remained in place, now see-through, more symbolic than shrouded, Caelum refused to fully open it.
Despite formal requests from other kingdoms to establish direct magitrain lines to Velrathis, the Demon Lord rejected them all.
Only Aquilonis was granted that right.
The single, exclusive magitrain route between Velrathis and Aquilonis remained the only sanctioned path in or out. And because of that, Aquilonis, once the poorest kingdom among the six, had become the richest.
Its cities blossomed with new infrastructure. The influx of commerce and innovation reshaped its skyline into a strange marriage of magic and machinery. A wave of migration followed, commoners fleeing the restrictions of caste in other kingdoms, drawn by the promise of a better life.
They were not disappointed.
The people of Aquilonis never forgot who to thank. To them, it wasn't the crown that had saved them.
It was Ceres.
Their former Empress. Now Empress of Velrathis.
Everything they had now, wealth, magic, prosperity, they owed to her. And in return, they showed unmatched hospitality to every citizen of Velrathis who stepped foot in their borders. No demi-human went hungry or slighted. No traveler was turned away.
Even more, many demi-humans found their soulmates among humans.
Though natural procreation remained rare, these bonded pairs chose IVF. Velrathis no longer needed to fund human volunteers, because now, their demi-human mates were the ones providing. Even if their children were born human, they raised them with pride.
All was moving smoothly.
Except one thing.
Luna.
The one meant to carry Caelum and Ceres's child.
After the heartbreak of the first failed procedure, a full year was given to recover. Tuf never left her side. And when she was ready again, stronger, more determined, the second attempt was made.
But like the first time, the moment the embryo attached, Luna's body rejected it. The pain returned. Worse, sharper. Despite every magical reinforcement, her body fought it like it was poison.
Peanut, with her dwarven assistants, monitored her round the clock.
After the emergency abortion, the sterile scent of the surgical suite still thick in the air, Luna cried softly in her bed, her hands cold in Ceres's gentle grip.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, broken. "I'm so sorry."
"No, Kitten. It's not your fault," Ceres murmured, brushing Luna's damp hair from her face. "Don't blame yourself."
But Luna's eyes were far away, haunted. "Maybe… maybe it's not really me. Maybe I'm not the third thread."
Tears filled her lashes. Her lips trembled. She couldn't look at Ceres anymore. No matter what they said, no matter how gently they held her, or how many times Tuf swore it wasn't her, Luna couldn't shake the guilt curling deep inside her.
She knew how much they wanted this child.
Their own child. Not one born of divine deals or beastly reincarnation. Not one shaped by twisted spells or blood pacts.
A real child.
Flesh. Blood. Love.
Unlike Alpha, Nugget, Tuf, and the rest, who were once animals made demi-human by fate and power, this child would have been theirs in every way that mattered. Their beginning. Their healing.
Luna had wanted it for them. She had wanted to give it, even if it meant enduring pain.
But this wasn't something she could endure.
Because it was her body, her body that killed what they tried to create. She didn't even have to speak her guilt aloud, it hung around her like ash.
She could feel it.
Everyone could.
Still, the certainty remained.
They knew Luna was the third thread, chosen by something far older than fate. That thread which tied Caelum and Ceres to something long-lost, long-promised.
And just to be sure, they had tested others.
Nugget had volunteered first.
Then Peanut.
Both had been healthy. Willing. But no matter how perfectly the IVF process began, the embryo never attached. It rejected them, wholly and without question.
In Luna, the embryo wanted to grow. But her body refused it.
A paradox none of them could solve.
Seiryu appeared inside the chamber, his presence quiet but urgent.
"Your Highness," he said, bowing his head slightly toward Ceres, "Queen Azura is here to see you."
Ceres didn't even look up from the bed where Luna lay pale and resting. Her fingers never left Luna's damp ones. "Can you tell her to come back tomorrow?"
Seiryu hesitated.
"I'll tell her," he replied. "But she said it's very urgent. And that she has something she must give you, personally. I offered to deliver it on her behalf, but she refused."
Ceres glanced toward Caelum. Their eyes met.
"Where is she now?" Caelum asked, already piecing the implications together.
"She's with Alpha and the little Regent," Seiryu answered. "They're in Alpha's office."
Caelum's jaw tightened with thought. His gaze turned toward Comet, who stood near the door like a silent sentinel. "Send her here. And tell everyone to come. Now."
Comet nodded once, closing his eyes to reach Cosmo through their twin link.
Ceres looked back at him, troubled. "Love, Luna still needs rest."
"I know," Caelum replied, brushing Ceres's arm with quiet reassurance. "But Azura wouldn't come herself unless it was something she couldn't entrust to anyone else. She could've sent Azul. Or a royal envoy. But if she came herself, it's serious. And if it's serious, I want everyone here."
Within minutes, every member of the Demon Lord's family had gathered in the receiving area of Luna's maternity chamber. From the eldest Alpha to the youngest, Pixie, now often found nestled in Delphine's arms. Even she, who now spent more time caring for Pixie than attending to Ceres, had come.
Azura entered with quiet reverence.
"Thank you for seeing me," she said, dipping her head. "I know this may not be the most suitable time."
Her eyes lingered on Luna. Despite Luna's calm expression, Azura saw it, the sorrow bleeding through her. The hollow ache of loss no silence could mask.
She turned to Caelum.
"Did you know… there's an ancient portal at the deepest point of the Gilded Abyss?"
Caelum's brow furrowed. The weight of her words settled heavily in his gut, not just for what they implied, but for what they revealed. An ancient portal? In the Gilded Abyss?
Even before the Narfs were frozen in the Azur Deep, no one, no sea dweller, had dared claim that trench. It was said to be cursed. Silent. Forgotten.
"It doesn't work," Neko spoke up.
Caelum's eyes shot toward his son. "You know about this?"
"Father," Neko said with a shrug, "I play there a lot. Of course I know about it. I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was important. I tried everything to make it work, channeling energy, using mana stones, but nothing. So I assumed it was broken."
Azura nodded. "That's what we thought too, when we discovered it. We tried pouring our own energy into the gate. Nothing."
Nugget crossed her arms, suspicious. "So what's the point of bringing it up now?"
Azura took a breath. "Because… it didn't respond to us. But it opened. From the other side."
Everyone fell silent.
She continued. "And on the other side… was another Narf. A girl. She looked exactly like Luna. Except she was younger. And she didn't have mismatched eyes. Her eyes were gold."
Azura's gaze shifted, locking with Ceres.
Ceres froze.
A beat of recognition struck her like thunder.
"…Evadne?" she whispered, voice cracking. She could hardly believe it. Her heart twisted. "Are you saying it was… her?"
"She called herself Vee," Azura confirmed. "The portal only stayed open a short while, twice. The first time, she asked if this side was Solmara… and if I knew Empress Ceres. The second time, she gave me something. She said I must give it to you. And only you."
Azura reached into her dimension ring and drew out a sealed drybag, simple in appearance.
She placed it gently in Ceres's hands.
Ceres unzipped the drybag. Inside, nestled securely, was a smartphone.
"This is definitely Vee's," she said quietly, turning to Caelum.
Azura gave a small smile. "Now that you've confirmed you know her… my part here is done."
"You're leaving already?" Ceres asked, brow furrowed.
Azura nodded with quiet understanding. "I believe this is a matter for family. But if you need me, just send word, I'll come immediately. Also, before I forget… she said one word… 'Gallery.'"
And with that, Azura dissolved into a fine mist, scented faintly of sea salt.
"Mother, do you want me to project it?" Peanut asked, already stepping forward. "So everyone can see?"
"You can do that?" Ceres blinked. Velrathis had its own versions of smartphones, but she hadn't expected Earth tech, especially since its non-magical, to work here.
Peanut grinned, pride glowing in her eyes. "Of course! Did you forget? The Deepcall was modeled after Earth smartphones. And even if it's nearly impossible, I designed Velrathian systems to recognize Earth tech, just in case we ever found something from the other side."
Thinking it best that everyone witness whatever Evadne had intended to show, Ceres handed the phone over. Peanut summoned a translucent crystal projector from her dimension ring and connected the device with practiced ease.
In a heartbeat, the screen cast a glowing image into the center of the room. The familiar interface appeared, Earth-standard.
Peanut tapped Gallery.
"What should I open?" she asked.
"We don't know what Evadne wanted us to see," Ceres said with a tense breath. "Just… open each video. One at a time."
Peanut nodded, serious now.
She tapped the first video.
For a few seconds, the footage wobbled as the phone was positioned. Then it steadied, and came into focus.
Everyone in the room went utterly still.
Onscreen, a young man reclined against a headboard, completely naked. A girl, strikingly similar to Luna, but younger, was on all fours between his legs, her mouth wrapped around his cock. Moments later, another man entered the frame, likely the one who had set up the camera. Without hesitation, he knelt behind the girl, grasped her hips, and thrust into her from behind.
"Peanut!" Nugget shouted, the first to snap out of the stunned silence.
Peanut yelped and immediately exited the video, her cheeks crimson.
Pixie, eyes wide and confused, looked around. "Why is that girl who looks like Luna putting a penis in her mouth?"
Ceres slapped a hand over her own mouth. "Oh my gods."
"Regent…" Delphine hissed, red-faced, hastily shielding Pixie's eyes and mouth with both hands, something she hadn't done earlier, too frozen by shock herself.
Tuf suddenly burst into laughter, loud, uncontrollable, and utterly inappropriate.
"Well," he wheezed between chuckles, "I guess sexual insatiability does run in the family."
"Tofu, you're not helping!" Ceres snapped, face burning with secondhand embarrassment. Yes, she'd had two lovers before she reunited with Caelum, but she had never done anything like that. And Evadne, gods, that woman, had no concept of modesty.
"If I could pinch that woman's inner thigh right now," Ceres muttered, "I swear I would."
Pixie's lower lip trembled. "Why is no one answering my question? Are you all ignoring me?" she sniffled, clearly hurt.
"Don't you dare answer that question, cub," Caelum growled, pointing a stern finger at Tuf.
Tuf raised his hands in mock surrender, still snickering.
Caelum turned to his youngest daughter, his tone softening. "Doll, we're not ignoring you. It's just…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "What you saw was something meant for adults. Okay? You'll understand when you're older."
Pixie frowned but gave a small nod, though her eyes still looked betrayed.
"I'm not going to project just yet," Peanut said, frowning as she opened another video, this time with the projector's screen off.
"Oh baby, you're so fucking tight…"
The moan blared from the phone speaker, unmistakable and raw.
Peanut instantly closed the video, mortified.
"Evadne Persephone Monteverde!!!" Ceres exploded in frustration, shouting as if her sister could actually hear her across dimensions.
The adults shook their heads in resignation. The younger ones quickly slapped their hands over their ears, though too late to avoid hearing that.
"Give that to me," Nugget said, exasperated, reaching out. "Don't connect it to the projector yet. And put it on mute, please."
Even she, who regularly juggled lovers with casual ease, was red from secondhand embarrassment.
"Tofu, what are you doing?" Alpha asked suspiciously, watching Tuf inch closer to Peanut and Nugget like a predator with a too-eager grin.
"I'm going to help filter the videos," Tuf replied innocently.
"That's our aunt," Orso muttered dryly from the corner, shaking his head.
"Who looks like my Luna," Tuf said with a straight face, as if that somehow justified everything.
"Cub," Luna's voice was soft but firm, just loud enough.
Tuf froze, then gave a sheepish smile. "I was joking, Kitten," he said, dropping beside her and pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. But even as he comforted her, he casually signaled to Nugget behind Luna's back, send me a copy.
Ceres didn't know whether to laugh or throw the phone out the window. Two videos in, and both had been sex tapes.
She rubbed her temples. "I thought I was shameless back on Earth… turns out, my baby sister's worse."
Caelum chuckled and pulled her into a one-armed hug, amused. But then something occurred to him.
"Shit," he muttered. "I hope my old laptop isn't still working."
Ceres lifted her head, frowning. "Why?"
And then it hit her. Her eyes widened in horror. "Zeus!"
They, too, had filmed themselves once.
"It does run in the family," Tuf said, unable to hold back a grin.
"Maybe this one?" Peanut said a few moments later, cautiously opening another video. After skimming the first few seconds, she gave a nod and projected it onto the screen.
"Five… four… three… two… one… Happy New Year, everyone!"
Fireworks exploded across the screen, illuminating a star-drenched night. In the background, voices cheered and laughed, a chorus of joy echoing across space and time.
Then the video shifted.
It was Evadne holding the phone now, turning it toward familiar faces.
First came Romos and Cielo Monteverde.
They were older than Ceres remembered, lines carved by time, hair streaked with silver. But they were smiling. Alive. Radiant.
Ceres burst into tears the moment she saw them.
It had been twenty years since she left Earth. For her parents, time hadn't paused, it had kept moving, dragging memories and birthdays and milestones with it.
And they were happy.
Then Evadne walked the camera forward, revealing another couple, Jupiter and Angelina Falcon.
Even behind his black and gold mask, Caelum's eyes misted. He swallowed hard. There were no words for the relief and bittersweet ache that struck him seeing his own parents, still together, still glowing, even after all the pain and absence.
"Who are they?" Pixie whispered, her small voice trembling with wonder.
"Those are Grandmas and Grandpas," Vivi answered quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks too.
Pixie blinked, slowly nodding. As the youngest, she hadn't retained much of Caelum's human memory, certain pieces, names, faces, they were just echoes.
And then, more faces came into view.
Friends.
People who had once filled the lives of Ceres and Zeus with laughter, heartbreak, and belonging.
Ceres wept openly.
No shame. No restraint.
Even Tuf, who always had a joke at the ready, said nothing.
He just watched.