CHAPTER 39: | LIORA'S DEPARTURE
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Laughter that had once filled the grand dining hall, but now, a chilling silence, heavy with unspoken tension, pressed in.
Astria, draped in translucent undergarments that hinted at her abundant curves, sat at the far end of the table.
Her expression remained eerily serene as she caressed her bulging stomach, now noticeably larger than before.
Another week had passed, marking the first month since I'd been reborn into this world.
I'd obtained some information about this world, its name, and those in power, from Astria.
She said this world was called The Mara World and there were five major continents, though she had no intelligence about them because of her limited capabilities.
But she knew a thing or two about our current location, having been born in this lake, a body of water as expansive as the sea.
This lake, the Lake of Dreadnought, consumed nearly all the lands of the Western Continent.
The ruler of this region, Lumicor, the God of the Southern Lake of Dreadnought, had named this specific area the Crab Expanse.
Though it stretched for thousands of miles within a trench, this was but a small part of the greater lake, which spans for millions of miles.
The true ruler of this sprawling lake was Akarim Daylight, the False Dragon, the Fallen One, the Incarnate of Pride.
Quite the interesting titles indeed, especially with Lumicor being called a god while the true ruler was not.
On the surface, Astria's now-dead children, sent as spies, had gathered intelligence about the surface world.
There, the people hailed Surya, the Sun God, as emperor of the continent.
The information she shared was quite useful, helping me determine my position in this world and begin making my move.
If I remembered correctly, Astria had said those Seraph were from another plane, another dimension, another realm entirely, not from this world.
Perhaps...
The ascension of this world was nearing.
Gabriel had claimed he came here to obtain an idol of worship, but there was nothing like what he described.
My eyes narrowed into slits as I gazed at Astria, who, startled by my intensity, waved back.
Perhaps the Seraph were ordered to retrieve Astria, the idol of worship, as her progenitor-type race alone was an immense asset.
For she could create race variants vastly superior to the original by devouring their flesh, blood, and bones, then procreating and modifying her offspring to birth them with her special internal structures.
Her race was called the Broodmother of the Thousands, a race so rare even the Incarnates of Disaster themselves would covet one.
Liora had already figured out by now how broken, how utterly disgusting, a person I was, for she had reached the next realm a few days ago.
She sliced the steak on her plate meticulously, her eyes closing briefly, and pity filled her gaze.
"I've been thinking about this for the past few days, Alister..."
Her voice was a soft tremor in the quiet room.
I gazed at her, then nodded, knowing what she was going to say next.
"We... no, I am going on a separate adventure from you."
She clenched her utensils, bit her lip, then met my gaze, raw pain was clearly visible in her eyes.
"In order to give you my gratitude for teaching me the realm of intent, and for being an excellent teacher to me..."
Liora squeezed her eyes shut, tears welling, as she pulled something from the thin air and threw it at me.
It landed with a soft thud on the polished table.
"Take this..."
Her voice was thick with emotion.
"This book contains my knowledge, and maybe... you... you could change."
Before I could refute her, or utter a single last word, Liora stood abruptly and darted from the dining hall, her footsteps echoing briefly before silence swallowed them whole.
Astria gazed at me, her eyes as dead as stone, observing my intent before shaking her head slowly.
"What do you think is the reason she leaves you?"
She asked, her voice a low hum.
I gazed at Astria with a smile, my eyes scanning the inside of her stomach.
I didn't answer her, nor did I spare any thought for her curiosity.
I merely gazed at the child in her stomach, a nascent being of intent nearly as disgustingly dark as my own.
A smile curved on my face as Astria closed her eyes, taking another small bite of the steak, munching it with what seemed like pleasure.
Then she pointed a slender finger at my heart.
"You... you're longing for someone, for someone to love you. How could you commit such cruelty when all you've ever wanted was to be loved?"
A chuckle escaped my lips.
I laughed at her bold exclamation about my desires.
"Astria."
I began, my voice laced with mock surprise.
"It seems you truly haven't understood my desire. I could abandon everything for just a glimpse of that realm, to merely touch it. So why? Why do you claim all I want is to be loved? How curious indeed."
For the first time, Astria showed emotion, a profound sadness and pity directed at me as she continued to munch gracefully on her meal.
"Truly a pity, Alister, that you, who understands emotions so well, doesn't realize what you truly long for..."
She continued, her sky-blue gaze alit anew, not with hatred, but with a deep, unsettling pity directed solely at me.
"Revenge had already seeped from my mind once I'd realized how pitiful you were. I, Astria, have no need to take revenge on a man as broken and foolish as you."
She pointed at me with her fork, dripping with sauce.
"Then allow me to be your woman, to observe your life, to pity you, to guide you to your true path, as your woman, as your mother."
Astria's words were quite daring, perhaps even mocking, but to me, I felt none of that, only the unexpected warmth of her voice.
I gazed at her, then nodded, a slow smile curving onto my lips.
"Then tell me."
I challenged.
"How would you guide me when you know nothing at all, when you have no power, no authority, or whatever else?"
Astria vanished from her seat, reappearing behind me, and gently caressed my back.
"Let me tell you something..."
She whispered straight into my ear, her voice a soft, loving hum.
"I know of a way for you to gain power drastically."
I looked at her figure with curiosity, then grabbed her chin, turning her face to mine.
"Then pray tell, this child of yours, of what is it?"
Astria closed her eyes, pressed her lips to mine, then broke free to whisper once more in my ear, the soft brush of her breath sending a shiver through me.
"There's a dungeon under this castle, thousands of meters below... but worry not, my child, for I have already prepared a passage towards it."