When Nahira entered her throne room after a long absence, the atmosphere was charged with an overwhelming aura of majesty. The servants each bowed before her in complete submission, their faces frozen between respect and the fear of making a single wrong move. She sat upon her majestic throne, her eyes wandering around the room, picking up every detail: every servant, every bowing motion, every subtle tremor of absolute reverence. Beside her stood Smith in silence, standing like an eternal shadow committed to observation.
Nahira spoke in a smooth, authority-filled voice:
"Tell me, my dears… where is my favorite piece, Arius?"
One of the servants answered, his head bowed, his voice faint:
"Master Arius is in his room, my lady."
Smith looked at her hesitantly and said:
"My lady, shall I go and call him?"
Nahira smiled with slight sarcasm, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of arrogance and cunning:
"No… go and get some rest, my dear Smith. I will see him myself."
Smith bowed and said:
"As you command, my lady."
Nahira stood up, her footsteps weighing down the entire hall with their impact, each step carrying a heavy weight of pride and absolute authority. She left the hall, heading toward Arius's room, the smile on her lips widening with hidden malice.
Upon her arrival, she stopped in front of the room door, only to see a sign that read: "No Entry." Nahira laughed softly, whispering to herself mockingly:
"You should only say this to yourself, you poor thing."
She opened the door and entered, then closed it behind her. The room was almost completely dark, shadows wrapping around the corners, but she did not turn to fear; instead, a malicious smile formed on her face. She said in a low voice:
"Where are you then?"
She approached the massive window curtains and pushed them with all her strength, allowing the sunlight to stream into the room, flooding every corner with bright light. When she looked at the bed, she saw Arius fast asleep, his body stretched out on the mattress, as still as a living statue.
She stepped toward him slowly, contemplating him with eyes gleaming with cunning, a malicious smile gracing her lips, and whispered:
"So, you are lazy… you didn't even receive your lady, you naughty dog."
Then, with a sudden movement, she lifted the water pitcher she had noticed next to the bed and poured its entire contents over Arius's body.
In an instant, Arius awoke abruptly from his sleep, startled, his eyes wide open, breathing rapidly, surprise and anger battling on his features as cold water dripped from his hair and clothes.
A gasp rent the air: Arius's voice was pained and alert all at once. His eyes rose quickly, taking in the presence around him, and then the figure that unleashed the cold water manifested—Nahira standing over him, her gown catching the morning light, her smile as cold as the edge of a knife. The indoor rain from the water pitcher was still glistening on the bed blanket, and its droplets on Arius's skin encapsulated the moment of shock.
He froze for a moment, then Arius stood up—reverently submissive before the owner of the throne, the voice coming from his mouth pure with respect: "My lady… how long have you been here? I did not know of your return; had I known, I would have welcomed you myself."
Nahira's gaze read him like a judge reading an indictment. She gently extended her hand to his cheek, a touch that seemed friendly but was hollow of tenderness. She whispered in a soft voice packed with cunning: "I know, my dear… I know you didn't mean it. Everything returned so suddenly, but you…" The sentence ended with a swift motion: a sharp punch to his stomach that brought him to his knees, the air escaping his chest, and his cheeks bearing the sign of pain.
Nahira raised her voice, the tone of an unforgiving princess: "Next time, be alert. I did not appreciate that you didn't welcome me like this."
Arius, holding onto his pride and manufactured calmness, tried to catch his breath: "I am… sorry, it won't happen again." His voice choked, yet he was sincere in his submission—not out of fear of punishment alone, but of a deeper trap that Nahira would not allow him to escape.
Nahira approached him until she lowered herself to his kneeling level, as if asserting her superiority with a small ritual of humiliation. She placed her hand on his head with a gentleness mixed with dread: "You admitted your mistake, good boy. As punishment—I will give you terrible tasks, remember them well."
Arius lowered his gaze and said quietly: "Understood."
Nahira smiled a transparent smile, then issued her command with royal authority: "Now, go and change your clothes. Meet me in the throne room. We will talk about what you did in my absence—haha. Hurry."
Arius stood up, leaving the room to quickly distance himself from the situation to change his clothes, and returned with measured steps to the grand hall where she sat upon her throne—cold, majestic, allowing no room for mercy for errors. She whispered to him with a disguised threat: "If you had been late… I told you I would kill you for it." Her voice was no joke, and the entire hall bore witness to her seriousness.
Arius smiled in embarrassment, responding with an underlying coldness: "I arrived three minutes ahead of schedule."
Nahira raised an eyebrow, her look a mixture of curiosity and royal sarcasm: "Regardless… begin. Tell me what you achieved during my absence."
Her eyes devoured him, as though Arius's coming words could decide his fate—she was in a state of complete listening, as interested as she was thirsty for power. Arius stood before her, his chest expanding, and began to pour out the narrative of his achievements before his lady, while Nahira looked at him with an eye that hid many schemes.
A sharp look from Nahira, as if her words were measuring time: "Tell me, Arius—during my absence, what did you achieve?"
Arius rose, lifting his head to her with a steady confidence that did not waver, his voice monotonous and filled with certainty:
"My lady… during your absence, I focused on the army: its training, organization, and the distribution of command. I also focused on the resources entering and leaving the planet, and established an administrative and financial plan that ensures a balance of stability between leaders and soldiers. Now, things are moving in a completely different direction—toward discipline and efficiency."
A sign of astonishment did not leave Nahira's face, her eyes merging curiosity and respect. She caught Smith's glance beside her, opening with an internal question that looked like a raised eyebrow: Is Arius's talk true? Smith whispered with practical expertise: "It is better that I check for myself."
But Nahira interrupted him with royal coldness: "No. We will see it with our own eyes. Arius will display all of this to us."
Smith nodded obediently, and Arius, with a short smile, said: "Very well, my lady… please come with me."
They left the palace toward the main camp. The scene there was different; a massive courtyard, the echo of footsteps, and the discipline of the soldiers like a well-studied symphony. The training ranks had become organized, the enthusiasm on their faces visible—a stark difference between here and what once was.
They made their way to the office of one of the commanders whom Arius had personally nominated; the commander received them with professional warmth, and inside the office, the documents were displayed—training percentages, soldiers' rations, working hours, salaries, health and psychological reports—all numbers and models revealing a strict system.
Smith began flipping through the documents, his eyebrows rising gradually before the perfect numbers. He sighed with tested admiration: "My lady… this is spectacular. Everything is not only appropriate, but beyond description."
Nahira picked up the records with a steady hand, her eye scanning the pages as if reading the future of her rule, then said in a decisive voice that tolerated no delay: "I will inspect everything on the ground." Nahira stood up with steady steps, and everyone walked out with her toward the wide courtyards. As soon as their feet touched the ground, the ranks aligned before them with military precision, as if the air itself held its breath in respect.
The soldiers stood with majestic steadiness, their energies glowing in an environment of strict order and silent loyalty.
Nahira advanced slowly between the ranks, her sharp glances picking up fine details; the flow of energy, the uniformity of breathing, the unity of discipline. After moments of observation, she breathed in rare awe:
"This is truly amazing… you have done well, Arius. I did not expect them to transform like this."
Arius, with a steadiness not devoid of pride, replied:
"Not only this, my lady. Every soldier on this planet underwent the same development. We have also appointed the best trainers and supervisors in every base to ensure the level remains stable and precise always."
Nahira turned to him, her eyes asking for more, and said in a tone of light testing:
"Very well, and what else?"
Arius stood straight, his features reflecting the confidence of a man who knows he is presenting the result of long labor:
"Regarding trade, my lady, we have expanded the scope of imports and exports to further universes. We connected with dozens of universes that accepted dealing with us, and raised the value of exchange significantly. We export protection and some of our raw resources to them, such as Adront rocks, which are used to charge vital tools with sustainable energy. In return, we receive food, technologies, and modern medical treatments… we have built a solid network of exchange that raises this planet's standing economically and militarily."
The smile that formed on Nahira's face was different; it held a mixture of pride, astonishment, and implicit recognition of status. She said quietly, leaning toward satisfaction:
"Enough, I am satisfied with you now, Arius. You have passed the test I set for you… and earned a major part of my trust."
Arius bowed slightly, a small smile creeping onto his face:
"It is an honor for me to gain your satisfaction, my lady… and I will make sure to always meet your expectations of me." Nahira turned slowly, her long hair swaying with her movement, her back now facing Arius. Her tone came with a coldness resembling a knife when she said:
"Do you know, my dear… if you had failed in what you did just now, do you know what your fate would have been?"
Arius froze in his place, his eyes tracing her features with faint fear:
"Wait… do you mean that you—"
Nahira turned toward him suddenly, a terrifying smile creeping onto her lips, containing more calmness than it should:
"Yes. In the event of your failure, I would have decided your end immediately. There was no room for forgiveness… ever. But you succeeded, and proved yourself to me. And this is exactly what I want from my servant… to always impress me, to do the impossible to please me."
She stepped closer, and her voice became softer, like a poisoned promise:
"And since you succeeded and gained my satisfaction… tell me, Arius, what is your wish now?"
Arius's eyes widened slightly, like one who had not yet processed what he heard. The request was sudden, very bold in her usual context. He hesitated for a moment, then said with hesitant calmness:
"All I want… is for you to always be confident in what I do, my lady."
She raised her eyebrow and answered him in a scrutinizing tone:
"Incorrect. I want a personal wish… something you want, not what you think pleases me."
His gaze dropped to the ground, silent for a few moments, his mind spinning in tight circles. What can I ask for? A wrong request might cost me my life… but this is my only chance.
Then a fleeting idea flashed in his mind; he raised his head slowly and said with calculated confidence:
"My lady… I wish for you to accept this request of mine with total acceptance."
She responded with a light smile:
"Ask for whatever you wish."
He took a deep breath, then said in a steady voice despite his shaky breathing:
"I want you to allow me to move around the First World as I please… with complete freedom, without restrictions or surveillance."
Smith looked at him with internal astonishment, his features frozen but his voice in his head sarcastic: What is this request? Does he think us fools?
Nahira stared at Arius for a long time, then said with cold chill:
"Is that all?"
He swallowed his saliva with anxiety:
"Yes, that is all, my lady."
She answered him in a tone calmer than he expected:
"Very well… do as you wish. No one will watch you after today. You can act as you please, my dear."
Then she turned her body gracefully and added, as she began to float:
"I will return to the palace now… but do not dare to be late, understood?"
Arius bowed respectfully, trying to hide the trembling of his voice:
"As you command, my lady."
Nahira and Smith rose into the sky, disappearing into the horizon, leaving behind a heavy silence.
Then Arius fell to his knees, his breath ragged, and drops of sweat slipped from his forehead.
He whispered to himself in a hoarse voice:
"I was certain she would eliminate me after this request… but it seems she has truly begun to trust me… no, not completely yet." Arius stood up slowly, breathing deeply as if something heavy had been lifted off his chest. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then a small smile slid onto his face, a mixture of relief and muted defiance. He murmured in a faint voice that was barely a whisper:
"Finally… I can do it."
In the next moment, his voice vanished behind a massive surge of energy. His body propelled like a meteor, piercing the atmosphere at a breakneck speed, leaving behind a trail of blazing white light.
He exited the boundaries of the planet into the depth of space, floating there for a moment, his eyes contemplating the expanse of darkness lit by stars.
"Alright… from that direction."
Then he dashed again, cutting distances between planets as if they were merely flashing dots.
At that moment, a black shadow formed behind him, twisting and embodying into the form of Dark, his deep voice cutting the silence:
"Master, why do you not use teleportation? We could reach any place in a single moment."
Arius replied without slowing his speed, his tone carrying something of nostalgia:
"In fact, Dark… I missed flying. This space, this feeling. After everything that happened, I want to breathe it in a little… to enjoy it, if only for moments."
Dark smiled lightly, then faded back inside his master.
As for Arius, he continued flying at an incredible speed, piercing universes one after another, liberated from every restriction that used to weigh down his soul.
On the other side of space, in Nahira's palace, a majestic calm prevailed.
Smith stood beside the throne, watching his lady who sat leaning on the arm of the throne, busy polishing her nails as if she were in a world of her own.
He spoke with calculated calmness:
"My lady, was it a wise decision to release Arius like this? To let him go and do whatever he wants in the world?"
Nahira raised her eyes toward him slowly, a confident look that knew no doubt.
"Arius… regained his senses. He realized his true standing. And he understood that he is an inseparable part of my world. The proof is clear in his recent actions. Therefore, it is fine to release him now."
She paused for a moment, then smiled a malicious smile as she added:
"If a master does not release their pet from time to time… the animal might rebel against its owner over time. Therefore, I prefer to let him think he is free for a while."
Smith bowed with faint respect, saying:
"As you wish, my sovereign."
Then he raised his head inquiringly:
"But… where is Gelius? I haven't seen him since our return."
Nahira scoffed lightly as she said:
"Gelius? Summon him immediately. I want to see how he is doing… and see his ugly face, so I can find something to mock today." .