Unexpectedly, Miriam stepped toward Xavier. She hesitated, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, without warning, she pulled him forward and pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was brief, but in that instant Raiden's sharp gaze caught something. A faint mark shimmered across Miriam's neck—a dragon sigil, three heads entwined, each biting its own tail. His eyes narrowed.
When Miriam pulled away, a shadow of sadness lingered in her expression. "I was right," she whispered softly. "From the very first day I saw you, something about you stirred my curiosity." She leaned close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "I can't wait to see you again."
Xavier stood frozen, speechless.
Raiden's voice cut through the silence, low and dangerous. "You're a cultist."
Miriam tilted her head, her tone carrying that strange, old-fashioned sweetness—soft, almost girlish, yet chilling. "Yes. We believe sacrifice brings us closer to our god. Each offering guides humanity one step nearer to Elysium—the land promised before our god was banished to Velnir, the godman's grave."
Xylo's weak voice trembled with disbelief. "That's not real. A fallen god banished? Historians and archaeologists proved that tale was fabricated. You joined a cult for nothing."
Miriam's smile was faint, almost pitying. "I was born in a cult, darling. Never joined. And you're blind if you trust the words of sinners, Xylo."
Then—snap.
Miriam snapped her fingers. Instantly, the invisible restraints dissolved. Control surged back into Xavier's body.
Raiden moved at once, stepping forward to shield Xavier and Xylo. His black wings spread wide, casting a shadow across the chamber.
Mother Celeste watched with amused eyes, her lips curling into a soft, knowing smile.
Moonlight filtered through a narrow crevice high above the cavern ceiling, casting pale silver beams across the grotesque nest below. Shadows shifted across thick curtains of webbing draped between jagged stone pillars, clusters of pale eggs pulsing faintly along the walls, and countless spiderlings scuttling like stains across the stone.
Raiden, Xavier, and Xylo stood rigidly at the mouth of the chamber. Xylo swayed weakly beside Xavier, his breathing uneven. Though Raiden had brushed away the maggots, the wounds carved into his face remained raw and painful.
Then the cavern trembled violently. Dust rained down as chunks of stone broke loose, crashing against the silk-covered floor. High above, through the narrow crack in the ceiling, an eerie blue light spilled into the nest.
Raiden's eyes widened. "No…" he muttered.
Xavier turned sharply. "What's going on?"
Raiden's gaze locked on the crevice. His foresight pierced beyond the stone, and what he saw darkened his expression. The night sky was no longer empty. Streams of ethereal blue and green light danced across the heavens like flowing rivers—the Aurora stretched endlessly, shimmering with unnatural brilliance.
"The portal…" Raiden whispered. "The portal's opened."
Xavier's heart lurched. "What?"
Mother Celeste turned toward Miriam, her voice smooth and commanding. "Go, child. Your path home has revealed itself."
Miriam lowered her head respectfully. "Thank you, Mother Celeste."
The spider empress rested a hand against Miriam's cheek, her touch tender yet chilling. "You have served me well."
Miriam nodded, then turned toward the tunnel leading deeper into the cave system.
"MIRIAM!" Xavier's voice cracked through the chamber.
She paused. Slowly, she looked back. Her gaze settled on him, and for a moment silence hung heavy between them.
Xavier clenched his fists. "Miriam! You won't get away with this!"
Her lips curved faintly. She raised a hand toward him, then blew a delicate kiss into the air.
Without another word, Miriam disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel.
Mother Celeste's eyes lingered on Xavier, her smile soft, amused, and utterly terrifying.
Xavier stood frozen, anger boiling beneath his skin. Behind him, Raiden's expression remained grim, but Mother Celeste's soft laughter rippled through the chamber, echoing against the stone.
"My, my," she mused, her voice smooth and amused. "Young hearts truly are fascinating."
Before Xavier could react, something lashed out from the shadows. A thick strand of webbing coiled tightly around his neck, constricting with sudden force. His eyes widened as the silk tightened, cutting off his breath.
"Uhh—!"
The strand snapped taut, dragging him violently forward. His feet left the ground as he was pulled helplessly through the air.
"XAVIER!" Raiden's shout thundered across the chamber.
Xavier's body slammed into Mother Celeste's waiting arms. She caught him effortlessly, cradling him as though he were nothing more than a child. His face pressed against the soft curve of her chest, smothered against her in a mockery of affection. The towering spider empress held him close, her embrace both tender and terrifying.
Her smile deepened, eyes gleaming with delight as she stroked his hair. "There now," she whispered, voice dripping with velvet allure. "You fit so perfectly in my arms."
"Perhaps I'll even spoil you," she whispered, her tone dripping with velvet allure. "Wouldn't you like that, hmm, Xavier?"
The horrifying sincerity in her voice made his blood run cold.
Then—BOOM!
A blazing fireball erupted against Mother Celeste's side. The explosion forced her backward, her grip loosening instantly. Xavier dropped to the ground, the webbing unraveling around him.
"Run!" Xylo shouted, his voice hoarse but fierce.
Xavier scrambled away, retreating behind a jagged rock formation as debris scattered across the chamber.
Mother Celeste straightened slowly, her expression darkening. Standing opposite her, Xylo lowered his trembling arm. Despite the wounds carved into his body and the exhaustion etched across his face, flames still danced across his fingertips.
"You know," Xylo said weakly, forcing a grin, "that's probably the creepiest thing I've ever seen."
Mother Celeste's gaze sharpened, her voice stripped of warmth. "You dare strike me?"
Xylo gave a tired chuckle. "Yeah." He raised his burning hand again. "Well, they must've had terrible taste."
Raiden stepped forward, wings unfolding wide behind him, steel-gray eyes locked on Mother Celeste. His voice rang out, commanding.
"Xavier!" he shouted without turning.
Xavier peeked out from behind the rock, heart pounding. "Find Elra!"
"What about you guys?!"
Xylo snorted, flames flickering across his palm. "We're just buying time."
Raiden hardened his expression. "Go!"
Xavier hesitated only briefly before nodding. "…Be careful."
Mother Celeste's chuckle rippled through the cavern, smooth and mocking. "You think two wounded little birds can stop me?"
Raiden reached toward one of his wings. His fingers wrapped around a feather, and with a sharp pull he tore it free. The plume hardened instantly, steel replacing softness, its edges gleaming like a blade.
"We don't need to stop you," Raiden said calmly. "We just need to keep you busy."
Xylo staggered forward, flames flickering brighter around his hands. His grin was weak but defiant. "Besides… you have to pay for what your little bastards did to me."
Mother Celeste's smile vanished. Shadows seemed to crawl across the cavern walls as her presence darkened.
Xylo struck first. Fire burst from both palms, two blazing spheres tearing through the air.
The spider empress twisted unnaturally, her body bending with inhuman grace. One fireball exploded harmlessly against the cavern wall, scattering molten fragments. The second slammed into her side, forcing her off balance. She hissed, chitin gleaming under the firelight. "Persistent little pest."
Raiden surged forward. His wings spread wide, feathers bristling. He ripped another plume free—steel hardened in his grip—and lunged.
Mother Celeste raised two spider legs to intercept. The blade met her chitin, sparks bursting as steel scraped against the glossy black surface. Raiden's arms trembled under the resistance, his eyes narrowing. He had expected her to block—but not with such overwhelming strength.
Her smile returned, sharp and cruel. "My turn."
Four spider legs shot forward in a blur. Raiden folded his wings around himself, feathers hardening into a shield. The strikes hammered against him, each blow driving him backward. Stone cracked beneath his boots as the force shoved him several meters across the cavern floor.
Xylo seized the opening. Flames surged across his arms, heat rippling the air. He thrust forward, unleashing a stream of fire that roared toward her.
Mother Celeste extended one hand. Silk burst from her fingertips, layering into thick barriers. The flames struck, engulfing the webs in a storm of fire. Smoke filled the chamber, the stench of burning silk choking the air.
Raiden steadied himself, wings flaring wide again. Xylo's fire lit the cavern in violent orange, shadows writhing across the walls. Mother Celeste stood tall within the blaze, her silhouette monstrous and regal, spider legs poised to strike again.
Mother Celeste tilted her head, her smile curling. "Did you truly think that would—"
Smoke parted violently as Raiden burst through, wings beating with raw force. He launched himself upward, twisting in midair, and drove the hardened steel feather downward.
Mother Celeste crossed two spider legs to block. The impact splintered the feather instantly, shards scattering across the cavern floor. But Raiden had never intended to pierce through. He spun with the momentum, his wing sweeping wide, and slammed the hardened edge across her face.
The strike forced her backward, her body lurching against the stone.
"Xylo!" Raiden barked.
"I know!" Xylo's voice cracked with strain as he thrust both hands outward. Twin fireballs surged forward, heat rippling through the cavern.
Mother Celeste twisted aside, her movements unnaturally fluid. The first fireball scorched the wall, leaving molten streaks. The second struck one of her legs, searing through the chitin. She recoiled, her expression twisting with fury. "You insolent insects!"
The cavern itself seemed to awaken. Cracks split open along the walls, and from them poured a tide of movement—spiders, maggots, and spiderlings swarming in a living flood.
Raiden's expression hardened. "We're getting overwhelmed!"
Mother Celeste lunged forward, her massive legs slicing through the air. One leg swept toward Xylo—he ducked, barely avoiding the strike. Another leg stabbed from the side, flames flaring as he blocked. A third leg hammered into him directly, the force sending him flying.
His body tore through layers of silk, rolling violently across the cave floor until he crashed into a cluster of eggs. The shells burst around him, spilling pale fluid across the stone. Pain shot through his body as he coughed, forcing himself upright, flames still flickering weakly across his hands.
The translucent eggs surrounding Xylo pulsed faintly, shadows of undeveloped spiderlings shifting inside.
Mother Celeste froze. The fury twisting her face melted away, replaced by something far rarer—fear. "…No…" Her voice trembled, stripped of its usual elegance.
Xylo blinked, confusion flashing across his battered features. "What are you talking about?"
Mother Celeste stepped forward, her movements suddenly desperate. "Stay away from them. Do not touch what is mine."
Xylo frowned, uncertainty flickering across his face. A spiderling lunged toward him, but instinct took over. He swung his burning hand, flames brushing against one of the eggs.
The shell ignited instantly. Fire spread unnaturally fast, silk burning as though soaked in oil. The egg collapsed in a violent blaze.
Mother Celeste stopped dead in her tracks, her voice breaking. "…No."
Xylo stared at the flames, then at his hands, then back at her. Realization struck like lightning. "They burn…"
Another spider leapt toward him. He thrust his palm outward, missing the creature—but several eggs behind it erupted into fire. The blaze leapt from nest to nest, silk igniting in a chain reaction.
Screeches filled the cavern as spiderlings writhed in the flames.
Mother Celeste's composure shattered. "No! Stop!" She rushed forward, her voice rising into a scream. "NO!"
Raiden landed beside Xylo, wings flaring wide. His eyes narrowed, steel-gray and unyielding. "What in the abyss are you doing?!"
Xylo turned toward him, a weak grin spreading across his battered face. "I think…" He raised both burning hands toward the nest, fire swirling around his palms. "…I've found her weakness."
Flames erupted outward, consuming the nest like dry tinder.
Mother Celeste screamed, her voice echoing through the cavern as the fire devoured her brood. Her spider legs thrashed wildly, striking against stone pillars and tearing through webbing in a frenzy. The cavern shook with her rage, shadows writhing across the walls as the blaze spread.
Raiden's wings snapped open, shielding Xylo from falling debris. His jaw tightened. "Then we burn it all."
Xylo's grin widened despite the pain. "Glad you finally agree."
Together, fire and steel surged forward. Raiden's hardened feathers slashed through the swarm while Xylo's flames ignited every nest they touched.