Time couldn't be measured in such a way... But with Dante's conversation... He managed to do something crucial...
"W-what is it?" Siren stammered as she saw a light elf in front of her, looking at her and handing her something, a... invitation...
"Just accept it," Valentina said, and the elf trembled slightly at the sound of her voice... "It's from my husband, for sure," she added with a smile.
"He wouldn't leave you alone with so many problems happening," Valentina said, letting out a small laugh...
'Right on time... that bastard went to talk to Vlad...' Valentina thought.
Siren held the invitation in her hands, the paper light, but laden with a gravity that made her tremble. She looked at Valentina, the woman's smile now seeming almost ironic.
"What does he want, sending me to a meeting in the middle of a war?" Siren asked, her voice full of suspicion and a touch of anger. "Why me? And why now?"
Valentina crossed her arms, her expression turning serious, though a hint of amusement still shone in her eyes. "Dante knows what he's doing, Siren. He wouldn't send you to a place like that without reason."
"Reason?" Siren repeated, her voice rising slightly. "And what reason would that be, Valentina? Does he want me to die? To face Velkan in the midst of all this?"
Valentina sighed, losing a bit of patience. "Velkan isn't just your enemy... At least... not anymore. And Dante thinks you might be... useful."
"Useful?" Siren scoffed, stepping forward to confront Valentina. "Be straight with me, Valentina. He's throwing me into the crossfire without an explanation, and I want to know why!"
Valentina didn't back down, but the smile faded. "Do you think you're the only one he's testing, Siren? We all have our roles to play. And if you think my husband is sending you to your death, stay here, I'll go alone... after all, I'm the last one needed for the plan to begin."
"I'm not a piece in your game!" Siren retorted, clutching the invitation tightly.
"But you are," Valentina said firmly, her eyes narrowing. "We all are. And the sooner you accept that, the easier it will be to survive."
Siren stared at Valentina for a long moment, feeling the weight of her words. But she knew she had no choice. Dante had put her on this path, and now she had to move forward, even if it meant going into the heart of the war, even if it meant facing Velkan head-on.
"Uuggrrhh!" Siren growled in frustration as the Light Elf disappeared, his ethereal glow fading as quickly as her patience. "Damn it!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the hall, before slamming her fist on the table in front of her, shattering it completely.
Valentina simply watched, amused by Siren's outburst of rage. For someone so strong, she was surprisingly volatile. That was perhaps the curse of strength—the more power one possesses, the lonelier one becomes.
"It better be worth as much as you promise!" Siren shouted, her face contorted in a mixture of anger and frustration, directing her fury at Valentina.
Valentina couldn't help but smile, not with disdain, but with a dark understanding. Siren was a powerful woman, but that same strength made her lonely, trapped in a constant battle against the world around her and against her own demons.
'She reminds me of myself... thirty years ago...' Valentina thought, her mind briefly wandering to a past she rarely revisited.
A time when loneliness was her only companion, when her strength was both her blessing and her curse.
In a way, Valentina felt a bit sorry for Siren being in this situation.
But would she show it? Of course not.
She didn't care on that level.
"I'm not taking you, if that's what you want to know," Alice commented indifferently, her eyes fixed on the documents in front of her, making no effort to look at her daughter. The response was blunt, cutting off any hope Lyra might have had.
Lyra made a face, clearly disappointed but not surprised. Alice was relentless in her approach to power, and Lyra knew her mother was not swayed by sentimentalism, especially when it came to something as important as the Rulers' Meeting. Still, it wasn't as if Lyra was going to give up easily.
"Mom... You know I'm a powerful witch, right? I can help in Kryoris. Besides, you never know when a touch of extravagance might come in handy," Lyra insisted, trying, with little success, to bend Alice's determination.
Alice let out a tired sigh, finally lifting her eyes to face her daughter. "You may be powerful, Lyra, but you still need to learn to control your impulsiveness. Besides... in About War... And apparently, everyone is going with their elites."
Lyra opened her mouth to protest, but Alice cut her off with a sharp look. "Don't insist. My role as the Queen of Witches is to ensure our position remains unshakable. And for that, I need strategy, not impulsiveness."
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Alice's response was as cold as it was predictable, leaving Lyra with no choice but to accept, at least for now.
She knew her mother was right, but that didn't lessen her frustration.
She wanted to prove her worth, to show that she was not just the Queen's daughter but a force to be reckoned with on her own.
Suddenly, Lyra felt a soft hand rest on her head, caressing her hair with a delicacy that made her freeze in place. "Hello, little sister," a familiar voice said, but the tone was not angelic—it was cold, almost unsettling. The witch.
"M-M-Morgana?!" Lyra stuttered, almost trembling with fear and surprise. Her sister's presence filled the room with an intensity that rivaled their mother's. The aura emanating from Morgana was dense, heavy, and filled with power. Power that Lyra knew should not be underestimated.
"Oh, it's the mischievous Lyra..." Morgana continued, her voice dripping with a mix of disdain and curiosity. "Where are the Anger and the Idiot?" she asked, but before the younger sister could respond, Morgana sliced through the air with a comment that made Lyra's blood run cold.
"You need to stop poking around in Demon affairs," Morgana declared, her voice now sharper, looking directly at Alice, who was engrossed in her studies. And Lyra, following her sister's gaze, saw what their mother was studying at that moment—Demonic Magic.
Alice did not lift her eyes from the documents, but the tension in the air was palpable. Lyra swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Morgana's words.
It was rare to see their mother being challenged, especially by one of her own daughters, but there was Morgana, subtly defying Alice's authority with a demeanor that exuded confidence and superiority.
"This is none of your business, Morgana," Alice finally responded, her voice firm, with no trace of emotion. "If you're concerned about your sister's safety, you can rest assured. I know what I'm doing."
Morgana stepped closer, leaning slightly over Alice's desk, her eyes glowing with a dark intensity. "I hope so, Mother. Because playing with Demonic Magic is not something to be taken lightly... even for someone like you."
"Leave her be, Lyra," Morgana said, turning her attention back to her younger sister. "You still have much to learn. And meddling in Demon matters won't make you stronger."
Lyra merely nodded, lacking the courage to argue.
"Sister... weren't you going to stay with Dante?" Lyra asked, and Morgana smiled at her, "I'm still a witch, not 'Mommy'?" Morgana questioned sarcastically.
"I see... so you're the one going with our mother..." Lyra murmured.
"When it comes to Chaos, I think a Chaos Witch like me should be present... Especially when... my husband is the cause of the Chaos," Morgana murmured.
"Six hours left... Be ready," Alice said, as she closed her notes. "Whatever you have planned, I hope it's a show," she added.
"Of course... Mommy," Morgana murmured... 'If you knew I was leading you straight into the devil's lair... you wouldn't be so happy.'