"You see, I'm an oracle of sorts," Queen Bianca said softly. "Today, I made a divination, and it told me to come to this place at this time to meet someone who will help change the Fate of my daughter... or perhaps, daughters?"
As Aurora looked at her mother in the distance, she felt herself being pulled in her direction.
Before she even knew it, her feet and legs already moved on their own, heading toward her mother whom she loved very much.
Aurora watched as the Queen looked at the two little girls in the distance with an affectionate gaze.
"Those two girls are my daughters," Queen Bianca said after sitting down on the grass. "The younger one is named Shayna, and the older one is named Aurora. Do you know? Aurora means Dawn. Her name refers to the time of the day when the sun is just about to rise from the horizon, giving light to the world."
Yes, her name was Aurora. This was the name that Queen Bianca had given her when King Septimius adopted her into the Royal Family.
"You know, being an Oracle is a blessing and a curse," Queen Bianca stated. "I've seen many things, including things that I don't want to see. Do you know? I already know the exact date that I will die and what will happen after it? Very neat, right?"
Lux, who had just been listening, frowned.
"Since you know when you are going to die, can't you do anything about it?" Lux asked.
This was also the question in Aurora's mind. Since her mother already knew when she would die, couldn't she have done something differently and prevented her death? Maybe by doing so, she and Shayna wouldn't have to suffer.
"Perhaps," Queen Bianca answered. "But it takes a lot of courage and willpower to defy Fate. I don't know if I have the courage or the willpower to do it. Still, if I manage to succeed, my only regret is that I won't be able to see my two daughters grow up."
'What?' Aurora's eyes widened in shock. 'If she managed to defy fate, she would not be able to see me and Shayna grow up? How come? Why?'
While she was reeling from her mother's revelation, Queen Bianca's next words made her feel as if a bucket of cold water was poured over her head.
"Lux, I have a favor to ask," Queen Bianca said softly. "Sometime in the distant future, Aurora will need to make a difficult choice. One that will force her to choose between what is right and what is easy. When that time comes, I want you to tell her that being her mother was one of the happiest moments of my life.
"I didn't regret raising her as my own, and even though we don't share the same blood, that doesn't change the fact that she is my precious daughter.
"She's my family, and I love her very much. Tell her that she doesn't need to blame herself for what happened. If she still feels guilty about it, tell her that I forgive her and that I will always be watching over her even though I am no longer in this world."
"Understood," Lux replied. "I will relay your message to her."
Queen Bianca smiled. "Thank you. Meeting you here at this place and time gave me some peace of mind. Although it is regrettable, our time together will not last long."
A moment later, the Half-Elf disappeared, but the scene didn't change.
Aurora watched as Shayna and the other Aurora laid down on the grass and fell asleep, hugging each other.
Suddenly, a gasp escaped Queen Bianca's lips when her gaze landed on the disheveled Young Aurora, who was wearing bloody clothes and had bruises all over her body.n(-OvelBIn
"A-Aurora?" Queen Bianca stood up as she glanced at the sleeping Aurora, who was hugging her sister, and the other Aurora, who was standing a few meters away from her.
The Young Aurora didn't speak and simply looked at her mother with tears streaming down the side of her face.
"Why?" the Young Aurora asked. "Why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave Shayna and me alone?"
Queen Bianca didn't reply right away. Instead, she walked towards the Young Aurora and hugged her small and frail body that was injured all over.
"I see... so that's how it is," Queen Bianca muttered as she hugged her beloved daughter. "It seems that Lux wasn't the only one that I was supposed to meet here today. Fate had decided that you could meet me here one last time after my death."
Aurora, who was no longer able to hold back her tears, hugged her mother and cried her eyes out.
She kept on saying, "Why?", "Why did you have to die?", "Why did you have to leave us?", "Why?"
Queen Bianca held her daughter until she calmed down. Only when Aurora was no longer crying did she crouch down to kiss her forehead.
"Because I love you, Aurora," Queen Bianca replied. "Because I love you and Shayna."
"I don't understand," Aurora shook her head.
Queen Bianca smiled bitterly before she cupped her daughter's face with her hands.
"I don't know how far you are in the future right now, or how much suffering you have experienced after becoming Misfortune's Beloved," Queen Bianca said softly. "But know this—even if I did something different and prevented something from happening, Fate always finds a way to right what was wrong.
"In order to defeat it, one must resolve themselves to stake everything, including their lives, leaving no option for a second chance."
The scene around them suddenly changed and they returned to the city that was being besieged by Monsters.
Aurora saw two little girls lying on the ground, in a puddle of their own blood. She saw her mother fighting off several monsters in order to reach them, but they were simply too many to fight on her own.
She watched as one of the Monsters devoured her sister, Shayna, and feasted on her flesh and blood.
She saw another monster lifting her own body and chomping on her legs, tearing her flesh and bones, eating heartily.
She watched as her mother shouted in pain, anger, and sadness as the rest of Aurora's body was eaten by the Monster, leaving nothing behind.
She watched as her father crashed down from the sky, stabbed by the pointed stinger of the Calamity-Ranked Monster that he was fighting, and died a few seconds later.
Lastly, she watched as her mother fought in a berserk state, maddened with rage for the loss of the people who were important to her.
An hour later, all the Monsters in the city were dead, leaving only the Queen behind.
She kneeled on the ground in front of the two puddles of blood while holding the body of her dead husband.
Queen Bianca wailed and pleaded for the heavens to return the people who were important to her.
But the Gods didn't hear her prayer.
For they were no longer around.
Even if they were still in Elysium, none of them cared about the life of a few mortals and their desperation.
"This is the future that I saw," Queen Bianca said as she held Aurora's body close to her. "This is why I've resolved within myself to defy fate, and I know that by doing so, I will pay the ultimate price."
Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face, despite the sadness that she was projecting.
"Seeing that you are here right now, it means that my gamble will succeed," Queen Bianca then used her handkerchief to wipe the tear stains on her daughter's face. "Aurora, if I were given the choice to return to the past, I would still do my best to defy fate. It might be selfish of me, but I didn't want to spend my life all alone, without the three of you by my side.
"Even when I'm no longer around, as long as you have Shayna and your father with you, I'm sure that things will be better. Hey~ I even saw a handsome Half-Elf earlier. I don't know if you saw him too, but his name is Lux. Both of your names are compatible. You represent the darkness, while he represents the light.
"Together, you will usher in a new dawn, which will illuminate the world that is filled with suffering and pain. My only regret is that I won't be seeing it alongside the two of you. But if ever you and he became lovers, can you name your firstborn daughter, Bianca, in order to honor me? I would love that very much.
"Even if I am no longer with you, I will be with you in spirit. So, my darling, I want you to live, not only for your sake but for mine as well. Can you promise me that?"
Aurora nodded before kissing her mother's cheek one last time.
"I love you, Mother," Aurora said as she did her best to hold back her tears.
"And I love you, more than anything in the world," Queen Biana said before planting one last kiss on Aurora's forehead.
A moment later, she disappeared, turning into particles of light that merged with her body, making Aurora feel as if all the burden that she carried for the past eighteen years of her life vanished without a trace.
————————
Flames covered the entire city as the Succubus Aurora walked towards Lux, who was protecting the Young Aurora, who was currently in a trance.
All of Lux's Undead Legion, Named Creatures, and Covenant Members had perished.
The Half-Elf was also in his Demi-Dragon form, but he had suffered grave injuries, with wounds that were weeping with his lifeblood.
"Goodbye, Lux," the Succubus Aurora said as she raised her two blazing hands. "It's a pity that we didn't see eye to eye."
Without another word, she unleashed a dazzling ray of light that would end everything, allowing her to become the sole owner of Aurora's body.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
The purple beam of light was split apart before it could even hit the Half-Elf.
The Succubus didn't know what happened, but it didn't take long for her to find the answer to her question
A young girl stood in front of her, her right hand having pierced the Succubus' chest, gripping her heart.
"I-Impossible," the Succubus muttered in shock. "How did you manage to become stronger than me?"
The Young Aurora smiled before saying something that only the Succubus was able to hear.
"That is my future husband you're trying to kill," the Young Aurora said. "Hands off, b*tch."
She then shattered the Succubus' heart, and the latter screamed in pain as she exploded in a shower of sparks, leaving nothing behind.
The dark clouds that were covering the sky earlier parted, and a ray of light descended upon the young girl, who had finally forgiven herself for the things that had happened in the past.
Even Lux, who was seriously injured, couldn't avert his gaze from the young lady, who looked like a divine being who was bathed in the ray of light.
A minute later, Aurora glanced in his direction and gave him a smile, which made the Half-Elf's heart skip a beat.
The smile on Aurora's face widened as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf who had reverted to his original form.
What Lux didn't know was that, after she had conquered her heart demon, Aurora had also laid the foundation of her next conquest.
Yes, the one she planned to conquer was none other than the person who had reached out to hold her hand in the darkness and allowed her to see the light that would soon usher in a new dawn in her life.