Chapter 393: Seraphina's Trial - Part 1

The world around Iris started to melt away, and even Kael, whom she was with, started to transform.

It made Iris take a step back and get ready to face whatever was going to come her way, but the form just twisted and formed the familiar form of Goddess Aria.

No, the person in front of her did not simply look like Goddess Aria. She could feel Lyra’s presence inside that being as well.

It seemed like Lyra had already fulfilled her trial, and now it was Iris’s turn to make her choice.

“You have overcome your limitations. Now, it is time for you to come with me and merge together. But you still have a chance to run away and live your life. If you want to—”

“I am done running away now. All I have done until now is run away from my responsibilities. But I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Iris told the phantom, which made it smile. But she did not care.

She had finally made peace with herself.

The thing holding her back all this time from being with Kael and confessing was her own feeling that she was not enough for Kael. But that was no longer the case for her.

“I see. Then, take my hand, and we shall go and tell the last one of us. And that person might be the most stubborn one of us.”

Goddess Aria told Iris, who finally gave her hand to the goddess. And then, she got absorbed into the goddess, and they melted as one.

Now, there was only one person left in this trial. And that person was the one on whom this whole situation hinged.

…

“Lady Seraphina, please look this way.”

“Lady Seraphina, how was your day?”

“We are done for the day. So what would you like to do now?”

The servants asked Seraphina as they littered around her. But Seraphina half-heard them as she kept her focus on getting back to her room. There was someone waiting for her there whom she wanted to get back to.

“I don’t want to do anything for now. Please, everyone. Head back to your rooms now. I will see you tomorrow.”

She kept a noble and regular appearance while she headed back to her room, and no one stopped her. If anything, they all looked at her like she was a goddess they could not wait to get closer to.

And Seraphina did not break the illusion the people had of her until she reached her room.

But once her door opened, her gentle nature was gone and replaced by a frown as she looked at the person tied up in her room.

More specifically, to her bed. Heavy chains prevented the person from being able to walk away, and a blindfold prevented them from being able to look at anyone either.

Right now, Kael was tied up in her bed, and he was all hers. She was not going to let him go ever.

“My dear Kael, I am back. Did you miss me?”

The body on the bed flinched as soon as it sensed her coming closer. But she pretended not to notice. She was sure that Kael could come around and accept her love sooner or later.

He had to; otherwise, she felt like she would lose her mind and do something unacceptable.

She quickly got closer to Kael, and he tried to relax. But it was of no use. Their hands were too close now, and Seraphina grabbed Kael’s hand, causing him to give a full-body shudder.

But she ignored it in favor of pressing closer.

“I heard that a few people got close to this room today because they wanted to ‘clean’ this area. It seems like the one who would have to do the cleaning today is me. Ah, but don’t worry. I will make sure it does not affect you, alright? No one will disturb you.”

Seraphina promised with a smile on her face, but her gentle nature made Kael tremble even more. He was afraid of her, but Seraphina did not seem to notice.

Or rather, she did not care what Kael thought of her as long as he stayed by her side.

Seraphina traced a finger up Kael’s wrist, feeling the frantic, hammering pulse beneath his skin.

To the outside world, she was the epitome of grace and benevolence, a beacon of light in a crumbling realm.

But here, within the shadowed confines of her chamber, she was simply a woman desperate to anchor the only thing that gave her existence meaning.

“Why do you still fight it, my love? Outside, the world might be shifting, undergoing trials we cannot even begin to comprehend. But none of that matters. As long as you are here, with me, everything is as it should be.”

She murmured, her voice a soft, dangerous caress against his ear.

Kael let out a stifled breath, his body trembling violently against the heavy iron restraints.

Every instinct screamed at him to escape the suffocating intensity of her presence, even though he couldn’t even see her through the thick blindfold.

Before Seraphina could lean in closer to press a kiss to his trembling cheek, the air in the room suddenly grew heavy. The shadows in the corner of the chamber began to ripple, warping into a shimmering silhouette of ethereal light.

Seraphina froze, her grip tightening instinctively on Kael’s hand. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to face the intrusion, her gentle facade instantly fracturing to reveal a fierce, possessive fury.

“Who’s there? Leave this place. He belongs to me!.”

She hissed, stepping protectively in front of the bed. She was looking directly where the entity she could sense was. But she was not sure who it was.

As it just so happened, someone knocked at the door, and it made her tense up.

“Lady Seraphina, I am your maid, Lizzy. I wanted to know if you needed your room cleaned today.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Seraphian calmed down. Lizzy was fine. She knew her secret and haad vowed to keep it.