230. Here We Go Again!

A deep, resounding hum vibrated behind Zetius’s eyes. They fluttered open to an exposed ceiling, a chaotic pattern of black pipes in various sizes running across it.

“Where in the world am I?”

Not just his head, but his entire body felt light. He wiggled his fingers, his gaze sweeping the room. The walls didn't quite reach the ceiling, allowing a faint green glow, thrumming like a heartbeat, to seep through. The space was filled with rows of empty metal bedframes, each with a white mattress and blanket, resembling a hospital ward.

A soft snore echoed from his left. It was Pree, snuggled into her pillow and sleeping like a child in her white gown.

“Pree, wake up!” he whispered, shaking her gently. She was sound asleep. He tried again to no avail.

“Useless horse girl,” Zetius grumbled, springing to his feet. He almost collapsed from the sudden movement, his body reacting more drastically than usual. “Don’t tell me… this is the Dreamless Realm.”

He double-checked, catching one of the fluttering leaves that slowly descended. It adsorbed into his hand on contact. “Iasis?” He recognised the soothing sensation. The entire place emitted a healing effect. How was that possible? The thought shocked him, his mind racing.

Panicked, he lightly tapped his sternum. “Cubie! Cubie!” he called out, his voice faltering.

“Hmmmmmmmmm… What?” Cubie’s drowsy voice emanated from his torso. A blue aura of a female figure glowed as Cubie emerged, her blue hair fluttering around her in the still air.

“Holy Gaia… we’re really in the Dreamless Realm!” Zetius’s face lost all colour, his knees feeling weak. “And now, I’ve dragged Pree in with me.” There was a pang of regret in his tone.

“Huh?” Cubie glanced down, inspecting her long, flowing dress. Her eyes widened. “Whoa! I’m not a cube!” She ran a hand over her face, marvelling at the smooth, soft skin. Then, with a manic giggle, she hooked her fingers into the corners of her mouth and pulled, stretching it wide to expose a set of perfectly blue teeth. “Thath cwaazy!” she exclaimed, her voice coming out as a giddy, muffled cheer.

“Yeah…” Zetius drew his lips into a thin line, resting a hand on his hip. He exchanged a look with Cubie. “Now what?”

He scanned the room. There was only one door. “Only one way to find out, I guess?”

Cubie nodded frantically.

Still concerned for his companion, Zetius eyed Pree one last time. “I’ll survey first, see how things are before I wake her up properly.”

He gently swung the door inward, wincing at the creak, and poked his head into the dim doorway.

“What do you see?” Cubie asked curiously, her head floating just above his.

“Nothing. All clear,” Zetius whispered, exiting the room completely.

The blackstone floor felt cold underfoot. The hallway wasn't straight; it curved as part of a circular layout, with doors lining both sides. Apart from that, everything was plain, with no notable features. It felt like one of those 'dream-core' aesthetics.

Moving stealthily, Zetius checked a few more rooms. All were empty, furnished with the same hospital-like beds but, oddly, no medical equipment.

“It’s like a labyrinth,” Cubie whispered, her voice quivering. She hugged her arms tightly, levitating nervously behind Zetius.

“Are you scared?” he asked, offering his hand. His gentle smile gave her a surge of confidence and reassurance.

“Mm~hm,” she hummed, taking his hand. The warmth of human interaction was new to her; this was only her second time in this form. The touch felt foreign, yet amazing.

They proceeded past a few more rooms until they stumbled upon double doors on the outer side of the arched hallway. These were more detailed, with ring handles. Zetius pressed his ear against the metal, hearing a faint noise from within. He couldn't properly make out the sound as the thrumming, engine-like sound still emanated from the background.

“This must be it. We’ll take a peek,” Zetius whispered.

Cubie nodded reluctantly.

The door creaked open, and Zetius grimaced at the noise, only just realising how terrible his stealth was. The room was fully decorated in a Britainian style with ornate gold, from soft, hand-knitted carpets to an over-the-top chandelier. Every piece of furniture brimmed with details that screamed of immense wealth.

He pushed the door a little further and saw the figure of a woman facing a mirror, her alluring back to him. Her silver hair cascaded down to her lower back, and her elegant fingers reached behind her, fumbling for the zip of her dress.

Zetius clapped a hand over his mouth to suppress any sound. Heat coiled in his gut. “Crap. This is not what I expected at all.”

As if sensing him, the lady’s eyes met his in the mirror. Her expression gave way to recognition. It was his mortal enemy, Nyrethein Vale, the Celestius of Gemini.

“Are you going to keep staring like a degenerate, or are you going to help a lady in distress?” she said, her tone calm and commanding.

His jaw hung open, a profound numbness spreading across his face. A hot flush of humiliation, more intense than any he had ever known, made him drag his hands down his face as if to hide. He cleared his throat and stepped into the light, but could do little more than fidget like a naughty child caught in the act, utterly speechless.

“Come. This zipper is frustrating me,” she gestured.

Zetius paused, suspicious. While she turned her back to him, her posture uncannily relaxed.

“Zetius, we can’t trust her,” Cubie whispered in his ear.

He swallowed hard and approached with caution. Even a deadly snake gave him less anxiety than Nyrethein. He gently located the zipper and, after a few tries, pulled it to the top. It is indeed stuck. No trick this time.

Looking in the mirror, Nyrethein adjusted the hemline of her dress over her ample chest, securing it in place. Then, she brushed her hair gently. Pleased with her appearance, she spun slowly to confront him.

Zetius staggered back. Her face was completely healed.

Nyrethein smiled mischievously, her eyes glanced down from her nose, “Did you really think you could disfigure me with your weak dual-cast, Zetius?”

Her sharp tongue always stung. Zetius flinched visibly. “I…” He forced his mouth shut.

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“I’m the true master of dual-casting, in case you had been ill-informed,” Nyrethein said, running a finger over her immaculate cheek. “But I’ll give you a pass, since you managed to walk a few steps after taking a direct hit like that. Most would have crumbled to pieces.”

Zetius bit his molars, the memory of that icy maelstrom still lingering in his bones. It wasn’t fun at all.

“A silent fool is wiser than a babbling genius,” she quoted, checking her ornamental bracelet. “Well, too bad the horse girl, Prima or whatever her name was, dragged your body across the finish line. Pathetic.”

Zetius’s blood boiled, and he snapped, “Hey! I’m the one who landed the strike, and you fled the scene!” Defiant, he stepped forward, his chest almost touching hers. She tilted her head back, her silver eyes fearless. His hands clenched into fists.

“Fair,” Nyrethein sighed, breaking her gaze and taking a step back.

“You were interfering with the race!” Cubie snapped, hiding behind him.

“I held the race, you fool. You signed up for it yourself,” she scowled, a vein popping on her forehead. She rested a hand on her hip, then took a long breath, chasing down her anger.

“What do you want this time?” Zetius asked, his demeanour poised. He wasn’t afraid of her; he kept telling himself.

“What do I want? Says the man who appeared in my private chamber,” Nyrethein scoffed.

“Why did you drag me into the Dreamless Realm this time?” Zetius pressed.

“Dreamless? This?” She grimaced, then let out a wicked laugh. After a moment, she paused to look at Zetius’s dumbfounded face. “This isn’t Dreamless. Wait, you’re not even joking?” She erupted into another round of laughter.

Zetius could only stand there in a daze, like an idiot, letting her berate him.

The doors swung fully open, and gentle footsteps marched onto the carpeted floor.

“Whoa! You two are getting along already!” Vivian lilted, clearly impressed. She led a small group: a cat Wildren child, Triss, and the Empress herself.

“Spare me. I was merely obliging your request, Vivian,” Nyrethein drifted to her side and dipped respectfully to the Empress. “My face is far too precious for this squabble.”

“You missed the ceremony,” Vivian told her.

“My face wasn’t completely healed then.” Nyrethein said before turning to the empress, “My deep apology, I hope you’ll understand, Empress.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Cold and steadfast, Aurora simply nodded.

Nyrethein gestured towards Zetius with her palm. “Well, I’ve had my fun. See you around, Zetius.” She stressed his name before disappearing through the door, taking the tension in the room with her.

Coincidentally, Zetius, Cubie, and Vivian all exhaled in unison, an almost comical moment of shared relief.

Zetius snapped into a poised posture. “Greetings, Empress, Celestius, Triss, and… kitten.” He tugged at his shirt, feeling hot all of a sudden. Reluctantly, Cubie mimicked a curtsy she had just observed from Nyrethein.

“I’m not a kitten! We’ve met, Mr Zetius!” Cartier protested, planting her fists on her hips with discontent.

“What’s her name, Cubie?” he whispered. He was never good with names.

“Cartier, I think,” she whispered back, cupping her hand over her lips.

“Oh! Yes, Cartier, right?” He offered his hand, but she just pouted and snapped her head away with a huff.

“Regardless, we finally meet again! With you conscious this time,” Vivian chuckled at her own joke.

“We do?” Zetius brushed the back of his hair awkwardly.

“Yes. Last time, you were a bit… cold,” Vivian added.

Seeing their confused looks, Triss spelled it out. “She meant your corpse.”

“Oh… right.” Zetius swept his eyes across the faces in the room. No one had addressed the elephant in the room yet: why was the Empress here? They could only exchange awkward glances and chuckle. Cubie joined in, making it feel even less authentic.

“Very well. I’ll be straightforward,” Aurora spoke, folding her arms behind her back in a majestic manner. She was divinely beautiful, especially standing only a metre away. “The Champion of Gaia.”

The title startled him, a reaction she had clearly anticipated. “I knew it. So, you are the Champion of Gaia. Why didn’t you disclose this when we first met at the Arcana Institute?”

“I, um… I… well, I didn’t feel like it was something worth mentioning at the time,” Zetius stammered.

“And who decided that?” Her words hit like a hammer. Zetius swallowed, a bead of sweat trickling down his face.

Aurora exhaled. “Do I scare him?” she turned and asked Cartier.

“I think you might have to be less blunt, Empress,” Cartier chirped, a faint smile on her face.

“I’ll try.” Aurora walked across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Everyone, please, sit down and relax.”

Surprised, they followed her lead. Cartier, Triss, Zetius, and Cubie settled on the carpeted floor, while Aurora and Vivian sat on the bed, their expressions and postures now more casual.

“I invited you to this coronation ceremony because your deeds and effort in the Umbral War are commendable. I shall see to it that you are rewarded properly,” Aurora began, her eyes closing serenely. “Despite being a Novitcius, you have far exceeded anyone of your rank. For that, I will grant you a new, dedicated rank, which we shall discuss in the near future.”

“Thank you, Empress,” Zetius nodded appreciatively.

“Now, why—” Aurora paused, becoming more mindful. She looked away and pondered for a moment before changing her tone. “When did you learn of this?”

“The first time was in the colosseum, when I was drawn into the Dreamless Realm,” Zetius answered. “With the guidance of Celestius Elenore, we navigated through the realm and ended up meeting the Moirai.”

“So, Elenore was involved. And she isn't vocal enough about it.” Aurora shook her head slightly and admitted, “Celestius mages are painstaking to deal with, to say the least.”

Zetius silently agreed, especially thinking of Nyrethein.

“Please, go on.” The empress gestured for him to continue.

“The Moirai, Lacheryn and Atropaia revealed the prophecy to us,” Zetius said, glancing over to Cubie, who nodded in support.

“So Lacheryn, the present, and Atropaia, the past — they are both alive!” Cartier blurted out, cupping her mouth, her intrigue overwhelming her.

“Yes… They did mention to bring a fragment of Clothia to them if I happened to stumble upon it,” Zetius crossed his arms, closing his eyes. “So far, I haven’t encountered anything related to that.”

“Fair enough. Terissa, I reckon you need to pay a visit to the Moirai. We might shed more light, find more clues,” Aurora instructed.

“Understood, Empress,” Triss nodded. “Knowing Celestius Elenore’s knowledge of the Moirai, the mission is feasible. We’ll find a way.”

“Um… Empress…” Zetius raised his hand. “Do you happen to know where the former empress of Dunkelheit is?”

“Say that again?” She frowned, eyeing him strangely.

“Nohrell Voss Fenrith. Do you know where she is?” Zetius repeated, his voice firm.

“The underworld. I struck her down myself, watched the life snuff out of her with my own eyes,” Aurora replied. “Where are you going with this?”

“The Moirai claimed that she is the true Champion of Gaia,” Zetius revealed, sending a collective gasp through the room.

“How certain is this, Zetius?” Vivian pressed.

“Very certain,” Zetius admitted with a shrug.

“It’s true! They couldn’t lie in the Dreamless Realm,” Cubie added, resting a hand on Zetius’s broad shoulder.

“It’s possible she might have tricked me. Her essence of Enneaphanía was always elusive. I witnessed her pull it off a few times,” Aurora revealed. “That explains why she was such a formidable arcanist. One that gave me quite a lot of trouble. It never occurred to me to follow through. I might need to add the search for her to my priority list.”

“If I may, Empress, the same applies to you,” Zetius added. “You are the strongest arcanist in the world. Technically speaking, you don’t need me or the Champion of Gaia.”

“If only that were true in the fourth dimension,” Aurora argued, tapping her creased forehead. “Very well. Vivian shall perform a thorough inspection. You may not leave this chamber.”

“What? Am I under arrest?” Zetius choked. “What about my friends?”

“No… It’s for your own good.” She sighed. “Fine. You may leave this chamber, but you may not leave this castle until I say otherwise.” A smile flickered across her face for a fraction of a second. With that, she sprang to her feet and strode away. Triss and Cartier bowed, escorting the empress out before circling back and rejoining the group.

“Don’t worry, Zetius! I’ll take great care of you!” Vivian smiled kindly, one that reached her eyes. “How about a tour of this sophisticated rejuvenation building?”

She extended a hand. He respectfully took it and stood up.

“Thank you, Celestius Vivian,” Zetius said. This was not the trip he had expected at all. He had arrived as a guest only to become a gilded prisoner.