CHAPTER 1455: BENEATH THE ASHES III

The next scene has turned into midnight, and now the garden is shrouded in deep shadows beneath a silvered sky. Mevissa stepped into the stillness, wearing only a thin chiffon dress, her bare feet whispering against the grass.

She walked toward a great tree, passing Lory and Lucas without a glance, her presence gliding past them like a ghost.

She stopped before the largest tree in the garden, perhaps the oldest. Not long after, Lory realized the giant tree stood in the same vast gap she had seen previously with Lucas and Zhao Li Xin.

No wonder the space had seemed so immense. The tree was colossal, its trunk broad and ancient, its sweeping branches arching high to form a great canopy. Emerald leaves crowned its boughs, shimmering faintly in the dark.

"When Mevissa laid her palms upon the bark, the leaves blazed with sudden brilliance, spilling a soft, verdant glow that drifted over the garden like the breath of life. Flowers unfurled, colors deepened, and every living thing seemed to awaken in reverent silence."

Lory stood in awe at the sight of Mevissa’s power.

Mevissa exhaled a long, weary sigh, resting her cheek against the bark with her eyes closed. Fatigue seeped through her limbs, and for a moment she simply let herself breathe.

Then, something warm and weighty settled across her shoulders. Her eyes flew open, startled, and met a pair of deep, dark grey eyes watching her.

"Ezra?" she breathed, her gaze flicking down to the snowy fur cloak draped around her. Heat crept into her cheeks, blooming faintly beneath the cold night air.

Ezra was mesmerized by her shy expression for a few seconds before forcing himself to rein in his thoughts. He lowered his gaze, knowing that if he looked at her for even a moment longer, his emotions might slip beyond his control.

"It’s cold tonight," he murmured, his voice low and warm, almost lost to the whisper of the wind.

Mevissa tilted her head and gave a faint, wry smile. "You know I don’t feel the cold. I don’t feel heat... nor pain. This power has taken almost everything from me...." She paused for a moment, then lifted her hand, and her fingertips brushed against his cheek. She whispered, "...Almost."

Ezra’s face stiffened under her touch; his reflexes are to evade her touch. Ezra’s reaction struck her like a blow; she pulled her hand back, her lips curling into a faint, self-deprecating smile. Turning away, she said softly, "You should go."

His head lifted, watching her saddened face, his eyes filled with agony. "I wish...I don’t have to go."

Her breath caught. "You... want to stay?" Her voice was tentative, testing.

"I want to," he said hoarsely, fists clenched as though he were at war with himself. "I really do."

"Then stay..." she whispered, the words more like a plea than a command.

Under the verdant, radiant light, Ezra reached for Mevissa’s hands. His movements were careful, almost searching, as though afraid she might dissolve into the shimmering glow. The leaves above whispered with the breath of the wind, scattering flecks of emerald light across their faces.

When their fingers brushed, a spark leapt between them, glimmering in their eyes. Slowly, their hands intertwined, the faint perfume of blooming flowers wrapping around them as the space between their bodies narrowed.

The garden seemed to hold its breath. Their lips met, tentative at first but then deepening, the warmth between them unfurling like a blossom in sunlight, until the night itself seemed to pulse with their heartbeat.

Zhao Li Xin averted his gaze, frowning in irritation, and covered the boy’s eyes. But when he glanced at Lory, he caught her watching with a casual expression, as if the scene before them was nothing unusual.

He was tempted to move closer and shield his wife’s eyes as well, but her earlier warning to remain quiet forced him to remain still. Thus, with a sigh, Zhao Li Xin stayed where he was.

Suddenly, Lory turned toward him, grinning and waggling her brows in playful mischief, as if to say, ’Did you see that?!’

Zhao Li Xin could only sigh again. He should have expected this from his wife; he knew Lory had never been shy about such things. After all, after living in her world, he’d come to understand that public displays of affection weren’t considered taboo there. Sometimes, they weren’t even limited to a kiss.

Unfortunately, for Zhao Li Xin, who grew up in a conservative society, he is still not used to seeing people being overly affectionate in front of him.

As the situation under the tree grew more heated, Lory found herself wondering, would this scene shift to R-18 territory now? She didn’t mind, though. But there was a boy here.

Well... not technically a real boy, but still. And there was also the big lord over there, whose face had already turned several shades darker.

Thankfully, the scene shifted again. Daylight spilled across the setting, revealing a middle-aged man stepping into view. He was thin, almost skeletal, with a sunken face and eyes like a snake, cold, calculating, and brimming with greed. Even the slight curl of his lips carried a venomous edge.

His long golden brocade robe shimmered with intricate silver and crimson embroidery, its extravagance fit for a king, yet on him, it felt less like dignity and more like a snake wearing stolen jewels.

Mevissa stood before him, her shoulders stiff, her voice tight with urgency.

"Grand Minister, where’s Ezra?"

"There was a beast emergence in the north," he said smoothly, the tone polite but edged with something oily. "We sent him there."

Lory caught the way his eyes lingered on Mevissa, as if a merchant appraising his wares.

"He’s my knight and his duty is to stay by my side, to protect me," Mevissa snapped, her voice rising. "Not to be sent off fighting far away! This is not his job!"

The man’s smile did not falter. "I’m sorry, but the beast proved too strong, and Ezra is the finest knight we possess."

A flash of cold light crossed Mevissa’s eyes, though she said nothing. The middle-aged man pretended not to notice, his voice smooth and courteous as he continued, "Many have waited patiently for today’s harvest. Would you bestow it upon us, Goddess?"

He bowed, but the deference in his gesture was an illusion, for his tone carried the weight of a command.

Mevissa’s jaw tightened. With a sharp motion, she struck the emerald trunk behind her. The sound rang out like a crack of judgment, and the ripe crimson fruit began to drop, one after another, from all the trees in the garden, onto the grass.

The man’s eyes lit up with unrestrained joy and greed that gleamed like a predator’s hunger. "We are grateful for your generosity, Goddess," he said, lowering his head further.

Turning away, Mevissa fought to mask the revulsion twisting in her chest. Around her, people hurried forward, baskets in hand, scooping up the harvest with eager smiles.

Not a single one looked at her. Not one seemed to care about the bitterness curdling inside her. Perhaps they never had.

From the edge of the gathering, Lory watched in silence. It was plain to her, Mevissa was nothing more than a resource to these people. Only that man called Ezra seemed to treat her with sincerity. Such a poor woman... no wonder her eyes always carried the weight of sorrow.

When the harvest was over and the last of the people had departed. The grand Minister had got what he wanted, gave a courteous bow once again, and then left the premises without asking more.

Mevissa found herself alone in the vast garden, feeling lost, tired, and helpless; thus, she sank to her knees, covering her face, her sobs wracked her body. A faint, broken whimper escaped her lips.

"Why... why does it have to be me?" Her voice filled with anger, frustration, and...resentment.

While behind her, the tree loomed like a silent witness. Its branches shivered with a low, unnatural rustle, though no wind stirred the air, and the air in the whole garden suddenly shifted.

A moment after, a single leaf broke from the branch, then drifted slowly untill it silently reached the ground.

The moment it touched the grass, its emerald hue bled away, veins darkening like ink seeping through paper, until it crumbled to dust. But Mevissa was too drowned in her grief, she failed to notice the change creeping into her eternal garden.

She didn’t realize how the tree’s shadow stretched toward her, long, slow, and grasping.

Lory glanced up at the tree, then turned her eyes to Zhao Li Xin. They didn’t need words; both shared the same thought: ’This is not going to be good.’

"Mama..." Jade’s small voice trembled with sadness as he watched Mevissa weep helplessly.

Zhao Li Xin looked at the boy. He said nothing, only patted Jade’s head for a few seconds before retracting his hand again. Jade rubbed the spot after the gentle pat, then looked up to meet Zhao Li Xin’s gaze; however, the man’s eyes had already returned to the scene before them as if nothing had happened.

Even so, a faint, content grin spread across his little face, and the heaviness in his mood began to lift.

The tree that once shimmered with life now stood dull and fading. Its emerald leaves had lost their luster, some turning a brittle, dark orange, others already shriveled and scattered across the grass. The thick, soft carpet of green beneath it was thinning, yellow seeping in like a slow-spreading stain.

Flowers drooped, their colors fading to pale ghosts of what they had been, and the fruits no longer glowed with the gentle light they were known for. It was as if time had leapt forward in the garden, carrying everything toward death.

Mevissa sat slumped at the base of the great trunk, her back resting against its rough bark. Her eyes were closed, her skin ashen, and her lips, once a vivid red, had turned pale and bloodless. She looked fragile, as though the life was being drained from her.

From the pathway, the Grand Minister approached, his robes glinting with gold thread, trailed by several others dressed in finery that mimicked his, only cheaper, gaudier. They stopped before her, their faces arranged into masks of concern.

"Goddess, are you all right?"

"What happened to you... and the garden?"

"The garden is ruined, Goddess, what should we do?"

Their voices held worry, but their eyes told the truth: what they were worried not for her, but for what she could provide.

A faint, cynical smile touched Mevissa’s lips. "Why would you care?" she murmured, her voice hoarse. "If I die, then I just die. Why worry about it?"

"You... you can’t say that!" one of them shouted, his voice breaking in panic.

Another rushed forward with trembling urgency. "Goddess, it’s not just here; trees outside are withering, crops are failing. You must do something!"

"Yes! This is your duty!" another barked, more command than plea.

"Please, Goddess, have mercy," one pleaded, his tone thick with feigned pity. "Many children and the elderly have fallen ill. Please, help us!"

Mevissa exhaled, a slow, weary sound, and pressed her palm to the tree’s trunk. A few crimson fruits broke free and fell onto the yellowing grass with a muted thud.

"Take it..." she sighed.

For a heartbeat, they hesitated. Then, like wolves scenting blood, they lunged forward, scrambling over each other to snatch the fruit. Only the Grand Minister stayed still, his expression composed, voice low and restrained.

"What can we do for you, Goddess?"

Her lips curved faintly. "Where’s Ezra?" she asked, eyes still closed. When she opened them, the once-vivid flame in her gaze had dimmed to a bleak, lifeless glow.

The Grand Minister’s face turned grim. "He is still leading the army, driving back the beasts that have been appearing more and more across the land."

"For the whole three years...?" Her faint smile twisted into something sharper, mocking. "Do you think I’m a fool? Do you think I don’t know you’ve kept him from me all this time?" Her voice was etched with fury.

He lowered his head. "This is for your own good. That man is not worthy of you."

Mevissa’s cold laugh sliced through the garden’s dying silence. "Then who? Your wretched little son? Do you think I don’t know how you clawed your family’s way up in this country? You’ve never wished me well, Grand Minister. I know what you truly care about—it’s power... my power."