Nova's eyes narrowed dangerously as she tore open the letter. Her gaze darted rapidly across the page, consuming every word like fire licking across dry wood.

The ink was rough, the handwriting impatient, jagged as though even putting pen to paper had been an unbearable chore.

"I am feeling disgusted to even write this. But I just want to make things clear for you all. I had to do all these meaningless things only so I wouldn't have you as problems."

"Anyways, I have nothing more to say. I don't want to waste my time on people I do not want. I've left everything behind.. everything that I believe was the only reason you people ever wanted me in the first place."

"All the blood is yours now, so stop. You have no reason left to chase me. Stop this fucking needless pursuit!"

"And just as a reminder if you're still trying to show this fake care, for whatever reason, know this: I hate you both to the very fibers of my being."

"Do not try to meet,stand or even show me face to me. Because next time if we meet… there will be a death. Whether it is you or me, one of us definitely will."

"So just let me have my life."

"Goodbye. And may we never meet again."

The letter ended there short, curt, dripping with loathing. It was written like someone scrawling notes they couldn't care less about, a burden forced onto their hands. There was no effort in it, no respect, not even the barest attempt to write what its message is.

And that was what made it worse.

Nova's entire body trembled. Her hands crushed the paper into a tight fist, veins standing out on her wrist. But it wasn't enough. With her other hand, she grabbed and twisted, rolling the letter into a hard ball as if destroying it would somehow erase the venom it carried.

Her breathing turned ragged, fury spilling out of her like heat waves. For a moment, it looked as though she might actually burst into flames.

"I am going to fuck the hell outa him," Nova snarled, her voice so low it was almost a growl. Her eyes flared with a dangerous light. "How dare he think.. How dare he think we were only chasing him for his bloodline?!"

Her chest heaved, every word shaking with venom. "How dare he even imagine that of me! Of his sister!"

The ball of paper almost flew from her hand, hurled away with all the rage she could summon but she stopped herself at the last second. Her fury was uncontrollable, but she would not throw away his words like meaningless trash. No

With trembling furious fingers, she forced the crushed letter into her space ring. Her lips pulled back over her teeth as she muttered through clenched jaws, "Who does he think he is? Kill me? Kill me?! The gall… the audacity! And he thinks he's strong enough to even kill himself before me, to even dare threaten me with that?!"

Her grin widened into something dangerous, unhinged. "He will regret ever writing those words. Regret ever breathing them into existence."

Her body shook, every muscle coiled. Then, without another word, she bent her knees and launched herself into the air. The wood beneath her feet cracked under the sudden force, a booming shockwave ringing out as she shot skyward like a streak of purple fire.

She didn't even hesitate. Not for a fraction of a second. Not for thought. The letter's words meant nothing to her fury. Her body reacted before her mind did, carrying her straight toward the endless horizon of the sea.

Celestia's head lifted at the rush of sound, her platinum eyes narrowing as she saw Nova's form blur upward, slicing into the sky. The force of her takeoff shook the platform, making merchants and workers fall flat, gasping for breath. Celestia blinked, her calm face steady even as her heart wondering.

But when she turned her head toward the sea's horizon, her eyes blinked even more so slightly.

Nova was gone.

There was no trace of her in the sky, no figure streaking forward, no shadow cutting across the horizon.

Celestia's lips parted slightly. What…? Was nova so strong that she wasn't even able to see her blurr?

"Let's go," Merisa's calm voice cut through the silence.

Marcella, still on her knees, lifted her head slowly. "Yes, my lady," she said, her voice hoarse, forcing her body upright. Blood still streaked her face, but she wiped it away with her sleeve, her expression cold and composed despite the pain.

Celestia turned back to Merisa.. and froze.

Over the Duchess's shoulder, limp as a broken doll, was Nova.

Her body hung slack, her long hair falling forward like a curtain. Her tongue lolled out, her face pale. She was unconscious, utterly defeated, draped across Merisa's shoulder like a sack of grain.

Celestia lips parted slightly. Her platinum eyes flickered with disbelief.

When?

When had it happened?

She had seen Nova launch herself. She had turned her head for less than a second, searching the skies. And in that heartbeat, Nova had vanished from the air and reappeared like this.. unconscious, caught, contained in Merisa's grasp.

Celestia's closed her lips together. A small, dangerous shiver ran down her spine. She had not even seen it. Not a movement, not a blur, not a shadow. Nothing.

Nova, the wild heiress of the Virelans a storm incarnate looked pathetic now, her limbs dangling, her tongue sticking from her mouth as if mocking her own pride.

For the first time in years, Celestia nearly laughed. A genuine chuckle pushed against her lips, begging to be freed. Nova, who was trying to be intimidating just moments aho, roaring in defiance at her and even dared spit at Empress herself now looked like a dead bird.

But she did not laugh. She bit it back, hard. Because she knew better.

This wasn't entirely weakness. This was just the simply the difference between a storm and a mountain. Nova had not even realized she was attacked before she was defeated. That was Merisa's strength. The Matriarch's terrifying, unfathomable strength.

Celestia's gaze lingered on the unconscious girl before flicking back to Merisa.

"You need to work on her manners," Merisa said finally, her tone calm, her side gaze falling on Marcella. "And her education."

Marcella straightened, her face unreadable. "I would request permission to use my hands where necessary, my lady," she said after a short pause. Her eyes lingered on Nova's limp form, quiet and thoughtful.

Merisa's calm expression remained unchanged.

Then, without warning, both of them.. Merisa and Marcella vanished. The space around them twisted faintly as they disappeared, leaving behind only silence, the sea breeze, and Celestia standing alone on the trembling platform.

The merchants still knelt, foreheads pressed to wood, breaths ragged with terror but still didn't raise there heads after all her Imperial princess was still here.. Though small sigh of relief was there. The ocean waves lapped against the shore, uncaring of the storms of humans.

And Nova Virelan, unconscious, was carried away, her fury silenced.. for now.

----

Back To The Ship

The ship rocked gently over the endless stretch of sea, its wooden boards creaking as the waves lapped against its hull. The salty wind brushed across the deck, carrying with it the faint cry of distant gulls.

Yograj leaned against the railing, arms folded as his sharp, weathered eyes turned toward the boy lying lazily near the far side of the ship. Razeal was stretched out on his back, head tilted slightly against the wood, eyes closed as though he were dead to the world.

The old man's brow twitched. "Does he always sleep this long? It's been nearly an entire day. He hasn't moved even an inch," Yograj muttered, his voice a mix of irritation and curiosity.

Levy, sitting casually against the railing on the opposite side of the ship.. Just besides yograj. His posture looked relaxed, but his gaze kept flicking toward Razeal every so often.

"I don't know… but yes. He's always been like this. Since the day I met him, honestly. He sleeps more than he does anything else," He said, his tone thoughtful but a little exasperated. "It's like he only wakes up when he's hungry… or when something requires his attention. Other than that? Sleeping as farr as ive seen."

Yograj's eyes narrowed as he rubbed his chin. "Strage… also Is he strong then? As I can't sense any mana or aura from him," Yograj said, remembering the strange black swirling magic the kid had used something he had never seen before and couldn't understand.

Maria straightened slightly, her eyes firm. "Very.. Very Strong."

"Ohhh?" Yograj raised his bushy brows, tilting his head with mock amusement. "That so?"

Maria didn't flinch. "He slapped Areon Dragonwevr. In the face. In front of the entire Empire. And he's still alive. You can guess enough from that alone."

The old man froze. His body stiffened, his brows furrowed as though she had just spoken in an alien tongue. "…Who?"

Maria blinked, her lips parting slightly before she sighed. Of course. This relic of a man probably didn't even keep up with the newer generations.

"The heir of the Dragonwevr family. The eldest son," she clarified, her voice slower this time, like she was speaking to a child.

For a moment, nothing. Then Yograj's expression shifted into one of utter confusion. His brows furrowed, his jaw slackened slightly, and then his eyes bulged with a sudden jolt of realization.

"…The heir?" His voice cracked as he repeated it, louder. "The son?"

And then it hit him. His face twisted, lips pulling back into a mix of shock and disgust. He clutched his chest dramatically, almost woulve stumbled if he wasn't sitting. "That crazy woman had a son?!" His voice climbed in pitch until it was nearly a shout. "Wait. Wait.. don't tell me… don't tell me some fool actually dared to fuck that woman?!"

Levy, Maria, and Aurora (Yograj's daughter) all turned their heads toward him at once, their faces a strange mix of disgust, embarrassment, and speechless disbelief.

Yograj quickly coughed into his hand, realizing their stares. "Ahem. I mean.. well I always thought she'd marry a rock before she found a man. Honestly, I believed it was impossible also. But this… I guess some poor soul.." He pressed his palm harder against his forehead, muttering as if this revelation was the heaviest burden of his life... Also wanting to even ask who was that person with these big balls.. and is he alive?

He slapped his forehead as if the revelation had physically struck him.

Maria's lips twitched. Now I understand why people call him a crazy old man…

Still, Yograj wasn't finished. His wild eyes darted back to her. "And he's alive after slapping the son of that woman?!" His voice boomed with incredulity. He leaned forward, jabbing his finger toward Maria again. "Don't tell me you mean Arabella Dragonwevr.. that bullshit women? That woman didn't burn herself alive yet? With her damn temper issues? She's still alive?!"

Maria pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath. "Yes, she is. Obviously. She's the current head of the Dragonwevrs. And no, she didn't 'burn herself up,' you lunatic." Her tone grew sharper with every word. He really did seem like some of his screws were loose. Her Lady Duchess is the strongest fire user.. how could she possibly burn herself? That's just bullshit.

"Damn!" Yograj slapped the railing again with the force of a hammer.. his eyes bulging like a man who had just witnessed the impossible. "Then how the hell is this boy still alive?! Did he really survive her wrath? Or Is he that strong? Or… or did he pull some tricks?!"

His voice dropped to a mutter as he stroked his beard. "The brat does have a strange tongue. I've seen it. Maybe that's it. Maybe he talked his way out…"

Maria gave him a flat look. "No. He slapped him. In front of everyone. And then…" She hesitated a moment, searching for the right words, because no matter how she phrased this, it would sound insane. "he challenged him to a duel of honor."

The deck fell silent for a beat. Only the creaking of the ship and the crash of waves filled the air.

Yograj blinked. His jaw slowly dropped. Then

"WHAT?!" His voice exploded across the deck like thunder. His entire body jerked forward, his face turning red with shock. He stared at Maria as if she had just confessed to murdering the Empress. "A duel of honor?!"

"Umm yeah that's what I said," Maria muttered.

Yograj's face contorted with disbelief. "You can't just..! That's not something you throw around like a game! That's sacred! That's..! That's…Don't say it this casually girlllll" His words tumbled over themselves as his hands flailed in the air. "And he's still alive?! No.. wait what was the wager? What were the stakes?"

Maria exhaled heavily. "He invoked… a holy promise."

Yograj's world shattered. His entire body reeled backward as if he'd been physically struck. His eyes went wide, his mouth hung open, his hands trembled. "HOOOOLYYYYYYYY P-ROMISEEEEEEEE?WHATTTTTTTTT!"

His voice cracked so loudly that even the gulls scattered in fright, taking off from the waves. The workers below deck must have heard him too.

Levy buried his face in his palm, and Maria could only glare, her patience thinning rapidly.

"How the hell is he alive?!" Yograj bellowed again. "Invoking that… that's practically begging to be struck down! Why hasn't the Church killed him? How is his soul not ripped apart already?!"

Maria, despite her own discomfort, managed to keep her voice calm. "Because the Saintess herself declared it was acceptable."

Yograj's mouth snapped shut. He froze. His entire body stiffened like stone. Then slowly… he whispered, "The Saintess… what now?"

"She approved it," Maria repeated. "So nothing happened."

For a moment, silence consumed the ship. Yograj stood there with his mouth slightly open, his beard fluttering in the sea wind, his mind visibly breaking apart.

And then

"WHO THE FUCK IS YELLING THEIR DAMN THROAT OUT IN MY EARSSSSSSS?!"

The sudden voice snapped through the air like a whip.

All eyes turned at once.

Razeal's closed lids twitched, then lifted, revealing his eyes as they glared with irritation. He pushed himself up ...

----

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