Grenek still refused to abandon his son, Jezelius. He needed to try one last time. Sylia had just admitted, in front of witnesses, that the men who once opposed her eventually took her side after Jezelius reported her to them. She also confessed that she controlled them partially through fear. A few onlookers caught those words and seemed panicked.

Grenek suddenly realized this was an excellent opportunity for him.

Yes, he thought, pleased with himself. This was the right moment. He would plead again.

Grenek still said nothing of Jezelius's past crimes—no mention of the terrible crimes he had committed, including rape. What would be the point? His son had already paid dearly for them. That was no longer the issue.

Sylia's composure cracked as she lost patience. Her lips twisted in anger. Then she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Grenek," she said with disdain. "I wonder if you are truly that stupid. Tell me. Who do you think you are preaching for? Do you believe I forgave your son and let him live?"

Grenek froze. His throat tightened. Sylia kept laughing. Around them, heads turned. The commotion had started drawing attention.

Even Grenek's brother, Dio, had stepped closer and now stood beside Tamren, whose expression was clouded by unease. Sylia's strange and chilling words had struck a chord in all of them.

Opening her arms in theatrical fashion, Sylia stepped forward, smiling cruelly. "My dear boy," she said coldly, "you are living in a Sub-Realm governed by my family and supervised by Lord Chester who happens to be my Source's oldest and most devoted supporter."

Her smile sharpened as she locked eyes with Grenek. "This place is used to punish Gods and Celestials who stray from the right path. This is why I actually appeared in your world! To carry out that task. You, fools, are so obsessed with Masha that you still believe I came here for her. My sweet boy, allow me to clarify one last time. Masha is just bait for her Patron Gods."

Sylia tilted her head, voice soaked in mockery. "And that bait proved more effective than expected, which is why we kept her around longer than we originally intended. She is perfect for gathering every Malevolent and corrupted being willing to support whatever vile scheme she comes up with."

Tamren's voice rose, almost wavering at the end. "Sylia… what are you talking about?"

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Sylia laughed again. "It is quite alright, I guess, if I tell you. I shall speak plainly, for once. Most of you shall not remember, anyway. Because…this is how your world works. We test Fallen Celestials and Gods to see whether any piece of them could be salvaged."

She turned toward the group, her voice steadier. "Let me explain something first. This place constantly shifts around you. You do not notice, because you are not meant to. We keep collapsing other corrupted Realms into this one. We dump all the trash here in order to recycle what we can."

Her hand swept the air with slow contempt. "What cannot be recycled is sent to the lower Strates. The lower the Strate, the worse the world becomes. A Strate can be defined as a corruption stratum, if you wish to know the full truth. Why do you think there is so little Magic and Mana left in this Sub-Realm, when the Creators possess an endless supply of those? It is not about the scarcity, it is about the resources' renewal. Why would the Lords waste Magic and Mana on a world that not only corrupts everything but is doomed to disappear? They only grant what is needed to keep this Sub-Realm stable…long enough to sort the salvageable from the irredeemable."

Grenek stared at her. His face twisted in disbelief. "What the fuck? Have you gone mad?"

Sylia's eyes lit up with wicked amusement. "I knew you would say that."

She took a slow step forward. "Tell me, my dear boy. Two years ago, you tried to sell our daughter to that corrupt Church, following the advice of your family and Masha. Do you think I ever forgave you for that? Don't you think your punishment was too lenient given what you did?"

Dio's eyes widened. He looked at his brother Grenek as if seeing him for the first time. It had always seemed strange—Sylia's restraint, her mercy. It had made no sense at the time for her to show clemency to his father Grenar and most of all to Grenek. Even if it was for her daughter's sake. Sylia was never known for her leniency. She was from the Nights' Church, after all.

Sylia kept her gaze fixed on Grenek. "Well, it does not matter anymore. I have a mission to carry out."

Her tone grew distant, almost formal. "You might not have noticed, but you have actually met several versions of 'Sylia'. All came from the same Source, but showed slight differences. It is fine if you cannot tell us apart. We planned it that way."

Her voice sharpened again. "Now listen carefully. The man you are so desperate to protect is not your son. Not anymore. When I found him and his brother, their Souls were nearly consumed by the Celestial they had made a Pact with in order to come after me. After my family. Imagine the arrogance. Such foolish, foolish boys. They did live and die to regret it."

She paused, then spoke more clearly. "I used your son's reformed body as a prison for that Fallen Celestial."

Grenek reeled, his head snapping toward Jezelius. His son's face had gone pale, his eyes wide with unspoken horror.

Sylia did not stop and started laughing. "Look at him. He does not even remember who he was. I fused him with a sliver of your son's Soul then gave him all Jezelius' memories. All so he would be condemned to experience the miserable life of the boy he once made a Pact with. That is the way of the Nights Flock. And he is not the first I have done this to."

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