A week had passed, and Libinea was growing restless with the monotonous diet of Void Koi. Although her magical abilities had partially returned, allowing her to fly briefly, no Queen could withstand a diet solely of fish without going mad. Determined to find some variety, she led Raiking into the twisted forests of the Void Realm.
"Tell me, young mortal, where do you come from?" she inquired, perched on his shoulder, her eyes scanning the canopy for anything edible.
"I am from..." Raiking hesitated, glancing beyond the purple clouds and stars to a place known only to him. "...far, far away from here."
She noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, or maybe it was just her imagination. His behavior was peculiar; he often stared into the distance, philosophizing like a hermit from the Fairy Realm. He was unlike any mortal she had ever encountered.
Part of her suspected he might be a hidden master, yet he showed no signs of mana. She had discreetly checked his pulse multiple times, only to find he seemed more dead than alive.
This was her main motivation for seeking a new diet; she couldn't let her rescuer suffer from malnutrition under her care.
Eventually, she spotted an unusual orange and purple fruit that inexplicably smelled of burnt tofu. She leapt from his shoulder, nipped the stem, and returned with the prize, taking a cautious bite.
"Here," she said, offering him the fruit. "Do you miss your home?"
"Not really."
"How can one not miss their homeland?"
"Sometimes a long journey—"
"Yes, yes. A long journey, reflection, choices made hastily," she interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You've mentioned that a few times now, so I get the gist."
Raiking responded with a faint smile.
"And what about your homeland?"
"Mine? Right now, my people would be getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year."
Raiking observed a smile spreading across her beak. "Is the Lunar New Year special for you?"
"Mhm. It's the one time of year when the people can meet their Queen."
"..I see."
Detecting the sadness in his tone, she puffed out her chest. "The solitude isn't as bad as one might think, especially when the time away is spent training to ensure I can protect my people."
"Oh, so you are a Queen?"
Oops.
"Wait, why aren't you impressed?" She scrutinized his face closely. "Has the senility truly taken hold?" she muttered.
"Senility?"
"N-nothing. Oh, look, another fruit! I must fly away now."
"There's nothing there."
"Your mortal eyes just can't see it," she insisted, flapping frantically toward her supposed discovery.
---
[One Week Later]
Libinea spent most of her time sleeping, using the Void as an early hibernation period, especially since Raiking wasn't much for conversation. His responses rarely went beyond a stoic "I see" or a simple "Mhm," and she'd rather sleep than endure hearing his favorite proverb about long journeys once more.
"The Royal Guards, despite their silence, seemed to possess more vitality," she murmured as she awoke from her sleep, noticing that he was nowhere to be found.
As if in response to her search, Raiking emerged from the dense underbrush, holding a peculiar object that resembled a shard of black ice, continually emitting steam.
"What is that?" she asked.
"A Void Mirror."
"What does it do?"
"Take a look for yourself."
She looked into the dark reflection and saw children running through a village decorated with ribbons and lanterns holding floating embers.
Meanwhile, the elders, dressed in worn feathered robes, were adding the finishing touches to the decorations.
"Is... is that my Phoenix tribe?"
Her gaze remained fixed on the image, even as she spoke to him.
"Look, they're offering the harvest to my statue," she remarked, pride shining in her eyes and a contented smile softening her beak, indicating she was happier than he'd ever seen her.
She devoted the entire evening to detailing each aspect of the festival, determined not to overlook a single element. She elaborated on the significance of the head feathers as cherished family gifts, and vividly recounted the Sky Dance, during which participants returned to their true forms to adorn the heavens. Finally, she described the prayer that concluded the night, with everyone kneeling before the Queen's shrine to wish her eternal life.
However, her happiness was fleeting as a profound anger began to simmer within her.
Flames flickered from her feathers, reducing the ground to ash, but Raiking's hand moved with a speed beyond her comprehension, gently tapping her forehead.
"I'm.. suddenly.. feeling so drowsy," she murmured, swaying before collapsing onto his shoulder.
"Even after erasing her memory of the Divine Realm incident, the hatred remains deep-seated," Raiking whispered.
"At least it clarifies why she confronted them despite the imbalance in power." He gazed at the sleeping bird with a heavy heart. "What decision does the Goddess believe she will make when faced with that crossroad once more?"
---
[Two Weeks Later]
The moment had finally come, as Libinea had fully recovered. Yet, she was puzzled when Raiking brought her back to a familiar location where his fishing rod still lay undisturbed, despite their weeks of travel.
"Why have we returned here?"
"This is the exit from the Void Realm."
"What?"
"Why did we wander for so long then?"
"The journey..."
"If you finish that sentence, my beak will find its way into your brain."
"Reveal yourself," Raiking said, putting an end to the banter and peering into the empty treeline.
"Oh no," Libinea muttered, shaking her head. "He's truly lost his mind now."
"Fascinating, a mortal who can actually sense our presence?"
A voice resonated from the darkness as seven crystalline coffins erupted from the earth, obstructing the way to the river, which was as dark as ink.
The coffins shattered, unveiling seven figures clad in cloaks.
"Who are you?" Libinea inquired.
Two of the adversaries wasted no time with words, charging halfway forward as crystalline blades appeared in their hands. They executed a coordinated attack: one leapt into the air while the other remained on the ground, cutting off all escape routes.
"You dare to disregard a Queen?"
She launched herself from Raiking's shoulder, her speed far surpassing what it was in the Divine Realm. In mere moments, she stood before Raiking in her true humanoid form.
A wave of flames intercepted the attackers, incinerating the airborne assassin into ash before he could utter a sound. The grounded assailant raised his blade to shield himself from the scorching heat, skidding to a halt beside the five others who hadn't moved.
"Speak now while you still have the chance," Libinea demanded, shrouded in smoke. "Who are you?"
"She is more formidable than the reports indicated," the second-in-command whispered to the leader.
Nevertheless, the leader remained silent, his attention drawn not to the primary target but to the man standing composedly behind her.
"He is more complex than he seems..."
"Astute," Raiking observed, his voice slicing through the tension. "It's unfortunate you realized this too late."
He stepped forward, unleashing a pressure so overwhelming that their knees shattered against the earth before they could even gasp for air.
"What is this pressure?" the leader gasped.
"The sensation is identical to what we felt at that time," the lieutenant acknowledged, his eyes widening in terror.
"So, it was you!" exclaimed the other assassin, who had been seated on the cliff back then.
"What is happening?" Libinea asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
Before she could inquire further, she felt his hand rest heavily on her shoulder. A torrent of memories surged into her mind, driving her to her knees as she clutched her head in agony. The barrier Raiking had erected crumbled, inundating her consciousness with the truth:
The massacre of the guards,
The dismissal of the Divine Emperor,
The Goddess of Creation preaching patience while tearing the wings from her back.
She recalled the torment, the fall, and ultimately, the face of the man she implored for help.
"I warned you, mortals," Raiking declared, advancing another step. "Now face the consequences of your defiance."
The assassins began to scream, for with every step he took, the ground rippled like a stone cast into a placid lake.
With each ripple, their voices grew raspier and older.
The crystalline surface of the Void Realm, renowned for its impenetrable nature, succumbed like mortal flesh, degrading and rusting. When Raiking took the final step, they disintegrated into dust, scattered by the wind as if they had never existed.