"Darken!! If you want her child, why are you torturing her?!" Lily shouted, her voice echoing across the cavernous room. "Don't you realize that if she keeps going like this, both she and the child will die?!"
From his dark throne, Darken merely let out a cruel, booming laugh. "Then let her die."
Lily stared at him in utter bewilderment. "What?"
"If she dies, so be it. I'll simply take the main power for myself." Darken stated casually, waving a dismissive hand.
"At this rate, you're never going to get the main power either!" Lily screamed back.
"I will get it," Darken sneered. "And it is none of your concern. Get out of my sight."
"What are you planning to do to her?!" Lily demanded, taking a step forward.
"Lucas! Get this insect out of my presence." Darken commanded coldly.
Before Lily could react, Lucas grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of the throne room. Confusion and dread gnawed at Lily as she was violently shoved back toward the slave quarters.
What is Darken up to? Lily muttered to herself, rubbing her bruised wrists.
She wanted nothing more than to examine Liora and check on the baby's vitals, but without her medical equipment or freedom, she felt completely helpless.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"The child is perfectly fine." an elderly woman whispered, resting her withered hands gently over Liora's swollen stomach.
Tears of pure relief welled in Liora's eyes. Lily, standing nearby, stared at the woman as if she had lost her mind.
"What? How can you possibly know that just by looking at her?" Lily asked skeptically.
The old woman let out a soft, gentle laugh. "Trust me, dear. This child is remarkably strong. Baby is healthy." With a reassuring nod, she turned and shuffled back to her designated work area.
Lily turned her gaze back to Liora, witnessing a faint, genuine smile grace her pale face for the first time in weeks. "Do you really believe her?" Lily asked softly.
Liora nodded without hesitation. "He's inside me, Lily. I feel him every single day, he's becoming more active by the moment. Besides... I have to believe her. I don't have any other choice." she added, her voice dropping as she looked down sadly.
Lily hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "May I... touch your belly?"
Liora smiled warmly and nodded.
Lily carefully placed her palm against the curve of Liora's stomach. Instantly, she felt a firm, lively nudge against her hand as the baby shifted beneath her palm.
"Wow!!" Lily gasped, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. "You weren't lying!"
Lily leaned down slightly, cooing toward her stomach. "Hey there, little prince. It's your Aunt Lily. You're being such a brave, strong boy in there, aren't you? Make sure you don't give your mommy too much trouble at night, okay?"
Liora let out a soft, airy laugh. "Other babies might keep their mommies up all night, but my little prince sleeps peacefully through the dark. He only acts like a little troublemaker during the day."
Lily's smile faded slightly as she took in Liora's appearance. The young woman's once-plump, rosy cheeks were now hollow and sunken, her skin stretched thin over her fragile frame. Months of exhaustion and severe malnutrition had reduced Liora to a shadow of her former self, making her large, seven-month belly look impossibly heavy against her frail body.
Liora was rapidly approaching her eighth month.
Lately, Liora spent every waking moment thinking about Ronan. She knew with absolute certainty that her husband had no idea where she was trapped, and a thousand times over, she wished she could send a signal through the void.
The grueling day wore on like any other. Liora could barely walk, let alone perform manual labor. Her weak, exhausted legs trembled violently under the weight of her bump, making every step an agonizing ordeal. Most of the time, Lily stayed glued to her side, supporting her weight. Yet Darken's cruel overseers showed no mercy, taking sheer delight in tormenting her.
Clutching her aching lower back and trying to give her swollen feet a moment's rest, Liora forced herself to pick up her tools.
"Work faster, you useless scum, or you'll feel the whip!" a guard roared nearby.
"Liora, stop working." Lily whispered, stepping in front of her to block the overseers' view. "It's dangerous for the baby. Duck behind me and sit on the ground for a while. If they come over, I'll deal with them."
Liora offered a weak, grateful nod. She carefully lowered herself onto the rough, jagged earth, hiding behind Lily's figure.
Looking out across the dusty quarry, her eyes landed on a tiny boy, no older than four years old, staggering under the weight of a stone far too heavy for his little hands. A sharp pang of heartbreak pierced Liora's chest as she watched the child weep silently in fear.
"Monsters..." Liora muttered under her breath, glaring at Darken's guards as they circled the area like vultures, whips coiled in their hands.
"Lily..." Liora whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. "Is there really no way to let Ronan know where we are? If he knew... he would come save us in a heartbeat."
Lily kept her eyes fixed on her work, pretending not to hear. She couldn't bring herself to give Liora false hope that might shatter her completely.
Suddenly, a loud, terrified shriek shattered the noise of the quarry.
Everyone froze. The tiny four-year-old boy had dropped his heavy stone, sending it crashing onto the rock pile where it shattered into pieces. The child cowered on the ground, sobbing in absolute terror.
"What do you think you're doing, you little brat?!" a ruthless overseer growled, stepping toward the child with his leather whip raised high.
"L-Lily... help me up." Liora said frantically, reaching her trembling hand toward Lily.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Back in the Brown mansion on Earth, Maya walked quietly toward Ronan's master bedchamber. She gently pushed the door open and peeked inside.
The room was a complete disaster. Trays of untouched, rotting food were stacked on every surface, and tiny baby clothes remained scattered across the mattress. On the bed lay Ronan, his body reduced to a weak, hollow skeleton of his former self, sleeping fitfully with his face buried in Liora's pillow.
He had cried until his tear ducts were completely dry. For months, he had suffered in absolute torment, while the guardians could only watch in heartbreaking helplessness.
Maya walked over, sitting softly on the edge of the bed, and ran her fingers through Ronan's matted hair.
"L-Lio...?" Ronan mumbled incoherently in his sleep.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Back in the quarry, a heavy silence hung in the air as the overseer raised his arm, preparing to strike the weeping toddler.
"Liora, what are you doing?!" Lily shrieked.
Before anyone could react, Liora threw herself over the small boy, shielding the child with her own body just as the heavy leather whip came crashing down.
CRACK!
"Aaagh!!" Liora screamed in agony as the sharp leather tore through her clothes and slashed across her bare back.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"LIORA!!!"
Ronan bolted upright in bed with a bloodcurdling scream, accidentally throwing Maya backward onto the floor.
"Ron?!" Maya gasped, scrambling up.
"AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!!" Ronan shrieked, falling to his knees beside the bed. He clawed violently at his own hair, his vocal cords straining to their absolute limits.
"Don't touch her!! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY ANGEL!! AAAAAAAHHH!!"
The veins in Ronan's neck bulged dangerously as his raw screams echoed through the mansion. Maya watched in absolute horror, but what terrified her even more was what happened next.
Ronan's eyes suddenly flared with an intense, blinding purple light. Simultaneously, the diamond crest mark on his forehead glowed a brilliant purple instead of its natural red. A massive wave of violet energy exploded from Ronan's body, slamming into Maya so violently that her own eyes flashed blue as she fought to stay conscious.
In the quarry, Liora remained huddled over the sobbing child. Seeing the pregnant girl dare to interfere made the overseer's blood boil.
"You dare protect a criminal?!" the guard roared, swinging his arm back and unleashing another brutal strike across Liora's bleeding back.
Liora gasped for air, tears pouring down her face as she squeezed the child tightly against her chest, refusing to move.
"Stop it!!" Lily screamed, throwing herself forward to push the guard away. But two other overseers grabbed Lily, pinning her to the ground and striking her with their own whips.
"HOW DARE THEY HURT MY ANGEL!!!!! NO!! NO!! AAAAAAAAHHH!! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!!"
Ronan's agonized roars shook the entire foundation of the Brown mansion.
"Ron?! MAYA!!"
Ethan, Michael, and Sophia burst into the room, stopping dead in their tracks at the terrifying sight.
"Oh my God!" Ethan yelled.
Rushing forward, the three guardians caught Maya just as she was about to collapse. Instantly, they pooled their elemental powers together, forming a concentrated protective barrier around the four of them to shield themselves from the suffocating, infinite aura crushing the room.
"No!! No!! LIORA!!" Ronan shrieked, his mind overwhelmed by vivid, agonizing visions of blood spilling down his wife's back.
"AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHH!!"
The pressure inside the room spiked to an impossible level. Glass windowpanes shattered into thousands of airborne shards. Deep cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and ceiling as the ground beneath them trembled violently.
Back in the quarry, the overseer raised his whip to strike Liora a third time, but his arm froze in mid-air.
A aura of brilliant purple light was erupting from Liora's body. The diamond mark on her forehead burned with the exact same violet radiance, matching her glowing eyes.
Liora held her stomach tightly, breathing heavily through the pain as she kept her eyes squeezed shut.
The overseer stumbled back, dropping his whip in sheer terror as he watched the deep, bloody gashes on Liora's back magically knit themselves together, healing without leaving a single scar.
The surrounding slaves gasped in shock. Overwhelmed by the crushing pressure of the purple aura, Darken's guards threw down their weapons and fled in utter panic.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miles away in his dark fortress, Darken suddenly clutched his chest, dropping to his knees with a choked gasp.
"A-Ah! My Lord?!" Lucas cried out, rushing to his side.
An unbearable, agonizing burning sensation flared inside Darken's chest, making him tremble violently.
"T-The main power...?" Darken gasped out through gritted teeth. "W-Why is it activating now?!"
"AAAAAGH!!" Darken screamed aloud as the invisible energy tore through his internal force.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside the Brown mansion, Sophia buried her face against Michael's chest, trembling as the room vibrated violently. The protective shield was cracking under the sheer pressure of Ronan's purple aura.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the shield shattered, and the purple light vanished into thin air.
Simultaneously, in the distant quarry, the violet aura surrounding Liora faded away, and the burning pain inside Darken's chest instantly subsided.
An eerie, heavy silence descended over the Brown mansion, like the quiet after a catastrophic hurricane. The four guardians remained frozen for several long seconds, barely daring to breathe.
Slowly, they stepped over the debris toward Ronan, who lay unconscious on the floor.
"R-Ron...?" Michael whispered, gently shaking his shoulder.
"What in the world just happened...?" Maya asked, holding her throbbing head.
"It was the main power." Sophia said quietly, her voice trembling.
The other three snapped their heads toward her. "What?"
"That power... it was the main power. I am certain of it." Sophia insisted.
"But we thought the baby was the main power." Ethan countered, brow furrowed.
"I don't think it's that simple." Sophia said, clutching her chest. "There is something fundamental about the main power that we still don't understand. Ronan just manifested its raw form... and it was beyond anything I've ever felt."
Before anyone could say more, Ronan stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
"L-Liora...? My angel...?" he whimpered softly.
"Shh... Ron, calm down, we're right here." Maya murmured gently, trying to soothe him.
"N-No! They're hitting my angel!! Can't they see she's carrying my baby?! AAAAAAH!" Ronan cried out, tears spilling down his pale cheeks.
The three guardians exchanged bewildered glances.
"He saw her..." Michael whispered.
Sophia's eyes widened. She grabbed Ronan by the shoulders, turning him around. "Ron! Look at me! Tell us what you saw! Where is Liora?!"
Ronan wept hysterically. "S-She was hurt so badly... Is my little gem okay?! Sophia, please... I need them back! I need them!"
"Sophia, stop." Ethan interrupted gently, pulling her back. "He's too unstable right now. Let's give him a moment."
Sophia let out a heavy sigh, nodding reluctantly.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Back in the dark fortress, Darken's enraged roar echoed through the throne room.
"BRING HER TO ME!!"
Moments later, Liora was dragged into the hall in heavy chains, thrown forcefully onto the cold stone floor at Darken's feet. Despite her weakness, Liora instinctively braced herself with her hands, keeping her large belly safe from the impact.
Darken lunged forward, his rough fingers forcefully pinching Liora's chin.
"When is that bastard in your womb going to be born?!" Darken snarled.
Liora looked up, a cold, mocking smile playing on her lips despite her bloody lip.
"He is the child of the Red Gem's Emperor... and my son." Liora said, her eyes burning with defiance. "You felt his power just a moment ago, didn't you? You know what he is capable of. So stop dreaming about controlling him. If you try to touch my child, you will suffer for it. He is the ultimate main power."
Enraged, Darken delivered a harsh slap across Liora's face, throwing her to the floor.
"Get this trash out of my sight!!" Darken screamed at his guards. "Lock her in the deepest cell and don't let her out until that brat comes out of her stomach!!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." the guard grunted, hauling Liora up by her chains and dragging her away into the dark.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It was eight o'clock in the evening.
Inside the bedroom, Sophia sat beside Ronan on the mattress, gently stroking his hair. The room was quiet, lit only by the faint glow of the moon. Ronan stared blankly into the empty air, his eyes lifeless.
"Ron..." Sophia spoke softly. "You have a way to find Liora and your prince now."
At those words, a flicker of life returned to Ronan's hollow eyes. He turned his head slowly toward Sophia, who bit her lower lip to keep her composure.
"M-My angel...?" Ronan whispered, his voice hoarse. "Where is she...? Where did she go...?"
"Shh... stay calm, Ron. Look at me." Sophia said softly, cupping Ronan's face in both hands. "You need to listen to me carefully. There is a way to get your family back before it's too late, but I need you to think clearly. What did the surroundings look like when you saw Liora in your vision?"
Ronan's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Y-You're serious...? Oh God... yes! We can figure out her location based on the environment in the vision!"
A genuine spark of excitement flushed through Ronan's pale face. Sophia smiled through her tears, relieved to see her friend returning to sanity.
"That's right, Ron." Sophia encouraged softly. "You are her husband, and the father of that child. You can do this. Let's go bring them home together, okay?"
Ronan closed his eyes, taking a deep, grounding breath. "Yes... Call the others into my office right now. I can't waste another second. I'm coming for you, my love."
Ronan stood up from the bed, his demeanor instantly shifting from broken to fiercely determined as he walked toward his private study. "Tell them to meet me inside."
Sophia nodded happily, hurrying out to gather the guardians.
When the purple power had surged through Ronan earlier, his consciousness had momentarily reawakened, but he had remained paralyzed by shock for hours. It was only when Sophia presented a clear plan that the Emperor inside him fully awakened.
A short while later, the four guardians were gathered in the study. Ronan sat at his desk, his brow furrowed in deep concentration as he stared at a blank sheet of paper, pen in hand.
Suddenly, Ronan sat bolt upright, his eyes snapping open. He began frantically sketching a distinct, geometric symbol onto the paper.
"There were crowds of people... and large blue banners flying everywhere." Ronan explained rapidly, pushing the drawing toward them. "This was the logo printed on the flags."
The guardians leaned over the desk, examining the sketch carefully. For a moment, no one recognized it.
Ethan picked up the paper, turning it sideways to view it from a different angle. Suddenly, his eyes went wide with realization.
"I... I know this symbol." Ethan gasped.
Ronan bolted up from his chair. "Where is it?!"
The others stared at Ethan in breathless anticipation.
"This is the crest of Simaya." Ethan explained, his voice trembling slightly. "It is a parallel world."
Ronan blinked in confusion. "What? There are other parallel worlds?"
"Yes, Ron." Maya answered softly. "There are thousands of parallel realms existing alongside ours throughout the multiverse."
Ronan's face twisted in anger. "Then why didn't you tell me this before?! We could have searched every single one of those thousands! Liora would be back in my arms by now!!"
"We couldn't, Ron..." Ethan said sadly, looking down. "We only possess the power to travel between the Mo Kingdom and Earth. We don't have the dimensional keys required to unlock doors to other realms."
"Then how did Darken get there?!" Ronan demanded.
"Because Darken mastered dark spatial magic." Ethan replied quietly. "He is currently the most dangerous entity in existence."
"No... there has to be a way." Ronan growled, refusing to accept defeat. His mind raced frantically. "How did you guardians find the portal to Earth in the first place?"
"We didn't find it... it was created." Ethan explained. "The ancient Emperor used his ultimate gem energy to tear open a permanent gateway to Earth-"
Ethan cut himself off mid-sentence, his eyes snapping wide open as he stared at Ronan.
A slow, lethal smirk spread across Ronan's face.
"And, I am the Emperor. Let's open the door." Ronan murmured, his voice dripping with absolute authority.