A chill hung in the air. Lady Varessi, gripped by the agonizing throes of labor, was oblivious to the tension mounting in the room. Mascious’s heart ached to comfort her, to offer some solace, but the presence of the new arrivals made it impossible.

  The second guard, strikingly similar to the first, entered with a cold, piercing glare. His eyes swept across the room, pausing on each person in turn. He took in the engineer’s focused detachment, the Feydaks working in vain to ease Varessi’s pain, the humble surroundings—unbefitting for a noble birth—until finally, his gaze settled on Mascious.

  "What is the meaning of this?" His voice was calm, almost polite, but the icy undertone carried a clear warning. There would be dire consequences for any answer that displeased him.

  The first guard, Heltrell, joined his companion, positioning himself to observe the scene more closely. His eyes met Varessi’s, and despite the pain etched into her face, her defiance remained steady, unbroken.

  "So," Heltrell said, his voice laced with disdain, "Lord Koleson has sired a child." He spoke as though Varessi’s struggle was nothing more than an inconvenience. "Was this a conspiracy? Were you trying to steal the child, smuggle it away?"

  The accusation hung in the air, heavy with implication. Silence met his charge, save for the rhythmic beeping of the machine handling Varessi’s vitals. The Feydaks, now largely sidelined by the automation, exchanged uneasy glances. The gravity of the accusation was undeniable.

  The Fullbright engineer remained aloof, his fingers tapping methodically at his screen. His noble lineage granted him a degree of immunity from these matters, but he was wise enough to avoid drawing the guards’ ire.

  "Answer me!" the second guard suddenly roared, his patience worn thin. Varessi, her voice hoarse and strained, finally spoke through her pain, "I requested it. I wanted to leave. I couldn’t stay on that island any longer. I tried, but... I want to go home."

  The guard’s cold eyes hardened further. "You forfeited that choice when you accepted the offer to be a Lady of our Lord," he replied, his tone icy and final. "Now, with child, you are both bound to the House of Whytid."

  The atmosphere in the room shifted. The guards stood resolute, but a new wave of emotion filled the space—pity for Varessi, anger at the cold indifference of the soldiers. Mascious, his fists clenched, glared at the pair. "Have you no honor?"

  "A meaningless question," the first guard spat back, his eyes narrowing. "Coming from a man who absconded with his Lord's woman. You’re an oathbreaker, as is she. Never speak to me of honor again."

  With that, he pointed his needle at Mascious, the threat hanging in the air like the chill that gripped the room.

  "Be grateful we found you first," the second guard interjected, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Search parties are already scouring the other noble houses in the region. If your Lady hadn’t caused such a scene, you might have had better luck. This is your own doing."

  The news of more pursuers sent a shockwave through the room. Mascious’s heart sank. Their actions—taking Lady Varessi and her unborn child—were treasonous, crimes punishable by imprisonment, or worse, death if the child were harmed.

  "More people are searching for us?" Mascious blurted out, disbelief edging his voice.

  "What did you expect?" the first guard shot back. "You stole the Sovereign's wife and unborn child and thought you could slip away unnoticed?"

  The Fullbright engineer, who had remained mostly silent, finally spoke up. "How much trouble are we in?"

  "Not much for now," the first guard answered with a surprising calm, earning a displeased glance from his companion. "We were sent by the guild heads. The other search parties are on a false trail. We’ll take the mother and child back before anyone else realizes what’s going on."

  Mascious’s mind raced. He wanted to plead, to argue, but he knew it would be futile. Running was no longer an option—it would only make things worse. Of all the factions that could have found them, they were fortunate it was the Water Guild. News of Varessi’s disappearance had been kept under wraps, for now.

  "Word hasn’t spread yet," the guard confirmed, reading the apprehension on Mascious’s face. "Leviathan’s Rest is preoccupied with other matters. It wouldn’t be wise for news of Lord Koleson’s child to get out, especially in a time like this. If we take her now, we can arrange to move her to the Island of Sulik, under the guild’s care. It’s a far better option than any of the main branches."

  Mascious knew the offer was a good one. The Water Guild was the least competitive of the factions in the Southern region’s political landscape, dealing mostly with managing the water rights of the eastern-southern territories. The guild had once been led by one of Lord Koleson’s sons, but after he stepped down, it had come under the control of the Lord’s twin children. In that moment, Mascious understood where these Garrison men fit into the Whydit family tree.

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  Yet, despite the apparent kindness of the offer, Mascious couldn’t bear the thought of sending Varessi back. Not to Kerrasuk, not to the islands. The Water Guild was still tangled in the web of politics, and politics had already nearly broken her. She’d played her part in that dangerous game—and it had almost cost her everything.

  His gaze softened as he looked at Varessi, memories flooding back...

  Mascious, the son of a Serrit fisherman, had grown up on an island at the outskirts of the Purple Ranges, under the dominion of House Myrrar. The culture of his homeland closely resembled that of Kerrasuk, built on a proud tradition of fishing. His father hunted exotic sea creatures for profit, bringing wealth to their island and a comfortable life to their family.

  But change was inevitable. House Myrrar, the ruling Sovereign family of the Lords’ Realm, despised the Southern Isles’ fishing culture, branding it heretical. Exotic fishing was outlawed, and with it, the island’s prosperity began to wither. The once-thriving community found itself in decline, and Mascious—trained as a fisherman—was forced to adapt. He traded his tools for a spear, his loose island garments for the Empire’s attire, and became a retainer to young Lady Varessi of House Severidt, the custodians of his island.

  When Mascious left home that fateful morning, he knew he would never see his parents again. His old life was fading into the past, and he told himself it was for the best. At his age, he didn’t care much. While others on the island lamented the cultural changes, he embraced them. He liked the new Korindts that honored the Emperor and the Six Gods, the grand statues that depicted their forms in intricate detail. He understood the force behind these changes: Lord Koleson, the powerful custodian of Kerrasuk.

  Though House Whydit was technically equal to House Severidt, its influence far surpassed that of House Myrrar, to which the Severidts were beholden. Lord Koleson’s family held great sway, even possessing a revered needle, a symbol of authority and ancient tradition. Unlike other regions, Koleson’s domain did not strictly adhere to the Sovereign Decree, and his autonomy in the South made many nobles uneasy. It was this isolation, this separation from the rules of the Lords’ Realm, that gave him such power.

  When Mascious first entered the Severidt manor, he saw the remnants of a dying house. Its wealth had evaporated, propped up only by the now-outlawed taxes on the island’s fishermen. The Severidts were custodians in name only, their nobility an illusion, artificially sustained by House Myrrar’s approval. It was clear to him that their glory days had long passed.

  His task was simple, yet grim: prepare Varessi to be a "valuable asset." He knew what that meant. She would need to be groomed to catch the eye of some high-born noble, her future a commodity to be traded for power or status. Mascious convinced himself that her plight didn’t matter. He would do his job, make a name for himself, and eventually secure a better position elsewhere. At least, that was what he thought at first.

  Years passed. Mascious honed his skills, studying weaving and learning to craft reflections, though the Severidts’ resources were meager compared to those of the great houses. The Feydak and the engineer at his disposal were far from the masters found in the wealthier courts, but they taught him the essentials: biology, history, soul essence, and controlling the natural elements. Lacking a Master-at-Arms, Mascious relied on the old tomes stored in the Severidt library to train himself as a capable fighter.

  Through discipline and determination, he became worthy of the responsibility placed on him. He had prepared himself to raise the young lady in accordance with the role she would one day play. And in a few years, he would finally meet her.

  The first time Mascious saw Lady Varessi Severidt, she had just returned from the Sylphora affiliate cradles in the West. She was barely thirteen, a ghost in the manor for weeks. Though Mascious knew she was there—he always sensed another presence lurking—he could never catch sight of her. Every time he turned to look, she was already gone, moving as though she didn’t want to be found. It wasn’t that she was avoiding him specifically; it was simply the way she moved, like a shadow slipping out of reach.

  Unable to stand the unease any longer, Mascious made a decision. He was going to find this elusive girl he had been assigned to serve. He would bend her to his will, no matter how stubborn or withdrawn she was. His task was clear: make her into a proper lady, marry her into a great house, and through that, elevate himself to power. As her custodian, he would become custodian to that great house as well.

  He had to move up. The world had already shown him how cruel it could be. His father had spent his life fishing, only to have his livelihood, culture, and heritage ripped away by decree. Mascious hadn’t pitied the man, but he hadn’t taken pleasure in watching him break either. Instead, he had learned an important truth from a young age: the strong, the ones at the top, decided the fates of others. And if Mascious wanted control over his own story, to avoid his father’s fate, he had to make Lady Varessi into a prize—a valuable asset he could leverage.

  And so, he set out to find her.

  When he finally did, their eyes met for the first time. Varessi stood there, slender and frail, like a delicate twig peeking through the snow, bathed in the pale light of the winter sun. Her ebony skin glowed, but her presence reminded him of a caged bird. She was fragile, isolated, her spirit heavy.

  In that moment, Mascious’s carefully constructed ambitions faltered.

  "Good day, Lady Varessi," he said, his voice steady but his thoughts scattered. "My name is Mascious, and it's a pleasure to meet you. I am to be your retainer, guardian, and strategist."

  "Good day, sir," she replied softly, her voice as gentle as a breeze. "It’s a pleasure to be at your service." She curtseyed, a sad smile gracing her lips—a smile that held a shadow behind it.

  Mascious had always been good at lying to himself about his feelings. But that day, his ambitions began to change. He didn’t like the smile she wore. He had only just met her, yet he knew something was deeply wrong with that expression—it didn’t belong. And from that day on, Mascious made a vow to himself: he would make her smile a genuine smile, a real one, no matter what it took.

  That became his goal. He dedicated himself to it with all the determination he had.

  But now, as he stood in this room, facing the guards, watching Varessi struggle through labor, the reality of their situation crashed down on him. His Lady’s happiness—his greatest desire—seemed further away than ever. In fact, he wondered if she would ever be truly happy again.

  Glossary-

  Sovereign Decree: The Sovereign Decree, issued by Emperor Hayazaki, is a powerful yet highly debated mandate due to its vagueness. It demands that all must submit to the Emperor’s law to bring about the Age of Renewal. However, most interpret it as applying primarily to those who have sworn oaths to their lords' consensus. Betraying this consensus is believed to result in immediate and severe punishment, no matter where one is.

  Enclosure Zones: The Enclosure Zones mark the boundary limits on Aquilora. Since the planet is not fully cleansed of corruption and contamination, most regions in the lower realms exist within these protected zones, free from twisted life. However, the protection is not absolute.

  Purple Ranges: The Purple Ranges refer to the region that separates the South from the rest of civilization. The name comes from the rulers who once governed the area, known as the Purple Kings. They fashioned their dynasty after what they believed to be the culture of the ancient empires that once thrived there. Unsurprisingly, little remains of them today, including the ruins of those old empires.