Just as the group reached the bottom of the stairs, Nyx stopped walking, causing all the guards to tense. After everything they had been through with her, they half expecting Nyx to try and make a break for it, even with a triple gem ranked cultivator standing close by.

"Sis? What's up?" questioned Harold as he walked closer to Nyx. He thought that maybe his sister had become upset when she saw the children and remembered what had been done to her body, so didn't want to rush her heartlessly.

Thinking the same thing, Granny decided to let the princess collect her thoughts before moving on. It wasn't like she was heartless to what had happened, but felt that treating the princess as she had always done was the best course of action.

The fact that the princess had spoken to her, apparently something she didn't do apart from a single word, Nyx, had only reaffirmed Grannies thoughts that the princess would open up and talk when the time was right. She was now a cultivator after all. As long as nothing untoward happened, she would have a very long life.

"Nyx?" Nalia's voice drew Granny's attention to another issue that had been bothering her. One that she would further investigate when she got the princess away from prying ears.

She understood the doctor's explanation of why Camilia might develop a separate personality, even if it was a little strange to her, but she was worried about why the princess had chosen that particular name.

While to the everyday person, the name was meaningless, to the Federation's criminal elements, or to those who had lived through the horrors of rebellion by the Mad Summoner, it held a lot of negative emotions.

Granny revealed a frown as her eyes analysed Nyx's back. The more she looked, the greater sense of loneliness and desolation seemed to emanate from the petite frame.

-"Is it because Camilia wants to give the impression that she is an unstoppable, terrifying existence that should not be messed with? That every ounce of pain inflicted upon her will be returned two-fold, just like that monster?" Granny couldn't help but sigh.

She had heard about Nyx's affinity and core, something even a child would know was a terrible idea, and while it had initially confused her, now she thought about it, it started to make sense.

If she believed that Camila had fallen into despair, created the alter ego, Nyx, and latched onto it to survive her ordeal, the princess actions could be easily explained.

It was a tragic story, one that Granny knew wasn't yet over, fulls of up's and downs.

A princess that grew up in wealth and luxury. Kidnapped, tortured, raped and mutilated and losing the ability to carry on her bloodline. Then when all hope seemed lost, to discover that she had a heaven-defying ability to cultivate. One that gave her the power to escape, and even kill, her captors.

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However, instead of a happy ending, it seemed that a single choice made in the depths of despair, the princess crippled her cultivation, the one thing that might have made her already shaky future more stable.

The more she thought about it and interacted with the princess, the more Granny believed that this was the case. It explained the sudden, violent change in the princesses behaviour and personality, as well as why she would have focused on cultivating only the dark element to such a terrifying extent.

-"Maybe, with what appears to be in her future, she should keep the name Nyx." A flash of sadness appeared in the old woman's eyes, knowing what was to come but having no power or excuse to stop it. She knew that there was no absolute right or wrong, just varying shades of grey, yet it didn't make the logically right choice any easier to stomach when it trampled the morally right.

After a minute or two of silence, Nyx spoke, shocking everyone. "Are there going to be people out there?"

"What?" Harold was overjoyed that Nyx had spoken and couldn't help but praise himself for convincing his father to allow Granny to oversee her return. Just with her appearance, his sister seemed to be improving right before his eyes.

"Will there be lots of people out there? Waiting to see me?" Nyx's voice was extremely feminine, sounding pleasant to the ear, however, all present could sense the anxiety it held.

"Umm, yes. Father thought it would be good to show the people that you were al-"Harold's words caught in his throat as Nyx turned around and started walking back up the stairs.

"Where do you think you are going?" Granny blocked her path, crossing her arms as she glared at Nyx, daring her to cause a scene.

To those watching, it didn't seem as if she was an old lady, but a mountain — something that could not be overcome or moved, no matter what was thrown at her.

Nyx stared into the Granny's eyes, the atmosphere becoming extremely tense as two auras, one steady and unmovable, the other dark and forboading, clashed violently.

The guards, Harold included, couldn't help but marvel at the energy they could sense by not see. The ability to manifest feelings and emotions into an aura was something not many could do. To experience such a clash of wills, if they took note of the energy fluctuations, it would be enormously beneficial to their own cultivations.

A beat of sweat appeared on Nyx's forehead. She had used every trick she had ever learnt to passively intimidate or manipulate her opponent, but it was for nought. She just couldn't traverse the difference in cultivation and could sense a suffocating pressure slowly building.

Knowing that defeat was imminent, Nyx decided to retreat and seek a compromise.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Nyx relaxed, causing the intimidating air she had been releasing moments before to reduce but not completely vanish.

"I don't want them to see me." Nyx decided to reveal what was troubling with her, believing it was the best course of action with the old woman. While Nyx had only known her less than an hour, after their brief interactions and fight, she felt that the woman was one that desired courage and honesty from others and trying to trick her would only make things worse.

Frowning, Granny looked into Nyx's eyes, trying to see if there were any deceit or deception in her words.

Knowing what the old woman was doing, Nyx withdrew her mask, knowing that it would only backfire at this moment.

Nyx knew that the eyes were windows to the soul, so was slightly worried that she would reveal more than she wanted to, but at this point, Nyx was starting to realise that if she wasn't able to escape her 'friendly' captors, what she needed was an ally.

Granny was analysing Nyx's eyes, finding nothing but an emotionless aloofness that left her disappointed, but just as she was about to turn away, that changed in an instant.