While Red and Reu reunited, Merin slipped away for reflection. Red's assertions didn't entirely soothe her because her resolve was still being built.

Victoria, the woman who birthed her, was a monster. Their ancestral relatives were also monsters. It was inevitable that she may one day be just as bad of a monster.

But Merin's choices were more than her blood. Merin replayed Red's words on a loop as she watched him hug Reu through the window.

She was more than just Victoria's side of the family. Her father's side was just as much a part of her. It had been a long time since she thought of her own father. Her fingers graced her eyes as the bad memories swirled in her heart.

Her father should have killed her, but he didn't. His holy blade sliced through Victoria's magic and flesh. It could undoubtedly have done the same to her. Instead, he locked her up and threw away the key. He even visited her often in those first years. It was more painful that he came to see her than if he'd just let her go entirely. There wasn't love in his eyes when he looked at her, only pain.

Merin looked up at the cyan-blue sky and sighed.

As long as she made better choices, Red wouldn't have to follow her father's path and end her life. Her incessant greed couldn't be allowed to sprout.

How disgusting that it seemed to be in her blood to be so avaricious?

Mordecai and Acuzio's mother did atrocious deeds in the name of greed. She was the Goddess of Destiny. This granted her unchecked sway over life and death. She used that power to twist and curse each of her children, all the while using them to empower herself. And that wasn't mentioning how she prolonged the life of her mortal lover.

That primordial Goddess was part of her. So far, Merin's mother wasn't the only one who succumbed to her inherited appetite.

Merin looked down at Alev, who had made her way back into arms. Does this child even stand a chance?

Her father and mother's side are full of deranged and covetous otherworldly beings. Isn't it cruel of Merin to have a daughter with such a sordid family? Would it be kinder to ensure...

Merin bit her tongue as her internal wheel of thoughts took on darker and darker twists.

It was past time for her to get a handle on herself and silence these thoughts.

The last thing Merin wanted to be like was her ancestral relative the Goddess of Destiny or Victoria.

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Red and Merin put together a meeting over dinner. Reu, Zoltan, and some nobles from Ceren were the other attendees. The assortment of allies and stragglers gathered in the Ela Desert were small. These were people who followed Red and or Merin. Merin knew that to go against Habrin, they would need more.

Thanks to Merin's work in restoring Elan's land, food was sufficient for any allies of Red. Reu and Zoltan saw to passing it out, which had turned the tide for some time. Food supplies were one of the first things Emperor Kaan destroyed.

"We're going to Ceren to set up a base," Red said as he laid a map on the table.

Merin's eyebrows raised, but she said nothing. Ceren was the province given to Alev, but it had been abandoned for almost a year. Merin had yet to learn if the Emperor or any of Red's remaining brothers took it during that time.

She chewed on a piece of fruit while Reu stated the information he had on Habrin. Reu had daunting news to relay. The rebellion against Habrin was nearly over. Her ending the mining for God's Dust had done little to hinder Emperor Kaan and his armies. They were on the verge of victory.

"Kaan sacrificed Akkad," Red said. "And Akkad's children. They didn't die of disease."

A somber air settled over the room upon Red's words. Merin's eyes drifted in the direction she knew Alev was.

"Kaan claims that Elan's curse has been broken with the birth of Alev. He's using blood sacrifices to cover up that magic hasn't returned to Habrin."

"Will we expose the lies?" A man said. Merin blinked as she tried to recall his name. Since Red's return, far too many men have come to the temple, and she only bothered keeping track of some of them.

"No, there's no need for that," Red said as he looked at Merin.

Merin swallowed the fruit because she knew what that look meant. It was time for her to speak up. "I'll heal the broken people and reverse the curse on the rebelling countries. The Habrin Empire will remain cursed." She said.

Not-so-kind shocked expressions and murmurs of disbelief rippled across the faces of most around her.

"How?" One brave man said.

Merin shrugged, "Easily." She said, then took another bite of her favorite purple fruit. She couldn't undo all of it now, but her work in Ela proved she could reverse the blood curse. The once lifeless dessert was being taken over by greenery. It was reminiscent of how Elan used to look. Merin spent every night soaking the sand in the moonlight. With each passing night, it became easier to do so.

The only way for the whole world to move forward was for Habrin to be destroyed and Elan's curse undone.

The meeting became rather dull afterward, and Merin wandered for more food. She hadn't had one-on-one time with Acuzio and had a few questions for her ancestral uncle. With that in mind, she took off to find the waddling dragon.

Instead, she found Altan. Altan was still the grandfather she never had. He was one of the first to make their way into Ela to follow her. It had been quite some time since she healed him, and his body was nearly done regaining its former strength. He came and went as he pleased, and she often only saw him once every few weeks.

Merin opened her mouth to greet the man as he reached out a hand towards her.

The sound of tearing bone was the only indicator of what happened at first. Merin blinked rapidly as blood coated her vision, and Altan's arm fell limply to the floor.

She pivoted on her feet to see Red holding out a finger. His glowing red eye showed more than rage. This was the same look on his face whenever he faced his father.

"So you're finally back," Altan said. The man didn't seem to notice that he lost an arm. He only had eyes for Red. "This puppet was supposed to last a few more years. You owe me another corpse."