The little dryad that held his arm tightly was perhaps the only reason why he still had some composure left in him. He collected himself and smiled gently at her. He patted her soft head lightly, but the welling tears in her eyes had not faded. Who was he trying to fool? She could clearly feel the piercing pain in his heart.

Aizen turned around and looked at the expression Akira wore. She was trembling all over, and the tears were coming out of her angry eyes that stared at him as if looking at her greatest enemy.

“Why?” She asked coldly trying her best to not yell.

“Why do you care?” Aizen smiled at her and coldly said. “You abandoned her.”

Her anger flared up and the coldness in the room rose. The sizzling sound emanated as the floor was soon covered in an icy layer. Seeing her on the verge of losing her reason he was quite pleased and laughed lightly. But his eyes were grim.

“Do you know the only person she would fondly remember or talk about from her clan was her little sister whom she had showered upon her love?” Aizen lightly said and then turned around to look at the portrait again. And his cold words reverberated in the room.

“She still loved the sister that abandoned her for the sick people who wanted to sacrifice them for their own gains.”

“I never understood why she still loved you but hated her own mother. Maybe she still believed that you would come to your senses one day and not take the course your mother had opted in her life.” His voice hardened as he ended his sentence.

“But I am afraid she would have been disappointed looking at you today. You have also given up your dignity just like your Mother had and have readied yourself to be sacrificed for people that never truly considered you like family.”

The room stayed silent for a while before he eventually sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

“Why do you know all this?” She asked in a half-crying voice.

“I am her son.” Aizen didn’t turn around and clenched his fists tightly. He needed to calm down his own chaotic heart before saying anything more.

His words shocked all of them. Liafina who was still holding onto him tightly was the least surprised, but she was the one who was perhaps the most scared. She clearly remembered what he had said. He had killed her. He had killed his own mother.

Akira had stopped trembling. Her face was devoid of any emotions just like her eyes that stared at his back blankly. Her mind was still registering what he had just revealed to her. She didn’t know what to think of any more.

“The treasure she had run off with was me. That black tear-shaped crystal contained the essence of the first Morningstar. My empress Mother had sacrificed herself to store me in that crystal.”

“The enchantment that she had placed on the crystal was of a forbidden Time and Space magic. The cost was her complete Life essence, and she had gladly paid for it. I was sealed in the crystal that had time frozen for thousands of years.” He couldn’t help but marvel the strength of that magic, but the idea of his Empress Mother sacrificing her life for it pained his heart.

“The seal of the crystal unsealed when it came in contact with your sister, and assimilated in her blood. The embryo that contained me rooted itself in her womb and a year n half later she gave birth to me.” He sighed and continued.

“Unfortunately for her, I was not her Blood. I sucked her Life Essence as I grew in her womb. And when she gave birth to me, she only had a few years left of her lifespan.”

Aizen’s voice betrayed him as it finally held the trace of pain he felt in his heart.

“She should have hated me for stealing her Life. I was not even her Blood, but she had patiently let me suck her Life and gave birth to me.”

“Of course, I didn’t know of any of this, nor I had received my Bloodline memories then. I grew up in her embrace and care. She didn’t hold back her love and showered it all on me. I was her son. It was always what she told me and perhaps reminded herself as well.”

“She taught me of the world and things I needed to be aware of. I had grown up watching her pale and gentle smile on her sickly face.”

“I didn’t know what was wrong with her but even then, somewhere in my heart, I had always felt that I was responsible for whatever was wrong with her.”

“And she died when I was 9 years old.”

Aizen wiped the tear that had slipped from his eye and turned around to face her.

“Your Grandmother received the Crystal along with my Mother’s last message. The crystal needed to be protected until the seal lifts itself thousands of years later. Daliyah Azereus didn’t have a choice. She owed her life to my empress-mother and so she accepted the duty.”

He could not help but revere the thinking of his Empress Mother. The reason why she hadn’t left him in care of the remaining Ka’zaed blood was that Crystal’s seal would have broken if it came into contact with a maiden Ka’zaed Blood. The Morningstar needed to be kept away from all the wrath and vengeance that the Star Palace was driven by back then, and needed to appear after things had slightly calmed down. She had done it all for him and to save him from seeking revenge.

“Your Grandmother never meant to reveal the treasure but one day she was forced to take its aid to protect her life. Your clansmen recognized the crystal as it was the one that my Empress Mother always carried with her. They wanted that treasure and asked for it to be handed over, but your Grandmother never allowed anyone to touch it.”

“The clan was in possession of a drop of Dew of Life, but they didn’t give it to your grandmother even when she had lowered herself to ask for it from the Alphas of the first Line. Their refusal was in dissatisfaction and envy that she held a heavenly treasure.”

“Do you know that Alyson Azereus had come to your Grandmother’s deathbed and offered her the dew of life in exchange for the treasure?” Aizen smiled at her and continued. “She refused to exchange it and embraced her death. She observed her duty until her last breath.”

Akira only listened to everything he had said with a blank look in her eyes. She clearly understood what he was pointing at and at this moment felt more helpless than she had felt in her entire life.

“The reason my Mother, Alana, ran off with the treasure was that your Mother revealed to the clan that it had been passed down to her. The reason that Prime Alphas fought was not just over the clan but also over the possession of the treasure.”

“She had realized it and had asked you to leave with her, but you refused. The duty to protect the crystal had been passed down to her. Unfortunately, the time on the seal was already over, and it only waited for a maiden to touch it. She was already carrying me in her womb when she had run off.” Aizen saw the tears that started to slip down her eyes. They were not in anger but in pain of regret and guilt. Her resemblance to his mother was uncanny, and his heart ached as he watched her cry.

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“It was all she had told me along the lines when I had questioned her. I couldn’t understand any of this until I had received my Bloodline Memories.”

“Mother never blamed you for anything, she just felt sad. She only wanted you to be sensible and be safe. And I hope that you wouldn’t disappoint her again.” He said softly.

Aizen picked up Liafina and embraced her tightly. He planted a kiss on her head and walked over to Viara. He wiped the tears that slipped from her eyes and gently smiled to her.

“I am fine.” He said to her and Lysaria who was stubbornly holding back her tears.

Aizen felt quite tired after the storm of emotions he had gone through in the last few minutes. But he realized that it was not the time to slack off.

“I will only ask you once, Akira.” He didn’t turn around as he spoke his words. “Come with me to the Star Palace.”

The silence was his only answer. He looked at her conflicted expression and blank eyes that were staring at the floor.

“I know you have been asked to keep me busy for some time until Alyson makes the proper preparations to catch me. You don’t need to worry that I would blame you for that.”

His words surprised her, and she looked at him apologetically, But she still didn’t answer his question.

Aizen felt quite odd as he couldn’t understand what she was thinking and what bothered her.

“What is it?” He decided to ask her.

“Alyson placed the Prison Collar on me.” She said as she undid the top button of her gown.

There was a collar on her neck with white gems and a White Crystal. It was a collar similar to the ones that were put on some prized slaves and war prisoners to prevent them from escaping. The owner of the collar could trigger it if the one that wore it ran away. The concentrated light energy that the gems and crystal contained would detonate and end the life of the prisoner.

“When did she put this on you?” Viara asked her gravely.

“Right before you had come here. She put it on so you wouldn’t force me to leave with you.” Akira lowered her head apologetically. She knew that she was at fault by letting Alyson put it on. “You should leave this place right now. I cannot leave with you guys.”

They had already known that Alyson was up to something when she had so easily allowed them to approach Akira. No matter what it was, Alyson would have had to prepare before moving against them and the time gap was enough to run away. But she did something they hadn't prepared themselves for. In an hour or so they might all be besieged by enemies who would have taken measures against their Space Magic.

“Aizen, we need to leave.” Viara assessed the situation they were in where nothing looked to be in control anymore. She now knew why Aizen had come here and understood what Akira meant to him. But if they didn’t give up on her then they could lose their lives. She would rather see him hurt than dead.

His eyes stayed on her collar as he thought of the situation they were in. Alyson most likely wanted to capture them as a chip to trade off for protection of The Sky Mountains. They still had time to leave this place, but that meant that Akira would have to pay the consequences. And if war breaks out, she would be in danger.

He did not want to leave Akira here. He wouldn’t have rushed here tonight if he hadn’t cared about her safety. The clan of Azereus was as good as over. Even their Allies, which were apparently Holfeim and Lycan clan, were not going to step in to save them. At least Lycans would not.

Fenris wanted to create a wedge between Azereus and Holfeim clan by using him and ensure that they wouldn’t help the Azereus either. Whether Fenris was colluding with the Azereus’ enemies or not, was not clear. The only problem was Stavros Clan. They were in the Snowfield city to represent Hand of Kosmos. Their most likely purpose was to save the Azereus and have them swear loyalty to them.

Azereus would rather trade him than their freedom. And once he gets in their hands, his fate was doomed.

“Aizen!” Viara nudged him and he snapped out of his thoughts. “We need to leave now.”

His brows furrowed as he thought of what he should do next. The key to open that collar was Alyson’s blood, but if they did force the Alpha in a corner then she might possibly detonate the collar on Akira’s neck.

Taking anyone hostage seemed like a stupid idea. There were still two True-Origin powerhouses in the Azereus clan. They could threaten them with lives of their clansmen, but this time both the prime Alphas would come prepared. And no matter what happens, that collar would probably stay on. He thought of taking it off using their Time and Space magic, but neither he nor Viara was strong enough to ensure that it wouldn’t detonate as they did so.

Akira watched him contemplate on things and felt guilty for trapping him in this situation. She really wanted to go with him. It was not for he had told her the truth about her clan but because he was her sister’s son. And the fact that he had come here for her showed that he really loved her sister even though he and his mother were responsible for taking her life. She couldn’t bear having him endanger his life to save her. She didn’t want to regret any more of the decisions that she had taken in her life.

“You should leave. I am not going with you.” She told him.

“You killed my sister, Morningstar. And it could be said that the predicament the Azereus are in right now is because of your Empress Mother’s designs. I can’t bring myself to go with you.” She willed herself to say these words as harshly as she could.

His eyes observed her expressions and saw nothing but seriousness. The words she had said were true, and he couldn’t deny them. Aizen had already reached a decision even before she had said these words.

The Space channel opened as he signaled to Vienna.

“Be Safe.” He said these words and turned around to step into the channel.

Viara gratefully nodded to Akira and followed him together with the rest of the girls.

Watching him leave so easily made her heart uncomfortable, but this was for the best. She was really glad that he was sensible enough. Now she needed to think of an excuse to save herself from Alyson’s wrath. It didn’t matter to her if she was punished or not. Her life was already a punishment. But his last words asked her to be safe, and she would try to do so.

She finally knew what had happened to her sister and she was glad that her sister at least died contently and didn’t blame her. No one knew her sister better than her, and she was sure that her sister had gladly sacrificed her life for his. It was not just out of duty that had been passed down to her. She really thought of him as her own child. Otherwise, considering how stubborn and rebellious her sister was, she would have killed him in her womb if she didn’t consider herself his mother.

Akira sighed and tiredly sat down on the couch closing her eyes. Her thoughts drifted down the memory lane. She remembered her sister’s grace and prideful smile. She remembered her gentleness and care. The time passed, but her mind was too occupied to realize it.

“Where is he?” Alyson’s voice made her open her eyes.

“I don’t know. He must have returned back to the Star Palace.” She looked at her and the other Prime Alpha behind her.

“I asked you to keep him occupied for just an Hour!” She called out in a fuming voice.

“Why would he leave without you? He seemed so adamant on acquiring you!”

Displeasure was evident in Alyson’s face, and it looked like she would lose her reason at any moment. But the other woman interjected her.

“What did he want from you?” Renera Azereus asked.

“He was looking for his Mother’s treasure and had come to ask about it.” She plainly replied. “I couldn’t occupy him to stay here as he wasn’t interested and seemed to be in haste. He left when he saw through my excuses and understood that I had no clue where the treasure was.”

She didn’t say anything more than this and politely lowered her head. Even with their strength and spirit manipulation, they couldn’t intimidate her to speak the truth without destroying her mind. Akira was an Alpha after all.

Neither Alyson nor Renera could really believe what she had told them, but they didn’t have a clue about what else his reason for arriving here could be.

Renera nodded and then left the room, but Alyson still stood there. The Morningstar could have been their hope of saving the clan. And now he was gone. She looked at Akira’s covered neck and imagined herself wearing the same collar in the future. The Stavros had already offered a way out, but it was a way to imprisonment.

“Holfeim will be here in the morning. Enjoy your last night in this Castle.” She left leaving behind these words. She hadn’t taken off the collar for she still had some suspicions on the reason Akira had given them.

Akira slumped back down on the couch and then got up to bid a poignant farewell to this Castle.

……………….

“Aizen, Where are you going?” Viara asked as she saw him open a space channel right after they had arrived in the Core Room.

“The Azereus must die. And I am going to make sure of their destruction.” Aizen lightly said and stepped into it taking Liafina with him.

The moment Viara tried to step in to follow him, the channel vanished along with Aizen’s trace. Panic engulfed her heart but Vienna’s voice soothed it.

“Don’t worry. He’s not gone back to The Sky Mountains. Let’s wait for his signal.”

All she and the rest could do was have faith in Aizen and trust Vienna's words.