“Well, if my big brother led a reckless charge into any kingdom without planning, half his forces would be wiped out," Aurianna explained, turning her attention to Valfar. "You should be grateful that my brother is wise enough to avoid such blunders.”

Valfar blinked, trying to process what she said, Aurianna’s eyes shifted to the side. "Is that... Freed? And Zelnu?" she asked, recognizing familiar faces.

"Hey," Freed greeted with a light wave. He was a tall man, standing seven feet tall but looking like a teenager. His long braided yellow hair stretched down to his ankles, ending in a scorpion-tail shape. Various flowers of all colors were woven into his braids, adding a vibrant contrast to his appearance. His sweet smile seemed almost out of place on someone of his size.

Beside him was Zelnu, the chubby yet adorable man standing beside him. His slanted purple eyes gave him a mischievous look, while his long black hair, tied neatly into a ponytail, added to his soft demeanor.

"Hey Vatium, you didn’t tell me Freed and Zelnu were part of this!" Aurianna exclaimed, giving Vatium a pointed look.

“I planned to tell you once we found you,” Vatium said calmly, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"I see," Aurianna muttered, nodding in understanding before shifting topics. “So, where are you and when will you be back?” Vatium asked, his tone more serious now.

“I’m in the middle of the Dark Seas, brother,” Aurianna said, glancing at the swirling, dark waters through the ship window. "But don’t fret, for I am safe."

Before Vatium could respond, an unfamiliar voice came from behind her. “Yo, Aurianna! Who are those people?” Avriel asked, walking up with a curious expression as she peered over her shoulder.

“That’s my brother,” Aurianna replied, her voice tinged with a hint of pride.

“You totes look nothing like him!” Avriel blurted out, eyes wide as she looked between the two. “Was it... Infidelity?!!”

Aurianna glared at Avriel, her hand twitching as she resisted the urge to slap her. “I’d slap you right now if you weren’t stronger than me.”

“Avriel, don’t anger her, alright?" Jugi chimed in from the door, shaking his head as he stepped into the room.

"Whatever," Avriel pouted, crossing her arms in frustration.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Aurianna, who are they?" Vatium asked, his voice carrying a note of concern as he glanced at the newcomers.

"Pfft... hmmm chi, chi, chi," Aurianna chuckled mischievously. "Five new people who will help you all!"

Avriel's face twisted in despair, her lips trembling as she blinked away tears. "But I totes just got out of prison! I wanted to live a peaceful life for like, a hundred years!" she whined, biting her lip dramatically.

"No," Aurianna replied bluntly.

"Jugi, defend me! Master Aurianna is being so mean!" Avriel cried, throwing herself onto Jugi, pressing her chest against him in a not-so-subtle attempt to gain sympathy.

Aurianna’s frown deepened as she watched Avriel’s antics. Her eyes briefly flickered toward Jade, standing stoically nearby, but Avriel didn’t dare run to him.

"As long as I get to continue my mortal evolution experiments, I couldn’t care less," Jade said calmly, barely glancing at the scene before him.

"However," he added, his sharp gaze shifting to Aurianna, "can I ask what exactly your plan is?"

"A country where all races can live in peace," Vatium said, his tone calm.

"Destruction of some things!" Aurianna chimed in with a wicked grin.

Everyone in both rooms gave her a blank stare.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that? I thought that was the plan!" Aurianna said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Aurianna, I don’t think so," Ostusi interjected, coughing nervously whiles shaking his head.

"Fine, you guys can have your peaceful utopia, but I get to blow up everything else!" Aurianna declared with a playful, yet cold glint in her eyes.

Ostusi sighed. "I guess that's fine... as long as it’s not against us."

"Yay!" Aurianna cheered, raising her arms triumphantly.

Avriel rolled her eyes. "How childish. I thought you had some sort of master plan."

"Oh, of course, I do." Aurianna’s voicewws serious, her eyes narrowing. "But my question is—can I trust everyone in that room?"

Vatium, sensing the shift in her demeanor, but he wasn't affacted. "I assure you with my life, you can trust everyone here."

"Good," Aurianna said, her tone ice-cold. "Because if anyone hears my plan and even thinks about betraying me, they’ll beg for death by the time I’m through with them."

Her words hung heavy in the air, causing everyone to gulp nervously.

"My main goal is to destroy the Church of Paige," Aurianna stated.

"But remember, you also talked about peace for all races," Valfar reminded her carefully.

"Oh yeah, peace... of course," Aurianna said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Valfar glanced at her, unimpressed. ‘She totally doesn’t care about that,’ he thought to himself.

“So, I’ll be making my own church. It’s already built and should be fully operational in a few months,” Aurianna announced with a smirk. “The best church that can hide us all and double as a defensive fortress. I call it... the White Castle.”

“That’s not a very cool name. What’s she proud of?” Mike, the incubus, muttered under his breath, with a light chuckle.

“Building a church… isn't that kinda blasphemous?” Valfar asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aurianna's eyes glinted coldly as she smiled. “And who said I gave a damn?”

She snapped her fingers, and a holographic image of a massive white church materialized in front of them, rotating slowly to reveal its structure. “Here’s a hologram of the exterior. As for the interior details? That stays a secret... for now.”

She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping into a mischievous tone. “There’s a lot inside. You should be grateful I’m on your side. And the best part—unlimited revivals.”

“Unlimited... revivals?” Vatium repeated, clearly intrigued. “How is that even possible?”

Aurianna grinned, tapping the side of her head. “Just a little secret of mine. But that’s not all. My other goal? Destroying Sandeph. I want the honor of killing my father myself. And not just him. Every single human being in Sandeph. None shall be spared. So, if you have someone you care about there, take them out before I begin in a few years.”

A cold silence followed her declaration, everyone clearly stunned by her words. However Vatium's steady gaze remained the same. As he clearly knew the reason why she'd say that.

“Isn’t that… a bit much?” A woman’s voice cut through the silence. She was a vampire, her long blue hair framing her pale face, and her mesmerizing red eyes covered by glasses.

Aurianna’s gaze shifted to her. “And who are you?”

“I’m Camila,” the vampire introduced herself, her voice calm despite the silence in the room.

Aurianna raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “And why do you care?”

Camila’s expression didn’t waver. “I mean, why kill all those people?”