A/N: Hi, it's me again! Thank you for the constant reviews, kuroshiragami0, moonshue (I was planning on putting the label 'Supposed Present' in the time skip to Jellal's memories, but I thought it would ruin the mystery of the chapter. Glad you loved the chapter, omo!), Guest and bilmysleepy (That's quite a detailed review, wow! Thank you for your thoughts. Um, yes, actually, Jellal regressed back in time (still in his adult form, but he was a sage, too, so he did not practically age). (ADULT) Erza managed to turn back time, and there are only two timelines involved in this story. Jellal managed to bring (BABY) Erza to the future of the (current) past timeline, but since Irene did not die centuries back then, it caused a butterfly effect on the supposed future destined for the mother and daughter. Jellal merely traveled through the years like how Zeref wandered through the years to find Natsu, that kind of concept, hehe. Lastly, regarding the Irene-Charteris-Acnologia thing, this chapter answers your thoughts :D. By the way, as for my other story, I lost my original draft, but I'm planning on rewriting it with the same plot; however, I think I will utilize familiar characters in FT for convenience. That will be my project soon.)!
To all readers: Thank you for your constant support. I hope you'll love this update.
Irene released her magic through her staff, and Acnologia's confident look transformed into one of surprise as a massive wave of flames surged toward him from the side. He raised his right arm to defend himself, but the force of the spell was so strong that the ground beneath his feet began to crumble. Recognizing the familiar enchantment, Acnologia's expression turned grim as the atmosphere around him shimmered with intense heat.
The ground beneath Acnologia shattered, and he clicked his tongue, feeling his body burn from the powerful enchantment. Before he could react, Irene appeared behind him, her staff poised to strike. He tried to block it with his hand, but the impact was so forceful that he was blown several meters away, tumbling through the air before smashing his mechanical arm into the ground to anchor himself and get back on his feet.
"Indeed, as powerful as ever, Zera. This is what you meant by showing your real magic," he paused and glared at her. "I expect no less from the woman who helped my brother cut off my arm."
He used his magic, causing the ground beneath Irene to explode. Irene dodged midair with a graceful tumble, landing on her feet on the opposite side where Erza was lying unconscious. But her eyes widened in horror as she saw Acnologia raising his hand to attack in Erza's direction.
"Shit!" she cursed, feeling the ground beneath her tremble and lock her in place. Damn it! She hissed as desperation clawed at her heart, struggling against the magical restraints.
Acnologia's smirk grew wider as he directed his attack toward Erza. "Let's see how well you can protect her, Zera."
"Don't you dare touch her!" Irene roared in fury as she channeled her magic to dispel the spell Acnologia cast.
Acnologia smirked as he activated the spell in Irene's direction. The magic restraints binding her intensified as it burst, causing a searing pain all over her body, sending waves of spasms. The force of the magic sent her crashing to her knees, bracing herself against the overwhelming power.
"Say goodbye to your beloved daughter, Irene," Acnologia sneered, unleashing a devastating blast of dark magic toward Erza seconds after activating the spell he used against Irene.
"NO!" Irene screamed, her voice raw with terror.
Her heart clenched as she watched his magic hurtle toward her daughter, and she desperately tried to summon her own magic to counter it. But her strength was momentarily depleted, and she knew she couldn't recover in time to cast a protective barrier to protect her daughter. The blast collided with the tower, the force of it so immense that it obliterated a massive section of the structure, disintegrating it into dust. The ocean below, grazed by the dark magic, evaporated in places, leaving behind a swirling mist of steam and chaos.
Irene lurched forward, her heart pounding against her ribs. Her vision blurred with tears, and she realized Erza was caught up with his magic. But as the haze began to clear, a figure slowly emerged from the remnants of the blast just a few meters away from the blast. Acnologia hissed in frustration, his eyes narrowing as he could still sense her scent. The figure turned to look over his shoulders to hiss at the sense of the burning sensation in his back. His cloak was tattered and slightly singed, obviously caught in the magic.
Irene's breath caught in her throat, her fear giving way to overwhelming relief. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, her heart hammering in her chest as she realized her daughter was still alive and cradled protectively against the arms of the previously cloaked blue-haired man. Irene was seething with anger, her eyes burning with unrelenting rage. She trembled as she glared at Acnologia.
"You dare to hurt my child?"
With a swift motion, she plunged her staff into the tower, casting an enormous scarlet light over the tower. The structure tilted precariously as the very ground and atmosphere around them trembled with the force of her magic.
"Universe One," she declared as the spell activated.
The magic surged through the earth, altering its very fabric. The landscape began to warp and shift, folding in on itself as if being reshaped by an unseen hand. The once-towering ruins and the vast expanse of the ocean disappeared, replaced by an endless, barren plain. The transformation was swift and disorienting, the sudden shift leaving Acnologia momentarily off-balance. As the dust settled, Acnologia found himself standing in the midst of a vast, desolate landscape, the barren plains stretching endlessly in every direction.
"You think moving us will change anything?" Acnologia growled, his eyes narrowing with fury as he glared at Irene.
"This will end the same way, Irene," he sneered.
With a roar that echoed across the barren plains, Acnologia activated his magic, his form shifting and expanding until he became a mighty dragon. His colossal body towered over Irene, his wings flapping with a force that sent gusts of wind whipping across the desolate landscape. The ground trembled beneath the weight of his transformation, and his shadow cast a dark pall over Irene.
"You can't defeat me by yourself, Zera," Acnologia taunted as he looked down on her.
"I can, and I will sever your head because you dared to touch my child," Irene replied.
Acnologia laughed, a mocking sound that echoed across the desolate landscape. "Let's see about that," he sneered. "I'll make this quick so that I can crush that very child of yours under my claws. I will stomp on her body until you can no longer recognize her corpse."
His threat struck a nerve deep within Irene, igniting a rage she had never known before. Her anger surged, boiling over as she felt a strange magic awaken within her. As her rage reached its peak, the ground beneath her feet trembled violently, cracks spidering out in every direction as the earth responded to the force of her power. She could feel her skin transforming, hardening into scales.
"Shut up, you bastard!" she screamed.
In a flash of blinding light, Irene's form shifted and grew, her body expanding into a massive dragon. Her size now almost matched Acnologia's, though she was still slightly smaller. Her scales, a brilliant white, reflected the dim light of the barren plains, shimmering with an almost ethereal glow. Her wings were a vibrant scarlet, their color burning brightly against the surroundings.
Seeing himself on a shore far from the tower, Jellal hissed in frustration as he realized Irene's magic had separated him from Erza again. He was about to bolt and use his magic to return when a familiar voice reached him through telepathy.
"Jellal, can you hear me?" It was Ultear's voice.
"Ultear, where are you? Is Erza safe?" Jellal asked, his heart pounding with anxiety.
"I managed to use my magic, and we're not affected by the spell. We're still in the tower," Ultear replied.
Jellal sighed in relief, but his relief was short-lived when his attention diverted back to Erza. "Can you restore the seal temporarily?" Jellal asked, knowing time was ticking.
"The seal is no longer working. It's completely gone," Ultear replied in a tense voice. "You need to make haste. The child is barely alive."
Jellal's heart sank as he imagined Erza's frail form. He cursed under his breath as he tried to think of a solution. "How much time do we have?"
"One hour, maybe less," Ultear replied, watching as Meredy checked Erza's faint pulse. She shook her head as the scarlet marks started snaking up to her face.
"I need to find the Silver Moon," Jellal said as he remembered something.
"Why are you looking for him?" Ultear asked.
"He's the only one who could possibly save Erza,"
Flashback
"Boss," the crimson-haired man said, tossing a vial towards Jellal.
Jellal caught it and stared at the vial, the same one he had kept after the incident in Erza's quarters. He wanted to examine it to find out what magic in Earthland could somehow alleviate the signs of lost magic in her body. His thoughts were interrupted when Erik cleared his throat.
"Do you want me to be thrown back into prison for the vial you sent?" Erik asked, handing Jellal the results of the test.
Erik, previously known as Cobra and a former member of Oración Seis, was now working for the Magic Council as the head of the Rune Knights under Jellal's command.
"What do you mean?" Jellal asked, confused.
"That lingering magic in the vial is a liquefied form of Charteris' magic," Erik said, scanning the paper and showing Jellal the specific findings. "You should be thankful that the examiner was my friend. If it wasn't for that, I could be arrested for having such a suspicious vial from the crown prince of the enemy kingdom." He paused, staring at Jellal's perplexed face.
"Where the hell did you get that? Should we report this to the council? Those rodents must be lending hands to Alvarez. This is substantial evidence to procure a warrant for their arrest," Erik added, making Jellal glare at him.
"Don't you dare report any of this," Jellal said in a sinister manner, sliding the vial back into his pocket.
"Fine, I'll pretend this never happened if I don't want to rot back in that nasty jail," Erik commented, hearing Jellal's thoughts.
Present
With a mighty flap of her wings, Irene surged forward, her form cutting through the air as she collided with Acnologia, the impact sending shockwaves rippling across the barren plain. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered, the sheer force of their clash carving deep fissures into the earth. Irene's scales barely deflected Acnologia's attacks; her wings were slightly scorched. But Acnologia was not done; he ascended into the clouds, his powerful wings slicing through the air as he sought to gain the upper hand. Fearing he was trying to escape, Irene pursued him without hesitation. Her wings flapped as they propelled her upward into the sky, the clouds parting as her massive dragon form tore through them. However, Acnologia was not retreating; he was preparing to lunge at her. He turned in midair and unleashed a deafening roar, a blast of dark energy aimed directly at Irene.
The roar struck her with full force, a torrent of power that overwhelmed her defenses. The impact sent her spiraling downward, her enormous form crashing into the ground below. The ground cracked and splintered beneath her, dust and debris rising in a choking cloud. Irene groaned, the pain radiating through her body as she struggled to regain her footing. Before she could recover, Acnologia descended upon her, landing heavily on her dragon form. His claws, sharp and merciless, dug into her scales, tearing through her abdomen.
Irene's form writhed in agony, her body twisting under his assault. The pain was excruciating, and her desperation to fight back sent fresh waves of torment through her. She hissed as she fought to throw him off, but Acnologia pressed his advantage, his claws sinking deeper into her flesh as he tried to pin her down, his dark magic seeping into the wounds he created.
"You cannot win, Zera," he growled. "This is your end."
When the pain became unbearable, and her strength had drained completely, Irene could no longer maintain her dragon form. She collapsed, her body shrinking and shifting back to her human form, her once-mighty scales replaced by fragile, bare skin. She lay on the ground, her breath shallow and ragged, her body battered from the battle. Damn it, my body. Move, I can't lose my daughter! She thought as she watched him smirked as his dragon form towered over her. Seeing her in such a vulnerable state, he prepared to deliver the final blow. He lifted his massive foot, ready to crush her frail form beneath his weight, to end her life and any hope she had left.
But just as he was about to bring his foot down, a blinding white light erupted across the plains, overwhelming everything in its path. Acnologia hissed in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he felt the familiar magic begin to purify the dark energy coursing through him. The light burned with an intensity that threatened to cleanse his very essence. He instinctively recoiled, flying back with a powerful flap of his wings, desperate to avoid the strange, purifying magic.
As the light began to fade, a figure emerged. Charteris stepped forward as he protected Irene's form from him. Without a word, he removed his white cloak and gently draped it over Irene's tattered clothes.
"You dare to hurt Irene?" Charteris glared, his voice cold and sharp as steel as he stepped forward to face the looming dragon form of his own brother. His eyes blazed with fury, and he flicked his hands and activated the rune marks on his scales, making Acnologia hiss as if he never realized it sooner.
"Fuck!" he cursed as his purifying magic started stripping away his massive dragon form.
The scales and claws melted away as the dark energy was forced out by Charteris' magic. His roars turned to growls and then to strained gasps as the magic continued to cleanse his body. The once-mighty dragon was compelled to revert, his form shrinking and reshaping until he stood before Charteris as a human once more.
"You always had a knack for spoiling my plans, brother." Acnologia hissed as he stared at his form.
"It was my fault for not ensuring your death last time. I should have never hesitated and decapitated you on your throne, you weasel!" Charteris glared.
"I'm the one who's a weasel now? You are making me laugh, Charteris. Well then, maybe fate led us to meet again so I could kill the woman you cherish most in your life right before your eyes," Acnologia mocked, a cruel smirk twisting his lips as he watched Charteris's expression darken.
"Didn't you ever wonder why you feel so attached to that white witch?" Acnologia asked as he watched Charteris's expression tighten with growing dread.
"Because she's Zera," Acnologia finally revealed, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. He paused, savoring the tension that hung thick in the air between them, the charged silence that seemed to stretch on forever.
"Irene is the very woman who caused you to kill our own father, Charteris."
Charteris's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching in his throat. He turned to look at Irene's barely conscious form, her body battered, and his heart twisted with pain at the sight. Memories long buried, fragments of a past he had tried so hard to forget, began to resurface with relentless force.
Two centuries ago
He had been assigned by his father to represent the empire at Prince Rung Pergrande's birthday celebration. The event was meant to be a display of diplomacy, but to Charteris, it was nothing more than a tedious parade of nobles vying for favor. The nobles fawned over the Prince of Pergrande and even at himself, presenting their daughters as potential brides, hoping to secure an alliance through marriage. His mood darkened further as the celebration continued, but then, something changed. A shift in the atmosphere sent a shiver down his spine as his senses tensed, alert to the sudden and slight presence of powerful magic in the room.
"From the House of Hyberion,"
He turned, his gaze drawn to the source of the disturbance. Standing gracefully in the corner, a beautiful woman with brown hair curtsied before the Prince of Pergrande. Her presence was enthralling of attention without demanding it. Charteris's gaze bore into her, but then, their eyes met, and the world around him seemed to blur. Her eyes were the most bewitching shade of chocolate he had ever seen.
Charteris loathed the way he found himself drawn to the strange, confined magic within the woman named Zera Hyberion. He had always despised the concept of interest, it accumulated, compounded over time, and eventually drowned the borrower in debt. And yet, against his better judgment, he couldn't shake the growing fascination he felt toward her.
Being a man of intellect, Charteris prided himself on being in control and on playing his cards right. He had always been good at toying with the twisted paths of fate's gamble. He was confident that he could outmaneuver any threat that came his way as the idea of losing control, of being led by something as fickle as interest or desire, was something not in his vocabulary.
"I haven't had a good game for the past years," He thought as he believed he could indulge his curiosity, learn the secrets behind Zera's magic, and still walk away unscathed. After all, he was Charteris, the crown prince of an empire, a master of manipulation. Any manipulation will never move him.
To think that I will use the ancient relic on something stupid to disguise myself as a slave sent by my own self, such dedication to this game, Charteris. Charteris told himself as he stood the humiliation in silence, playing his role as a slave and servant to Prince Rung. Every bow, every deferential gesture was a mask to conceal the simmering frustration that churned beneath the surface. His pride was now forced to endure the charade, all for the sake of the mission he had set for himself.
But it was the sight of Zera entering the prince's private gardens that truly tested his resolve. She moved with a grace that caught his eye. As she took a seat and elegantly sipped from a porcelain cup, Charteris felt an unexpected surge of strange innate twists of emotions in his gut. The way she held the cup, the subtle curve of her lips as she drank, everything about her exuded a seductive charm that pulled at his emotions, drawing him into her.
Charteris couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. The idea of using his own magic to erase Prince Rung's memories of the encounter in the library was almost comical to him. Zera had knocked the prince cold and nearly slashed his throat. Her rash actions would have surely led to her downfall if Charteris hadn't intervened at the last moment.
With a flick of his fingers, he used a small amount of magic to erase the incident from the prince's mind. Charteris stood over the unconscious prince; he couldn't suppress a chuckle at his own pettiness.
He could have let Zera's actions be known. It would have been easy to let the situation escalate and see how she would handle the consequences of her boldness. But instead, he found himself playing along, continuing the charade he had created. The game was too intriguing to end so quickly, and he was not ready to give up the challenge that Zera presented.
"It will be no fun if the game ends too soon," Charteris mused, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Seeing Zera's nervous glances in his direction, Charteris couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. She was clearly on edge, her usual composed demeanor slightly frayed as she kept looking his way. He acted impassively, maintaining the facade of indifference, but inside, he relished the attention she was giving him.
Until one night
He raised his sword and its edge, pressing against the neck of a cloaked figure. He felt intrigued by the thought that the figure had just an immense magic similar to Zera's magic but soon realized that it was her. Seeing the glint of her visage on the sword's blade, the cloaked figure was none other than Zera herself. Before he could act, Zera used her magic to teleport herself away. He could've followed her because he hated the fact that he used his voice, considering he masked himself as a mute person, but he let her go again.
"You're playing your cards in this game well, Zera," he muttered to himself, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"I like it when my prey thinks she can escape," he whispered, his voice a low growl.
The sting of humiliation burned hot on Charteris's cheek, the echo of the slap still resonating in his mind. It wasn't just the physical pain that made his blood boil, but it was the indignity of being struck by Rung, a man whose rank was supposed to be beneath his own. The mocking smirk on Rung's face as he delivered his condescending remarks only deepened Charteris's fury. Every word was a blow to his pride, a reminder of the precarious position he had placed himself in for the sake of this game.
He clenched his fists at his sides, nails biting into his palms as he fought to keep his composure. The desire to retaliate, to lash out and put Rung in his place, was overwhelming. The thought of twisting the prince's neck and wiping that smug expression from his face was tempting, almost irresistible. But Charteris knew he couldn't afford to act on impulse, not now. He had invested too much time and too much effort into this game to let it all unravel because of a momentary lapse in control. Losing his temper now would only jeopardize everything he had carefully built. Nobody should know his true identity, which is that he was Charteris Belserion, the renowned crown prince of the empire.
"You'll pay for this in the worst way possible, Zera," he vowed silently as he saw her on the balcony.
When Charteris saw Zera walking in the gardens, a dark smile crept across his lips. Deceit twisted within him. He had endured enough setbacks and indignities—now it was time to take control, to turn the game in his favor. And what better way to do that than by exploiting Zera's emotions? If I could make her fall in love with me, she would be vulnerable and easy to manipulate. She would become a pawn in his hands, a useless tool for his own defenses, a mere expendable.
He laughed softly to himself as the details of his scheme began to take shape. He imagined the confusion in her eyes as she began to question her own feelings, the moment when she realized she was falling for him. And then, when she was at her most vulnerable and believed she could trust him completely, he would strike. The betrayal would be devastating, a blow she would never see coming. It was a deliciously cruel plan.
"I've never been invested in such a game for long," he said.
His heart beat faster with anticipation. He had played many games in his life, but this one was different. The thought of Zera being brought to her knees by her own emotions was intoxicating.
Charteris initially dismissed the racing of his heart as nothing more than the thrill of anticipation, but when he saw Rung order him to deliver a marriage proposal to the mailman to send it to Hyberion's barony, something unexpected stirred within him. The moment he held the ornate letter in his hands, a surge of anger coursed through him, catching him off guard. He stared at the proposal and frowned at the prince's audacity. The thought of Rung daring to lay claim to Zera, to intrude on the game that Charteris had so carefully constructed for months now, sent a wave of fury crashing through him. Without a second thought, he ignited the letter with his magic, watching as the flames consumed it, turning the proposal to ash in mere moments.
Zera was his prey, his toy, and only he could play with her feelings. The idea of anyone else stepping into that role, of Zera's attention being diverted elsewhere, was unbearable. It was a disturbing realization, one that conflicted with the cold, calculated persona he had always maintained.
Prince Rung was growing increasingly displeased with the lack of response from the House of Hyberion to his marriage proposal. Charteris enjoyed the sight of his patience wearing thin. He turned to Charteris with a scowl, his eyes narrowed in frustration.
"I sent a marriage proposal to the House of Hyberion weeks ago, yet I have received no response. I want you to deliver a second letter," Rung paused. "Ensure that it reaches them directly. And make it clear that I expect an answer this time."
Charteris felt a cold knot form in his stomach at the mention of the proposal. He had hoped that the lack of response meant Zera had rejected the idea outright. The very thought of him sending another proposal to coerce Zera into marriage filled him with a dark, simmering rage. But how could he prevent it without revealing his true identity or compromising his position? He knew how. He was the crown prince, after all. He had the empire's laws twisted under his thumb.
As Charteris laid Zera in his bed, her face contorted with pleasure under his touch, he felt a surge of satisfaction unlike any he had known before. Her brown eyes were now burning with yearning emotions she couldn't conceal, even as resentment still lingered in her gaze. It was a sight that filled him with a twisted sense of triumph.
He watched her squint her eyes as his lips trailed down her neck. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he heard her moan from her throat as he gently kissed and bit her flesh. But he convinced himself it wasn't because of any genuine affection or desire; it was merely the thrill of the hunt, the exhilaration of setting a trap and watching it spring close near its prey.
She was at his mercy, at his sickening disposal, and he relished the power he held over her. He loved the way she responded to him despite the conflicting emotions in her brown eyes. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, not wanting to let go as if her dear life depended on him. Cling to me, Zera. He thought to himself. If he continued to spend his nights with her, he could possibly extract the information he needed, unravel the resistance from within, and finally crush those who dared to oppose him and the empire. The thought of eradicating the resistance while Zera lay ruined and broken beside him filled him with a dark satisfaction.
However, the moment Charteris reassured Zera that the marriage between Prince Rung and her would not proceed, something shifted within him. He had expected her relief, but what he hadn't anticipated was the subtle crack forming in the web of illusions he had carefully woven and deluded himself. It was a crack he ignored and tolerated, a small but growing fissure in the armor of his deception.
He had always prided himself on being the master of games, the predator in this elaborate charade. He was the one in control, the one pulling the strings. But the moment he kneeled before her, kissing her hand as they celebrated the rejected proposal, and she clasped his hand in return, something inside him faltered. It was too cliché, too predictable, but in that moment, Charteris realized he had made the greatest blunder in his chess game.
The instant Zera leaned in and initiated the kiss, everything changed. It caught him completely off guard. The warmth of her lips against his caused him to grunt in surprise as he lost his balance, falling back onto the floor. He stared up at her, wide-eyed, as she chuckled softly. For a split second, Charteris felt a surge of panic. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to be the one manipulating, the one in control. Yet here he was, on the floor, disarmed by a simple kiss. His gaze met hers.
Charteris had always been a dominant person, so the idea of being under someone else's thumb, of being at another's disposal, was anathema to him. He had built his entire life around being the one in charge, the one who dictated the terms of the game.
But now, he found himself pinned to the floor with her on top of him. He realized he wasn't the one leading this game anymore. She was. She had taken the reins, and he could feel the power slipping from his grasp, slipping through his fingers like sand. The feeling was unsettling, to say the least. His instinct was to fight back, to reassert his dominance and reclaim the upper hand. Without a second thought, his eyes darkened as he grabbed her waist, pulling her to him as he rose to kiss her.
He kissed her with a fervor that surprised even himself. This wasn't the retaliation he expected to do, but his primal instincts eroded his deceit, and he succumbed to the heat of his desire. He wants her, no, he needs her. His hands moved to her hair, and he fisted it as he deepened the kiss. She snaked her hands on his neck and wrapped her legs around him as he took her to bed. That night, he worshipped her. He allowed her to take him, to lead him, and make him beg at her disposal.
"How does a mute knight beg his master?" she playfully asked, her eyes teasing him under the faint light.
The night before the grand wedding
He stared at Zera, her bare form glistening with a faint sheen of sweat, her breath now calm as she moved closer to his warmth. A soft smile played on his lips as he reached out to wipe away the bead of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Seeing her slightly shiver as the white sheets failed to cover her form, his hand moved lower, reaching to pull the sheet up to cover her.
But he froze. A faint, almost imperceptible magic pulsed from within her womb, sending a shiver down his spine. He pulled back slightly, his heart pounding as the realization hit him. No, this faint magic is unmistakably… coming from another being in her. The thought of Zera being pregnant with his child filled him with dread. The words he had once relished, the idea of Zera bearing the blood of her sworn enemies, his blood, now echoed in his mind with unforgiving, harsh reality.
"How would she feel if she found out that she would bear the blood of her sworn enemies?" The question, once a source of twisted delight, now plagued his mind with a cruel taunt.
He couldn't breathe as the situation crushed down on him. Zera detested my blood for the longest time. H-How would she react if the truth came out? How would she respond when she learned that the man she had been with, the father of her child, was none other than Charteris Belserion—the man she detested, the enemy she had sworn to destroy? The idea of her eyes filling with resentment clapping back at him made him stupefied. The illusions he deluded himself for the longest of times are cracking from his very own eyes. His own games backfired on him in the worst possible way. He was now teetering on the edge of a precipice, about to fall into an abyss he couldn't escape from.
Charteris swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down as he looked down at Zera, her face peacefully leaning in his chest, unaware of the impending doom. He hated to admit it, but he lost his charade. He lost it when the fear of losing her, of seeing the love in her eyes turn to hatred, crossed his mind. He couldn't fathom the realization that he had now drowned with his own compounded interest in her, and it was his time to pay for it. With a trembling hand, he pulled the sheet up to cover her, his touch lingering on her stomach where the faint magic had pulsed.
He accepted his own demise as he uttered the words that had been tormenting him for so long.
"Are you willing to settle down with me? I want you to stop participating in the resistance group against the empire. I want us to have a life together, to get married—"
The instant the words left his mouth, he saw the change in Zera's eyes. Her glare was cold, filled with a fury he had anticipated. She pushed him away, the force of her rejection hitting him harder than any physical blow ever could. His heart sank as he watched her frown and scowl at him.
"Z-Zera, I-" he pleaded, his voice breaking as he called her name.
He reached out, desperate to bridge the widening chasm between them, but she stepped back, her expression hardening with every word she spoke. Her resentment, rooted deep in her heart, twisted her features into a mask of anger.
"My family was destroyed by those with Belserion blood. I won't rest until I've avenged them. Not until the empire is overthrown!" Zera's voice rang out, sharp and seething with fury.
Her eyes gleamed with daggers of resentment, each word cutting into Charteris with the precision of a blade. The sharpness in her tone struck him, and he recoiled, feeling her hatred. This was no ordinary anger—this was the kind of deep-seated resentment that had festered over the years. It was a hatred that had been forged in the fires of loss and grief, one that no amount of love or persuasion could extinguish.
Charteris stood frozen. The blood that ran through his veins, the very lineage he had been born into, was the source of her deepest pain. The Belserion name, a supposed symbol of power, was, to her, the emblem of all that she had lost, all that had been taken from her. He had always known that her resentment against the empire was personal, but hearing it laid bare like this, with such raw emotion, shattered any illusions he might have harbored.
He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, not now, not after learning that she was carrying his blood. Or perhaps, deep down, he couldn't lose her because he had already fallen in love with her. But the idea of admitting that, even to himself, was something he couldn't quite bring himself to do.
He was too proud, too steeped in his own carefully crafted persona to acknowledge the truth. Love was a vulnerability, a weakness he had never allowed himself to succumb to. And yet, here he was, tangled in emotions he couldn't fully understand, let alone control. Charteris knew all too well that if there was something magic couldn't alter, it was the rawness of human feelings. The heart was beyond the reach of enchantments, and in that sense, he was powerless. No amount of manipulation or deception could change what he felt for Zera.
He continued to sabotage himself, deluding himself with the thought that he was simply playing a game with her, that she was nothing more than a pawn in his larger scheme. But deep down, he knew the truth: he wasn't playing with her; he was playing with his own feelings. The fact that he desperately convinced himself it was all just a game, or worse, that she had used some bewitching enchantment on him, only highlighted the depth of his denial. The truth was inescapable: he loved her, and that terrified him.
"I found it in his room. There are double agents within Tartaros. They're extremely powerful and dangerous, so please stay away from them," he lied and pleaded as he handed her the ledger.
The ledger was supposedly his report to his father, Alvarez, but he was well aware that the alliance between the rebel guilds and Tartaros was fragile at best and that those brats in Tartaros would betray their supposed allies in a heartbeat if it meant gaining more power as he himself had promised them. He did not care which rebel guild Zera was part of; Charteris no longer cared about anything or the empire; his priorities had shifted, and now, his only concern was Zera and the child she carried, his child, their child. He couldn't let anything happen to them, even if it meant betraying the very empire he had built.
The next day
Charteris was on edge, his agitation growing with each passing hour. He had expected to see Zera in the palace, organizing reports as part of her duties as Prince Rung's advisor. But she was nowhere to be found. As the hours dragged on, his anxiety deepened. By the time the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the palace grounds, Charteris's unease had turned into a gnawing fear. It was then that he heard the news that shattered his world. Zera's carriage had been attacked.
Charteris raced to the scene, his heart pounding in his chest. When he arrived, the sight that greeted him was one of utter devastation. The wrecked remains of the carriage lay strewn across the road, splintered wood and torn fabric scattered like debris from a nightmare. But it was the blood-stained necklace lying on the cold ground that made his breath catch in his throat.
It was the necklace Zera had sworn never to untie. Now, it was stained with blood, discarded amidst the wreckage. The sight of it filled him with darkness that twisted his mind, a seething fury that threatened to consume him. He couldn't hear the panicked voices of the knights around him, couldn't see anything beyond the horrific scene before him. He staggered forward, his legs feeling like lead, and knelt beside the necklace. His trembling fingers grasped the cold metal, and at that moment, he knew—it was hers. The illusion he had maintained so carefully shattered, revealing his true form. The knights around him gasped and took a step back, their eyes widening in shock as they realized the identity of the man before them. The crown prince of the empire, Charteris Belserion, was kneeling in the dirt, his expression twisted with an emotion they had never seen from him before. It was fueled with absolute, unrestrained fury.
"What have you done?" he asked, his voice seething with anger over the loss of his child and lover.
A/N: This is absolute madness! WHAHAHA, no worries, more flashbacks will be revealed soon. In the meantime, please leave reviews. I love reading them! Thank you for reading.