Return of the Mythic Bloodline

Chapter 508: Ume is scared

"Maa must have fallen asleep by now," I murmured, glancing at the time on the wall clock of my room. The hands showed 11 PM, late enough that the house had settled into silence.

I carefully opened the room’s door, closed it behind me with a soft click, and moved forward until I reached the railing. From above, I could see Maa sleeping with Inayat on the bed at the corner of the hall below, both of them wrapped in peaceful slumber.

"I must be the first person who is trying to sneak into his own demise," I sighed as I crept toward the room at the corner of the gallery.

I did not want to enter this unranked dungeon, since I already knew what awaited me inside. A snow goddess with a temper sharper than her ice. However, if I did not enter it, I would certainly not see the sunlight of the next morning. The choice was no choice at all.

My foot stopped before the entrance. Last chance to turn back. My heart pounded in my chest.

"Don’t be afraid, Taranis. It’s not like she will actually beat me," I murmured, convincing no one but myself. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

My hand slowly moved forward, grabbing the door knob. It turned with a click, the mechanism loud in the quiet night. I only opened it enough to enter inside before immediately closing it behind me, sealing my fate.

"You barely made it in time," Nymeria’s cold voice echoed from the front, each word dripping with controlled frost. "One more minute and I would have dragged you here by your hair."

My whole body flinched from her words, a visible shudder running through my shoulders. I slowly turned, my eyes reaching the corner of the bed where Nymeria sat in her blue night suit, one leg placed over the other, her arms folded across her chest. Her pale eyes gleamed in the dim light, unreadable and dangerous.

Behind her on the bed, Ume sat in her red night suit, her pink eyes looking back and forth between us with curiosity filling them. Her fluffy ears stood straight in excitement, twitching slightly. She had undone her illusion magic in the room now that we were the only ones here, revealing her fox features in full.

"Come here," Nymeria said with a beckoning gesture, her fingers curling inward.

I took a long gulp, my adam apple moving visibly as I took a step forward. The floor beneath me suddenly glowed. Several intricate patterns in circular pink became visible on the floor, pulsing with soft light.

A translucent pink barrier spread from the floor, toward the walls and ceiling, completely sealing the room inside.

"No one can hear you scream now," Nymeria said in a low tone, her expressions dark as the tubelight cast long shadows across her face. The contrast made her look like a goddess of judgment.

’Damn! I would rather fight the pisach than face her,’ I screamed inwardly as I slowly moved forward, trying to keep a neutral expression on my face. My palms were sweating.

When the distance between us remained less than one metre, she gestured for me to sit down. I obeyed silently, sitting on the floor with my legs folded, the cold tiles pressing against my skin.

She placed her foot on my head and muttered, her toes digging into my hair, scratching lightly at my scalp. "Do you know what you did wrong?"

My head immediately jolted in quick, low nods, my eyes fixed firmly on the floor. I did not dare look up.

"I was being too oversmart for my own good," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "I said something that should have never left outside from us three."

I held her foot that was placed on my head with both hands, cradling it gently, as I continued, looking up at her with guilt filled eyes, "Please forgive me, my love."

Her eyebrows twitched, a crease appearing on her forehead as her cold demeanor began melting like snow under spring sun.

’Do you think you are the only one who learned taming skills, little hamster?’ I murmurred inwardly, although keeping a completely guilt filled expression on my face. ’Jambavan has taught me enough to know how to have a peaceful married life. You just need to keep your head down. Now for the final touch...’

I moved her foot closer, gently kissed her upper foot, and murmured, "I promise to behave from now on."

She slowly moved her foot back, a faint blush forming on her face, a smile of delightfulness forcefully appearing on her lips no matter how hard she struggled to keep a neutral expression. Her composure was cracking.

"S-Sister Ume, th-this is how you ta-tame your man," she blurted, her one hand waving like a fan on her face to calm down the heat rising to her cheeks. Her voice had lost all its earlier frost.

"Hmm... hmm, I understand," Ume gave small adorable nods, her little hands clenched into fists on her lap, her pink eyes wide with serious concentration.

"Now come up here," Nymeria ordered me, her eyes moving sideways, unable to meet mine. The command had lost its edge, softened into something closer to an invitation.

’And that is how you melt your cold wife. At the end, what they truly wish for is a genuine apology and sweet words from their significant other.’

I rose from the floor and sat on the bed beside her, the mattress dipping under my weight. She leaned closer and gently patted my head, fixing my hair that had been messed by her foot. Her fingers were tender now, nothing like the threatening figure from moments ago.

"You know, if you just behave like this, I would never have to punish you," she muttered, slowly moving closer to me, her lips reaching my forehead where she gently kissed me. Her breath was warm against my skin. "Now I feel bad for overreacting."

"It’s completely alright," I said, shaking my head softly. "I would never hate being punished by you... although it’s a bit scary."

I turned to Ume and said, "Come here, baby."

She quickly crawled toward me with a warm smile. She placed her head on my lap, her arms wrapping around my waist, hugging me tightly. Nymeria hugged me from above, her arms protectively wrapping around my neck, pulling me close. My one hand gently patted Nymeria’s head while the other moved below, resting on Ume’s cheek, gently circling my thumb against her soft skin.

"Taranis, I am scared," Ume’s low whisper came from my lap, her hand placed above mine on her cheek. Her voice trembled, barely audible.

Once she had the attention of both me and Nymeria, she revealed, "I receive prophecies from the heavens only when an incident that will greatly impact my life is about to happen. I received such visions only twice before this one."

Her eyes began shaking, moisture forming under them as she continued, each word heavier than the last. "In the prophecy, the incidents can be altered easily, but there is one single event in it that is woven by fate and cannot be changed. It could be the solar eclipse, the breaking of the sky, the still working of the clock on the building even after being destroyed, the appearance of the pisach, or-or...it c-could b-be your..."

She could not complete her words. She just hugged me tightly, tears trickling from her eyes, reaching her temples. Her whole body trembled against mine.

We realised what she was trying to say. Nymeria’s grip around my neck instinctively tightened from Ume’s words, fear palpable on her face.

"Girls, I will never abandon you," I said, gently wiping the tears from Ume’s eyes with my thumb, tracing the damp trails on her cheeks. "I promise that we will survive this apocalypse and return to Vyoman together."

"Just so you know, you and Sister Nym are the only family I have," Ume whimpered softly, her voice cracking. "I will not be able to bear losing either of you."

"Sister Ume, please do not cry," Nymeria moved to Ume, lying on my lap beside her as she gently hugged her, pulling her close. "Taranis never broke his promises. Since he made a promise, he will definitely not abandon us."

"Listen to her, Ume," I added, wiping her tears with my sleeves as I revealed, "I think I have already found a hint to face the Doomsday."

Their visage turned serious. They rose from my lap and looked at me with solemn, focused gazes, their earlier tears replaced by sharp attention.

"There is someone I would like you to meet," I said before ordering, "Come forth, Celestia."