Scarlet's POV:
'I need to get stronger...'
Scarlet thought as she waited for her father to return. She had returned to the realm of the Dragons, a place where only the truly powerful could walk. It had amazed her upon her arrival here the first time and now this place has become her home. However, her current thoughts were not focused on the realm. Instead, her mind was consumed by one person.
"Austin..." she spoke, her eyes turning dreamy. Guilt filled her heart as she realized the pain that Austin, the one she had given her heart to, must have endured. While she took pride in the idea that her lover might be a hero, one who could lead a generation, she couldn't shake the pain she felt at the thought of his past.
'I was too short-sighted,' she acknowledged. The mere idea of Austin having any emotional connection to another woman filled Scarlet with too much jealousy and hatred, causing her to push away the man she fought so hard to be with.
It was natural for positive emotions to form between Austin and Marlene, given what they had been through and their youthful vulnerability. But even knowing this, Scarlet couldn't find satisfaction in her heart.
She wanted to be the only shining light in Austin's eyes, the only woman captivating enough for him. She wanted to be the woman he dreamed and thought about. It was selfish, and she knew it, but her dragon heart desired it, and she wasn't willing to let go of those desires.
"A hero's life is filled with difficulties, and many don't make it to the end," she spoke, remembering the words she had heard from other dragons, especially those who had lived through the great war. Their experiences and understanding allowed them to see through the layers of fate. Additionally, Scarlet possessed the knowledge inherited from the Dragon who awakened her, a Dragon who had died during the war. This knowledge enabled her to comprehend that Austin might be burdened with higher levels of duty on his shoulders.
The fact that she didn't know the full extent of his responsibilities weighed heavily on her heart. She could still remember the despairing eyes she witnessed when they were in the room with his family.
The sight had broken her heart, and she had wanted to rush to him and hold him. But she couldn't. Austin had grown to love her, and she him. The break he had requested was to protect her from being hurt. Scarlet understood it; he feared that he wouldn't live long enough or be able to accompany her on their journey.
She saw the tears he shed and the pain he trembled with when he asked for a break. It pained her even more when she thought about her reaction to him in the days leading up to that moment. Scarlet bit her lips, causing a thin line of blood to flow, her hands clenching tightly as the power within her rumbled, attempting to burst forth.
'I won't let you leave me,' she vowed to herself, her mind resolute as she envisioned the future she desired. It was a future filled with a happy life with Austin, a future with the family she yearned for.
'We will have two... no, four children... or more if he wants...' Scarlet's mind had already painted their future. She was 100% certain that it would come to pass, and nothing would stand in her way.
As these thoughts consumed her mind, Marlene's image flashed before her, and her mood soured. While she knew Austin wouldn't pursue any other woman, she couldn't be certain that Marlene would remain the same. After experiencing Austin's warmth, Scarlet was convinced that no woman would be able to resist him.
'I need to address this problem,' Scarlet's mind wandered as she considered her options. According to the laws of the dragon realm, she couldn't directly kill Austin without facing severe consequences. However, that didn't mean she couldn't deal with Marlene in other ways.
Within the dragon realm, there were powerful beasts of the Imperial realm. As per the law, when these powerful beasts surpassed the Origin realm and entered the Imperial realm, they were required to enter the dragon realm. It was a rule that some monsters chose to follow and some not, and as a result, their descendants or other powerful Origin realm beasts loyal to them existed in the outside world.
'It's not my fault if she dies by a beast, right?' Dark thoughts bloomed within Scarlet's mind, and her dragon-like eyes glimmered. Just as those thoughts took hold, the door to her room opened, and her father entered. Seeing him, her main objective came to mind: breaking through her limits and reaching the very top, so that no fate or anything else could separate her from her love.
'Wait for me, Austin. Our loving future will definitely come...'
.....
Celestinia's POV:
'How should I deal with this?'
Celestinia thought, her mind still swirling with the information she received when she spied on the talks Austin had with his family. His despairing, hurt eyes crushed her heart, and the realization that she played a role in breaking his heart intensified her anger and self-hatred.
'I can't keep focusing on this...'
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused on the main topic: how she could protect Austin and regain the love that should be exclusively hers. She had failed to protect him once, and she refused to fail again.
This seemed like the perfect time to make a move. Austin was currently taking a break from Scarlet, his heart broken from reopening old wounds. If Celestinia played her cards right, she might finally get the rest she needed. She had forgotten the last time she slept, haunted by the images of what she had done and the memory of his face asking her why.
She also missed his warm embraces, the times she could be vulnerable and seek solace in his arms in the forest. She cherished those moments, and they replayed in her mind, keeping them fresh.
'Tsk... if only I could trap him here with me forever...'
Her mind wandered to that thought—taking him away, eliminating all the girls who had touched his life and finally claiming him as her own. She was even willing to pay the "price" to take such action. After all, the Dragon God showed great fondness toward her, and if she asked, the Dragon God would likely reduce her punishment.
But she couldn't do it, not when his heart was filled with turmoil. Celestinia knew that time healed scars. If it were a fresh start, it wouldn't be a problem. But in Austin's current state of anger, she didn't see him falling for her. The present her owed him too much to hurt him again.
But first, she needed to understand what kind of hero the one she loved was. She needed to know what kind of life fate had destined for him. Being someone who studied and revealed past history, she understood that a person's past could determine their future. With the teachings of the Dragon God, Celestinia had a deeper understanding of the lives of heroes. She wouldn't allow the man she owed so much to, the man she loved so deeply, to fall into the same pitfall as heroes before him.
'What's taking them so long?'
She wondered. After returning to the Dragon realm, she had already instructed all her subordinates to gather every bit of information about Austin and the Lionheart family. She wanted to know what kind of life Austin had lived when she wasn't with him, and she wanted to uncover every ancestral line of the Lionheart family.
She longed to discover which ancestors had blessed that family, to understand the true depth of Austin's lineage. Her mind was filled with images of Austin and the time they spent together. Her heart began to beat faster, and a beautiful blush graced her otherworldly face, capable of captivating the hearts of all men.
'Isn't it fate?'
She pondered, after the Dragon God locked away her memories. She shouldn't have discovered her true love, but things turned out completely different than she had ever imagined. She crossed paths with Austin once again, and now they had become good friends. It felt as if fate itself was pushing them closer together.
'Heheheh... don't worry, hubby. I will make sure that we'll be the only ones together, and you won't know any others either~'
Celestinia's mind was reaching its breaking point. The pressure she felt when she witnessed the man she loved being affectionate with another woman, regardless of whether that woman was her "sister" or not, was unimaginable.
'Just a bit more, and I will never let you go. I will make you the happiest man in all realms~'
Celestinia muttered, her dragon-like eyes narrowing as her powers began to rumble. If fate wanted to take her beloved away, the answer was simple...
...she would become stronger than fate itself...
...And she had the talent to do so.
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