This simply couldn’t have ended well…

|Oh, I don’t see Elsby and Oktria… I guess Elsby is indeed trustworthy. Not that just two people less makes that much of a difference…|

Zoemi thought to himself bitterly.

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|Elsby was trustworthy in that world… good to know.|

|Oktria too.|

Zoemi thought and although this time it was clearly not intended as a comment that was meant to be heard, the original personality pointed out seeing that as a chance to help the black-haired boy calm down.

|This isn’t about her.|

Zoemi scoffed dismissively, too focused on the events playing out on the screen to put any additional attention anywhere else – and not without a reason.

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The Ghosts were right in front of them, this could not be a more dangerous situation…

Or could it?

Before Zoemi could utter a warning to Miriette, everything in sight got swallowed in a blinding light.

|Now the presence makes its move?!|

Zoemi wanted to spit out with fury but his body felt as if it was frozen.

Yet before he realized he could move again the light faded and he found himself…

In Bellcephora’s Royal Castle’s throne room, right in front of two tall thrones for the royal couple…

He instantly looked around to check on Miriette.

She was there but not by his side but standing at the foot of the king’s throne.

The same thing with Aspakeony, she was no longer covering behind his back but rather standing right by the empty queen’s throne.

Indeed, only the queen’s throne was empty, and the king’s one was very much occupied.

Although the sight of WHAT was taking a seat there forced Zoemi to grit his teeth to hold back a shocked gasp.

”Hold on..! What in the world…?!”

It… It was a human…?

It was actually had to say for certain after observing it for such a short amount of time, but nonetheless, it had to have been human at some point…

Probably.

Putting its origins aside…

On the king’s throne, a mass of half-melted flesh and skins wrapped around what had to be a child’s skeleton was seated.

Although seated was a term used loosely here – more appropriate would be propped up, but alas.

The lump of flesh was staring at Zoemi from behind a minged mess of what was left of platinum hair.

It was staring at him with a single platinum-colored eye, the other one had liquified a long time ago, judging by an empty eyesocket partly covered with melted skin.

”Zoemi…~!”

The flesh moved and moved an appendage that had to be a hand at some point, and waved it towards the boy.

”Welcome, good to see you in good shape, my beloved toy.”

The flesh spoke even though no part of its body parted to let the air move, although the pressure the words caused couldn’t be mistaken with anything…

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|Master…! |

|…|

The original personality cried out in a heartbroken voice, and the black-haired boy remained silent – not because he was ignoring him, but rather because he wanted the other one to continue talking.

|This is how I remember her originally – when it all started, that is what was left of her physical body. As her soul was being pushed out of the boundaries of time and space as we know it, I managed to tear open Cherro’s darkness and place her remains on the throne… her rightful place…|

And indeed, the original personality had something more to say.

|Oh… so she wasn’t placed like that by the Ghosts to make a statement, huh…|

Zoemi wanted to nod his head but that wasn’t really possible at the moment, and sighed.

|They would be dead if they tired… actually, I regret that they didn’t… at that time I could have easily dealt with them all.|

The original personality breathed out bitterly and they both returned to watching the events from the other timeline.

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”Presence.”

Zoemi unintentionally nodded his head towards the creature.

At the same time, he tried to use the ghost spell and turn his body into a black mist.

”Oh?”

The presence smiled, or rather her only eye lighted up as if it was smiling, and a black thorny halo appeared above its head…

No, it wasn’t a halo, it was the face of a clock.

And just as Zoemi’s body was hanging into mist the hands of that very clock moved backward and Zoemi’s body changed back.

”…”

Zoemi frowned and stared back at the presence.

The flesh moved again and a second appendage… no, this time it was almost a proper hand, only that there was no pinky finger, and the rest, aside from the thumb was melted together, and those melted fingers waved at him in a certain form of scolding.

”Don’t do that… We have to talk… I wanted to play for a lot longer, but sadly, my plans got ruined because of that repugnant filth and his family…”

”…”

As the already familiar voice resounded in the throne room, Zoemi wordlessly activated the shadow connect spell, and a hair-width shadow shoot towards the throne, but again, the hands of the clock above the presence’s head moved backward and the spell got recalled.

”I like how defiant you are, I really love watching you, you know? But now I really need you to do as I say.”

”…”

The presence declared while Zoemi’s eyes darted towards Miriette and Aspakeony.

Two girls were standing motionlessly with their heads down as if they were afraid to look him in the eyes.

”…”

Zoemi held back a groan, they could at least say something, their silence and inability to even face him were clear indicators that they knew everything that was going on behind the scenes all along.

It was like a punch to the gut for Zoemi.

A series of punches.

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|…I wonder…|

Zoemi hummed but did not follow it up with any additional remarks.

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|Miriette knew…? Did she comply willingly? Was she forced? Is she in danger?!|

And even so, Zoemi could only think about the safety of Miriette first.

And what was the most imminent danger in front of them right now?

Presence.