Nyx Shadowfall... among all the women in Aether’s life, she stood as the one who knew the most.

It was not a claim shaped by emotion or pride, but a truth carved in fate. Even Marisandra and Isadora, who believed themselves closest to him, stood in ignorance before what Nyx had witnessed.

She knew everything about her husband, Aether, from the moment he was born into a life wrapped in fragile luxury to the countless moments where that life left no meaning for him.

She did not hear of it, nor imagine it through fragmented tales; she saw it, endured it as though each memory had been etched into her very soul.

His life unfolded before her like an endless storm, a child born with a silver spoon, only to be cast aside like a defective product unworthy of keeping... a fate that mirrored her own existence.

She saw the quiet moments of his suffering, the suffocating weight of expectations he could never meet, the cold dismissal in the eyes of those who should have cherished him, and the sharp sting of being treated as less than human.

Just like her, he had been shaped by rejection, moulded by pain, and abandoned when he needed warmth the most.

Yet, where her will had once shattered and faded into nothingness until Mary reached out and pulled her back into life, Aether... he moved forward in the dark.

He continued to stand, step after step...

The mother he loved discarded him without hesitation.

The brother he wished to protect reduced him to something insignificant.

And the woman he gave his heart to walked away at the moment he needed her presence the most.

Still, he endured.

Still, he believed that somewhere beyond the suffocating darkness, beyond the endless tunnel of despair... something waited for him.

Hope...?

A fragile, stubborn hope that refused to die, a hope Nyx herself had never dared to hold, yet he carried it like a flame cupped in trembling hands, protecting it even as the winds of the world tried to snuff it out.

That hope drove him forward, again and again, refusing to let him fall.

His will to live was not just strong; it was unyielding, an unbreakable force that bent but never shattered, no matter how many times fate tried to tear it apart.

And yet, the world did not relent.

It hurled suffering at him without pause, pressed against him with relentless cruelty, trying to force him to kneel... to break... to disappear entirely!!

It was as if existence itself had singled him out, determined to ensure that his life would be nothing but a relentless chain of pain.

Above all of it, he chose to die, again and again, not for himself, but for the ones he loved.

He carried burdens none of the others even knew existed, endured horrors across countless timelines, and sacrificed everything without ever allowing a single complaint to escape his lips.

None of the other women knew.

None of them even thought to question what he endured, blind to the truth that stood right before them.

It was horrifying... even for her, for a person with half-dead, half-alive!

How she would manage to remain intact if she were in his shoes?

Perhaps it was because she was half soul, because death was not something foreign to her but a familiar presence that lingered at her side... Or perhaps it was something else entirely, something she had yet to grasp?

But one truth remained clear... The only reason they were all still alive, breathing, standing here in this fragile moment, was because he kept dying for them. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

And even after everything, after countless deaths and endless suffering, he never once spoke in resentment, never once cursed them for the pain he endured.

Nyx stood in silence, her gaze fixed on the unconscious man resting upon the bed, fragile breaths left from his lips. She had barely pulled him back from the Eternal Prison.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached out, hovering above him before gently resting against his hand.

"How do you hold all of this together..." her voice came out softer than she intended, "Why do you carry it alone like this... what keeps you walking forward when everything around you demands that you fall..."

Her lips parted again, another question rising to the surface, one far more fragile, one that struck closer to her own heart.

"And even now... even with this... the child..."

The words faltered, leaving behind a heavy silence that pressed against her chest.

She had been the one who wanted the child more than anything, the one who dreamed of holding that small life in her arms, of creating something that belonged to both of them.

But the moment she understood the truth, the moment his memories revealed what lay hidden beneath everything, that dream shattered without warning.

It was not that he could not give her a child.

The truth was far more cruel... She was the one who could not bear it.

Aether’s women... none of them could carry his child.

From the memories she had seen, she understood how deeply that truth haunted him, how the image of holding his own child lingered in his mind like a distant dream he could never reach.

Before she fell for him, the Nyx Shadowfall who existed back then would not have cared. To her, nothing held value beyond the desire to have a child, even if it meant forcing him... even if it meant watching him die for it.

She knew herself well enough to admit it without hesitation.

If she had stood in his place back then, she would have chosen differently; she would have let him die without a second thought if it meant fulfilling that desire.

But he... even with that same longing buried deep within him, he chose her.

He chose to protect her, to safeguard her body, even if it meant abandoning something he yearned for.

Nyx’s vision blurred as she watched him. She reached up, brushing her fingers against her face, only then realising that her vision had turned wet and unsteady.

"Husband..." her voice cracked, as her fingers curled slightly against her palm.

"You are an idiot... a hopeless, stubborn idiot who keeps breaking himself for everyone else..."

"And yet... you never let anyone see it, never let anyone carry even a fragment of what you bear..." she whispered, "How am I supposed to stand beside you... if you keep walking into the dark alone..."

She took a slow, steady breath, and then she spoke with a cold and unwavering tone,

"Since I know what you are going through... I will protect you," she uttered,

"Nyx Shadowfall will protect her husband at any cost, no matter what stands in the way!!"

With that vow echoing in her mind, she made a decision she had avoided for so long, a decision that carried weight far beyond herself... She would finally use her family, the one she had kept hidden within her personal realm, the one she had never intended to involve in any conflict.

She would use them! For her husband’s sake!!

But before everything else, there was something she could not ignore... her Majesty and her adoptive mother, Mary.

The memories of their clash still lingered vividly within her.

"Since Her Majesty is the strongest one and unkillable, going against her is definitely a wrong move... we need to make allies rather than enemies," she muttered, her brows knitting together as confusion settled across her expression.

As much as she loved her husband, as much as she was willing to stand against the world itself for his sake, there remained a faint, unspoken fear within her when it came to facing her Majesty.

Nyx followed her husband’s will without question, and if he hated someone, she would not hesitate to mirror that hatred.

"But... is there truly no other choice?" she whispered under her breath, her fingers rising to rest lightly against her chin as she fell deeper into thought, her gaze unfocused as possibilities drifted through her mind.

She tried to understand the root of it, the reason behind the hostility between Mary and Aether.

Beyond Lia’s feelings for him, there had to be something more, something buried beneath layers she could not yet see.

During their confrontation, she had noticed it clearly. Morgana hesitated when it came to killing Aether, while Mary, despite her overwhelming power, never once unleashed her full strength.

Nyx had seen the true extent of her Majesty’s power before, had witnessed what Mary was truly capable of when she chose to act without restraint.

If Mary had truly wished to kill him, it would have ended in a single moment, a fleeting instant before Aether’s body would have been torn apart without resistance.

That much, Nyx could affirm without the slightest hesitation.

"Hmm... it seems there is still a chance," she murmured quietly, though the thought brought her little comfort, for recognising a possibility and knowing how to act upon it were two entirely different things.

She exhaled slowly.

"Should I ask the others...?" she considered aloud.

Her expression shifted as the thought lingered, her eyes narrowing slightly before, suddenly, something clicked within her mind.

Her hands came together in a soft clap... There was someone!

Someone closer to her than the others, someone who would understand without the need for long explanations or endless questioning, someone who rarely spoke, yet always saw more than what was shown.

"Sister Raven... are you free right now?" Nyx called out as she reached out to the one person she trusted most in moments like this.

Raven, seated within her room, a collection of documents spread before her as she worked through the empire’s endless matters, lifted her gaze the moment she heard Nyx’s voice.

Though her time was occupied, though her duties remained unfinished, none of it mattered in that instant.

For her beloved sisters, she would always make time.

Without a word, she gave a small nod.

Just like Nyx, Raven had grown deeply attached to Nyx because she spoke less and also helped her husband bringing back from an unknown place.

If not for her... Raven wasn’t sure what would have happened to her husband.

Maybe he would be stuck in there forever?

That fear alone sent a shiver down her spine.

The two stood facing each other. Their gazes met, and within that quiet exchange, something passed between them, something far beyond spoken language.

Their eyes moved, subtle, precise, carrying meaning in the smallest shifts, as if each glance was a sentence, each motion a response.

’Eaten?’ Raven asked, her eyes lifting slightly upward in a silent question.

’Yes,’ Nyx replied, her gaze dipping downward in confirmation.

’Digging grave?’

’Not today,’

’Resting?’

’Yes,’

’Good,’

’Thank you,’

They spoke without words, their understanding flowing effortlessly between them, a connection so refined that even Aether had yet to reach such a level of enlightenment.

And finally, Raven parted her lips as she asked, "Do you need something?"

Nyx hesitated for a brief moment,

"I... I am lost, Sister Raven. There is something I need your advice on. Do you mind?" she asked, lifting her gaze toward Raven.

Seeing that expression, those wide, searching eyes that resembled a small cub seeking comfort, Raven’s heart swelled almost instantly.

She straightened her posture, lifting her chin as she folded her arms beneath her ample bosom, her presence suddenly filled with pride.

"As your big sister, it is my duty. Tell me," she declared with excitement, her expression brightening with curiosity and a hint of joy.

This was the first time someone had come to her for advice, the first time she was being relied upon in such a way.

The thought alone stirred something warm within her chest.

She had to do her best.

Raven could barely suppress the slight curl of her lips.

Nyx, on the other hand, found herself blushing faintly... This too was new to her, asking someone for guidance other than her adoptive mother, placing her trust in another.

"I... there are two people I love the most, but they hate each other," she began, her voice unsteady at first before firming as she clenched her fists.

"I don’t want either of them to get hurt. I want them to stop hating each other and... become supportive, to stand together instead of against each other.

I-Is there a way to stop it?"

She looked at Raven again, those same hopeful, searching eyes now filled with urgency, silently pleading for an answer.

Raven stared into Nyx’s sparkling gaze, her expression turning serious for a brief moment as her mind moved through possibilities.

A faint frown formed as she considered the situation before she asked,

"A woman and a man?"

Nyx nodded.

Raven’s expression shifted almost instantly, the seriousness melting into a confident smile as if she had already reached a conclusion.

"Then it is easy to solve."

"Is it?" Nyx’s eyes widened as she thought, ’She solved it that quickly...? No wonder Aether had entrusted Sister Raven with such a position.’

Raven pointed a finger toward Nyx, her expression turning smug with pride as she delivered her answer without hesitation.

"Let them FUCK."

"..."

"..."

Silence fell between them.

Then suddenly,

"You are a genius!!!" she exclaimed.

Why had she not thought of it before?

Wasn’t that how she and Aether had grown closer in the first place?

They crossed that fucked first, understood each other through that closeness, and from there... everything deepened into something far more meaningful.

’H-How did I miss something so crucial...?’ Nyx thought, stunned by her own oversight.

Before she could stop herself, she moved forward, throwing her arms around Raven in a sudden embrace.

"You are amazing, Sister Raven!"

"Haha..." Raven let out a soft, satisfied laugh, her arms wrapping around Nyx in return, her pride practically radiating from her.

This was nothing like dealing with her usual rowdy sister.

She truly was the big sister.

She even wiped at an imaginary tear, basking in the moment as she tightened her embrace, perhaps a little too much. Nyx’s face sank into the softness of her bosom, the warmth overwhelming as the pressure increased.

"S-Sis... Si... One more quest-mmff..." Nyx’s words were muffled, swallowed entirely as she struggled to breathe while Raven continued to revel in the brilliance of her advice.

And so, armed with what she believed to be the most effective solution, Nyx, who had come with Aether to meet Mary, finally resolved herself to act.

If this were the answer, then she would see it through.

To make them come together, she would give it her all.

’Yes... Husband, I will protect you,’ Nyx thought, her fists tightening with determination as she stepped forward, placing herself before both her Majesty Mary and her husband Aether.

"Because I love you... as much as I love my husband."

With those words declared, Nyx clenched her fists in quiet satisfaction, believing she had done exactly what Raven advised.

If they both understood her feelings, surely they would come together for her sake.

Crack!

Nyx flinched, her gaze snapping upward as she saw the armrest crushed beneath Mary’s grip, an overwhelming aura beginning to rise from her presence.

"Is it working...? Are they going to... Fuck?" Nyx wondered.

But before anything could unfold as she imagined, her husband moved.

With a sharp motion, Aether drew his sword,

"Come at me, bitch. Let’s end this... once and for all."

"??"

Nyx blinked as question marks appeared in her eyes.

’Husband! What are you doing!!’ she screamed inwardly, watching as her carefully crafted plan shattered before her eyes.