Beyond the Bloodline-Chapter 244: Nos. 5 & 4, The Witch and The Sword II
The barrier to Sector 3 crackled and glowed, resisting her touch for a moment before dissolving into harmless sparks. She then lowered her hand and turned to John.
"She kept it separate because it mattered to her the most. Mother is a very paranoid woman, you know?
If there’s anyone who can relate to the reason for her paranoia, then it would be us."
John studied his younger sister for a moment, then glanced down at the sword strapped to his waist.
"You’re right. If anyone should take it on, it should be us."
They moved deeper into the archives, passing rows upon rows of data records as Olivia dismantled layers of deadly defences with a simple flick or tap.
For a while, silence reigned supreme.
Finally reaching the entrance to the next, John broke the silence, his tone contemplative.
"Do you ever wonder...what she would have done, once she’d completed this goal? I mean, for someone like her, was there ever an ’after’?"
Olivia was silent for a moment before she finally responded with a sad smile.
"I think...this was her ’after.’"
She walked ahead, stepping into Sector 4 where the ambient cosmic energy concentration in the air was enough to make Apex Worlds feel like water bottles compared to an ocean.
Like usual, Olivia raised her hand, summoning a rune which floated forward at the flick of her finger. It danced across a field of energy that rippled and faded, leaving their path clear once more.
"You know..."
John began, glancing over his shoulder to ensure no traps lingered before continuing his words.
"the closer we get, the more I keep asking myself, what really mattered most to her?"
Olivia didn’t answer immediately, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. She was studying the dim glow that marked the entrance to Sector 5, the heart of the archive as she knew it.
Once she had what she needed, she lifted her gaze to John and spoke.
"What mattered most to mother? You should ask Who rather than What."
She stepped forward, closing the distance between her and the barrier in an instant. Then, before John could say a word, Olivia glanced back, her hand reaching out to Sector 5’s barrier as she continued.
"Richard. John. Olivia."
The barrier shattered upon her touch, and she stepped through. John followed right behind her, watching the barrier reform right behind them.
He then turned his gaze back to his sister who had explicitly stated they were who mattered the most to their mother.
But John’s Instinct told him there was something off about Olivia’s response.
Deciding to probe her a bit, he stepped forward, catching up to Olivia who had just dispelled an instant death barrier capable of killing Race Emperors and spoke.
"It’s certainly nice to hear we matter a lot to Mother. But there’s something else I’ve been wanting to ask about.
Is it really necessary for the Witch of Mercury to be part of this?"
At his words, Olivia’s expression didn’t change one bit. She still studied the barrier before her with a gleam in her eyes, muttering something about ’wanting to have taken Cassiel as a disciple’ before responding.
"Of course. There’s no point if she’s not involved. Too bad we have no idea where she is. Even looking down on things from a Higher Dimension is not enough to give all the answers we need."
John studied her face silently as she spoke. She didn’t sound like she was guessing or hedging—she was certain. And that certainty unsettled him.
’She knows something Richard and I don’t. But what is it?’
There was a strange silence between them, filled only by the distant hum of the archives’ energy fields.
Olivia, sensing his thoughts, remained silent, her expression unchanging. Whatever it was that she knew, she wasn’t about to reveal it here.
’Of course, the Witch of Mercury is essential. Everything Mother ever did, every move she made, was because of her. Because of her elder sister.’
The thought lingered in Olivia’s mind, a weighty truth she kept hidden even from John and Richard.
Everyone believed that they were the last surviving members of the original Cathedral family.
And she too would have thought the same if not for the extensive time she spent with Angela while the Witch was working on her Hybrid Project.
Without breaking stride, Olivia shifted the conversation, an easy smile coming to her lips as if they hadn’t just been treading on the edge of buried secrets.
"Speaking of strange movements, I noticed Sarina’s Nephilims were gathering near the Dead Zone recently. I wonder what she’s after there."
John’s brows lifted slightly, and he chuckled.
"Sarina’s always had her eyes set on that sword. Even when she was just a human, she was obsessed with it.
I’d bet every realm I have that she’s found another clue to it over there."
"She’s relentless. And knowing her, she won’t let anything stop her. I almost admire her persistence. Almost."
John scoffed at Olivia’s remark.
"Persistence? Try obsession. That sword has a hold on her like nothing else. She’s chased it for ages, even before we were born, never letting it go, always just on the edge of finding it."
"Well, maybe this time she’ll get close enough to finally reach it. And when she does, maybe it’ll settle her down a little."
Olivia mused, though there was a glint of amusement in her eyes but John just shook his head in reply.
"Don’t hold your breath. She’s never been one to settle for anything."
The casual conversation between the Cathedral siblings revealed intriguing details about Sarina Aster, the most low-key of the Six Hybrids.
To begin with, Sarina was originally Human.
She was also older than any of them.
Though all the Hybrids were over a billion years old, if one brought it down to specifics, Jamie and Miranda were the youngest of the group by far.
Sarina, on the other hand, had more than a million years on all of them, even the Cathedral siblings.
By the time of the Mercury Galaxy’s Tragedy, Sarina was an established Race Queen with well over a million years of experience under her belt.
But Sarina lost it all—her power, her home, her titles.
The woman who had fought her way to the top was betrayed and forced to start from scratch. This crushing setback was one of the reasons she willingly agreed to join Angela’s Hybrid Project.
Little known fact, although Jamie was the de-facto leader of the Six, Sarina was deeply respected by all of them.
Not because she was older than they were—none of them placed much stock in respect based on age. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
What earned their respect was her unwavering tenacity and hard work.
If Jamie was the embodiment of natural talent, Sarina was the living testament to hard work.
She was born an ordinary human with no special abilities, no extraordinary gifts. In every measurable way, she was average—or perhaps even below average.
Jamie became a Transcendent at Age 20, and Sarina was 20 times Jamie’s age when she finally reached Transcendence.
Yet, through sheer grit and unyielding effort, she clawed her way to becoming a Race Ruler, and she would have ascended even further if not for betrayal.
Her downfall came at the hands of those who saw a "mere human" as unworthy of ruling them. But even as they tore her down, Sarina dragged her betrayers into oblivion with her.
She reincarnated herself and began her climb anew.
This time, she crossed paths with Angela, and this led to her becoming the Nephalem she is today.
If the truth ever emerged—that Sarina had become a Nephalem and now commanded quintillions of Angels and Demons across the universe purely to spite those who once betrayed her—well, that revelation alone would be enough to drive countless beings to madness.
Now, she was on an eternal quest to discover the item that was responsible for her second life.
