“How did you understand a word he said? And what do you mean by ‘save them’?” I demanded.

  “He says he’s glad to see you’re well. And… he apologized to me. Said he’s sorry. Anyway, I believe that since their body is no longer human, you can heal them—restore them to their original form without the feedback killing them.”

  She ignored my first question. Of course she did.

  “That can actually work? I—I can really save them?”

  “I think so. I’m certain they won’t die if you try.”

  “But… how can you be sure?”

  “Well, if you don’t heal them, their condition will only worsen. And if I’m wrong, you’ll kill them. They’ll die one way or another.”

  “Hell...”

  “You should prepare for anything.”

  “I can’t just prepare myself to get them killed!”

  “Try, at least.”

  “Give me something… some comfort. Anything. For god’s sake.”

  “I’m afraid of how their deaths might affect you.”

  “And what about you? How would you feel?”

  She looked at Ulah. “I’d feel terrible.”

  “You don’t sound too worried, mom. Always about me. Always me, me, me.”

  “Are you going to try and help them?”

  I took a deep breath and glanced at the doctor. Natasha waved her hand dismissively, and, strangely, the doctor obeyed, shutting the door behind him.

  My heart raced.

  My left hand glowed red, and I stepped closer to Caren.

  I placed my hand on his face, and the energy drained from me as though it were being siphoned away.

  Three seconds passed, the energy flickered, then surged back to life.

  My control was limited, but he wasn’t moving. It didn’t matter.

  It felt like an eternity, yet, his skin returned to a healthy tan.

  I pulled my hand back. Caren stirred, his fingers twitching, then reaching for his chest.

  Holy shit. “It worked!”

  “Ulah, next. Now.” Natasha ordered.

  Healing Ulah was smoother. His body quickly returned to normal, but I was drained, exhausted.

  “It worked.” Was it really that simple?

  I sank into a chair. I’d actually done it.

  POV: Ferzan

  I dressed quickly, slipping on a silver head covering, white shirt, silver pants, and a crimson sleeveless coat—the professional colors of respect.

  I checked myself in the mirror. Lifting the head covering, I held it at my side, admiring my reflection.

  Katie was already dressed in the same colors. “You should wear the headscarf off to the side.”

  “In public? I want to look like a young gentleman, not some thug.”

  “A'ight.”

  I adjusted it, this time leaving the sides and back of my head exposed, but covering the top and front.

  I looked damn good.

  “You’re acting like you’re about to go on a date.”

  “I might see a cute girl in the capital.”

  “I thought you liked dudes.”

  “Do you just make up things and pretend they’re true?” I muttered without looking at her.

  I adjusted the head covering, making sure it concealed all my hair, except for the sideburns stopping just at my ears.

  “I might spread a rumor about you. Save you from being married off to your cousin or aunt.”

  “Ain’t you the most caring sister?”

  “Seriously, do you think that’s why Granny wants us to have dinner tonight? So you can meet some woman twice your age?”

  “It’s for an evaluation of me as a vlandos. You should be the one worrying about that.”

  I wouldn’t need to worry about that until I was two or three times older. By then, I’d likely surpass level 100.

  The higher a vlandos level, the stronger their offspring would be.

  Katie wasn’t a vlandos, but she was a second-generation descendant of a Mortal God. Her value was astronomical.

  The other star families weren’t even in their sixteenth generation.

  “I’d rather jump off a cliff.”

  “Don’t say such disgusting things.”

  “I’ll kill myself.”

  The banter ended when Tarneisha opened the door. “Miss Abella is waiting for you two.”

  She wasn’t joining us, dressed casually as usual.

  “Are you going to be okay by yourself?” I asked her.

  “Yeah. I guess I’ll be playing puzzles until you two come back.”

  “I’ll get you something cool in the city,” I said as we headed for the door.

  “Cooler puzzles.”

  We made our way down the stairs.

  The two Punchio servants opened the door for us. “See you,” I said, waving to Tarneisha.

  “Have fun,” she replied.

  Katie turned to Tarneisha. “Don’t fall asleep without us.”

  Mom’s yellow hair, usually straight, was now styled in soft, curly waves that cascaded down her back, reaching her waist.

  Her dress was a gentle blend of pale yellow and white. The bodice, a soft yellow, fitted her perfectly, while the skirt flowed out in flowing white layers.

  “You look good,” I said.

  “Thank you. You’re dressed… well enough.”

  “You’re supposed to say something like, I look like a handsome young man. Or I look like my father.”

  She said with her usually neutral demeanor, “You look very handsome.”

  I smiled brightly. “Thank you.”

  We were driven to Sundawn in a ether-powered Jeep. I tapped my thighs out of boredom, watching the city draw closer.

  Soon enough, we arrived at Directa Restaurant, one of the city’s most luxurious, owned by a man whose great-great-grandfather had supported the vlandos during the revolts following Valuza's death.

  Katie always said he was just trying to stay on the vlandos’ good side, in case one of them went off the rails and launched a genocidal campaign. If you asked her why, she’d say it was what she would have done back then.

  I exhaled. “Mom.”

  “What is it?” She asked, not turning to look at me.

  “Nothing. Just felt like calling you.”

  “Oh… Of course.”

  “Mom.”

  “Yes?”

  At the edge of my vision, something streaked across the sky, falling in chaotic bursts.

  Wait—what are those?

  A shadow crashed down in front of us with a deafening thud, fracturing the pavement.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  I kicked the door open and instinctively reached to summon a monster—but nothing happened. The sanctity fields, also called safety zones of the temples nullified my call.

  The creature before us was grotesque, its green skin gnarled and monstrous. It stirred, rising to its full height—easily a meter taller than me.

  It rasped, a garbled voice spilling from its shifting, inhuman mouth. “Filthy… cultist… You are not mine… not my…” Its face contorted, and then its entire body shuddered before splitting, forming a duplicate of itself.

  A metallic shriek tore through the night—my mother had ripped the door off the front jeep.

  "Don't just stare—run!" she barked, then hurled the door like a knife.

  The edge cleaved deep into the creature’s flesh. It howled in response, its elongated arm snapping toward her like a whip.

  She cursed, backpedaling. In a single motion, she tore open the back door and swung it to intercept the attack, deflecting the grotesque limb to the side. Then, with brutal efficiency, she sent the door spinning at its neck.

  The head severed cleanly.

  Katie scrambled out of the jeep, wide-eyed. "Mom…"

  "It's okay," she murmured, staring at the twitching corpse.

  The driver stood beside me, trembling.

  "How is there a monster here?!" I demanded.

  "I don't know." My mother's voice was calm, like it often was when she was public.

  She rolled her shoulders—a familiar motion, one she always did when pain from her illness clawed at her bones. Then she flinched, her gaze snapping up. Without hesitation, she kicked the jeep beside her, sending it flying forward.

  The creature’s stump of a neck bulged, flesh rupturing as another head began to form. Before it could fully emerge, the force of the jeep’s impact sent it hurtling back.

  But the mass of flesh only shuddered—and divided again.

  My mother exhaled sharply and reached into her [personal space], pulling forth a blue-and-silver lance.

  The duplicates roared, then surged toward her.

  I didn’t waste time. I grabbed Katie and the driver and ran.

  The original creature didn’t follow. Instead, its distorted gaze scanned the area, as if seeking something—someone. Its body tensed the moment it found its target.

  I followed its line of sight. A small doctor’s office stood in the distance. The same one where I had met Vernisha. Well it was in ruins...

  Could she be near?

  I swallowed hard, dropped to the ground, and crossed my legs.

  Focus… focus.

  I conjured the image of the Mortal Goddess in my mind, reached for her power.

  With conviction, I whispered, "Wanda Starlight, reveal your starlight upon what is unknown to me. Show me—where is Vernisha Holinestone?"

  A dimness settled over the world. The sky pulsed. My mother swung her lance in a wide arc, steel glinting as she fended off the growing beasts. Then she turned toward me, sensing the shift.

  A single bright yellow star shone above—and a beam of light descended upon the doctor’s office.

  Just… great.

  I sighed. "Thank you for your light."

  The glow faded, the world returning to normal.

  "Katie," I said, pointing. "When Mom's done, tell her I’m heading over there."

  "Why the hell would you do that?! Leave it to the Knights!"

  "Someone I know might be in danger."

  I didn’t wait for her response. I took off running.

  A sudden blast of cold hit my back. I turned—

  The monstrous mass had been frozen solid, a towering sculpture of ice. My mother sat before it, lance resting at her side, eyes drifting onto the distant swarm of creatures.

  POV: Vernisha

  It all happened too fast. Even as I lay on the cold ground, a jagged pole skewering my stomach, my mind clung desperately to the moments before.

  The chaos. The screams. None of it drowned out Caren’s words, repeating over and over in my head.

  I had healed them. I had watched as they stirred back to life. Ulah had bolted toward Natasha, clinging to her, sobbing into her chest.

  Caren had lifted his hands, turning them over as if they were foreign to him. He flexed his fingers, blinking in disbelief. Then, slowly, he sat up, his eyes darting between us, a flicker of guilt and confusion crossing his face.

  "Where… are we?"

  "A private doctor’s office," I told him. "You were all very sick."

  "Oh." He frowned, rubbing his temple. "I remember… being insanely hungry. Thirsty."

  His hand drifted to his stomach before his gaze settled on me.

  "You look a bit dirty. Were you working on the farm?"

  I forced a weak smile. "I just ended up falling a lot."

  He chuckled, but the lightness faded quickly. His eyes flickered toward Natasha, his fists clenching—not in anger, but as if bracing himself.

  "Natasha, you look… good. Are you well?"

  "I think I am. You?"

  "I’m okay. A little weird still, but… okay." He exhaled sharply. "I just… I just want to say, I’m sorry. I never really appreciated you. I was stupid. So freaking stupid. I didn’t understand why you’d be with someone like me, and that just… made me frustrated, I guess. I want you to know—I’ll treat you better. I mean that. I really do."

  Natasha gave a small nod, then glanced down at Ulah.

  Caren turned back to me. "What’s on your mind?"

  I met his gaze. "Just so you know, it was a Vlandos doctor who saved you."

  He nodded slowly, then smirked. "Of course, that’s what you’d say…"

  "Thank Vernisha," Natasha said. "If it wasn’t for her—if she hadn’t kept making friends with Vlandos one after another—you wouldn’t be here in the capital, healed by one."

  He looked genuinely surprised. His fists tightened, trembling slightly. His lips parted, then curled into a strained smile as he turned toward Ulah.

  "And because of that… Ulah is okay…"

  His voice was hoarse as he muttered, "I was the old fool, huh? It’s a good thing you ignored me back then. If… If Ulah had died because of the things I told you, that would have broken me." He swallowed hard and met my eyes. "Thank you, Vernisha. Thank you for saving your brother… and me."

  I was stunned. My heart throbbed in a way I never thought it could for this man. The same man I never once thought of as my father.

  I slowly nodded. I think being appreciated. He acknowledging he was wrong. I think... that made me happy.

  I suppressed the weird strong emotions that were coming out of nowhere. "Yeah..."

  I bit down on my lips, holding back the tears.

  Then Ulah jerked back suddenly, clutching his throat. His sobs turned into strangled gasps. His skin swelled, darkening into a sickly green.

  Natasha's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then returned to a chilling neutrality—like she had been expecting this.

  Panic surged through me. I darted to Ulah and placed my hands on him, flooding him with healing energy before the mutation could consume him. His body convulsed, his skin slowly returning to normal. He slumped into my arms, breathless, utterly drained.

  Caren saw everything.

  That wasn’t a blunder of mine. I hadn’t had time to think of some clever way to hide it—not when he was mutating so damn fast.

  "Natasha—Mom," I stammered, my voice trembling. "How sure are you really?"

  The realization struck me then. My power—was it truly healing? If their DNA was changing, then wasn’t I just reinforcing that change? Restoring whatever was left of their normal selves?

  I didn’t think I was saving them. I was triggering something else. And judging by how fast Ulah had almost transformed, it wasn’t good.

  Natasha exhaled. "I don’t think so anymore."

  "How can you say that?!" I snapped. "Why were you so damn confident before?"

  Caren stepped in, confusion and fear bleeding into his voice. "That red energy. Vernisha… Oh, what have you done?"

  "This is different!" I shouted. "It heals! I healed you and him!"

  His pupils split. His skin stretched grotesquely, his limbs swelling as though something inside was trying to tear free.

  "The entire time… you were like that? You could—" His gaze dropped to my left, to the bandages wrapped tightly around my hand. "Remove that."

  "No."

  "Remove it!"

  "I said—"

  "He’s going to die anyway," Natasha cut in coldly. "Show him."

  I hesitated, my eyes flicking between them. Then, with a sharp inhale, I tore the bandages away, letting them fall limply to the floor.

  I lifted my left hand, exposing my palm.

  The black spider symbol.

  Caren’s breath hitched. Slowly, he shook his head, his entire body trembling. "No… No… NO!"

  His scream ripped through the room.

  "NATASHA! You knew?! You knew she was a darsean cultist?!"

  "I am not a Darsean cultist!" I yelled. "I just have the same seal. That’s all!"

  Natasha remained still, her expression unreadable.

  Caren’s face twisted as his body swelled further, the grotesque mutations overtaking him. "You… are a devil. No wonder you loved me. No, you never loved me... You aren’t even human."

  And then, his body swelled.

  His skin stretched, muscles bulging grotesquely as his form expanded beyond human limits. The floor cracked beneath him, walls groaning under the pressure. Ulah’s body reacted too—an uncontrollable chain reaction warping everything around us.

  "I will kill you!" His voice echoed, the last words I heard from him—words that carved themselves into my mind.

  Perhaps I was a hypocrite. I had wanted him dead, yet it hurt to hear him say he wanted the same for me.

  I had accepted that he would hate me if he knew I was Vlandos. But this? He thought I was a cultist.

  And that hurt more.

  Ah… what the hell.

  The broken remains of the ceiling rained down, but I couldn’t move. My body was too weak, drained of ether. Then, from nowhere, a long piece of iron shot through the air, piercing deep into my stomach.

  My vision blurred.

  I was so low on ether that even if I removed the pole, I would just bleed out.

  Above me, Caren twisted and split into unnatural clones, his monstrous form darting across the wreckage, searching.

  I wondered—if I killed the original, would the others die too?

  I doubted it would be that easy.

  They loomed over me, towering more than five meters tall, their gait unsteady, as if they might collapse with every step. Then one of them saw my face.

  “You…”

  Shit.

  I gritted my teeth and tried to shove the debris off me, but the slabs of broken stone and metal must have weighed over six hundred pounds. My arms trembled with effort as I pushed. They barely shifted.

  I reached for my monster, willing it into existence, but all I got was a weak black glow before it flickered out. Something was blocking it.

  The footsteps behind me grew heavier, each one sending vibrations through the ground, rattling my bones.

  I fought harder, pressing with both my arms and legs, but the weight refused to budge.

  “Argh!” I screamed in frustration. Just get off me!

  A shadow fell over me.

  “You freak…” Caren stood barely a meter away.

  I froze. My muscles seized, cold panic shooting through my veins like ice water.

  “Fuck… you.” My voice cracked, raw and desperate. “I am your daughter, Caren!”

  The words spilled out in a frantic rush. I wasn't sure why I said that. I hated that man... so why did I feel so betrayed?

  “Are you really going to kill me?! How can you even think I’m a cultist? I’m just twelve! A little girl!”

  He stepped closer, his presence suffocating, the sheer weight of him making the ground tremble beneath me. I felt it through my spine, through the cold metal still lodged in my body.

  “I am your DAUGHTER!”

  Without a word, he seized the massive debris pinning me down, and hurled it aside like it weighed nothing. Then his hands closed around me, ignoring the pole still impaling me.

  “You are not my daughter.” His grip tightened, ribs groaning under the pressure. “You’re just a freak... something that should've never existed.”