TWO DAYS AGO
ARCANE COSMOS
PLANET CONJURIA
Upon arriving at Conjuria via a spaceship, Princess Meda Von reverted to her original form—transforming from a man in his late forties to a beautiful lady with naturally curly green and blue hair and a milky complexion. Her journey from the rooftop of Ranace Airport was smooth and uninterrupted, given that it was solely a cargo transportation hub, contrasting with a typical airport that caters to passenger transit.
Rushing directly to the throne chamber, Meda was greeted by the guards who promptly opened the door for her. To her surprise, it wasn’t her mother, Queen Dela Von, but the Queen of the Arcane Cosmos, Anka Therr, sitting on the throne. She was surrounded by her soldiers. Standing nearby on the lower steps of the dais was the Arcane Military Commander Paza Herth, holding a bloody sword.
“Mother!” Meda’s voice sliced through the silence as she darted to her mother’s side. Her body was lying lifeless on the floor, her blood pooling beneath her from a gash in her neck. Tears cascaded down Meda’s face as she desperately tried to stem the flow of blood from her mother’s wound, but it was futile—Dela was already gone.
With a voice trembling with grief and rage, Meda raised her eyes to meet Paza’s. “What have you done? Why did you murder the Queen?”
Paza shifted his gaze away, and it was Anka who spoke up instead. “She doesn’t have much time left anyway, does she? So, what difference does it make if we end her life?”
“My Queen, if I may inquire, what is the reason behind your decision to have her killed?” Meda asked firmly but calmly as she rose to her feet. She had already recovered from her illness. How could you do this to my mother, who has faithfully served you for years? Dela had been afflicted by a rare ailment known as Xenoptysis, causing her to cough up blood with shimmering crystalline particles or emit ethereal energy waves. If left untreated, she would gradually lose her life force and vitality.
When Anka responded with a piercing glare, Meda remained undeterred and pressed on, “Has she committed a grave offense that warrants such a brutal punishment?”
Anka let out a deep, heavy sigh. “It’s the consequence of giving birth to a rebel like you.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Turn around and see for yourself,” Anka replied, pointing towards the imposing doors from which Princess Lala Von emerged.
As soon as Meda caught sight of her sister, she rushed towards her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. “Lala, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” However, Lala pushed her away, her expression void of any emotion. Meda took a deep breath. “I understand. You must be angry with me. I apologize, truly.”
Ignoring her, Lala continued to walk past her, making her way towards the dais. Alarmed, Meda called out, “Where are you going? Don’t go near them.” She reached out to grab Lala’s arm, but she forcefully pushed it away, determined to reach her destination. Finally, she stood beside Anka, leaving Meda bewildered and shaken. “What is happening?” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Good girl,” Anka praised Lala before redirecting her attention towards Meda. “Now, it’s my turn to ask the questions. Let’s start with . . . where are the descendants of the Lennox Family?”
Meda answered her with another question. “What have you done to my sister?”
Anka let out a dismissive scoff as she crossed her arms. “Very well, I’ll answer that since you seem desperate to know the truth. I have absorbed her memories.”
“What?” Meda muttered in disbelief as her anger surged forth. She probably knows almost everything by now. With nothing left to hold back, she blurted out, “You wicked woman! Instead of targeting my family, you should have confronted me directly! You’re nothing but a coward—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Paza swiftly intervened, pointing his newly cleaned sword at her throat. “Continue, and I won’t hesitate to stain my sword once again.”
Anka’s laughter echoed through the room as she stood up and made her way towards Meda. “If you had fulfilled your duties diligently, I wouldn’t have taken any action. I wouldn’t have suspected you of treason. Instead, you allowed mere Earthlings to not only destroy one, but multiple Arcane Laboratories. It made me question your intentions. I only intended to absorb a fraction of Lala’s recent memories, but when I discovered your true intentions of plotting against me, that’s when I made up my mind. I had to absorb all of her memories to uncover the complete truth.”
Anka’s words hung in the air, the gravity of the situation sinking in for Meda. She stood there, stunned and speechless, trying to process everything.
“I knew something was off about Latiz Kathar’s death. There’s no way he would just drop dead from a heart attack. He was perfectly healthy.” Anka returned to her seat and crossed her leg over the other confidently. “Did you kill him to take over as the ruler of Ranace and gain control of the Arcane Laboratories? You can control anyone’s actions, so did you order him to stop breathing?”
Meda let out an exasperated sigh and used her powers to forcefully lower Paza’s sword. She then turned her gaze towards Anka and spoke with a hint of frustration, “Yes, everything you’ve said is true. I was also the one who destroyed Arcane Laboratories 01. Why would you even think I would serve an Arcanian? The only queen that I will acknowledge is a Lennox!”
Anka raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. So where are they now? Didn’t they abandon their planet to save themselves? How can you remain so loyal to a self-centered ruler?”
“Well, their decision to prioritize their survival may seem selfish, but it’s understandable. If I were in their shoes, I would have probably made the same choice. Shermanda Lennox, the Princess, was the epitome of an ideal queen, as described by my mother. She was intelligent, courageous, resilient, and kind, showing respect to all her people, regardless of their rank. That’s what a true queen should be, and it saddens me how the Conjuria had never had someone like her!”
Anka, with a bored expression, said, “I see. Anyway, do you want to experience true sadness?” She smirked and gestured for Lala to step down from the dais, instructing her to kill Meda.
Lala began removing her layered clothing, leaving only a fitted white overall cloth. She retrieved a dagger from her leg holster and swiftly lunged at Meda. Despite Meda’s desperate attempts to introduce herself and jog Lala’s memory, it was all in vain. And so, she did her best to block her relentless attacks, but it proved to be a temporary solution. She could barely dodge the strikes, resulting in scrapes from Lala’s slim, pointed dagger. It was clear that Meda had to fight back to survive. In a moment of opportunity, she managed to kick Lala, pushing her back slightly. This gave her a chance to catch her breath and prepare for the next onslaught.
With quick reflexes, Meda dodged and pivoted to the side, causing Lala to trip. Seizing the moment, she delivered a forceful knee strike to her stomach and followed it up with an elbow strike to her back. However, Lala retaliated and stabbed her in the leg. Both were now separated, breathing heavily.
“I don’t want to fight you, Lala,” she muttered. Thankfully, due to genetic modifications that granted her Arcanian DNA, she couldn’t feel the pain from the stab wound. However, she understood the need to proceed with caution. She turned to Anka, and relayed urgently, “Command Lala to cease her attack on me!”
“Did you hear something, Paza?” Anka asked, pretending not to notice.
“No, Your Majesty, I didn’t hear anything.”
Why are they not responding to my orders? This is not good. My powers from before would have been very useful in this situation, Meda thought. Growing increasingly frustrated, she continued to shout the same words repeatedly as she fought against Lala. However, her voice seemed to fall on deaf ears in the room. It was as if no one could hear her until she was stabbed three more times, each strike landing on her side, arm, and shoulder.
Lala ceased her attack upon Anka’s command. She then spoke, her voice laced with a hint of triumph, “Meda, did you really think that we wouldn’t have countermeasures against your powers, even after absorbing Lala’s memories? Allow me to introduce you to the Elthier Earpiece.” She turned her head, gracefully tucking a strand of her long black hair behind her ear, revealing a small device. “This earpiece is specifically designed to repel your voice and nullify your controlling powers.”
As Meda caught her breath, she glanced at Paza, recalling how he had obediently lowered his sword earlier. But now, seeing the same device in his ear, she realized that he had just pretended to be under her command. Then, as she returned her gaze to Lala, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why can’t I control her when she doesn’t have it?”
“Oh, she’s deaf now,” Anka said with giggles.
Lala had not only lost her memories but also her sense of hearing. In the Arcane Cosmos, there was a planet called Sonica, known for its advanced technology in sound, frequency, and vibrations. Anka made sure that nothing could sway Lala, so she used a sonic disruptor, emitting intense and targeted sonic waves that caused severe damage to her auditory system. To further solidify her control over her, Anka ordered the Sonicans to implant a device into her head, allowing Lala to only obey her commands and hear only her voice.
“You’re truly evil!” Meda exclaimed. Her voice trembled as she wiped away her tears.
Anka shrugged nonchalantly. “I just did what the situation called for. And that’s rich coming from you, considering how many evil things you’ve done.” She sighed and then instructed Lala, “End her now.”
As the two sisters continued their intense battle, Meda’s wounds multiplied, and she suffered from heavy blood loss. Engaging in combat with Lala proved to be unfortunate, as she was a superior fighter. Meda had never been able to defeat her sister in their sparring sessions. The difference in their fighting skills was glaring, especially since Lala wielded a weapon while Meda fought unarmed. She remained unscathed, without a single injury, while Meda struggled to stand upright. The floor was stained with her blood. Lala performed a graceful somersault and landed her foot on Meda’s head, causing her to collapse to the ground. She ended up lying face-down in a vulnerable and defeated state.
Lala turned her face up and sat on her stomach. For some reason, she looked into Meda’s tear-filled eyes with her own eyes also filled with tears. She couldn’t comprehend why she was crying or why her heart was clenching.
“What are you waiting for? Kill her!” Anka urged.
Meda mouthed something that Lala understood through lip reading. She didn’t know why Meda was apologizing, but one thing was clear to her—she had to obey Anka’s voice. With a deep inhale, Lala raised the dagger, and with a heavy heart, she pierced through Meda’s chest.
Is this the end for me? Meda thought. I probably deserve this, but it feels too cliché. My life is flashing before my eyes. Throughout my entire life, I think I have lived with purpose. A small smirk formed on her lips. Indeed. But what about the consequences? I caused the death of my mother and inflicted suffering upon my sister. Well, perhaps it’s better for her to have her memories wiped out. She’s a kind-hearted person, and it would be too painful for her to remember me and Mother. . . . Mother, were you truly happy when you became the Queen of Conjuria? I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I’m sorry. This is all my fault. Mother . . . I knew how much courage and sacrifices you and Father made for you to become the queen and rule our planet for the sake of its people. And yet . . .
**
“Mother, are you really going through with this?” Lala asked, her eyes filled with tears, but Dela couldn’t provide an answer. “Why did Father agree to it?” She looked at him, who stood five meters away from them, smiling and nodding as if everything was fine.
The Queen of the Galaxy, Anka Therr, had organized a competition among the five planets: Conjuria, Sonica, Mystara, Astralis, and Luminae. The challenge was for the participants from each planet to prove themselves worthy of becoming the queen. They had to follow Anka’s orders without hesitation, and the ultimate test was to kill their husbands.
“Mother, you don’t have to participate. Don’t become the queen if it means killing Father,” Meda pleaded desperately.
Dela shook her head and gently cupped both of her daughters’ faces. “We’re doing this not for ourselves, but for Conjuria. The other participants don’t have the same devotion to serving our people. They’re only thinking of themselves. Your father agreed to this. Believe me, this isn’t an easy decision. But in the end, it will be worth it.”
**
Another tear escaped from Meda’s eyes. Was it truly worth it, Mother? I can’t help but imagine that day must have haunted you. Have you ever regretted what you’ve done? If given a second chance, would you have made a different choice? Because, as for me, I certainly would. I would have listened to you. I would have stayed by your side until your last breath, forsaking my journey to Earth. I regret it deeply. Even Lala has been entangled in the mess I created. Lala . . . my other half. She has always supported me in everything. I have shattered my beloved sister.
There were countless actions that Meda would have never considered if it weren’t for the circumstances she found herself in. However, the one decision she deeply regretted during that period was manipulating Keiro and ultimately causing the demise of Alexander. At that time, her powers were far less advanced and convenient compared to the present. Instead of using words, she had to touch a target first to influence one individual at a time through her thoughts and actions, compelling them to mimic her every move, even down to the smallest details like blinking and breathing. She could temporarily take control of their body, making them an extension of herself. Unfortunately, Meda took such drastic measures to demonstrate her loyalty to Anka, which she now deeply regretted even more.
He must’ve been blaming himself. . . . He must’ve been guilty. . . . I didn’t even kill my mother directly, but the guilt inside me is unbearable. He must’ve felt like dying, thinking he killed his friend. It’s unfortunate that I failed to tell him the truth myself. I’m genuinely sorry, Keiro . . . But then again, I am happy that before I die, you accomplished what I have wanted you to do. You didn’t betray me and finally realized that when I say to ‘never betray me’, it actually means betraying me. . . .
Meda’s eyelids grew heavy, and darkness consumed her. Anka turned to Lala and instructed her to check if she was still alive. After confirming that she had stopped breathing and had no pulse, Anka declared, “Soldiers, dispose of their bodies by sending them into the depths of outer space. Ensure they drift far away.” As she rose to her feet, she decided, “For now, let Ranace govern itself. Our main focus should be on locating the descendants of the Lennox Family.” I should’ve absorbed Meda’s memories before her passing. What a missed chance.
Determined to press on, Anka commanded, “Paza, rather than focusing on the Lennox Family, instruct the Mission Force to diligently search for a family by the name of Villin in Ranace. Leave no stone unturned in your efforts to locate them and bring them to me.”