"Hmm, are you alright, Sarah?" Asked Marley in slight concern as she glanced at Sarah, who was hunched and limping through the residence while holding her back.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine, Sister; I-I've just yet to fully heal, t-that's all; that fight against my heart demon wasn't an easy task." Replied Sarah with a faint smile as she dismissively waved at Marley while attempting to stand upright, only to wince in pain.
"If you say so, Sarah, just take it easy, okay? I've heard recovering from a heart demon can take a VERY long time." Said Marley softly as she looked at Sarah, who flashed her a smile, only for her to bow towards Elif.
"Wow, you finally noticed my presence; good job Marley." Said Elif sarcastically as he fanned himself with his quạt tay while blankly looking at Marley, who sheepishly rubbed her head.
"I-I apologize, your Highness." Remarked Marley with a forced smile as she raised her head while glancing at Elif, who simply hit her butt using his quạt tay, flinging her far into the distance behind him.
With Marley nowhere to be seen, Sarah and I continued walking, though she kept looking at me, causing me to glance at her, yet whenever I did, she would huff in annoyance before averting her gaze, confusing me. Eventually, I got bored of this little cat-and-mouse game, so I grabbed Sarah's cheeks and forced her to look at me, though, to my annoyance, she closed her eyes and refused to look at me.
"Tsk, now you're just being petty, Sarah. Open your eyes." Remarked Elif blandly as he narrowed his eyes at Sarah, who reluctantly followed the orders of her Prince and opened her eyes.
"What is your problem? You've been acting this way ever since we left my room." Asked Elif with furrowed brows as he gazed at Sarah, who huffed before folding her arms.
"Hmph, I don't know, maybe it's because you turned me into an elderly woman? I-I can hardly walk; my back is hurting, my shoulders are sore, my jaw is sore, and my anus feels like it might've ripped a little." Remarked Sarah firmly as she glared at Elif in annoyance, who nodded before clicking his tongue.
"I see. Well, you can't blame me for that; you're the one who kept begging for more like a professional whore; why would I stop if that's the case?" Said Elif calmly as he glanced at Sarah before shrugging his shoulders, his words causing Sarah to sigh as she lowered her head while rubbing her jaw.
"Ugh, I-I did, didn't I? I-I couldn't help it; you know I love it when you're aggressive with me. I love it when you just completely manhandle me and treat me like an object rather than a woman; I don't know why, but it arouses me so much." Remarked Sarah softly with a perverted gaze as she looked at Elif lustfully, only for Illumia to suddenly appear beside her while nodding in agreement.
"I fully understand what you're getting at Sarah. Being so desired by our beloved Prince also arouses me to no end." Added Illumia softly, her sudden appearance startling Sarah as she leaped to the side while Elif rolled his eyes.
"Where have you been, Illumia? It's rare for you to miss the chance to engage in pleasures of the flesh with me." Asked Elif curiously as he glanced at Illumia, who glanced at Sarah in jealousy before softly sighing and shaking her head.
"Unfortunately, your Highness, unlike Sarah, I have a duty to uphold as your personal attend; I'm not here to solely enjoy myself as much as I would love to." Remarked Illumia lightly as she glanced at Elif with a lustful gaze, her eyes focusing on his butt, which he promptly ignored.
"So, what were you doing?"Asked Sarah curiously as she looked at Illumia, nearly running into a wall in the process.
Exiting the residence, I headed towards my and Elaine's personal training ground, where I intended to practice my techniques. It had been a few days since I had trained, given that I had helped Sarah with her heart demon.
"The Triad Constellations will be occurring soon." Said Illumia solemnly as she looked at Elif, only for both him and Sarah to furrow their brows in confusion.
"What's that?" "Care to enlighten me, Illumia?" Asked Sarah and Elif, respectively, as they both looked at Illumia with a confused gaze while the latter began practicing his techniques.
"We all know the OverRealm was the first Realm to ever exist, correct? I believe His Highness knows of the Nether and Aether Realm." Said Illumia softly as she glanced between Sarah and Elif, her words causing the latter to freeze briefly before resuming his training.
"I'm quite well informed about the Nether Realm, not so much the Aehther Realm; Eyvor knows far more than me." Remarked Elif calmly, though his attacks ever so slightly increased in intensity, the mention of the Nether Realm resurfacing unwelcomed memories.
"Those three are the first three Realms ever created in all of existence; however, given the sheer size of the OverRealm compared to the other two, its gravity has long since forcefully pulled them into orbit around itself. Matter of fact, the same could be said for every Spirit and Heavenly Realm that exists; everything revolves around the OverRealm." Stated Illumia, her words surprising Sarah while Elif nodded in agreement.
"Woah, I didn't know that; aren't there billions of Spirit Realms and millions of Heavenly Realms?" "More than that, but it really doesn't matter." Said Sarah and Elif, respectively, as he glanced at the former before shifting his focus to his training.
"A little fun fact, but you see the sun, Sarah? That is actually the Nether Realm's intense light shining down onto us. The moon is the Aether Realm; despite the two being the same size, the Aether Realm's light is only equal to a Heavenly Realm's." Remarked Elif lightly, his words causing Sarah to once again be surprised as she raised her head and gazed at the bright sun overhead, only to suddenly frown.
"Eh, why is the moon in the sky?" Asked Sarah in confusion as she looked at Elif, who shrugged his arms, unable to answer her question.
"That is what I was about to get to, Sarah. The Triad Constellation is called when the Aether, Nether, and OverRealm perfectly line up, causing their Qi's to synchronize together, creating a temporary yet stable passageway between the three realms." Said Illumia softly, her words causing Elif to frown as he narrowed his eyes at the sun high in the sky.
"Is that bad?" Asked Sarah softly as she looked at Illumia, who didn't hesitate to nod.
"The Aether realm is where the first soul was birthed, so having a passageway between the Aether is perfectly fine. It is most welcomed, actually, as we can trade for precious and valuable resources with the residents there. However…" Replied Illumia as she gestured to the faint moon in the sky, its light overshadowed by the sun, while Sarah nodded in understanding.
"... However, the Nether is where the first physique was birthed, yet without a soul, a physique is just a mindless monster that seeks destruction and death. With a passageway created, the monsters will flood the OverRealm and destroy everything." Stated Elif as he glanced at Sarah after interrupting Illumia, who nodded in agreement.
"Wait, isn't that what happened during the Treasure Realm several years ago!?" Exclaimed Sarah with widened eyes as she looked at Elif, who clicked his tongue before nodding, his words causing her to nervously gulp.
"S-Shouldn't we be preparing then? When will the Triad Constellations occur, Illumia? How much time do we have left?" Added Sarah anxiously as she looked between Illumia and Elif, only for the former to place a hand on her shoulder, suppressing her.
"Calm yourself, Sarah; I'm sure from your perspective, what you experienced was terrifying, but this event isn't as frightening as you'd believe. Monsters may flood OverRealm, but they're mindless creatures without any semblance of technique or skill." "Except for the few outliers." Said Illumia and Elif, respectively, as the former consoled Sarah while the latter folded his arms.
"Still, how long until the Triad Constellations commence?" Asked Elif firmly as he looked at Illumia, who cleared her throat before responding.
"It will first start in three months, though the connection will be too weak for monsters with even a Saint cultivation base to enter the OverRealm; even Sarah could deal with every monster without lifting a finger. However, after roughly a year, the connection will have strengthened to the point where Divines can pass through. After a few years, even True Gods will be able to enter our Realm; eventually, the connection will have strengthened to the point where even Ancestors will need to appear." Stated Illumia as she gazed at Elif, who raised an eyebrow before nodding while Sarah looked entirely terrified.
"How long does the Triad Constellation generally last for?" Asked Elif curiously as he looked at Illumia, who continued to console Sarah.
"Two decades, though once it's reached the halfway point, the effects will start to reverse." Replied Illumia, her words causing Elif to silently rub his chin with a thoughtful expression.
"I see." Muttered Elif lightly as he turned around, continuing to practice his techniques while Illumia and Sarah approached the porch, watching him from a distance.
'I'll kill every monster I come across.' Thought Elif firmly with a hardened gaze as he clenched his fist before thrusting his palm upwards, launching a powerful purple palm.