Adira halted and froze on her spot as she heard that same voice she grew used to hearing everyday. Turning her body around slowly, she regarded the man.

The same emptiness was still there but she was looking right at him. However, it was all she did—just staring at him as if he was some stranger that happened to know her name.

"My wife, you're fine. That's good. I'm here, so you can stop this now."

Casimir tried to reassure his beloved and get her to calm down enough for her to stop whatever was happening.

But, Adira did not move nor speak. She didn't do anything.

"Heise... Where is Heise?"

Finally noticing the child that should've been stuck beside her, almost like an adorable accessory plastered to her with the most durable glue, was missing.

Is that the reason she's lost control?

As if finally hearing and registering what Casimir was saying, tears streamed down Adira's eyes and in the most heartbreaking and soft voice answered him,

"I... I couldn't... protect my child... He was... He was shot down... Please help my child... Protect hi—No... The only way to ensure my family's safety.. is by erasing everything in here.. Everyone shall pay for hurting my family again."

And with that, Adira once again turned outside before kneeling down in front of Apophis as an act of prayer and plea.

"I beg you, God Apophis, bu—"

Before Adira could complete her words, Casimir reached out his hand to cover his wife's mouth and stop her. If what he thinks is right, the God's actions were borne from Adira's wishes. So if he can stop her from uttering a prayer, maybe the God won't also move.

But Casimir was too preoccupied with watching the God's movements that it slipped his mind that his wife wasn't a weak, docile and fragile creature that will silently take whatever was thrown at her. Especially something that annoyed her.

Thrusting our her hand, Adira grabbed for Casimir's neck in a claw-like grip, digging her nails into his flesh, to get the man to release her. However, the man was also proving to be as stubborn as he refused to let her go.

"A... Adira... It's me... It's Casey. Do you... Do you not recognize... me?"

As soon as Casimir managed to squeeze those words out, the strength in Adira's grip started to lessen and her hold loosened a bit. Noticing how he was slowly starting to reach her, he pushed further and called out to her.

"My wife... it'll be alright... it's fine now... trust me... I promised I won't allow anyone to harm you or Heise and that promise stands true!"

Adira's muscles stiffened, when memories of when she discoursed her past life to her husband resurfaced in her mind, and tears threatened to flow down once more. Casimir knew he had finally reached her.. a little more push should do it.

"My wife... won't you trust me with your life?"

Adira craned her head when she felt Casimir's hold on her loosening and saw his gentle and warm smile—bringing back memories of when she said the exact same words to him when she decided to save him from the assassination that took his life the past cycle.

"Hus..band... What took you so long?"

Focus and a recognizing glint finally returned to Adira's beautiful ashen grey eyes before she wrapped her arms around Casimir's neck and she bawled like a little child as she clung to him for dear life.

It was only in front of Casimir that she could allow herself to crumble down like that. Because she was sure that he would pick her back up, all the bits and pieces, and support her with all the love he got.

Casimir was the half that made her whole and perfect—the half that never got tired fixing and building her up every time she went crashing down.

"I'm sorry for being late-"

The man didn't get to finish his words before he was taken off guard and forced to take a step back when a dark mist, as dark as ebony, swallowed his wife.

He immediately got up to his feet and assumed an attack position while the mist gradually melted away and revealed a newcomer who could be seen wrapping his pale and lean arms around Adira's trembling figure.

"I missed you, My lovely Queen. That was so naughty of you to flee away with another man in the middle of the night without even telling me goodbye. But no worries, we can settle that later, right? After our wedding."

He lustily whispered into Adira's ears that sent the woman back into a spiral of fear and trauma that made her shiver so bad while looking as pale as a corpse.

"Hey, dearest, you're not planning on stopping this, right? Why don't we destroy everything together. You would love that, right? That's what you wanted, right?"

He continued to chatter before shifting his gaze towards Casimir, who couldn't help but stay on his place for fear of this dangerous man inflicting harm on Adira, and smirked tauntingly.

"Et introeuntes sinitis intrare tenebris vos, Et audite vocem meam audiunt. Facta essent, Et dilecti (let the darkness devour you, as you hear my voice and listen. They were the ones who took your beloved away.)"

I purposely let him go to meet you so you would let your guard down. So that when you do, I can make you entirely mine.

Igniting and poisoning Adira's already weak mentality, Raidyn spoke dark spells into Adira's ear and smirked evilly as Casimir just willed his feet to move after seeing his wife's figure crumbling down in pain and fear.

Casimir leapt into action and swung an attack at the man only to be blocked by his wife. There was a strange look of hatred in her beautiful grey eyes—a look he never once saw on them whenever she looked at him.

"You.. killed my son." She spoke and rushed forward to engage him in a close-range combat. She was a hell lot more predictable when she was consumed by hatred so Casimir did not do anything except dodge her.

He would never raise a hand against his beloved wife.

"Why did you do that? Why kill my son? My child that did nothing wrong! My son whose only fault was having me as his mother! Why him?!" She cried as she attacked her husband relentlessly.

Casimir was listening to her nonsense crying and wondered if she was talking about Heise. Because to his ears, it oddly sounded different. Like there was another child.

While on the sidelines, although nothing that Adira said was making sense, Raidyn made sure he enjoyed Adira trying to kill her own husband. And when she does, then he'll be there to help her out of that darkness she'll drown herself into when she realizes how she killed Casimir with her very own hands.

She'll belong to him—all her shattered heart and soul. Like a puppet dancing only for his own amusement.

Raidyn sat on the sidelines leisurely and licked his lips when the thought of how beautiful and seductive Adira looked when she danced at the banquet of his coronation night replayed on his mind.

He would love to see her dance that same dance for him again—this time with no clothes on.

And as if the spell, that was only meant to show Adira an illusion of Casimir killing her beloved child, triggered something else inside her subconscious mind and started crying,

"You only used me! I fought wars for you! I gave you everything I had and yet!! You did not only kill our son! You also conspired with that hateful woman to do away with me! What did I not give you that she did?! Why was I never enough?!"

And with one strong and forceful strike, with her blade coated with poisonous hate, she drove the blade into his heart.

Notes:
Hey! I'm back~ My wife just literally killed me the past month and my mistress brought me back to life just now~ I'll try to make it up to you and try a double update today! I hope everyone's been looking forward to this new chapter~~ ciao~

BANZAAAIIII~ 🎉🎉🎉