The Empress removed the bloodstains on her face and body and entered her daughter's room.
The little princess was practicing hard. All news about this war was from her. Every word that went to her was verified. Yet, she seemed to judge the situation from the atmosphere of the city.
And she was trying her best in practice, perhaps hoping to help soon.
"Rest early."
"Just one more hour, mom."
"…Fine."
The Empress left the room with a sad face. She wanted her daughter to be independent and strong. But not like this.
The Empress walked through the empty corridors of the once lively palace with a solemn gaze.
All the maids and guards except for the princess protectors were sent to the frontlines.
'This place was lively just two months ago…' The Empress reached her husband's study room in a daze.
And she heard him hold a talk with the abyssals in the solar system.
"Don't worry. We're going to win this war. You win yours. The reinforcements will be there soon."
"Long Live The Emperor!"
"Long Live The Abyssals!"
"War And Glory Be Our Wars!"
The cheers from the abyssals in the solar system sounded in the room.
'Reinforcements there? We can't afford to send any. In fact, it's best if we can get forces from there.' Despite her difference in opinion, the Empress didn't interrupt his meeting and waited outside the study.
He must've already considered those things and yet promised them reinforcements.
Why?
A few minutes later, the door opened by itself, and the tired, injured, and weakened Emperor gestured her in.
"Why did you pro—"
"Listen to me," The Emperor started in a tired voice. "The abyssal empire will fall. But the abyssal race can be saved. You take the girl and leave to the solar system. The reinforcements I'm sending there will include you and her. That human Varian is thankfully gone. So is the obstacle Enigma.
There is a traitor on their side and I'll give you a method to hurt him. Once that Sovereign falls, combining your force with the existing forces there, you can finish off humans in a month or two and acquire the legacy.
We've already shielded the solar system from other civilizations. So, you won't be discovered. So, lay low, quietly rise and after you're strong enough, you can return and take revenge."
"W-What are you saying?!" The Empress stood up in utter shock.
His words laid out the clear road map for the abyssals and painted a hopeful picture of the future. But nowhere did he mention himself.
"This is the only way." The Abyss Emperor lowered his head and said in a guilty tone. "I'm sorry but the Empire is beyond saving."
The Emperor swore to protect his people. And now, he's sending reinforcements under such circumstances. This was effectively abandoning the Empire.
The only comeback he had was that he was trying to give the abyssals a second home to start over. He still couldn't forgive himself for failing in his oath. But this was the best plan he could come up with.
"No, I'm talking about you! You come with us! We'll take our elites to the solar system! With you leading us, we can quickly grow and take revenge! We'll make them pay! The Fairies, the corrupt officers, the Zions! All of them! Husband, you're the only one who can take us to new heights! You're the only one I trust! Please leave with me!" The Empress held his hands and pleaded.
"I'll stay!" Haedon shook his head.
"You'll die! They planned so much to take down the Empire! They must've also planned to kill you!
You'll achieve nothing if you stay here! The people here, they'll die whether you stay or not! It's only a matter of time!
But you'll die if you stay! You can live if you leave! Come with me! Come with your daughter! I beg you!" The Empress yelled for the first time since their marriage.
Haedon looked at the tears rolling down her cheeks and smiled softly. "If I had a chance, maybe I would've. But I don't."
The Empress clenched her fists to her sides and looked him straight in the eye. "…What are you talking about?"
"I'm not staying because I want to stay. It's ironic since I thought I wouldn't mind dying if my empire is falling. But after seeing you and the little girl, I don't want to die. It's selfish, I know. But I too want to live.
I want to see our daughter grow up. I want to spend more time with you. I want to go to the solar system, restart our race there and build us to be stronger than ever. I want to take revenge. I want all that. But I can't leave."
The Empress' eyes shook and her voice quivered. "…Can't?"
"Yes." The Emperor sighed softly. "The space gates to the solar system need the holy altars in those eight abysses. They're the last trump card I prepared for adverse situations like these. It shouldn't have been a problem for me to take all our core elites and go there now. But…"
Another deep sigh rang in the room.
"Two of the altars were destroyed." The Abyss Emperor gritted his teeth. "One by Enigma. One by Varian. Even though I told them to guard these altars, two are gone! The remaining six can't support me and you all. They can only support either me or the reinforcements. It's a simple choice for me. Rather than I go and you stay, you go and I stay."
"No! There must be a way! We can get them repaired! Yes, we can repair and build new altars, can't we? The cost doesn't matter! Let's send the materials there and let them build new altars! We can all go! You don't have to stay!" The Empress spoke hurriedly, trying to hold back her tears.
"It can't happen." The Emperor hugged his love. "You know why."
"I…why? No, I don't….please…" The Empress, who remained strong even in the most adverse circumstances, sobbed in his chest.
The problem with Empress' proposal was that even if they send the materials, it'd take years, if not decades to build the altars again.
This was precisely the reason every abyss king and queen was instructed to strictly guard the altar. And that's why they freaked out when Enigma broke an altar. They would've never imagined the importance of that altar.
Conversely, neither did the humans ever dream of the altars' importance.
Had Enigma and Varian not broken the altars, then the Emperor and the core of the Empire could've easily landed in the solar system. That'd be the end of the story for the humans. Forget winning or stalemating, not a single survivor would remain.
But Enigma and Varian did destroy the altars and the Emperor made his choice.
He'd stay and die while the reinforcements would go and thrive.
"Don't!"
"Don't!"
"Please!"
The Empress' crying pleadings continued for the whole night but Haedon remained unmoved.
The next morning, he sent some items to the solar system through the space gate and went back to battle.
He ordered the Empress to stay in the palace with his daughter. The elites would arrive in a few weeks when the space gate would cool down enough to allow teleportation of life forms. He hoped they wouldn't need to fight much after arriving at the solar system.
Perhaps to prove his words right, the Undead woke up after his months-long recovery. The very next day, the abyssals got special materials that could boost their strengths to the next level.
After digesting the materials in a few days, the abyssals did as instructed.
They declared war.
