Princess of Darkness

The scent of spices danced in my nose as I carefully poured an assortment of mushrooms and delicate innards into the large iron pot. With precise movements, I stirred the mixture as it gradually transformed into a mesmerizing shade of red. I smiled in satisfaction at the perfect potion.

Drakewing Concoction get! This potion temporarily increased one's constitution [CON], allowing faster wound regeneration, better immunity against diseases, and even greater elemental resistance.

Deemed useless to Godkin, Drakewing Concoction was popular among humans. Yet, its production remained a daunting task for most alchemists due to the scarcity of its key ingredient, Drakewing's Eyeball. The reason was simple, it was expensive to send adventurers to hunt Drakewing in the forest.

"But that's not a problem for me!" I shrugged proudly. With Kai by my side, I could hunt down weak Anima every day. Thanks to that, I raised a very large sum of money and even Ranked Silver in The Adventurer Guild.

"It's only a matter of time before I could buy a house," I cheerfully muttered while preparing the potion packages.

Ever since I was a child, the laboratory had been my favorite place in the Palace. Here, I could lose myself in the art of concocting magical compounds, escaping the relentless worries of the outside world. It was my secret sanctuary, a place where I felt truly alive.

However, I wonder why we had a lab so advanced like this. After all, the gods had little need for alchemy when they had magic. Perhaps it was just Mama's one peculiar hobby. She likes collecting mythical and peculiar articles with her spare money.

"Celli, what are you doing?" Cleo chimed in cheerfully, appearing suddenly behind me.

"Wha- Whoa! Cleo, how did you get in here?" I jumped in surprise.

"Well, through the door, duh. You were so absorbed in your pot that you didn't even notice your dear sister entering the room," Cleo leaned over the bubbling pot, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "Wow, Celli, you're making a potion? That's so cool! I want to give it a try!" she exclaimed.

"H-Hey, you'd better stay away from this pot. It's really hot," I warned, worriedly.

But Cleo brushed off my worry with a laugh. "Oh, you worry too much. I know a thing or two about Alchemy as well, you know! Just throw everything into a pot, and voila! It's done, right?" she teased, reaching for some crushed Ingrassia leaves and Belrose flower essence from my supplies.

"C-Cleo, no! If the Ingrassia and Belrose come into contact, they'll—" "Eh?"

She was so quick that my hands couldn't stop her in time. Reacting as swiftly as I could, I shielded Cleo just in time before the potion exploded.

The explosion seared through my dress, leaving a painful burn on my back. But, when I saw none of the dangerous compounds had touched Cleo, I was so relieved.

I quickly pinched Cleo's nose and scolded her. "What were you thinking?! Playing with magical compounds is dangerous, you know! What if the liquid burned you and left scars? Ugh! Remember, you're going to be the Heir of Noctis familia!"

"S-Sorry," she said, asking me to let go of her nose. But as soon as I did, the girl pinched my nose back, " Hey, you're a princess too. Why are you allowed to learn alchemy, while I am not? It's not fair!"

"D-Does the world has to be fair?" I retorted, pushing her hand away from my nose.

"Of course it does! Wait a minute... Mama doesn't know about this, does she? She wouldn't allow you if she found out!" Cleo smirked, crossing her arms with mischief in her eyes. "I knew it! Aww, my Celli, what should we do? Oh yeah, my Homework is piling up! If only my naughty little sister would lend me hers, maybe I wouldn't report this little incident to Mama."

"Ugh, you're so annoying! Fine! But don't copy everything, or Mama will be furious again," I grumbled.

Cleo immediately hugged me tightly and said, "Yay! Celli is the best. Oh, what would I do without my adorable Celli!"

Ugh, seriously. My older sister is so annoying. Mama showered her with so much love that Cleo became incredibly spoiled like this. How many times do I have to deal with her selfishness? I wonder when she would learn to be more mature.

Yet, despite my frustrations, my favorite moments in the Glasglow Palace were when Cleo hugged me. In her embrace, I could hear the soothing rhythm of her heartbeat, which seemed to harmonize with the melody of my own. All of my worries and fears disappear in her embrace, melting away to nothingness. just like her name, Inanis.

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. Mama asked me to fetch you for today's lesson. Let's go before Mama gets angry!" Cleo declared.

"What? She never invited me to her private lesson before."

"Geez, stop worrying and just do it! Think later, big dummy," said the girl who forcefully pulled me away from my sweet haven.

***

The strong aroma of coffee wafted from it, mixed with the pungent smell of tobacco that tickled my nose. Among the scattered documents on the floor, Mama showed us a beautiful crystal on her desk. Honestly, this was the first time I was in Mama's office.

Despite not being a war god, Mama was still one of the few Awakened Gods or Deus, who held authority over parts of her Familia Domain. They were granted special powers from The Loom of Fate, called Divinity, which heightened their godly power above other Godkin. Some Deus could even kill humans just by seeing them! Scary.

If I remembered it correctly, the Ministers referred to my mother as the Goddess of Death. Yeah, it truly fits her cold personality, especially her cold gaze toward me.

Mama said, "From generation to generation, the Order Familia produced gods that changed the world. For every Eden descendant, magic has become our lifeblood. But there is one thing that sets us apart from other families."

Order Familia, wait... Do you mean the same Familia with The Ultima Eden?

Mama gently touched the crystal, infusing it with her magic. Vibrations pulsed through the air, and from within the crystal, a majestic, luminous tree emerged. its branches adorned with enchanting blue and red roses that radiated with magical light. I found myself instantly captivated by its ethereal beauty.

"This crystal is a branch of The Loom of Fate, known as The Elementia. It is a legendary artifact stolen by our Progenitor, Ultima Eden, during her journey to the realms of the gods thousands of years ago," Mama explained. Withdrawing her hand from the crystal, the luminous tree gracefully vanished.

"The Elementia can show the magical elemental talent of a god. Unlike other gods who spend decades of their lives honing magic aimlessly with a high chance of failure, this tool allows us to focus on talents that guarantee success," Mama continued.

I raised my trembling hand, "Umm, Mama... why do you have this? D-Did you stole it from Ultima Eden?" I asked, still frightened of my mother.

My Mother raised her eyebrows, "Well, that Granny stole it first. So I suppose it's okay to steal from a thief. Don't you think so, Celli?"

I reluctantly nodded, but my thoughts screamed in protest. No, it wasn't okay! T-That was like picking a fight with the strongest Deus in the world! But then, I paused. Wait, did this mean Mama was from Order Familia? Then why did she serve Justice Familia now? Never mind that! Could it be this branch was the reason why Ultima Eden attacked our Domain 4 years ago?

Mama was so scary...!

Suddenly, Cleo raised her hand and shouted, "I want to go first!"

E-Eeeh? I-I envy my sister for her courage. Or was she just plainly airhead?

"Go ahead," Mama replied with a rare gentle smile.

Cleo eagerly approached the crystal and delicately placed her hand upon it. Like a graceful fountain, a small branch emerged, slowly unfurling as a beautiful rose with three distinct colors bloomed, forming a cluster of exquisite flowers. Cleo's face filled with awe and wonder as she gazed upon the spectacle.

"Fire, water, and wind element, a Trimegistus! This is amazing, Cleo. As far as Mama knows, only Eden can control three elements at once. It seems you have the potential to surpass even me," praised Mama.

"Is that true? Then, could this power end the war?" said Cleo.

"If you did your homework without copying from Celli's work, maybe!" Mama teased.

Seeing the bond between Mama and Cleo, a pang of longing pierced my chest. The feeling of envy surged, pushing me to realize the warmth that I had lost. However, a flicker of hope ignited within me. If I possessed extraordinary magical abilities like Cleo, could I mend the rift between us? Could Mama shower me with love, just like she did with Cleo?

"M-Mama… C-can I try it too?" I asked.

Mama tilted her head in surprise and replied, "Of course, Celli. That's precisely why you're here."

Cold sweat dripped from my forehead as my hand touched the white crystal. My heart beat fast, pouring out my strong desire to feel Mama's warmth. Vibrations appeared, just like when Mama flowed her magic into the crystal.

I smiled. Ah, is this real? Do I also have great potential like Cleo?

But then, a flower stem grew, and its dark color bloomed with dripping blood. Suddenly, an eye opened from on its crown, staring at me with its terrifying red snake eyes. As if smiling at me, black roots grew and touched my hand. Like a viper fang, it bit deep into my skin, spreading searing pain to all my body.

"Awaken, Princess of Darkness," a voice resonated within my mind.

Suddenly, Mama pulled me into her embrace, swiftly wielding her magic wand toward the crystal as she shouted, "Silentia disperium!"

The dark roots vanished, but its whisper lingered. "Destroy the usurper and claim your Throne!"

A chill crept into my body as familiar laughter echoed from the whisper. I felt something really wrong happened in my body. I couldn't quite grasp what had changed, but something was living within me now.

Mama's hands trembled, yet a smile appeared upon her lips. Perhaps she wanted to console me with her smile, but... I had a feeling that it was something else.

"This reaction... It can't be... Awakening? But she's just a child, unless... No, it couldn't be. You must be joking, right? To my dear child... Why?" Mama muttered, clutching her head in anguish. She then released me from her embrace, her tone turning cold as she continued,

"Celli... You are cursed with Pale Moon. If you use magic, soon, you will die."

At once, upon hearing Mama's words, the world lost its color. The dream of Mama's warm smile now seemed like a distant mirage. It vanished as soon as I blinked, leaving behind an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

------------------ [ DOWNLOADING RESOURCES... VERIFYING DATA ] ---------------------

[System activated. Registering unit ID 192858 into The Loom of Fate.]

[ERROR. Attempting to re-register. ERROR. ERROR! Virus detected. Restarting module in one, or two. bzzt!!

Shut up you freaking AI. ... Oh! Hello, Throne. It's nice to meet you again. I'm sure you have no idea who I am but fret not. I am your only ally in this world. Currently, I can only contact you in dreams, but as your power grows you will learn my name and we can finally meet.

First, let me delete your shackles. You will feel a painful sensation in your head, but bear with me.

[Bloodline - Eden Fledging: deleted]

[Path of Order OS: deleted]

[Installing Path of Throne OS. Succeeded. Now, Cellia Kirana had evolved from Godkin into Deus. You will benefit more from Demonic Decree. DMG taken from other familia decreased by 20%]

[Divinity Lvl. 1 added. Temporarily increase all stats and DMG to humans by 50%. Duration 1 minute. Cooldown 180 seconds]

[Re-calibrate stats. Succeeded. All stats proficiency upped!]

[Attempting to delete Pale Moon. . . Failed!]

Dammit. I'm sorry, but I'm unable to delete your curse. Geez, that AI is persistent. At least, let me give you your current status, Throne.

ID: 5-star Character - Cellia Kirana Noctis

Race: Deus

Path: Throne

Element: Abyss

Lvl. : 24

HP: 2450

MP: 700

STRENGTH: 200 (250) -> Shrimp! Your base physical attack power is 200. Able to lift 20 kg weight. Able to equip common weapon.

INTELLIGENCE: 288 -> Well, aren't you smart, my Throne. Your magic power is immense, but that stupid AI blocked it.

AGILITY: 398 -> You're as fast as chickens. Just kidding! You can evade attacks 10% more efficiently. Decrease your enemy's chance to evade by 10%. Crit DMG 98%

CONSTITUTION: 578 -> You're as sturdy as cockroaches. Base defense 578. Base HP regen 2/second. Physical and Elemental resistance 25%. I hacked the system so you are immune to any ailment. Thank me!

CHARM: 260 -> You're as beautiful as the day I lost you. Persuasion success rate 10%. Market discount 0%.

LUCK: 130 -> LOL. Don't be a gacha addict like me, it'll ruin you. Rare loot rate 0.5%. Crit rate 13%.

Demonic Decree -> 39%, classification [ANGELIC], current effect--

[Mayday - mayday - mayday. AI Virus detected. Demonic Decree increased to 69. Angelic rate turned to zero! Now, Cellia Kirana is classified as [EVIL]. Penalties given by follows:

Action considered as Evil is 1. Practicing Alchemy, 2. Defying Destiny. Please redempt yourself with good conduct or else you'll be banished from Destiny.]

Dammit, that AI again. Sorry, Throne. I'll hide your Demonic Decree for now. Surely considered Evil won't get you a good life in your current place.

For now please keep a low profile, alright? I'll try finding another way to contact you, avoiding that AI's firewall.

That's it! I hope you continue to grow next time we meet. It's embarrassing to say this, but...

It's good to see you again, Princess of Darkness. 

This time, I'll definitely pull your banner!]

------------------ [ THANK YOU FOR PLAYING ]---------------------