“A supposed night of elegance and enjoyment had turned into utter chaos and destruction. The Palace of Catterdawn was set aflame during a grand ball held by Emperor Tristian himself on the night of December 25th in the celebration of Christmas. The incident claimed the lives of all attendees of the ball, including the very nobles of Athearith and other neighboring kingdoms, world leaders, and the emperor himself.*

*Emergency services quickly rushed to the scene and tried to quell the flames as quickly as possible to save possible victims which would soon be futile due to the sight of burned bodies in the palace. Amidst the rescue operation, it was also reported that the bodies of Crowned Princess Seraphina and Princess Annastasia were nowhere to be traced, suggesting that an act of kidnapping—”

Orpheus closed the T.V, throwing the remote to the glass table making Yeomora winch the sound of glass being knocked.

"What have you done?" He murmured, rising from his seat and beginning to pace back and forth, attempting to calm himself down as he felt wrath pouring through his veins. Orpheus pleaded to any gods who were listening that this was simply a horrible dream.

Thaddeus, who was seated across from his mother, sighed. He rubbed his temples as he attempted to digest the news on the television. How did it come to this? Their intended pleasant journey to Japan was marred by the tragic news of his father's death and the disappearance of his twin sisters.

Thaddeus was aware of something amiss. Their mother would never have organized a vacation to Japan willingly, knowing how much she despised the place. Especially at the Fizuke Estate. The same was true for Orpheus. Despite his attempts to fly his mother to Japan, she did not budge. Yeomora always had a reason to decline, she never showed up for family vacations or festivities either

But now she was here, sipping tea without a care in the world as if she didn’t lost a husband and had two missing daughters.

"Is this why you insisted on coming here?' Thaddeus inquired, hardly sparing a glance at his mother. His eyes were fixed on nothing, his mind constantly putting together every word the reporter had uttered.

"What do you mean?"' Yeomora said, sipping her chamomile tea. She had a relieved and serene expression on her face, as if this was an ordinary day. "I simply wanted to visit my home place"

“You know what I mean—”

“Cut the bullshit,” Orpheus snapped. He knew what Yeomora was capable of doing in the name of power, he had seen it. This was bound to happen, but he never expect it to be that drastic, “You haven’t visited Japan in 32 years. And now that you did, your husband dies and your daughters end up missing—You think we’re stupid?”

Thaddeus stares at his older brother, who then looks at him back. Thaddeus shook his head and told him to stop pointing fingers, despite his own doubts. Thaddeus had priorities, and one of them was to find his sisters first. Finding who did it was important, yes. But his sisters came first. Especially considering they may still be alive. Time was critical in this situation. Anything may happen during the next 48 hours. He knew he needed to act quickly.

"Are you accusing me of killing my husband?" Yeomora placed her tea on the table. She reclined on the armrest of the couch, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. She was trying to taunt the infuriated Orpheus.  

  

"And the disappearance of my sisters," Orpheus said, taking a step towards his mother. He was angered by her casual attitude. She had him tightly closing his fist, his forehead furrowed, and his teeth clenched so hard that he could feel his head pounding, making him dizzy.

This caused Thaddeus to get from the couch and go between the two, slightly pushing his older brother back. "You two that's enough"  

  

"Pointing fingers isn't gonna solve everything—" Thaddeus turns to his brother, who scoffs and walks away. "—And provoking people isn't helping either." He turned to face his mother, who merely shrugged.  

  

"Our first objective is to find Seraphina. Thaddeus remarked, "Athearia needs its ruler or we'll be in big trouble." He already had a strategy in mind. They needed to find their sisters quickly, particularly Seraphina, as she was the successor to the kingdom.

"Excellent plan, honey. I always knew you were the brighter one," Yeomora said Thaddeus, who then gazed at Orpheus provokingly. Orpheus gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes at her.  

  

"We need to return to Athearia as soon as possible," Thaddeus said as he removed his coat from the couch's armrest and approached Orpheus. He thanked his brother for hosting and entertaining them at the Fizuke Estate.  

  

"Do not worry about it. If you need assistance finding Sera and Anna, don't hesitate," Orpheus remarked, patting his brother on the back. Thaddeus greeted him with a nod, acknowledging his offer before exiting the room.

Yeomora followed after, but was halted by Orpheus' strong grip on her arm. She gave him an unpleasant frown. Her keen sapphire gaze cut through his golden ones, and the room's temperature lowers dramatically, causing the walls and floors to ice. It was unclear if it was Yeomora's ability or Orpheus', since both of them attempted to frighten each other with their skills.  

  

"What. Did. You. Do?" Orpheus uttered each syllable with clinched teeth. Orpheus, unlike Thaddeus, was unable of maintaining civility with their mother. He was aware of what she had done and what she could do, and he attempted to shield his siblings from it.

Yeomora chuckled. She knew her son was powerful, but that strength came from her. After all, she served as the template for his creation. She surpassed him in power. She gripped his wrist and quickly turned his flesh to ice. Orpheus groaned as he felt a scorching sensation on his wrist.  

  

Yeomora came in closer to him, her crystal blue eyes gleaming as she used her power on her son.  

  

"What I had to."