BLITHE  —  Devourer of Worlds
Chapter I.XII

Blithe watched Asher and Ava talk in a quiet corner in the base from afar.

She saw Ava covering her mouth attempting to stifle her sobs as Asher hugged her and patted her back.

She knew how important Nikos was to them.

Blithe looked away and went to the room in her black hole. The swan and rabbit welcomed her back as soon as they saw her.

She slightly smiled, petted them briefly and went to the table where the map of the universe was laid on.

CLINK.

She flinched at the sound and looked behind her only to see the swan knock a glass on the floor.

She took a deep breath, turned back to the table and massaged the spot between her eyebrows.

She remembered how that sound would always irritate her back then. Now she can’t help but laugh at how she was starting to miss it, at how she desperately wanted to hear it again.

“Nikos…” she took out the necklace he was always wearing.

“I can’t risk any more lives.”

—

The day arrived once again.

Asher and Ava managed to convince the henchmen to try once more after explaining what had happened that day. Of course, she needed to talk to them directly as well to get her sincerity and willingness through.

And the plan was set in motion again.

Only this time, Blithe has made modifications to it without telling anyone.

—

“What the, what's going on!?”

“A black hole!?”

“Her Highness!?”

The henchmen loyalists at the base panicked when they saw a black hole appear in front of them, and started pulling them in.

And then all of them disappeared went away.

Blithe took a deep breath and immediately triggered the modified warp stones to bring all the opposing Dark Matter to their side.

“What is going on!?”

“You're Highness!?”

They all surrounded her, confused and afraid. They were only given the warp stones, but they didn’t know Blithe was in on it.

“Everyone! Listen up! These past few days, we were giving you modified warp stones for this very day! There has been delays, but everything will be according to plan from now on! Her Highness, Blithe, will protect and guide us from now on!” Asher took the lead in rallying them all up.

Everyone murmured, doubting what they just heard.

“That's right,” Blithe interjected. The crowd went quiet.

“My plan is for us to go to the Light King to ask for refuge and help,”

Everyone murmured again and was outraged.

“Everyone, please, calm down!” Ava pleaded but her shouts were drowned.

“You plan us to go to a suicide mission following you!? Are you insane!?”

“Yeah!”

“Truly, a bastard like her father!”

Asher gritted his teeth. “Everyone will you please just listen!”

The other henchmen who knew of the plan also tried to calm the crowd.

“Yes, indeed. It is a suicidal plan,” Blithe said amongst the angry protests.

“That’s why I can no longer go through with that.”

The henchmen stopped in their tracks and looked at her. The crowd’s shouts gradually died down.

“W-what do you mean by that, Your Highness?” a henchman asked warily.

“Exactly what I said.”

Asher's eyes widened. “What!? What are you talking about!?”

Blithe raised her arm and created a large black hole. Everyone looked at it and then at her.

“I’ve searched for a place in the map, far away from the Light King’s and Dark Empire's territories. I plan to send you all there, free from all the restraints. I’ll be going to the Light King myself.”

“What!? What are you talking about!? This isn't part of the plan!” Asher walked up to her angrily. Ava did so too.

“Please tell me you’re joking, Your Highness!” Ava said.

“Going to the Light King is no longer a safe option. I’ve seen how the Light Soldiers would react once they see Dark Matter. If we go there together now, there would be a huge possibility where we would be killed on sight. I don't want to do anything riskier than what we’ve done,” Blithe said as a matter of fact, no emotions in her face.

“But… what about you?” Ava asked, afraid of what she was going to say next.

“I have to stay behind… There needs to be someone who takes responsibility for all of this.”

They all went quiet.

A henchman voiced out what they were afraid of hearing. “But if you stay behind then—“

“No, we can't leave you behind! You're a part of us! You were the one who started this plan! Nikos would’ve—!” Asher bit his lip, attempting not to cry.

“Then please. Let me bear all the responsibility. All your past, all your regrets, all your shame. Pass it all to me so that you can have a good life free of worry. Please. Let me shield you from all the consequences my father has brought upon you.”

The crowd looked at one another.

They then heard running footsteps. A lot of them.

Asher wiped the corner of his eyes and looked upwards. “Fine then. Have it your way.”

Ava looked at him and covered her mouth.

“Everyone, move before the Light Soldiers find us!” Asher commanded, and with that, the henchmen guided the Dark Matter towards the portal.

Just as Asher and Ava were about to enter the black hole, Blithe stopped them.

“Wait for a moment.”

The two looked at her as she pulled out a rabbit and swan from a small black hole she created. She gently pushed them towards Asher and Ava.

“Please take care of them.”

Ava sniffled as she carried the rabbit in her arms and patted the swan by its head.

Blithe handed Nikos’ necklace to Asher, to which he hesitatingly grabbed.

“Go.”

Ava let the two animals go in first before stepping inside it.

Before they completely went through, they both looked back and saw Blithe smiling sadly at them. It was the only emotion she showed them during this time. They could hear shouts and footsteps approaching, getting louder and louder.

“Everyone! There's movement here!”

They saw Light Soldiers emerging from the the forest behind her.

Asher looked at scene and planned to run towards her.

“Your Highne—!”

Blithe flicked her hand and the black hole pulled the both of them before they can take any more steps towards her. She immediately closed the black hole.

Only the sounds of the Light Soldiers surrounded her.

“Place your hands in the air!”

Blithe raised her hands. As soon as she did, cuffs with chains were locked on her wrists and neck, pulling her back.

“Argh!” she winced at the sudden pull and even almost choked at the force of the tug.

She fell on her right side in an attempt to cushion her fall, but as soon as she hit the ground, the left chain on her left wrist was tugged, forcing her to kneel down.

She coughed.

“Don't even try to use your power. These restraints are made to suppress your gravity alteration,” a soldier approached in front of her.

He pulled her hair to make her look up and he knelt on one knee in front of her to look her in the eye.

“We finally caught you, you monster,” he looked at her with contempt, then proceeded to place a metal mask over her mouth.

The General from before appeared. The Light Soldier in front of her immediately stood up and went aside. All the soldiers saluted her as she approached Blithe.

“Hmph,” she squinted her eyes and turned to her soldiers.

“Watch her and make sure she doesn't do any funny business. As per the Light King's orders, we need to transport her to our prison in the Light territory,” she looked at Blithe and glared at her.

“Take her away,” she commanded and walked away.

The soldiers grabbed her arms and hoisted her up.

“Move!” one of them shouted as he pushed her to walk.

Everyone guarded her every move as they went to the airship.

Blithe looked back one last time to the place where she created that black hole before going in the airship.

“Eyes forward!”

She was nudged by one of the soldiers.

The soldiers led her to sit, cuffing the chains attached to her to the chair. She closed her eyes as she felt the ship take off from the ground.

“General Kore, an urgent transmission for you!” a man from the cockpit handed her stone.

The General took the transmission stone. “Speak.”

“General Kore! There are a bunch of Luminars that suddenly appeared here in our territory! They said they were transported here from the star system you went to!” the voice from the stone shouted.

“What? We just went here. There were no traces of life when we arrived,” the General said, a momentary confusion painting her face.

“Well, that’s what they said!”

Blithe sighed in relief.

“They're safe.”

Blithe held back her tears.

“Nikos. The plan was a success. I’m going to the Light King now. For all of us.”