Emperor's Reckoning

"Please, this way," a butler opened a wooden door in a narrow hall where chandeliers were hanging to illuminate the section.

The room was glistening with solace and luxury. They were sparking red and gold as the carpets matched the drapes. The spacious room was filled with glamor to the brim—a sofa made out of genuine leather and even a fireplace inside it. The large windows revealed the entirety of the Myriad Devils from high above and beyond. Indeed heaven had descended down. Every mortal that entered this room for the first time had always been with their jaws slacking open.

The butler smirked inwardly however, he had not seen any of the reaction that he had anticipated. His brows raised as Lyon's group passed him and entered the room.

"Do we get dinner with this? Of course, we do, right?" Lyon uttered as he sat down on the sofa with an L-Sectional shape.

"Y-Yes, sir, you and your party will receive our highest hospitality, courtesy of the Guild Link of course," the butler bowed before he gulped.

"That's good, let the tray come!" Lyon laughed.

"Lyon we need to have a thorough talk here," Cecile sighed as she relaxed on top of the chaise lounge with her body resting sideways facing him. "I guess you have absolutely no idea what's going on the whole time?"

Lyon shook his head, "The last time I remember, we were hunting a Cockatrice, then.... well... I kinda looked at its eyes before everything turned dark."

"Why am I even here?" Zelena asked with her arms crossed.

"You need to be here," Cecile answered. "You need to understand the situation here, or do you not want to involve with us?"

"Tch! That's a rude way to put it," Zelena frowned before she darted her glance toward Lyon. "So what's the deal, did he get amnesia when his face was blown off?"

"Heh, I never thought that getting my face blown off would be a casual sentence," Lyon muttered as he made a wry smile.

"What I'm about to tell you is a secret, that's why I forbid you to invite your party members here, despite how deep they furrowed their brows," Cecile smirked.

Zelena scowled but refrain from uttering a word.

Assid locked the door before Cecile rested her head and faced the ceiling.

"Currently Lyon has two souls living inside his body."

"What?" Zelena frowned.

"That's right, Lyon has the one that sits with us right now, and the person that ripped apart your hardest fan back in the gala."

"What?" Lyon raised his brows. "Wait a minute! Are you saying that when everything turned dark, the other soul took hold of my body? .... well, it is his body too, though. Ugh, I feel shivers in my spine, it feels wrong."

"That's the least you should be worrying about, but nothing insignificant happened when you're out to recess," Cecile added. "Though, perhaps we have a clue of your mother and where Selena is at."

"My mother and Selena?!" Lyon stood up. "You're certain?"

Zelena still frowned. "So, you're the new you? Two souls? I still don't get it."

"Lyon died before," said Lumina as he turned the atmosphere into absolute zero. Every face turned gloomy except Luna and Zelena and of course, the man himself.

"Dead? That's..." Zelena squinted her eyes before she shook her head, "Are you guys acting? Are you guys trying to fool me here or something, how can he be dead? He is right there, hey Lyon, are you a ghost?"

"Pfft, what?!" Lyon burst out laughing. "I'm pretty sure I can't go through walls."

His group raised their brows.

"Eh? What? I'm not ethereal for fuck sake, I can't go through walls, well, not the conventional way anyway," Lyon looked away.

"You mastered spatial art and magic?" Zelena frowned.

"Bingo!" Kesya added.

"Hey, you don't need to tell her that," said Lyon as he squinted his eyes.

"And why not?" Zelena frowned.

Lyon shrugged.

"Alright, enough you two," Cecile smiled. "Back to where we were. Lyon was dead before, then he was reincarnated."

"And you think that I would just accept that?" said Zelena. "It's absurd no matter how much I wrap my head around it."

"Me too," Lyon sighed. "And I'm the one who died... and reincarnated"

"You have to accept it for now," Cecile smiled. "Your sister didn't tell you either."

"She always keeps her secret tight until I nagged her about it," Zelena rolled her eyes.

"It is what it is," Cecile smiled. "It's not like I'm making this up, you can ask your sister if you don't believe me."

"Hmph," Zelena snorted. "Then?"

"The thing about reincarnation is that it can only be counted as reincarnation if you have your past memories, the memory of your previous life."

"Thus the two souls situation," Zelena cut in.

"Exactly, inside Lyon are two souls that one belonged to the present and the other to the past, however, the soul is a kin to the memory of his past self rather than an actual soul," said Cecile.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that whenever the current Lyon is awoken, he would have every right to his body, however, if somehow his current soul slumbered— like the case prior — then the past soul could have access to his body."

( Probably because I opened that door in my sea of memories ) Lyon twitched his smile. ( Wait a minute, so the voice from back then was actually past me? ) Lyon pondered.

Zelena turned silent before Cecile asked, "You understand the situation now?"

"I'm trying," Zelena answered.

"That's good enough," Cecile smiled. "Now then, Twin Towers. What should we know besides the place being riddled with dangerous beasts?"

"What's that supposed to mean? I told you what I know."

"You don't," Cecile sat down with her cunning eyes looking at Zelena's glance. "I will put aside why Selena wants to live there, but you too are living there, are you not?"

"You're sharp," Zelena muttered.

"I get that a lot," Cecile smirked. "However, I think that you know a thing or two more than the others about what just happened to the Myriad Devils."

"What makes you think that?" Zelena frowned.

"You're her twin sister, at the very least, I know that your sister won't hide in that place for no reason, that's the first, now secondly, your behavior is quite odd when that Daemon came. You didn't injure your ankle, did you Zelena?"

Zelena snorted before her lips turned into a smirk. "Cecile Auburn, you're really quick-witted just like what she said," Zelena smirked.

"Eh? Really?" Lyon raised his brows as he darted his glance toward Zelena's feet.

"Thank you, I suppose I need to say a good thing or two about her as well later," Cecile smiled before leaning back and crossing one leg on top of the other.

"I expect nothing less from Empress Selena's twin sister," Assid nodded. "A fair performance, you even got me fooled."

"Empress?" Zelena raised her brows.

"Ah, forgive me, perhaps I shouldn't refer her that way yet," Assid bowed.

"Forget it, that title means nothing now," Cecile waved her hand. "I don't care about the reason why you pretend to be hurt but at least tell us what you know about those three Daemons."

Zelena snorted before she sat down and crossed her arms. She put one leg on top of the other after putting away her sword. "Do you believe me if I told you that Mortal World would never reach the end of Dark Continent?"

"Eh?" Luna raised her brows. "Why?"

"It would depend on the rest of the information you are going to give me," answered Cecile.

"My sister found out a piece of information after she survived the Great Hydra's assault. The swarm that happened during my tenth birthday was by no means coincidence and also, The Twin Towers were originally the far end of the Dark Continent, not the Myriad Devils. "

"What?" Luna frowned.

"It was orchestrated," said Zelena.

"The Swarm was orchestrated?" Lumina frowned. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I see, now it all makes sense, I think I know why Selena couldn't join you, Lyon," Cecile stood up before she yawned.

"Oi oi, it feels like you skipped a couple of sentences here," Lyon had black lines over his head.

"You knew?" Zelena frowned.

"I have speculations," Cecile smiled as she walked toward the window. "The end of the Dark Continent is the main pathway to Hell after all."

"What?!" Lyon and Luna widened their eyes.

"With mana growing thin as we approached the end of the Dark Continent, it would take a tremendously powerful figure to guard that pathway."

"That's right," Zelena nodded. "She didn't just hide there, she regularly scouts that place. Her position is too crucial.

"I don't get it," said Lyon.

"I think it's time to explain to you Lyon, both versions of you," Cecile turned before her eyes turned sharp. "What did Paradise do when you entered the path of reincarnation— the current state of the three realms."

Lyon's eyes widened whilst the one inside furrowed his brows.