After finally deciding how to move forward with the way events had been unfolding, those mature ladies approached the younger ones and spoke to them at length about the situation, the risks involved, and the choices that lay ahead.

Once everyone understood the gravity of it, they gathered inside the meeting room.

They eventually agreed on two immediate courses of action.

One was to focus their attention on the metallic entities that had begun appearing randomly across the Empires.

The other was to send Chosen ones to the Void Empire in order to negotiate directly with Mary and understand her intentions.

These matters could no longer be ignored.

They needed to uncover what those metallic beings were doing to the people who encountered them, especially those who survived yet lost fragments of their memories afterwards.

At the same time, they had to understand why the Void Empire seemed to be rising in value at such a dangerous pace.

They had to uncover the truth before the inevitable finally arrived and left them without a choice.

Selene hummed softly, "That plan sounds good," Aqualina was about to say, but Selene raised her hand slightly and spoke first, "First, let us finish everything properly."

Aqualina let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in her chair, choosing to wait rather than interrupt.

Selene continued, "I will go. Thalia will come with me. Nightfire as well, since she was cast out of the Empire and has no choice but to stay with us for now."

Nightfire's lips twitched into a faint pout.

"But I will be honest with all of you. No, we are not strong enough to fight those things directly. Even the last time, when Raven and Nyx stood with us, we were crushed. It wiped our faces across the ground as if we were nothing."

Thalia raised her hand instinctively, wanting to say she changed now, but Selene shook her head before she could speak. "Even if you received a small power-up or some temporary strength, it would not be enough."

Thalia lowered her hand and let out a slow sigh.

Sandra and the others hummed thoughtfully, exchanging brief glances with one another.

No one rushed to speak, because everyone understood how close they had come to death the last time.

Nightfire spoke, "Also, it is not very likely that they will appear directly in front of us again, right? The chances of encountering them head-on seem low."

Several of them nodded slowly in agreement, but few stared at Nightfire for some reason.

Xara muttered under her breath, "That means moving separately would increase the chances of finding them, but at the same time…"

"It also means they could face those things alone," Sera finished quietly, worry evident in her expression. "Without backup, without preparation, without any guarantee of survival."

They were already trapped within the first plan they had chosen, and only now did they truly understand why Aether had struggled so desperately to locate those entities without putting his wives in danger.

The burden he carried suddenly felt painfully clear to all of them.

If only they possessed some kind of weapon.

"I think I may have a plan," Maelona suddenly said, "Those things were only unstoppable when we were weak, weren't they?"

Everyone nodded slowly,

"What if," Maelona continued, "we find a way to draw them out of the Barrier instead?"

Everyone raised their eyebrows but... Sandra said, "So far, they have only appeared inside the Barrier. That makes it impossible…"

"Open the barrier," Maelona finished quietly.

Every face in the room turned grim almost instantly.

Xara's expression shifted into deep thought while the others straightened in their seats.

Several of them shook their heads almost at once. "No," one of them said firmly, "we cannot put the entire Empire at risk like that."

"I mean…" Thalia slammed her hand against the table, "Opening the barrier is basically asking for death! You are talking about inviting destruction right into our home!"

Maelona did not flinch. Instead, she shook her head slowly, "I am not saying you should open the barrier fully. That is not what I mean at all. What I am suggesting is far more controlled."

Xara cut in, "Just enough to throw the metallic figures outside the barrier, then let the chosen ones handle it from there?"

Maelona nodded, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Exactly. Just enough. No more than that... is that possible?"

It was clever.

It made sense.

But even so, the danger was undeniable.

Opening the barrier at all was a gamble, one wrong move away from complete annihilation. One mistake, one miscalculation, and they would all be dead.

And when Aether woke up, would he see anything other than corpses and ruins?

That was not the future they wanted.

Selene hummed softly, breaking the silence as she folded her arms. "I think we should ask Liyrrs about this. She might have an idea about this."

Her voice carried cautious hope rather than certainty.

Everyone nodded with serious expressions. One problem seemed almost solved, at least in theory, if Liyrrs could provide a safer path.

Almost.

They moved on to the next matter.

The chosen ones would be the ones to enter the Void Empire and deal with Mary.

The four chosen ones understood what Sandra and the others were implying, but there was one concern that could not be ignored.

"I understand, Mom," Aqualina said after a moment, "So you want us, the chosen ones, to visit Mary and talk to her about the situation, to ask her for a deal. But… are we sure she would even help us? I mean…"

She shook her head slowly, "That woman would never agree easily. She might even try to harm us. That is why Aether never wanted us involved with the Void Empire in the first place."

Sandra nodded slowly, "I know he was worried about what Mary might do to you. But I am not asking you to talk to Mary herself."

The room went still.

"Then who?" Aqualina asked, frowning, as Raven, Aria, and Helena exchanged confused glances.

"You will persuade Aurelia Scarlet, Mary Scarlet's precious daughter."

Aqualina raised an eyebrow slightly. "Lia… ah?"

Sandra and the others nodded in unison.

Sera leaned forward, "Just talk to her. Tell her about our situation. Tell her why we need her help and what is at stake."

Xara added, "Lia is not like her mother. She is different. She is more like us-"

Suddenly, Sandra shot her a deadpan look.

Xara's lips twitched before she sighed. "I mean… like you all, okay?" she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Sandra nodded, satisfied.

Words mattered.

Because if Lia had been anything like Xara, there was no way Sandra would ever allow her daughter anywhere near that woman.

Xara continued, "It will be much easier to talk to Lia than to Mary. At least with her, there is a chance. I mean, you are friends with her, right?"

"…"

"…"

Both Aqualina and Raven fell into silence.

Aria and Helena exchanged a brief glance before raising their hands slightly, "Well… we are kind of her friends," Aria said, "At least, we were close once. I am not sure how things changed after she went back home, but yes…"

Helena nodded beside her.

Xara stared blankly at Aqualina for a long moment, then slowly turned and shot Sandra a very strange look.

Sandra snorted softly, clearly catching the meaning behind it, before deliberately averting her eyes as if she wanted no part in that unspoken exchange.

Xara chuckled under her breath, then finally spoke aloud, "Good. That means there is a path forward."

Aria tilted her head slightly, "But I do not think she would allow us to meet her so easily. If we suddenly enter their Empire, it would be obvious. Considering how perceptive she is, she might even realise what we are trying to do before we say a word."

Xara nodded slowly, "That is exactly why the Sovereign will come with you."

Dora frowned almost immediately, "I cannot interfere with the Trial. That rule is absolute, and I am bound by it."

Xara smirked faintly, "Who told you that you would be interfering at all?"

Dora's frown deepened. "Then what exactly are you suggesting I do?"

"All you need to do," Xara said calmly, "is divert her attention. Take her somewhere else. Keep her occupied for a while. Just long enough for our cute little bunnies to quietly capture their target and slip away."

Dora remained tense, her expression conflicted and unsettled. She still felt like she was crossing a line.

The Origin Pillars themselves had warned her not to interfere with the Trial in any form, directly or indirectly.

Helping Aether... this was different!

Seeing Dora hesitate, Sandra spoke coldly, "Then we have no choice but to declare all-out war."

Dora blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Huh?"

Sandra shrugged lightly, "What do you expect us to do? They are already moving ahead of us. No Ruler would sit back and allow another to manipulate the board unchecked. It will either be cooperation… or war."

Sera nodded with a tired sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Otherwise, this will be the only way left to stop their growth."

"But this will hurt you the most," Dora said seriously, "What exactly do you have to fight with? The Void Empire will handle energy effortlessly, but what about you? I do not even need to think about who would win.

Mary would crush you all without mercy."

They knew it... Every single one of them did.

And yet, knowing did not give them another choice.

It was either bringing Lia to their side or... stepping into an all-out war they were destined to lose.

There was no third option left to consider.

Just as everyone lost in thoughts and considering war...

"Wait a damn second!" Dora suddenly shouted, her eyes widening with sudden realisation. "I just remembered something. Honestly… how did all of you forget about him?"

"Who?" someone asked immediately.

Dora parted her lips...

Just then, a sound interrupted the moment.

Knock... Knock...

"Your Majesty, may I come in?"

A voice echoed clearly from behind the closed door.

Raven nodded as she knew who it was, "You may."

As the door slowly opened, everyone in the room turned toward the entrance.

Standing there were Drakharis and Liyrrs... and instantly their body shivered when they saw... every single woman was grinning wickedly!!

Their Dragon instincts were warning them in high alert!!

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