(Insinz's POV)
Valin had sealed off the room perfectly; no air could enter or escape.
Without oxygen, Vetro couldn't even summon the strength to stand.
"How long can he live like that?" Tana asked.
I wasn't an expert, but I knew this much:
Vetro's strength came from his age.
Our kind grows stronger over time, and he had trained relentlessly in every element over the centuries, and he had been draining power from Tana all this time.
I'm guessing he could survive an hour without air... maybe longer.
"Not long," I answered.
Tana handed me the suppressant chains.
We originally planned for Valin to carry them, but in the end, we gave them to Tana's clone.
It made sense because she didn't need to breathe and wouldn't be weakened by the chains.
I propped Vetro up on his knees and bound his hands behind his back.
This man... this monster had tormented me across countless lifetimes.
I crouched down in front of him and said,
"Tana, come here."
She approached without hesitation.
I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her deeply, our tongues intertwining as I turned my eyes up to meet Vetro's.
His face was red; veins bulged across his forehead. It was hard to tell if it was from rage or suffocation.
Possibly both.
"It's your turn now," I whispered to her.
By now, her true mind had fully taken over the clone, which was a clear sign that things were going smoothly on her end.
"I figured out my element," she said softly, stepping forward to stand over Vetro.
Her expression darkened.
"No thanks to you. You tried to keep me weak… dependent. You treated me like a doll made only for your pleasure. You lied to me. Hurt me. And this—" she held out her hand, "this is my first step toward freedom," Tana declared.
"I remember now that light is my element, and with it, I'm going to take your eyesight," she added coolly.
Vetro struggled, panic rising, but there was nothing he could do.
No oxygen to fuel the fire.
No strength left to bend the Earth, and with me interfering at every turn, he was totally powerless.
Without oxygen, he couldn't even scream.
I closed my eyes.
I didn't need to see; I felt the heat from her powers, so I knew exactly when to look again.
"I chose the same power as our mother..." Tana began. "I don't know how I could have forgotten. V, you don't deserve the gift of sight. You caused so much despair because of the things you lusted after… the things you saw. With this, I'm doing the world a favor."
Vetro collapsed, either from the pain or from suffocation.
That was enough.
I wasn't going to let him die here.
I relocated him to the dungeon, added more restraints to his cell, and waited for him to wake.
A full day passed, and he didn't move an inch. I asked the guards to alert me the moment he stirred.
We had to get rid of the old staff and hire an entirely new one.
Then test every surviving citizen's loyalty, and screen people for corruption or discontent with Vetro's dethronement.
Several were arrested for disturbing crimes committed under Vetro's rule.
Afaria would no longer tolerate such perversion.
(Snowe's POV)
Two days since the battle began, I saw a streak of purple lightning across the sky.
That was Zai's signal that the King had fallen.
I felt a strange mix of joy and dread.
I'd asked Infaniya for help without consulting Zai.
He might understand… or he might be furious. He could be so stubborn about these things.
As I stood there battling with guilt, a loud crack of thunder exploded around me. Wind swept through the air, knocking everyone nearby off their feet, everyone except me.
Because I was in my husband's arms.
"I missed you," he mumbled, kissing my collarbone before bringing his lips to mine.
Someone cleared their throat.
Zai glanced toward the sound and froze.
"The Infaniyan Chosen of Fire?"
"Have we met?" Serco asked.
Zai nodded with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Yeah. Briefly. You were trying to kill my brother," Zai replied.
I could feel the tension.
I quickly pressed my hand to Zai's mouth.
"Be nice! They helped us. They want peace. At least the South and East continents of Infaniya have already agreed…" I reasoned.
He sighed, then kissed me again, gentler this time.
"Fine. I won't hold a grudge. My bro did start that fight."
He must be referring to RJ.
Later, I got the full story.
RJ wanted to test his strength, but Serco refused to fight at full power.
So, RJ kidnapped Serco's girlfriend, now his wife, to force him to fight seriously.
Zai had to step in to pull RJ away once things got too intense.
That… explains a lot, and boy, the RJ of the past really did like a wild life.
Things were tense at first, but treaties were formed.
The reconstruction teams were dispatched.
Healing began.
The portal to Infaniya was opened as a regulated travel gate, heavily guarded on both sides.
No one wanted to be king.
Instead, rulership was divided among the seven Chosen. Netalai, Cera, and Rytem remained on Afaria as acting monarchs, while the others, like Zai and Valin, would eventually return to Earth to tie up loose ends.
Tana and I were both crowned acting queens.
I'd imagined this rebellion would end with a fight, and then we'd go home. It's been months, and I don't think we're close to returning.
And between everything going on, I've barely had any time alone with Zai.
(Insinz's POV)
Over a week later, I was informed Vetro had awakened.
I ordered a servant to give him water immediately.
His cell had been heavily modified with suppressant technology from Infaniya.
There was a sealing rune etched into the floor, and power-nullifying bars with a reinforced glass window on the cell door that allowed for eye contact.
Though it was wasted on a blind man.
"Who's there?" he grumbled, stumbling from the strain of his restraints.
The servant gently pressed a cup to his lips.
"Have some water," she suggested.
He slapped it away.
"You may leave," I said.
She bowed before leaving us alone.
I then stepped closer.
"Brother-in-law… hi. You've been sleeping so long, I almost missed you," I muttered.
He groaned.
I opened the door and adjusted his chains, just enough so he could walk, feed himself, and stop being a nuisance to the staff.
"What are you doing?" he slurred.
"Making you less of a burden," I answered.
I could tell the spores I'd left in his brain were still working; he could barely lift his head.
"I thought… I was dead," he mumbled, turning his pale, clouded eyes toward me.
"We wanted to kill you," I said casually. "But there'd be too many casualties, including us, so we spared you. Aren't you grateful?" I replied with false politeness.
He rolled onto his side, curling up on the stone floor.
"I'm not your only visitor today," I added.
He tensed.
Then Tana entered behind me.
"Hello, brother," she said.
He pushed himself upright, crawling toward her.
"Tana! Hey... You must really hate me to leave me like this. I'd rather be dead. I was willing to give up everything… the war, my power. I wanted to do right by you," he muttered.
His voice shook, trembling with useless emotion.
"You can't die," she said coldly. "If you stop eating or drinking, we'll force it down your throat. The planet's survival is tied to you. And you're still trying to make it about you?"
He scoffed.
"I thought I was being considerate, but I guess I don't know how to be," he admitted.
She frowned and reached for my hand.
"Let's go," Tana said.
I kissed her softly, resting a hand on her waist.
"Not yet," I replied as I turned toward the cell one last time.
"In two months, I'll make an announcement. That's when our daughter will be born. On that day, it'll be loud enough for even you to hear down here. Each time she bears me another child… I'll make a new announcement so you'll know. That way, you'll always have something to look forward to."
His eyes widened, and he screamed, but it wasn't long before he fell silent.
His mouth hung ajar as he gazed at the ceiling, and a single tear slipped down his otherwise blank face.
He looked… defeated.
There's nothing he can do.
He's weaker even than the average human right now.
The fungus I created is threading through his mind and slowly devouring what's left of his sanity.
This is the same man who would once go on a rampage if someone so much as looked at Tana too long.
The same man who ordered her to abort our child, and threatened to cut off her legs if she refused.
Now look at him, barely able to blink and unable to stop the drool from spilling down his chin.
He's only alive because the planet can't survive without him.
We only need him alive; he does not need to be comfortable.
(Tana's POV)
Rebuilding the world has been exhausting.
Every applicant for a noble title or government role was personally interviewed by Raijian and Zai.
Only one in a hundred passed their integrity tests.
I wanted Zai to become king, but he said he still had unfinished business on Earth.
Valin and Raijian said the same. In the end, rulership was divided evenly among the seven Chosen.
Netalai, Cera, and Rytem remained in Afaria as kings, tasked with overseeing the day-to-day.
Any major decisions now require unanimous approval. And Insinz has not fully made up his mind, but is helping with diplomatic choices in the meantime.
Even Markis volunteered to stay, devoting himself to retraining the military. Their role has shifted from invaders to guardians.
Before everything was fully settled, I gave birth to our daughter. And as promised… Vetro was one of the first to know.
Insinz's voice rang out across the kingdom:
"The first princess of our new rulers has been born! A festival will be held in the capital one week from today!"
People from across the continent came to celebrate.
I can't remember the last time the capital was so alive and for something joyful.
The city remained lit through the night, and music echoed through the streets.
I was given time to rest and care for Chai, my little love, though I barely needed the break. I had two nannies, five maids, and Insinz beside me every night.
I never felt alone, and I was never tired.
For the first time in my life… I feel truly safe.