I. The Encounter at the Threshold
The King had left early; the kingdom's affairs demanded his absolute presence. Meanwhile, the 120 queens rested, except for Aliarda, who loved to watch the sunrise over the sea. Suddenly, the castle's bells thundered. Aliarda opened the gates to find the most beautiful woman the planet had ever seen, with vibrant green hair so long it dragged on the wooden floors.
—What are you doing here, Wandering Angel? —Aliarda asked. It was Siris, the planet's guardian. —I have only come for what was promised to me. —My father refused to give me to you —Aliarda stated. Siris smiled: —I was promised the son of the Legionnaire, not a daughter. I have waited years for him to grow. Now he belongs to me. I will wait here on the beach for the King to return.
II. The Challenge on the Sand
The queens gathered on the beach. Aliarda warned them: —She has come to take Kai. Ania approached Siris: —This is private property. What are you doing here? —He is my destiny. I am taking him —Siris declared—. I have been betrothed to him for over a thousand years. Today, he leaves with me. Ania, knowing the King's nature, thought to herself: "Siris comes to claim a husband, but she will end up being just another possession of the King."
III. The Vote of the 120
—Girls, she is number 121 —Aurora laughed. The queens debated. Some felt pity for her loss of freedom; others, like Freya, defended their love for Kai fiercely. —Let's vote! —Ania called. All 120 queens raised their hands. Siris was now the 121st.
IV. Aurora's Warning
Aurora sat by Siris on the beach: —You are about to stop being free. You still have time to run. —I am free. Joining my husband won't enslave me —Siris replied. —You don't understand. This is a harem. We belong to him. Once he hears you want him, you are never leaving... not even if angels come for you. The queens laughed. Siris snapped: —I have more power than the King. He is my gift, not my master. The laughter only grew louder.
V. The Shadow of the King
The doors burst open. Kai entered. —Speak of the devil —Aurora joked. Kai multiplied. His clones surrounded the women. —I am missing one clone —Kai noted—. There are 121 women here. Aurora pointed to Siris: —She is number 121. She was betrothed to you long ago. Siris stood tall: —I am the only true wife. Suddenly, a new clone materialized from Siris's own shadow, whispering: —And who are you, beautiful woman, to say you belong to me?
VI. The Angel and the King
—I don't belong to you. You belong to me —Siris claimed. Kai mocked her: —So you are Siris, the one on the gold coins. What do you really want? —God promised you to me. You will be with me. Kai stepped close, his shadow clone blocking her exit. —Listen, "angel." Here, it is not a democracy. You will be my property. Once you accept, your freedom ends where my will begins.
VII. The Trap of Blood and Shadow
Siris was furious: —I am a Seraph! I could destroy you. —Whatever you say, my love —Kai sneered—. If you want me to be your dog, I will be. But your only words from now on will be "Yes, my love." Siris tried to flee, but the doors wouldn't open. She tried to use her divine magic, but it failed. —This castle is made of my own blood —Kai revealed—. It is made of pure evil. You are not leaving. You are mine.
VIII. Loba: Duel of Egos
Siris sat near him: —Little warlock, I am an eternal angel. You are a mere reflection of a mistake of this universe. Kai countered: —I defeated hell in fourteen hours while you took 150 years to protect a planet. You belong to me. Call me weak again, and I'll show you who I am. —Weak —she laughed. —Why don't we prove it? —Kai challenged—. Or are you too puritanical to kiss anyone? Siris blushed: —I have never kissed a man. I thought you could be the one, but you are a disappointment. You are a weak man. —Then let this weak man kiss you. Give me one kiss, and I'll let you go.
IX. Loba: The King's Lesson
—Fine, one kiss and I leave —she agreed. Kai leaned in. He kissed her slowly, biting her lips with his. Siris tried to resist, but she had never known a man's touch. Soon, she was kissing him with intensity. They stripped savagely. Suddenly, Siris was screaming in pain. He told her she was going to learn a lesson. In every room, the same was happening. Both were arrogant, both were egocentric. Amidst the screams, Siris's voice rang out: —It does hurt, my love.
Arc: The Immortals (The Origin)I.
The Jailer's Throne
Kai had retired to the palace where he was with his right hand, Alequei. He told him that he would not be in the kingdom all day; that the queens were resting and that he did not want anyone to disturb them. At that moment, Alequei, the governor, nodded and said not to worry, that no one would disturb his wives, his queens.
Kai returned home and said to one of his wives: —Aliarda, please, I need you to open a portal to the Abyss. I want to speak with your father.
She was still in bed. All of them were in their respective rooms, including the new member, Siris. —Kai, you have been very brutal. It's been a week since you've let us go —Aliarda told him—. I will open it, but I'm going to sleep, do not disturb me. —Fine, just open the portal —he replied.
She opened the portal inside the room. Kai stepped through it and appeared before the throne. The throne of the Abyss floated in outer space; in one part was Hell, in another part the Abyss, and in another part Heaven, but the throne was distant from all planets. It wasn't that everything was together; rather, the throne floated and belonged to none. The throne was the seat of the jailer: Legion.
Kai approached slowly. Beside Legion was that evil goblin who had left him stranded in the Abyss. Kai greeted Legion: —Legion, how are you? —Well, boy. What have you come for? To talk to you about some matters, I suppose. I assume you already know my right hand, Duke Belfort. —Yes, we've met before —Kai answered. And the goblin said: —Yes, I already know your son, Legion.
In that moment, everyone fell silent.
II. Siris's Blessing
Meanwhile, at the beach house, the women could barely move. Siris had made Kai angry; he had been very brutal. For a week, he hadn't let her go, and they hadn't left the bedroom. All of them were very sore and began to complain to Siris.
—Why did you make him angry? —Aurora said—. I can't walk. —Neither can I —Siris said—. I didn't know he was so dense. —Dense, savage —some said.
They were all laughing, yet in pain. And Siris began: —Do you want us to be healthy again? Since I kissed Kai, the word and mandate of God have been fulfilled, and I have recovered all my power.
Siris cast a small white magic that enveloped them all. And they were all healed. Everyone cheered. —That healing magic you use is incredible —Aurora said. —Yes —Siris said—, but it's not magic; it's a blessing I cast upon us. I am an angel who casts the blessing of healing upon people. So if you ever had a fracture or a scar, you no longer have it.
Everyone was happy. —What about the new girl? —some asked. —And what do you say, Siris? —Aurora asked—. Did you see that you couldn't leave? —Yes, I know, I can't leave —Siris said—. But I'm not interested in leaving; on the contrary, I'm never leaving here again. Well, I'm not going from here to anywhere. I know this house belongs to you, but I would like you to accept me as one more of the King's women.
Aurora told her: —You've been one of his women for a while now, for more than a week. —Yes, I know —some of them said—. But all of you have rings. Don't you see your hand, Siris?
Siris looked at her hand. And she already had a ring.
The Heir and the Weight of Blood (English Version)
—I suppose —Kai began, breaking the silence of the Abyss— that you are already aware that I have a woman named Siris with me, right?
—Yes, Kai —Legion responded heavily—. I heard that Siris showed up at your house and caused quite a stir.
—She claims she was looking for the son who carried your last name —Kai stated, fixing his gaze on the throne—. And you handed me over to her.
Legion sighed, revealing the weight of his crown: —I had no other choice. I did it to save my daughter's life. She was born sick, and I couldn't risk that angel taking her away.
—I know the story, more or less —Kai replied bitterly—, but does that mean you handed me over like a damn harlot?
Duke Belfort, from the shadows, couldn't help but mock him: —Yes, you are a harlot, midget. A harlot, you damn boy.
Legion ignored the goblin and addressed Kai: —I did not hand you over like a commoner. I did it because it was the Father's will and because you were the only male who bore my last name.
—I understand it all now —Kai reflected—. When I trained with the Crowned Beasts, they mentioned that a King had promised them an heir to marry their daughters. I never knew who that King was, but then those same daughters wanted to marry me. Now they are my beautiful Crowned Beasts. Tell me, Legion, do they have anything to do with you?
Legion lowered his gaze, carrying the truth: —Yes. When it became known that I had a male son—even if you were adopted under my name—the Crowned Beasts demanded the same: they wanted the heir as a husband for their daughters. They provided vital help during the war, and I was unable to say no to them.
—So, this is the second time you've sold me like a harlot —Kai snapped. —Yes, harlot —Belfort insisted spitefully.
—Shut up, both of you! —Legion roared, standing up—. You, Kai, are a prince of the Abyss and you have obligations. If destiny dictates that you must wed any being on this planet, you will do it; they are your duties as a prince. And you, Belfort, shut up; you are a Duke of the Abyss. Try not to make me lose my patience before the throne.
A deathly silence fell over the room. —Forgive me —Kai murmured. —Forgive me, my lord —Duke Belfort added.
—Listen well —Legion continued—: the commitments I made in your name exist because you are a prince. Although on Earth you were a simple commoner who had to build his own renown, here you need to prove nothing. You are the heir to all of this. For now, I will allow you to live peacefully on the planet Yatris so that you take care of my daughter and your own. But I warn you: that angel you have in your house is a powerful damn monster. Do not be fooled by her beauty; she is a danger.
—I know —Kai responded calmly—, but even so, she is one of my treasures now. I only wanted to confirm my suspicions. I'm sorry to have bothered you.
—You haven't bothered me. I only want you to finally understand what your obligations are in this kingdom.
Kai said goodbye to both and withdrew from the floating hall. Legion and Belfort remained alone, submerged in the gloom.
—He still doesn't know, does he? —Belfort asked in a somber tone. —No, he doesn't know —Legion confirmed. —Everyone will come for his head. —I don't think so —Legion declared—. He is stronger than many I know.
The Legend of the Anomaly: The Motherless Being
Back at the beach castle, Siris felt the urge to share something profound with the others. —I want to tell you a story —she announced—, a story as old as time itself.
The queens gathered around her, captivated by the mystery emanating from the angel. Siris began her tale: —Did you know that when the universe was created, when God shaped Hell, the Abyss, Heaven, and every planet in existence, a legend was also born? They say that when Hell was saturated with the evil of sinners, in the midst of that absolute darkness, a being was born. A being that was not a demon, nor an angel, and much less a human hybrid. It was, in its purest state, malevolent energy.
Siris paused, letting her words sink into the atmosphere. —They say this being was born from the absence of love; from the lack of affection of all the damned who ended up in Hell. That energy accumulated until it took life in an entity whose only quest was, precisely, love. And finding none in the depths of Hell, it began to search from world to world. Legend has it that this being, using its own power, reincarnated on many planets and through many eras. It lived life after life, constantly dying and being reborn, but it never managed to find love.
Luna, the White Witch, moved by the tale, asked: —What a beautiful story... But why did it never find love?
—The story says that no one loved it —Siris replied with a shadow of sadness—. Everyone rejected it. In every place, it was hunted and ended up dying in the cruelest ways on every planet it stepped upon. They say it has belonged to every imaginable race. This legend was told to me by an angel of the highest ranks; they say he is an anomaly. They say that Death, the angel Azrael, tries to hunt him down to kill him, but every time he succeeds, the anomaly is born again on a different planet. They say it is a being that sprouts from the earth itself; it is not born from a mother's womb. It is a motherless being; it does not need a womb to come into the world: it is born like a flower emerging from the soil.
The queens, moved almost to tears, whispered among themselves: —Poor being... never finding love. —That being exists; it is not just a legend —Siris declared firmly—. They say it reincarnates in countless worlds throughout eternity while the Angel of Death hunts it to eliminate it. However, every time it dies, it is born again. It is a being that lacks a soul, and for that very reason, death cannot affect it in a definitive way.
—Poor thing... soul-less and hunted by death —some queens said with heavy hearts—. No one loves it. Its life must be a path of absolute sorrow.
Siris watched them with a gaze full of hidden knowledge and a slight smile: —It could be that its life is not as sad as you might believe. But anyway, let's change the subject —Siris proposed to lighten the tension—. Do you want me to sing for you?
—We sing too! —they exclaimed with enthusiasm.
In an instant, the hall was filled with life. Everyone began to sing, play instruments, and dance together, enjoying the sweets and delicacies that adorned the tables. It was then that Kai crossed the threshold. He stopped there, leaning against the doorframe, silently contemplating the scene: his queens dancing, laughing, and being happy under his roof. A sense of fulfillment filled his chest.
—Finally —Kai murmured to himself— I am happy.