"Empress!" Aurelian and the Knight Commanders teleported to where Ceres was standing the moment they saw her. "You shouldn't be here. It's far too dangerous right now."
They instinctively moved to shield her from the chaos unraveling across the palace grounds.
At that exact moment, Tuf was being mercilessly thrown, slammed, and stomped into the ground by his massive older brother. Despite Orso's size, he was shockingly fast, and Tuf couldn't fight back. Not because he couldn't, but because every time he tried to counter, Luna would suddenly materialize beside him, her Death Scythe gleaming threateningly. That hesitation was enough for Orso to pummel him again.
"Bear!!! ENOUGH! Aghhhh!" was all Tuf could manage through gritted teeth as his body cracked the pavement and ricocheted off enchanted walls like a ragdoll.
Thankfully, the newly reinforced materials used for the Emperor's Palace, crafted under Tuf's direction, held firm. Though the shield spells over the structure groaned and shimmered, they didn't break, even when Orso hurled his brother into them hard enough to shake the entire palace.
"It's okay, Duke," Ceres said softly, startling Aurelian.
He had been expecting to find her scared, withdrawn, still acting like the First Princess who once flinched at the sound of raised voices. But as he looked at her now, he could see it, the confidence had returned to her eyes, and her posture was no longer tentative.
"You're… you're back," Aurelian said, a smile breaking across his face as he pulled her into a relieved embrace.
"Yes. I'm back," Ceres replied with a calm certainty.
"What happened?" he asked gently, referring to the strange days of distance and silence.
"I'll explain later," she said, already stepping forward.
"Your Highness, it's dangerous," Legion said firmly, moving to block her path.
"The Celestial Knight is right," Lady Layla added with urgency. "That woman, she was furious at Tuf for claiming you as his human. We don't know what she might do to you."
But Ceres only smiled and gently patted Layla's hand.
"It's okay," she said softly. "They're not going to hurt me."
"But, Your Highness, we can't be certain, " Sir Draven started, concern heavy in his voice.
"Trust me," Ceres said with a serene smile. Then, without hesitation, she resumed walking.
Aurelian made a move to stop her, but before he could get close, Seiryu stepped in between them.
"The Empress said it's fine," the Holy Beast declared, voice leaving no room for argument.
Ceres couldn't help but cringe as she approached the scene and saw what Luna and Orso were doing to Tuf. At this point, she genuinely felt sorry for him. But deep inside, she also knew… this wasn't a murderous attack.
This was just sibling roughhousing, if that term even applied to beings like them.
If anyone else had been in Tuf's place, they'd be long dead from the first blow.
Yet looking at the three of them now, Ceres felt warmth spreading in her chest.
She still couldn't believe it.
That she'd see them again.
That they were here, in Solmara, in human form, no longer just ghosts of her forgotten past.
She didn't know why she had failed to see the eerie resemblance between Tuf and Zeus before, or why their names had vanished from her memory for so long.
But now… after speaking to Evadne…
It was like a fog in her mind had finally lifted.
And she remembered everything.
"Bear. Luna," she called their names softly, but it was enough.
Both stopped mid-motion and snapped their heads toward her. Eyes wide. Breath held.
She smiled at them, warmly, lovingly, filled with unspeakable longing.
"I think Tofu has already learned his lesson," she said gently.
Tuf's eyes widened as his body regenerated once again beneath Orso's massive boot.
He stared at her in disbelief.
"Do you… know who they are?" he asked hoarsely.
Ceres stepped closer. Her eyes softened. Her voice, though quiet, was steady.
"Yes, little cub," she said.
The old petname, the one she used to call him, slipped from her lips like a benediction.
"I know who you are now."
Tuf blinked to her side in an instant.
"Call me that again," he whispered, his voice soft and pleading.
"I don't think 'little cub' suits you anymore," Ceres said with a warm smile, reaching up to gently pat his thick black hair.
"You remember!" Tuf gasped, his voice thick with relief as he immediately pulled her into a tight hug.
Several onlookers inhaled sharply, just moments ago, Luna had been furious at Tuf for claiming the Empress as his human. And now, he was hugging her affectionately… right in front of her.
Despite knowing they stood no chance, every knight in the vicinity had their hands on their hilts, ready to defend the Empress with their lives if necessary.
"Yes. I remember now," Ceres said, voice cracking with emotion as tears slid down her cheeks. "I remember everything."
She returned his embrace with equal intensity.
A moment later, her eyes found Luna and Orso, both watching silently from a short distance, uncertain and unmoving.
"Kitten. Big guy!" Ceres called, lifting one arm toward them.
That was all it took.
Luna bolted forward, throwing herself into Ceres's arms with a sob.
"You're here! We finally found you!" she cried, her whole frame shaking as she clung to her.
"Yes. I'm here. I'm here now," Ceres whispered, her tears still flowing.
"Bear?"
To everyone's shock, the massive giant's body shimmered, shrinking down in an instant. No longer three stories tall, but still towering over any regular human, he was easily three times larger than a grown man.
"Mother," Orso said, voice deep and trembling as he stepped forward and pulled all three of them into his huge embrace.
All around, stunned silence.
Other than Aurelian, Legion, Seiryu, and Arwen, none could believe what they were seeing.
The three dangerous demi-human siblings had just called the Empress their mother.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Only Comet and Seiryu reacted, moving with quiet instinct to block either side of the circle, ensuring no one dared approach or interrupt them.
And in that moment, the humans finally began to understand, if only faintly, why Tuf was so violently protective of the Empress.
Because she was his mother.
Biologically, it made no sense. The demi-humans were over a thousand years old. The Empress was just twenty-three.
And yet… the vulnerability these terrifying beings now showed couldn't be faked.
"You pea-brain! Stop smothering me in your armpit!" Tuf's voice rang out, muffled by the massive arm wrapped around his head.
Luna and Ceres burst into laughter as Orso clamped Tuf into his side even tighter.
A moment later, Tuf teleported behind Orso's neck, latching on like a wild animal and strangling him with both legs.
"You owe me an apology!" Tuf growled, twisting with all his might.
Orso, entirely unfazed, simply swatted him off like an insect.
"Fuck you, Bear!" Tuf shouted midair.
"That's enough, you two!" Luna snapped, glaring at them with her usual sharpness. "Mother is here!"
She gracefully accepted a handkerchief from Comet, then handed another to Ceres.
"Kitten," Tuf reappeared right in front of them, dusting himself off, only slightly bruised after Orso's last punch that had launched him a good distance away. "You owe me an apology."
"I do not!" Luna barked. "You're the reason for the misunderstanding. I'm not apologizing. You should be the one saying sorry! You hid this from us! You're so greedy, you know that?!"
"That's not true!!!" Tuf cried in protest. "I tried to bring her to the Black Tower as soon as I could!"
Ceres couldn't help but laugh, wiping away tears as she watched the absurd back-and-forth unfold, especially as Orso rejoined the fray by launching Tuf into a nearby wall for "being selfish."
"I suggest we talk inside the Empress Palace," Ceres said gently, still smiling. "And Bear… please stop attacking Tofu. You're traumatizing my citizens."
Arm in arm with Luna, Ceres walked with quiet grace as she introduced her and Orso to Aurelian and the others. Though the tension in the air was palpable, no one dared disrespect them. Wary eyes observed every movement, every word, but no one made the mistake of being impolite.
Beside them, Luna turned to Ceres with a soft smile. "This is Comet," she said, motioning toward the demon standing behind her.
Comet bowed low, his expression neutral but respectful. "It is an honor, Empress," he said smoothly.
Ceres nodded in return. "Thank you, Comet."
Then she turned to Tuf, her voice casual but searching. "Where's Delphine?"
Before Tuf could speak, Luna answered instead. "She's still at the Black Tower, Mother."
A small smile tugged at Ceres's lips. "You calling me mother is raising a lot of eyebrows," she admitted. "And honestly, it feels a little awkward."
The siblings exchanged a glance, silent understanding passing between them.
"We understand, Your Highness," Luna replied, gracious and composed.
"I'm sorry," Ceres said gently. "But… you can call me mother if you like."
"It's okay, Your Highness," Luna said again, her sweet smile unwavering. "We can just keep it between family for now."
Ceres reached out, cupping both of Luna's cheeks tenderly. "How are you so emotionally intelligent," she teased, "while this troublemaker here throws tantrums like a child?" She cast a side-glance at Tuf.
"Luna takes after Father," Orso said plainly. "Tofu takes after you."
Ceres's jaw dropped slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, half-offended, half-shocked by the implication.
"It is what it is, Mother," Tuf chimed in with a grin, entirely unapologetic.
With laughter and ease hanging in the air, they began walking toward the Empress Palace. Behind them, Aurelian followed silently, his body tense, his senses sharpened.
Still alert. Still watchful.
And like Aurelian, Legion could feel it too.
The distance.
It wasn't physical. Not really. But it was there, growing. Spreading like mist between mountains.
Once, it was Legion standing beside her. Once, he assisted her. Protected her. Knew her next move before she made it.
But now…
Now, Tuf walked at her left, Luna on her right. Orso trailed behind, his massive form casting a shielded shadow over her that none could breach.
And Seiryu, walked ahead of them beside Comet, like a herald to a queen more divine than mortal.
Aurelian and Legion were left in the rear.
Forgotten. Watching. Following.
Excluded.
And deep in their chests, both men could feel it, this was only the beginning.
The Empress, their Empress, was slowly becoming out of reach.
Soon, they might only see her from afar.
And all they could do… was clench their fists.
And walk behind her.