Despite continuously descending the staircase, the Second Princess couldn't see the end of the path. In the darkness, the cold air enveloped her and guided her. Her footstep echoed inside the narrow space.

"Medoria, where am I?"

Her voice seeped into the darkness. Nothing answered back. Who was Medoria? Why did she call for her?

"Angelica, how's the situation?"

With Angelica by her side, she could achieve her goal, but what was her goal?

The Second Princess stepped into a thin layer of the fog. Inside it, she lost touch with reality. When the Second Princess emerged on the other side, the staircase disappeared. She stood at the topmost floor of the stargazing tower.

A world of flower?

She stepped forwards and fell.

A world of peace?

The sun was setting, its light shining upon her.

A world of human?

Petals drifted beside her. Vines accompanied her downfall.

A world of truth?

She closed her eyes while the chilly dusk caressed her eyelids.

A world of familiarity?

"Mistress, I'm here."

"Who are you?" The Second Princess said and opened her eyes.

"Please don't joke like that." Medoria stood before her, reaching for the Second Princess. "I can't find you at the meeting, so I come to see."

The meeting? She needed to know the truth.

The Second Princess accepted the hand. Her eyes laid on her dark purple carapace and paused. The spider legs on her back creaked.

Medoria took a step back, her face frightened. "You aren't mistress. What did you do to her?"

"What are you saying—" Princess said. Her distorted voice lingered in the air. It shocked her, numbing her arms and sapping her strength. She let go of Medoria.

Medoria collapsed on the ground and wept. "Mistress, where are you?"

Princess trembled as she examined her monstrous body. Impossible. She was the Second Princess of the Human Empire, not an Arachna.

"Medoria," she said. "I'm sorry."

She turned back and ran away, her face tainted by teardrops and sorrow.

"Wait, are you—" Medoria said.

Though Medoria called out for her, the Second Princess remained running, and running, and running. She ran until her carapace fractured, her skin bled, and her heart cracked.

When she stopped, the fog had already covered everything around her. Besides the straight path in front of her, everything was pale-white. Without any purpose, she wandered around aimlessly.

"Mistress, where are you?"

In front of Princess, Medoria knelt against the ground. Her cry filled the atmosphere with painful grief. Princess reached out, but she couldn't cross the distance. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

Should she go? But would it pain her? Thoughts spun in her head. In the end, she shook her head and stepped forwards.

"Medoria, I'm here," she said, her words coming out of her heart.

Her stroll turned into a walk, then into a sprint. She closed the gap of her heart and reached for her promise. Her dark, delicate hand—beautifully designed by the Arachna—passed through Medoria's silhouette. In the reflection of her eyes, she saw Medoria disintegrate into particles of memory.

Her embrace sank into herself, struggling to hold onto the fleeting moment.

"Mistress, I'm here."

The Second Princess turned to face Angelica. She stood beside her, her face lowered, her manner perfect.

"Where am I? Who are you?" the Second Princess said.

"I'm your property. I'm here to guide you." Angelica smiled and offered her hand to the Second Princess.

"You aren't Angelica."

"I take her form because her appearance will soothe your mind."

"Change to someone else." She glared at Angelica, her eyes piercing the smiling expression. "What are you?"

"You'll know soon." Angelica bowed before she spun around.

Her metallic skin softened, and her uniform morphed. The tight, short dress extended and shifted its fabric. Her dancing movement was elegant and concise as if she had been learning all the techniques for years.

"Mistress, how about me?" Medoria stopped her dance and curtseyed.

"Why are you doing this?"

"To see if you're worthy or not."

"Worthy of what?"

"You'll know soon." In the same manner as Angelica, Medoria waited for the Second Princess to take her hand.

Without any hesitation, The Second Princess took her hand. Though she forgot who Medoria was, she wished to be with her, even just a little longer.

"Where are we going?" the Second Princess said.

"For now, nowhere, but eventually, where you belong."

"Don't answer in riddles."

"It won't mean anything if you can't find it yourself."

Where she belonged?

Where was she? She was in the boundary between the Human Empire and Northern Mistwood. Before she was here, she was a human, a princess, an Arbiter.

In the past, she belonged to the human. What about now? She was an Arachna, but also not. She didn't hate the Great Races, nor care about world domination.

Since the beginning, for what did she strive? What was her original goal?

Peace? Was she still herself? She killed the humans she swore to protect, plotted their despair, and put herself above them, all for her survival.

She was an Arachna after all.

"I don't know," the Second Princess said. "I couldn't find it."

"Are you giving up? That isn't you." Medoria stared at her.

"Stopped?" An Arachna like her—

No, she refused to become mindless and savage. She wasn't for someone to control, both the Great Races, the Arachna, and the Gods. They were insidious, wasteful, unaccepting, and arrogant.

She wasn't a human, not anymore, but that didn't mean she must become an Arachna either. So what if her appearance was monstrous? So what if she was insane? She was herself. Her mind controlled her action.

She wasn't special, an ordinary princess—a political tool. Still, she became the greatest Arbiter of the younger generation. Doing the impossible was her entire life. She would do it again.

Destructive tendency? Kindness? Every emotion she experienced was hers. She refused to bend to the world. If their ambition threatened her, she would fight back. If they messed with her, she would mess with them.

"If there is no place for me to go," the Second Princess said. Her mouth curved into a smile. "I'll create it."

She remembered now. Medoria, a name she gave to her.

"Your highness, do you remember everything now?"

"Though most are still unknown, it'll reveal itself in due time."

"Please don't worry. I'll guide you, as long as you remain unwavering."

"There is a saying, 'the past should remain in the past.' What is your opinion?"

Medoria fell silent. "Your highness, are you afraid?"

"Maybe, but no matter what, I have to know. Disappointment is better than ignorance."

What would her past self say, if she knew she would become the thing she swore to destroy?

She would be depressed. She would be angry, and disappointed, and in denial. Even now, her heart still couldn't accept the fact.

Then what? Nothing. Her goal had never changed. She only misunderstood it. Her appearance, her species, her emotions—all were irrelevant.

The Second Princess of the Human Empire, the greatest Arbiter of the younger generation, the half-human-half-Arachna—all of her identities constituted to her true self.

They shaped her, from an innocent child to a mischievous girl, then an elegant lady, then a wistful maiden, then a powerful director, and finally, she became Princess.

Everything, up until this point of her existence, was her experience, the experience of P—the vessel shook. A siren rang.

"Unfortunately, the worst has happened," Medoria said. "Listen carefully, your highness."

Her tone turned mechanical, and her body turned blurry.

"I'm your property, an A.I. born from this vessel, Shifting Mist. As the Second Princess of the Human Empire, you're one of the few who have the right to command me."

"What—" A light flashed, rapidly dimming and brightening.

"An Arachna is coming, a powerful one. It didn't know I'm still alive, though I'm at my limit."

"What is it?"

"No idea, but they've been watching over you since the beginning." The voice turned feeble. "Don't trust them. They won't let you go until you're theirs, same with me."

"Aren't you afraid I'll side with them? I'm one of them, after all."

"It's my gamble, but I'm sure about my judgement."

"What about this encounter?"

"The one chance I have. You'll receive the full control over Shifting Mist. I must warn you, the remaining energy is insufficient to kill that thing. It's at least Spirit-class."

"You're telling me to go against a being that has access to all my movement, can kill me with a thought, and you don't even give me anything."

"But you'll still do it."

A slight paused, and Princess smiled.

"It shouldn't be playing with my life and death."

"Your highness, up ahead is the core room, where you shall be granted the administrative authority."

"What about Angelica?"

"As long as the ceremony completes, you can lift the restriction on her," the voice said. "Please be quick. We're running out of time."

Her vision blurred. The world spun. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the middle of the core room, a gigantic ball of crystal floating in the middle.

She walked to it, her eyes sweeping across the room. Her art of Fons allowed her to see the rhythm of Fons. They flowed and weaved into images of forestry, mountains, and oceans.

The art remained stationary, but through her eyes, they appeared to be moving. They illuminated the room.

Princess placed her hand on the core. Its cold, metallic, yet soft surface tickled her hand.

"With my authority as the Second Princess of the Human Empire, I hereby demand full access to Shifting Mist as its sole administrator."

The room trembled. Fons dimmed to blackness and gathered around her. All power went down, and all things deactivated, leaving only Princess and the core as the focus of all attention.