In the world of Kerika, at the outskirts of the kingdom of Alizad, there was an old cabin made of wood.

A female gazed at a picture in a daze. She wore a white robe; her silver hair falling her waist. Her eyes were shiny black, her face structure could be called perfect; with symmetrical cheekbones, eyebrows, eyes, mouth and even nose. She was nothing short of a beautiful woman, but her eyes and face wore an expression of sadness and regret.

She stared at the picture for well over 2 hours, as she did every day. The woman sighed and turned around, wanting to leave, but before she could leave a piece of black orb near the picture cracked into pieces and vanished into the air, leaving nothing behind.

The woman’s eyes widened and she was showing an expression of shock!

No! it can’t be!

She didn’t want to believe what happened, her body shivered and her eyes turned into determination, as it was also a chance that she could use.

She vanished and not a second later she appeared in another place, which was over 100 kilometres away.

She stood in front of a massive building made of white marble, the imposing building was surrounded by a massif with mountain tops reaching well beyond 10 000 meters high. The woman strode in the building and entered the inner hall. She gazed quickly around, finding blood red writings all over the hall which she had spent years on completing. Her eyes filled with determination, this is something she had been waiting for a long time.

She released an aura which enveloped the whole building. Causing, the blood red writings around the hall started to glow. Because of the massive pressure from the aura, the hall shook. The woman could sense the surrounding mountains and earth crumbling and breaking off in pieces. She looked pale, sweat running down her face, but her eyes remained firmly focused on the writings in the middle of the hall.

The woman poured more energy into her aura as the seconds passed, ignoring her own wellbeing. The room started to crack, the woman looked around the hall, glancing at the fissures on the walls and the glow the writings emitted before releasing even more of her energy into the spell.

The room fractured even further, and at that moment, in the middle of the room above all dense writings, a bright light appeared. The light was blinding, and the woman struggled to keep her eyes on its radiant brilliance.

No, I will not close my eyes! This, I will see this through!

Within the bright light, a body appeared. The light slowly faded, the same happened with the blood red writings.

The aura which was released from the woman disappeared too when she saw that she finally succeeded. The woman could feel the rumbling stopping all around the area, the hall stopped cracking too. All that was left in the hall was the woman and the youth laying there.

A gleeful smile appeared on the woman’s face. Her body was tired and it was trembling, but even so, she would want to see him. The one she had been waiting for, the son she had to send away.

This time, I will protect you. Even if costs my life.

The woman vowed to herself while looking at the youth.

The youth. He looked to be around 12 years old, his hair was silver and his skin was pale like snow. The woman walked slowly over to him, almost falling down a couple of times and picked him up in her own embrace. She raised her right hand up, showing a silver ring. The woman thought of an item, the ring shined weakly as a blood-red pill appeared in her hand, she placed the pill carefully in his mouth. The woman waited for some time before his body attainted some colour, the youth started to breathe weakly again!

The woman looked at the youth carefully and a frown appeared on her face while she had a bad premonition. Her eyes suddenly turned ice-cold, she glanced at the tattered cloak wrapped around the youth which was filled with dried blood and holes. The woman grabbed the cloak and threw it on the ground, she then looked at the youth’s body.

What she saw, was horrible.

To the extent that she almost ended up fainting because of anger!

Her face turned pale as she looked at his body. She couldn’t think straight as her face was showing expressions of not knowing what to do and anger.

The youth’s body, his pale skin was filled with scars, burn marks, bite marks, skin distortion and most of his bones were broken into several pieces.

The woman stared at his body as her eyes turned moist, tears running down her cheeks, the fallen tears fell on the youth's face. She raised her hand once again and another pill appeared in the female’s hand, but this time the pill was white. She placed it carefully into the youth’s mouth. The woman could sense that the pill was healing the boy’s body.

A glow appeared around the youth as his body started to heal itself. But, most of the injuries didn’t heal. She picked up the tattered cloak with stiff movements and wrapped him in it again.

The woman embraced the youth as she silently wept. She touched his face with her fingers, the woman faintly smiled as she could finally touch her son again.

She held him firmly in her embrace as they vanished from the crumbling building.

A couple hundred kilometres away, they appeared in front of a castle. There were female guards everywhere guarding the castle. They would rather die than to let anyone in.

When the woman appeared in front of the castle with the youth in her embrace, all the guards went into panic but changed into respect not long after. Because she was the owner of the castle.

But, the guards felt like there was something strange. The woman doesn’t usually visit the castle, and this time, she was even lifting a youth in her arms. What’s happening?

A guard walked to her, she looked to be around 20 years old, she had red hair which went down to her shoulders. She wore a silver armour covering most of her body and a sword in her scabbard. She knelt on her right knee and spoke respectfully.

“Welcome home, Empress.”

The guard looked at the woman, then at the boy in her arms. The boy which wore a tattered cloak, she was rather confused, who was that boy, a beggar? The guard thought of a few things but didn’t think of it that much.

“Empress, do you want me to dispose of that boy for you?”

Before she could finish speaking, a cold aura pushed her down on both of her knees. She coughed up blood and her eyes turned black. Not only her, all the guard nearby collapsed on the ground and fainted.

“Dispose of him?! You want to kill MY son?!”

The woman spoke in an ice-cold tone, making everyone who heard her tremble in fear.

Her son?!

The guard didn’t know what to do. Her mind started to get blank, just by being near the woman she could imagine herself dying at any given moment.

Everyone knew that the Empress had a son, but her son had been lost. The guard fully understood that the Empress only cared about her son, no one else.

“I-I’m sorry Empress, I didn’t know!”

The guard tried to explain but didn’t know what to say as she felt the Empress’s aura crushing her, but the woman’s anger didn’t weaken at all.

“Cough”

Before the woman could do anything, the youth’s face trembled slightly, he coughed weakly and pushed his face toward the warm thing which was embracing him.

The woman’s aura disappeared when she felt the youth’s pressing himself onto her, she stared at the boy with a warm gaze as she walked towards the castle leaving everyone behind. While walking, she spoke out clearly.

“This is your final warning.”

The female’s cold voice sounded out the entire area making those who didn’t faint into fear.

The guard which was responsible listened carefully as she let out a breath of relief, she then collapsed on the spot and fainted. She was on the border of life and death during that meeting with the woman! How careless of her, she was just an ordinary guard protecting the castle. If she knew that the boy was her son, she would never say something like that. The only reason she did so, was because the boy in her arms which was wrapped in a tattered cloak looked more like a beggar than the son of the Empress.

When the woman entered the castle with the youth in her embrace, all the guards which guarded the halls of the castle, knelt respectfully as they glanced at the Empress and the boy in her embrace.

She walked past them all not even glancing at them, all the maids and guards all dropped down to their knees. Around a corner, a female wearing a classic maid outfit walked towards her, she looks to be around 19 years old, having black hair down to her shoulders with beautiful green eyes.

“Empress.”

The maid bowed with respect as she looked at the youth in her embrace, then let out a faint smile.

“Seems like young master has finally returned home.”

The woman looked at the maid before speaking with a tone filled with anger and coldness.

“Prepare warm bath and clothes, after that, enter the bath and help me clean his body!”

The woman ordered and walked past the maid.

She then stared at the boy in her embrace again while walking, it was the only thing that could make her slightly happy. Her expression relaxed when she saw his sleeping face, it made her smile.

The maid turned around to do what she was ordered to. She could feel that something was off, the Empress’s son had returned, but the maid felt uncontrollable anger released from her body. She quickly brought along some clothes based on the youth’s body size and the bath was always prepared to be used.

I wonder why the Empress is angry. Hopefully, she will calm down.

The maid entered the changing room, she took off her clothes, leaving only a beautiful body. She glanced at the bath and saw the back of the Empress and the youth’s face resting on her shoulder. His eyes were closed, but, he looked like an angel as he was peacefully sleeping.

The maid smiled as she entered the bath. The bath itself was very huge, perhaps even several dozen people could be in it together at the same time.

Sadly this bath was only for the Empress.

The maid entered the enormous bath and walked closer to the Empress and the youth which was resting in her embrace

When she went around the female, her mind went blank.

Who dared to harm him?!

An uncontainable rage appeared inside of her when she saw his ragged body! She showed a frown on her face as she thought of brutally ripping those who harmed him! She could finally understand why the Empress was so angry even when her son had returned.

The maid carefully went to the mother and son as she cupped her hands together and water entered her hands. She raised it and cautiously ran the warm water on the boy’s body. She did it all over his body, she washed his body slowly and carefully. She became angrier and sadder when she saw and touched all those scars on his body.

“Empress”

The woman who was looking at her son with warm eyes peeked at the maid with cold eyes. She could only feel her heart being warmed up when she was being with her son.

“Speak!”

Her voice was cold, she could finally meet her son again, to find about that he had most likely suffered far more than anyone could in hell!

The maid shivered slightly before getting some courage from who knows where as she finally asked with trembling lips.

“Empress, what’s young master’s name?”

The temperature in the warm bath seemed to drop below zero the moment the maid could finish her words.

The female’s aura vanished as she stared back at her son in a daze. She caressed his cheeks with care, she looked at him with warm glowing eyes which were trying to express all of her feelings.

“Shin. My son’s name is Shin.”

A beautiful and warm voice sounded out from the woman’s mouth. You would have thought this woman was a fairy descended from the heavens from her looks and voice.

At the same moment, the youth’s – Shin’s body trembled slightly. His eyes which were firmly closed turned moist as tears came out from the corners of his eyes.

“drip, drip”

The tears which ran down his face fell on the water surface, making dripping noises.

The maid stiffened up as she anxiously looked at Shin and the Empress. She could already imagine that the whole castle would just disappear at any given moment if the Empress became angry.

But, that didn’t happen, what did happen was that Shin hugged the woman a little harder. He pushed his own body towards her, to feel a little more of her warmth. A warmth he hasn’t felt before. His body yearned for it.

“Uhm…”

Shin let out a cosy sound as his body hugged the woman with a weak force. Even so, the woman’s heart burst out with warm intent as she could feel his intentions.

She smiled happily while her arms were wrapped around Shin. Everything around them seemed not worth mentioning, they lived in their own world as celestials on earth.

The maid couldn’t breathe for a second while looking at them, smiling faintly.

“Shin, my Shin. I’m here, I will never leave you again”

The woman spoke in the warmest possible tone she could. Her dark eyes shined brightly while promising herself to not let anyone harm him again.

The Empress and the maid washed Shin’s body for half an hour, the woman held Shin in her embrace carefully the entire time. She lifted Shin’s body as she went out of the bath when she was drying Shin’s body with a towel she looked at the maid who was on standby the entire time.

“Laura, bring clothes for him.”

This time, the woman didn’t speak coldly.

The maid – Laura nodded and brought the clothes she prepared earlier. A white robe with purple line strings. She carefully held it in her arms as she was showing it off to the Empress.

The Empress peeked at the robe before slightly nodding. She used her left hand which was free to take the robe from Laura’s arms.

“I will bring Shin to rest. I want warm dinner for when he’s up, is that clear?”

The Empress glanced at Laura emotionlessly while ordering her before picking up Shin in her embrace again, looking at his petite and fragile body, her eyes were warm and her lips curved upwards.

Laura nodded heavily before walking off to the kitchen to order the chefs to cook a delicious meal for when the Empress and Shin would wake up.

The female dressed Shin before lifting him and walked to her bedroom. All the maids around knelt when the female with Shin in her arms walked past them. The female didn’t even peek a glance at them, her eyes were only looking at Shin’s face, seeing his twitching face, sensing his warm but weak breath.

The maids which were standing close to a door opened it, the door led to her bedroom which she used a couple of times. By the time she, Shin and Laura were showering, everyone in the entire castle heard the rumours that the young master finally returned. They were all overjoyed and nervous!

The woman went into her room and the maids closed the doors after she entered it. She walked to the bed and placed Shin carefully on the huge bed. The woman looked around at the simple room which only had a bed, couch and a table before returning her gaze to Shin.

She laid on the bed, carefully watching and touching his face. She held Shin in her embrace while dozing off.

The youth – Shin, didn’t feel cold anymore. He felt a warm feeling wrapped around his body. He hadn’t felt this kind of feeling before, but he wanted it more. His eyes trembled slightly as they slowly opened. The first thing he could feel was that it was bright, it was hard to see, but he could see someone a couple of centimetres from his face.

His eyes started to slowly regain its focus again. What he saw was a woman, looking in her 20s. She was beautiful, that was all he could think of. But, he felt a close and warm bond with her. His heart started to beat stronger the more he looked at her. He tried to move, but he felt a great pain all over his body.

“Ugh!”

“Cough cough!”

Blood splashed out on the pillow while his entire body was in pain. He felt someone lifting him up in their embrace. His eyes opened widely and saw the woman holding him tightly. Shin tried to move his head away from the female to not throw up blood on her, but the female pushed his head towards her chest.

“Shin, don’t worry”

A soft and caring voice came out from the female’s lips. Shin didn’t try to resist anymore and ended up coughed up more blood on the female’s white robe. After coughing blood a few times, a trace of blood was left on his lips.

“Open your mouth, Shin”

The soft, but trembling voice sounded out again. Shin which felt connected to that woman didn’t resist and didn’t think twice before trying his best to open his mouth accordingly to what the woman said.

The woman took a white pill and placed it in Shin’s mouth. When the pill entered Shin’s mouth, it melted and an immense amount of energy entered spread throughout his body. He could feel a warm feeling inside his body, the pain lessened by a large margin.

Shin’s trembling lessened while hugging the woman roughly. He didn’t know why, but that warmth felt mysterious. Shin’s breath started to calm down and the pain was gone after a couple of minutes.

“Shin”

The female spoke in a soft tone.

“H-How do you know my name?”

Shin trembled after he regained his focus. He was hugging an unfamiliar woman without asking her and she even knew his name.

The woman glanced at Shin’s widened eyes warmly before raising her right hand up.

Shin tightly closed his eyes, his whole body shivered. He was going to get slapped! Tears gushed out of his eyes, he didn’t dare to say anything nor open his eyes. He waited for the pain to arrive, his body shivered more and more as the seconds passed by. His mind tried to think of any way to apologize to that woman.

After a few more seconds, he felt something on his cheek! He shivered fiercer, but, he didn’t feel pain? All he felt was a warm hand cupping half his face. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman in shock, he opened his mouth open and his eyes were widened. He tried to open and close his mouth to speak a sentence.

“W-Why? Why didn’t you hit me?”

Shin was confused, wasn’t he going to get slapped?

The woman’s eyes turned cold and full of hatred for a second before showing its warm glowing sparkles again. Fortunately, Shin didn’t see that fast change in her eyes or he would have thought he might get killed.

“I would never hurt my own son. I finally found you again.”

The woman looked at her son with compassion showing a gentle smile. She was sad in her own way if she wasn’t that weak back then, she didn’t need to place him somewhere else, where he suffered horrible things.

Shin was confused, his mind went blank.

Mother? Wasn’t I an unwanted child?