"Sooo… this was not what I expected," Lilith muttered under her breath, taking in the grand hall of her home. The towering walls, intricately carved with arcane symbols, stretched upward, meeting a vast dome where glowing blue veins of magic pulsed through the wood. The very air hummed with energy, the presence of the World Tree infusing every stone, every flickering torch.
Before she could take another step, a sharp voice rang through the chamber.
"You never write! You never visit! It's been five years, Lilith!"
A blur of movement—then pain.
"Ow! Ow! Aah—Elara, stop! That hurts!" Lilith yelped, wincing as her maid mercilessly twisted her ear. She flailed her arms, trying to pry Elara's fingers off.
Elara, dressed in her usual elegant yet practical maid attire, had her free hand on her hip, her golden eyes narrowed in frustration. "Five years, Lilith. Five whole years!" she huffed, each word punctuated with another sharp tug.
"I-I know! I'm sorry!" Lilith stammered, waving her hands frantically.
Zenith, watching the scene unfold, blinked in astonishment. This was the great and powerful demon lord?
Finally, Elara let go, making Lilith stumble back, rubbing her sore ear. But in an instant, the maid's demeanor flipped as she turned toward Zenith with a dazzling smile.
"Oh, by the way, welcome, Zenith! I'm Elara, this demon lord's ever-loyal maid." She curtsied gracefully before placing a hand on her chest. "I was left here to manage this place in Lilith's absence, but who would've thought it would take her five entire years to return?" Her golden gaze flicked back to Lilith. "Five. Whole. Years."
Lilith flinched again. "B-but... you had Lily!" she blurted, pointing at the throne.
Zenith turned her head, following Lilith's gesture. Sitting casually upon the obsidian throne was a woman who looked nearly identical to Lilith—long silver hair, glowing crimson eyes, and a smirk that held an eerie mix of mischief and knowing amusement.
Lily stretched lazily, her legs crossed, resting her chin on her palm. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the prodigal daughter returning at last," she mused. Her voice was similar to Lilith's, yet it held an artificial smoothness, like a melody crafted rather than born. "Five years is quite a long time, you know. I almost started thinking I was the real demon lord."
Zenith's eyes widened. "She looks just like you," she murmured.
"Because she is me... kind of," Lilith sighed.
Lily chuckled. "To be fair, I'm not just some empty shell. I may be a body double, but I am my own person now." Her crimson eyes gleamed as she lifted a hand, allowing a faint wisp of magic to dance between her fingers. "After all, Lilith did grant me a tiny soul, born from the Tree of the World."
"You mean the World Tree," Elara corrected with a sigh.
Lily blinked, then shrugged. "Oh yeah, that."
Elara pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "See what I've had to deal with?" she muttered, throwing her arms up. "An overgrown child and a sarcastic clone."
Zenith, still absorbing everything, leaned slightly toward Lilith and whispered, "Is it always like this?"
Lilith groaned. "You have no idea."
"Oh, by the way, where are Tami, Levy, and Ella?" Lilith asked, glancing around the grand hall, expecting to see at least one of them.
Elara sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "Those three? They finally decided to take a trip. After years of waiting for you, they figured they couldn't just sit around forever. So, they went out to explore the world on their own."
Lilith's brows rose slightly. "I see," she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of guilt. "I suppose I can't blame them… It really has been five years."
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and reached out with her mana sense, sending it flowing through the vast network of leylines connected to the World Tree. The moment her energy touched the threads of mana woven through Eldoria, her awareness expanded like ripples in a pond. It wasn't long before she found them—three distinct energies, familiar yet changed.
"Oh, there they are," she said with a soft smile, her voice carrying a trace of nostalgia. "They seem to be doing well… And wow, Ella has grown so much. Her power is incredible now. I can feel her all the way from here, now that I know what to look for. And Tami—damn, she's gotten even bigger."
Elara chuckled, shaking her head. "You have no idea. If Tami hadn't learned how to siphon mana to sustain herself, we would've had to ration food just to keep up with her appetite. You wouldn't believe the struggle I went through to teach her that."
Lilith smirked. "I can imagine. A growing Fenrir with a bottomless stomach? That must have been a nightmare."
Elara threw her hands up. "Oh, you have no clue! But luckily, she figured out how to absorb ambient mana to keep herself full. And, well, she can shrink her size now too, so I think what you're sensing is her smaller form."
Lilith's eyes snapped open, her pupils narrowing in disbelief. "Wait… that's her small form?"
Elara grinned knowingly. "Yep."
"She's as big as a wagon!" Lilith exclaimed, blinking in shock.
Elara smirked, crossing her arms. "Exactly. And that's her small form."
Lilith let out a low whistle. "I don't even want to imagine her full size, then. If this is her 'small' form, she could probably crush a house when she's at her largest."
Elara nodded sagely. "That's why I made her promise to keep herself at a manageable size when she's in town. Trust me, you wouldn't want to see her when she's fully stretched out. The last time she did that, she caused a minor earthquake just by rolling over in her sleep."
Lilith couldn't help but laugh. "Tami, causing earthquakes in her sleep? That sounds about right."
Elara grinned. "Yep, your oversized pup turned into a full-fledged force of nature."
Lilith sighed, shaking her head with amusement. "I really have been gone too long."
Elara smiled warmly, spreading her arms as if to embrace the entire room. "Well then, welcome home, Lilith. It's been far too long. But I have to ask—what brings you back after all these years? And with a guest, no less?"
Lilith exhaled slowly, the weight of the journey and her purpose settling on her shoulders. She glanced at Zenith, who stood beside her, golden eyes scanning the grand halls of the castle embedded within the World Tree. The sight of her home after so long stirred a strange mix of emotions—nostalgia, relief, and a tinge of nervousness.
"Well, you see," Lilith began, choosing her words carefully. "During my time on Xandoria, I met their World Tree—or rather, their Dungeon Core, since their World Tree has taken that form instead." She gestured toward Zenith, who straightened slightly under the attention. "And this here is her daughter, Zenith. She's the only dragon of her kind."
Elara's brows arched slightly, interest sparking in her golden eyes. "The only one?" she echoed, shifting her weight as if already processing the implications.
Lilith nodded, her expression serious. "A long time ago, there was a Dragon Lord on Xandoria, but he passed away from old age. Since then, no dragons have been born in that world. But now that Zenith has come into existence, Xandoria requested that I bring her here to meet Aurora—to learn from another dragon, to understand what she is and what her potential might be."
Elara tapped her fingers lightly against her forearm in thought before giving a decisive nod. "I see… Then, I suppose it's about time we wake up Aurora again. She's been sleeping on and off for years, but I have no doubt she'll be overjoyed to meet a new dragon."
Zenith, who had been quietly observing, suddenly perked up and tilted her head. "Oh, by the way," she asked, golden eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "How did you know my name before I introduced myself?"
Elara's lips curled into an amused smile, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "What kind of maid would I be if I didn't know about my guest before they arrived?"
Zenith blinked, unimpressed by the cryptic answer. "That doesn't explain anything."
Lilith chuckled, shaking her head. "Don't bother trying to get a straight answer from her. She won't tell you how she knows things. That's just how she operates." Then, smirking, she added, "Oh, and don't let her fool you with the whole 'maid' act. Elara isn't just a maid—she's a maid-knight. And I'd wager that by now, she could probably take down just about anyone on this world."
Elara placed a hand on her hip, her grin widening. "Oh? Is that a challenge, Mistress?" Her tone was playful, but there was an undeniable confidence beneath it.
Lilith smirked back, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Not today. But maybe soon."
Zenith watched the exchange with interest, sensing the deep-rooted bond between them. There was something comforting about this place, about the way these people interacted—it was different from Xandoria. Warmer, livelier. And despite the grandeur of the castle and the sheer power surrounding them, it felt… like a home.
For the first time since stepping into this world, Zenith wondered if she would ever want to leave it.