A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 449: Welcome To This Nightmare

The Mistress and I both sensed our souls suddenly departing our bodies in an instant.

My hand instinctively pressed against my chest, where my heart pounded wildly at a breakneck speed inside my ribcage. How was it possible for just one word to impact me so deeply? My gaze fixed on the small being nestled within the shattered shell.

With an utterly charming tilt, she cocked her head to one side.

"Papa?" she said once more, her eyes of two hues fluttering delicately.

An idiotic, unstoppable smile crept over my features.

Now I could pass away in bliss, I mused, utterly yielding to the irresistible charm.

Yet in the very next instant, an astonishing scene played out directly in front of me.

By her own power, the young girl rose into the air, floating softly and ignoring the pull of gravity. Shortly after, an enchanting, lacy black gown appeared from nowhere to cover her petite body, while her tangled raven locks smoothly styled themselves into a pair of endearing twin tails.

"!" My mouth hung open in shock. For a moment, I thought she emerged with innate powers, just like that extraterrestrial champion in the comics who soared and hoisted vehicles from infancy.

Next, I discreetly turned my eyes to the Mistress. I noticed her slender fingers performing faint, elaborate motions.

A deep breath of ease escaped me. The Mistress was merely employing her sorcery to tidy and attire the infant.

She swiveled her face to mine, her gaze utterly tender and brimming with an unknown affection.

"What shall we call her, dear?" she inquired in a soft murmur.

"Eh? Name?"

True astonishment struck me. Extending my arms, I tenderly scooped up the little one as she joyfully darted toward my embrace. Her weight was astonishingly featherlike and cozy pressed to my torso.

’Hehe, so cute~’

’But a name...’

Thoughts raced through my head at maximum velocity right away. Rather than settling on a choice by myself, I glanced upward at the Mistress.

"Do you have a name in mind for her?" I questioned with caution.

In truth, she held the role of the true parent here. I remained merely a mortal drawn into this doomsday household setup through sheer ’luck’. It stood to reason that she should have the last say.

Not a word came from the Mistress. She merely kept gazing at me with her gentle, hopeful red eyes, anticipating my response.

Noticing the focus change, the child in my hold cocked her head as well. Her captivating orbs lifted to meet mine, fluttering with sheer, untouched purity.

"Pa... pa?" she whispered once more, her small fingers gripping my shirt's material.

I swallowed hard inside.

A drop of chilly perspiration trickled along my spine.

This moment carried immense peril and vital significance.

Before me loomed a fearsome being capable of wiping me out with one mere notion, as I cradled an offspring born from a world-shattering column of nothingness force.

Perfection was essential here. No room existed for errors. Bestowing a title on a progeny of such stature demanded an impeccable selection. Moreover, should I err, self-forgiveness would elude me too!

Thus, I kept straining my thoughts, combing through countless options.

Monikers of mythic women, famed icons, and regal rulers flashed by in a whirlwind mess. None seemed sufficient. Certain ones rang overly haughty for an infant. The rest proved too ordinary for an entity emerging from a surge of pure void essence.

Assigning a feeble label might constrain her destiny ahead. Opting for a foreboding one could trigger a dire omen for our fates.

Suddenly, an idea flashed across my mind. Excitement sparkled in my eyes.

From the babe in my grasp, I raised my sight to lock with the Mistress’s stare.

"Before I decide," I began with care, ensuring my voice stayed mild. "Could you tell me your name? I realize I have only ever known you as the Mistress of the Spire. Knowing your true name will help me choose something much better and far more fitting for our daughter."

The Mistress's eyes fluttered in surprise at the unexpected query. A thick quietness blanketed the chamber. In a brief instant, a intricate feeling surged in her red depths, blending reluctance with a profound, concealed yearning.

"...Caelia," she answered gently following a brief delay, the sounds flowing from her lips with an timeless, refined poise.

"Caelia," I echoed, savoring the substance of the term. "What a beautiful name."

A subtle, barely noticeable flush colored her fair skin, and she averted her gaze a touch.

My head dipped down, ideas whirling afresh in my thoughts.

Caelia.

A designation that evoked otherworldly purity, standing in stark opposition to the shadowy, suffocating essence of the Nightmare Realm.

Therefore, I sought a counterpart echoing that precise sophistication. A name was required to embody both the cataclysmic gravity of her arrival and the unspoiled brightness in her heterochromatic gaze.

In an abrupt flash, the ideal pairing snapped together.

Certainty blazed in my eyes fully.

My grin expanded to a ridiculously silly yet utterly sincere expression.

With care, I hoisted the young girl upward. A tender, tuneful laugh escaped her, as her little feet dangled in the lacy black gown while peering below at me.

"You are too innocent and adorable for this world," I breathed, true joy lighting my features. "I hope you never lose this purity."

My stare met her enchanting mix of slate grey and vivid red, a deep bond rooting firmly in my spirit.

"Your name is Cathiel!"

Her head tilted curiously, the dual-toned eyes fluttering leisurely while she tried the new sounds softly.

"Ca... thi... el?" she echoed, her gentle, harmonious tone echoing through the still space.

Soon, a luminous, joyful beam lit her diminutive visage. Her tiny palms smacked in excitement, obviously thrilled by the resonance.

"Cathiel! Papa! Mama!"

Those utterances drew a stunning grin across Caelia’s expression.

Advancing, all prior doubt vanished from her entirely. She bestowed upon me a intense, deeply thankful glance, and upon the infant secure in my palms.

Extending her hand, she at last caressed the little one, softly running fingers through the silky ebony strands.

"Cathiel," she whispered, her tone quivering with a vast sea of unfiltered parental feeling. "Cathiel... my daughter, welcome to this world."