Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 413: Gnawing Fear

Within the realm of Order Draco, in a chamber overflowing with dragon-themed decorations and gleaming golden treasures, a woman reclined upon a bed crafted to mimic the gaping jaws of a dragon.

The space gleamed with pristine order, its vaulted ceiling bearing a strikingly realistic depiction of a dragon. Had Kaden glimpsed this artwork, he would have known the beast at once.

The floor consisted entirely of refined stone, yielding a sensation that was both plush and solid underfoot.

She donned a form-fitting black skirt that hugged her hips flawlessly, paired with an enchanting red blouse. Her voluptuous, alluring figure made the view utterly captivating.

Her silvery dragon-like eyes gazed upward at the ceiling—gazing upon her idol—while her thoughts replayed all the events unfolding since she and her companion Cole had stumbled upon the Red Prince's body.

Keisha had never imagined that discovery would escalate to such heights.

Yet truthfully, what outcome could she have anticipated with her kin and her Order entangled in the mess?

The Fat Dragon had plunged Order Draco into frosty, foul, and utterly deplorable ties with both Hydra and Lyra.

Those rival Orders wouldn't waver for an instant before launching an assault.

And given the intense loathing that the genius Sky of Order Orion harbored toward the Fat Dragon, Order Orion could easily join the swelling ranks of their foes.

That narrowed it down to Order Centaurus alone, though those folks would never balk at backing the rest in a strike against them.

They prattled on about wisdom and rising above conflict...but curse those frauds.

'Only The Sphinx and her troubling tidings are holding them back,' Keisha mused, her silver brows knitting together. 'Right now, the emergence of the Heir of Monster overshadows their urge to clash among themselves.'

It struck Keisha as odd that every Order had united in their resolve to eliminate the Heir first.

She pondered the reason behind it.

And why so many of them, especially the elders, brimmed with such palpable dread and tension.

Keisha lacked the answers, but she was certain of one thing: The Fat showed no concern for the broader welfare of his followers.

He prioritized only his own survival—the sort of dragon who'd devour the entire realm for one extra breath of life.

His massive bulk revealed his true nature.

'He'll definitely make a move,' Keisha reflected, her jaw tightening firmly.

That realization gnawed at her so fiercely that slumber eluded her entirely.

For The Fat had lately launched a relentless, infuriating probe into every detail of that fateful day's occurrences.

In time, he'd uncover that she and Cole had been assigned to patrol the Order's outer boundaries that very day.

And once he did...

Keisha's gaze turned icy and lifeless in an instant.

"I can't let him fixate on me," she murmured, quelling a surge of terror. "Cole's terrified. He hardly ventures from his quarters now, petrified of getting nabbed. At this pace, his foolishness will get us both exposed."

She swore under her breath, snatching her silver cushion and shredding it with her razor-sharp claws.

Her gaze intensified, a firm resolve forming in her thoughts.

"I never wanted it to come to this," she breathed, shutting her eyes and striving to steady her pounding pulse.

But a timid partner proved more burdensome than none at all. Cole was spineless. And should he falter—and the Mother Of Dragons knew he inevitably would—he wouldn't tumble solo.

He'd pull down all his confederates in the fall. Put simply, he'd yank her into an endless abyss.

And that...

...

"Are you certain of your choice?" Solace inquired, her tone resembling the lazy drawl of a drowsy feline, as she eyed Meris positioned before an enormous portal.

The portal shimmered in deep purple, etched with silver runes that wove tales of frost and felines in an enchanting swirl.

At its apex loomed a lone inscription.

Solace fixed her cat-like gaze on Meris's features, probing to grasp—to fathom—what had sparked such a profound transformation in her.

Time had marched on for years, yet she'd never dared hope that Meris would reclaim her essence without shattering completely.

And yet, here she stood, renewed.

"Absolutely," Meris replied with a faint grin, "I'm as certain as anyone could be."

"That piques my interest now," Solace remarked.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Meris chuckled softly, "Haven't you heard?"

"No," Solace's mouth quirked slightly.

"Well, now you have. My dashing Kaden shared that with me."

Solace's brows lifted in surprise. It came off as endearingly playful on her feline visage.

"Is he behind this version of you? The way you're now...more at peace with your inner self?"

Meris gave a straightforward nod.

Her expression held quiet tranquility, her silver gaze misting over as memories of soaring through the heavens with Kaden surfaced.

Her grin widened gently.

"Yes," she affirmed, "He's the catalyst."

"Why? No, how on earth did he pull it off?"

Solace peered straight into the depths of Meris's core. Her core state remained unaltered. She lingered as Soulless, harboring only frost within.

If anything, matters had intensified.

The frost had advanced over the last two years. And pursuing the Seed of Frost could render her utterly frozen solid.

Still, a subtle shift had occurred. Near her heart, which was partly literal ice, a tiny crimson-gold flicker—like a candle's gentle blaze—danced softly around it.

Solace's luminous eyes expanded at the sight of the flame.

Meris's words echoed with unyielding faith and assurance,

"He shared something with me, grandma Solace," she confided, lifting her hand to press her palm against the chilled doorface. "He assured me that no matter what I turn into, regardless of my chill..."

She beamed,

"...his warmth will forever thaw me and carve a place in my heart for him."

"And you trust that fully?" Solace pressed, struggling to maintain composure. She'd spotted the flame's odd nature.

'The Phoenix’s Family. Has one selected a Host? Weren't they all bound by Him? Yet it's insufficient. Their flames can't rival a Primordial.'

"You understand perfectly how perilous and singular your ice truly is," Solace went on. "If you're stepping through that door solely on your beloved's words, think twice. Enter only when prepared to face the fallout of shedding your humanity."

She hesitated, then added deliberately,

"Shedding your very feelings."

Meris pivoted her head gradually, locking her silver stare with Solace's violet ones.

She flashed a keen smile, baring her pristine white fangs,

"I grasp the full weight of what's ahead," Meris declared, channeling her silvery mana and channeling it into the door via her touch,

"But does it truly change anything, grandma Solace?" she pressed on. "Regardless of my faith in Kaden, no matter how often I convince myself I won't forfeit my affection for my mother or him, no matter how many times I brush aside the dread..."

The portal ignited like a radiant lighthouse.

"...it keeps resurfacing. I'm suffocating in terror, grandma Solace."

Solace's features contorted, her gaze dropping low. She perceived it all too clearly.

To outsiders, Meris's eyes might appear aloof or sly. But through her singular vision, Solace witnessed the dread corroding her mind and soul.

And still...

"I must proceed," Meris stated, her lips forming a resolute seal. "I need to for my own sake. I refuse to exist haunted by the regret of fleeing from this out of cowardice."

"I am Meris Elamin, Daughter of Mayari, Heiress of Elamin."

The portal groaned as it swung ajar.

"Fleeing isn't an option for me. And I won't flee from who I am."

Meris whipped her gaze forward once more, confronting the oppressive shadows seeping from the widening crack.

She squeezed her eyes shut, inhaling and exhaling deeply to soothe her frayed nerves.

"Should I emerge as a hollow shell, unable to reclaim my former self," Meris murmured to Solace, "I ask you to end me."

Solace responded only with quiet.

Meris offered no further words.

She braced her resolve and advanced, allowing the shadows to envelop her like clammy perspiration.

Right away, the portal slammed shut behind her with a thunderous, echoing thud, as though possessed by its own will.

Solace remained, her violet eyes fixed on the portal for some moments.

Then gradually, she sank to the ground before it, curling into the majestic pose of long-forgotten noble felines.

She shut her eyes serenely, recalling Meris's final plea. She shook her head, a hint of mirth in the gesture.

"End you?" Solace murmured, her voice a soft rumble.

"Don't you realize you're Royalty, Meris? Forged from the world's most pristine core?"

Solace exhaled deeply.

And moreover...

"How could I, a being of Frost, slay the Daughter of Frost?"

—End of Chapter 413—