Dominion of The Beast Masters

It had been months since the finals. Despite the outburst of unique beasts following the legendary events at Solaris Haven, the world adapted, as Eratz had predicted.

No catastrophe struck, and life moved on. People adjusted, resilient as ever, and the world continued its steady rhythm.

In a cozy living room, Mercury sat on a soft couch, her hands gently resting on her now-prominent belly.

The room was warm and inviting, filled with the faint aroma of fresh lemons and the quiet hum of the TV.

Cassie sat nearby, a bowl of lemons in front of her, slicing them methodically, the sharp scent filling the air.

"I'm so tired of doing nothing," Mercury groaned, leaning back and letting her head rest against the couch. She glanced at Cassie, her tone both exasperated and wistful.

"Every day it's just me sitting around, waddling like a duck. I'm a beastmaster, Cassie. I can at least do some stuff... like shopping... cooking... visiting the agency and coincidentally walking on the treadmill..."

Cassie chuckled, her knife moving smoothly through another lemon.

"Oh, sweetheart, this is just the beginning. You think sitting around now is bad? Just wait until this little warrior decides to make his grand entrance. You're not going to get a single minute of sleep. Good luck being a beast master with a baby attached to your hip."

Mercury let out a dramatic sigh and slumped forward, her head thunking lightly against the table.

Her eyes drifted to a framed picture on the desk: a snapshot of everyone at the final of the team battle, all smiling, chaotic, and close.

She couldn't help but smile as she looked at it.

"It's always so crowded here... when he will come it's going to be crazy, right?" she said softly.

Cassie set the knife down and turned her full attention to Mercury.

"Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it. But you're going to be amazing. And if you're not, well…" She grinned and gestured toward herself. "That's why I'm here. Partner in crime, remember? You can already write my name down for this little warrior."

Mercury laughed, the sound light and genuine.

"You better not run away when he turns out to be a handful."

Cassie winked.

"Run away? Please. I'll spoil him rotten while you try to discipline him."

Mercury's laughter filled the room again. She leaned back, rubbing her belly gently.

"I wonder what it'll be like," she murmured, her tone softening. "It's weird, but I feel so… good. Happy. Like, ridiculously happy."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, slicing another lemon.

"Is that your hormones talking again?"

"No!" Mercury protested, laughing and throwing a nearby pillow at her. "I'm serious. I just… I don't know. Everything feels right."

Cassie smirked, catching the pillow with one hand.

"Sure, sure. Remember this feeling when you give him his first slap... better you than Eratz anyway."

Mercury rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop smiling. A comfortable silence settled between them.

The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow over the room.

After a moment, Mercury's smile softened, and she spoke, almost as if to herself.

"If it was possible... I would like to go back in time and revive every second of this life. Forever."

Before Cassie could respond to that, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house, pulling them from their lighthearted conversation.

Mercury blinked in surprise, her hand instinctively resting on her belly as she tilted her head toward Cassie.

"You were expecting someone?" Mercury asked.

Cassie shook her head, wiping her hands on a towel before standing.

"Not really. Maybe it's Tamara? She does love popping in unannounced."

Mercury chuckled.

"If it's her, tell her quickly that we haven't refilled our stock of wine."

Cassie grinned, and with that, she made her way through the house, weaving past familiar furniture and framed photos.

The garden was bathed in soft light, casting gentle shadows as Cassie walked toward the gate. She reached the intercom, a sleek panel attached to the stone wall, and pressed the button.

Her voice was cheerful as she spoke.

"Well, well? Who might this be?"

There was a brief silence, followed by a hesitant reply.

"It… it's me... Liora."

Cassie froze. Her smile vanished, replaced by an expression of stunned disbelief.

Back in the living room, the atmosphere was suffocating.

The sunlight streaming through the curtains failed to lift the weight that hung between the three women.

Cassie, Mercury, and Liora sat in a strained triangle.

Cassie perched on the edge of her chair, her fingers interlaced tightly in her lap. Mercury leaned forward slightly on the couch, one hand protectively resting on her rounded belly, the other gripping the armrest as though anchoring herself.

Across from them, Liora sat stiffly, her back ramrod straight, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles had turned white.

Liora's voice broke the silence, trembling and unsure.

"Cassie… I know I have no right to be here. But I had to come."

Cassie's gaze softened slightly, but her posture remained rigid. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Why now, Liora?" she asked calmly.

Liora took a shaky breath, her shoulders sagging as though the weight of her words was too much to bear.

She stared at her clasped hands, unable to meet their gazes.

"I need to apologize," she began, her voice cracking. "To Eratz. To you. To everyone. I… I've made so many mistakes. And I've carried them with me every single day. But I can't carry it anymore. I need to say I'm sorry… even if it doesn't change anything."

Cassie's lips tightened, her arms crossing over her chest. Her eyes were sharp, though her voice trembled slightly.

"That day when you abandoned him, you hurt him, Liora. Deeply. It took him a lot of efforts to rebuild himself after what you did. And even after that, you had the audacity to come back and try to stake a claim in his success. Do you even understand the damage you caused? The courage it took for him to break free from your madness?"

Liora nodded, her tears spilling over as she wiped at her cheeks with shaking hands.

"I know," she whispered. "I don't expect forgiveness. I don't deserve it. But I… I hate myself, Cassie. I hate myself more than you could possibly imagine."

Her voice cracked further, and she clenched her hands together as though trying to hold herself together.

"I was bullied so much as a child for being Ishtarian. For being different. They mocked my white hair, my green eyes, so much that they became red. They called me a beast. They made me feel like I didn't belong among humans, like I was some kind of animal. And I believed them. I let that hate grow inside me until it exploded."

She swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she continued.

"When Eratz was born… I saw all those things I hated about myself in him. His white hair, his dark skin… everything that made him Ishtarian. Instead of seeing him as a child who needed love, I saw him as a reflection of everything I despised about myself. And instead of protecting him, I blamed him. I… I took it out on him."

Her voice broke completely, and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as sobs wracked her body. Stay connected through empire

"I was wrong," she cried. "So wrong. And I… I don't expect him to forgive me. But he deserves to know how sorry I am. Even if he never wants to see me again, I need him to know."

The room fell silent, save for Liora's quiet sobs. Cassie's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her expression wavering between anger and compassion.

She reached out hesitantly, placing a hand on Liora's shoulder. The gesture was tentative but warm.

"You should have seen it sooner, Liora," Cassie said softly, her voice trembling. "You should have realized what you were doing to him before it was too late."

Cassie's tone shifted slightly, becoming firmer.

"Do you understand the depth of the hurt you caused? You didn't just break him; you broke this family. You cut yourself off from him, from us, and left a wound that's still healing. But," she continued, her voice softening again as her gaze drifted to Mercury, "that branch you cut off has grown into another tree, far away from you."

Liora followed Cassie's gaze, her eyes landing on Mercury's rounded belly. For a moment, her expression was blank, as though her mind struggled to process what she was seeing.

Then, realization struck.

Her breath hitched, and her lips parted slightly.

"Is it… is that…?"

Cassie nodded, her voice quiet but firm.

"Yes. That's your grandson."

Liora was frozen on the spot. A loud gasp escaped her lips, and soon tears began to flow again, this time more uncontrollably.

She placed a trembling hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to contain her emotions.

"G... Grand... Grandson?... This is... I… I'm going to be a grandma?!.... Oh... Mercury..." she choked out.

Slowly, as though compelled by an invisible force, Liora leaned forward slightly, her hand trembling as she extended it toward Mercury.

But Mercury raised her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"I understand your pain," Mercury said softly. "And I understand why you're here. But this isn't about you anymore. It's about Eratz. I'll talk to him, but it's his decision whether or not we wants to see you. I won't force him into anything."

Liora froze, her hand hovering in the air before slowly withdrawing. She nodded, her shoulders slumping in acceptance.

"I understand," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Sorry... And… thank you. Thank you so much..."

For a long moment, none of them spoke. The room was filled with a heavy, almost suffocating silence.

Finally, Liora stood, her movements slow and deliberate. She looked at Cassie and Mercury one last time, her expression a mixture of gratitude and sorrow.

"Thank you," she said again, her voice breaking. "For giving me this chance."

As Liora left the living room, Cassie accompanied her to the door. Mercury rested her hand on her belly, her gaze distant.

"Mom's wishes are really dangerous, right?" Mercury murmured softly.