Simo

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Mother looked at all of us as we gathered around the entrance, her expression hard to read. Grandmother, as always, maintained her human form. Her gaze momentarily paused on little Essie, who sat atop my head, causing my younger sister to shiver slightly as she tried to avoid Grandmother's penetrating stare.

"Child, you do not have to be here. From this point on, it's more personal than anything," Grandmother suddenly said, her eyes shifting to Breta.

The Goddess didn't seem surprised and replied calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Elder, but Aether is my friend, and I would like to help."

Her words caught me off guard, and I did a double-take, silently wondering, 'Who are you? What did you do to the shy Breta I know?'

Grandmother lightly nodded, as if she had expected such an answer. Her eyes then turned towards me, and she gave me a faint smile, causing me to lower my head in respect.

Essie, perched on top of my head, leaned closer to my ear and whispered in a hushed tone, "Wow, did you hear that, brother? She said you're her friend!"

I didn't bother to reply and instead waited for Grandmother to continue. It wasn't because I was embarrassed or anything like that, not at all.

"The Council has already declared a full-scale invasion," she paused for a second as if carefully choosing her words, "And we have lost contact with the King."

Her words caused our breaths to catch, and our hearts to skip a beat. 'It can't be?'

Even Breta's usually impassive face showed signs of shock as she turned to look at me. Sidus, Immy, and Ynos were no better off. This was the King we were talking about, after all.

"Before your minds wander any further, and you entertain blasphemous thoughts, know that the King is still alive. He is currently holding off the leaders of the Shades," Grandmother declared.

"How do you know that if we lost contact with him?" I couldn't help but ask.

"It's not the first time this has happened, and the King has already informed us about this beforehand," Grandmother replied swiftly.

Our eyes darted around, confused, concerned, and most of all, curious about the whole situation. It was evident that Grandmother was keeping a lot from us.

"We will be joining the War, Grandmother, yes?" Ynos suddenly asked.

She looked at him with a hint of approval in her eyes before she replied, "Everyone will be joining the War efforts."

Mother spoke for the first time, adding, "This time isn't like the others. It's a full-scale war for extermination. Either we eradicate the Shades, or they eradicate us," her words were cold and filled with unwavering resolve.

A shiver ran down my spine. How had things deteriorated so quickly? I was certain that Father's death, along with the others, was merely a trigger that set all of this in motion.

Just how much were they not telling us? I scrutinized Grandmother's face, searching for a clue, anything that could explain. She met my gaze with a calm look in her eyes.

"Don't think too much, child. Some things are best left for the adults to handle."

"I…I understand," I replied hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Grandmother, you said everyone will join, by everyone you mean…?" Immy asked, her voice trembling as she spoke up for the first time.

"All the Dragons, all the Gods, all the races will be involved," Grandmother responded, her gaze briefly shifting to Breta before continuing, "Our side will be undertaking some… riskier missions."

The Goddess remained silent, her grip on her spear tightening as she straightened her stance. Essie, perched on my head, suddenly jumped up, her eyes wide with excitement. "Will we fight together, Grandma?" Her words were brimming with expectations.

It was Mother, however, who replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of concern and sternness, "No, child. Some battlefields are still not suited for you." She paused, her eyes scanning me, Sidus, and Ynos before continuing, "I'm sure you can handle yourselves better now, but it's different this time."

Essie's face fell, disappointment evident in her eyes. She lowered her head with a somber expression, and for a moment, I wished there was a way to change the decision. I took the opportunity to glance at both Mother and Grandmother, curiosity gnawing at me. "What exactly is the plan, this time?"

"Simple, extermination. There will be no saving planets, no conquering anything. The purpose is to destroy everything," Grandmother said with an eerily calm expression, her words sending a chill down my spine.

"Uh—" My words got stuck in my mouth as I struggled to find a suitable response.

Immy frowned slightly, her brows furrowing in concern. "I thought some of those planets still had mortals and other races living in them?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. We are to destroy everything in Shade territory. Whether it be infested or not," Grandmother paused for a moment before adding in a slightly lower voice, "These are the King's orders."

The weight of the revelation hung heavily in the air, and I couldn't help but wonder what had led to such a drastic decision. Questions swirled in my mind, but I knew better than to voice them. It was evident that there was more to this situation than met the eye, and for now, it was a secret that the adults held close, leaving the rest of us in the dark.

"Will the natives agree to this? The Gods that are still in those lands, the other Dragons?" Sidus joined in, his voice laced with concern, mirroring the thoughts that raced through our minds.

"It doesn't matter whether they agree or not. These are the King's orders, and they either join or die," Grandmother replied once again, her tone chillingly matter-of-fact, causing my heart to skip a beat.

The gravity of the situation began to settle in. Destroying an entire side of the universe—wasn't this a bit too extreme? Our purpose had always been to maintain balance, not to annihilate it. What could the King possibly want to achieve with such a drastic measure?

A barrage of questions bombarded my thoughts. How different were we from the Shades if we resorted to this level of destruction? Countless doubts swirled in my mind, and I could see that I wasn't alone in my uncertainty. Immy, in particular, wore a deeply troubled expression, while Sidus and Ynos simply frowned in contemplation. Breta appeared lost in thought, and little Essie, sensing the tension in the room, snuggled closer to me.

'Are we really doing the right thing?' The question lingered in my mind, an unsettling doubt that refused to be ignored. It was clear that we were on the precipice of a conflict unlike any we had faced before.