Chapter 4 – Obsession Goes Too Far, Wound Yourself in the End
Having gathered all the pieces of the truth’s puzzle, Tillysha recalled Didelai’s past actions, now realizing they all made sense.
That census right before the holidays, and how as an Elder he recklessly endangered himself just to inform her of deep divisions within the Moon Elf ranks, which were supposedly against the Gold Elves – all of it seemed like a calculated move to earn her trust and likability to the fullest extent, ensuring he would be considered the safest ally while she still had memory gaps.
Didelai was clever; he never kept secrets tucked away. Instead, he laid it all out to gain her confidence. Technically, he never lied—only half-truths were spoken.
And he was the revered grandmaster in alchemy and medicine—Tillysha finally understood how he had achieved such successes. She couldn’t think of another method besides human and live creature dissection.
“Didelai!” Tillysha swung open the doors to the Tower of Sages, her Flower Speech Changsu blade in hand, radiating an unmistakable intent to k*ll. Gone were her former gentle eyes, replaced with a coldness that sent chills down any spine.
But the hall was empty. There were no Moon Elves in sight, and Tillysha knew they must have been dispersed by Didelai himself.
He hadn’t tried to hide his presence inside the Tower of Sages, though. Despite the chaos in her mind—Aistride’s identity questions and Ifen now as a fragment absorbed by Aistride—she knew one thing for sure: she couldn’t waste time. Only she could stop Didelai.
A hidden door, located in a quiet corner she had always overlooked, now stood openly. It practically screamed, “Come on in!”
Tillysha, ever the seasoned warrior but tense nonetheless, stepped in. The dark path led straight to the base of the tower—an ominous basement.
A massive crystal at the center sparkled painfully bright in the dim light. Nearby was an enchanting station, with someone hard at work, their back to her.
Tillysha sniffed the air, and it struck her—a smell she both repelled by instinct yet somehow familiar.
That was the same nauseating scent from Ruglien’s abandoned labs. Those monstrous hybrids—yes, Didelai’s doing, all right.
“You’re here.” After a long pause, Didelai spun around, hands clean. “Care for some tea?”
He gestured to the lone set of chairs. His genteel smile was the same as ever, as though nothing had changed.
Tillysha struggled to find a suitable expression for the situation. Didelai’s casualness boiled her bl**d.
“Didelai, you think I don’t recognize you by now?”
“Recognize me? Am I even Didelai? Surely you, Princess Tillysha, would never mistake me for someone else?” With a laugh, he sat down and sipped tea. “We’re old acquaintances after all.”
Clatter! The cup shattered, along with the teapot on the table, tea splashing onto his clothes.
“Ah, what a waste! That was premium White Tea from the Elders’ Forest, not easy to obtain,” Didelai lamented.
“Shut up, traitor! I should’ve arrested you 400 years ago!” Tillysha seethed.
“But will you now, Princess?”
“I won’t k*ll you. If I do, I’ll be no better than you.” Tillysha glared at Didelai. “Once the Elders’ Forest awakens, I’ll bring you to the Elf Courts for the most just trial possible.”
“Ah, but that’s not possible, I have my own unfinished business. Surely, even you, Princess, have something you must complete.”
“My mission is to bring you to justice.”
“Then I am powerless to change your mind, which is quite a conundrum for me,” Didelai sighed. “Why don’t we continue this ignorance as is? I have no interest in you or the Gold Elves hiding under the capital’s ruins. If you don’t interfere, I’d be happy to leave you alone.”
“Everyone must pay for their sins, and so must you,” Tillysha said harshly. “I find it hard to believe any elf could commit such atrocities for mere selfishness. You harm your race, your kin. Handing you over to the Elf Tribunal is only out of respect for our race, Didelai. To me, you’re just a demon in elf form.”
“Harsh words, Princess. But you forget, I admire you—have admired you since 400 years ago.”
“You, admiring me? That’s sick!” Tillysha spat. “Your cruelty and disregard for kinship are revolting!”
“Be that as it may,” Didelai shrugged, “I truly do admire you. And because of this, I’m returning your final fragment of memory, naturally after my affairs are in order, provided you don’t interfere.”
“In fact,” he continued, tossing his gloves aside, “before I finish my work, I hesitate to engage with you out of respect for your capabilities.”
“Enough talk. Choose: come quietly, or I will enforce justice here.”
“Sorry, no can do, Princess. Business first.” With a smirk, Didelai showed no fear, only utter indifference for his own life.
“What exactly do you intend?”
“Simple, I journey to the Elders’ Forest and bring the queen hiding the Elf Sacred Tree back from the dimensions. If she’s cooperative, all the better; otherwise… well, it’s a matter of necessity.”
“Ridiculous!” With a swift motion, her blade was at his throat.
“If I’m not mistaken, Princess, you’ve met your ‘predecessor,’ haven’t you?” Didelai remained calm. “Didn’t they warn you about overusing Divine Authority?”
Tillysha’s pupils, once pure emerald, now rapidly darkened with a bl**d-red haze.
She winced, struggling against the internal turmoil threatening to destroy her.
“Not like this, Princess. Personally, I prefer you don’t d*e or become a deranged husk,” Didelai moved aside. “Sleep on it, maybe tomorrow, the world’s brighter.”
“I won’t let a monster like you succeed!” With a roar, Tillysha lunged again.
Clang! Her seemingly indestructible blade was knocked aside.
“Do you know nothing of appropriate surrender?” Didelai stood firm, brushing his shoulders. “Even as an Elf Divine Warrior, you’re no match for a True Divine Body. That’s natural law, even if you’re powerful, you must obey it.”
“God-like body? You truly dared?”
“As you see.” Didelai spread his arms. “For a thousand years, I prepared. Including reincarnation, endless experimentation to diversify Caleburn’s species, creating reverse variants, all to gather the multifaceted essence of the gods to ascend.”
“Even that woman’s resurrection was no hindrance. She won’t oppose me, knowing my goals align with hers.”
“In the moment she distracted you, I completed the genetic purification and infusion,” Didelai revealed, shedding his shirt. “To accomplish the impossible, one must first become a demon.”
Tillysha was horrified. Beneath the handsome yet sickly visage, his body was a patchwork of grotesque scars and stitched skin, pieces obviously taken from other beings.
No wonder his medical expertise was unmatched—he experimented not only on his kin but himself.
Why could Didelai remain so calm after doing such monstrous things? Did he forget to stitch his heart and lungs back in during his experiments?
“Do you comprehend my resolve now?”
“These are just means to an end.” With that, Didelai turned to leave.
From nowhere, a black spear rushed forth with a deafening roar, tearing through dimensions. It pierced his chest.
“I don’t care about your schemes.” Tillysha stood steadfast, her once-gold hair now ashen grey, a sign her life force was nearly depleted. “I cannot let someone like you shape the future of our race!”
“I’ll stop you, even if it costs my life.”
Her knees buckled as the effort caught up with her.
“You’re wasting yourself,” Didelai shook his head. With a flick of his wrist, the spear crumbled from the tip. “Do you think I hadn’t anticipated your use of it against me? That spear was my tool to dismantle barriers between Demon Races, sparking internal conflicts. Would I not see this possibility?”
“The Holy Oblivion can slay all creations of Caleburn, but what of those beyond or above them? Worthless.”
“Obsession runs deep, and the price must be paid.” Didelai glanced one last time at Tillysha. “And I’m not one to judge.”
“Farewell, O Divine Warrior.” And with that, Didelai disappeared.
—
“Um…Aistride, did you and Tillysha have a disagreement?”
After Tillysha dashed off, the group stayed behind to organize the rescued Gold Elves. Little Wenfu, sensing something was off, finally mustered her courage to approach Aistride with a timid question.
She didn’t fully understand—children rarely do—but figured it must’ve been some disagreement.
“It’s nothing.” Aistride replied reluctantly.
