Philian Apolesai

Hope

"My lady?!"

The words hung in the air. Vesi hesitated for a moment, her fingers tightening ever so slightly around the man's neck. Water dripped steadily from her body, soaking the ground beneath them. His suit, once perfectly pressed and pristine, now clung to his frame, ruined by the cascade of water she'd brought when she tackled him. Vesi brought her face closer, her sharp eyes scrutinizing his every feature. Meeting the gaze of her would-be victim, she saw more than surprise—she saw recognition, and she felt similar within herself.

With a slow and deliberate movement she lifted him higher. His breathing hitched, but he did not resist. Being in this position was quite uncomfortable for one so used to being in power, but he was far too busy feeling relief to worry about such things. Relief that she had paused, that her intent to kill had softened, even if it was only for a moment.

Her face softened slightly, her initial look of bloodlust now replaced by a mix of suspicion and confusion, yet her grasp remained firm.

"My lady?" she echoed his words with an edge of uncertainty in her voice.

Demiurge forced a small smile as he nodded. The chance to explain himself had finally arisen and he had no intention on wasting it. However first... He raised his arm to gently tap on the hand still holding him down. She was not holding him so tightly he could not speak, but it was clear she did not trust him even if she recognized him. This was his first step in establishing a small amount of goodwill between them.

Just as planned, she released him and backed up some, even going so far as to lower her sword. She'd just placed a great amount of faith in him and now he had to prove that was not misplaced.

"Yes, Lady Vesi. I've come to bring you back to Nazarick."

[Philian Apolesai]

She must have misheard him—she couldn't believe what he had said. Her mind raced through every excuse it could fathom to deny his words to protect her from yet another heartbreak. She had heard that name too many times in dreams, in delusions that crumbled into dust when she awoke. But the longer she looked at him, the more memories surfaced, the more the dam within her began to crack. For centuries, she had wandered this world, always searching, always hoping against hope that she might find some trace of her true home. She had combed through ruins, dungeons, and forgotten realms, chasing the faintest whispers and rumors, only to be met with bitter dissapointment. Yet, here he was—

"Demiurge...?"

The demon nodded once more and stepped closer. Ulbert's creation was standing here, moving and breathing. Truly alive.

"Yes, my lady. Now please, Lord Ainz will be overjoyed to see you."

He created a portal and motioned for her to go through it, but Vesi couldn't move. It was too much—too perfect. She had been ripped away from them so violently, so suddenly, and she had spent every waking moment begging for this exact situation, the chance to see them again. And now, after all this time, after all the heartache and despair, she was being offered the very thing she had dreamed of. It was then her mind caught up with what he'd said.

"Ainz? You mean Momonga? He's here too?"

She had hoped he would be here. That sorcerer with the name from her past was here, waiting in Nazarick. Demiurge opened his mouth to respond but suddenly he whipped his head around. Vesi could feel it as well. A massive group had made their presence known in the south and they were quickly coming closer. The demons in the forest moved to block them, but it was clear they had no chance of holding for long. Demiurge turned back to her, his face unnaturally tranquil. His voice still even. Yet his tail betrayed him. This whole time it had been still but now it lashed wildly behind him.