Corane looked around. The blizzard intensified, yet its snowflakes and icy winds fell gently like soft cotton. They landed on her skin and melted into warm teardrops, filling her heart with serenity. Still, she dared not make a sound nor move a muscle, for Nupian and the Goddess of Redemption were battling.

Amidst the wedding and her brides, Nupian hugged the enchanted Sandoris and pointed at the descending golden figure. Though the brilliant light engulfed the sky, the phantom Monster Girls remained distinct. They were not like ordinary illusions which dispersed under the torrent of light. Their silhouettes stood lifeless, their eyes radiating profound emotions, not alive yet not dead.

"Loves," Nupian said, "could you help me one more time? I don't need much, just your devotion is enough."

The ghostly Monster Girls eyed Nupian. Their gazes penetrated through her bridal clothes and observed the charms concealed underneath the innocent veil. Nupian, lowered her head, blushing. Her pink cheeks gave off a peculiar air, one which invited touches and kisses.

"This body will be yours for one full night," Nupian said. "Though I must reserve the first spot for Sandoris. After all, tonight is her wedding night."

The phantom Monster Girls nodded, their smiles blossoming palely and happily. Their airs solidified as their silhouettes grew more surreal, more physical. They turned towards the sky, pointed at the Goddess of Redemption, and chanted their spells.

The power of the Condensation Phase Monster Girls erupted, forming a torrent of stars, which glittered among the sky, painting the golden canvas with other colours. Aside from the unique talents of the Monster Girls, there was another subtle, ethereal quality blending inside their spells.

Anxiety gripped Corane’s heart. She focused all her senses and observed everything around her. She noticed the strange conditions of the spells and traced their causes.

The source was not from the Monster Girls but their states of being. Though they looked solid, they could not hide their fragility. If a soft gush of wind passed through them, their figures would flicker, threatening to collapse. They would never exist in the Main Material Plane without the anchor.

And that anchor was Nupian. From her wedding dress, fine red threads extended towards the phantom Monster Girls, coiling around their ring fingers. The threads swayed as the cold gales blew past them, but their structure remained firm, magical, despite their delicate appearance. It was a vow of love, forever and more.

Will I also join their rank? Corane bit her lips. Undria, I might not leave this place alive, or I might not be me anymore.

"You wish to deter me with mere ghosts?" Goddess of Redemption said. "I shall send these lost spirits back into the cycle of life and death. You and all things uncleaned will become cinder under my grace."

She raised her hand and pressed down. Golden light magnified from her palm, shining brighter than the colourful lights below. Its size spanned the horizon, its weight comparable to a mountain. It crushed down. The spells of the phantom Monster Girls exploded, but the golden palm remained unscratched. It annihilated all spells, moving towards Nupian unhindered.

The phantom Monster Girls drew back their hands and looked at Nupian, flashing their innocent gazes. Nupian sighed, pressed her hands under her chest, and pushed her breasts slightly. They playfully jiggled. The Monster Girls smiled and raised their heads, casting more spells.

This time, their auras gained another layer of mystery. Their power converged into one, forming a ray of ethereal green light. It met the divine palm and shattered into countless sparks in the sky.

Like comets, they flew off in different directions throughout the Sinking Dark Forest, slowing down under the influence of Nupian's Domain, and fell upon the forest, corrupting the Pure Races, healing the Corrupted Races.

Crashing against the ghostly light, the divine palm halted and disintegrated into nothingness. The Goddess of Redemption frowned as she stepped on the air, walking towards the ground. The distance between her and Nupian rapidly dwindled, yet the two didn't do anything. Their eyes merely locked onto each other.

"Ridiculous," Redemption said. "You, a being of the Corrupted Races, try to mimic the way of the Divine? Even the Evil Deities cannot succeed in our ways; what gives you such blind confidence?"

"Nothing, of course, but love," Nupian said. "Those Evil Gods and Goddesses abandon their love, but not me. I don't abandon my love for life and the world, and like you Divine, I will gain the love of the world. If not, I will make my love the love of the world."

The phantom Monster Girls hugged Nupian. They squeezed themselves around her, embracing her soft body. One by one, they gradually assimilated into her flesh, their senses connected. As they merged, Nupian shivered, her body turning pinkish, trembling.

The pleasure of sharing emotions and bodies peaked as all the phantom Monster Girls, except for Sandoris, entered Nupian. Hugging Nupian from behind, Sandoris leant her head on Nupian’s shoulder.

"Sandi, the best spot is yours," Nupian said. "Look closely. This firework is not something you'll see every day."

Nupian clasped her hands together and separated them. Countless white silky strings emerged from her palms. They connected both of her palms with her wedding dresses and her skin, glowing milky. Faint mists manifested and danced around Nupian, concealing her figure, enveloping her.

The blizzard softened. The mist permeated the atmosphere. Even Corane, who remained frozen since the beginning, got caught in the haziness. In her head, the storm of confusion rampaged. Her perceptions spun, giving her a numbing headache that dissipated all her thoughts.

She could only see Nupian and Sandoris hugging each other while looking at the Goddess of Redemption. For a moment, time slowed down; the world paused to capture this picturesque instant. Then, everything faded from her view.

What happened? Corane panicked, but she found herself unable to move. She had no arms, no legs, no body. She was floating somewhere unseen, drifting in the unending darkness.

In here, there was no fluctuation in space and time, no fluctuation in Corruption Power or Pure Power. It was nothingness.

Where am I?

The strange state caused Corane to shiver. Suffocation filled her mind. She intensely struggled, but she had nothing. Her body was gone, yet the sense of death remained.

I'm dying!

Somebody, help me!

"I almost forgot about you, Corane," an enchanting voice echoed. "You were too close and got swept into a scary place. Don't worry; I'm here."

Corane blinked. She had regained her eyes now, and her other senses followed. The endless darkness vanished, replaced by the scenery of the Sinking Dark Forest. The experience lasted for merely a few moments, yet Corane felt her soul age for countless years. Her mind had never been this exhausted before.

I must not fall asleep. Corane bit her tongue. It didn't hurt much, but it helped her stay alert. She quickly turned to Nupian. Sandoris, the phantoms, and the blizzard had already disappeared. The Goddess of Redemption had also vanished.

Still, terror persisted. Corane tensed. Her throat grew dry as she slowly retreated from Nupian, who smiled.

"Corane, are you afraid of me?" Nupian covered her mouth. "Or are you jealous of my big harem?"

Corane violently shook her head. Her body heated up from anxiety. She was a mere Condensation Phase Monster Girl. Nevermind Nupian, just one of her wives would give Corane endless trouble, let alone all of them.

After all, those phantoms had a hint of Nupian's power. They were stronger, stranger than the conventional Condensation Phase Monster Girls.

"You don't have to be too tense. I'm not going to eat you." Nupian moved closer to Corane. "I took Sandoris because she begged to be with me. She loved me, and I loved her. Thus, we are now together. Love at first sight can be unbelievable indeed."

"What," Corane mumbled, "was that place?"

"The nothingness between the Planes." Nupian pointed at the sky. "It's where the Divine lives and also where the fundamental truth of the world rests. You don't need to know about it now. Wait until you reach the Solidification Phase first."

Taking a deep breath, Corane calmed down. Her heart had been going wild since Nupian appeared and could only return to clarity once everything was over. She wouldn't have fluttered so much and acted so contradictory, if not for that strange quality in Nupian's voice.

Even now, Corane still felt apprehensive towards Nupian.

"Can you promise not to do anything to Undria?" Corane said. "You can have me, but please don't do anything to her."

Nupian smirked and drew out her hand. It gradually approached Corane's face, then tapped against her forehead, flicking at it.

"Even if I want you, I can't have you," Nupian said. "You have love in your heart, and I respect love. That love will help you in your journey, so treasure it. Maybe it'll come to help you later."

Corane didn't know how to respond and keep everything to herself. Nupian's words echoed inside her head, but she couldn't quite make out the meaning behind her words.

Love? Am I in love with Undria? Corane looked down at her chest. Her heart raced as these suppressed feelings boiled over. So this is love. We have been with each other for so long. How have I not noticed this?

It was a strange feeling. It was not like the burning passions she felt when she was in bed, but it was a simmering numbness, a type of yearning, not as painful as she would have expected, but more encompassing than she could have imagined.

I wonder if you also feel the same?

...

"Got everything?" Flamira said. "I don't have much with me. If your ring lacks space, you can place them in my pouch."

"I've taken everything," Serinda said. "Artium will come out soon."

"No need to hurry. Time is precious; you should spend it with what you consider precious."

"You are my precious, Sister Flamira." Serinda pointed at her heart. "All the precious items are in here. I've already packed up since the beginning."

As Flamira and Serinda chatted, the door of the humble wooden house opened. Artium walked out with a small diary in her head. She stared at it for a moment before tossing it into her Virtual Space Ring. Her hands trembled when the diary disappeared, but she quickly regained her control.

"Sister Flamira, please lead the way." Artium forced a smile. "I've done everything necessary."

"Don't show such grief," Flamira said. "Marina would not want you to be sad. You should smile. Show the world your beauty, and the world will love you."

"I don't need the world's love. Just yours is enough."

Flamira shook her head and turned around, her eyes glancing at the modest house for one last time. Though she had never been into it, the warmth and familial feeling radiated from it touched her heart.

Who knows how many of us must abandon our homes today? How many will live peacefully again?

Flamira's footsteps rang as she stepped onto the main street, walking towards the tunnel leading out of the Labyrinth of Love. Serinda and Artium stood still, taking it all in, then caught up to Flamira.

The three remained quiet throughout their way, their hearts contemplating, their thoughts unreadable. They quickly reached the sparse tunnel and ascended the dim staircase, moving towards the aboveground.

Before disappearing into the haziness, Flamira looked back at the Labyrinth.

This is not the end.