Dancing on the golden ashes-Chapter 252: Reunion (2)

I was certain I had seen her somewhere before, but at the same time, I couldn't understand exactly who she was. She appeared to be around twenty years old now—certainly no older. She's so pretty…

In my eyes, her long hair flowed like a river of midnight silk streaked with violet flames, dancing gently in rhythm with the void itself. Occasionally, tiny lights fell from her hair like celestial stars, making her presence feel otherworldly—something far beyond mortal imagination. A pair of curved, onyx-black horns rose gracefully from her head, curling slightly backward as if crowning her with a dark, infernal royalty. Not to mention those black demonic wings spreading elegantly behind her—wings that resembled mine so closely.

Her obsidian gown was woven from a fabric that seemed alive somehow, shifting and swirling like a living nebula. It gracefully draped her slender figure, spilling shadows and fragments of starlight across the ground beneath her feet. At the center of her chest, a cracked gemstone-like core pulsed steadily, radiating raw celestial power as though her very heart had become one with the cosmos itself.

And those eyes… They glowed brilliantly, like amethysts dipped in liquid gold, gleaming with familiarity and yet distant mystery. I feel like I've seen her somewhere before… She resembled a certain little girl I once knew—a child I had protected—but that couldn't possibly be her, could it?

"Big sister…" she spoke, her voice no longer childish or playful, but mature and gentle, tinged with warmth. "It's me… I think, hehe…"

So it is her after all…

"Jieun…" My voice came out colder than I expected. "You've aged…"Those were the only words that escaped me. I knew I would have felt genuine happiness right now if there had still been something inside my chest beating with life. Instead, I could only sense a hollow emptiness, a cold void that swallowed every feeling, leaving me numb and detached once again.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Suddenly, four more stars exploded simultaneously behind me, shattering violently and sending cosmic fragments raining down like glittering rain. When I turned around, four imposing figures stood before me, familiar in appearance yet radiating auras so powerful they seemed capable of shaking the universe itself.

"Empress!" they called out in perfect unison.

Min-jeong stepped forward first, her movements graceful, seductive, like those of an enchantress. Her body no longer carried the innocence she once possessed. Instead, her left thigh was decorated by a single black, seductive thigh-high stocking, leaving the other leg bare—a sight many would feast their eyes upon. Her dress was short and form-fitting, crafted from enchanted leather and living darkness, with edges sharp and jagged like broken obsidian. Her arms and chest were wrapped in delicate white fabric, creating a stark contrast that highlighted her new gothic allure.

Her brilliant pink hair and vivid pink eyes remained unchanged, yet now they danced and swayed gently, almost as if they possessed a life of their own. Can she control each strand now, like she once controlled her vines? I questioned absently. From the sides of her head rose dark, crown-like horns, curling elegantly upward with edges jagged and thorned, like a corrupted tiara marking her dark rebirth.

Her skin had turned porcelain-white, glowing faintly under the surrounding starlight. And behind her spread a pair of delicate yet terrifying wings—thin and glassy like porcelain itself—shimmering with subtle hues of pink and shadowed black. Beautiful, yet unmistakably demonic.

Next to her was Seo-yeon. She no longer resembled that cold ice empress—not at all. Now, she was something far worse than merely cold. Her elegant dress was long, flowing, and white as untouched snow, radiating an aura so chillingly intense that nothing could remain in motion before her. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded freely over her shoulders and down her back in gentle waves, softly swaying with every subtle movement she made.

Yet, what stood out most was her face. It had changed profoundly, no longer showing the slightest trace of joy or warmth. Instead, endless mourning lingered in her eyes, making me wonder: What is she grieving? Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of her transformation was her pair of angelic wings—completely blackened, as if she'd been cast out from heaven, now destined to rule the underworld itself.

Ji-hoon stood beside her. Among everyone, he had changed the least—or rather, his appearance remained just recognizable enough. He still wore a black mask that concealed most of his face, but his eyes had drastically changed, now completely black with deep crimson pupils, giving him the appearance of a devil lurking within the shadows. He looked like an assassin who not only struck from the darkness but had become one with it. His wings appeared torn, riddled with holes, as though he'd just returned from countless battles, and his clothes barely held together—tattered black wrappings and armor crudely stitched with fragments of bone and rusted iron, giving him the look of an undead ghoul.

Two thin horns protruded subtly from the sides of his head, and his ears, sharp and pointed, caught my attention. So far, everyone has pointy ears. Is this perhaps a sign of becoming a demon?

Lastly, there stood the man whose presence alone could seemingly split the world in two—Min-jae. Power radiated fiercely from the massive violet sword he carried, illuminating him with raw strength. His figure was draped in a white, half-open shirt stained by ash and cosmic starlight, revealing skin tinged with shadowy violet hues. It glowed faintly, as if his body itself had been corrupted by the void.

His wild, flowing hair cascaded around him like a river of violet stars, perfectly matching his glowing violet eyes. He appeared like a demon gentleman, one who would gracefully claim your life with sophisticated style. Two massive black horns curved elegantly upward from his head, and his wings—similar to Seo-yeon's angelic feathers—were colored a dark, regal violet, accentuating the noble yet terrifying aura he now possessed.

"I'm glad to see you all are back," I said in a cold, distant tone, yet somehow none of them appeared upset or disappointed.

"Our empress looks like an angel now," Seo-yeon said softly, letting out a gentle laugh. Yet her gaze was so chilling that it felt as if my soul might freeze solid beneath it. "But why does she seem as though she was banished from heaven and dethroned?"

"What do you mean?" I asked calmly, unable to imagine anything remotely angelic about myself. I'm a demon, after all. How could I resemble an angel?

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"Look for yourself," Seo-yeon replied, and suddenly, an ice mirror formed gracefully from thin air. It was tall, clear, and perfectly shaped in every way.

Within its reflection stood a woman whose face was utterly void of emotion, though her skin was flawless, like polished marble. Her eyes, shimmering like gemstones of pure gold, radiated a cold, greedy energy. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, each golden strand so perfectly formed it seemed as if a god had meticulously spent eternity crafting them one by one. Her entire body appeared perfect, wrapped in a long, pure white dress, enhancing her surreal beauty.

Cream-colored demonic horns adorned her head, surprisingly gentle in appearance despite their demonic origin. Behind her stretched massive wings, each one nearly twice the size of her slender frame, crafted from pristine, angelic feathers that appeared soft as silk. Her tail, clearly demonic in shape yet strangely graceful, matched the delicate cream color of her horns, creating the unsettling image of an angel who attempted to fall into darkness—but failed.

Yet, in the very center of her chest was an emptiness—a hole so dark, it seemed to swallow all light, as though containing the infinite void itself. From this void dripped a steady stream of black, viscous liquid.

I recognized this person immediately. That woman in the mirror… is me.

"Empress!" Suddenly, everyone around me fell to their knees simultaneously. The ice mirror shattered into countless glittering fragments, scattering like stardust carried away by the wind. The thunderous crack of thousands upon thousands of stars shattering simultaneously rang through the sky, causing my mind to spin slightly.

Surrounding me, countless figures emerged from their celestial prisons, kneeling reverently. Each was a demonic figure radiating immense power, their eyes filled with unwavering loyalty and devotion. Each was a citizen, bound to me by their very souls, loyal subjects returned from oblivion.

I was their Demon Empress.

Yet, as I gazed upon their heartfelt reunion, I felt nothing. There was no joy, no pride—only a hollow emptiness where my heart should have been. How unfortunate… without a heart, I cannot even appreciate this reunion. But… even without a heart, even though I couldn't feel it, I know I'm happy. At least, somewhere deep within me, in a place untouched by emptiness, I still understood that this moment was everything I had ever wanted.