Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 65: What is left behind - Part 1

Auriel turned her gaze downward, avoiding those sharp golden eyes.

"I have responsibilities. I can’t stay here."

Vaelora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Just stay with me a little longer. You look exhausted"

She said, softer this time.

Auriel tensed.

Something about the way Vaelora said those words made her uneasy. The concern in her voice, the quiet plea hidden beneath her usual commanding tone—it reminded Auriel too much of the past.

And that was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

"We can’t go back to how things used to be. You know that, don’t you?" frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

Auriel said, forcing herself to meet Vaelora’s gaze.

For the first time, the Chief God’s composure cracked. Her expression flickered—pain, regret, longing. But just as quickly, she concealed it beneath an impassive mask.

"I understand. You’re right. Things have changed. My duty is more important now, anyway. But sometimes, I wonder..."

Vaelora said smoothly, her voice betraying none of the emotions Auriel had seen in her eyes.

Auriel’s chest tightened.

It was a lie.

She could hear it in Vaelora’s voice, see it in the way her shoulders tensed just slightly, the way she averted her gaze for the briefest of moments.

But Auriel didn’t call her out on it.

Instead, she nodded.

"Good."

Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy with unsaid words.

It was Vaelora who finally spoke again.

"Be careful of the dark magic. And keep me informed about anything that happens"

She said, her voice quieter this time.

Auriel hesitated before nodding.

"I promise."

With that, she closed her eyes and focused.

A moment later, she felt herself being pulled away from the divine realm, her consciousness slipping back into the waking world.

______

Auriel gasped as she awoke, her body jerking slightly as she inhaled deeply.

Golden light filtered through the windows of her chamber in the temple, and for a moment, she struggled to reorient herself. Her head felt heavy, her body weak. But what startled her most was the presence of two figures sitting near her bed.

Carol and Priestess Lilith.

The two women looked exhausted, worry etched deep into their faces. The moment Auriel stirred, Carol was the first to react, rushing to her side.

"Goddess Auriel!"

Lilith was only a step behind, her voice filled with relief.

"You’re awake... finally."

Auriel blinked.

"What...?"

"You’ve been unconscious for two days. We didn’t know what happened to you. You wouldn’t wake up, and no divine magic seemed to reach you."

Carol said, her voice uncharacteristically unsteady.

Auriel’s heart sank. She hadn’t realized it had been that long.

She pushed herself up, wincing slightly at the weakness in her body.

"I’m fine. I was in the heavenly realm, speaking with the other gods. That’s why I was unresponsive."

She assured them.

Carol frowned but didn’t question it.

"Are you sure you’re alright?"

Auriel hesitated.

She could still feel the dark magic lingering inside her, coiling within her core like a slumbering beast. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was there.

A reminder of what she had absorbed.

A reminder of what she had done.

But she didn’t tell them that.

She forced a smile.

"I promise, I’m fine."

Carol exhaled in relief, while Lilith simply nodded, though there was something calculating in her gaze.

"That’s good. Because a lot has happened while you were unconscious"

Lilith said.

Auriel’s brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Carol and Lilith exchanged a brief glance before Carol finally spoke.

"There’s been... more evidence of dark magic. "We’ve found traces of it near the temple, in places it shouldn’t be."

She admitted hesitantly.

Auriel’s breath caught.

The dark magic was spreading.

She swallowed hard, masking her concern.

"I see. Have you found the source?"

Lilith shook her head.

"Not yet. But we’re investigating."

Auriel studied them both carefully. There was something off about the way they spoke—something hesitant. As if they were holding something back.

But she didn’t press them.

Instead, she nodded.

"Good. Keep me informed."

Carol hesitated before stepping closer.

"Are you sure you don’t need more rest?"

Auriel forced another reassuring smile.

"I’ll be fine."

Even as she said it, she felt the lingering darkness stir inside her.

And for the first time since waking up, she wondered just how fine she truly was.

Auriel exhaled slowly, willing the lingering discomfort away. She could still feel the remnants of dark magic inside her, coiling like a restless serpent, but she refused to let it show.

Carol and Lilith watched her carefully, their concern evident.

"If you need anything, please let us know."

Carol said softly.

Auriel nodded, though her mind was already elsewhere. The fact that dark magic had appeared near the temple—while she had been unconscious—left a sour taste in her mouth. She couldn’t ignore the connection.

Something was happening.

Something bigger than she had anticipated.

"I’ll be fine."

She repeated, mostly to convince herself.

Carol and Lilith exchanged another glance before stepping back. "We’ll take our leave then, Goddess Auriel. Please call for us if you need anything," Lilith said.

Auriel watched them leave, waiting until the door closed behind them before allowing herself to slump back against the pillows. Her hand instinctively went to her chest, pressing against the spot where the dark magic pulsed faintly beneath her skin.

It hadn’t faded.

If anything, it felt stronger.

A chill ran down her spine as she closed her eyes, focusing inward.

And then—

A whisper.

Soft. Insidious.

But unmistakable.

"You should have left it alone."

Her eyes snapped open, breath caught in her throat.

The voice hadn’t come from outside.

It had come from within her.

Auriel’s breath came out in short, shaky gasps as she concentrated, pushing her divine senses inward to track the source of the voice. It had felt too real—too deliberate—to be a mere hallucination. She couldn’t ignore it.

Her fingers curled against the sheets as she reached deeper into herself, chasing the remnants of the dark magic she had absorbed.

There.

A faint ripple in her core, something foreign yet disturbingly familiar. It was like a shadow slipping through her fingers, just out of reach. Auriel gritted her teeth, focusing harder.

"Show yourself."

She commanded in her mind, forcing her will against whatever presence lurked within her.

For a moment, something stirred. A flicker of resistance, as if something had taken root inside her.

And then—

Silence.

The foreign presence vanished without a trace.

Auriel gasped, her body jerking slightly as if an invisible string had been cut. It was gone. The dark magic, the whispering voice, any sign that something had been speaking to her—it had simply erased itself, leaving behind nothing but an unsettling emptiness.

Her hands trembled.

This was no ordinary dark magic.

Someone—or something—had reached into her very essence, left a message, and disappeared as if it had never been there.

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