How I Became the Strongest Sovereign

Chapter 54 - Unknown Desire

A girl stood at the entrance of the monarchs' cave, her back turned towards me. A special aura surrounded her, almost like the beauty surrounding her was bold in my eyes. She was a kid my age but she stood tall, around 5ft 7 or 5ft 8. Her hair curled like big springs behind her. The light brown highlights enlightened the chocolaty brown illusion her silky hair provided. Her skin was smooth like honey and rich. I knew exactly who she was as my heart silenced at her presence.

"Malia." I whispered, my eyebrows furrowing. What do my desires have to do with her?

I guess the sirens have been digging into my subconscious desires.

She turned, the light hitting her face at a perfect angle, making her cheekbones and jaw glow like gold. She gazed into my eyes, the slight pink tint to her chubby cheeks reddened into a blush. My focus faltered as I pushed my mana to the back of my head, too lost in her eyes to focus properly.

"Zeref" she called out to me, smiling, her eyes barely showing because of her big cheeks. For some reason, my heart started to go crazy, beating random rhythms in my ear.

I hadn't seen her in so long. Maybe my desire was that I wanted to see her. I did miss her.

My hypothesis was soon proven wrong by the words coming out of her mouth.

"Zeref, I love you." this time she smiled with all her teeth, showing off her cute gummy smile. She held out her arms for a hug, reaching out to me. My eyes widened and all the focus I had dissipated. My deepest desire?

"Zeref?" she tilted her head, waiting for a hug. Malia would never say that! I tried to snap out of it but her eyes were fixated on me and it was like my breathing was restricted.

Another siren walked out from behind Malia, shapeshifted into a person I never thought I'd see again. In her tattered, bloody wedding dress, stood Nina. Her hair was the same as I remembered and her skin shimmered under the light.

"James, I do." she smiled, holding Malia's shoulder and flashing me a smile. They both stood close, arms around each other.

"I do." she said again.

"Stop…" my voice was weak in shock and barely came out in a whimper.

My heart felt heavy in my chest as I held my breath. It didn't matter that this siren wasn't Nina. The pain stabbed me everywhere, penetrating into my skin. I fell to my knees, choking out loud sobs. My head hung low as I cried, louder than I ever had. I let out a painful, frustrated scream; it shook my whole body, sending shivers into every joint. She never got to say it. They attacked before she could.

The mana in my hands dissipated at my unstable condition.

SHE NEVER SAID IT!

**

It was just before the attack. The priest stood next to me.

"Treat her well King James." Riya glared at me while I fixed my suit, waiting for her to walk down the aisle.

"Of course I will. As soon as she says the two words, she will be my queen. I've been dreaming of her lips mouthing those words." I said dreamily, waiting at the door. I was so excited, I completely ignored the unsettling feeling in the back of my head. I should have listened to it. I could have saved my Nina. My senses warned me of the terrible events to come, but I ignored them.

"Hurt her and I'll murder you." Riya rolled her eyes, sitting back on her seat on the front row.

I winked at her, smirking. I loved teasing mother Riya.

**

"I'm sorry, Nina, I'm so so sorry…" my head started to spin as I stayed on my knees, my mind returned to the current world.

"Zeref, don't cry." Malia fell onto her knees, on my level. I looked at her as she kneeled across me on the other side of the lake in front of the cave. My heart tugged when I looked at her but knowing Nina was next to her dissolved me. I couldn't move on. I couldn't.

The confusion made me cry harder yet this time I made no noise. It was too painful to make noise.

"AGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I yelled, my heart filling with regret. "GO AWAY!" I screamed at both of the sirens as they smirked at my misery.

My eyes were swollen and red as the veins near my temples became apparent at my screams.

Nina exploded, her flesh flying everywhere. The sick smell of dead fish flew up my nose. The siren's organs were like slush, before slowly splashing into the lagoon. The other siren looked mortified at my strong use of gravity magic.

I looked at Malia's face and her big eyes glazed in tears at me. How come I wanted both to die yet only the Nina siren exploded?

"Stop using Malia's face to manipulate me." I gritted out, flash stepping across the water. My feet were so fast; I lightly ran across the surface of the water like a skipping pebble. I reached the cave entrance and before the siren could pounce, I held her neck in my hand, crushing her neck.

The siren choked. I glared at my hand around Malia's neck, watching as her eyes rolled back from the lack of air. At first, the screams sounded like Malia's but after I squeezed harder, the siren's deafening screams filled the air. It force shifted back into a siren, Malia's innocent face disappearing and being replaced by a monstrous creature.

I clenched my fingers until I heard a satisfying crack before throwing its dead body back into the lake.

The rest of the sirens shrieked, making me grasp my ears, they attacked from each side. Using Seikuken, I avoided their attacks from each side and grabbed each of their heads one by one and crushing them using brute force.

Blood splattered over my face and body but I didn't care. I just wanted to relieve this feeling. Seeing Nina brought back a distant pain I tried to push back.

"Zeref! Stop now!" Gramps shouted, as he came running out from the dense forest.

I looked back at Gramps before crushing the last Siren's head with my hand. I walked across the surface of the water, a pathway of ice being created as I walked.

The devilish screams of the sirens finally dissipated.

"Z-Zeref, what did you see?" Gramps asked as he stared at my expressionless face. I sat down on the floor, staring back at the lake.

"My dead fiancé."