Heaven, Earth, Me

While they talked about these things, the children listened half-understanding, half-confused. They knew that something bad happened to their Mommy, but seeing how relaxed everyone was, they didn't give it much importance. 

The girls were, in truth, panicking quite badly. They knew that Yasenia dying from this poison was almost impossible. However, that did not make them less afraid of it. Knowing that Yasenia's soul was trying to disappear with the wind in quite a literal sense was terrifying. After all, outwardly, the dragoness would look relatively alive when she died. There would be not many changes other than looking like she was sleeping.

Her body would still work, but her "self" would be gone, leaving behind an empty husk.

Even Angel, who didn't really like separating from Yasena, didn't say anything this time when the dragoness suggested only going with Kali and Tatyana. 

After a few days of preparation and Tatyana's interrogation, they discovered almost everything. The only confusing part was the source of the poison, as it was a mysterious merchant that was inside of a Secret Realm. 

Secret Realm Openings have continued happening, even though Yasenia never really participated in any. The main reason for her lack of participation was the lack of essential resources. Most Secret Realms were done for juniors, having interesting items for them. 

Therefore, other than getting slots for her sect disciples to enter, the dragoness ignored them for now. To her surprise, it turned out that a recently opened Secret Realm had connected with a new dimension. This new dimension is where the Assassin Leader got everything they needed. 

Of course, this didn't make much sense. How could a Secret Realm's specialness go unnoticed by anyone around her? Yasenia couldn't really accept this. 

The dragoness investigated, and she was stunned when she discovered which Secret Realm it was. "Isn't this Secret Realm a place where magical items appear as the HIGHEST types of treasures!? How is it possible that this happened?"

Alaia and the rest of the maids gave Yasenia a document that had everything the people they were torturing spoke. Yasenia read it, and she laughed cynically. "Is this really the truth?"

Tatyana smiled. "Little Treasure. You can be lucky enough to find an item that allows you to rebirth and assimilate your Celestial Energy. Do you think that a bit of bad luck where your enemies discover a special quality of a Secret Realm is too much?"

Yasenia sighed. "I mean…" She tapped the table and muttered. "I admit that I've had my lucky moments. However, this feels more like a bad joke from Fate."

Tatyana shrugged. "Perhaps it is. And if it is, what?"

Yasenia snorted. "Then, I'll need to punch Fate in the face a few times so that it behaves!" Yasenia looked at the documents and muttered. "So, this secret realm is two overlapped secret realms that send you to different places as long as the people entering are peak-level fifth realm people…" 

The dragoness scratched her head. "Really. The old people in this continent know this place really well, don't they? I wonder what they are hiding from me that only they know."

Yasenia continued reading the document until the end and hummed. "A merchant…?" The dragoness asked. "So, they bought this thing from the merchant in exchange for allowing the merchant out of the Secret Realm? So… Where is that merchant?"

Alaia shook her head. "We don't know, Young Miss. He has disappeared without a trace."

The dragoness blinked. "Strong person if he could erase all traces to the point that you were unable to identify them." 

Tatyana commented. "Regardless of that person, now we know the source of the poison. How about we go out and find the cure?"

"Wait, but…" Yasenia asked. "If he had the poison, he might carry the cure with him. No?"

Everybody paused for a second before Tatyana ordered. "All people that can should go out and search the area for any traces. I'll go there as well and try to find him. We found a much better option rather than searching blindly, so don't mess it up."

The dragoness looked at Tatyana amusedly and teased. "Did you really miss that option?"

The Death Empress coughed. "I was waiting to see if you would realize." 

Yasenia nodded. "Aha~, I see. Of course, my perfect and infallible Mom would never mess up something like this."

Tatyana nodded back, her face serious. "That's a matter of course."

Sighing with a smile, the dragoness stood up and walked toward her, leaning down and smiling seductively. Tatyana looked up and down and said. "Very bouncy, very nice. That deep ravine is really attractive."

Yasenia kissed her lips and laughed, her face brightening like a warm sun. "I love you." 

Tatyana smiled softly. "I love you too."

A few days went by quickly, and the dragoness prepared to leave.

Knowing that their Mommy was going again, the children all looked quite upset. Yasenia looked at them from a distance. Although she had already given her goodbyes and rained kisses on them, she still felt like it was not enough. "Be obedient, okay babies? Mommy and the others will come back as soon as Mommy is healed!"

Kaleina was more aware of the seriousness of the situation, so she felt quite nervous. It was to the point that the other day, she went to Yasenia's bedroom to sleep with her.

She remembered what happened then. Yasenia opened the door and hugged her softly, making her feel her usual warmth. Then, she told her. "Baby, I am poisoned. I won't tell you not to worry. However, Baby must be strong and take care of her little sisters in the meantime, okay? You are my eldest, and I am very proud of you. Can I ask you for this favor?"

Kaleina remembered this, and when she saw Yasenia look over with her usual enchanting and lovely motherly smile, she clenched her fists and nodded. "I will take care of them."

Her mother's face gained a radiant smile as she laughed. "That's my Baby. I love you."

Kaleina felt her eyes becoming hotter as her vision blurred a bit, but she bit her inner cheek and maintained a resolute expression. Flame, at the side, looked at Kaleina and extended her hand, covering her fist with her hand. 

Andrea approached and asked right before Yasenia, Tatyana, and Kali boarded the [Profound Skeletal World Jumping Warship] with the maids. "Love, why didn't you take Cecile with you?"

The dragoness turned around and smiled softly. "With Cecile around, you, Angel, and Evelyn will all feel more peaceful."

After all, as her Soulmate, if Cecile didn't feel a strong sensation of loss, that meant that Yasenia was healthy. Andrea's eyes widened a bit when she realized, and then they softened. She looked at the dragoness and stepped forward, engulfing her woman in a strong hug. "Love, you better come back cured. If you don't, I won't be able to keep trying, right?"

The dragoness snuggled in Andrea's hug and giggled. "I am your girl, Andrea. I will come back to your arms. I promise." 

The soft woman between her arms made it feel as if Yasenia was a tender and weak woman who needed protection. After separating from Andrea's arms, Yasenia and the others boarded the ship.

Then, Tatyana waved her hand, and a profound aura enveloped the [Profound Skeletal World Jumping Warship]. Tatyana snorted. "Who would've thought that the man left this World? Do you think you can escape me? You are wrong." Around 100 [Purple Crystals] flew out of Tatyana's ring and lodged into the Formation's core.

Then, the [Profound Skeletal World Jumping Warship] lit up with gorgeous green, black, and white lights. Everyone looked on as the ship prepared, and then, it accelerated.

As if space itself was extending in its way, the ship appeared to stretch, and then, it disappeared.

Yasenia saw everything around her blurring as the Warship accelerated and streaked across the sky like a shooting star. Soon, they left the cloud layers, and then, they broke through the atmosphere.

Beyond that, Yasenia saw a massive bubble-like structure that was made of pure energy. Tatyana explained. "That's the Heaven Barrier. It protects this world against unnatural threats from the outside."

Yasenia nodded as the vast darkness and expanse of the Universe welcomed her for the first time. Then, the [Profound Skeletal World Jumping Warship] pushed and slammed against the bubble-like wall. 

However, right before colliding, the warship was surrounded by a sphere of energy, mixing with the bubble and leaving it behind as they passed over it.

The second they crossed it, Yasenia was welcomed with silence—an absolute and deafening silence accompanied by terrifying coldness and emptiness.

The space around her had so little energy that she felt suffocated. Because of space's emptiness, the sound was impossible to make with ordinary means, increasing the eeriness of the situation.

The change in the atmosphere compared to being inside a world's protective bubble was like going from your comfortable house out into a silent warzone. The dragoness opened her mouth and uttered. "Wow." Of course, no sound came out.

Tatyana and the maids looked at Kali and Yasenia closely, as the first moments in space were usually very harsh to bear. However, to their surprise, Yasenia blinked, and her body pulsed, changing her aura to become more profound and in tune with the vacuum of space.

In just a few moments, the dragoness developed enough understanding about her surroundings that she could create a comfortable protective layer around her. 

Her bloodline, constitution, and her existence at the core allowed her to quickly adapt. 

Kali was having many more problems. As a creature attuned to Life to such a deep level, the stillness and inertness of space were very unsettling. Without the support of life around her, her eyes started roaming around, searching for it, and her breathing increased in pace.

Sadly, there was no air, so trying to "breathe" to calm herself down had the opposite effect, increasing her anxiousness. As her body started perspiring, a pair of reassuring arms went around her body, engulfing her entire body with a soft body that was full of vitality.

Yasenia's soothing voice reached her mind. "Kali. My sweet Honey. Don't focus on the surroundings. Focus on yourself. Keep a bubble in this space, and allow that bubble to protect you. Your skin, your energy, your existence… Everything is more than strong enough to protect you. Trust me."

Kali closed her eyes, and a pulse of energy expanded from her. At first, the protective bubble around her was large enough to cover the entire ship. The next pulse shrunk the bubble by a fifth, the next one, another fifth. Then, it became a quarter of its original size, then a tenth, and it continued shrinking with each pulse until the protective sphere covered both Yasenia and Kali.

The fox woman rubbed her face with Yasenia's neck and smiled. "Thank you, dear."

The dragoness chuckled. "Always, Honey. I am always here for all of you."

Kali looked up and laughed, her scarred face looking as beautiful as ever in the dragoness's eyes.