Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Nether Fire (Special Chapter)

Once upon a time, in an era when gods still walked among mortals, the Goddess of Light, Zefania, descended from the celestial realm to wander the world below.

She had lived for countless centuries, illuminating the heavens with her radiance, but had never once known the true nature of love.

Her existence was divine, untouchable, above the fleeting emotions that plagued mortals. Yet, she was not naive.

She had witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the tragedies of human hearts, the sacrifices made in the name of devotion. Love was a force that both fascinated and eluded her.

When Zefania took on a human form to experience the mortal realm, the imperial palace assigned Arthuros, an elite guard of the kingdom, to serve as her protector.

To him, it was just another duty, an honor, perhaps, but not something extraordinary. He was a warrior, trained from childhood to serve and protect the empire.

His loyalty was unwavering, his heart pure and steadfast. Arthuros was unlike the other guards who trembled before a goddess.

He did not see her as a being to be worshiped from afar but as a woman who had chosen to walk among mortals.

He treated her with kindness, but never with fear. He did not hesitate to speak to her, nor did he shy away from meeting her golden gaze.

At first, Zefania found his presence intriguing. Mortals usually cowered before divine beings, yet Arthuros stood by her side with unwavering composure.

He did not stumble over his words, nor did he lower his eyes in mindless reverence.

Instead, he treated her as an equal, speaking to her with a quiet confidence that set him apart from others.

Zefania watched as he helped the villagers during their travels, carrying an old man on his back when he could no longer walk, sharing his food with children who had none, and offering words of comfort to a widow mourning her husband.

He was strong, but his strength was not just of the body, it was of the heart.

And against all logic, against the very fabric of the divine laws, Zefania felt something stir within her.

A longing.

She tried to ignore it. She was a goddess, above such emotions.

But the more time she spent in the mortal world, the more she realized how much she wished to experience what they did.

One night, under the silver glow of the twin moons, she asked Arthuros a question.

“If you had only one life to live, would you waste it protecting someone like me?”

Arthuros, who had been sharpening his blade by the campfire, looked up at her, confused. “What do you mean, waste it?”

She hesitated. “I am a goddess. I do not need protection. I cannot die the way mortals do. And yet, you stay by my side, willing to give your life for mine.”

Arthuros smiled, setting his sword aside.

“Life is not measured by how long one lives, but by how one chooses to spend it. If protecting you is how I choose to live my days, then that is not a waste.”

His words struck something deep within her.

That night, she did not sleep. Gods did not need rest, but her heart was restless.

Zefania could no longer deny it. She loved him.

But love between a goddess and a mortal was forbidden. The celestial realm would not accept it.

Even if she defied the laws, even if she risked everything, Arthuros would still age. He would wither, while she remained unchanged.

Even so, she could not stop herself from falling.

It was inevitable.

Zefania did not know if Arthuros felt the same. She did not dare ask, for fear of what the answer might bring.

But she saw the way his gaze softened when he looked at her, the way he reached for her hand when he thought she was in danger, the way he always placed himself between her and harm.

And then, disaster struck.

One fateful evening, the kingdom was attacked by a force, not of this world.

From the depths of the abyss, a terrible Nether Demon arose, seeking to consume the world in its dark flames.

The kingdom’s armies fell before it. The greatest sorcerers and warriors could do nothing against its cursed fire, which devoured all it touched.

Zefania knew that only a power equal to the demon’s own could stop it. And so, she descended into the Forbidden Caves, where the Nether Fire burned eternally.

It was a flame of unimaginable power, it did not simply burn, it consumed the very essence of existence.

To wield it meant certain destruction.

Arthuros found her before she could claim it.

“You cannot do this,” he said, his voice raw with desperation. “If you take that fire, it will destroy you.”

Zefania looked at him with sorrowful eyes. “If I do not, the kingdom will fall.”

“I don’t care about the kingdom,” he said fiercely. “I care about you.”

The words left his lips before he could take them back. But there was no regret in his eyes. Only raw, undeniable truth.

Her breath caught. She had wondered for so long, fearing that her love was one-sided. But now, she knew.

Arthuros loved her too.

And yet, it did not change what she had to do.

She smiled sadly, reaching up to cup his face. “If I do not stop this, you will die. And I cannot bear that.”

Before he could argue, before he could stop her, she turned and stepped into the Nether Fire.

The pain was unimaginable.

The fire consumed her divinity, burning away the essence of what made her a goddess.

But she endured it, using its power to forge a weapon, a blade that could slay the Nether Demon.

She emerged, no longer glowing with celestial radiance, her golden hair turned to ashen silver, her divine robes replaced by battle-worn armor.

She was no longer a goddess.

She was something else entirely.

With the Nether Fire Blade in hand, she faced the demon.

The battle was brutal. The flames burned the very air, the sky turned black, and the land itself cracked under the sheer force of their clash.

But in the end, Zefania struck the final blow.

The demon let out a deathly shriek before crumbling into nothingness. The fire that had once threatened to consume the world disappeared.

But so did Zefania’s strength.

She fell to the ground, her vision blurring, her body too weak to move.

Arthuros caught her before she could collapse completely, his arms wrapping around her tightly. “Stay with me,” he begged.

She smiled, reaching up to touch his face one last time.

“I am mortal now,” she whispered. “And I chose to spend my life for you.”

Tears slipped from his eyes as he held her close.