Chapter 498: Secrets

"What happened? Why did the show stop?"

Xra's quarters were not something one would expect to be inside one of the most intimidating warships in the Known Universe. One could even say that her quarters didn't even seem like it was inside a ship—no.

One could see a sky that completely resembled that of Earth's if one were to look up, except it was devoid of any screens from the pollution the planet's advancements brought with it.

The floors were made with blocks of limestones, and there was really only a small house, also made with limestones that were painted over that it almost seemed glowing from having the light reflected on it. The house stood right at the very center of the quarters—no. Perhaps it was no longer right to call it her quarters, as this was Xra's attempt to replicate her home long past.

Riley initially thought that she was just making excuses when she said she wanted to visit Earth, but as he entered Xra's quarters, it would seem she didn't only want to visit it on a whim but is actually longing for it.

And right now, the two of them were just right outside her small house, with the two sitting on the marbled ground peacefully.... Well, that is until Riley suddenly lost the little expression he had on his face.

"Where's the Italian Mafia Reborn, boy?"

Xra's repeated her question as she stood up; her breaths, clearly frustrated as Riley's thoughts changed,

"Why did you have to cut it at the climax?"

Xra then approached Riley, lightly nudging him on the shoulder; as soon as she did so, however, Riley grabbed her by the wrist.

"What do you think you—Oh, what's this?" Xra's eyebrow started to rise up as she read Riley's thoughts, which were completely empty but not exactly. It was as if there was a window that she could look through, and there, she saw several other Rileys inside a ship.

"You're... going to commit genocide while you're on your way to Theran?" A small smirk crawled on Xra's face as she pulled her wrist away, "I envy your multitasking skills, but I still hate you for cutting it right at a climax. You...

...did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Xra then tried punching Riley, only for his body to automatically dodge to the side.

"...Just what are they feeding the children on Urt...Ter...Ert... whatever it is called nowadays?"

And with Riley seemingly busy and not coming back for a while, Xra could really only let out a loud sigh and leave him be. She was on her way out of her quarters, before shaking her head and turning back to Riley—not really, as she passed by him and continued toward her abode.

Her house didn't have any doors, just a colorful drape that she gently pushed to the side; revealing the inside of her house that did not really have anything but a bed.

"..."

"..."

She stared at this bed for a few breaths, each lasting for far longer than they should. A minute? An hour? It was hard to tell with the sun in the fake sky refusing to leave its place.

A few moments more, however, Xra finally stepped deeper into the small house. She walked straight toward her bed that was at the edge of the room, it was the only thing there, after all. She then very gently lay herself down on the bed, and with another sigh...

...the bed started to tremble. Xra didn't seem to mind, however, a smile even trickled on her face as the bed began to descend into the floor.

Xra closed her eyes, not worried about anything at all. And as she once again opened them, the ancient-looking abode was no more; replaced by a vast and spacious room endowed with only silver.

The walls probably consumed half the height of the entire ship, the ceiling, the floors—all of them were solid silver, not even a single seam visible.

Perhaps because of this, the large pod that stood at the very center of the room looked more prevalent than it should.

"..." Xra opened her eyes, softly sitting up before walking toward the pod—and then, the smile on her face became warmer.

The very minute light that was coming from the pod was weak to the point that it couldn't even cast shadows or reflect on the silver walls that surrounded it. Even then, it seemed enough to bring color back to Xra's pale and dead face.

Xra let out another breath, before finally turning her eyes straight toward the weak light—and there, was a silhouette seemingly frozen in time.

"My dear Akkamesh," Xra whispered softly as she gently placed her palm on the pod; her eyes, reflecting the silhouette suspended inside the pod,

"When will you once again open your eyes? When will I once again truly feel your warmth?" Xra rested her forehead on the glass, and as she did so, the light inside the pod seemingly reached out to touch her cheek,

"The sun of my life..." Xra's red eyes started to moisten, and the blood, that should have been tears, trailed down her face ever so endlessly,

"...How many stars need to die for me to hear your sweet voice once again tickling my ears? I will never grow tired, I can not feel so in the first place—but I falter, sometimes. I am old, much older than when you have felt me. My skin has grown cold, my flesh, my bosoms... my lips, however, will forever remain warm for you. Tell me when, my dear Akkamesh...

...tell me when is enough. I can harvest thousands and thousands more stars, I can delve into the Unknown for another eternity—but tell me when, and I will stop."

"It would seem that bounty hunter Kerrigan is right, Pirate Queen Xra. You and I have many similarities."

"!!!"

Xra's eyes quickly widened as she stepped away from the pod, causing the light that was warming up her face to dissipate.

"I have also talked to someone that is lifeless. But of course, unlike yours, mine was just trying to rest."

"This is not a place for you!" Xra did not even look at who it was that trespassed at her sanctuary, she immediately rushed toward Riley and grabbed him by the neck,

"No one is allowed here!"

"Don't be too rough, Pirate Queen Xra."

"..." Xra looked at Riley's face for a few seconds, before turning her eyes back to the pod... only to see another Riley just casually standing there and checking Akkamesh's blurry silhouette.

"Miser Akkamesh seems fragile, you don't want to disturb his eternal rest, don't you?"

"You..." Xra tightened her grip on the Riley he was holding, tearing off its head completely as she faced the real Riley,

"...step away from him, now."

"I don't think he minds, Pirate Queen Xra," Riley smiled as he started walking in circles... while trailing his finger around the pod,

"He's dead."

"He. Is. Not." And with those words, blood started to emerge from Xra's back—instantly shaping into wings with a span enough to fill the entire silver hall.

"But he is."

Riley sighed as he shook his head, before looking at the light in the silhouette of a man,

"This is the Mur Lav'ir, is it not?"

"...You know what this room is?" Xra blinked a couple of times, the colossal wings of blood behind her slightly faltering.

"The Room of Revival, Themarian technology," Riley said as he finally stepped away from the pod, "My biological mother was revived in one of these by my adoptive mother."

"Caitlain'Ur... was successful in using this on us? On humans?" And with her words stuttering lightly, her wings soon turned into mist, before completely dissipating into the air,

"...How?"

"I don't know, Pirate Queen Xra," Riley just shrugged his shoulders as he started examining the pod again, "I do know your setup is different from hers. Mother's setup is more... I suppose mundane and peaceful?"

"..."

"Is this the reason why you are harvesting the stars, Pirate Queen Xra? In the hopes of charging up your dear Akkamesh and bringing him back to life?"

"Yes," Xra answered without any hesitation, "He is the love of my life. And since I am cursed to live forever and will never be with him in death. Then perhaps in life, we can be together."

"That is sad, Pirate Queen Xra," Riley sighed, "But you are not doing it right, Pirate Queen Xra. My biological mother is surely stronger than Akkamesh by a great distance, and adoptive mother was able to revive her in just 20 years."

"20—how!?" Xra rushed toward Riley and grabbed him by the shoulders, "Please... tell me!"

"I don't know, Pirate Queen Xra." And even with Xra's desperate cries screaming in front of her, Riley just shrugged, "I can't dare to presume to even reach a percent of adoptive mother's intelligence. Perhaps my father would know, but they are both on Theran."

"This..." Xra smiled upon hearing Riley's words, "...Meeting you is surely fate, Riley Ross."

"I suppose," Riley backed away before turning to look Xra straight in the eyes, "But...

...do you really want him to come back, Xra?"

"Without fault or falter," Xra once again answered without any hesitation, "If I do not see this through, then all of the deaths that I have created, all the stars that have died—they will all be for naught."

"Even if he sees what you have become?"

"I would take his hatred any second and every breath, Riley—if it means that I would see him again."

"But you said you wanted to be together?"

"He is in my heart forever. As long as he lives again."

"Even if he becomes like us?"