55 Finally, I found you

Viel, who had been accused of stealing the Luminex, was defended by Princess Kaeyls and declared innocent. However, a more urgent matter arose. Earth warned that Viel’s transformation mode was about to end, meaning she had to prepare for the worst—her human form would soon be exposed to everyone.

"Alright, she is innocent! We must find the other owner of the Mordax until the real thief of the Luminex Core is found!" Judge Caldras declared.

A guard stepped forward, intending to remove the restraints from Viel’s hands and feet. However, before he could do so, Viel’s transformation abruptly occurred right in front of everyone.

“She—she's changing form!” an Aetherin guard stammered, stumbling backward in shock.

All eyes were now fixed on Viel’s new form—a human girl, wingless, with brown hair and fair skin that gleamed under the light.

“What kind of creature is she?!”

The entire courtroom erupted into chaos. The Aetherins had never seen a being like Rose before.

"She can change forms! Capture her immediately!" Judge Caldras ordered.

Aelion stood frozen in shock, his eyes widening as he witnessed Viel’s drastic transformation. Without hesitation, he pushed through the panicked crowd, trying to reach her, but the guards swiftly reacted. They formed a defensive barrier, reinforcing security and ensuring that no one could approach Viel.

“Rose!” Aelion shouted, his voice echoing through the courtroom. “Let her go! She’s innocent! She’s not dangerous!”

But his plea fell on deaf ears. The Aetherins in the room grew even more agitated. Some guards restrained Aelion, preventing him from moving forward, while others raised their weapons toward Rose, treating her as a grave threat.

Judge Caldras rose from his seat, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. “If she could change forms so easily, then it wouldn’t be difficult for her to disguise herself as someone else and steal the Luminex Core! Seize her!” he commanded firmly.

“No! You’ve got it all wrong! I’m not a thief!” Rose protested.

“What are you? How can you transform like that?” Princess Kaeyls demanded in astonishment.

“I’m human. I am not an Aetherin! But I am not a thief!” Rose explained.

From the noble seating area of Aeonspire, Aelfric and Eldorin watched in disbelief. They had never imagined that Viel, the girl who had been with them all this time, wasn’t even an Aetherin.

“Look at her form! This is incredible—this is a groundbreaking discovery!” Aelfric exclaimed.

“But she’s still Viel! We need to help her! They shouldn’t be pointing their weapons at her like this!” Eldorin insisted, stepping forward.

Before Eldorin could act, someone beside him suddenly launched into the air, recklessly flying toward the center of the courtroom.

“Zane! What are you doing?!” Aelfric yelled.

“Lower your weapons!” Zane commanded, his face dark with fury.

Instead of complying, the guards turned their weapons toward him as well. The sight only fueled Zane’s anger further.

“You—!”

A loud hum resonated through the air. The guards’ weapons trembled violently before being wrenched from their hands, hovering momentarily before crashing to the ground—shattered.

“Rose!” Zane called out.

“Liuz!” Rose gasped, realizing at last that the man she had been searching for was truly her husband.

They embraced, and Rose immediately sought refuge behind Liuz.

“Oh my gods! That’s Rose! She’s Rose!” Aelfric exclaimed to Eldorin.

“Who’s Rose?” Eldorin asked, still confused.

“The name Zane has been searching for! She’s Viel! They know each other!”

“Zane! Explain yourself at once!” Princess Kaeyls demanded.

“I have regained my memories, Princess. She is Rose, my wife! And I am certain that my wife is not a thief!” Zane declared.

“What proof do you have? She can change forms—”

“Rose, did you see the culprit yesterday? The man who flew away with the large Mordax?” Liuz asked.

“Yes! I saw him!” Rose confirmed.

"Good!"

"Earth, if Rose saw him, create a reflection of his image and show them who she saw!" Liuz commanded the gadget that then appeared in Rose's hand.

A beam of light from Earth projected into the air, forming a three-dimensional image that left everyone stunned. The image depicted the midnight sky, where Rose had seen another Mordax flying and encountering a hooded man. His face was clearly visible, carrying a bag that glowed with Luminex crystal light.

"Prince Sylfaris! He was the one who took it—my goodness!" Princess Kaeyls exclaimed, recognizing the true culprit.

"What is that light coming from her hand? Who are they?" The crowd and guards murmured in confusion, witnessing the spectacle before them.

As the truth was revealed, Rose instinctively hid behind Liuz. They had to face the reality that they were anomalies among the Aetherin.

"She is proven innocent! I will take her with me!" Liuz declared, effortlessly undoing Rose's restraints using his telekinesis.

"Wow, how can you do all that?" Princess Kaeyls was astonished.

Eldorin and Aelfric, witnessing the extraordinary scene, immediately fled closely.

"They are innocent, Princess! Do not capture them!" Eldorin pleaded.

"Zane! You still remember me, right? We are friends! You can stay with me, or with Eldorin! You can bring Viel—ah, I mean, Rose too!" Aelfric offered.

"No! They will stay under my protection!" Princess Kaeyls stated firmly.

The princess and the two men exchanged glances, each unwilling to let go of the mysterious beings, whether for scientific purposes or personal curiosity. None of them wanted to back down.

"What are you doing? They are not even Aetherin! They could be a threat to us!" Caldras interjected.

"No! Zane is my friend. I know he is not dangerous! He is just... different!" Eldorin explained.

"Eldorin is right! Your only duty now is to find a proper punishment for Sylfaris, Caldras! As for them, they are now my responsibility!" Princess Kaeyls declared.

"Fine! I leave them in your hands, Princess Kaeyls. Make sure they truly pose no danger!" Caldras huffed before storming out.

With the trial concluded, the judge and the nobles in attendance left the court. Zane turned to Aelfric and Eldorin, the two Aetherin who had saved him in Aeonspire, standing before him with hopeful expressions.

"Come with us!" Aelfric whispered, as if sending a secret signal.

"Are you trying to recruit him?" Princess Kaeyls protested.

Zane sighed, glancing at Rose, who was still hiding behind him, before looking back at his friends.

"Alright, I'll stay with you," Zane agreed with Eldorin and Aelfric.

"That's the right choice! You'll be safe with us. Don't worry, Rose can stay with us too," Aelfric assured him.

Princess Kaeyls, who had been observing, finally spoke up.

"Very well, if that's decided. But there is one condition. You must all help me find Prince Sylfaris, who has escaped. We must retrieve the Luminex Core before he does something disastrous with it!" Kaeyls stated.

Zane looked at Rose for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I agree."

Aelfric and Eldorin also accepted the condition. "We will help you, Princess Kaeyls," Eldorin affirmed.

With the trial over and the once-panicked crowd now dispersing, the guards lowered their weapons. Aelion, who had been restrained by two guards, quickly rushed forward. His face was still filled with worry, but his eyes also showed deep relief.

"Rose!" he called, his voice slightly shaky. "Are you alright?"

Rose gave a small smile, though her body still felt weak from everything that had just happened.

"I'm fine, Aelion. Thank you for standing up for me earlier."

Aelion shook his head slightly. "I couldn't just stand by and watch them treat you like that. I knew from the start that you weren’t a criminal."

Zane stood beside Rose, observing Aelion with a questioning expression.

"He is Aelion. He saved me from a terrifying creature when I went looking for you. If it weren’t for him, I might not be here right now!" Rose explained.

"You are truly invaluable! Thank you for helping Rose all this time," said Liuz.

"It's no problem! I'm glad Rose finally found you. She was so worried after discovering your torn clothes in Kyronis Forest!"

"Ah, so you went there. I ate that fruit, and suddenly I felt dizzy! The fruit triggered a metamorphosis in my body!" Liuz explained.

"You underwent metamorphosis? So you really changed into an Aetherin?" Rose asked, as if she couldn't believe it.

"I don't know if the fruit's effects are permanent or temporary. We'll have to find out!" Liuz clarified.

"Oh my! So that's why you didn’t die from metamorphosis—because you’re not even an Aetherin to begin with!" Aelfric exclaimed.

Princess Kaeyls stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention. "How long are you all going to stand here and be the center of attention? Come with me to my palace!"

"Ah, alright!" Eldorin responded.

"You’re leaving already? I think the princess’s palace would be a much better place for you to stay than my house, Rose! I’ll head home now," Aelion said as he excused himself.

"Hey, where are you going? I’m inviting you too!"

"But I’m just a commoner, Your Highness!"

"You can help me find Prince Sylfaris! The more people, the better!" Kaeyls insisted.

"I understand!"

Rose smiled, feeling a little more at ease now that Liuz was by her side. Her friend Aelion was also there, along with the Aetherin companions who, surprisingly, did not treat them poorly.

"I think Aetherins are actually kinder than most humans on Earth," Rose whispered.

"I have to admit, I feel the same way. But at least I found one Earthling whose special!" Liuz said as he took Rose’s hand.

Princess Kaeyls led them into her palace, observing Zane and Rose holding hands. Not only the princess, but also Eldorin, Aelfric, and Aelion looked at the two of them in surprise.

"What is it? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Zane asked, once again shielding Rose behind him.

"Sorry! We're just curious!" Aelfric answered.

"Quick, tell us where you’re from!" Eldorin asked.

"Um, we’re from the stars! If you call your place Aetherion, Rose is from a place called Earth, and my planet is completely different from hers. It’s even farther away—I come from Orvantis!" Zane replied.

"You’re from different stars? I thought you were the same!"

"No! We are different! On my planet, there are no women. Some of us reproduce through cloning, and some of us explore space to find partners," Liuz explained.

"Wow! That sounds so romantic. So you found Rose on Earth?" Princess Kaeyls asked.

"Yes, we just got married, and right now we’re trying to return to Orvantis. But we ran out of fuel, so our spaceship landed here!" Liuz explained.

"And Zane! Ah, sorry, your name is Liuz, right? What are your plans moving forward?" Aelfric asked.

"We want to go home, so we need to find a suitable energy source for our spaceship. That’s all!" Liuz replied.

"So that’s why you were so interested in the Luminex Core?"

"Exactly! But we didn’t steal it. We would never take something that belongs to you!" Liuz clarified.

"Okay, I understand! For now, our priority is to find Prince Sylfaris!" said Kaeyls.

"Yes!"