The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate- Sophie's Bedroom)

Knock! Knock!

Two loud knocks at the door roused Sophie from her nap. She blearily opened her eyes and looked around the bedroom that was in total darkness.

What was the time? How long had she slept?

These were questions that Sophie did not know the answer to. She took off her wrist communicator and placed the device on the mattress without bothering to check the messages.

Knock! Knock!

It was probably one of the housekeeping robot androids requesting permission to clean the room.

"Enter!" Sophie hoarsely yelled as she pulled the blanket over her face. She heard the metalloid doors slide open and someone entered the room with heavy footsteps.

A sudden bright light made Sophie wince as the intruder flipped on the light switch without asking her permission.

Sophie felt a strong tap on her shoulder which made her let out at a heavy sigh.

Why couldn't she just be left alone…

The hybrid girl flung the blanket off her body and stared in shock at her father who was standing at the side of her bed.

"Dad?!" Sophie asked in confusion.

She was surprised by the sudden visit and didn't have time to hide the tearstains that were still present along the sides of her cheeks.

Duke Peterlor frowned slightly as he saw the state of his daughter. She looked pale and haggard with heavy bags present under her eyes.

There was an atmosphere of depression and loneliness surrounding her body.

Butler Gerald had informed him that Sophie wanted to eat dinner together but as the hours went by, the duke got increasingly concerned.

Duke Peterlor had kept Lily company while she was eating but the little girl kept glancing at the door to see when her big sister would appear.

Eventually the duke excused himself from the dining room and instructed Butler Gerald to lead Lily back to her guest room.

He finally decided to pay Sophie's bedroom a visit and see what was going on. On the way to his daughter's bedroom, Duke Peterlor got a bad feeling inside his chest.

It was hard to describe why he felt this way but as a god stage cultivator, the duke had learnt over the years to trust his premonitions.

Instead of going directly to Sophie's bedroom, the duke decided to pay a visit to his study room and investigate footage taken from the cameras placed around the estate

He wanted to know how his daughter's afternoon had been when she spent some time in the greenhouse complex.

Had something happened? Was there a problem that he didn't know about?

Duke Peterlor carefully reviewed the footage and what he saw on the camera feed made him instantly realise that something was terribly wrong with Sophie's current mental state.

"Dad what are you doing here?" Sophie asked curiously.

She plastered on a fake happy expression so that her father wouldn't suspect that something was amiss.

Duke Peterlor said nothing and just slowly walked over to the dresser table where he stared at the place where the intact mirror used to be.

Sophie nervously got up from the bed and approached her father while doing her best to mimic a cheerful and bright appearance.

Sophie smiled widely as she spoke, "I know I said that we should have dinner today but I'm just too tired…"

"Look princess… I… I'm not stupid," Duke Peterlor suddenly spoke.

"There has clearly been something bothering you and I want us to talk about it together."

"What? No!" Sophie blurted out in shock.

"I'm perfectly fine! Just feeling a bit tired. I mean it has just been barely a day since I came back home so you can see why I'm still exhausted."

"Honey… I…" Duke Peterlor wanted to talk but his daughter quickly interrupted with another outburst.

"Actually, I plan on calling Qiana and Astrid later today! There is a lot of gossip that we need to catch up on! I'm so excited to finally be able to talk to my friends again," Sophie exclaimed.

She didn't realise that cracks were beginning to show on her 'perfect' facade, and her father had long seen through her act as soon as he saw the smile on her face.

Sophie continued to talk about all the exciting plans she had for the next few weeks, but a single sentence stopped her right in the middle of her speech.

"I saw the security footage of what happened in the greenhouse," Duke Peterlor spoke softly.

There was a moment of complete silence in room.

Sophie froze in place as her father's words echoed over and over in her mind until they became a never-ending scream.

Why did he look? WHY DID HE LOOK?!

He knew. He saw. There was no going back.

What was he going to think?

What could he think other than the fact that his daughter was some kind of monster?

"No… no… no…" Sophie stammered as she backed away slowly.

She could see her father open his mouth to say something else, but the words could not reach her anymore.

The world spun as Sophie's breathing became more rapid and the only sound, she could hear was the noise of her heart beating frantically.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Sophie's vision darkened as her body swayed gently from side to side. She didn't know what to do as a mixture of emotions bubbled up in her chest.

Fear. Confusion. Rage. Shame. Guilt.

She was feeling too much.

Sophie knelt down to the floor and gripped her head in pain as a familiar surge of bloodlust flowed through her veins.

Sophie's golden eyes constantly flickered from crimson red to their normal colour as the hybrid girl wrestled for control.

Duke Peterlor instantly teleported from the dresser table and reached his daughter's side immediately.

He approached the shivering girl carefully and with well-practiced motions, the duke wrapped his arms around her.

Sophie's body stiffened at the sudden touch, but the familiar warmth of her father pierced through the mental fog that was clouding her mind.

"It's okay baby… just focus on my voice…" Duke Peterlor whispered in a soft and gentle tone.

"Breathe in… breathe out… you are in a safe place now. No one will hurt you. All those emotions that you are currently feeling… let them fade away to the back of your mind…"

"Take deep breaths… then exhale... come on… follow my lead… breathe in…"

Hours passed or maybe it was just a few minutes. Time seemed to freeze at that moment and every second felt like an eternity.

Sophie did not know what was happening in the outside world as all she could focus on was the voice of her father slowly comforting her over and over again.

There was no judgement or pity in his tone. All Sophie could feel was a loving warmth that was comparable to the sun.

Duke Peterlor hummed softly as he continued to stroke his daughter's back. It was the same tune that he used to sing when his daughter was a little girl having trouble falling asleep at night.

This was not the first time that the former military commander had witnessed a mental breakdown, but this time was different.

His own daughter was the one suffering.

Seeing his daughter in pain hurt the duke more than a thousand blades slicing against his own flesh.

Duke Peterlor had planned on having Sophie visit a trained psychologist once she had gotten a few weeks' time to properly settled in but perhaps that was a mistake on his part.

It was clear that she needed help now.

"You aren't alone in this," Duke Peterlor spoke calmly. He tilted his daughter's face upwards so that she could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"You are not weak, and I don't expect you to push yourself and pretend that everything is fine when it is not."

"We will get through this together. I promise."

Tears welled up in Sophie's eyes as she gazed at the concerned expression on her father's face.

She could do nothing but sob in his arms. Duke Peterlor held his daughter's shaking body and allowed her to cry as long as she wanted.

"What… what… what if it is too late? I'm… I'm… already broken," Sophie whispered hoarsely. Her fingers trembled slightly as she spoke.

Duke Peterlor's heart shattered when he heard the fear and hesitancy in his daughter' voice.

The youngest god stage cultivator in the history of the Federation had never felt as powerless as he did at that moment.

He knew that the words he said next would either bring his daughter back from the brink or send her spiraling further downwards.

Duke Peterlor took a brief moment to gather his thoughts and plan out exactly what he wanted to say next.

He brushed a loose strand of hair off his daughter's forehead and then spoke with a firm sense of conviction,

"You aren't broken."

"My daughter… you are far stronger than you give yourself credit. Do you think I could have survived in the Unovan Syndicate at your age? Much less be able to protect a child as well?"

"Let me tell you something… mental health is a journey, and you will go through life experiencing many highs and lows."

"Especially when you lead a life on the path of cultivation. There is not a single warrior alive who has not battled with inner demons."

"You have had to face death on a constant basis. Whatever you had to do to survive during those months… I don't think any less of you."

"My daughter… you do not need to fight this battle alone. I will not give up on you. I will never give up on you…"