The Nihility Chef

Samael sprinted down the grand, marble hallways of the Royal Castle, his heartbeat a frenzied drum in his chest. The polished floors reflected the flickering torchlight, casting shifting shadows that mirrored the turmoil in his soul. He was furious—not at Alice, not at the nobles who had caused this, but at himself. He had stood frozen, a mere spectator to her suffering. A pitiful bystander.

He loathed his weakness. This incident had burned a lesson deep into his heart—he had to become stronger. He must never allow Alice to experience such pain again.

Finally, he spotted her near the moonlit fountain, its crystal-clear waters disturbed by the silent fall of her tears. Each sob was a sorrowful symphony that clawed at his soul. The luminous reflection of the stars upon the water shimmered with every drop, as if the heavens themselves mourned with her.

The weight of injustice pressed against his chest. Those nobles had gone too far—far beyond what he could tolerate. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles whitening under the strain. An eerie aura, a confluence of deep navy and ominous violet, began to seep from his body, flickering like cursed flames. The Devil Element. The Curse Element. Their presence was a manifestation of his fury, of his unrelenting will for retribution.

"They will pay," he seethed, his voice a whisper that carried the promise of judgment.

But then, something else stirred. A deathly grey aura coiled around Alice's fragile form, an ethereal mist that pulsed with eerie sentience. Samael's eyes widened in alarm as he rushed toward her. Her golden locks darkened, black streaks weaving through them like creeping shadows. Her once-rosy complexion turned an almost porcelain white, her features eerily similar to her mother's—save for the glacial blue eyes that now shone with an unsettling void of emotion.

Athena's Heart, sensing its mistress's transformation, responded instantly. It shifted into Aegis, its protective cloak enveloping Alice, suppressing the overwhelming aura that radiated from her.

Samael's mind raced. "This isn't the Golden Sun bloodline… This isn't the power of the royal family… Then what the hell is this?"

The air around Alice grew thick with energy. The grey aura, once chaotic, began to spiral inward, converging at her core. It moved with purpose, threading through her veins, fusing with her very essence. Samael could feel it—death incarnate—settling within her, shaping her anew. She no longer radiated warmth but an unshakable, oppressive stillness.

Then it clicked.

Elizabeth's bloodline.

Elizabeth had always been frail, always plagued by illness. But if she had possessed this power, the death element, then why had she never shown signs of its strength? Why had she remained weak? The answer slotted into place.

Resources.

The commoners had never possessed the means to awaken such a formidable bloodline. It had lain dormant, untapped, its full potential unrealized for generations. But there was more.

If Elizabeth's condition had persisted since childhood, then there were only two plausible explanations—either she had been poisoned to suppress her strength, or she bore a physique that directly clashed with her bloodline. The latter seemed most likely. Some could endure such a conflict, but without proper cultivation, the contradiction would only worsen, leading to an agonizing death.

The grey mist fully absorbed into Alice's form. Her transformation was complete. She stood there, an empress of death reborn, her aura colder than the deepest winter.

"Let's go," she said, her voice void of warmth, a monotone whisper that sent chills down Samael's spine.

He didn't hesitate. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Alice… I know you're hurting," he murmured. "I know you're trying to bury your pain, but don't shut me out. I'm here. I always will be."

Her breath hitched. The weight of the day, the weight of her mother's impending death, pressed down upon her. The dam broke. Silent sobs wracked her small frame as her tears dampened Samael's shoulder. She was just a child—no five-year-old should bear such sorrow.

As if sensing her despair, Samael spoke softly, sharing his realization. He told her of his theory, of how her mother's life could be saved.

A flicker of light returned to Alice's eyes. A faint, fragile smile touched her lips—a smile like dawn breaking through the remnants of a storm.

"Thank you, Sami… truly."

She wiped her tears away, her resolve returning. "Now, let me tell you about my bloodline."

Ten Minutes Later

Alice's bloodline was called the Death Empress Bloodline. Unlike ordinary elemental affinities, hers granted an astronomical 300% affinity for the Death Element. But such power came at a steep price—a -300% affinity for the Life Element.

In the world of cultivation, elemental affinity dictated one's ability to wield and control an element. Most people had affinities ranging from 0% to 100%. To have an elemental affinity at 100% was the mark of a genius. Only the truly extraordinary, those blessed by bloodline or physique, could surpass this limit.

To have 300% affinity in any element was unprecedented. It was a power that defied reason, a force that could shape the world itself.

Yet, for every boon, there was a bane. The negative affinity in the Life Element meant Alice could never wield healing arts, could never experience the warmth of vitality's embrace.

But she didn't falter. This was her destiny, and she would embrace it.

Samael exhaled, grounding himself. "Alice, we need to see your mother. We need to confirm her physique."

Hand in hand, they walked towards Elizabeth's Garden.

The moon hung high above, casting silver light over the sea of delicate blossoms. There, among the flowers, stood Elizabeth—serene, radiant despite her frailty, tending to the petals with gentle hands. Her beauty was untouched by time, but now Samael saw her in a new light.

She was dying.

And he would not allow it.

"Auntie," Samael called, his voice filled with newfound determination. "We found a way to help you… but we need to know your physique."