Enslaved To The Alphas-Chapter 302: The Golden Goddess’ Power

"What... what happened?" Shiqi whispered.

Her voice sounded wrong to her own ears. Thin. Broken. Old. What had happened...

She forced herself to her feet and almost cursed until her legs shook violently beneath her weight. The movement sent a sharp pain through her hips and spine, making her want to cry out. She staggered, nearly falling again, and had to clutch at the air to keep herself upright.

Her body no longer seemed to be obeying her.

She took a step forward, then another. Her back was bent. Her knees trembled. Every breath scraped painfully through her chest.

Her gaze locked onto Aron who still stood there upright and untouched by the power that had ruined her. Not a single wrinkle marked his skin...

Rage surged through her terror. Why was he still untouched!

"You," she rasped, pointing a shaking finger at him as she stumbled closer. "What did you do to me?"

Her steps faltered, but she kept going, dragging herself forward with stubborn fury. "You took it away," she accused hoarsely. "You interfered. You always do. What have you done this time?"

But as she looked at him, she saw her own shock reflected in his eyes. And then he shook his head, "I didn’t do anything."

Shiqi laughed weakly, the sound harsh and cracked. "Liar," she whispered. "You always lie. You must have done something!"

But even as the word left her mouth, doubts crept in as she started to look around. Because the power of the Golden Goddess had already started to recede. She looked towards the podium.

She could feel it now. Her light magic that had surrounded the podium had dissipated and so had his magic that had been around the podium... Instead, the four people stood frozen on the podium, their faces not visible...

They looked like statues carved from flesh.

"No," Shiqi whispered. They should have turned into ashes. Why were they still here?

She took another step forward, her heart pounding wildly. "Move," she said, her voice rising. "Move!"

Nothing happened.

No breath. No shift. No reaction.

The power around them was gone, sealed away as if it had never been there at all. The Golden Moon above dimmed, its glow dull and distant, no longer responding.

Shiqi’s knees buckled.

Understanding crept in slowly, cruel and undeniable.

The ritual was over. But that was not it... These frozen figures meant that the ritual had been completed successfully, that the Golden Goddess had blessed the union.

How was that possible? How could that be? Ramona had never been their mate. How could the Goddess bless their union to the wrong mate...

With her madness exceeding any other thought now, she turned to look around at all those who were kneeling on the other side of the courtyard... also frozen... They would soon start to move while her own power had declined... She shook her head and turned her head to look at where she had pushed away Emira.

She was still lying there, face first onto the ground.

Shiqi’s lips slowly curved into a thin, satisfied smile. At least she was not the one who had beaten her. As for that Ramona, she was already under her control, she would find a way to seize power but for now...

She straightened as much as her aching spine would allow and turned fully toward Emira. Each step toward her was slow, dragging, but her eyes burned with renewed purpose.

Seeing Emira lying there like that did something to calm and please her.

She had not moved since being thrown aside. Her body lay twisted, one arm bent awkwardly beneath her. Her hair was spread across the ground, hiding her face completely.

"Look at you," she said softly. "So quiet now."

She lifted her chin and glanced briefly toward the podium again, toward the frozen figures standing in silent proof. Her smile widened.

"Do you see that, Mira?" she asked, her voice gaining strength. "Even if you can’t stand, even if you can’t look... it’s already done. Come on. Wake up and see for yourself."

She took another step closer.

"I might have made them choose," Shiqi went on. "They stood there and accepted another woman under threat. But they completed the ritual with all their heart. They still held Ramona in their hearts. That is why the Goddess herself sealed and blessed the union. Come on. Get up and see your defeat again."

Her voice trembled with bitter delight as she continued, "These men, the ones who swore to protect you. The ones who claimed to love you in the past. The ones who followed you even into this lifetime."

She leaned forward slightly, as if speaking directly into Emira’s ear.

"They accepted someone else as their mate."

A low, broken laugh escaped her. "Do you hear that? Accepted. Not forced. Not tricked." She shook her head. "They bent their heads willingly. Just to gain the Goddess’ blessing."

She straightened again and spread her arms weakly, gesturing toward the frozen podium.

"Look," she urged mockingly. "Look at what they became together. Blessed. Preserved. Chosen."

Her eyes dropped back to Emira. "Get up," Shiqi said, her tone turning sharp. "Come on. Stand up and see it for yourself."

She waited. Nothing happened.

Her smile tightened. "Don’t be shy now," she continued, her voice dripping with cruel patience. "You should witness this. You deserve to."

She took another small step forward, and kicked at Emira’s prone form... "See, Mira?" she whispered. "In the end... you lost them after all. You lost all over again. And this time, you are even alive to enjoy it...

"Did I lose?" a soft voice asked.

It echoed through the large courtyard. Shiqi stiffened.

Her breath caught as she froze mid-step. Slowly, she turned around, her heart slamming painfully against her chest.

That voice— It was Mira’s.

But it hadn’t come from the ground in front of her. It had come from behind.

Confusion and fear flashed across Shiqi’s face as she searched wildly for the source. Her eyes darted across the stone floor, the pillars, the shadows stretching across the courtyard.

"How...?" she whispered.

Before she could finish the thought, the voice spoke again ,"But from where I stand, you seem to have suffered more losses than I have."