A/N: Okay, so this is very, very, very late. I apologize. I actually hadn't plan on finishing this till mid May, but a random night of being burnt out on classes finally finished this chapter. Hope you all are not disappointed.
..
Bad Dreams
By angelwings1
Chapter 20
Since the beginning of time, people have believed in the complicated existence of fate. To believe that life is not simply a random course of coincidences was comforting in the hearts of men. It was a wonderful feeling to know someone was watching over your life.
At the same, it was a curse to know you had no way of escaping your fate. Not everyone accepted the life given to them. If their lives held one ounce of suffering, sooner or later people rebuked the idea.
With time, morale collapsed into a downward spiral. People were torn between somber free will where you were one of millions suffering and the infuriating destiny without chance of digging out of the pit you were placed in.
In the end, the world fell to their knees in confused tears.
---ancient text
..
Oddly enough, the snowfall had become almost nonexistent in the last hour. Even so, he didn't notice the change. Rushing across the white field, he was too busy racking his mind for a plan against the unknown danger waiting in the temple. As he plowed through the knee deep drifts, he feared the worse, especially when he saw the temple across the white field shrouded in a haze of inky blackness.
His heart shuddered to see his most private place defiled. Within those walls he had released the darkest secrets of his heart. It had become his escape and baptistery. For his great enemy to pollute the quiet hall with his evil, Zaibach had committed the ultimate crime.
An immense, searing fury took over his eyes. His sword unconsciously was drawn and a silent promise was made to the demons who listened hungrily. He would exchange his soul to have the blood of his foe soaking his blade.
..
Even in the middle of hurricane with wind howling passed her ears and legs struggling against the driving force, Hitomi was aware of the spike of anger outside the white walls of the makeshift dungeon. The thread of emotion was a flash in the dark of her mind. Her head turned slightly, diverting her attention for a split second away from the powerful emperor. How she was able to identify his heart throughout the chaos and second-long flash, she couldn't be sure. "Van?"
He couldn't come to the temple! He didn't stand a chance against the forces bellowing inside!
These thoughts quickly fled her mind, however, as cold fingers wrapped around her throat. Her hands instinctively went for the grip that was cutting off her precious air, but as her fingers clawed at her throat she was unable to find the solid hand. It didn't take long for her brain to register that there was no physical hand holding her. As her eyes rolled to the side, she saw a thick blackness of energy stretched out from the emperor's body. She was astonished that his energy was able to form a solid construction. It seemed impossible in her mind, but she couldn't ignore the vice around her neck.
Red eyes stabbed through her rapidly fading vision. "It's finally in reach. Everything I have slaved over is falling into the divine order. I can taste it."
"Everything stops, Dornkirk!" Folken declared coldly. "I won't let you do this."
The lord snickered, "How will you stop me, Folken, my pawn?"
..
He was so close. He could almost sense the darkness pouring out of the temple as he reached the doorsteps. The animal within his heart trembled with anticipation of the battle to ensue. Thus, when a scarlet figure stepped into his path to block his entrance the king was more than a little thrilled at the promised fight.
"Move, Dilandau!" Van growled with lips twisted.
White hair fell over equaling hunger eyes. "I have not spared the chance of destroying your castle to be brushed aside. I was destined to be your opponent."
"Then by all means!" the king howled as he charged.
..
With his blade naked at his side, Folken stepped closer with every intention clear. Dornkirk's eyes slowly left the seer's blue tinged face. His cold stare narrowed on the prince. "Even with my foresight, I didn't know you would choose this moment to rebel."
"So you knew this was coming?" Folken commented stonily, his boots clapping on the smooth marble. The wind pulled at his tumbling cloak as the prince strode into the core of the tornado. With his dark attire and thirsty eyes, the man appeared like the devil, or at least his son.
"I knew the day I made you my disciple," Dornkirk replied evenly. The elder dug his fingers a little tighter into the seer's neck. "The day you swore your life to me I looked into the heavens and saw your fate. I knew your hand would lift against me."
Folken's eyes lit up.
"But," Dornkirk snapped over the roar, "know, Folken, the stars declare your death if you lift you try to stop me."
Hitomi knew instantly Dornkirk was speaking the truth. In a single blink, she witnessed a racing image of Folken collapsing to a red floor. She tried to open her mouth, to stop him, but she could barely part her lips. A weak moaned pushed from her throat.
Folken hesitated yards away from the evil ruler. Hitomi's eyes rolled upwards in a desperate attempt to see the prince. Her heart gave a tiny jump to see him reconsidering his attack. She wailed inwardly, however, as he took an abrupt step forward.
"Well, we all are just tools of fate," Folken declared roughly. "Captives to our destiny."
'No, stop!' Hitomi silently gasped.
"Ah, yes, destiny." Dornkirk stated. His hand uncurled from his side and grouped the dark mass of energy into his hand. The power folded and writhed in his palm. Hitomi was at the edge of unconsciousness when she heard the steel-like words. "All of this is destiny."
Then without a word, his grip loosened on the neck and slipped boneless from his fingers. She didn't register hitting the floor, but she knew her view of boots rushing forward weren't from an aerial perspective. The boots grew quickly larger as she struggled to find strength to breath. How ironic would it be to die from the lack of energy to process oxygen into her lungs?
Someone…Someone help…
There was a loud scuffle in her ears beyond the view of her weakening vision. It sounded like distant war drums vibrating through the ground from miles away. Though she knew some great pinnacle moment was unfolding behind her shoulders, she could not focus beyond the aching panic expanding through her chest. An unseen clock began to twitter in her head. She realized the pendulum was slowing down. Everything would end soon.
The seer urged the wheels within her brain to keep speed. If she died, everything she had worked towards would be for nothing. She was desperate for sleep, but she pushed her body the small bit above consciousness.
She didn't want to give up. To let the last months crumple to dust was worst than the idea of dying. In the back recess of her mind, she had believed her motives had been for the whole of Fanelia, but as fear crept into her feeble heart she could only think of a single face within a sea of people.
How she came from near death to sudden awakening was near impossible for the seer to describe. It was like drowning underneath a frozen lake. She gasped abruptly and felt like she had been both been under and above the ice when she swallowed her first gulp of air. She was disoriented at the same time physically aware she was back to her plane of reality. Sound became almost painfully loud as she drank in the delicious air. There was a loud thump behind her and she scrambled to regain the mechanics of her wobbly limbs. After what seemed like eternity, she revolved her face to the anticipated scene.
Her dull eyes widened in shock when she saw all of the sentinels were fighting to restrain the emperor. Folken and two of the unknown guards were sprawled on the ground, taking a moment to regain their strength, as the remaining two sentinels grappled for control of the elderly man's wrists. With barely any show of effort, Dornkirk flung back his right arm and tossed one of the men across the sanctuary. His free hand immediately shot into the last's guard hood and yanked the individual into the air by the throat. The sudden motion caused the hood to tip backwards and slipped down the sentinel's neck, baring the figure's face to the seer's hungry eyes.
Blonde curls spilled over the side of the black hood like the sun breaking over the early morning. The young woman grimaced in pain as she was lifted higher into the wind. Celena glared defiantly down the length of the man's arm and straight into his bloodshot eyes.
Dornkirk sneered, "I didn't need to look to the stars to know you would fight me. After all, I stole your brother."
"You stole his soul!" she grunted weakly.
"He was destined for darkness long before I took him in as my child," the emperor hissed. "He is merely the monster he always was."
"L-liar!" she whimpered through blue lips.
"Foolish girl," he shook her throat. "You spent your life searching for a boy you only dreamed of. You thought if you sold your soul, he would somehow find his way to the gentle world of your family, but he does not the world you come from. He never knew of his true family. He knows only me!"
With a mighty whirl of air, he threw her backwards. Hitomi winced as the young woman's collided with one of the pillars. A loud crack could be heard seconds before the blonde woman slide down the white marble and crumbled onto the floor, her limbs tangled in her dark robe. Since the woman's face was hidden by a sheet of bright curls, the seer couldn't be sure if Celena was still alive or merely unconscious.
Rapid footsteps immediately followed and Hitomi whirled. While Folken had gone to one of the fallen sentinels, the two other guards had charged the emperor. Dornkirk waited patiently for the duo to get in range and show little concern as one did an impressive flip over his head. Taking positions on opposite sides of the man, the pair flung up their hands and released streams of energy. The currents resembled twined fibers of their robes stretching out from the dark figures' sleeves and stabbing into the emperor's flesh and clothes. Light reflected off the currents of shadows making appear that hard metal was piercing his weak body, but even with the morbid, violent manifestation the emperor didn't flinch under the blow. He didn't even act as if he felt the intrusive blades.
Time lost measure as he coolly lifted his burning eyes to the ceiling. Something churned within the holy walls of the temple and Hitomi recoiled in fear of what stirred.
"It was easy to sucker you two in," Dornkirk commented softly, his words curling in dark warning. "You wanted to kill those who had murdered your family and I gave you the tools to use."
"It took us a while, but we realize what kind of a monster we had bound ourselves to," a female voice hissed from beneath one of the hoods. "Now we shall make your own magic destroy you!"
Hitomi had finally pulled her disorderly knees under her as a hot blast ripped across the room. Her green eyes blinked in wonderment as a golden light flashed between the emperor and the two sentinels. Fiery energy raced through the pair of sentinels, sharp and profound as it gathered itself in their chests. The golden light that shone like a star in the sanctuary shifted excitedly between the pair, honing its power back into the bloodstream of its keepers. It was no longer a star blaring between fighters, but golden veins tracing down the arms of the sentinel's magical blades. Within a small pass of time, the golden veins traced a path up the elder's skin beneath his robes. His laughing face resembled the image of cracking glass.
Excitement burst through the room and died as quickly as it had risen. From the perspective of the fallen seer, the emperor's defenses had been pierced. His eyes told her he hadn't expected this attack. Unfortunately, his smile didn't waver informing the previously happy seer that the attack was minimal damage, if any. The dark chuckle finalized her fear.
"Is this all?" he glanced to each of the sentinels. "Is this all!"
It was hard to tell what the sentinels' reactions were with their hoods pulled down to their noses. The only glimmer of emotion was the strain in the jaw.
"Taste the bite of your magic!" the second female howled.
Instantly, the golden veins began to flare like a thousand candles. The seer winced and flung her hand up to see beyond the mounting light. The energy was pushing through the network of shadow blades into the emperor like poison, or maybe like acid. With each second, the span of light began compress into the Zaibach ruler. Even the candles burning along the sanctuary walls began to add their light into the man. Hitomi blinked in wonderment as she realized the color was also evaporating. Gold light shifted to surreal pearl, blaring with combination of energy and hues from the storage in the temple. The sentinels were going to make him explode!
As the darkness covered every corner and left only a single silhouette to give measure to the dimension, a pair of red diamonds glinting in the churning white light. With the ease of blinking an eye, the light shot out of the man and directly back into the two sentinels. The room resumed its prior appearance, showing no trace of aftershock. The abrupt recoil threw the women backwards, their shadow knives yanking out of the emperor like water.
When the sentinels landed in separate piles on the floor, there hoods fell away from their crowns revealing the faces of a pair of she-cat twins. One of them rolled to a few feet away from the seer's side. They both stared mutely at the ceiling, their faces marred by black veins traveling up their gray cheeks. Their mouths stretched open in, what appeared to be, a frantic attempt to breathe. The color in their body was dissolving rapidly. As it was, only their hair held any resemblance to color, dull gold on one head and faded silver on the other. They wheezed painfully on the floor, their body fighting the convulsions sweeping up their arms. The silver crowned twin, who was at her side, found the seer with her eyes. Their entire forms deepened into a sickening gray tint as their skin strained across their skeleton. As quickly as the scene had spun out of control, the life died in their eyes. Dornkirk breathed deeply and shook out his arms, acting as if he had shaken off the attack with the ease of shaking off a chill.
Hitomi suddenly felt very small in the world. All of her motives, hopes, and self-esteem rapidly faded from her heart as she stared at the once beautiful woman lying dead beside her. Hitomi couldn't get her mind to move pass the she-cat's dull eyes. He had killed her, both of them, with the flick of a wrist. How was she supposed to fight him? What difference could she make?
A choked sob from the other side of the room finally broke her downwards spiral. Slowly her eyes lifted and saw the last sentinel cowering by the other twin. Hitomi's heart stopped upon sight of the woman's long white hair and pale face. It was the woman from her visions, the one who sang to her.
Folken was also there, wrapping his arm tightly wrapped around the nameless woman, his eyes locked on his dead comrade. His jaw was tight and there looked like an emotional war was battling in his heart.
"Will you attack me as well, Sora?" Hitomi jerked towards the emperor. He was looking pointedly at his remaining guards. "You have always been my most loyal servant. I found you in the mountains, months before I had arrived in Zaibach, and you fell into step into my mission without much convincing."
The woman slowly lifted her tear stained face to her ruler. There wasn't a sign of fear or anticipation, only calm acceptance. Folken tucked her a little tighter against his side, placing himself further between her and the emperor. Dornkirk wasn't put off by the prince's blatant possessiveness. Instead, the elder began to walk towards them.
Hitomi was frozen to the floor, watching with mute shock as the ruler passed. The darkness spilling off his body pooled in wide puddles across the floor and tried to stretch out the yards between them to latch onto her form. She flinched when the darkness crossed her line of personal space and lick the tip of her knee. She gasped loudly.
Instantly, the emperor froze and snapped his burning eyes on the seer. Completely forgetting his prior target, the man turned on the frightened woman. A hungry smile broke across his face. "So, there is a weakness in your defenses."
In her peripheral view, the seer noticed the others' heads swivel towards her. Hitomi hastily drew backwards to put distance between her and the emperor's shadow fingers. He kept in step with her, his eyes never looking away. "The little goddess is frightened."
"I'm no goddess," she argued weakly as she crawled backwards. She tried to stand, but her limbs felt too shaky to sustain her petite weight. Her back made contact with one of the many columns. She knew she had room to move, to escape his intended prison, but she didn't have the motivation to move. There wasn't anywhere to escape to.
"You're only human, right?" Dornkirk mumbled softly. His tone curled around her eardrums, sending a soothing sensation through her tense muscles.
"Aren't you tired?"
Involuntarily, she nodded her head.
"You're tired of visions, tired of this responsibility."
Again, another slow nod. The marble was cold against her back, but she didn't notice it. Her mind was swamped with every bitter memory of her visions. She thought about how she had fought so violently against the Elders when they dragged her from her home. There had been so many long hours she had been locked away in a tiny bedchamber to study. She had lost the earlier years of her life to her visions. Her health was gone, her family disconnected from their daughter, her people—her very identity to who and what she was—all of it was taken from her.
"Don't you wish you had been born somewhere else?"
Her eyes refocused. The spell was only mild so it was easily countered with one of hers. Unfortunately, Dornkirk had already succeeded in breaking down her defenses. Her chest was heaving as a sob threatened to burst out of her throat. When had she surrendered to this nightmarish life? Why had she given in?
She tried to remember. She pulled at her memories frantically digging for the answer. There was a reason she had battle through this life. There had to be a reason. She needed to know or else shatter into a thousand pieces.
Her heart rammed against her chest as she slid further to the floor. There was no point in stopping the sob that bubbled up into her chest. She trembled and brought her hands to cover her face. 'No, I—'
"You don't deserve this fate," Dornkirk mumbled, his eyes beginning to light up. "Why should you be the one to bear this?"
Somewhere along the line of his words, she had lost sight of her surroundings. Not that she was aware of it. Details were oddly disoriented. Some would shrink away while others would blare to the front of her senses. Every breath she took was like pounding nails into marble. The red in his eyes was of hot coals. The curves of the dragon statues flowed like a dozen rivers. The heart of the world churned beneath her feet. She could almost hear the thrum life in her ears.
Most importantly she remembered her life. From beginning to end, she could see it all in a single toss of wave. All the memories were crashing into one scattered puddle that stretched out through the reaches of her soul. She felt vast and lonely. Insignificant.
Hitomi knew she was falling under some spell and yet, she made no attempt to fight it. The dark fingers brushed her ankles and dread slid up her legs. She was beginning to take deep, rapid breaths when his eyes swallowed her fading sense of mind.
Alone. Long. Harsh. Meaningless. Her life held no grand end, no great applause or thunderous cheers. Not even a small smile of gratitude. Everything she thought she would find inside the Temple she failed to find. The cold revelation made the seer empty. Very empty.
The truth was…
It was in the dangerous moment that the front doors thunderously burst open and broke the spell. Hitomi blinked rapidly as the emperor unconsciously looked away. The white walls and candles suddenly came back into view. Startled, the seer's face darted back and forth in disbelief. 'What?'
When her eyes fell on the scene at the doorway, the dead feeling in her chest erupted into wild drum. Standing in the door was a blood red figure against the stormy sky. Hitomi had almost believed it was a demon who was striding into the sanctuary. Blood was pouring down one side of his face from a deep gash marring his left cheek and his eyes were filled with some unearthly emotion. Unconsciously, the seer drew back, bringing the column between her and the demon man. Dornkirk didn't respond immediately, watching silently his approach. As he grew closer to the emperor, Hitomi caught sight of the lump draped across his shoulder. It had been hard before to see from the angle of her position, but she rapidly figured out what he was holding.
'Van!'
With a triumphant grin, the captain carelessly dumped the king at the emperor's boots. Dornkirk's eyebrows rose, "So you were able to retrieve him with minimal damage."
"Well, you told me to keep him intact," Dornkirk retorted, his eyes darkening with bitterness.
"I meant with minimal damage to you," the emperor replied lazily before pushing the Fanelian King with the toe of his boot. Hitomi flinched as her beloved was turned over and his shoulder loudly struck the floor. He didn't look like he had been badly hurt except for the massive bruise covering one side of his face. Even still, Hitomi felt no comfort in watching the two men tower over his unconscious form.
With her worry overriding her fear, Hitomi frantically pushed away from the column and scrambled weakly over to the young king. Neither the captain nor the emperor cared to stop her. The seer covered his body with hers blindly thinking she could protect him from their hand. Tears collected in her eyes as she knew her fate had suddenly taken a tragic turn. Before she had only been worried about her own life, but now Van had pulled into this suicidal battle. Spinning her face upwards, the seer glared pointedly at the Zaibach ruler. "What do you want with Van?"
Dornkirk didn't divert his gaze away from the seer when he stated coldly, "A blood sacrifice is needed to awaken the God of the Sky. What better sacrifice is there than Escaflowne's favored king."
Horrified, Hitomi tightened her grip on her beloved."You can't be serious."
"I haven't gone through the trouble of deciding who the true king of Fanelian was for nothing, foolish girl," he replied sharply.
"What?" she gasped. "You brought Folken to the council because you wanted to ensure the proper sacrifice?"
As a painful silence ensued, she stared incredulously at the ruler. She had assumed Folken's appearance had been to throw off the representatives' noses. Instantly, the Hanged Man Card from her tarot deck flashed in her head. Her heart stilled. 'Sacrifice.'
Why hadn't she known? Why hadn't her vision shown her? Other angry questions battled in her head as the captain leaned towards her. As his hand captured her arm and sought to rip her from the Fanelian King, she began to fail her limbs wild. No, it couldn't be right. She should have foreseen this horrible fate. Escaflowne wouldn't allow this to befall his chosen king. Hitomi wailed desperately as Dilandau's strength won out and dragged her away from the king.
Dornkirk was reforming his sword of dark magic when Folken charged. The emperor quickly blocked the descending blow and sneered. "You finally know the truth, my dear Folken Strategos. It never matter about your blood reclaiming a future kingdom."
"Devil!" Folken hissed, pushing hard against the emperor's sword. Dilandau had hesitantly stopped when the prince had charged. From the way his fingers clenched and unclenched around Hitomi's arms, she guessed the captain wanted to take the chance to fight Folken. Unfortunately, he couldn't let her go and chance her causing problems. Hitomi was relieved. She doubted Folken could fight the captain and the emperor at one time.
Dornkirk began to chuckle. First it was quiet, but it quickly grew into an insane banshee laugh that filled every naked corner of the temple. It made the seer's bones tremble and she cowardly foolishly in fear. Once his laughter had faded, the emperor looked square into the prince's eyes and said, "Go ahead and kill me, Strategos."
With their swords still locked for dominance, the prince blinked. "What?"
"Kill me and see what happens," Dornkirk repeated calmly. "What do you think will happen? You know as well as I that the wheels of fate are already turning. Here in the power spot the rules of cause and effects are strongest. Are you ready to see what will result if you kill me?"
There was no response or glimmer of reaction from the prince. Hitomi pushed against Dilandau's arms. 'Someone! Someone please!'
"Aren't you tried of this fate, Folken?" Dornkirk whispered. "The day you left Fanelia, you said you were tired of seeing battle after battle across the world. Don't you remember why you gave in to me so easily? You wanted to believe in something more than a silent god!"
'Stop!' Hitomi sobbed inwardly, crushing her hands against her chest. Dilandau's grip slackened and Hitomi slid downwards. Squeezing her eyes shut, the seer slumped forward onto her knees. 'Stop this! Stop it!'
"You though maybe there was an answer to heartache," the emperor hissed darkly. "Maybe if there was a reason you could accept this world, this fate your God forced you in."
She tried to block out the sound of metal clattering, their angry shouts. When she couldn't ignore them, she hastily covered her ears. Her heart slammed into her throat as she desperately tried to calm her erratic nerves. Dornkirk was aiming for the prince's heart, but he was actually destroying hers. She gulped loudly, a keen hissing noise passing through her teeth. Sobs mounted in her throat, trying to break out of her voice box. Tears drenched her clothes. Their chill crept into the depths of her soul.
"Face it, Folken! Every ounce of suffering in this world amounts to nothing!"
Her resolve broke and she cried. She knew what was to come, and that was without her foresight. She could feel it in her bones. As her vision had whispered, Folken would fall, but there was more.
Their swords flew in high arcs. Something hot flashed through the air and the seer bolted from the floor, tears streaming down her face. She wouldn't let it happen. Otherwise, she would be left with only her emptiness.
Sadly, she didn't have a chance in stopping the inevitable, and in all honesty, she hadn't believed she would be able to stop it.
The red spray was a vibrant shower of color across the gray walls. There was a moan followed by the sound of metal snapping and clattering. Both men immediately crumbled. She wasn't able to reach either of them before they hit the floor.
Sliding down to the floor, the seer knelt beside the prince. "Folken!"
As she feared, there was no answer. She hastily pulled on the prince's shoulder and dragged his heavy form into her lap. His head lolled up to her, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth. She swallowed back a sob of distress.
Somehow a broken shard of sword had lodged into his chest, piercing him through his left lung. His shirt was already soaked with huge amount of blood. Her hand shakily pushed back his wet bangs. She searched his fading eyes. "Folken?"
He barely had the strength to focus on her face. His lips shuddered as he mouthed silent words. When his eyelids fluttered, she hastily swept her hand up to cup his face. "Folken?"
'No, don't!'
It was too fast. Everything happened too fast. There was no chance to save him. There were no final words. He simply became dead weight as the life in his eyes shriveled and died.
She sat in disbelief, cradling him in her lap. Her mind was too numb to process what to do next so she just stayed in that silent position. She listened attentively to her slow heartbeat, relishing the reminder of life it gave in contrast to the death she held. Part of her remembered there was a violent war going outside the temple. She wondered if it mattered, outside or in. Fighting or quitting.
She was so confused.
"He was destined to die."
Her eyes slowly lifted and found his glassy red eyes. Dornkirk sneered from his sprawled bed on the marble floor. There was a deep slash across his chest, pouring out his life across the white floor. It reminded her of red silk. "He was destined as was I."
She blinked. "W-what?"
"This is what I have worked towards," Dornkirk whispered seductively. "This very moment."
She glanced down uncertainly at Folken's ashy face. "I don't—"
"I needed five deaths to awaken him," he interrupted smoothly, his voice growing quiet. "Plus, with my death I can transcend this shell of flesh and reach the immortality I have forever sought."
"How could you possibly?" she mumbled, fingers growing limp. "There's no such way."
He didn't listen to her. "With my immortality set, I can focus my energy towards the transformation of the world. I can change these rules of fate! I can tear down the god who has condemned us!"
Hitomi shook her head. "You're insane."
His eyes shifted pass her shoulder and his lips twisted upwards. "There is only a single remaining death to complete the payment, the sacrifice that shall seal the circle."
'The Winged Goddess shall awaken him…'
Instinctively, Hitomi whirled around, expecting to see her death hanging over her. She gasped when she realized Dilandau wasn't standing over her, but heading towards the unconscious king. "No!"
Call on me.
His sword rang loudly as the captain yanked it from it's sheathe. Dilandau's were bright with hunger as his stride lengthened.
Call on me.
"No, stop!" she cried, frantically pushing Folken off her lap.
Dilandau raised his sword upon reaching the king. She silently called to her love, begging him to wake, but he remained unaware of his looming end.
There was burst of fire and ice in the room. Something powerful was exploding, defining some great unknown event. She heard Dornkirk chuckle, "It's time."
Call on me.
Hitomi's eyes squeezed shut as she realized he would die long before she even got to her feet. She couldn't save him. She could do nothing.
Call Me!
Everything she had fought and strove for was in vain. All of her suffering was useless. A gavel struck down and she swallowed down her panic. There was only one last chance.
It was foolish considering what the prophecy proclaimed. Unfortunately, there was no other hope. If she did nothing, the kingdom she had fought for would become a wasteland. The delegates would die and the countries would crumble into a world of hatred. Fate would still condemn them.
Call my name.
It was a split second decision. Knowing there was no time left for the king, the seer took in a deep breath and cried with wild abandonment the only being who could possibly save them. "ESCAFLOWNE!"
Life burst through the air, filling up every ounce of shadow with blinding light. Feeling the powerful change, her eyes snapped opened to the sight of two bottomless blue orbs staring straight down into the depths of her broken soul.
A/N: Okay, so I was wrong. This didn't turn out to be the last chapter. I had truly intended it to be, but upon reaching this line I realized it would be horrible of me to do more. Besides, some of yall have been waiting forever for an update. The next chapter shall be it. That is a definite.