Vermillion cleaved at Giltinė's head powerfully and she submitted to the currents of darkness, shifting into a swooping dark mist that crawled over him. He tried breaking free, but she held tightly in her new form then suddenly transformed back with her seductive body clinging to his body. He finally broke free from her, "This isn't a game! Quit playing around and attack me!"

Giltinė glanced at him coldly, "If I did that, I'm sure you wouldn't survive, Immortal King."

"Well, if you won't attack…" he started, "Then I'll take the initiative. [Divine Armor]."

Giltinė watched as his body became enveloped in a cocoon of light, threatening to consume her but she pulled away cautiously. The light started to wane as Vermillion stepped forward as he was dressed in dazzling golden armor that made him into a beacon of hope. The Reaper smiled slyly, amused by the turn of events, "You wish to kill me then?"

"No, I wish to seal you away," Vermillion slammed his sword into the floor. "This is my duty as your former companion. I will not let you destroy my land."

Giltinė looked troubled from his strict words for they wounded her, but she laughed it off and held her scythe close to her body, "I have no choice in the matter, Vermillion. To protect what I love…I'll destroy it so no other harm can come to it!"

"No other harm? What are you implying?"

She pointed her scythe at him, "No more talking. The longer you are here, the more harm is dealt to you in the future. Please, don't make this hard for me. I'm trying to protect you!"

He charged at her, "I don't need you to protect me! I'm done hiding in your shadow! I can stand on my own!"

They clashed weapons, but still continued to speak. "You can't fight what is coming, Vermillion!" Giltinė shouted with worried eyes. "I know you better than anyone in this world! Don't be a fool!"

He reeled out of deadlock and swiftly returned with an uppercut swing, knocking her scythe above her head. He took advantage of her opened body and rammed his gauntleted fist into her stomach. Her body staggered and she screamed out as her body rejected the holy armor, burning her insides and a lingering steam floated around where he dealt the blow. He towered over her, "If you can say that, then you must know that I'm a stubborn man. I won't change from my ways."

Giltinė growled lowly as the bowels of darkness surrounded her body, shifting her eyes into a demonic red. Vermillion pulled back again and gazed at her subtle transformation while clutching his sword with caution. The Reaper nailed her scythe into the ground and the floor underneath them shook as a nasty darkness took over her. The atmosphere shifted into the realm of the dead and she raised her free hand, blowing Vermillion away with a spark of darkness that nearly destroyed his intestines if not for the holy armor. He regained control when she suddenly rushed at him and took her blow head-on, creating a bursting echo of light and darkness. The world watched their repetitive clashes and assessed that both parties were internally holding back but externally ready to kill.

Giltinė managed to knock away his sword, but Vermillion slung his fist at her jaw. She reacted swiftly, dodging and running her clawed hand into his stomach. The Immortal King consumed the blow and glared at her, "You were never like this, Giltinė!"

"I had to change for both of us!" she stated harshly, staring into his eyes. "This is the only thing I can do for you! Stop rejecting me and accept your fate, Vermillion!"

He knocked her away, holding his hand over his wound, feeling over the shattered armor she pierced through, "The Giltinė I know…wouldn't hurt me like this!"

She gritted her teeth as the storm of darkness around her became restless like her emotions, "I want to protect you, Vermillion! You are the one who gave me your heart and you are the only human I love dearly! I won't let any god and goddess toy with you like some animal!"

"You're not making sense!" he argued. "Why destroy my home just to get to me!"

"This isn't my doing!" she corrected. "I merely took advantage of the situation!"

"W-What?!" Vermillion boomed, searching over his destroyed city with a bitter frown. "Then who…"

Giltinė took a step forward, "The gods and goddesses are against your kind. They will come destroy everything you hold dear. They see you all as just simple creations that have hearts. Vermillion, do you understand now? The deities are against you!"

Vermillion shook his head, "No! No! Just no! Laima had—"

"My sister is missing! She can't save you from your fate, Vermillion!"

He looked defeated, no longer having the will to fight. The same deities he looked up to for support and affection had turned on him and left a gaping hole in his pride. Giltinė frowned at his gaze, trying to reach out to him, "Do you understand now? This destruction…I had nothing to do with. There are other forces at work here and it'll spell the doom of the entire world."

"I trust your words. You are not a liar, I know this, but it's hard to swallow," he fell on a knee, studying the flames that tortured his home. "My home…is burning once again."

She took a step towards him, but suddenly a foreign light from above reached their eyes. Giltinė stuttered, "N-No..."

Vermillion glanced at her as the entire city was swallowed by the light from the clouds, commanding the world to halt and swell from its greatness. The Reaper felt her body scorch as the light threatened to eradicate her, "Vermillion, remember my words! It's the only thing I can offer to you as the one I love! Please, don't be foolish!"

He strained his eyes to see her as the light grew bright and brighter, but suddenly it illuminated everything around him. He looked around, but it burned his eyes to even attempt such a thing. The only thing he could do was sit there and bathe his body in the holy light that had turned against him. The world was changing for worse and Vermillion seemed to have been prepared but he wasn't truly. The ones he respected greatly had abandoned him and deemed him as a tool of destruction. Then and there, he vowed a new oath to the people of this world. He would sacrifice himself to keep their dreams alive and become a beacon of hope that the gods and goddesses could never be. As a revelator, he will go against what his creators taught him indirectly. He will fight them and surely make them pay for mindless slaughter.

Law found himself floating on the surface of water when he awoke. His emotions were tangled and walled by a blank expression that stared up at the vast sky. He didn't want to remember anything that occurred in the last few days and surely didn't want to reflect on his weakness that resulted in the death of his friend. However, he couldn't blame himself fully. The fault rested with all of them, for they trusted Rhyme as a comrade without questioning his personality and true goals. They were betrayed.

The girl that he lost came into view, looking down with an innocent smile that he can't burn from his mind. He felt his chest cave in as she crouched down and played with the hems of his hair. He enjoyed her simple touch and relished in her company like an infant who merely wanted to cuddle and know the true meaning of love. He was fond of Shiba. She wouldn't cry anymore for she knew it would hurt him, but she merely wished to lessen his pain.

Shiba stared at his broken legs, noticing the blood that seeped from them that tainted the water. She relaxed her gaze on his eyes and moved over beside his legs, walking over the water with ease. It was then that he noticed a small Phoenix that appeared by her side and perched on her shoulder, chirping sing-song-like at Law. He felt the emotion behind the wonderful tune and managed a small smile, noticing the song reflected the feelings and concern she had for Law.

She rested her hand on his leg and immediately her eyes returned to a burning amber color as her body glowed faintly the same color. The Phoenix dropped down on his other leg, hoping to assist Shiba in her next action. He darted between them and noticed the flames that took over their bodies. They lacked physical form once they turned to flames, hovering over his legs and suddenly they gently caressed over his broken limbs, mending them back together with little effort. He felt no pain, but he felt only his heart being torn from his body and tossed aside. Once his legs were fixed by the power of the Phoenix, Shiba appeared once more over him, floating over his body as she soon held his cheeks. She met his lips with her own and had pulled away shortly, mouthing one word to him. He watched her ascend to the skies and soon disappear like a ghost, unseen to the naked eye. Her last words impacted him and with each passing second as he floated in the ocean of his mind.

Live.

Law had opened his eyes to see Mikai sobbing and wiping her eyes furiously beside his bed. He raised his hand weakly to reach for her head and as her comrade, he rubbed over her head to comfort her, "Mikai."

She glanced at him with red eyes, "Law, Shiba is…"

"Yes," his features hardened as he responded coldly. "She is dead."

"We tried everything, Law," she sniffed and uncontrollably cried. "We tried to bring her back!"

He didn't want to speak any further after hearing Shiba's name. He merely stared up at the ceiling and felt his chest become heavy, remembering Rhyme's face as he slaughtered the one he loved. He could feel nothing but anger. It outweighed his sorrow and surely was the main fuel to his haywire emotions. Mikai wiped her eyes again in irritation of the burning, looking past Law's bed, "N-No! You have to stay in bed!"

Law rolled his eyes over to who she spoke to and his wide eyes looked over the limbs that Erokhi were missing, "Oh my god…"

Erokhi leaned on a simple cane, hopping over to Law's bed, "What happened to Shiba, Law? Where is Rhyme?"

Law sat upright and noticed his harsh tone and stern demeanor, "Rhyme is the one who killed Shiba. He was against us this whole time."

Erokhi took the news hard, stopping at the side of the bed and glaring at the sheets. Mikai rested both of her hands over her heart, feeling as if she would return back to her past self that was broken hearted and defeated. Law looked somberly and distant at the wall in front of him, "There was nothing I—"

Erokhi punched him mid-sentence which made Law nearly fall off the bed. Mikai gasped and got between them, running her feet into the covers and catching Erokhi before he could fall backwards. Their leader moved away from Mikai and supported himself, "Why did you let it happen?! I thought I could trust you with having the back of the party! Shiba wasn't just our friend! Shiba was a member of our family!"

Law countered, "Rhyme was too! You expect me to doubt my own family?! There was nothing I could do, Erokhi! Face the facts, dammit! Rhyme is a traitor and it is our fault that she died!"

"Don't go blaming your weakness on me!" Erokhi roared.

"When did it become all about you?! It's about us!"

Mikai didn't want to pick a side, so she shouted, "Stop fighting! Shiba wouldn't want this! We're family!"

"Don't tell me what I should do!" Erokhi growled at her.

She pulled away, feeling her heart finally crack. Law glowered at their leader, "Don't take your anger out on us!"

"And I'm not supposed to be angry?! I've lost my arm and my leg, Law! I can't protect anyone in this state and I surely can't hunt down Rhyme this way either!"

"Rhyme isn't your problem right now. You have bigger things to think about than him. Worry about yourself and stay out of my damn business!" Law retorted.

"When did it become just your business?! If I remember correctly, I'm the one leading this party!"

"Then I'm leaving!" Law said.

"Stop this madness!" said a voice from the door.

Six walked swiftly into the room, "What is wrong with you two?! This isn't the place for that!"

Law clicked his tongue against his teeth and escaped the sheets of his bed, "Stay away from Rhyme, Erokhi. If you ever come close to him, it won't be him that you'll be fighting against. Sit down and worry about yourself."

Erokhi's eyebrows pulled together furiously, but he looked grimly at the truth of his words. He stared at what was left of his right arm that lacked an elbow and his leg that didn't have a knee. It was all gone. He fell down on Law's bed, planting his face into the sheets as he began to cry in rage. Mikai watched him but soon looked over at Law as he passed Six, "Law...please, don't leave."

The Guardian stared at Law's back, "If you turn your back on them, you can't ever turn towards them again."

"I have no choice. This is the only way I can move forward. As a party, we can't get anywhere in our current state," Law said sternly. "I can only go forward because Shiba gave me this life. She told me to live and I'll do just that."

Law walked out of the room and closed the door on his family, feeling the heaviness of being lonely finally taking effect on his heart. He shouldered the weight and carried himself down the hallway filled with citizens of Klaipeda who were either mentally destroyed or crying over those they had lost. He examined the ancient walls and acknowledged that he had to be inside the castle. Law kept to the center of the marble floored hallway, walking along the red carpet and glancing over the hanging chandeliers above. The world looked so gloomy to him now and it was no longer bright with varying colors as he traveled down the long hallway.

He finally reached the end and was encountered by a small group that was returning from the outside and entering the main hallway. Serus was at the head of the group and noticed Law's presence, stopping to gaze at him, "What is your name?"

Law was taken aback by the sudden question, overwhelmed by the aura Serus emitted, "My name is…Law."

"Law, huh?" he trudged forward. "Don't go getting yourself killed."

The ladies behind him followed close by, throwing separate glances of waning interest at Law. He glanced at the group side-ways as they parted from him, "Who are they?"

He shrugged his shoulders and exited the castle's main hallway and became wrapped in the land of the deceased. He stared out at the outskirts of the castle's grounds in the morning light and noticed the destroyed city. No building was left untouched. He glanced over at the pile of cloaked bodies thrown in a pile beside the body of water between the castle and the decimated city, holding his mouth in utter shock. The numbers of the deceased was outrageously big. There were citizens outside who were paying their respects to a small altar of the sort that was lined with candles and gifts that they had on hand that reminded them of their loved ones. Even soldiers were among the grieving citizens while the lingering soldiers took guard at their positions on the castle's grounds, but in their hearts they were internally crying for their kingdom. It was on this day that Klaipeda had finally fallen.

"Law?"

The boy turned to the speaker who sneaked up beside him, "M-Mira?"

"It is you," her expression glowed up a little. "Wow, I'm glad you're safe, Law. I managed to get to safety myself thanks to the help of this revelator."

"I'm glad," he smiled lightly, trying to hide his grief.

"Where is Shiba? Is she okay?"

He answered quickly, "Shiba is dead."

She gasped, holding her hand over her mouth, "No."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Law? It isn't your fault at all."

"But I was there…I could have prevented it."

Mira shook her head, "Please, don't carry that burden. I know how it feels to—"

"What do you know?" he replied roughly. "You don't have to face the dangers I do as a revelator and you surely can't understand my feelings right now."

She was hurt by his words, but was persistent, "I had no idea you were a revelator. I mean no harm, Law. I just don't want you to end up hurting yourself more than you should."

"How can I stop hurting myself? I lost…someone I loved."

Mira became silent as she stared at his troubled and agitated eyes. She took it upon herself to take responsibility of his emotions, pulling him into a warm hug that resembled motherly affection, "I'm so sorry, Law."

He wanted to pull away. He should have pulled away, but his body refused him to react. He tucked his face into her shoulder, smelling a faint aroma of peaches coming from her neck. She held him tight, feeling the urge to cry but she kept face and comforted the boy like a mother should to their own child. Law submitted to her comfort and felt his heart finally shatter under the immense pressure of his emotions. He finally broke, clutching Mira's clothes as he sobbed on her shoulder, giving an awkward, low cry of despair and anguish. She stroked the back of his hair gently, absorbing the magnanimous, melancholy emotion that seeped from his shuddering figure. It pained him to feel weak and the result of his weakness cost the life of his lover that he seemed to feel as if he have known her forever. There no other feelings in the world that could counter his feelings now. He was defeated and lonely, following down a path away from those he loved while they went their own ways. It was at the crossroads of reality, the same roads they all had once again met.

The oval-shaped pod steamed as a small beeping erupted from nearby the mechanical capsule. A cloud of chilling air finally reached inside the pod and rolled out the misty steam inside, revealing the body of a girl. She was wide awake as her majestic, sleepy azure eyes peered up at the ceiling of the pod. Her head was captured by a weird mechanism, but it suddenly released her and she sat up sluggishly, feeling no strength in her body. She leaned over the edge of the pod with her tanned arms cast out and her short, shaggy blonde hair dropping over her shoulders when she tilted her head forward. The chilling air made her body shiver naturally and she wrapped her arms around herself, searching the room for any signs of warmth but found nothing but the same pods stationed around the lab-like room. It unsettled her, but she figured it was time to move and find answers to where she was, who she was and much more.

The girl climbed out of the capsule but ended up falling on her side, giving a small yelp and afterwards groaning. She lifted her head and managed to stand up, despite lacking in strength. Her bones felt like jelly as she walked through the lab room, searching for anyone or anything living to give her answers. She wrapped her arms around her black button-down shirt, feeling the air travel through the cracks of her shirt, but her legs felt no better in her blue jeans. She glanced at the table near the heart of the lab room, running her eyes over the blueprints and scrawled on paper that leaked plans to a new invention. It was all strange and foreign to her, but she felt as if the atmosphere was familiar.

"Y-You're awake?!"

She snapped her head at the man behind her, knocking into the table and making it fall and crash on the floor. He stood bewildered, but suddenly took a step forward, "It really is you."

She hesitated to speak, but swallowed any fear she had, "W-Where am I? Who are you?"

"Hold on now. Just…talk slowly," he said softly, edging closer to her with his hand behind his back.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!"

He did as she said, "I just want to help."

"Then you can help by answering my questions!" she argued. "Please, tell me!"

"It's not that simple," he countered. "It will take time, so just be calm and cool off. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm saving you."

"How are you saving me?" she looked quizzical, feeling a mysterious air float around the man.

He ran his fingers through his slick, brown hair, "I'm protecting you from them. The Shade."

"The Shade?"

"Exactly. As I thought, you wouldn't understand even if I tried," he walked swiftly towards her. "Just be still for a second."

"N-No!" she panicked and ran away, looking for any type of exit in the wide room. "Stay away from me!"

"Stop! Don't run! I want to help!" he shouted, running after her. "I'm not the enemy here!"

She wasn't listening to his cries, running with all her strength as her bare feet slapped against the cold, marble floor. She turned a corner at the end of a short path, noticing a door at the end of her next path. She aimed for it, but the man suddenly yelled, "No! Don't go out there!"

She disobeyed him and forced her body into the door that slammed opened. Her body was swarmed by a world of ice as her feet crunched through the light snow on the ground. She had little time to gaze around, but she realized that it was snowing and she was inside a large plantation of some sort with tall walls along the borders. She jumped down a small ledge and rolled through the snow below, popping back up and sprinting forward again, trying to get anywhere away from the unknown man.

A couple of voices came from the east and she noticed children playing in the snow and adults attending to the structure of the wall nearby the gate that she ran past. They noticed her and stood shocked, almost mesmerized by her attitude of fear. "Someone, stop her!"

She realized it was the voice of the man and gained speed as multiple bodies came after her. She wouldn't stay still in the land of the unknown, thinking of no better place to run, but glanced over at the ladder leading up to the top of the stretching wall of stone. She hurriedly climbed the ladder and reached the top in a matter of seconds, but once she reached the top, her eyes shot open to the spectacle in the distance.

She stared at the barren and decimated city that lied below at the heart of the mountains they were in. She couldn't understand the emotion she felt when staring at it, but she understood that an unexpected destruction must have fallen upon the mountain city. The man finally reached the top of the wall, breathing hard as he planted his hand on his heaving chest, "Please, don't run from me."

"What is this?" she asked him, her breath taken away by the sight she witnessed.

"That's…our home," he slanted his blue eyes at the collapsed city tainted by the presence of winter.

"My…home?" she stared and unintentionally, a warm tear fell from her left eye.

There was no mistaking the reality of the situation. She had lost her home, something she had forgotten but slowly her memories began to come back the longer she stared. She remembered The Shade who are villains of another world and their struggle to fight back against their unlimited waves. Her home was destroyed by them and she escaped with the survivors. They were the last stand for humanity, but submitted to silence and secrecy, running away from the truth of their fate. This world…is the world that the "revelators" left behind and had forgotten to protect.

To be continued….