Within a couple of days, Byleth was back to being the professor of the Golden Deer, much to everyone's relief. Many of the students were trying to think of ways to make her feel better, as she was still a bit saddened over the death of her father. There was only so much that everyone could do, and while Sylvain had made great strides in making it so, Byleth would still have her moments of grief, usually where no one could see. Mercedes and Annette would bake her some goodies to help Byleth while others would try to find daily activities to do with her to take her mind away from her sadness. Even Dorothea had teamed up with Ferdinand to have Byleth assist them in choir practice, much to Ferdinand's delight and Dorothea's annoyance. Felix and Ingrid, noting their childhood friend's attachment to the Professor, also encouraged her to come train with them. The most amusing would have to be Raphael who, along with Caspar, requested her to come take a morning jog and eat straight after, and by eating they meant a feast not a meal.
Of course, the closest people to Byleth, Sylvain and Claude, would do the most out of everyone. There was once a time when the trio met up in Byleth's room to talk and relax over a bottle of wine. Claude would joke and Sylvain would banter off of him, causing the whole dorm to rumble in laughter. They would also discuss the contents of the diary, at length, much to the chagrin of Sothis, who found her father's sappy and romantic bletherings to be disgustingly flowery. All of these things made the month feel manageable. Especially with Sylvain by her side…
Byleth sighed in content, thinking of the charming nobleman. It was getting harder and harder to deny Sylvain from an actual relationship with her, since her emotions for him were burning brighter than before when she was only pining away from him. But now, she had every type of romantic interaction with him and it was only making her desire for him grow more and more immense. She hadn't kissed him since that night, but she couldn't help but feel a fluttering in her stomach that would float down to her core when she thought about it. He really was trying his hardest for her, and she could see it all the time. The Sylvain that she knew wouldn't hesitate to flirt with or flirt back with any girl that came his way. But this new version of himself? He would flat out ignore and sometimes, maybe a little too harshly, turn down a girl that came his way and would make a move on him. She wasn't sure if it was entirely genuine, but the action itself was very much admired.
However, with all of those things considered, could she really enter a relationship with him? It could be viewed as inappropriate, considering that she was still his teacher. While she was sure that most of her students in the Golden Deer House and the transfers wouldn't give a damn, she was not reassured about the other students that may make claims about Sylvain and her. Like that he may be using her for better grades or that she was taking advantage of a student that was very vulnerable to her, despite being around the same age. All of these doubts were something she would have to think about and judge for herself if it was worth the risk.
Well it had been a month since the tragedy occured, and Byleth was starting to feel a bit better, perhaps she was finally finding her strength. It seemed that way until of course Claude had approached her in the Entrance Hall of the Monastery. He was accompanied by Sylvain, who had seemingly bonded with the crafty House Leader. However, unlike usual, their faces were not as jovial as before. In fact they were quite serious.
"Um, what's this about, boys? Have I forgotten to lock up the armory again?" Byleth asked.
A sense of uneasiness overwhelmed her when the pair looked at each other anxiously, "Teach, Tomas… I mean…Solon and his lackeys. Their whereabouts have been discovered." Claude spoke up first.
Byleth's eyes narrowed, her voice low, "Where did you hear this?"
"We overheard it from Rhea, when we were snooping around the library." Sylvain added.
"Anything else to know?" Byleth crossed her arms, her eyes serious.
"Apparently they're lurking in the Sealed Forest, not too far from the monastery. Rhea has called back all of the knights who were out searching to round them up. Seems like it could take some time for them to make it back here…but she didn't ask for our help." Claude informed her with a spark in his eye. Sylvain on the other hand looked apprehensive and a bit tense.
"So why keep it a secret from us?" Byleth asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Sylvain interjected, his voice quite strained. Byleth stared at him, he was acting rather strangely, almost stressed.
"Perhaps to prevent you from running headfirst toward revenge? It's only natural that you would leap at the chance for it. Anyone would." Claude looked over at Sylvain, his expression was almost communicating to calm Sylvain down.
"Not at the cost of the Professor's life." Sylvain replied, a growl in his tone as he narrowed his eyes on Claude.
"Sylvain…I have to." Byleth's eyes softened as he reached out for Sylvain. He turned away, his demeanor far from his carefree nature.
"No, I will not allow it." A stern voice interrupted their meeting. Turning to see who it was, they were surprised to see Rhea and Seteth looking down upon them. While she had seen it before, Byleth was very unnerved whenever she saw Rhea's angry face.
"This discovery comes just when the knights are at their busiest. It is all too likely that our foes revealed themselves to lure you out there." Seteth spoke out, his eyes on Byleth alone, "They are the ones who took Jeralt from you… I know how you must despise them, but I must ask you to rein in your personal feelings for now."
"You can't stop me." Byleth snarled, her eyes alight with anger.
"Byleth...please." Sylvain eyes looked at her. He's being overprotective, Byleth thought to herself, but he's forgetting that I can defend myself.
"Please, Professor. Do not act carelessly." Rhea pleaded, "I ask that you leave this to us. Losing you so soon after losing Jeralt would be unbearable."
"Listen, Rhea. Erm, Lady Rhea. This move is the most strategic." Claude stepped in, seeing that this argument was going nowhere, "The military strategy I'm devising will soon echo across Fódlan's history. I'm sure of it. Just think about it. Most of the knights are still far away, and we can't afford to have Seteth and friends abandon the monastery. So the only person who can take action now also happens to be our best commander. It's Teach, and wherever Teach leads, we'll follow. And since you've taught us that this sort of thing is always a possibility, we're already prepared for battle. We can buy the knights more time. Not for revenge, but for a defensive attack on behalf of the monastery."
Rhea contemplated for a moment before looking at Byleth with gentle expression, "Professor… Do you agree with this strategy?"
Byleth looked at Sylvain, he was seemingly reassured with Claude's new plan but still a bit uneasy. He gave a small nod towards her with a grin. "Yes, Lady Rhea, I agree with it."
"Understood. I will give you the order. Destroy the enemy that is hiding in the Sealed Forest… You have the protection of the goddess on your side. Whatever happens, you shall overcome." Rhea ordered, motioning Seteth to follow her once she had left the trio alone.
Claude let out a shaky breath, "Well then, we have our orders, Teach. Now all that's left is to pull out a miracle."
Sylvain nodded, "As long as we accompany her, I'm sure everything will be fine."
Claude snorted, "Now don't you feel foolish for arguing with me? I told you I wasn't going to let Teach do something reckless."
"You weren't convincing enough, and you were too focused on telling her right away!" Sylvain shouted.
"Boys! Stop!" Byleth yelled, cutting between the pair, glaring at both of them.
"Look, I'm looking out for her just as much as you are Sylvain, you just need to trust me." Claude said with a sympathetic look at Sylvain.
Sylvain sighed, "Alright, I believe you." Claude nodded, and left the paramours alone to their own devices.
Byleth eyes bore down on Sylvain, unamused by his new behavior, "What was that about, Sylvain?"
Sylvain replied, "I didn't want you to rush out to go on a vengeful killing spree without any aid. Claude wasn't listening to me, he insisted on telling you first."
"Maybe because he wanted to discuss our plan of attack? I'm not as foolish as to go to a battlefield completely alone." Byleth defended herself, "I know that there is some level of debriefing I have to do with him before we go out for a mission."
"This is different, Byleth, this is personal to you." Sylvain stepped forward grasping one of her hands.
"And yet I brought you on the mission that involved your own brother." Byleth retorted as Sylvain winced, "I trusted that you could control yourself and focus on what was really important which was retrieving the Lance of Ruin, and we did. Why don't you trust me to do the same?" Byleth looked hurt, did he really think I wasn't capable of this?
Sylvian's eyes flashed in panic, "No! I..I didn't mean it like that."
"But it's implied! I'm not a child to be coddled, Sylvain!" Byleth argued, her face contorting in pain.
"Byleth, please listen to me! That's not...I don't think you're incapable!" Sylvain responded, his voice desperate for her to understand him.
"Then what is it? I've been doing things like this all of my life, I know how to protect myself. Why can't you see that?" Byleth eyes welled up with tears, "I'm not about to let these villains take my father's life without any consequences! They deserve to be punished." She began to storm off, spinning on her heel violently.
Sylvain wasn't about to let this conversation end like this. He chased after her and stepped in front of her path, "And what if you get hurt or worse?! What then, Byleth? What would the rest of the students do without you?" Byleth stopped, looking at Sylvain's restrained expression. "What would I do?"
Byleth looked down, "I...I see." She was embarrassed she didn't notice sooner. Sylvain was merely looking out for her well-being, as usual. "Sylvain, you do understand that no matter what you do, I still have to go out there with my students to protect and guide them."
Sylvain muttered, "I...I know, I just...Jeralt was killed by these guys. What's not to say we aren't all in danger, including you?"
Byleth held his hands and squeezed them reassuringly, "We are always in danger when we go out on these missions. That's why I've taught you all to defend yourselves."
Sylvain looked at her with a smile, "That's less comforting than I hoped, hehe." He lifted a hand and caressed Byleth's cheek tenderly. His warm brown gaze looked down at her with a love that he wished he could tell her. However, he was so terrified to say it, to voice it out loud for fear of chasing her away. He leaned down and kissed her forehead sweetly. Byleth backed away with a bashful expression on her face.
"Sylvain, people can see us. They might say something." Byleth whispered, as her eyes observed the room around her with a blush growing.
"Let them talk," Sylvain winked at her, "I don't care."
Byleth hummed, "But we aren't in a relationship, Syl, and even if we were they would still find this inappropriate." She reluctantly moved away from him, only for him to pull her into a hug.
Sylvain spoke softly in her ear, "Promise me, Byleth? Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"
Byleth flushed deeply, inhaling his masculine scent with her face buried in his chest, "I...I promise I won't."
Sylvain let out a breath of relief, as he brought a hand up to cradle her head, "I don't want to lose you, By. I can't imagine life without you."
"Then you need to trust that I'll always come back, no matter what. Do you believe me?" Byleth said, nuzzling her head deeper into his chest.
"Hehe, like I would have any choice but to believe you." Sylvain chuckled, slowly letting Byleth out of his arms.
She smirked at him, "You know it, Gautier. Now I need you to assemble the rest of your classmates, we need to move out."
Sylvain playfully saluted her, "Hehe, yes ma'am." He turned to leave with a saunter. Byleth watched him leave, observing his muscular form through his uniform. She had to admit, it was hard to deny the displays of affections that Sylvain was more comfortable with, but she knew she had to keep her distance, even if she longed for more.
The forest felt heavy and eerie as Byleth and her students stumbled around in it. She could feel the anxiety in the air as they went deeper and deeper. Byleth could feel her chest grow tighter, and her intense emotions for revenge were growing deeper. She was unsettled with how okay she was feeling about the idea of killing someone, she certainly didn't like it. However she couldn't help but be focused on it.
"The Sealed Forest is up ahead. Visibility is awful there, so everyone needs to be extra cautious." Claude spoke up from above on his Wyvern with Petra at his side. Byleth had already told the pair, along with Hilda and Ingrid to scout out the area from the air.
As the four fliers settled down on the ground, Hilda looked over to Claude with a curious look in her eyes, "You seem to know a lot about it. It is just a forest, isn't it?"
Claude responded, "Have you been there too? Oh… Never mind. Listen, just like I told the archbishop, this is not a war of vengeance. It's a riddle, so to speak. Those guys are undoubtedly planning something terrible. We need some kind of clue as to what. The attack on the Holy Mausoleum. That foul business in Remire. The Demonic Beasts at the chapel… It can't go on. We need to figure out their objective and stop them from achieving it. That's our mission." He glanced over at Byleth, almost to say to keep her eyes on the real focus is to stop them, not to go ballistic. Byleth nodded back, clenching her jaw, anxious to get this over with.
"So, we have our mission now. We had better not fail." Lorenz added.
"I have readiness. Our enemies will be taking...we will take our enemies down!" Petra shouted, her pegasus flapping its wings in excitement.
"This is for Captain Jeralt. I will not falter." Ingrid resolved, her own pegasus was more calm but focused.
"It is a difficult task, but we will succeed." Lysithea spoke out, her eyes reflecting her determination.
"It is time to repay the kindness of the professor who saved my life!" Flayn interjected.
"Leave it to us, Professor. I'll give it my all." Ashe smiled at the Professor, making her smile in return.
"An enemy whose objective you don't understand is a frightening prospect." Ignatz cautioned.
"I agree, fighting Tomas... It will be difficult, that's for certain." Sylvain added, looking down at Byleth with a worried glance. She mouthed a reassuring 'I'll be okay', to which Sylvain gave a small grin.
"I don't really love the idea of fighting people I know…" Mercedes mumbled, very nervous about what she was about to face.
Annette, sensing her friend's apprehension, "We don't have a choice. Even if it's difficult, an enemy is an enemy. We've just got to get it over with!"
"Just kill them from behind. As long as you don't see their faces, you won't know if you know them." Felix added, hoping his words would reach Mercedes, but all it did was make her more upset.
"Well, it's not like we have any other missions this month. I suppose this is as good a way as any to spend our energy." Lindhardt yawned, stretching his arms above his head.
"Linhardt spending energy? We had better finish this fast before the pigs start flying everywhere." Caspar chuckled at his dear friend.
"We're gonna destroy 'em! It's our mission!" Raphael yelled out.
"Yeah!" Bernadetta added with the gentle giant, "We're gonna destroy 'em! It's our mission!"
Dorothea shushed them, "Lower your voices. The enemy could be close!"
Ferdinand rode by the loud pair, "I do not believe we should have that mentality. Remember-it is a bad idea to get distracted by revenge."
Leonie snorted, her eyes aflame with rage, "I will have my revenge, whatever it takes. On that, I will never budge."
Marianne, uncharacteristically, spoke with a serious expression on her face, "Leonie…Professor, You will have what you seek."
Claude sighed, rubbing his face, "I'll admit, vengeance sounds pretty nice. But don't forget that we're here for information. Luckily, we can easily find what we're looking for while getting revenge for Jeralt. Right, Teach?"
Byleth nodded, "Of course, as much as we want to, we must remember to stay true to the mission. Regardless of how we feel."
With that, the students set forth. Though Sylvain felt at ease with Byleth's words, he had an awful feeling about this whole mission. Especially when he looked in the eyes of his Professor, they were void of any sympathy or emotion. It was as if the Ashen Demon had reemerged.
The fighting was just as violent as Remire, except instead of the crazed villagers, Byleth and the rest of the students were fighting Demonic Beasts. They were everywhere in the forest littered with dozens of enemies surrounding the students. At this point, everyone was almost all seasoned warriors, having killed in order to protect those around them and themselves. All the while, Byleth could hear the taunts of Kronya, the woman, the creature that had impersonated Monica and killed her father. At her own request, Sylvain followed Byleth every step of the way on horseback, defending Byleth from the oncoming assaults from the soldiers fighting for Kronya. As if fate was leading her to her destination, Byleth cornered the assassin with Sylvain at her side.
Kronya laughed maniacally, "You're a fool to be so brazen. You'll never avenge your father at this rate. I'll have to kill you too! With my own hands!"
"That won't happen, I'll kill you first." Byleth said menacingly. She raised her Sword of the Creator and started to attack Kronya. Her movements were volatile, far from her more controlled movements. Instead her stabs and slashes were sloppy and extremely powerful. Relying on the might of her Crest and the Sword of the Creator, her eyes flashed with an almost sadistic pleasure of stunning and pinning down her opponent.
Sylvain noticed it right off the bat and while he was deeply concerned with Byleth's behavior, he knew Kronya was only focused on Byleth, and not the knight beside her. Sylvain took this as his own advantage. He kicked his horse with his spurs, and proceeded to go at lightning speed, jousting his Lance of Ruin into Kronya's side. The assassin cried out in pain but moved out of the way of both Byleth's and Sylvain's counter attack.
She grunted in pain, "You foolish vermins! You can't take me here! My powers are beyond you mortals!"
"Funny, for someone calling us mortals, you certainly are becoming more aware of your own mortality!" Sylvain shouted, readying his lance, "You'll pay for what you have done to the Professor and to us."
"Well that's too bad, you disgusting beast, for I did account for something like this." Kronya sneered as she pointed behind the pair.
Looking in the direction of her gesture, they saw a Demonic Beast coming their way. Sylvain growled, there was no way to defeat this thing in time while also taking care of Kronya. He decided that in order to kill two birds with one stone, he'd have to be the rational one to take care of the plan.
"Byleth, listen to me, you need to go after Kronya. I'll take care of this thing." Sylvain stated plainly. His eyes narrowing on the creature getting ever so closer.
Byleth's eyes flashed in worry, "Sylvain, I can't just let you-"
Sylvain's face jerked to hers, a stern expression on his face as he yelled, "Listen! This is your fight to have! I'll be right at your back once I deal with this thing."
Byleth's face, which had been so emotionless thus far finally showed her yearning to be near Sylvain's side, "Sylvain…"
"Byleth! There's not much time! GO!" Sylvain ordered Byleth.
She flinched, but she knew he was right. She glared at Kronya, who was delighted that she now had Byleth right where she wanted her. Byleth steeled herself, giving Sylvain one last message before she jumped back into the battle, "Stay safe, Syl. I don't need you playing the hero."
"As long as you remember your promise, I shall do as you say." Sylvain responded, steering his steed towards the Demonic Beast. Byleth raced towards Kronya, but the foul woman led her on a wild goose chase. Byleth's blood was running hot, and without her knight beside her, she had to rely on her own instincts. Kronya was decisively fast but Byleth knew how to keep up and when an opening presented itself Byleth retracted her blade and landed another blow on the woman, causing her to shriek in pain. Byleth was prepared for another hit, but Kronya surprised her and started to run away with a fear in her eyes. Byleth was determined and chased right after her. The treeline they were in was starting to disappear and Kronya tripped out in the middle of a clearing with a stone ruin. Byleth unaware of anything but taking down Kronya, didn't know that what she had just stumbled in was a trap.
Kronya was paralyzed with fear, wielding the dagger that killed Jeralt in front of her, "But how? How could I really lose...to a lowly creature like you?"
Byleth raised her sword, a committed look in her eyes glared at Kronya, "It's time to face your death with dignity! I will not allow you to take another innocent life." Byleth was about to strike when a bright light warped a separate being into the ruins behind Kronya.
"Well," The being spoke. As Byleth looked behind Kronya she saw the man that assumed the identity of Tomas: Solon.
Kronya stared back at him, shocked to see his appearance, "Solon! Don't just stand there and stare! I need your help!"
Solon chuckled darkly, "Yes. You most certainly do."
What happened next deeply disturbed Byleth, as she watched Solon dip his hand into the chest of Kronya and proceed to rip out what she could assume was Kronya's heart as she cried out in pain. While Byleth felt no sympathy for the demon that was Kronya, she did feel disgusted by the act that Solon was performing. As she looked around, she realized that she was being enclosed into the ruin by dark flames that Solon had conjured.
"BYLETH!" She heard a familiar voice shout from behind. Turning around she saw Sylvain on his horse, desperate to get to her.
Byleth instinctively tried to move, but was being restrained by the dark magic around her, "SYL! HELP! I CAN'T MOVE!"
Sylvain's heart was beating fast, he got off his horse and tried to run through before the magic engulfed the ruins. However, he was far too late as the dark flames surrounded the perimeter of where Byleth stood. He tried to place his hand in the flames but it recoiled him back on his back, unable to pierce through. He could hear Solon's words and Byleth's whines and pleading to release her.
"The time has finally come...to unleash the Forbidden Spell of Zahras upon our enemies!" Solon raised his hand, taking the heart of Kronya and crushing it to release more dark energy around them. Sylvain watched as the darkness took Byleth until he couldn't see her anymore. As the energy disappeared, Byleth had vanished. No trace of her to be found. Sylvain felt his heart drop and his tears threatening to fall. Instead of falling to despair, he felt enraged as he leered at Solon who looked so smug at his job well done. Sylvain wasn't going to allow this, Byleth had to return, and if it took killing Solon, he was resolved to do so.
Byleth opened her eyes and noticed the eerie black emptiness that she was surrounded in. Was she dead? Is this the empty abyss that waited for her? She couldn't believe how stupid she was to not realize sooner what she had gotten herself into. She felt so ashamed and so guilty, knowing what she had done. And for Sylvain to witness all of that? Goddess, she was so stupid.
"You fool!" A childish voice shouted at her.
Byleth looked to see that she wasn't completely alone. She remembered that Sothis was part of her consciousness, and because of that, Sothis could actually talk to Byleth. But judging by her tone, Sothis was probably going to berate her.
"What were you thinking, charging right into an enemy's trap? Are you just a boulder that rolls down whatever hill it's on? No, even a boulder has more sense!" Sothis scolded Byleth.
Byleth stammered, "I...I can explain!"
"Excuses won't help us! This darkness is terrifying!" Sothis exclaimed, her eyes filled with fear, "As you and I are one... I, too, am trapped within this void. But please consider this... This realm of darkness we are in is seperate from the world from which you came. I mean that it would take a god to leave this place. In time, our hearts and minds will cease to be. Are you prepared to die?"
Byleth remembered all she had left back in reality. She thought of the small things, like her favorite meals and being able to garden in the Greenhouse. She remembered her friends and students, like Claude and Dorothea, who had done everything in their power to accept her as one of their own. She even thought of her father; how his death affected her and her memories of him. Mostly she thought back to Sylvain; a man she was determined not to be involved with, who had shown her more emotion and feelings than she could ever dream. His handsome smile, his comforting embrace, and his companionship that could never be matched by another. Her feelings for him. Her...love for him? Yes, that was the word, her love for him. No other emotion could ever be as strong as this.
Byleth's eyes were filled with determination "I am not ready to die."
Sothis nodded, "I thought as much. I also do not wish to die. And yet...There is no other choice…"
Byleth narrowed her eyes on the girl, "What choice?"
Sothis rested her head on her palm, her constitution content and wise, "Do you recall your father's diary? He said you were a child who never cried nor laughed. I think I am the one to blame. I must have been asleep, but even then, I feel I was a part of you. I do not know how Rhea managed it, but she allowed me to exist inside of you. The truth is I have always been with you. It is within you that I found my power yet again. The power of a goddess. The power of the progenitor god."
"Sothis…" Byleth whispered. All of this time, I've been speaking with the Goddess? Byleth thought to herself. It was maddening, and yet it made so much sense.
"My name is Sothis. By now you must be well aware of what that means. I am the one who watches over Fodlan and the creatures dwelling there. I am Sothis, she who died then returned." Sothis spoke serenely.
Byleth nodded, "Somehow, I know this to be true."
Sothis smiled, pleased with Byleth's comment, "There is only one thing left to do to save us from this darkness of eternity. I must now use the power of a god. However, I lack a body of my own. And so, I must relinquish all the power that I have...to you. The time has come for you and I to join as one. And when that comes to pass...then I shall disappear."
"Disappear?! Sothis, I won't allow it." Byleth protested.
"When I say disappear, I do not mean that all I am will be no more. My soul will join with yours, and you and I will never be apart. But...I will no longer have a chance to speak with you. I shall miss it. So long have I been on this path with you. Through you, I got to see and hear this world. I even got to chastise you from time to time. I may not have acted like a goddess, but...it was certainly fun. For all that you have done... Thank you. I'm glad that it was you to whom my fate was bound." Sothis stated. She was oddly calm, for someone who was about to lose almost all existence. Byleth couldn't help but feel bad, but she knew this was the only way.
Byleth's eyes shimmered, "Thank you...for everything."
"Now... We must pray. For if we share this wish, our spirits two will join as one... Your wish...is to return to the forest, stop the enemy, and rescue the little ones. No need for words. I know your heart as though it were my own…" Sothis finished. No matter what she would face with this new power, Byleth would always be eternally grateful for the Goddess who gave her a second chance at life.
It was a shock to be sure, when Sylvain watched as Byleth pierced through the sky and re-emerged onto the field. He had been with the rest of the students surrounding Solon and his troops, demanding for him to return the Professor back to the real world. Sylvain had been so worried that Byleth had been lost to him forever, but as it would seem, Byleth returned as a force to be reckoned with. Her power was intense, almost blinding on the field as she wielded her sword as if it were a torch of light, bringing down the dark beings around her. However, as he observed her, he was stunned by the shocking change of appearance. Her eyes...her hair...they were green. She looked as though she were a younger Rhea. The blue hair and eyes that Byleth had were completely gone. And while most had ignored it, Sylvain couldn't help but admire it.
As the fighting died down, and Solon was slain, Sylvain and Claude joined together as they met up with Byleth. The other students were tending to the wounds of themselves and others, so it gave the pair some alone time with their Professor.
"Claude, I'm glad to see you. Syl...I am happy to see you as well." Byleth's emerald eyes glimmered in the setting sun. Sylvain could feel a jolt of pleasure washing over him, how could she just become more divinely beautiful?
"Teach! We won! I'll be honest—when I lost sight of you, I broke into a cold sweat. But Jeralt's killer is dead. All's well that ends well." Claude replied looking relieved that Byleth was okay.
"I'll say, I was scared out of my mind when you disappeared, By. It seems you couldn't keep your end of the bargain" Sylvain spoke softly, as he gently teased her.
"I'm sorry, it was my fault, Sylvain. I didn't mean to." Byleth's face fell.
Sylvain shook his head, "It's alright, I'm just glad you're alive and well."
Byleth gave a sweet smile, "True…" Sylvain smiled back, happy to know she was okay.
Claude let out a sigh, "Really? You're kidding, right? While it's nice that you two lovebirds have kissed and made up, Teach here is avoiding the obvious. I understood putting it off while we were in battle, but now that it's over, just go ahead and spit it out. That hair. Those eyes. That unfathomable power. What happened out there?"
"My hair?" Byleth grabbed a strand, only to be stunned that it had changed color, "Huh? I didn't know that would happen after-"
"After what? What happened when you were gone, Teach?" Claude pressed.
"Relax, Riegen, give the Professor a break," Sylvain intervened. He knew Claude was curious, but Sylvain wanted to make sure Byleth was okay for the questioning that she was about to receive.
"It's okay, Sylvain, I will tell you. I will tell both of you." Byleth responded, raising her hand to calm the two young men down.
As she spun her tale, Sylvain and Claude were completely flabbergasted. It was so unusual, Byleth had received her power from a Goddess. And not just any Goddess, it was The Goddess. The one who watched over Fodlan. Sylvain wanted to laugh at how incredibly strange and unbelievable the story was. However, he knew Byleth wasn't one for lying. She was almost always honest, sometimes to a fault. So if this was true, Byleth had acquired the Goddess' power.
"You mean to tell me…that an entity who claims to be the goddess was living inside your mind? And it's been that way since you were a baby? And this goddess entrusted all of her goddess-like power to you and then vanished…" Claude spoke in disbelief, his hand clutching his head trying to wrap his mind around it all.
"It is true, Claude. All of it." Byleth replied.
"It's a difficult story to swallow, Teach. But the way you look now… I guess I've got no choice but to believe it. How could something like that happen? There must be a clue in Jeralt's diary. If you believe the diary, there's a high possibility that Rhea did something to you when you were born. That's likely when all this began. What in the world happened to you as a baby? And what was Rhea after?" Claude questioned Byleth. Sylvain on the other hand couldn't keep his eyes off of her, his stare was too obvious for all to see.
Byleth looked over at him with a questioning brow, "Is something wrong, Syl?"
Sylvain spoke breathlessly, "I swear, it's like you're an entirely different person." His eyes couldn't move, he watched her in awe.
"Huh? Oh…" Byleth trailed off, her hands clutched at her side, "It's weird, isn't it?"
Sylvain blinked, "No, it's not weird at all. It's... You're somehow even more beautiful than before."
Byleth's eyes shot up at Sylvain, her eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Claude snorted, "Oh no, Sylvain, looks like a lover's quarrel is heading your way!"
"I'm joking! I'm joking! By, please, don't get mad!" Sylvain pleaded with her playfully.
She laughed melodiously, "Good I'm glad...I'm so...very...glad…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes suddenly fluttered shut and her body gave out and collapsed onto the ground.
"Teach!" "Byleth!" Sylvain and Claude shouted, as they stumbled over her body. Familiar with this scenario, Sylvain brought a reflective piece of armor from his gauntlet and floated it near her mouth and nose.
"What's the matter?! Did she trip or… Wait. Is she sleeping?" Claude asked.
Sylvain, watching as the piece of armor fogged up, was pleased to see that she was just fine, "Yeah seems like it, what could have caused this?"
"This must be an effect of the goddess's power. I wonder if Teach's body can handle the strain…" Claude questioned.
"Regardless, we need to take her back to the infirmary, just so she can get checked out." Sylvain stated. He wasn't sure if this power would do more harm than good, but he was far from the expert on this sort of thing.
"You don't mind carrying her, do you Sylvain?" Claude asked.
"Heh, I don't mind at all. I love holding a beautiful woman in my arms." Sylvain chuckled, carefully cradling Byleth in his arms, and lifting her up with a huff. He lifted her onto his horse, as he mounted the steed as well. As he started to steer the horse towards Garreg Mach, he could feel Byleth stir in his arms, making small mumbles and snuggling close to his chest.
Sylvain held her close to him, "Don't worry, Byleth, you're safe now."
Byleth mumbled, "Mmm, Syl…?"
Sylvain glanced down at her, "Yes, By?"
Byleth was silent at first, leading Sylvain to believe she had fallen back asleep, that was until she muttered out the most beautiful words that Sylvain would ever hear, "...I love you, for you, Syl…"
Sylvain gasped softly and looked back at Byleth, disappointed that as soon as he heard it, Byleth went back to a state of slumber. Sylvain could feel his eyes well up as his vision blurred. All he ever wanted in life was the chance to have a real connection with a girl that didn't give a damn about his Crest or his status. After everything he had been through; his father's expectations, the swarms of women who would take advantage of him in his youth, the death of Miklan and Jeralt, all of it finally seemed like it was all worth it. For the woman he cherished the most, valued the most, loved the most loved him just as much. Byleth never lies, Sylvain thought to himself.
He squeezed her tight against his breastplate, as his tears flowed down. He kissed her forehead and caressed her cheek, "I love you too, Byleth. More than life itself. And I promise, no matter what I'll be with you forever."