"My god!" screamed Elena, as she ran through the open door, "Millenia!"
Lying on the ground, with her face turned away, was Millenia. Elena knelt down next to her and took her cold hand. Sticking out of her was the letter opener. Ryudo stopped just behind Elena and put his hand on her shoulder. Elena reached out slowly and put her hand around handle and pulled it out. More blood spurted out of the wound as the blade moved.
Tio and Roan stood a little way away. Tio was staring at Millenia blankly. Roan knew this wasn't out of lack of caring, but because she couldn't understand the emotions building inside of her. Roan's eyes were filled with tears, just as Ryudo and Elena's eyes were.
"Why?" sobbed Elena, "Why did she do it? We could've helped her…WHY?"
"Elena…you know why she did it…" said Ryudo softly.
"SO THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?" yelled Elena, standing up and glaring at Ryudo.
"No…but at least…this is something she needed to do…" said Ryudo quietly.
Elena hit him hard in the chest, he didn't move, but merely grabbed her wrist. She fell forward and collapsed against him, crying. Ryudo put his arms around her and held her closely.
Millenia blinked hard and sat up. She already knew where she was, she remembered plunging the blade into herself. She stood up and looked down at where her clothes were stained with blood.
"Is this…heaven…or hell?" she said slowly.
"Neither," came a gruff voice that she knew all too well.
Millenia span around to see Mareg standing not too far from her.
"Mareg!" she gasped, a smile playing on her lips.
Mareg's face was scarred and slightly torn from where he had been killed on Valmar's moon, but at least you could tell who he was!
"Millenia," said Mareg, nodding at her, "It has been a long time."
"If this isn't hell or heaven, then where is it?" asked Millenia, "I know it's the other world, but which part?"
"There is no heaven or hell here, we are all dead and that is all," said Mareg.
"Unexpected, but I suppose it will make my search easier," she Millenia, frowning slightly.
"You are searching for Valmar?" asked Mareg.
Millenia nodded.
"I have to kill him again, or I can't survive," said Millenia, "He was pulling me into nothingness."
"That is a fate worse than death," said Mareg.
Millenia nodded again and looked around. There was no one else there.
"Will you return to the world of the living if you succeed?" asked Mareg.
"I don't know," said Millenia simply, "but being dead is better than being nothing at all."
"Wise words," said Mareg, "And if you will permit me, I will be happy to help you defeat Valmar again."
"As will I," came yet another familiar voice.
Millenia and Mareg both looked around and out of the shadows came Melfice.
"You're Ryudo's brother…" said Millenia.
He nodded. Without the horns of Valmar, Melfice looked more similar to Ryudo and better looking. He had a scar across his face where the metal mask had been removed.
"I know I am not considered trust worthy by your companion," said Melfice, glancing at Mareg who growled slightly, "But I wish to help you destroy Valmar for poisoning my mind and transferring the horns to Ryudo. They should've died inside of me."
"But…fine," said Millenia, "It's not as if we can die again really."
"We'll see about that!" called a dark voice.
Shivers ran down Mareg and Melfice's backs. Millenia knew that presence even before it spoke. She turned to see the great rising mass of Valmar, crawling out of the ground. It made Millenia feel physically ill just to look at it.
Melfice, Mareg and Millenia all prepared themselves. Out of thin air their hosen weapons appeared. Millenia wanted to see if she imagined something else it would pop up, but now wasn't the time to test it. She set an arrow into the cross-bow and aimed it straight for the heart of the wriggling mass clawing its way out of the ground.
Even as the arrow struck, Millenia knew it wasn't going to work. The mass shuddered slightly, finally got up and spat the arrow back at her. She dodged and looked around at Melfice and Mareg.
"This isn't going to be easy," she said, smiling softly.
"No one said it would be," said Melfice, swinging his sword around in his hand.
"We're behind you Millenia," said Mareg.
Millenia looked back at Valmar, now at his full height. She winced slightly.
"I sure hope so…"
Roan and Tio sat down in the library. They both sighed deeply and stared blankly at their feet. Elena and Ryudo had gone for a walk. This was to clam Elena down more than anything.
"Why didn't she just wait for us to find the gate way?" asked Tio.
"She wouldn't have lasted the night," said roan, "She'd be gone before we could help her and once she was gone, she wasn't going to be coming back. At least in the other world, she has a chance to exist."
"But she's dead…how is that 'Existing'?" asked Tio, confused.
"I don't know, but being dead is better than being trapped in nothingness." Said Roan.
"How?" asked Tio.
Roan looked up at her. Tio was staring at him, her face was filled with confusion and she was biting her lip, praying that he could give her the answer she needed to put her worries to rest. He suddenly had a flash back to him asking his father about why he had to be king, as a child. At the time he was confused, but after his mother died, he realised that everything happened for a reason and he was destined to take the throne from his father after he died. It was the same for Tio, she was confused now, but after everything had been explained she would understand how Millenia being dead was better than her just disappearing all together.
"I can't explain it to you Tio," he said softly, "It just had to happen this way and eventually, you will understand why."
Tio nodded; Roan was wise beyond his years, caused by him having to take the throne at a young age after the loss of both his parents.
"Thank you Roan," she said gently, "You always make me feel better."
"I'm glad," he said, before standing up, "Now we'd better get some sleep. There's no point staying awake, surrounded by all these old books now."
Sitting on a wall, over looking the river, Elena and Ryudo were leaning against each other. They hadn't said anything in a while. Elena was thinking just how peaceful the water looked. It amazed her how, even though Millenia was dead, everything was just carrying on. The water was still flowing, there were still children running around, even though the sun was almost set, the parents were still sitting together, laughing at a joke or talking about something they had heard earlier that day and tomorrow, the shops would still open and the people would carry on with their lives. It was strange, how something life changing could happen to them, and yet everything else just carried on…
(A/N) Sorry it's late, but I've got exams and I'm totally panicking. Thanks for reading. Lots of luv from Becky.