Dᴇᴍᴏɴs

Emilia lay on the ancient, uneven ground of the timeworn cavern, looking up at the curious performance above her, watching the now vibrant and sparkling radiance of the crystals paint a picture of sprightliness. At careful intervals, did the amalgamation of colors cast new sights one after another, inviting her into a chimeric dream far removed from her disparate reality.

It was a night which began a nightmare, before ending on the fringes of a tempestuous storm of passion.

From beside her rest a motionless form, and apart from the repetitious tune of light, rhythmic breathing, she could perceive no other sound emerging from it. Turning onto her side and with steady eyes, Emilia mindfully studied the silhouetted figure, her eyes straining at the mercy of dangling crystals from the ceiling casting a palpitating light.

It had been a long night, but even as the waning moon passed unwittingly into the next day, the lingering passages of time went forgotten to her. No more did the concerns of the outside world bear any meaning—of her friends, and even Wilhelm van Astrea, too—the elder warrior who was left in the darkness to do battle alone. Indeed, her world seemed much smaller as she gazed longingly at the unabashed sleeping features of her lover next to her.

She reached out a quivering hand to touch him. With the virtuosity of a skilled musician, her lean and slender fingers brushed over his cheek and with meticulous precision, they toured up the side of his face to brush the lengthened bangs from his lidded eyes. Now exposed, Emilia felt her expressionless lips curl to a small smile as she viewed his peaceful sleeping visage. She dared not wake him, and she would have risked the world if it were solely to keep him in his tranquil state for just a moment longer.

When she had come to him hours ago, in his stead, she found someone who she did not completely know. As well as she knew her Subaru, she doubtlessly understood the person lying next to her was Subaru no longer, but someone who had been irrevocably changed in ways she could not yet comprehend. Deep within her, she felt dread, and in it, she found herself afraid to trouble him once more, to stir him from his sleep. Underneath his peaceful guise, Emilia surmised he was suffering something so terrible… and worst of all, he was suffering it alone.

She couldn't be there for him, as usual.

It was because of this she prayed for him more fiercely than ever before.

Praying that whatever dark forces assailing him would diminish, and his colorless and grey eyes would return to their former spirited splendor shades of brown. For the Divine Dragon to protect and guide him to serenity under the safeguard of his ever-expansive wing. Praying —though she knew her desperate invocations would go unanswered—for her Subaru… her hero, to return to her in the state before their separation.

Emilia instinctively reached to finger his cheek once more. Her pallid fingertips, so careful not to wrest him from his slumber before, now nudged him with a forcefulness formerly repressed by the last remnants of her self-control. In her desperate touch, she felt the softness of his skin, the warmth of it—and in response, a dizzying heat singed her cheeks whilst blood rushed and spread across her face as she relinquished all notions of restraint.

Here, at the edges of her own rationality, she could resist the urges which swelled within her no longer. Her lust for him was as potent as the most intoxicating drink, and certainly more exhilarating than anything she had ever felt before. She wished for nothing more than to feel those emotions again… to feel his hands run over every contour of her body… to feel his needful lips as he pressed them against all the forbidden areas of her body… and to feel all of him as she surrendered her purity to him, again, and again, and again.

The needy palm of her hand spread itself eagerly across his cheek, and her eyes turned downward from his lidded own as they explored his body from top to bottom. She devoured him with her hungry leer, and she could just withstand her yearning to taste him there and then.

Her intemperate gestures did not go forgotten.

As if her longing for him was palpable enough to beckon, she felt an intruding hand caress her own. She turned to the source of the unexpected touch, and her amorous lavender eyes found themselves gazed upon by a grey and silent stare.

"You're still here?" he said.

Emilia did not speak, but the pale glow of the crystals showed her anxious and hopeful eyes above a small smile. She entangled her fingers with his own, and out of habit, she drew their hands carefully and rest them on her lap.

Subaru watched her attentively, enthralled by her every movement. Even if she were enveloped in a shadow no eye could see through, he would not draw his own away from it. She captured every second of his attention, every waking moment, and even the entirety of his dreams.

She had been there as he slept just moments before. There, he saw her shortened ashen hair glowing as a beacon in the darkness… her marvelous amethyst eyes as she gazed listlessly back at him… and he etched every twist and curve of her shapely body to his soul, so he may never forget. His sleep was so restful—so filled with peace and harmony—he realized he could never exist without her by his side.

The sounds of her uneven and exhilarated gasps are all which filled his mind now. As she lay next to him covered by nothing but a thin, black robe, he found himself creeping ever so closer to her, and she waited for him.

Sometime later—it could have been mere seconds, or even hours—Subaru's free hand finally rested itself across her rose-colored cheek, his other one cupped around her smooth, yet firm and round bottom. Her expression softened, and her breathing slowed. Subaru looked into those wonderous lavender eyes, and as they reflected the everchanging light of the crystals, he found himself staring into enchanted waters both impossibly light and infinitely deep. He dared not speak a word as she curved her face inward and kissed him lightly upon his palm.

The sounds of her gentle kisses filled the cavern air as her trembling lips departed his skin one after another in light pecks of love. She turned his palm over and then began her work on his fingers, and from thumb to little finger; she left none without the tenderness of her love. After a moment, she broke away from him and lay back, displaying her hidden body to him. With all the allure of a siren, her hand hovered teasingly near her exposed collarbone, her legs slightly spread apart. As she saw him gaping at her with a lustful desire she had never seen before, she let a small, playful smile grace her rosy lips.

Taking the robe-turned-blanket between her thumb and forefinger, she stared back at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Is this what you want, Subaru?" she whispered, as she pulled the cover down far enough to expose the supple dip and curvature of her breasts.

Every syllable tickled him mercilessly, as if she were speaking those words against his bare skin. He was wordless as she bewitched him under her spell, and he found himself craving her taste more so than ever. And that tightness… There was that painful tightness underneath his robe, one he so desperately needed to release.

As if responding to his muted request, the robe slid off her voluptuous body and onto the cold cavern floor below.

Subaru's mouth turned bone-dry as his sex stood to a brimming, painful erection within the confines of his darkened robe. In front of him, she lay enticingly on display with every inch of her perfection in full view. Her now exposed pale white skin glittered in the darkness wondrously, as if she were never meant to be there at all, and her soft, pink nipples called him to her in such a way he could not resist.

Without warning, he leapt at her and captured one of those pink nubs between his teeth, and as he suckled them as if he were a babe himself, he felt them lengthen and harden receptively.

She made a small unexpected sound, and went rigid for a mere second before softening in his grasp. Euphoria spread across her entire body as she drew an awkward, excited breath, and then she shifted herself into him as best she could. She gasped again as she felt the keen sensation of his teeth bite at her breast, and the soft warm feeling which followed as he twirled around her with his tongue. For a moment, she lost herself in an astonishment of pleasure, and she murmured something, almost soundlessly into his ear, without knowing what it was.

"Oh, Subaru!" she moaned thoughtlessly, assailed by newfound feelings. "That's… Oh… Such a thing, it's… Ah!" Whatever words she wanted to part with him were lost as she twisted and turned against feelings unimaginable.

Settling against her, his mouth mournfully departed from her breast and found itself snaking its way up the ivory of her collarbone, to her neck and finally to the lobe of her pointy ear as he left small, deliberate bites along the way.

"You don't know how much I love your ears," Subaru whispered breathlessly, his hot breath stimulating her enough to elicit goose bumps across her glistening skin. "Every part of you is flawless… and every inch of you has my love as much as the next…"

Emilia shut her eyes as she felt him nibble her ear in such a way she never thought it possible. Her ears were the damnatory sign of her lineage, and in the past, she wanted nothing more than to cut them off herself if she could muster the courage enough to dare. But now, as he demonstrated such love and admiration for such a terrible thing, the action resurrected feelings lamented for half a millennium.

There was a brief silence and break in their wanton foreplay as Subaru hovered hawk-like over his prey. Emilia continued staring forward as she could feel his hot, even breath splash itself across her skin every few seconds. She dared not turn and face him, for he would undoubtedly notice the tears of happiness brimming her vibrant pools of lilac.

This abashed joy throbbing in the deep core of her heart told her all she needed to know about what was currently happening. Even if this were the last moment the two would ever spend together, she could pass into the netherworld without regret—knowing full well she chose who she gave herself to wisely, in all body, mind and soul. She desired him more than he could ever know, and in almost losing him, her love for him was reaffirmed tenfold. She was clearheaded in this moment; both sober and without any outside influence over her mind other than the perfervid levels of love enrapturing her.

Subaru's grey eyes narrowed as he saw her trembling silently in the darkness. He was too close for such feelings to go unnoticed.

Gazing calmly out into the darkness, Emilia whispered into the damp air of the cavern:

"My beloved, please take me again…"

The request hadn't even fully registered in his mind before he found himself straddling her nude body.

Before she knew what had happened, Subaru had discarded his robe to the side, pressing their bare bodies against one another as they surrendered themselves to carnal desire. With heightened senses and dilated eyes did she stare back at his lustful gaze wondering what he would do next.

It didn't take long for him to decide.

He twisted his head sharply and their lips met again for what felt like the first time. With diligent attention to detail, his caressing hand travelled from her breast, down to her firm naval and past her womanly hips, before finally resting on the silky-smooth cream of her supple thigh. There, he gripped her, and with urgency, he hoisted her up so her bare feet dangled helplessly in the air.

She gasped as her fingers locked and twisted in the dark tufts of his hair. Their lips met once more with an avidness—a hunger which almost drew blood as the flame burning between the two stoked and billowed until it was a bonfire.

Never, ever, had she felt such feelings before.

Suddenly, Emilia could feel his hand smooth over the thin, white hairs above her groin as if he were admiring them, and then he pressed himself against her wetted sex. Slowly, she felt him enter her. She gasped, before she sunk her teeth into his shoulder and clawed at his back until they drew red, bloody lines. Subaru kept a slow rhythm, pressing in deeper every so often, equally teasing her by pulling out nearly the exact same length. It wasn't until a few dozen more tepid thrusts did she feel his length reach the deepest folds of her flesh… and all else was blown over.

She felt her body grow more comfortable with his girth, and she knew he knew it from his quickening thrusts. The heightened tempo nearly numbed her mind from the terrific sensation, the inside of her skull pounding with the exact same power as what her loins felt. Amongst her own pleasure, she could feel his need and panicked desperation for a release, his member engorging and trembling innocently.

He let out moans of satisfaction of his own against her pointy ear as he took her with an aggression formerly unseen. He strained himself in his exertion, groaning bestially; their body heat joining in unison, and before long, both she and Subaru were damp from sweat.

In a hazy recollection she remembered the first time they had made love. The details in her mind were blurred, and the feelings lost as if experienced during a long-forgotten dream. For an instant, Emilia thought she understood. She struggled hard to realize why things were happening as they were—but as quickly as the realization came to her, it was lost.

Everything was gone; all semblance of thought eradicated through feelings of pure gratification and fulfillment. Her memories, too—her remembrance of the world beyond her lover, vanished like a cool breeze through the moonlit night sky.

And what remained of it was a vague dream.

She cried out as she climaxed. Her hands slid along his back, and then fell weakly to the side; her shapely legs, which had unknowingly coiled behind his hips, tightened stronger than the giant worm she encountered earlier, urging him to explore deeper inside her—her pleasure obliterating all semblance of control.

Hearing her cries as she shuddered against him, Subaru's excitement was sent to a new level. Using the discarded robe as a cushion and never parting from their union, he flipped her onto her side and thrust into her even harder. Emilia's eyes were tightly shut, and she mouthed something to him even though no sound came.

Feeling her satiated sex tighten around him, Subaru began to drive himself into her faster and faster, as if he were trying to drive away all the hurt and all the pain they had suffered together. His own climax came hard as he released himself deep inside her, bucking his hips wildly in accordance to her folds' accepting pulse. Its powerfulness wracked his body so much it made him forget even his own name.

His strength ebbed away along with his orgasm, though he still had the countenance to avoid flopping shamefully on top of her panting body. Trembling like a newborn foal, he controlled his upper body around her, half-cradling her with his admittedly average muscle mass, before snuggling his face to the side of her neck and finally hugging her naked and unmoving body from behind fully.

There they lay, quiet in each other's arms, as no words needed to be shared between the two.

After quite some time, Emilia rolled over onto her other side, so the two were now facing each other.

He felt her fingers rest against his heaving chest and glide alongside his skin, as he gazed breathlessly into her otherworldly eyes. Her playful touches escalated, and soon, she began to leave small, light kisses all over his body—from his chest, to his sides, down to his belly, and further down until he could describe no more.

As Subaru craned his head forward, he was graced with the stunning view of her bare rear as she bent over him, playfully kissing his lower extremities. He reached out and gave the bottom of her thigh a light squeeze, which pulled her attention away from what she was doing.

Turning her head, she gazed at him with curiosity laden on her expression and a mischievous glint in her eye. His grey eyes, even before she spoke, had been curiously light, livelier than she had ever seen them in their new state.

"What do you think you're doing?" she squirmed. "You know I'm ticklish, don't you?"

Alert in the twinkling light amongst the darkness, Subaru smiled at her. How impossible was it to him this beautiful and ephemeral girl was currently bestride him, naked and exposed in all her immodesty.

"I do, but that's the point," he replied as she crossed over to him, giving a final agonizing teasing peck to his loins, and snuggled up by his side. "And you don't seem to be too bothered about it, huh?"

Emilia gave him a lewd smile. "I certainly am bereft of complaints as of right now…"

She leaned in to kiss him on the nape of his neck, eliciting a joyous laughter from his lips. "Oh, my lovely Satella... Please don't, that tickles—"

Abruptly, her kissing ceased, and Subaru felt her shudder against him.

Slowly, she drew her face back from the warm comfort of his skin, and the two stared at each other as bewilderment spread itself across her face. Her gentle amethyst eyes were now as wide as saucers, and her pupils were pinpoint as she gaped at him, mouth slightly ajar and wordless.

"Is there something wrong?" Subaru asked, as he closed the distance between them. "I didn't say anything inappropriate… right?"

Stepping back away from him, she continued to gaze at him in confusion. She narrowed her eyes as he looked questioningly at her, asking if he had done her some great wrong. But still, she stayed silent and found herself unable to reply to him, as her tumultuous thoughts were unthinkable to turn into audible words.

Subaru was deeply stirred. Her lack of response made him feel a darkness in the pit of his stomach he could not banish. Is she upset at me? Did I do something she did not like? He ran these questions over and over in his mind as he struggled to conjure an apology for a mistake he had no knowledge of.

She continued to move away from him as he stepped toward her.

Subaru saw the pain painted over her gentle features. He gasped, and then echoed the forbidden name once more—and in his voice, there was a desperation unlike any other:

"Satella…"

As she heard him call her by that vile epithet of a name one more time, she froze and averted her sight from his own. In response, Subaru dropped his shoulders in resignation when he saw how his words broke her for reasons he could not understand.

Emilia's eyes narrowed at him in thought as she viewed his crestfallen state. He had called her 'Satella' not once, but twice.

It was for certain, then; she realized he had not made a mistake. His words were true and without malice. She could this see reflected in his weary eyes and the somberness of his expression. His feelings were genuine, and in her heart, she knew he believed her to be the Jealous Witch, and not Emilia.

She reached up to grasp the lonesome ring dangling wistfully from her neck.

Her mind wandered sorrowfully in thought: In the moments they just shared together, and as they made love, did he believe himself to be making love to someone else, and not herself? The mere musings of it shattered her heart into a thousand tiny fragments. A mixture of emotions assailed her, and suddenly she felt very lightheaded. The world spun and rocked, and then everything went blank, her body falling forward onto the cavern's slippery floor.

Expediently, Subaru stepped with an inhuman-like speed, and she fell limp into the protective grasp of his arms.

"Satella, are you okay…?" he whispered as he brushed the silver bangs from her eyes. "Are you feeling unwell? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Such words of worry went unheard to her as she lay softly in his arms, completely unresponsive and unaware. In time, she felt the overwhelming sensations of the waking world return to her.

As her eyes lidded open, she found herself under the watchful gaze of two piercing grey orbs. Realizing she was in the arms of Subaru once more, she froze up, laying still and playing dead. Eventually, with a stony silence, she looked up at him, the surprise on her face clear as day for all to see.

It was an impressive feat he caught her as fast as he did—maybe too impressive for the Subaru she knew to achieve. Surely, he was athletic and limber, but the speed he needed to move in order to catch her at that distance was almost akin to the protection of the wind instead of human reflex.

Subaru helped her to her feet, making sure to hold her hand gently in case she stumbled once more. As she stood, she balanced herself and then let out a deep breath. Still nude from their coupling just moments prior, she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as the biting coolness of the cavern began to take hold. Noticing this, Subaru led her over to where their clothes rested on the cavern floor.

"Let's get dressed so you don't catch a cold, alright?" Subaru said, picking up her discarded undergarments and robe with an outstretched hand.

Emilia nodded in response. "I am very grateful… I don't know what came over me. I suppose I have not had anything to drink since this forenight past…"

Subaru dressed himself in his dark garb as she spoke. "Then we must find you some," he decided, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeve. "Now that you have finally returned to my side, I believe it's time we leave this place. With our love, we should have no problem getting out of here."

"The very same," Emilia replied with a hint of sadness weighing down her voice. Listlessly, she pointed to their right. "Behind us lay a crevice tucked between the walls. If we make our way down that way, we should find our exit."

Subaru smiled as he pushed a hand through his hair. "So, you want to escape the conventional way, huh? Say, why don't you teach me how to materialize myself through the shadows like you always do? Even if it's boring, that seems to be the most ideal method of travel around here."

Emilia fell silent. She looked at him, but she could find nothing sincerer within herself to answer his question. Instead, thinking she should just go along with it, she said, "It would take you too long to master such a technique, so for now, we should travel by way of foot. Besides, you wish to spend more time with me, don't you?"

He smiled at her then, widely. Beneath his pale and tired guise, his face was as young as ever. "It's a date, then!" Subaru said, his cheerful voice eerily echoing the memory of his former self. "I can't wait for you to teach me new powers for me to use. You know I want to be able to protect you the best I can!"

It seemed almost a silly thing to hear. As she questioned herself whether this person was really Subaru or not, she suddenly realized her fears were unfounded. She knew not why he believed her to be Satella, or why he had seemingly forgotten her real name—or even her existence—but even if she did not have answers to those questions, one thing remained certain.

The one who stood before her was, without question, her Subaru.

And now, finally, she did understand. She knew Subaru loved her whether she was the Jealous Witch, Satella, or the half-elf, Emilia. In the end, it didn't matter. Regardless of who she was, he would love her in the same, full way he always did.

In those silvery eyes of his, she saw a liveliness which breathed and lived only for her, and her alone, regardless of what her name was.

Satella smiled somberly. "I know you do," she said, almost soundlessly to where he may not hear. "Soon, I promise… I shall teach you everything, and before long, there shan't be any secrets between ourselves."

He smiled in return, and then looked over to her as the darkened robe fell from her waist to cover her creamy legs. He saw her blush under his watchful eye, before saying, "That's exactly what I needed to hear from you. Your words of love… they are all I desire. Please, don't ever leave me… Satella."

She swallowed and nodded. "I shall not…'Tis a promise I shall never break."

Subaru's smile turned to a grin. "That's not a bad vow to take. I look forward to the time we'll share between us, as it's been foretold. For now, I think we'll have to break our conversation at this moment, as we're running low on time."

Satella collected herself and looked inquisitively at him. He was staring off into the darkness where the entrance to the cliff was. To satisfy her curiosity, she wished to ask what he meant regarding 'their time had been foretold', but hesitated. The words never came and were lost to her, as she noticed his kind aura had become both dark and grave.

Subaru turned to her. "We must hurry, Satella," he beckoned, while holding out his hand for hers to take. "They will be here soon…"

"Who shall be here soon?" Satella asked. She glanced quickly past him into the darkness, but saw nothing. Hesitantly, she took his hand, and with little warning, she felt a raging river of power flow into her. She gasped, the shock threatening to stop her heart.

"Careful now." Subaru laughed quietly to himself. "Our connection to one another might be too strong now."

She panted hoarsely, more startled than anything else.

Subaru continued smiling at her nonchalantly. His grasp around her small, frail hand began to tighten, and with gentility he guided her to his side. After a moment, whatever power pouring from his gate began to subside, and her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace.

And Satella knew—knew in that moment with an utter and absolute certainty—this new Subaru was more different than she could had ever imagined. It frightened her, to feel the power outpouring from the palms of his hands as it did, but even amongst that fear, she found herself in awe. It wasn't anything like she had ever felt before. It wasn't the usual warm sensation of mana which washed over her like the surge of ocean waves. It was much more powerful than that; all-encompassing, even, as if his power were the peerless shadows which overtook the land each and every night.

Satella shut her eyes, and then reopened them anew—even though it went unnoticed—indeed, something had changed within those gentle orbs. Before, they glittered innocently and childishly in the darkness. Now, they were knowing, complex and fulfilled, with a tinge of an insatiable, yet alien longing. It was a simple curiosity and a yearning born of the look in her eyes, and they hungered for more of whatever she just felt.

"Our connection was always strong," she whispered breathlessly into the darkness. "It just eluded my understanding until this very moment… but now I can feel the tingle of it, its potency lifting all the weight off my shoulders."

"Believe me," Subaru replied as he looked upon her in a new light. "I know exactly what you mean—"

Abruptly, Subaru lurched forward, his speech interrupted, as his hand shot to his temple to assuage a striking pain. His entire body was trembling in pain, hyperventilating to where Satella nearly screamed and scurried up to him in confusion. However, his free hand pushed her worry away gently.

"Are you well, Subaru?" she asked, incredibly concerned.

"I'm fine," he muttered, pain evident in his voice. "There's nothing wrong with me, we just need to get going—and fast."

He looked away and took a step toward the exit. Turning his head to the left, he noticed Satella watching him as she followed quietly behind. In just seconds, they approached the crevice in the wall, and he could see nothing past it as the cavern had darkened significantly. The crystals, formerly glowing with life, had been silenced like the dwindling flame of a melted candle.

There was a sudden, frightening silence around them. And then, an immediate rush of sound. They looked at each other for but a mere second.

"—Get down!"

Subaru's warning barely escaped his lips before a wild explosion rocked them. Shards of scorched rock were sent in every direction as they received the full brunt of a highly destructive spell conjured only to kill.

Smoke and dust erupted into the air, before the tumbling of rock and flame came to a rest.

Subaru, standing up and getting his wits about him, looked around in panic for his lover. His ears were ringing and his eyesight blurred, but he strained himself to focus. His eyes darted through the noxious fumes and haze, and as his lungs breathed it in, he felt himself turning sick. He began to cough hoarsely, but still, he pushed through the thick, sooty smoke. Briefly, his eyes caught a glimpse of a small shine within the darkness, and he found himself drawn to it. He threw himself over the motionless body and pulled it into his arms.

Her head fell limp against him as she came into full view.

"Satella…" he uttered. "Please, oh please. You can't go! Satella… you can't leave me already!"

With desperation he ran his fingers up and down her charred face, hoping with all his might his touch itself could breathe the life back into her lifeless body. Half her face had been burnt so badly it was unrecognizable, and her doll-like eyes were dark and lifeless. A mixture of bright red and dark blood streamed down her torso, covering him in it. He tore madly at her robe to reveal deep and seemingly fatal lacerations caused by the shrapnel of rock from the blast. In desperation, he pressed his palm against her gaping wounds in order to plug the bleeding, but it kept pouring like a geyser, eager to spend everything in it until no more could be spent.

Subaru let himself weep. Words would not—could not—come to him as he held his fair maiden as she passed into the next life. He wanted to speak, but his trembling lips failed to form the words. So, he cried, and cried, as he buried himself into her now cold and lifeless skin. "No, please," he whispered. He stroked what bit of silver-hair was left on her charred scalp. "What about my love? What about our love we were going to share together until the end of time? And your promise… Satella?"

From inside his robe, he withdrew a black book. He flipped madly and hastily through the pages, before he stopped on a specific one. His eyes scanned the words etched in blood, and then widened in astonishment. His strength failed him, and the tome fell solemnly to the floor, bouncing but once before resting itself on the cold cavernous floor.

In despair, he curled himself into the lifeless corpse of his lover and resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him. If she were taken from him, then his meaningless life was over.

He closed his eyes.

"Are you well, Subaru?" a voice echoed within his mind.

His eyes opened once more.

Subaru looked to his right and locked eyes with the worried gaze of Satella, whose expression was painted over with worry and angst. She rose her hand to her mouth in distress, unsure of what to say or do.

A second later, she heard an odd sound escape him. It was laughter, she figured, but it was demented and twisted as if done in self-deprecation. It wasn't like any laugh she had ever heard before.

"So, it is to be, then," Subaru eked out through his deranged cackle. "My love has been repaid once more, and so the gods of this world smile upon me yet again!" Turning to Satella, he took her hand and led her away without explanation, as she offered little resistance.

He stepped up to the chasm basked in shadow below him, and he met eyes with the anxious Satella who stood by him. She stepped over the precipice and looked down at the bottomless pit below.

"What are we doing, Subaru?" she asked. "The exit is back behind us in the opposite direction. Surely, you don't mean for us to go down there, right?" Her voice became more and more unsure as she stared deeper into the never-ending hole.

Turning to her, he met her concerned eyes with a determined stare. "Do you trust me?" he asked shortly, while reaching out his hand once more. "I am guessing you cannot use your power of levitation while you're in your corporeal form, so you're just going to have to trust me instead."

"W-what do you mean?" she asked nervously, her tone itself spurring him.

Subaru knelt next to her. "I will carry you," he offered, holding out his arms for her. "But you must come quickly, we do not have much time."

Satella nodded and then stepped over to him. Gently, she rested herself against the comfort of his grasp, and he stood up with her easily as if she were the weight of a feather. She let out a light gasp in surprise.

Subaru grinned, and he looked down determinedly into the intimidating pit of nothingness. Wordlessly, he strode to the very edge of the cliff. Satella hugged him tightly, clearly afraid he was going to jump.

He answered her fears with his right foot, stepping forward.

She shut her eyes and let out a shriek as she felt the rush of air catch her silver hair, as they plummeted down towards the unknown.

And a moment later the air stilled, and her hair settled just above her shoulders once more in a calm respite. In confusion, she looked up to Subaru, who had a triumphant smile gracing his lips, then she looked around. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

We are floating?! she thought. Her excited thoughts did not betray her. Indeed, they were flying in mid-air, as if Subaru himself commanded the elements of the sacred triumvirate: wind, fire, and earth. Of course, he did not possess this magical prowess, and to her knowledge, only one man in existence had such an ability: Roswaal L. Mathers. So just how, could he levitate as he currently did?

"Well, this is nice," Subaru quipped. "The view is much nicer from down here. In fact, I can almost see the bottom."

Satella narrowed her eyes as she peered down into the shadow. Even though she was afraid of heights, she felt nothing as she looked down there because she couldn't see anything. It's as if they were in another dimension entirely, surrounded by darkness and darkness alone. But, as they hovered further and further down into the pit, she realized he was right.

There was something down there, but she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"Just a moment, it's going to get a little bumpy," he whispered into her pointed ear. "I've never landed this thing before, so I don't know how it's going to go. Here, if you reach your arm around my neck…" He craned his head forward to allow her to use his neck for support.

She didn't know what he meant, but she was careful enough to brace for impact anyway.

Below them, the faint color of teal lagmite spread itself across the walls of the chasm, granting them a faint glow so they could finally see the bottom. Subaru then hugged Satella tight against his body to absorb whatever shock they were about to feel, and—

They splashed against the rocky surface of the pit. For the most part, Subaru protected her from the force of the crash, but it was no doubt a jarring sensation to feel. Satella lay splayed across Subaru as he shook his head to banish the dizziness from said landing. He stood up and rubbed his head gingerly, having smacked his head against the rock.

"It would seem I disengaged the spell a bit too soon," said Subaru as he inspected their surroundings carefully.

"The spell?" Satella replied. "What kind of spell was that?"

Subaru smiled softly. "It was an Authority, something you should be very familiar with."

"An Authority…?" Satella's voice was soft as she recollected memories long since forgotten. Suddenly, she pressed her fingers to her temple as a sharp pain assailed her, and then she remembered.

Her pain went unnoticed to her partner, but still he looked at her with a hint of worry. He was always protective of her like that.

"Geuse…" she whispered sadly, as flashes of long-forgotten memories returned to her.

The memories were sharp, and painful as they stuck into her like a freshly-whetted knife. Two or three lonesome tears rolled down her cheek as she felt feelings forgotten for a century. Over the past month, these memories had been returning to her ever since she left the Sanctuary. But this time, they were as clear as day to her, and not just the fleeting moments of her dreams. She remembered, and the pain was almost too much to bear.

"Is there something wrong, Satella?" Subaru asked, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "You don't look so well. Did you have vertigo from the heights? If you need to rest, then we can. I believe we are safe down here."

"No, I'm fine," she said gently in return. "In fact, we should be on our way. The quicker we get out of this cavern, the better. And I no doubt believe we are still in danger."

Subaru smiled once more, said nothing, as nothing needed to be said in response. A moment later though, he heard Satella's voice once more, but this time in a very different tone:

"Do you have any idea how we can escape this terrible place?"

He scratched his chin in thought, and then reached his hand into his robe. From within, he withdrew a small, black book, just a little bit larger than his hands. Carefully, he opened it and began to delve into its pages soundlessly.

Satella felt herself shiver at the sight of such a thing. There was something unnerving about the book, but she couldn't place a finger on it. Her amethyst eyes narrowed as she looked closer at it. Subaru was focused completely on the book itself and had not noticed she was staring at it. She felt small beads of sweat trickle down the side of her head as she kept her intense glare. Soon, there was an itch in her stomach, and it travelled all the way up to her skull. She wanted to pull her eyes away from the book, but some otherworldly force prevented her neck muscles from functioning.

Then, she heard its twisted speech.

A horrid shriek came from her as she fell backwards to the floor. Quickly, she crawled away from Subaru as he looked at her in confusion.

"Satella, are you okay?" he asked, rushing over to her, black book in hand. "Why are you frightened? Did you see something in the darkness? Are we in any danger?" He gripped her quivering hand protectively, scanning the shadows for any life, friend, or foe.

Having found none, he turned his worrisome gaze back to the quivering half-elf who lay against the rocky ground. Gently, he took her in his arms, and he brushed her silver-bangs from her amethyst eyes to comfort her. She was shaking against him, almost convulsing even as he held her tightly to keep her still.

"Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded to her as he rocked her like an infant. "Please, Satella, something must be wrong…"

Her panicked eyes shut, and then reopened with a fear spread across them. "The book," she whispered faintly, almost too low to hear. "Get the book away from me. I can feel it crawling inside my head… Its vile words spread its poison over my mind as if it were evil itself."

Subaru looked at the book in his hand, and then back at Satella. Quickly, he stuffed the book back into the pocket and safe confine of his robe.

She instantly felt as if an immeasurable weight had been lifted off her. The words inside her mind had stopped, but the things it already said had already taken its toll on her. In the moments it had connected with her, it had toiled laboriously within every crook and cranny of her spirit.

He had been watching her as unobtrusively as he could. When he noticed she had begun to return to normal, he reached out and cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand. She felt unusually hot to the touch, as if she were running a fever.

He waited for her lidded eyes to open once more, before he spoke, stroking the side of her face lovingly, "You feel hot! If you're not well enough to travel, then we should maybe rest. I don't want you getting sick, especially when we're trapped inside this cave like this."

Satella was quick to reply. "I am fine, Subaru," she whispered, nuzzling herself into the loving touch of his palm. "Finer, even, because of your touch. The very feeling of your skin relieves even the greatest headache."

Subaru smiled, which she returned. "Don't tell me you were faking it just so you could get me to embrace you." He then chuckled, before getting out the rest. "That would be a new low."

"What do you mean?" Satella grinned at him. "Do you reeeally believe I would do something like that? Please, Subaru… have the decency to use your common sense the Divine Dragon bestowed upon you."

"Nothing surprises me anymore with you," he replied swiftly. "In fact, I tend to expect the unexpected when it comes to silver haired half-elves in this world. The one I came across seems to be most intriguing in all aspects. Hell, you even seem to change the way you talk on a whim. I'm not entirely sure which way is the cutest."

"Intriguing, huh?" Satella pointed while trying to keep a straight face. She pushed off him and stepped away, hands firmly on her hips.

"I didn't mean that."

"Oh, really?"

Subaru stepped towards her. She gasped as he backed her up against the wall of the chasm, pinning her up against the wall, his arms on either side preventing her from escaping.

"It would seem you can't go anywhere," he said as he drew his face close to hers, close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. "In that case, what should I do now?"

"Now, this is intriguing," she breathlessly whispered through a playful smile. "Whatever are you going to do, I wonder…?"

His left hand snaked around the nape of her neck and squeezed lightly, but threateningly enough to get his point across.

"I think," he said, teasingly. "You should be careful about what you say. Next time you try to run from me, I won't let you go so easily."

"You won't have to," Satella said ruefully. "Beneath those menacing eyes of yours, I can see you wish for nothing more than to be by my side. I happen to feel the same way, so there shan't be a next time."

Subaru's silver eyes narrowed at her, and he released his hold on her. "If you say so…" he whispered.

Satella noticed the playfulness vanish from the song of his voice, and then he walked away from her in the other direction. She followed closely behind him, wondering why he hurt as much as he did.

Neither Subaru nor Satella spoke to each other for quite some time, as they walked close by one another, unsure of where they were going. The faint glow of the lagmite crystals still spread themselves evenly along the cavern walls, symmetrically placed there unnaturally by a sentient being. They lit one of only two potential pathways they could take, and so they followed it without question.

Even though she did not show it, Satella was a stormy sea of emotions. She had yet to come to full terms with her newfound persona, one she was struggling to adapt. And yet, she dared not question Subaru or his desire for her. She was who he said she was, and that was that. She desired his love and his love only, and if he saw her as Satella, that was exactly who she would be.

She knew not why, but ne'er would she challenge it.

It was in his love she found the ultimate peace, and she would do nothing to forsake such a thing. There wasn't anyone else who could convince her otherwise, and the small ring which dangled from the chain around her neck reminded her of such a fact.

There, deep within her heart, she let the feelings of love guide her on every path she took. Even as she walked now, side by side with the love of her life, she felt herself change with very step. There were new feelings to enjoy, new experiences to be had, and new realizations to be made.

And with one foot out in front of the other, she kept her pace.

So, there she continued, walking along the ancient pathways where few tread, locked in the prison of her own thoughts. It was quite some time until a voice freed her from the captivity of her own mind.

"Look at that, Satella," he gasped, pointing at a sprawling structure in front of them. "I can honestly say I did not expect to find this down here."

She had been walking behind him now, so she had to peek around his body to see what was in front of them. Her jaw almost dropped in response to what she saw.

There, growing out from a massive wall of rock in front of them, was an ancient temple from a bygone era. It had seven massive, sprawling columns of stone shooting up into the sky where it met the ceiling, signifying its entrance in grand fashion. She couldn't recognize the markings or etchings on the columns, or even the architecture itself. It was something so foreign to her it had to have been thousands of years old, if not more. In fact, she dared to think something like this possibly dated back before the recorded history of Lugnica.

Satella gaped at the ancient and colossal structure. "I've never seen anything like this before," she said. "In fact, I don't think I've even read about something like this before."

"Really? You've been around a long time, apparently, and you've never heard of this? Do you have amnesia or something like that?"

She just gawked at the brazenness of his approach. "Well… if you really want to put it that way, then yes. I do have some sort of memory loss, but not in the way you would assume."

"Call it whatever you want," he said, taking his first steps on the stairs leading up to the entrance. "But this is beyond incredible."

"I agree wholeheartedly," she admitted wondrously.

As the two approached the entrance, there was a massive stone door which had no visible method of entry—doorhandle and the like. It was peculiarly crafted, with a multitude of unknown symbols etched across its frame. The enormous stone door would be impossible to move by any human hand, as it no doubt had an immense weight.

"How do we get past this doorway?" Subaru asked as he placed his hand against the door.

Satella stepped up and inspected it closely herself. "I'm not sure. But there appears to be some sort of enchantment cast on this door, as if it is waiting for someone or something to cast the sister spell to open it."

"That's interesting," Subaru remarked as he rubbed his chin in thought. "So, that means whoever placed the spell on this door was expecting the person to return, right?"

"That would be correct," she said evenly.

"I wonder…" he whispered to himself. After a moments thought, he turned to her. "I want you to stand right here," he continued. "I'm going over there to check something out. Don't come near me; we don't want anything to happen to you. In fact, I want you to close your eyes and plug your ears with your fingers, just to be on the safe side."

It was an odd request, for sure. Satella just nodded and wordlessly watched him walk away from her. He stepped around one of the large columns and out of sight. Begrudgingly, she did what he asked of her, cupping her hands over her ears and shutting her eyes tightly.

Simply put, she felt stupid.

Moments passed, and she was getting quite impatient. She was curious as to what he was up to, and so she made her decision. Very sneakily, she tiptoed over to the large column, and then she carefully peeked around it to see what he was doing.

There, in the darkness, she could vaguely make out his shape as he was perusing the black book from earlier as if he were searching for something within its pages.

In a panic, she ripped her gaze from the living book before it could ensnare her in its grasp yet again. She hugged herself against the column and then stepped away from it back towards the towering door, putting herself at the greatest distance between her and the tome. Stupid or not, she shut her eyes and covered her ears once more.

After a couple minutes, she could hear Subaru's footsteps as he walked up the stone stairs once more. "It's okay now," he said reassuringly as he approached her. "It's safe now, you can relax yourself, Satella."

Peeking one eye open carefully, she dared to look in his direction. Sure enough, the book was nowhere to be seen, and locked away securely in the deep confines of his robe. "Did that thing tell you anything about this place?" Satella asked him venomously. "In fact, how do you know if we can even trust its words?"

"Oh, we can trust it," he said as he stepped up to the colossus of a door.

Carefully, he touched a specific spot next to the door, and then he began to wipe away the dust and dirt from it. After a moment, something unexpected revealed itself to her. There, next to the doorway, was a meticulous carving of a palm print.

"Bingo!" Subaru gestured affirmatively. He then turned to Satella and winked. "Don't be shy, come and press your hand to this panel here. I trust you will be interested to see what happens when you do."

There was a silence, then the sound of light footsteps. She approached the panel slowly, and without a word, she pressed her quivering hand against it. It fit perfectly—so perfectly, in fact, she could not even feel the edges of the stone as her hand entered the small fissure. Her breath caught in her throat, and then she gasped.

As if resurrected by her touch, the panel gleamed a dim blue light, and then it grew until it was a bright shine. In response, the door creaked, and shards of stone and dust fell from the cracks of the doorway as the giant thing began to supernaturally open inward. No human power could have opened such a massive block of stone, but it slid open easily as if it were weightless. After a moment, they heard a roaring lurching sound, and the door came to a still as it had opened fully.

The pair peeped their heads around the now-opened entrance. Looking inside, they saw nothing, as there was only darkness. With no light to guide them, they would no doubt have difficulty in finding their way.

Suddenly, Satella outstretched her hand and whispered an incantation. A small flame combusted from the palm of her hand and shot into the temple without warning. It splashed against the ground and sent small flames scattering everywhere, bringing light to the darkness of the ancient structure.

"What in the hell are you doing?!" Subaru shrieked. "We have no idea what's in here! There could be enemies far more terrible than the cultists from before! What if there's a nasty demon beast in here, like the Great Hare?"

Satella let a small laugh escape her lips. "You worry too much," she said teasingly. "If only myself had the ability to access this temple, then do you really think there's anything still alive in here?"

Subaru's mouth fell open. "You…" he started, before catching himself. "Well, I can't really argue with that logic. Come on, let's see what's inside before the flames go out—"

He hadn't even finished the sentence before Satella walked calmly into the temple. She was confident, he could tell, as if she had been here before. He certainly got an interesting vibe from the place. Even with their limited visibility, he could tell it was massive in its expanse. There were numerous statues, seemingly long forgotten, of several people who appeared vaguely familiar, but their wear made it too difficult to discern.

So they followed the statues down an ancient hallway until they arrived at a second doorway. Once again, it had a handprint, but this time it was visible, seemingly untouched by the cruel passages of time. Satella pressed her hand against it once more, and this time it did not shine in response. In fact, it did nothing. She withdrew her hand from the imprint in the wall and looked at it in confusion, as if she had no idea what to do next.

"That's odd," Subaru remarked, looking closer over the panel. "It's the same shape as the one before, and it fits your hand perfectly. So why isn't it opening?"

Satella furrowed her brow. "I don't know," she whispered quietly. "Maybe there is—"

As if beckoned by her voice, the panel shone a blue luminescence again, and then the smaller doorway began to shake. Abruptly, it swung outward, and both Subaru and Satella had to jump out of the way before they were struck by the thing. The doorway smashed against the stone wall and it crumbled to pieces, sending dust and debris into the air.

Satella smacked the dirt and dust off her silver hair and gathered herself. Likewise, Subaru coughed as the smoke began to clear itself, so they could finally see inside.

This room was not shrouded in darkness like the rest of the temple. There were lights inside of it—very bright ones at that. Lanterns hung from the walls of the ancient olden antechamber. Endless glowing flames glittered in the darkness, brought to life by some sort of magic.

The pair entered and walked silently amongst the halls. With wonderous eyes, the two could barely contain their excitement as they travelled. And so they walked, until they found themselves nearing their destination.

As they set foot in the new room, they were graced with a grand sight.

Three great statues stood in front of them, and in front of it lay an unknown tomb. One of the statues was clearly of a dragon, and it no doubt bore the likeness of the Divine Dragon Himself. One of the other individuals was robed, and another bore a familiar sword known to be in the possession of the one called the Sword Saint. It was clear these statues represented the three great heroes who apparently sealed Satella away four hundred years ago.

The tomb was unremarkable, outside of its symbolic importance. It was unadorned with any jewels or craftsmanship—simply a block of stone. There no clues regarding the identity of the tomb's owner, so they could only give it a good guess.

In front of it however, lay a treasure lost for half a millennium.

A sword etched from the shadows themselves stood comfortably against its stand in front of the tomb. It was in a shape of what Subaru would have remembered from his home country, known as a tachi. Its saya was pitch black in color, and bore no further gaudy embellishments.

It was quite, simply put, an unremarkable thing.

Subaru stepped in front of the weapon stand and stared at the ancient blade. He was hesitant to take it in his grasp, as its power was no doubt immense. He wasn't even sure if he possessed the honor of holding such a vaunted weapon.

Of course, he knew what lay in front of him, simply because the book had told him.

And as Satella stood by, she held her breath as he knelt to take the weapon as his own. With great respect, she saw him take the sword by the handle and body of the saya with two hands, before unsheathing it open naturally, as if it were by his side since the day he was born. Vestiges of shadow spilled from the scabbard, the color of obsidian, as the malformed blade came into full view.

It wasn't even a blade, no—it fit its namesake quite well. The shadows themselves were literally clinging to the blade as if it commanded all the darkness of the world. Suddenly, the gloomy haze began to form something tangible, and the curved sword took a shape more familiar, even if the blade itself was as black as tar.

And in the palm of his hand, Subaru held high one of the mightiest weapons in all the world. It was one of the legendary Ten Swords of Power.

"The Sword of Shadow," he said in awe.