Zenrus was in a hut far away from Camlann, smoking his pipe as he watches over Velvet's motionless body. It just had been a few days since the dreadful day of the attack and Muse used herself as a defense mechanism for Elysia to not spread the malevolence as the mean time, many seraphim helped as much as they can to tend Velvet's wound and prevent her from dying. Right now, her body was on the floor as Zenrus waited for Velvet to wake up as they had to remove her clothes because they were ruined after the attack and from her wound and scratches.
They were replaced with a dark blue dress that ended at the middle of her thigh and with long sleeves that was somewhat too big for her. Her dark sun necklace was still on her neck and placed on her chest, black tights covering her legs with black slippers on her feet. In the latest hour, Velvet has shown signs of movement as her eyebrows twitch and she groaning like she was in pain. In fact, she was having a nightmare with her in a dark void.
Velvet was looking around the void with a feeling that there was something that felt off in the void. A lion faced entity, looking down at her a few meters away from her.
"Who are you?" She asked in the void.
"Your legacy... Your replacement... Your spawn..." He growled as he roared and malevolence poured out, she was engulfed by a mass of negativity. Velvet screamed in pain before her eyes snapped open in reality and she rushed up in sitting position, she breathed heavily as she placed a hand on her head.
"You're finally awake." Zenrus pointed out, getting Velvet's attention.
"Gramps, where's Sorey?!" Velvet said in panic before feeling sharp pain in her abdomen and grunts as she takes up the dress to see her stomach all bandaged up. "So it wasn't a dream."
"Your son is with one of my followers here in Elysia, we didn't make it in time to help Simon nor anyone else." Zenrus explained. "You're the only survivor together with your son, Selene."
"That isn't my name!" Velvet yelled in despair while shadowing her eyes to keep herself from crying. "It never was."
"Then tell me, who are you?" Velvet looked up as she finally reveal who she is.
"My name is Velvet Crowe, a monster who brought this world into chaos a thousand years ago and became the first known Lord of Calamity." The therion explained and Zenrus doesn't seem faced. "I remember everything about myself and my past but the problem is, I never spread any malevolence instead I devoured it."
"Mind telling me what happened all those years ago and if I recall it, seraphim was suddenly seen by normal people."
"I know how and what happened, I saw everything." Velvet begins to retell her backstory she kept secret from everyone in Camlann, Zenrus sat and listen through to notice that what Velvet did was necessary or else there would be nothing left.
"I can understand why you and your group wanted to keep it a secret from the world." Zenrus said understanding after the explanation. "You didn't want time repeating itself again."
"But it did anyway, the one I loved was killed right in front of my eyes by the one betraying us. I should have told Simon about who I really am, then maybe we would have made it out alive together."
"No life is shed if it weren't for a reason." Velvet looked up in confusion. "Nothing happens without a reason. Your return, your son's birth, Simon's sacrifice and the destruction of Camlann. They are all connected to something called 'fate'."
"But remember, I've already crossed with fate once and did it in my own way."
"That is certainly true, but I think you play a big part in this world. The legend of the Shepherd defeats the Lord of Calamity may have started with you defeating Artorius and Maotelus' existence, in all you're the true savior of our world." Velvet was starting to catch up with what he meant. "Just like when your sister died, a malak was born and destined to become an Empyrean with a power strong enough to purify the malevolence, do you understand?"
"I am but why would Laphicet give me the Silver Flame when I can get injured because I'm a hellion?"
"If I get this thought of mine correctly, I think he wants you to purify and judge humans. Your experience with injustice and knowing the truth our world's past, may be a thing that can help this world from the Lords of Calamity that came after you, to lead a new Shepherd on the right path." Velvet looked at the small fire as she thought about his words and why it made so much sense now that she thought about it.
"You think Sorey will become a Shepherd?" Zenrus looked at her and the therion was still watching the flames. "A spawn of a Lord of Calamity that's even human and probably born with powers that humans can't posses. He might be as extraordinary as me."
"Looks to me that the Crowe family is a special bloodline, they are all special and powerful in their own way." Velvet closed her eyes while snickering, she've grown attached to the old seraph quite strong under her training.
"Keep dreaming, old man." Zenrus just put on a grandfather smile, still liking her personality. Velvet then came up with something and got a little sad of the thought. "Gramps, I may have to go once my wound has healed, I don't want to put you guys in danger. Can I leave Sorey in your hands?"
"Of course, it's far too dangerous for your son if you take him with you but may I ask why?" Velvet takes her amulet in her hand to look at it.
"I'm going to find the one that caused all of this!" Velvet growled as she held the item tighter. "I'm going to pay my revenge on them, either a Shepherd or Lord of Calamity, they'll die by my own hand!" Velvet looked up at the seraph with determination in her eyes. "But first, I need to get to Camlann, there's a few things I need to take care of. Mostly, make sure Simon is buried and not tainted by malevolence."
"Then let me and a few of my followers come with you." Velvet nodded as an answer.
A few hours later, Zenrus showed Velvet the way to Camlann through the underground ruins underneath Elysia. The therion was really interested in looking around but she has to do it some other time and now she needed to focus on the doing the things she need to do right now, Velvet also needed to take it easy thanks to her wound as it still needed to heal. Somehow, the ruins was connected to a tunnel that goes right to Camlann through a door deep down in the ruin. Once the door opened, Velvet could feel the malevolence already and began to worry about Simon's body to become a hellion. The small group arrives at the remains of the Origin village and Velvet was immediately reminded of Aball, the corpses of the people that were killed by the soldier or Velvet herself was spread over the whole village. When they found Simon, the seraphim digged a grave for him but before they placed his body into the ground, Velvet took off Simon's half of his amulet to have with her as a memory.
Once Simon was buried, Velvet got to their home as it was one of the few that wasn't as ruined as all the other houses. Only the roof had collapsed on the upper floor and Velvet walked in with sadness over the destruction of her little home but she was blinded by something that was being reflected by the sun, she holds a hand over her face to be able to see where the reflective object is coming from. The light came from in between some of the floorboards and Velvet walked over to there before getting on her knees, she noticed the boards were loose of some strange reason that wasn't caused by the attack nor the fire. Velvet moved the boards from the floor to see a hidden compartment with something rectangular, folded some kind of fabric with an envelope. The therion picked envelope up to notice that her real name was written on it with Simon's handwriting.
"Why is my real name written on it?" Velvet asked herself as she opened it and started to read it as she cried.
'Dear Selene, or should I say Velvet Crowe.
If you're reading this letter then you must have found the very special project I've worked on for three years without you knowing. I've known about your true identity by puzzling the pieces of you knowing that story and the things I've got to know about you to realize that the story you were telling the kids was your own emotional journey to save our world from a murderer Shepherd, that were even your brother-in-law. In order to know I was right about you, I talked with Maotelus and he helped me draw the most important moments of your story. I've also seen you transform into your old self out in the woods, that way I could also know how you looked under that time which left me with the images I needed to finish it.
I meant to tell you that I knew of your secret once I was finished, the very object in front of you can only be opened by those who have your blood running through their veins, to keep the secret about you and the world that we don't know happened.
From Simon, your cheeriest husband. I love you more than anything.'
Velvet was shaking as tears landed on the letter. "You knew, you knew this entire time!" She cried, holding a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries from being heard.
Velvet stopped after a while before wiping away her tears and takes the object to unwrap it, the object was a book with a person that was turning into petals and a book lock was at the side of the book. She hugs the book closely as it was one of the few things left from her husband.
"What are you going to do now?" The familiar voice of Seres asked and the therion looked up but didn't turn to see Seres behind her. "You've lost your husband, a human who loved you for who you are."
"Why are you here and not in my head?" Velvet asked, knowing that the malak couldn't be alive.
"I'm now a manifestation that only you can see as my soul is still inside you, thanks to your seraphic powers." Seres explained and the ex-Lord of Calamity stood up before turning to the side to face her. "You've become stronger than before but my time is limited."
"To answer your question, I'm going to find what caused this." Velvet explained determined. "I think a Lord of Calamity as been born under this commotion."
"How so?" Seres questioned and Velvet started to recall her nightmare that seemed more like a vision than a dream.
"Because I met him in my dream, I don't know who it is yet but I can somehow connect with him for a few seconds." The black haired warrior explained as she walks to the door.
"You've already made up your mind, Selene?" Seres said which made Velvet stop.
"Selene is dead. She died with her husband the moment he died. Only Velvet Crowe remains." Velvet said in her usual unemotional but serious voice as she walked out. "It's time I show that faker the power of a true Lord of Calamity."
It took about a week for her wound to heal properly, Velvet took the time to Sorey as she was still going with that Zenrus is going to take care of Sorey and Mikleo, which she found out that he had turned into a seraph and Velvet knew how it could happen. Right now, the mother was sitting on a hill together with Sorey, looking at the sky as the next day, she'll leave the village of the seraphim to search for her answer and the Lord of Calamity of this age.
"I remember tears streaming down your face." Velvet sang to Sorey in her arms, reflecting her past into the song. "When I said, 'I'll never let you go'. When all those shadows killed your light. I remember you said, 'Don't leave me here alone,' but all that's dead and gone and passed tonight.
"Just close your eyes. The sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light. You and I'll be safe and sound." Velvet starts to think about the journey together with her friends and missed them a lot before remembering what happened at Camlann. "Don't you dare look out your window, darling. Everything's on fire, the war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold onto this lullaby, even when the music's gone. Gone~
"Just close your eyes. The sun is going down, you'll be alright. No one hurt you now. Come morning light. You and I'll be safe and sound. Just close your eyes. The sun is going down, you'll be alright. No one hurt you now. Come morning light. You and I'll be safe and sound…"
Velvet sang the last lyrics and takes out Simon's amulet before putting it on Sorey, hugging him slightly. The next day, Velvet and all the seraphim was standing by the gate to the village. The therion had a cloak over her body with a shoulder bag underneath which holds the book, facing everyone with a sad smile.
"I can't thank you enough for all you've done, so please raise Sorey and Mikleo as honest people like their parents." Velvet spoke up grateful. "I'm going to miss you all, mostly Sorey."
"You're welcome here anytime, Velvet. I hope we meet once more." Zenrus said and Velvet smiled at the old man before turning to the path down to the human world.
Velvet begins to walk away, knowing there would be no going back but she has to do it in order to get her revenge on Heldalf for causing the destruction of the Origin village and killing Simon. This time it'll be different than her revenge against Artorius, she isn't angry or in despair because, this time, she does this for the sake of her family. Velvet knew that once she sees Sorey again, he'll become the Shepherd in one way or another.
The song I don't own, it's 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil wars. Now the official beginning of Velvet's journey in the Zestiria story line begins, this story will be a mix of the game and the anime.
Hope you'll be tuned for the somewhat reunion of mother and son, see yah soon!
