Eternity's End

by kenji1104

Set decades after Turning Back Your Body Clock. Would you rather live without ever fearing about the passage of time? Or would you rather live knowing your mortality and make the most out of it? Would you take on immortality knowing that everyone around you would live and die while you remain?

3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

---

"Morons." Lyla grumbled after she had just cut down one of the last few bandits who tried to accost her on her way to Zanado.

Majority of them had already fallen to the Soulblade-infused dagger that once belonged to Byleth.

The bodies of the fallen around her were those of brigands, something she never thought of encountering once again due to how she and Jeralt ordered the hunting of the majority of the bandits infesting Fodlan down to the point that there were only a few of them that remained.

She personally despises these kinds of people. Sure, she was educated to know that the majority of them were motivated by the poverty brought upon by various misfortunes but such reason can't be used to justify bringing upon harm and equal misfortune to innocent people just trying to get by in their lives, if the others could find a way then so must they.

Her hatred of banditry stemmed from her own traumatic experience of nearly getting kidnapped and seeing her own mother (back when she was regressed to her fifteen year old self), beaten by a group of brigands within Derdriu. While Lysithea cannot recall the event anymore nor did it actually occur in this time, Lyla could still remember it vividly. It was a story that she had only shared with her family after Lyla revealed that she hosts the consciousness of the disembodied goddess within her and to explain the phenomena that her father witnessed that day.

She was iron fisted with her rooting out the bandits in Fodlan. Those who resisted are killed while those who surrendered were given a bit of clemency but were not saved by the penalty of imprisonment and rehabilitation, something Byleth counseled her to temper her iron fisted approach with a shred of mercy.

But since these fools around her refused to heed her warning to just leave her alone, she decided to show them no quarter. They fatally thought she was merely a lone and defenseless traveler armed with nothing but a short hunting dagger until Lyla created a blade of dark magic onto her father's dagger.

Oh how their laughter ceased when they found out that this lonely lass could use magic and was even more dangerous up close.

Granted, it has been quite some time since Lyla fought. The weight of the dagger her father once owned felt too light for her own liking, having been used to the weight and balance of the Sword of Seiros that she had bequeathed to Jeralt.

"I wonder how Rhea would react if she saw her sword enchanted with dark magic."

She recalled how the former King Claude remarked it when he watched her and Byleth spar against each other in one of the Alymran King's many visits.

"Maybe stop reminiscing while in the middle of a battle?"

Lyla sighed at the disembodied spirit of the goddess inside her. Begrudgingly heeding her words, Lyla went on to kill the very last of the bandits, what's left of those who didn't run anyway. They feebly tried to parry her strikes, only for the potent blade of dark magic to cut through their poorly maintained steel without much effort before meeting their demise.

She didn't even have to use the magic she had learned from Lysithea besides Soulblade. Wiping away any traces of blood from her dagger, Lyla made the dark magic blade disappear and sheathed the dagger back to the hilt that was strapped on Lyla's waist.

Sighing at having to take the lives of people today, Lyla was about to make her way further to the forest only to be alerted by the ruffling sound of leaves from a distant bush.

Thinking that one of the bandits must have stayed hidden in a foolish attempt to attack her while her back is turned, Lyla immediately whipped around, compelled by her instincts to fire a sphere of dark magic towards the bushes, strong enough to flush out the bandit she perceives is hiding behind.

She expected screams from the typical gruff sounding bandit but instead, she heard the scream belonging to a woman, an old one at that.

Getting more alarmed but never letting her guard down, Lyla drew her dagger once again just for proper measure and approached the bushes she fired a Miasma sphere at. Upon setting aside the bushes, Lyla was met with a sight she didn't expect.

Before her was an old woman struggling to stand up after taking the impact of Lyla's magic as well as the toll of her old age, her age looked like she was merely a few years older than Lyla if Lyla's age reflected that of her appearance if she was merely of human descent.

The former queen noticed the basket of sticks and wood the old woman had strapped behind her as well as the scattered mushrooms from the sack beside her. It was easy for her to guess that this old woman wasn't a bandit but she had to be sure.

"Are you one of them?" Lyla asked.

The old woman, despite her shriveled appearance, gave her a look, as if insulted by the very notion of being part of the brigands that Lyla had just sent to the afterlife.

"Do I look like I'm fit to run with a bunch of no-good scoundrels, young woman?" The old woman asked with a frown upon her withered lips, her green eyes staring directly at Lyla's.

Lyla chuckled at the comment of her being a 'young woman'. "No, you don't look like one." She agreed before sheathing her dagger back and offering the old woman a hand for her to stand up.

While the old woman was apprehensive at the sudden attack on her, she wasn't bitter enough to reject a helping hand, accepting Lyla's hand to help her stand up. Afterwards, Lyla helped pick up the mushrooms that fell off the sack, gathering them into the burlap sack and handing it to the elderly.

"Well now, at least you have manners." The old woman commented, her opinion shifting slightly at her recent attacker. "May I ask who you are?"

"Lyla." The former queen responded, having no need to hide her name unlike before when she goes undercover or sneaks out of the palace from time to time, much to Jeralt's chagrin.

The old woman gave her a nod. "I'm Lina." She replied in kind to her attacker/helper.

Now that such formalities were out of the way, Lyla had to ask this question that had been on her mind ever since she saw Lina after mistaking her as a bandit.

"What are you doing around here with those scumbags lurking around?" Lyla asked, pointing at where the trail of corpses she left behind were.

Lina shrugged. "I've been living and foraging around these parts for years. Believe me when I say this is the first time I have seen this group come and go."

"You speak as if you've seen many of their kind."

"Oh they know to leave an old hag like me all by myself, as if I have anything of interest to them." Lina replied, taking note of Lyla's slight change of tone in mentioning the outlaws.

Lyla nodded, relieved as she was that the old woman she nearly hit with her spell was generally fine, she turned her back to continue her journey to her destination.

"Wait, dear." Lina called out as soon as she noticed Lyla was leaving her without a word, Lyla glanced at her. "It's getting dark, the forest in the night is no place for someone alone, you can stay at my cabin for the night."

"I'm in a kind of a hurry."

"Zanado can wait until tomorrow, it is best to accept this kind old bat's hospitality." Sothis said as she manifested herself, floating in front of her host.

"Are you sure?"

"You need to keep your strength up for what we'll do, pulling an all-nighter like you did in your work as the ruler of this land wouldn't do with this if you aren't rested and concentrated enough."

"Either that or you're trying to dissuade me."

Lyla could only see Sothis sigh at her, shaking her head before fading away from her view.

"Are you alright?" Lina asked after she had witnessed how Lyla stood still and staring at something that wasn't there for a few moments.

The former queen gave her a small smile of reassurance. "Just weighing my options." She responded, taking one last sigh. She decided to go along with Sothis' suggestion, her words did some merit to it despite Lyla's haste to push forward to Zanado.

If she is to do what she intends to do in the Red Canyon, she might as well be in peak condition.

"Are you sure? Inviting a complete stranger like me into your home? Even after what you've seen me do to those bandits?" Lyla asked, questioning the old woman's sincerity and lack of alertness inviting someone she had just met into her home.

Lina chuckled. "Dear, I've been alive for decades and I can tell you ain't a bad person. I may be old but I kept my cabin well maintained if that's the other thing you're worried about."

"I wasn't-" Lyla stopped herself and just shook her head, not going to bother arguing with Lina. She gestured to the old woman to go ahead which the latter took as a cue to lead the way opposite of the direction from Zanado.

Lyla gave the canyon, visible from a clearing of the trees, one last look before following Lina. Trusting Sothis' judgement as well as the old woman's words.

---

They arrived at a secluded area of the forest, true to Lina's word, they arrived at a rather secluded cabin in the woods, concealed by groves deep within the forest.

Though still wary, Lyla allowed herself to observe the state of the wooden cabin's exterior. The lumber used was obviously beginning to show signs of aging as green moss covered some areas of the wood, there were patches of tilled land outside with many herbs and crops planted as well as a pen for poultry birds.

Lina opened the door to her cabin as Lyla observed the smoke emerging from the chimney.

"I left the stew to simmer while outside getting mushrooms." The old woman mentioned as she waited patiently for Lyla to enter her home, noticing the 'young' lady was checking out her surroundings.

Entering further in, Lyla immediately noticed how much cleaner and organized the interior of the cabin was. While it was nothing compared to the elegance of Derdriu Palace, the sight of the cabin's interior invoked rather fond memories within Lyla.

This type of place reminded her of the smaller but cozy feeling of her grandparents' home while they were still alive. She and her family visited the former count and countess of her mother's homeland, they lived mostly in seclusion in their small form to sustain themselves despite Lysithea asking them to come live with her in Derdriu Palace many times.

They only accepted when they were too feeble to maintain their current lifestyle as self-sustaining farmers and thus, their farm and cabin were abandoned. Her grandparents passed away after a few years living with them in Derdriu.

Although it sat abandoned for sometime, her grandparents' former home was settled in by another family who moved into the small village they lived in last time she visited the place in one of her rare instances of sneaking out (much to Jeralt's chagrin).

For a brief moment, Lyla remembered the smell of the sweet strawberry jam and orange marmalade that her grandmother often makes and gifts them with on their visits. She had longed to taste such things after her grandparents had passed over, finding such homemade products better than what was served to them in the palace.

Most of all, she had missed how doting they both are, spoiling her, Jeralt and Leraje despite Lysithea telling them not to overdo it. But like their mother, their grandparents were stubborn and refused to do so.

After that brief moment of reminiscing, Lyla noticed an open door leading to a room within the cabin and through that doorway, she saw the many empty beds within, the sheets were partially covered in dust, an obvious sign that nobody has been using them for a time. She did wonder why the old woman wouldn't change them.

"That's where my siblings and I used to sleep." Lina said while organizing the mushrooms she harvested after stealing a glance towards her still wary guest.

"You did mention your siblings but where are they?" Lyla questioned.

"Left to find their own lives, most settled in villages and cities around Fodlan after they came of age to seek their fortune outside this place, I was the only one who elected to stay."

"Your parents?"

"Father." Lina responded. "We were all raised by our father."

Lyla didn't bother to ask about the woman's father, correctly deducing that such a person wouldn't be alive anymore after all those years as a human.

"You're actually my first visitor in years."

"None of them bothered to even visit you? Your siblings, I mean."

"Most of them have passed now or are too feeble to travel around. I get letters from their families from time to time whenever I visit the nearby village but that's just it."

Lina gestured to Lyla to sit at the nearby table as she prepared the finishing touches to her stew, politely refusing Lyla's offers to aid her, stating that she is a guest of hers (her first one in years).

Lyla's nostrils were filled with the scent of stew made from game, vegetable, herbs and mushroom as her eyes scanned her surroundings from her seat, her eyes noticing a rather worn bow hanging above the mantel of the fireplace. It looked like it was made from silver and steel but years of wear and tear had removed the splendor of the metal, common on such high quality weapons.

"Here you go." Lina spoke, interrupting the former queen from her thoughts as she offered a wooden bowl filled with steaming hot stew, quickly she grimaced at the sight of carrots and turnips.

Despite her apprehension on vegetables, Lyla did pride herself to be more tolerant of it compared to her mother's intense dislike of the ingredient, many times had she endured eating such meals whenever she is a guest somewhere or at the times it was served to her during a public banquet.

She didn't want to be rude and appear wasteful considering she has a reputation to maintain. It seems even with her advanced age, she never truly got over her view of vegetables.

"You must be wondering how I learned to read and write despite living in seclusion like this."

Lyla looked up at Lina just as she was about to put a spoonful of the stew in her mouth.

"The moment you mentioned a nearby village, I had already assumed that's where you learned."

The old woman gave Lyla a nod to her observation. "You are right to assume that but we didn't learn there first."

Lina turned to the bow that hung above the fireplace.

"Our father taught us."

"He was literate?"

"Barely but he did his best to teach us despite us realizing he was wrong in some parts of his teachings later on." Lina chuckled heartily after remembering something funny.

"Can you believe he used to spell the word happy, using the letter b in place of the letter h?"

Lyla nearly spat out her spoonful of stew just as she was chewing on the tender game meat, which she identified as venison after tasting.

Why does that mistake sound so eerily familiar from what she had heard a long time ago?

"It was only thanks to the previous queen's generosity that I and my siblings were able to get a proper education in the village once a teacher was assigned there."

Of course, it was her mother's will to educate the masses of Fodlan as part of one of her main objectives as the queen of the land back then. It seems Lina and her siblings were able to benefit from Lysithea and her mass education program.

Lyla back then, when Lysithea announced her plans to make education more accessible to the people of Fodlan, didn't know what the point of Lysithea's plan was. She was so young that day to see it but she could now tell...

Her mother's plan was to prepare the next generation to be more educated and informed so as to not fall prey to the mistakes of the past where most of the commoners blindly believed in flowered words of the nobility or the Church of Seiros itself.

"Thanks to that, one of my siblings became a representative of the commoners for a few years." Lina remarked before taking a spoonful of stew.

The representatives of commoners, a political position that Lyla had created with Lysithea as part of the latter's second part of her plan in introducing public education, the position was made to make the commoners stand on equal ground with the nobility. Armed with the education they received and their developed critical thinking, the commoners would be capable of governing and deciding for themselves what path they should take for their collective prosperity.

While such measures were criticized by some of the nobility, due to losing their established power and hold to the people, it was more widely accepted by most as part of Fodlan's progress after years of being stymied by religious dogma and an outdated system.

"Forgive me for asking but if you received a proper education then why did you choose to stay here?" Lyla asked, taking extra care to not offend the old woman. The former queen was curious that despite the opportunities that lay outside for a better future, Lina decided to simply stay where she was.

Lina glanced at her, blinked before sighing and putting her spoon beside her bowl.

"My father would have no one with him if I left the same way my siblings did."

"Your mother?"

"We all don't have one." Lina regrettably looked down on her bowl.

"She died?" Lyla's voice cracked a little, having not fully recovered from Lysithea's passing.

Lina took a deep sigh before standing up to look at the darkening forests outside her cabin's window.

"My siblings and I, we're not really related." Lina admitted. "We only became as such due to being adopted by one person."

Lyla was solemn as the fact registered in her about her host's life.

"And this father of yours that you have been speaking of..."

"He was no one's father until he took us all in. A veteran of the Five Year War, a war that took everything from me and my siblings… and I apparently towards the man who could become our father."

Lyla suddenly remembered how she took in Felicia after she had married Glenn following the death of Glenn's first wife, it took a bit of time but in the end, Felicia truly accepted Lyla as her mother, loved her just as much if not more than the real one.

She thought it might have been the same for Lina and her siblings for the man who adopted them.

"Your father must have been a kind man if he would take you and your siblings in as his own." Lyla smiled warmly, picturing the old woman's father to be a simple but respectable man.

Surprisingly, the old woman didn't return the smile.

"He surely didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart."

Lyla raised her eyebrows. "What? What do you mean?" In what seemed like an instant, the image Lyla was producing in her imagination shattered.

"He took us in, yes. Raised us, yes. Taught us how to survive… But he wasn't particularly warm… he wasn't cruel but… he was distant. He never mistreated us but a lot of us never felt the warmth as expected from our own parents." Lina continued as Lyla listened in, the latter wanting to hear the whole story.

"As a result, the majority of us were distant towards him. I never bore anything against him as I felt too indebted to him at that point. It if weren't for him, I would have died alone in the streets."

Lina then went towards the fireplace and stared at the bow that hung above it.

"For years, I wondered what made him act so distant to everyone around him. I knew he lost someone in the war, every veteran does at that point but I didn't know until I was a teenager… while foraging for mushrooms… he picked and tested the wrong one, it was a fungus that causes hallucinations."

"Frankly, he poisoned himself unintentionally." Sothis commented from within Lyla's head.

Lyla ignored the voice within her as she continued listening to the old woman who by now, is tenderly touching the bow hanging above the fireplace.

"For the first time since he took us in, he told us who he was as we tended to him." The old woman recounted. "That his true name was Cyril."

Lina failed to see Lyla visibly react at the mention of a name she had almost forgotten. A name that once made her react with vehemence, a name of a person she never met but disliked after hearing stories about him.

It had been long since someone else mentioned that name and it came last from her mother's lips back when she advised Lyla not to make the same mistake she did and be rather mindful of the feelings of the opposite sex so that she won't lead anyone on whether intentional or unintentional, before the then princess was going to start her time in Garreg Mach.

"He was a foreigner to Fodlan, an Almyran. He was orphaned like us at a young age, became a slave until he was taken in by the former Archbishop of the Church of Seiros."

Lina recalled how she and her siblings reacted upon hearing Cyril's story in his hallucinated state, what took their attention is how similar his circumstance was when he rescued and took them in, saving them from a worse fate brought upon them by the war's aftermath.

Lyla continued on as Lina detailed everything, details she never heard as she never bothered to ask her parents about the man who tried to 'steal' her mother away from her father. Back in those days, she was content not to think about someone irrelevant in her family's life.

"When the war began, the person he was indebted to was taken prisoner and for five years, he had no sense of purpose but to rescue her. It wasn't until the return of the man who would soon become the King of Fodlan that he would have the chance, it was also during that time that he started to think about what his purpose is other than to rescue the Archbishop until…"

Lyla knew what was coming, Lina's tale was beginning to corroborate everything she had heard in her childhood about this man she never met but detested.

"He fell in love with a girl, his first and only love." Lina chuckled darkly. "For a moment, we thought who that girl was until he revealed her name to be none other than the name of the Queen of Fodlan."

Sothis suddenly manifested beside Lyla as she too had taken an interest in the tale of this old woman about her adoptive father.

'You decided to listen in now?'

"I was bored and besides, this is going to be interesting considering you had an unreasonable hatred for this person you've never met."

'The more I listen, the more I actually pity the man.'

Sothis scoffed and simply floated beside her current host as Lina continued her story.

"We couldn't believe it, to think our adoptive father learned the basics of reading and writing from the Queen of Fodlan herself though… she ended up also becoming one of the reasons why he was like that to everyone."

Lina would tell what Cyril told her, that he held feelings for Lysithea when they met again but he was so fixated in rescuing Rhea during that time that he failed to notice the growing feelings between Lysithea and Byleth.

"I remember he told me that someone counseled him to find another purpose outside of his intention to repay his debt to the Archbishop. He thought his purpose was to make the future Queen of Fodlan to be happy until… she broke his heart."

Lyla wanted to immediately defend her mother but kept her mouth shut, knowing Lina isn't done with the story she was telling.

"By the time he worked up the courage to tell her of his feelings, she had already accepted King Byleth's love for her. She didn't know but for a time, I did blame the queen for what happened to my adoptive father. I owed and loved him that much despite his distant attitude towards us, he was my savior much like how that Archbishop was his. To make matters worse, the Archbishop he was indebted and wanted to rescue so much died at the end of the war."

It was there that Lyla recalled and pieced together the stories she had heard about Cyril, how he tried to accompany Claude and Hilda to Almyra but soon abandoned them, traveled back to Fodlan to meet with his former comrades in war but left again.

He was a man without a purpose, a byproduct of what seemed to be a lack of independent thinking for himself due to the many years he was dependent on others to find a reason to live.

"He was a slave to his own dependency on others and when he tried to get out of it, he was too late."

Lyla couldn't agree more to Sothis' assessment.

"But one day, I caught a glimpse of Queen Lysithea and King Byleth when they visited the village nearby to discuss the plans for a school to be established. I could see how they looked at each other, it was made clear to me that my father wouldn't be able to make her look at him the way she looked at the king. There was so much love between them that I knew that he had no chance even if he had told her on that day."

The former queen could only look down at her bowl, any trace of hatred she had for the person she never met had all but disappeared, replaced with clarity of the truth and of pity towards the man. It truly felt like the world was working against him to find joy and purpose since the day he was born.

"He then revealed something." Lina pressed on, placing a hand on her chest as if remembering something.

"He only took us in just so he could pay the debt he owed to the Archbishop since she was dead. The only way he felt he could honor her memory was to do the same thing she did for him, take an unfortunate soul and give them the same charity he was given." Lina told as she sighed. "He didn't take us in because he felt pity but because he wanted to fulfill an obligation he felt he owed to someone."

"And what did you feel? Your siblings?"

"I felt nothing, it still didn't change the fact that he saved us from starvation and poor living conditions but my other siblings he adopted? They felt used in a way, used to satisfy a debt he couldn't pay to someone who died. Regardless, they still cared for him but he didn't return much of it until he grew older and mellower in his late years."

Lyla was silent as she processed the story, in some way, she felt relieved that she was mistaken about her initial thoughts on Cyril. He didn't try to 'steal' Lysithea away from Byleth, he was just too fixated on something else to notice what was going on. She also felt relief that Lina didn't bear any grudges to her family as well, since she understood at first sight how Lina's adoptive father couldn't give Lysithea the same amount of happiness Byleth had given her.

"Remembering the former king and queen… You share the same name as their daughter, the current Queen of Fodlan." Lina pointed out which caught Lyla by surprise.

'I'm not surprised she doesn't know I've abdicated the throne yet.'

"It's only been barely a day since you passed on the mantle to your brother."

Lyla chuckled lightly. "I get that a lot." She replied to Lina, the latter however mentally took note of Lyla's pinkish red eyes, another signature trait.

"How old are you again?"

Lyla didn't even bother making up her age and straightforwardly told the truth to the old woman, who by now is pouring hot tea full on two teacups for her and Lyla.

"73." Lyla admitted without hesitation, making the old woman pause in disbelief.

"My dear, I may be old but I'm not senile enough to believe I'm only a few years older than you." Lina sighed as she approached Lyla and offered her the cup of tea.

Lyla merely shrugged as she accepted the wooden cup of tea, giving her host a nod of thanks before taking a sip.

"You know only a moron would actually believe you are of that age you speak of."

'Does it matter if I tell her the truth or just lie?'

Sothis shrugged midair before fading away to linger within the confines of Lyla's body once again, much to Lyla's relief.

"Jokes aside, you haven't told me why you're wandering alone in the forest." Lina asked as she sat back down again in her seat.

"There's something I must do in Zanado." Lyla responded which caught Lina by surprise at the mention of the abandoned city found in the secluded canyon.

"Zanado? Are you a pilgrim by chance?"

Lyla shook her head.

"Even pilgrims tend to stay away from Zanado due to how dangerous the journey to the canyon is without an experienced guide-"

"Have you been there?"

"Goodness no, I don't even believe in what the Church of Seiros preaches anymore… considering how they admitted after the war of fabricating the stories they were preaching all these years. Not many people put much stock in religion these days unlike what it was many years ago." Lina said. Lyla nodded, what the old woman speaks is true, ever since her parents forced Seteth to reveal the truth to everyone in Fodlan about the secrets the Church of Seiros under Rhea had chosen to conceal from the world, many abandoned the Church yet clung on to their belief of the existence of the Goddess or at least a deity.

"If you are not a pilgrim then why?"

"There's something in there I must do, treat it like satisfying a curiosity I have of the place." Lyla made up on the spot.

"Ah, a researcher then?"

"Something like that." Lyla nodded with a shrug, not bothering to go on the specifics on her purpose to Zanado since it would only leave the old woman confused.

"Have any family you left behind for this… mission?" Lina asked out of curiosity towards the young looking woman.

The former queen smiled. "My daughter, my two brothers, my sister-in-law and my nephew." She fondly recalled the people she had left behind in Derdriu as her memory of leaving them behind in the palace was still fresh.

Lina blinked at the mention of her guest having a daughter, she didn't expect that someone like Lyla would be spoken for and have her own child.

"I had no idea you were married."

"Once." Lyla confirmed with a sad smile, a sad smile that Lina immediately caught on the meaning of, deciding not to press on for more details.

The old woman did notice by now, the golden ring adorning Lyla's ring finger and the way her right fingers are tenderly touching it.

"Your parents?"

"Recently passed away." Lyla sadly smiled.

Lina suddenly felt regret upon asking. "I… am sorry to hear that…"

"They lived good lives but my father can't seem to find the will to live once mother is gone. He loved her that much." Lyla said. For so long she had always thought of love as a double edged sword ever since Glenn passed away.

It can give you the greatest kind of happiness you can experience but at the same time, love may as well be one's greatest downfall and source of pain.

She knew this well, having experienced the pain throughout her life.

"Guessing by your age, they aren't that old?"

"My mother was 95 when she passed away. Father is either at the same age or a century old… didn't really matter to him." Lyla said, seeing the disbelief on Lina's face regarding the ages of her parents.

"T-They must have had you and your brothers late in their years then…" Lina guessed as she didn't believe the earlier fact about Lyla being 73.

Lyla shrugged, not bothering to go to the specifics and explain, simply agreeing with whatever Lina had cooked up as an explanation for herself.

"I learned everything from them, even in defending myself."

"Father did the same for us. It was useful for me for hunting and defending myself in these forests, it was also useful training for my brother who worked as part of the city watch in one of those cities in the Faerghus region."

"And the rest?"

"Didn't find much use for it, especially one of my siblings who became a staff in the Royal School of Sorcery, she preferred to learn magic instead."

Lyla lightly smiled as she recalled her own experience on preferring magic when she was younger as well as the mishaps she had with it when Lysithea first taught her.

---

"Now remember Lyla, magic is not something to use as a plaything. It's a force innate within the veins of everyone of us in this world. All people can use it for their own purposes but the path to learn it can be perilous unless tempered with discipline instilled from training."

Lyla nodded fervently, she was excited to finally learn how to use magic from her mother no less. Oftentimes, Lysithea would be far too busy to teach Lyla, her duties preventing her from doing so but since she had finished everything yesterday, Lysithea finally had the opportunity to be her daughter's first teacher in the arcane arts.

Teaching her in the private training grounds of the palace, Lysithea had the servants ready the needed training dummies and target practice for her and Lyla's use.

Also because, Lyla accidentally set the curtains on fire within the palace halls when her raw magic power manifested while she was pretending to be like Lysithea as she played around. It was deemed at that moment that Lysithea or another magic instructor would teach her, with the former choosing to do the deed herself.

"Lyla, you have strong magic power you inherited from me and your father but such natural affinity to it mustn't make you complacent. You have to listen to my instructions from here on, okay?" Lysithea softly told her.

Lyla nodded to her mother's request, besides setting the curtains on fire… she nearly did harm Jeralt with her out of control magic until Byleth came to calm her down when she panicked.

"I don't want to hurt anyone… especially Jeralt and baby Leraje." The princess lamented, the thought of even hurting her two younger brothers was unfathomable for the young girl.

Lysithea gave her a reassuring smile, kneeling down to match her daughter's height while tenderly caressing her cheek.

"My little sweet, you won't be when you start to learn to control it. In no time, you will be able to use that magic power to protect them instead and those you care about."

Lyla was determined, her mother is a strict teacher considering she was the first one who taught her what she currently knows as well as recently and teaching her to properly write letters for her friends, strict as she is, Lysithea's teachings are effective and Lyla has no complaints for that.

Getting into position in the middle of the palace training grounds, Lyla was instructed to remain in her position while Lysithea distanced herself from her.

Lysithea began explaining the fundamentals of magic as simply as she could, avoiding using magical jargon Lyla won't understand yet. Lyla, on the other hand, was listening intently and trying to register everything that Lysithea said in her mind.

"Now, let's begin with a small exercise. I want you to try manifesting your magic by gathering the magic in your veins to your hands."

Lyla nodded towards her mother's instructions, the eight year old child then tried to channel the arcane power within her to form something in between her hands.

"Remember to remain calm, concentrate and try to picture forming an orb of magic in between your hands." Lysithea further instructed and as soon as she did, the wind began reacting around them.

Suddenly, strong gusts of wind began to form around Lyla as the young girl kept her eyes closed as she was deep into her concentration.

While seeing Lyla's dormant magic power awaken in front of her was a sight to behold due to how strong their surroundings are reacting, this made Lysithea worry at the potential her daughter possesses. She had not expected this as the gusts of wind became even more violent, very nearly creating a vortex around Lyla.

Though there was no such orb forming in between Lyla's hands as Lysithea instructed, instead the wind itself was reacting to Lyla's channeling of her magic.

"Lyla. You have to stop. Now." Lysithea instructed with an increasing sense of urgency at what is unfolding in front of her.

However, Lyla didn't hear her mother as the vortex of wind surrounding her was deafening any noises and Lyla herself was in a state of trance-like concentration as her eyes remained closed.

"Child, you have to stop."

'I'm concentrating!'

"Perhaps way too hard, cease now and open your eyes!"

Heeding the words of the voice within her, Lyla opened her eyes only to look on in horror as she found herself within a vortex of wind, her hands glowing green as the wind magic she unintentionally channeled remained around her.

Immediately remembering her scary experience of creating a stream of hot flames a few days earlier, Lyla was immediately overwhelmed by fear once again. She could barely see her mother behind the vortex of wind, calling out for her and trying to tell her something.

In her state of panic, Lyla didn't know how she did it but upon distancing her hands away from each other, the vortex of wind began to clump together into a single orb of wind in front of her, it was as big as her head and she could feel the power of the orb as the wind kept swaying her hair.

"M-M-Mom!" Lyla stuttered in fear as she turned to her mother who was gesturing to her to calm down.

She didn't know what to do next, she was frozen in her place and Lysithea feared for the worst when she saw the sphere of wind shaking violently.

Before Lysithea can tell Lyla what to do, the latter launched the orb of wind aimlessly in order to get it away from her.

Only for the orb to explode in the air and cause strong pressured winds to scatter all over them.

Acting quickly, Lysithea ran towards her daughter and immediately hugged her to shield her from the pressurized wind as it threatened to send the young girl flying into the air.

The training dummies and other equipment were either thrown all over the place or were shredded by the blades of wind as nearby glasses of windows in the palace shattered from out of control wind.

Lysithea only hugged Lyla tightly as she waited for the gale to end while shielding Lyla from the wind she had caused.

And in the end it did.

Lysithea then checked over her daughter who was still wide-eyed in shock and fear from what she did but she was nonetheless fine.

This made Lysithea sigh in relief after seeing Lyla generally unharmed, at least in the physical sense.

Lysithea hugged her daughter again, the fear that welled up within her heart slowly disappearing. Lyla too felt the fear leave her until her eyes widened on what they saw and her mouth gasped.

This caused Lysithea to pull away from her hug to ask Lyla what was wrong only to notice strands of hair dropping on to their bodies and clothes. Strands of white hair...

It was followed by the lower part of Lysithea's veil over her hair falling down on her lap did Lysithea realize what was wrong. She immediately brought her hands towards the back of her head to check her hair only to find out that the length of her hair was cut down… until the length of her shoulders.

Before either of them could react, Byleth soon arrived, alarmed at what he just heard from within the palace only to see his daughter and his wife, the latter of which was sporting a new hairstyle.

---

Lyla could only chuckle by herself when she remembered how Lysithea had her hair shortened at that point. Lysithea wasn't pleased with the results of their lesson and was even more afraid of the harm Lyla could do with her vast but untamed magic but she knew she couldn't fault her daughter for being born with such power.

While that incident confirmed that Lyla truly needed guidance to better control her magic, the incident also had the unintended effect in the kingdom.

During one of Lysithea's public appearances as queen, there was a surge in the fashion trend of women cutting their hair short after seeing their queen sporting such a hairstyle. It also was a coincidence that the kingdom was soon going to experience one of the hottest summers in years which earned Lysithea unwarranted praise for her 'incredible foresight' and setting an example.

"You seem to recall something rather fond."

Lyla snapped out of her reverie when she saw Lina staring at her with an amused smile.

"Just recalling something I did with my mother when I was new to magic." Lyla replied.

"Dark magic isn't something most mages use these days considering the nature of it, my sister said at one point in her visit that such type of magic was very volatile." Lina recalled, remembering the fact that her first sight of Lyla was the latter using dark magic to kill the bandits who tried to rob her.

True to what Lina said, the use of Dark magic was a dwindling practice even during Lyla's generation considering it fell out of favor due to the hard learning process as well as the factors involved in using it.

Lyla was one of the few who learned it in her class in Garreg Mach and was one of the rare few who used it as her main form of magic with wind magic after.

"It is and it does take a toll to its user if used carelessly without the right mental training." Lyla confirmed the volatility of it.

"Harnessing negative emotions… huh? That's what I remember in my sister's blabberings about it." Lina said with Lyla confirming the former words with a nod.

"Are you the only one among your siblings to use it?" Lina asked, again remembering when Lyla mentioned having two brothers.

"My youngest brother practiced it but not as much as I did. He was more of a researcher on technology than a mage or practitioner of magic."

"And the other brother?"

"Favored the lance and sword." Lyla mentioned of Jeralt's martial prowess with the weapons their grandfather and father used. Despite how Jeralt tried, he never did win any of his spar against Lyla.

"Your father seemed to have trained you well. Judging by how you fight."

This brought a smile upon Lyla's lips as she recalled the fond times she and Jeralt were trained by Byleth, which went much more smoothly compared to learning magic from Lysithea which was more taxing for the then-princess. Leraje was the only one who wasn't trained by Byleth as he abhorred violence of any type and instead stuck to his books and learned a bit of magic from Lysithea just for self-defense.

"That he did." Lyla confirmed as her fond smile slowly altered into a somber one. "He was a great teacher."

Not surprising considering how Byleth was a former mercenary and later, a professor in Garreg Mach, the latter being the reason why he and Lysithea met in the first place.

"And from how you react, he seems like a good father." Lina concluded with a nod. "Your smile whenever he is mentioned says it all."

Lyla was silent as she looked towards the open window to stare at the darkness that had set in outside, unable to open her lips to continue the conversation especially in regards to her parents.

The old woman saw that as a cue from her guest that she shouldn't push the topic any longer. Besides, the night had overtaken the day, it was time to get some rest for the next day ahead.

She wordlessly took Lyla's empty bowl but not before pouring her cup full of the hot tea to which Lyla thanked her graciously before returning to her reverie as Lina went on to retire to her quarters.

After knowing she was alone, Lyla stood up from her seat and went towards the fireplace, quietly staring at the fading flames that seemed to be near extinguished due to the lack of firewood fueling it.

The fading flames she likened to the life of someone in the last years of their lives. Starting out as an ember as a person is born, it burns brightly as they grow only to fade into nothing as they neared their end.

She had seen many of her friends and loved ones passed over due to the passage of time or of unfortunate events.

As Lyla stared into the flames, she recalled someone dear to her. Not her parents, not her brothers and not Glenn.

"Auntie Mari."

The woman who she regarded as her second mother, Marianne. The very first person with whom she shared a special bond with outside of her parents. She was the one who taught her a lot of things, much of what she is now is a product of Marianne's influence in her in addition to that of Byleth and Lysithea.

She owed her a lot, even her name.

It has been long since she had thought of Marianne, her passing wasn't easy for Lyla but as Marianne requested on her deathbed when she stayed by her side…

"Don't let my end sadden you too much, my dear. The fire in you still needs to burn even brighter as the warmth yours exudes will warm the others who rely on it."

She was old and dying and yet, Marianne was still able to impart her words of wisdom and her warm and caring smile to Lyla in the end.

Her last words stuck to Lyla ever since, she didn't let Marianne's death dampen her determination to lead her nation forward. Even if her parents volunteered to lead Fodlan temporarily in her stead so she can process what happened, she steadfastly refused.

Without another thought, Lyla used her magic to extinguish the flames on the fireplace before going to the room Lina had prepared for her earlier.

As she sat on the side of the bed, Lyla removed some of the layers of her clothing, the cumbersome ones and laid down her things at the table within the room.

She then brought up her left hand to remove her ring, her ring that was the symbol of her marriage to the only man she had ever loved as her equal.

At the last minute, she decided against removing the golden ring wrapped around her finger and decided to lie down to get some sleep.

She stared at the ring one last time until she willed her eyes to close and fell asleep shortly after.

Unknown to her, Sothis manifested at her bedside, staring at the woman that has been her host for seven decades now. Her right hand hovered above Lyla's cheek and even though she cannot make physical contact with the woman, Sothis' hand caressed her host's cheek with some of her hand going through Lyla's face as she did.

Sothis then floated towards the opened window of the cabin and flew away to reach the skies above the cabin. In the night sky, Sothis stared at the place that is to be Lyla's destination tomorrow.

Zanado.

Sothis sighed, a wave of guilt was setting in her for the path that she laid out for Lyla. She never intended Lyla would go so far for her sake when she revealed that because of Byleth's death, who was the possessor of her power and as such, her anchor into the world, that she was in danger of fading out of existence.

She was ready to bid Lyla farewell only for the latter to defy what she calls Sothis' resignation.

"I just lost my mother and father and now, I'm losing you too?"

"It is what it is, perhaps this is to be my fate after lingering in this world for so long."

Sothis sighed once again as she recalled Lyla's defiance of the concept of pre-determined fate, that she wasn't about to let Sothis go, her beloved best friend as she called her.

Through thick and thin, both had been together and even if seven decades was miniscule compared to the years Sothis had existed… Sothis felt closer to her in those short years than anyone else.
Thinking about it only caused Sothis more reason to feel guilty, Lyla was determined in what she is planning to do in Zanado come tomorrow. For so long, her existence had hounded Byleth's family and influenced the direction they were going ever since. It wasn't her intention nor was it her choice but she had meddled in their lives for so long.

She is resolute that tomorrow will be the end of that as she stared at Zanado from a distance.

---

"And with this…" Lysithea started as she used a scissor to cut a blue ribbon tied at the front of a metallic gate. "Garreg Mach has now been fully rebuilt and with it, the esteemed Officer's Academy is further elevated as a place of learning for those who aspire to reach better heights for the betterment of Fodlan."

The gathered masses, a mix of pilgrims, clerics, nobles and commoners all cheered as Lysithea finished her announcement.

Beside the queen, King Byleth moved forward to address the crowd with his own announcement.

"In conjunction with our program to provide access to free education to the masses, we have decided to implement the same system into the Officer's Academy's admission. If applicants were found worthy by a test, they will be provided a scholarship that entails no cost at the applicant's expense. That applicant will be provided an allowance paid by the crown as long as they continue to show their merit."

Lysithea nodded at her husband's proclamation. "We believe that there are individuals within Fodlan that have promising potential to be exemplary students in this academy. We wish to give them a chance to realize that potential. Otherwise, other aspirants who failed the scholarship test can still enroll providing they have the means to afford the necessary tuition."

Lyla, Jeralt and Leraje simply looked around their surroundings, the three royal siblings had no inkling of what their parents were talking about and why were the people so happy, especially those who seemed simple people.

The only exception to some degree was Lyla, who had some idea on what was being announced but nonetheless was still in the dark for some matters. Besides, she was already getting bored with all the formalities but knew she couldn't go as her siblings were both clinging on to her dress and she knew it would be bad if she left lest she incurs her mother's wrathful words later.

Her bored eyes scanned the crowd, her eyes lit up when she saw Marianne waving at her with a soft smile, beside her was Annette who was also doing the same and of course, where Annette is, there's that grouchy Felix holding a boy at the same age range as Lyla is.

"Glenn." Lyla murmured as she tried hard to fight the urge to wave at the boy who was waving at her with a bright smile.

---

Later on, as her parents conversed with their old friends and comrades from the war, Lyla was permitted to separate and hang out with Glenn. The two children sat at the end of the pier situated at the fishing pond.

"I got your letter." said the boy with dark blue hair, taking a neatly folded letter from within his vest's pocket and showing it to Lyla. The soft blue eyes he inherited from his mother sparkling with life and joy like Annette's constantly does.

Lyla looked at him expectantly. "What do you think?"

"Well, mommy said you're improving with your writing, there's mistakes like capitalization and all but mommy said something I didn't quite understand, coherent? What does that mean?"

"You didn't ask?"

"Well…" Glenn trailed off as he remembered something. "Daddy dragged me off to exercise before I could and even then, he told me to focus on 'conditioning' my body."

Glenn pouted before continuing. "I don't get why getting tired from moving makes your body healthier as mommy and daddy says."

Lyla's eyes beamed at the opportunity to display her knowledge of such things.

"Well, from what I read: Exercising helps in improving your blood circulation which makes your body healthier!" Lyla proclaimed with a glint of pride for knowing something her friend doesn't.

"In fact, I've been exercising too, especially before I train with dad on using a sword!"

The young boy's eyes widened in amazement. "You're already learning how to use a sword? That's so cool! Daddy and I tried once and I ended up throwing the stick he gave me to mommy's head… she had a lump on her head for the entirety of the day too."

Lyla wanted to suppress her laughter at the imagination of Annette having a swollen lump on her forehead, what made it more hilarious is how she imagined Glenn accidentally throwing the stick that hit Annette.

Though, of course. She knew Glenn would be offended if she laughed and as her Auntie Mari said, it is bad to laugh at someone's mistakes or misfortunes.

"I used to like imagining wielding a sword but after my experience in trying one, I don't think I want one. Daddy was a bit disappointed but mommy was glad because she told me I have a knack for magic instead."

The young princess' eyes widened slightly. "You can use magic now?"

Glenn was surprised at the loud amazed voice of the princess.

"Y-Yes? I've been properly using what mommy taught me. Making small gusts of wind, I use it to cool myself during hot days."

Lyla's expression somewhat got down as she remembered how she botched her own magic lesson from her mother, how dangerous was the kind of wind magic she accidentally casted. Resulting in Lysithea's short hair for the next set of months, even now her hair hasn't completely regained its original length.

While it was amazing that her friend was able to properly control his magic, she couldn't help but feel a bit down that she was having trouble in controlling her 'overwhelmingly strong' magic power as Hanneman once pointed out when he checked up on her.

"I accidentally created a strong gust of wind that blew mommy's skirt away alongside the laundry she and daddy were hanging… Daddy seemed to smile instead of scolding me."

Lyla's sweat dropped at Glenn's recent statement and his obliviousness about certain matters. Being a girl herself… She has been made aware by both her mother and Marianne about the importance of keeping their dresses and skirts properly maintained and worn.

"Who taught you how to write a letter?"

Lyla's eyes brightened with excitement, shifting over to look at Lysithea who was in a conversation with Annette, Marianne and Flayn near the greenhouse.

"Mom did!" She beamed with pride at having her mother as her teacher.

The young princess was happy to have Lysithea as her teacher on certain matters, not only do they spend more time together than usual, Lyla is able to enjoy snacking more sweets with her mother and listening to some stories from her. While most took such moments for granted, Lyla didn't because she knew the burden of the crown that her parents possesses and that she and her siblings were even lucky that they were being given time to bond with them.

Having any additional opportunity to spend time with them was something she cherished.

As Lyla told her tale of learning how to write proper letters from her mother, Glenn simply listened, nodding every once in a while and maintaining a curious smile.

"Mom can be strict but thanks to her, I learned quickly!"

"Lyla, it's time to go!"

Both children turned to the direction from whence the call came to see Lysithea waving at her daughter, keeping hat that doubles as her crown at bay with her other free hand.

"Are you going to go back to Derdriu now?" Glenn asked as the two children stood up from their seat at the edge of the pier, his expression saddened at how his friend and pen pal must leave so soon.

Lyla nodded with a sad smile. "Mom and dad still have things to do there so we can't stay long."

The two then walked together where their respective families awaited them, positioning themselves towards their respective mothers' side.

"Can't you stay for just a bit longer?" Annette asked, having the same sentiments as her son, she was eager to talk to her former classmate and professor, to catch up.

"As much as we want to… we can't. There are important matters to attend to early tomorrow and we can't delay that." Byleth responded with a shake of his head, offering an apologetic smile for leaving his former students and friends so soon.

"Don't forget. You owe me a sword spar, I want to see if sitting your ass on the throne hasn't dulled your skill." Felix said without any reservation.

"Felix!" Annette admonished her husband with a frown for the rather crude address to the Fodlan King.

Byleth waved it off with a chuckle, one arm was keeping hold of Leraje who was sleeping on his father's shoulder. "It's not a problem, it was me who asked all of you not to be too formal and courteous when it's just us."

"Hmph." Felix scoffed amusingly which earned him a sigh of exasperation from his wife.

"Next time, I will spar with you." Byleth agreed, which was all that Felix wanted to hear.

"Will you come visit again?" Glenn asked Lyla, both of them looking down on the grounds of the rebuilt monastery.

"Or maybe you can visit me in Derdriu?" Lyla asked hopefully, wanting to see her friend once again.

Glenn knew that giving her an answer of affirmation would just be false hope considering the distance between Garreg Mach and Derdriu. Both of his parents are a core part of the faculty here and they can't just accompany him on a whim.

"I'll write letters!" Glenn responded. "I want to hear from you! Especially when you can properly use magic!"

"And I want to hear from you when you can finally wield a sword well!" Lyla responded with enthusiasm.

Glenn looked a bit unsure on the prospect of wielding a sword.

"Don't worry, I'll whip him into good shape the next time you see him." Felix interjected which earned him a stomp to his foot by Annette, it took a great deal of willpower for Felix to prevent himself from yelping in pain.

"I hope for your sake you didn't mean that literally." Annette said as she gave Felix a look before turning her eyes back to Lysithea and Byleth. "Well then, hope to see all of you soon."

The king and queen both gave her and Felix a smile as they turned around to take their leave. Byleth carried Leraje who slept in his arms while Lysithea held Jeralt's hand. As they were heading towards the gates (passing through the marketplace within the monastery), Lyla glanced behind her one last time to see Glenn waving at her.

She flashed him a smile and waved him back.

---

Suddenly, Lyla found herself awake. Her eyes opened as wide as they could as she suddenly roused herself from her slumber.

Sitting up, Lyla processed what she had just dreamt. It has been so long since she had dreamt of Glenn, as much as she wanted to keep dreaming about him ever since he passed away, she couldn't do it willingly.

To finally dream of Glenn was a surprise and a blessing for her.

Standing up from the bed that she occupied, Lyla looked out through the small open widow of the cabin she spent the night in. Outside the window, she saw the rising sun cast light onto the dark skies.

Dawn has come and with it, the resumption of Lyla's journey towards Zanado.

Gearing herself up once again, Lyla took the object that was wrapped in cloth, wore her backpack and headed out of the room.

Lina was nowhere to be seen in the main hall of the cabin, Lyla rightfully assumed her host was still soundly asleep in her room when she heard her light snores.

Regretting not being able to bid the old woman farewell for her hospitality, Lyla instead wrote a letter of thanks and farewells, apologizing for her abrupt departure, thanking her for the kindness she has given and as well as giving her and her mother some semblance of closure regarding what happened to Cyril.

A man she now pities more than hates.

Deciding to leave her a gift, Lyla left behind the coin purse Felicia had given her before she left Derdriu, having no need for any form of currency. She had thought it was best to leave it in case Lina needed it or to give it to her grandchildren.

With that, Lyla departed the cabin and began her journey, eating a piece of bread that was her one of her rationed food, courtesy of her younger brother's initiative of putting some food in for sustenance.

"I will guide you once we arrive at the foot of the canyon. Fragmented as my memories are, I can still recall my way home…"

"I guess it's true, the saying home is where the heart is."

"I don't think that's what it's supposed to mean."

Lyla shrugged, she was never good with idioms or those of similar sort anyway. She continued on further into the forest.

"It has been a long time since I saw Zanado with my own eyes but even then, I had little recollection of it during the time I was there."

"Is this during the time my father was still new in Garreg Mach?" Lyla asked, setting aside the shrubs of green barring her way.

"Yes. I recall… It was the first time your father along with your mother and their friends were tasked by Seiros. While your father wasn't new to it, your mother alongside everyone else had a hard time taking their first life."

Lyla knew this story well and could relate to it, for she too has experienced that unpleasant feeling of taking someone else's life.

---

She was sixteen years old when she first set foot inside Garreg Mach, not as the crown princess of Fodlan in one of her visits but as a student.

Instead of using her family's name and position as the ruling royal house of the country, Lyla opted to take the difficult entrance exam meant to test and gauge the applicants if they are worthy of entering the prestigious school by their own merits.

It was what she wanted, to prove to herself that she shouldn't rely on her family's name on such matters. Besides, Lyla had a feeling that her mother would outright refuse to endorse her to be enrolled to Garreg Mach via nepotism. Lysithea was the one who taught her to use her own skills and abilities to get what she wanted instead of being complacent and using her influence as the princess.

A lesson that was taught well as Lyla passed the test. Jeralt vowed he too, will undertake the same test and pass. That boy has always been eager to catch up to his older sister.

Leraje was saddened that he wouldn't be seeing his older sister that much for the entirety of the year Lyla was attending Garreg Mach. He always did cling more to her rather than to Jeralt.

Anyhow, it was merely a simple task relegated to her and the house that she was chosen to lead, to subdue the bandits that were confirmed to be hiding up nearby the villages dotting the lands near Garreg Mach.

While it was fairly easy for Lyla to fend off the bandits with her prior training, some of her house members were quite inexperienced in an actual fight.

Allowing their nerves to get to them could be a fatal mistake but that was where the other accompanying knights stepped in to defend the students who were frozen by fear and hesitance.

For Lyla's first kill? Her sword tasted blood for the first time when she ran her sword through the chest of one of the bandits who managed to disarm one of her classmates.

The blood splattering over her clothes, the scent of blood and the sound of the man's last breath of life. At that moment, Lyla felt it. The feeling of one's first kill as Lysithea described it during one of her lessons to Lyla. Even when her father, Byleth, who was still practically emotionless during his first kill made him feel unpleasant.

Time stopped for Lyla at that moment as she processed what she had just taken. She was taught by Marianne that all lives are precious, even that of animals. Then, memories of herself as a child witnessing her de-aged mother back then, being beaten by the gang of cutthroats in Derdriu resurfaced and it… fueled her out of her daze. Shock became hatred and in no time, bloodlust.

At the end of the day, she was beheld in either awe or horror as the students and knights witnessed the crown princess kill the bandits without reservation, the lucky few having only been spared by luck.

Even Sothis was shocked at the bloodlust Lyla had shown towards the bandits, the once idealistic and upbeat girl she inhabited was replaced by one filled with hatred, if only for that moment.

Ever since then, Lyla was either feared or respected. The former for the rather cold blooded side she had shown to most criminals she deemed irredeemable, the latter for her status as well as her care for her peers.

---

"You were such a different person when you're filled with such hatred for lowlifes." Sothis remarked as she manifested beside Lyla for the first time in the day, floating as they moved forward.

"Can you blame me?" Lyla asked as she passed through another thicket of trees. "What would you feel if you saw your mother get beaten up by those kinds of scum?"

Then almost immediately, Lyla took it back.

"Nevermind, I forgot you exist without one." Lyla corrected herself with a sigh.

"While I can understand your hatred for such people, you turn into a different person when you deal with them at that age."

Lyla pushed on as Sothis floated behind her, watching over her host yet her mind was elsewhere.

---

If there was one person who was capable of calming Lyla on her heavy handed approach to bandits she comes across, it was Glenn.

Having enrolled at the same school year as Lyla, Glenn's admission test made him to be the head of the Blue Lions, something he never really wanted but nonetheless, accepted the responsibility.

He was the one Lyla confided with most of the time. Despite being opposing house leaders, they never allowed that to get in the way of their friendship. Friendship that had endured since their childhood of sharing letters.

In one of the gazebos of Garreg Mach, the two sat under its roof, hot tea freshly poured into their cups with accompanying snacks laid on the middle of the table.

"A letter from Derdriu?" Glenn asked, loosening his ponytail to redo it, he stopped short of doing so when a servant passed the princess sealed letters that had just arrived via messenger owls.

"Letters." Lyla corrected after thanking the servant who passed her the letters. Lyla could immediately tell they all came from each of her family as well as from Marianne.

Glenn watched Lyla open one of the letters sent to her, watching her expression change to that of a smile the more she read into it.

"Seems like good news." Glenn remarked, taking a sip of tea from his own cup.

Lyla giggled as she finished the letter she was currently reading

"It's just my mother complaining about how Leraje and Jeralt frequently argue in my absence. She jokingly said I shouldn't have enrolled here if it meant maintaining some measure of peace my presence would do there."

Glenn blinked for a bit before he let out a short laugh. "I'm guessing you're to pack your things now and return to the capital?"

Having been aware of how the two aforementioned princes were, Glenn wasn't new to the news of them bickering since Lyla had at many times said in her letters to him about her two brothers' tendency to bicker.

It was something he quite envied, having been an only child from Felix and Annette.

"Mother and father will both have to learn how to control those when I'm not around." Lyla replied with a shake of her head as she set down the letters she received.

"You're not reading the others?" Glenn asked, perplexed as to why Lyla stopped reading the others.

The princess shrugged. "I'm already guessing Leraje and Jeralt's letters will be about them complaining about the other. I can read the others later, it would be rude for me to read and ignore you considering I was the one to invite you here."

Glenn smiled at the thoughtfulness of his friend. "Really, it's a non-issue for me."

"So, why did you invite me for tea?"

The princess raised an eyebrow up. "I can't invite a friend over to have tea with me now?" She asked jokingly before deciding to get to the crux of the matter.

"I invited you here to discuss if we can hold an interhouse training program. I think it's beneficial if our houses would do such a thing considering the distinct advantage our own houses have." Lyla started with her mind in the upcoming Battle of Gronder Field that was held annually. It was formerly known as the Battle of the Eagle and Lion during the time of their parents in the academy but since the existence of the three nations involved have been dissolved and united under one nation, the academy had decided to use the more recent and significant Battle of Gronder Field.

A turning point in the war that shaped Fodlan to what it is today.

"That's interesting, we can certainly benefit from this but why just us? Why not invite the Black Eagles?" Glenn muttered as he thought of the proposal.

"I did present the option to Matthias but he was confident his house can make do with their own efforts. He seemed confident despite Bernard's reservation for his decision."

Lyla recalled her own conversation with Matthias von Aegir who was with Bernard von Bergliez earlier regarding her proposal. While the son of Ferdinand pointed out the benefits of Lyla's suggestion, be it increased camaraderie between their houses and the yields of their joint training, he ultimately rejected the proposition, determined to win the upcoming battle between the houses by their own merits. Bernard thought differently but was overruled.

Something Lyla respected.

"I see. Well, I have no problems with that. What we just need to discuss now is the date-"

Glenn and Lyla were both interrupted when they both saw a familiar voice walking towards them with a confident smirk.

"Oh, fancy seeing our dear princess here having tea with Glenn. What did he do to deserve such an honor?"

While the sentence was delivered rather mockingly, Lyla and Glenn merely chuckled at the person who spoke to them, fully knowing the person behind it.

"Speak of the devil himself, Claudius is here." Lyla said as if the answer to Glenn's question arrived in the form of one of her childhood friends.

Claudius faked a pained expression, putting his hands over his chest as if having had his heart pierced.

"That kind of hurt, my dear princess! I'm not so diabolical for you to think of me as such!"

Lyla merely shrugged with a smile.

"I'm guessing you are the one who handled what time and place we are conducting this?" Glenn asked, turning his attention to the crown prince of Almyra.

Claudius, having been sent over to Fodlan by his parents to study in the same school they attended and met up in, was inducted into the Golden Deer house, which was fitting as his parents were of the same house. Though he preferred to lead his own house, he didn't mind Lyla taking the reins of leadership although he is unofficially the second in command in the house. His charisma and strategic mind was appreciated by his peers.

"Wait, what exactly are you two discussing before I interrupted?" Claudius asked.

"The interhouse training. I just asked Glenn if he is willing to do it with us." Lyla pointed out.

"And did our rival house leader accept this elaborate scheme of an excuse just so you can spend more time between you two?" Claudius teased with a smirk which caught the two unaware.

Blushing furiously red, the two house leaders couldn't respond at first at Claudius' jest.

"Wait, seriously?" Claudius muttered in disbelief.

"Of course not!" Lyla protested almost immediately, cheeks flushed red while Glenn merely took a sip of tea to calm himself.

---

"Greetings, Princess-"

"I told you not to address me so formally while I am a student here, my title means nothing as long as I remain a student." Lyla told the Gatekeeper, one of the people she was fond of talking to outside of her friends and house members.

The Gatekeeper scratched the back of his greying head at his mistake.

"Apologies, anyhow, all the same. What can I do for you today?" The aging guard asked as he watched Lyla look towards the marketplace. For a brief moment, he saw an image of Byleth over her, fondly recalling the man who treated him kindly.

"I'm just curious about something and since you are like the hub for information regarding matters like these…" Lyla then continued. "I wonder why the students are so giddy about the upcoming ball."

The Gatekeeper's eyes lit up immediately, was this a repeat of the same question the professor turned king had asked? He knows for a fact that he was the reason why Byleth went to THAT tower and became much closer to the girl who would eventually become his wife.

"Well, I can tell-"

"And yes, I know about the Goddess Tower but I fail to see how such a tradition had its roots. I've tried to see when it started but found nothing in the library. Even Flayn doesn't know." Lyla added, almost immediately bursting through the bubble that is the Gatekeeper's excitement.

"O-Oh." The Gatekeeper muttered with a hint of disappointment. He was excited to see if his advice would help the princess before him in finding out the love of her life as he did for Lyla's parents.

But nonetheless, one of his favorite people to attend this year had asked him in a field that he is an expert about.

And answer, he will.

"Well, take this with a grain of salt since this story was passed down to me and my predecessors…"

Lyla raised an eyebrow in question. "What is this, a tradition of some sorts to those who take this job?" Lyla asked.

The Gatekeeper ignored her side comment. "According to one of my predecessors, the legend started that pertained to a couple. A man and a woman who were both in love when they met each other in Garreg Mach. They weren't students but were pilgrims to the Church of Seiros and they happened to meet one another during the time the ball was being held."

By now, Lyla had leaned her back to the wall, clearly interested as the Gatekeeper continued his tale.

"They then went to the tower, both of them not knowing it was the Goddess Tower, and there the man and woman both made a vow that they will love each other until the time of their deaths and that nothing will stop that from happening even if it was the Goddess herself that would object to it."

"Huh, as if I could do that even if I wanted to."

'Quiet.'

"However, things were not simple for them. The man was from a rich noble family, the woman was merely an aspiring herbalist. Their relationship wasn't allowed to bloom as the man was forced to marry another noblewoman by his father which left the woman powerless and heartbroken. Years passed, a plague struck the man, now the head of his house, the plague killed all of his family including his wife that he loved despite the circumstances of their union. It just so happens that the person who was trying to cure the malady was the same woman who fell in love with the nobleman. She tried to cure him but to no avail. Meeting one another after all those years, their feelings still strong for one another, the woman never left the man's side and took care of him until his death, on his last breath, he reaffirmed his love for the woman before passing away with the one he truly loves."

When the Gatekeeper finished his story, Lyla was shocked to hear a rather tragic and bittersweet end to the legend, if it was indeed the true story.

"I was expecting it to be rather…"

"Happy? Sunshine and butterflies? Don't worry, I had the same reaction when that was first told to me. The others who asked me about it in the past also had the same reaction you have. Whatever the case, the legend stemmed from true love, no matter the obstacles, will not be stopped and will always prevail even if it's the last minute."

Lyla merely nodded until the school bell rang to signify the resumption of classes after the lunch break.

---

"You never did go to the Goddess Tower."

"Just because my parents did it, doesn't mean I have to do the same."

"I do recall that boy Claudius joked about inviting you there."

Lyla was silent.

"That Claudius…"

Lyla sighed at the mention of one of her childhood friends and one she lamented that her relationship with has been strained outside of their duties as royals of their own nations.

"It is a shame what happened between you two."

"You know it's his fault, right?" Lyla asked as she sat down on a rock. Looking up to the rocky slopes of the Oghma Mountains, deciding to take a break for a brief moment.

"I know. It was just so wasteful, that boy could have been a good match for you if only things were different."

The former queen shook her head in disagreement to Sothis' assessment. The fallout between her and Claudius wasn't her fault and even if she did forgive him earlier than later, she wouldn't have fallen for him.

It all started when Claudius admitted to her that he is attracted to her, a simple confession and flirting there yet Lyla wasn't one to quickly accept it. Even so, things remained mostly the same in their dynamic despite the Almyran Prince flirting on the side.

That is until Claudius received a surprise visit from Almyra. It wasn't Claude or Hilda but rather… a girl about their age who soon revealed herself to be the Almyran Prince's betrothed.

In that moment of revelation, Lyla felt betrayed. The flirtation and the interest Claudius expressed towards her felt like he was toying with her feelings. The prince defended that he merely follows the customs of his homeland, the practice of polygamous relationships but Lyla was quick to tear down his defense that the concept of love she will always believe in is one shared exclusively between two people.

Everything fell apart when Lyla ended up slapping Claudius and severing her friendship with him. This eventually had the effect of Claudius leaving Fodlan and effectively dropping out of Garreg Mach to settle domestic matters within his father's kingdom.

"Even if I agreed with his practice of polygamous relationships, I don't think both of us hooking up is a good idea."

"Ah yes, you did say that. You two were aiming to be the king or queen of your respective nations. Your union will spell trouble in the form of your heirs with them claiming the other as their birthright. War can potentially break out between your descendants."

Sothis laid out the more practical reason why the two weren't meant to be.

"Whatever the reasons maybe, I do know that the main reason why you didn't end up with him as your husband is because deep in your heart, you knew you love someone else far greater than anyone."

"Of course you would know, you literally linger within the deepest recess of my consciousness." Lyla wittily remarked which earned an amused scoff from Sothis.

Taking out a sweetroll wrapped in cloth from within her bag, Lyla took a bite of it as her thoughts drifted to what happened later on in her life in Garreg Mach.

Claudius' withdrawal from the academy changed little of the outcome Lyla had wanted to achieve in her parents' alma mater, she graduated alongside her peers without issue and they all went off on their separate ways, determined to go and forge their own fate with what they have learned.

She was seventeen when she returned to her home, warmly welcomed by her family and the people she knew within Derdriu Palace. She was all the wiser and more determined as ever to continue her path as the inheritor of her parents' throne.

Glenn on the other hand pursued a more altruistic profession: medicine. Knowing the nation doesn't require people to fight for it but instead, people who would better the lives of others. Glenn set off to pursue becoming a healer much to Annette's approval. Despite Felix' initial disappointment that his son didn't follow the path of being a warrior, he knew better than to discourage his son from doing what he is passionate about.

Things went on for them as Lyla and her peers honed themselves for their future. Lyla and Glenn would regularly meet each other whenever Lyla would visit the surrounding areas of Garreg Mach to check on the progress of the surrounding villages, inspecting the schools and developments of the villages at her mother's behest.

They maintained their childhood practice of being pen pals, each fondly sending the other letters.

This will carry on until a year before Lyla's ascension to the throne.

It is at this time that Lyla realized that her grand plans for Fodlan will leave her with little time for her personal feelings and luxury.

She, herself, came into the conclusion that the path she must walk forward is of her own. And she knew Glenn won't be able to walk with her on that path because of his own hopes and dreams to become a renowned doctor that will save lives and improve the welfare of the people.

She deemed herself that she didn't need distractions to put her plans forward and continue the development of Fodlan from the foundation her parents had worked hard to build.

Even if that means, she will never marry.

Her relationship with Glenn had been improving over the years, their friends and families could both see the blooming romance between them but were frustrated that neither of them were acting upon it.

To the point that Leraje and Felix both told them respectively to just "do it" in their own crude way.

Things reached its peak when Glenn would admit his feelings for Lyla in one of the princess' visits to Garreg Mach. Emboldened by the advice of his parents, Glenn invited Lyla into the Goddess Tower to confess to the princess despite knowing he is basically a commoner now after his parents had relinquished their nobility.

It was at this time that Lyla had already developed the mindset of treading her path for Fodlan's prosperity, alone despite her own love for Glenn. A love that brewed since they met as children, she had always been fond of Glenn's kind heart which reflects his deeds and his willingness to dedicate himself for the betterment of the people around him, that and the time they spent together knowing each other be it from letters or from personal meetings.

Love or duty. That was the cruel choice Lyla had to choose from and despite her heart yearning for the former, she ultimately chose the latter.

To sacrifice her own personal joy for the joy of others… A decision that she would come to regret in the coming years.

Glenn was left heartbroken after Lyla tearfully rejected him, telling him of her reason why she cannot be with anyone, especially Glenn. She wasn't willing to put Glenn under a potentially unhappy marriage in which she would have more time ruling her soon to be kingdom than having any time for her husband.

The decision came as a shock to their friends and families. Felix bore some sort of enmity towards Lyla for breaking his son's heart, deeming Lyla to be stupid by letting duty cloud her better judgement. Byleth and Lysithea expressed their shock over their daughter's decision, fully knowing how much Lyla loves Glenn and both expected that they will eventually get together, even admitting that they were ready for him to be their son-in-law.

Leraje, despite his disinterest in romance, called his sister out for her decision because he too, could see the brewing romance as well as he highly approved of Glenn due to his intellect and revolutionary mind when it comes to the science and magic of medicine. Jeralt was made to mull about it, having conflicted thoughts about his sister's decision considering he was the more duty-bound person among them three, he just didn't understand why Lyla did it and he wondered if he might do the same in the future… something Leraje told him not to foolishly repeat.

Sothis, perhaps was the most disapproving of Lyla's decision, fully aware and knowing of the extent of Lyla's love for Glenn. She did understand Lyla's point of view but she lamented that this would be at the cost of her host's happiness.

Months after that rejection of Glenn, Lyla ascended to the throne after her parents abdicated for her.

What was supposed to be a grand moment that she anticipated for many years felt hollow for Lyla. It felt more hollow when she realized that the other throne in the dais of the audience chamber that her mother sat on would always be empty, a reminder that she will rule alone without anyone to be by her side.

Lyla put in motion the plans she had long drawn for Fodlan, first was the culmination of what Lysithea intended to do in providing free education for the commoners willing to learn. Something that earned her the enmity of those in power:

The introduction of a political position that is equal to the power and influence a lord has, the Representatives of the Commoners.

This act would give the commoners a fair chance in the world of politics, something that was once dominated by the nobility for centuries. Lands were distributed for the representatives to govern, some of the declining nobles with no heirs volunteered to give away their lands for this. While this was celebrated by the vast majority of Fodlan, the nobility that had long had their grip into the politics of Fodlan felt threatened by it.

And it was there that Lyla first experienced the unpleasant job of putting down rebellions instigated by those disgruntled by her rule.

While she would find some measure of fun in taking out criminals, this one was different. The armies raised by the rebellious lords were composed of her own people. The Sword of Seiros that was given to her, renamed as the Royal Sword of Fodlan as a badge of her office, was stained red with blood when she put down these rebellions with Jeralt and Byleth. It was in these rebellions did Leraje complete Hanneman's crowning achievement of the airships that tremendously helped.

She had hoped that the first time would be the end of it but it wasn't. She had to act swiftly and put down any more conspiring against her.

Byleth told her that it is sadly one of her duties as a sovereign to keep a tight hold of her power yet Lyla questioned why this has to be the way.

She received no answers and despite her idealistic way of thinking, this experience served to remind her that pragmatism must be used to temper her more idealistic mentality.

Becoming more and more hardened as a ruler was meant to be a part of the path she decided to walk, especially for someone like her who has ideas that would bring about a great deal of changes.

It was during the following years did Fodlan experience a calamity, a plague that would come to be known as Agartha's Revenge would happen. The cause was from the only remaining underground bases that the Agarthans had remaining following their downfall. Led by Cornelia, the only known Agarthan to remain alive and elusive after the Five Year War, the plague she caused swept across Fodlan like a tidal wave.

---

Lyla swung the Royal Sword of Fodlan towards Cornelia, the latter using some form of levitation magic to narrowly avoid it.

Having been cornered by the Royal Army spearheaded by Lyla and accompanied by forces lead by Jeralt and Byleth, who had come out of retirement to help his children, Cornelia and her forces comprising of the remnants of the Agarthans and those dissatisfied by Lyla's new policies had no choice but to fight them.

Seeing the gathering of Lyla, Jeralt and Byleth in one location to her advantage as killing all three of them will severely weaken the royal family of Fodlan. Lysithea was still severely injured after she shielded Lyla from an assassination attempt, getting struck by an arrow meant for her daughter in Derdriu's Palace. This brazen act only made this conflict more personal for the Eisner family.

"The benevolent beloved Queen of Fodlan, so full of seething hatred. So contradictory." Cornelia mocked as she delighted seeing the spiteful look Lyla was giving to her as she slowly approached the Agarthan.

"You will pay for what you've done to my mother, to Auntie Mari and for Leonie's death!" Lyla spat out as she remembered how her mother nearly died, Marianne fell ill to the plague Cornelia had spread while Leonie died from an ambush that wiped out most of her mercenary band.

Leonie's death severely affected Jeralt on top of what had happened to Lysithea and the soldiers under him who contracted the plague, Jeralt decided to forego his strict adherence to the notions of honor and he was spurred to kill those responsible.

"I wonder how your subjects would think of you, failing to save them from my grand creation. Can you imagine their minds thinking where their beloved queen is now? Their queen who promised to protect them and better their lives?" Cornelia continued to mock the angered queen, distracting Lyla long enough for two of her followers to try to attack her from behind only for the two to get impaled by one extended sword-whip which retracted back into its original sword form.

Cornelia's face momentarily looked angered at the sight of the man responsible for nearly wiping her people to extinction and foiling their long planned revenge against Fodlan and the Nabateans.

"Byleth." Cornelia spoke his name with every bit of loathing she had, her pretty face contorting with her hatred.

"Don't listen to her, Lyla. Cornelia and her ilk likes to use words to mentally goad you into making a mistake. Do not allow her words to get to you." Byleth said as he controlled his flaring emotions towards Cornelia who was responsible for the death of his friend and the life threatening injury Lysithea had received as well as Marianne's sickness.

"You shouldn't have intervened, Byleth!" Cornelia yelled as she remembered the years of hiding she had done after she fled following the fall of Shambhala. "We wanted to destroy the legacy of the Nabateans but you just had to meddle!"

"And you people shouldn't have killed my father." Byleth rebutted as he recalled the anger and how driven by revenge he was when he fought the Agarthans, to exact revenge for Jeralt's death.

The mention of Jeralt was like a cue for his grandson that was named after him to appear, riding atop his trusted steed with a bloodied lance.

"This is her?" Jeralt asked as he pointed his lance towards Cornelia's direction. "This is the bitch who almost had mother killed? Killed my mentor, Leonie?"

Byleth glanced at Jeralt. "Control your emotions, Jeralt. I know you are angry, we all have a reason to be so but do not let it cloud your judgement in this battle. Cornelia will use it against you."

Jeralt merely growled yet agreed to his father's advice.

The presence of one of the three Eisners would already demoralize the morale of those they fight, especially of Byleth's presence considering he was the hero who ended the Five Year War and vanquished the likes of Emperor Edelgard and the revived Nemesis, both of which were individuals of tremendous power.

Lyla had gained her own reputation as a powerful warrior as well as a formidable mage, trained by the veterans of the war in her field of expertise.

Jeralt's own skill was also of great renown, unparalleled with the way of the lance and mounted combat, having only lost to his elder sister and father in combat.

"You think that the presence of you three together would make me beg for mercy?"

"Mercy isn't an option for you anymore, Cornelia." Byleth declared, despite not being the ruling king of Fodlan anymore, his words and how he delivered them seemed like he was passing sentence to a convicted prisoner.

"You have long infested Fodlan with your foul presence." Jeralt added as he was itching to spur his horse to charge to Cornelia, the remaining reasoning lingering within him was the only thing keeping him from doing so. "I will be glad to rid Fodlan of you. Justice for the lives your schemes have taken."

Cornelia merely smirked mockingly at the prince, fully knowing why the usually reserved prince is so angered at her presence.

"Your beloved mentor died like your namesake, lying on the ground in the pool of her own blood. How ironic that she shared the same fate like the man who she idolized and now-"

"SILENCE! Enough of this-" Jeralt yelled out, infuriated at the mockery of both his grandfather and Leonie, he was ready to charge until Lyla waved her sword in front of him.

"Control yourself, Jeralt! She's goading you!" Lyla chided her younger brother, fearing he would fall prey to Cornelia's schemes. She cannot afford to let anything happen to him after all the losses they felt throughout this civil war.

"This woman is seriously begging to be killed." Sothis spoke from within Lyla. "But exercise caution, I've seen how the Agarthans like to toy with their opponents. Do not be so foolish to charge without restraint."

"I know, it's like she wants us to charge her. Something's not right."

All of a sudden the earth quaked around them, stopping even the fighting the royal army has against those led by the Agarthans, some thought that the very land itself shook in rage from the blood that was being spilled from the deaths caused by the plague and civil war but Byleth and his children knew better.

From all corners of the battlefield, the earth ruptured as monstrosities burst forth, the likes that many young men and women haven't seen.

The monstrosities roared as more and more burst from the earth below, much of which were focused near Cornelia's vicinity.

"Demonic Beasts." Byleth said as his eyes narrowed at this particular type of foes he hadn't fought in years.

Even Lyla and Jeralt looked surprised at the appearance of the Demonic Beasts, only told to them from stories, by the time they were born, none had been sighted and to see these monsters right before their eyes and in such numbers… It was almost overwhelming.

Real monsters were before them.

Cornelia bursts out laughing. "What do you think? Have you missed seeing these monstrosities, Byleth?"

Byleth didn't reply and simply channeled his Crest's power onto his sword, confident he can slay the monsters surrounding him and his children.

"They may look menacing but they're not invulnerable." Byleth advised his children. "Don't be intimidated."

"I'm far more afraid of mother than these freaks of nature." Lyla retorted as she readied a spell with her left hand while firmly holding on to the Royal Sword.

Jeralt didn't speak and merely clutched his lance and kept a tight hold to his steed's reins.

As the royal army struggled to contend with the monsters now dotting the battlefield, an unfamiliar sound was heard from the skies. It was as if a continuous stream of flames howled across the darkened skies that made even the Demonic Beasts look up, their bestial instincts compelling them to do so.

Until a ship floating on the air descended down from the clouds, protected by a large steel plate was a huge balloon hovering above the ship that it was carrying. Huge gear-like objects were rotating on each side as flames burned from where a rudder was meant to be.

"W-What is that?!" One of the Agarthans shouted out in shock at the flying ship hovering above the battlefield. From the deck of the ship, Leraje appeared with his arms crossed behind his back, looking down at the battlefield and seeing first hand the realities of war. A white cat perched on his shoulder.

What surprised him were the numbers of Demonic Beasts, monsters that his mentor, Professor Hanneman had told and taught him about despite their perceived extinction.

"Leraje…" Jeralt said as he looked up in shock upon seeing his younger brother riding on the big flying ship.

"He completed it." Lyla remarked after seeing the secret project of Leraje fully functional after her brother had shown it being built in one of his secret laboratories.

"Looks like our people need our help." Leraje said and right on cue, mages walked near the edge of the hull, looking down on the battlefield. "Focus on the monstrosities."

Giving them a nod, the numerous mages prepared their fireball spells in their hands which caused the Agarthan led army to finally see what the airship's arrival signified.

Death from above.

"Fire at will." Leraje ordered as the mages under his command bombarded the Demonic Beasts from above, pelting them with balls of fire that torched them to death, their cries of agony and death howling all over the battlefield.

Those who survived were killed by the royal army, some of which are taking revenge after seeing their comrades get trampled or eaten by the beasts.

Leraje looked down at the destruction wrought by his command. He swore to never use his inventions for war but after witnessing the attempted assassination of his sister which led to Lysithea's near fatal wound, Leraje knew that he had to break such a vow in order to put a stop to this bloodshed even if he abhorred violence of any kind, seeing it barbaric.

As the Demonic Beasts before them burned, Byleth and Jeralt took this as an opportunity to slay the beasts while they were vulnerable, father and son working in tandem to put them to the sword. In that moment, Byleth remembered how he and his father fought together side by side, sword and lance vanquishing their enemies together. It made him feel nostalgic to fight by his son's side.

Meanwhile, taking the confusion and shock of Cornelia into her advantage, Lyla charged passed the writhing beasts in order to confront the hateful Agarthan. Fully knowing that she was out of tricks after her last trap had been sprung, Lyla went towards her with the intent to finish her off.

Seeing Lyla speeding towards her, Cornelia started yelling curses as she launched spheres after spheres of dark magic towards Lyla only for the queen to shroud her sword with her mother's favorite enchantment, the Soulblade.

Slashing the spheres of magic and absorbing them into her blade, Cornelia grew more desperate as her plan fell apart and Lyla closed the distance. With a loud cry, Cornelia casted her strongest spell yet, creating a dark void towards the direction Lyla was running to which immediately exploded with purple energy, intent to kill the queen as smoke clouded her vision.

Before Cornelia could see check of the queen's status of her own volition, Lyla emerged from the dark smoke caused by the magical explosion, using wind magic she learned from Annette to propel herself from harm's way, Cornelia's eyes widened in horror upon seeing the queen unscathed and her sword-

Severed her two forearms from the remainder of their arms that were formerly attached to, making Cornelia scream in anguish as blood rapidly burst from the sockets of her severed arms.

For each scream, Cornelia's skin turned more and more pale, her pretty face contorting into a hideously deformed face of an old woman with darkened eyes, widened from the impending doom awaiting her.

Lyla walked in front of Cornelia, looking down at her with contempt as the Royal Sword continued radiating dark magic that was enchanted on it.

Looking down at the type of person responsible for the sufferings of her mother, the cause of her white hair and initial shortened lifespan. Those responsible for the murder of her grandfather that caused pain to her father. Lyla could barely contain her urge to mock the Agarthan who was terrified of dying before her.

She knew mocking this… person who wore the skin of Cornelia would bring herself down to this vile woman's level.

And as much as she wanted her to suffer more for what she had done to the people of Fodlan with the war she caused as well as the plague, Lyla knew better than to resort to torturing her to death.

She was after all, not a bloodthirsty boar who would relish in the misery of her opponents. She was taught to be better than those who came before her.

"May you burn in the fires of eternity." Lyla said before plunging her sword into Cornelia's heart before pulling it out and severed Cornelia's head with swift furious swing, staining her clothes in blood from the fountain caused by the decapitation.

Lyla merely looked down at the corpse of her defeated foe as she was approached by both her father and brother as a horn of their triumph blared across the air, drowned by the victorious cries of the royal army.

"It's over. We won." Byleth said as he placed a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "She will never hurt anyone again."

"Her legacy will. There's still the plague." Jeralt pointed out as he looked down on Cornelia's headless corpse with a hint of satisfied vengeance, Leonie's death having been given justice thanks to his sister even though he personally desired to slay Cornelia.

But for Lyla, there was no triumph for her. While she has no sympathies for the Agarthans, the bulk of the enemy army she and her armies had slain were still the blood of her people, people who were only following the orders of their foolish lords who marched them to their deaths.

---

With the final defeat of the Agarthans, Lyla knew she cannot rest yet due to the plague. At that time, a cure was found by none other than Glenn and thus Fodlan recovered yet mourned the loss of lives. Those disgruntled members of the nobility who committed treason and survived the civil war were tried and executed (with Lyla deciding that half measures are not enough), their estates and titles stripped off of them to distribute to the representatives of the common people to govern.

Saddened and nearly overwhelmed by the deaths of her people, Lyla almost couldn't bear the weight of her crown from what had happened despite being granted relief from news of Lysithea and Marianne's recovery.

It was during this time too that Glenn had lost his wife, Amelia, a fellow medical practitioner he met and fell in love with following his rejection from Lyla. It is from their union that Felicia was born.

Lyla knew all of this as she secretly kept tabs on Glenn due to her lingering feelings for him, it hurt her that he found another person to love and have a family with but she knew she had to accept the consequences of her decision.

Amelia died from the plague, contracting the disease while trying to save lives affected by Agartha's Revenge, Glenn desperately tried to save her as he worked tirelessly to create a cure for Amelia's condition only for fate to cruelly take her from him, Glenn finding out the cure days after her passing.

Unable to imagine what Glenn was going through, Lyla visited him for the first time in the years that followed after their last meeting.

She comforted her friend for his loss and this led to one thing to another. Though this would relight the spark between them, it took Glenn almost two years to get over Amelia's death as well as his duty to create more cures for the plague that took his wife away from him.

By this time, Lyla had decided that the decision she made earlier in her life was indeed a foolish one (something Leraje relished on rubbing on her face which earns him a slap to the back of his head by either Lysithea or Jeralt). She still was very much in love with Glenn and thus, was there for him and he returned the favor by being there for her as support when the burden of the crown was too much for Lyla.

Shortly after, Lyla shocked the entire nation when she announced her plan to marry Glenn, a sudden turn of events that ruined any man's prospect of earning the single queen's hand for marriage. While Glenn became part of the royal house with his marriage to Lyla, he politely rejected the position of becoming Lyla's king, he instead became a prince consort as his official title and he also told Lyla to maintain her name of Lyla Eden Eisner rather than the usual tradition of a woman taking on her husband's family name.

While Lyla and Glenn gained a newfound love and happiness for each other, it was a challenge for Lyla to get along with Glenn's daughter from his first marriage.

Felicia was rather hard to get to know due to her feelings for her deceased mother, the death of Amelia was difficult for a young child like Felicia to accept and despite Glenn's efforts to make his daughter be close to the queen, she didn't warm up to the queen immediately.

It took some time but eventually and much to Lyla's joy, Felicia accepted her as her new mother which later on proved to be a fruitful relationship as Lyla treated her stepdaughter as her own. Sadly, Glenn and Lyla couldn't have children of their own mostly because Glenn became infertile after testing the cure for the plague that took his wife away from him. In his zeal to find a cure, he unknowingly contracted the side effect of infertility from testing his own cure.

While this did little to impede their happy life as a family, it did present a potential succession crisis for the nation as Lyla will have no children of her own while she was still bound to Glenn, many of her subjects had asked her to find another man who could give her a child, a suggestion that Lyla immediately shut down and warned everyone not to speak of it again.

It was at this time that Lyla had already decided that if she should pass before her own time, Jeralt was to be her heir to the throne.

Unfortunately, tragedy would find its way to Lyla's life, a decade after her marriage to Glenn.

---

"Glenn, that man was perfect for you."

"I know." Lyla replied despondently as she continued her trek at Oghma Mountains.

"It was a tragedy… What happened to him."

Lyla was silent as she remembered the day Glenn died, decades after that tragedy happened and it still hurts her to remember it.

As Glenn wasn't bound to the duties of the crown, he would go on trips outside Derdriu to assess and help the people of Fodlan with their medical issues, and during this time, he was accompanied by Leraje who was addressing the water contaminations caused by the mishandling of the people about his designs.

Even if Glenn was only gone for weeks, he and his wife still maintained correspondence with the letters containing information on their job as well as their sappy words for one another.

Lyla was with Felicia when news of what would perhaps be the most tragic moment of Lyla's life arrived.

During Glenn's journey with Leraje, a terrible earthquake shook the mountain pass that they were walking through, the ensuing landslide threatened their lives and in one final act of self-sacrifice and altruism, Glenn saved Leraje's life at the cost of his own.

The sudden loss of Glenn shattered Lyla's resolve for the first time, her husband and the love of her life was suddenly snatched away from her and it was merely a few days ago that they shared letters with Lyla teasing Glenn to "hurry up and return to her side" for she and Felicia missed him.

Glenn did return immediately but in the form of a coffin to his grieving wife and daughter, the nation grieved Glenn for they recognized him as a hero of the plague and revolutionary of the medical field in Fodlan. His loss deeply affected Felix and Annette, having to experience the horror of burying their one and only child, both of them never fully recovered from it. Felicia couldn't speak for days, Lyla took a leave of absence during her grief with Jeralt and their parents momentarily ruling in her absence. Marianne was also a beacon of love and support during that time, frequently checking on her godchild.

Leraje was perhaps the most guilty one considering it was his life that was saved in exchange for Glenn's during that terrible tragedy. No one blamed the prince but he was nonetheless rifed with guilt and grief for his brother-in-law that he had come to care and highly respect for.

Eventually, it took Lyla years to get over the love of her life's death but she didn't allow grief to overcome her as she built up the strength to stand up once more and lead her people again despite her parents' telling her to process what happened. Lyla refused and instead used her role as Fodlan's queen as a distraction.

With both her birth parents gone, Felicia only has Lyla to look up to and Lyla made sure she had the time in the world to personally take care and nurture her stepdaughter with the love and care she needs from her parents.

It was a difficult time for Lyla but she persevered for Felicia's sake and Felicia was eternally grateful for what her stepmother had done for her during those times.

---

"We're finally here." Lyla said as she caught sight of the ruins that encompass the Red Canyon.

"The City of Zanado." Sothis remarked as she looked upon the ruins of what was once a glorious civilization, torn asunder by the deaths and destruction brought about by manipulations and bloody vengeance.

"It has been years since I saw it for myself." Sothis said, sounding nostalgic as her manifestation touched the ground, preferring to walk instead of float around like she used to.

Lyla silently followed Sothis as the spirit walked towards the shattered gates and walls made of marble, they were all weathered and had collected years upon years of dust and dirt but Sothis could still have fragments of her memories when these walls stood tall and strong.

Entering within the broken archway, the pair came upon what little remained of houses and various buildings, time has been harsh upon them compared to the withered walls as most of them have been buried under heaps of rocks or the foliage of the land.

"I remember the first time I returned to this place. I asked your father to bring me here, thinking I may recover my memories." Sothis spoke as she recalled when Byleth walked the land they are standing on now.

"We didn't know it was home to a pack of beasts that has made this place their lair."

Lyla nodded, having known the story from both her parents as her eyes wandered around the area, the only noteworthy thing she saw was a small waterfall falling on a small pond, surmising that must have been a main supply of water for the people who had lived here, the Nabateans.

Something that she and her brothers were described by Seteth as "second generations" of his kind.

Sothis managed to giggle at a memory she had with Byleth.

"It was rather ironically amusing that I was the one who requested that fool to come here due to my own reckless curiosity. Your father has always been the more reckless one between us."

While Sothis was reminiscing and trying to stir lost forgotten memories of this abandoned and broken city. Lyla's thoughts strayed to what caused them to come here in the first place.

---

"I'm fading Lyla."

Lyla, having buried her father months ago and still recovering from her loss, turned to the disembodied spirit who had manifested beside her as she stood at the balcony of the palace, overlooking the city of Derdriu.

"What are you talking about?" Lyla asked with a rather despondent tone, Sothis couldn't blame her for it considering what she had to endure.

"There is a reason why you suddenly felt weakened in the days following your father's passing."

The mention of that had instantly taken Lyla's attention, she turned to her side to face the goddess with eyes telling her to continue.

Her sudden feeling of weakness in the past months have had her family and subjects worried considering she nearly fainted one day while overseeing the expansion of the city of Derdriu, the city having grown to the point that it needed more land to occupy for its citizens.

Despite Leraje's best efforts, he found nothing that would explain the random and spontaneous feeling.

"Explain." Lyla seemed like she was commanding Sothis to elaborate. Normally, Sothis would feel slighted that her host would command her rather than politely ask but today, Sothis just agreed.

"You see, I may inhabit your body as the host of my consciousness but my power resides within your father for as long as he lived and the Crest Stone, which happens to be my heart as well, remained in his heart."

Lyla nodded in understanding, even though she hosts Sothis' spirit, she can merely only siphon the goddess' former power when in the vicinity of her father. Something she once had no control over as she unknowingly interfered with her father's ability to turn back the tides of time to prevent the incident that caused her mother to become younger.

"The moment I bequeathed my power to your father, I unknowingly unbounded myself to his own soul, I wasn't imprisoned into my heart anymore and I only realized that when a fragment of my soul reincarnated into you that my consciousness also followed, I discovered that I was residing into you as your mother housed you within her womb." Sothis continued.

"Despite that, my existence itself was dependent on your father's condition due to the bulk of my divine power residing within him. He was my anchor to this world. If he continues to live, my existence to this life is secured but in the event that he dies– which he did… I will vanish." Sothis trailed off in sorrow as she also grieved on Byleth's death.

"Your existence will soon fade…" Lyla muttered as her eyes widened in horror at what she had just learned. "T-Then…"

Lyla almost didn't want to utter it as her voice started to tremble. It took her a moment to prepare a concise sentence.

"If I am reincarnated from a fragment of your soul, will I also… fade?"

Sothis gave her a reassuring smile and shook her head. "No, you will remain intact as your own soul is yours, it is a part of me that latched on to yours that will fade, meaning what power my presence has given to you will be lost. You will continue to live without me to nag on you."

"No…"

"I feel this is for the best, my child." Sothis said as she tried to cup her host' face, only for her hand to pass through. "The world doesn't need me anymore."

Lyla repeatedly shook her head. "But you'll be gone! Wiped out as if you never existed! What about your memories? The bonds you shared with me and my father? Aren't you afraid that you'll just disappear?"

"All things must come to an end, Lyla and that applies to me. You need not grieve over me–"

"That's easy for you to say!" Lyla shouted out, causing Sothis to be taken aback when she saw the queen's eyes overflowing with tears.

"I already lost my mother and father in a span of a year and now, you're telling me that I will lose you too?! You're my best friend! My guardian! You've been with me ever since I was born! I can't just pretend everything's fine when you fade out!"

"Lyla…" Sothis said in shock, she didn't expect this reaction from Lyla, it was a mistake not to and even then, she could only feel sad to what her host is currently feeling and she understood why she reacted as such.

Even if she was afraid to admit it, she was afraid to just disappear, every lifetime she had witnessed and the bonds she had made, gone.

"There must be something we can do!" Lyla said as she was already looking for a solution in her desperation.

"Lyla, my presence has long been dictating the direction of the fates of your family since the moment my heart was implanted within your grandmother. I cannot allow my continued existence to haunt your family in the succeeding generations–"

"What if I bring you back? There must be a way considering–"

"And do what Seiros intended to do to your father? Lyla, I didn't want Seiros to do that for me, what makes you think I would want to do that to you? To take over you and revive myself in you?"

"What if there's a way… to do the same thing you and father did?"

"No… You don't know what you're asking from me, Lyla! I cannot subject you to the same existence as I did to your father!"

Sothis regretted informing Lyla about it, she had wished to tell her properly as to ready Lyla but as usual, she was as stubborn as her mother and father are when they set their mind on something.

---

Lyla and Sothis both arrived at the entrance of what seemed to be an infrastructure that was meant to house something for a grand purpose or someone important.

Looking up at a damaged cliff of the building, Sothis could tell that place was meant to overlook the entire city of Zanado during its active days… she used to stand there to watch her children go about their daily lives.

Her children… She still could not remember vividly about her children, she knew she mothered the Nabateans yet had no concrete memory of her time with them. Yet, she felt saddened at how they have been reduced to only three with the exclusion of her niece, Cethleann: Cichol, Indech and Macuil are what remained of her children.

The rest have been buried in these lands, Seiros was laid to rest here in Zanado but neither she nor Lyla knows exactly where. They only know from Byleth that years after the war, the relics that possess their hearts were collected. The hearts were buried to put them to rest somewhere in Zanado while the vessels they inhabited, once called the Heroes' Relics, were cast into the bottomless sea to never be used again.

With nary a word, Lyla and Sothis entered the destroyed building.

Within the halls were more weathered stones, scattered moss and foliage everywhere, part of the roof was shattered open, allowing the light of the sun to illuminate the interior of the grand building.

"This was my palace… my temple…"

Lyla and Sothis continued further until they reached a highly elevated dais, a very familiar sight for Lyla whenever she visits the goddess within her subconscious.

The pair then climbed the damaged steps leading to the top, only to reach an empty platform. Both of them knew there used to be something within the middle of the platform.

"This is it?" Lyla asked, glancing towards Sothis who looked at the empty platform with familiarity.

"Yes. This is the place where my throne was until Seiros moved it belong Garreg Mach. She thought that wherever my throne is, I would react to it, not knowing the truth."

"Your throne itself isn't the reason why you were resting there until Nemesis murdered you."

"Yes, the throne was merely just a decoration. The true reason why I rested on this very spot is the reason why I chose Zanado as my seat of power. This is where the leylines of this world's magic converge, it's all focused here. Whenever I expended too much than I regenerate on my own, I would go to sleep and take in the magic of the world here to replenish my own."

"Nobody knew about this?" Lyla asked as she watched Sothis approach the very spot where her throne was supposed to be.

"Only beings of higher existence could see and sense it. Not even the Nabateans can sense it. I, alone, am the only being in this world to know this is the convergence point of the magical ley lines." Sothis explained before looking up at the shattered roof with a worried look.

"Are you sure you want to push through this?"

"You know what my answer is. How can we start the Ascension Ritual?"

Sothis sighed at the woman. "You wouldn't relent until I told you about this method. I never wanted this for you, Lyla. I was already satisfied to know that you will be fine if I ever faded–"

"This is my choice, not yours. You have encouraged me to stand by my choices and follow my heart… This is what my heart desires. To save you and join our souls together as one."

Sothis sighed at Lyla's stubbornness. All these years and it is still the trait that annoys Sothis about Lyla… yet it was one of her traits that she likes about her as well.

There was no turning back now.

"Then, take out the Sword of the Creator. My body…"

Lyla unwrapped the cloth that was firmly tied around the object she had been carrying since she left Derdriu, revealing it to be none other than the Sword of the Creator… Byleth's sword that has been inactive ever since his death.

"Insert my heart into its core, reunite my heart into my body."

Lyla did so without hesitation, taking out the Crest Stone of the Crest of Flames from her pocket, the very thing that served to keep her father alive all these years as well as the source of his power. She inserted the heart of Sothis into the hollow circle on the hilt of the sword.

Once she did, the sword began to radiate the familiar orange-red glow it once possessed whenever Byleth drew it for his own uses.

Lyla felt the power of the sword as it pulsated yet increasingly found it hard to carry the more she held onto it.

"This is my job now." Sothis said as she approached Lyla, her incorporeal hand suddenly touched the sword's Crest Stone. Then suddenly, Sothis' body started to flash blinding white light as her body began to dissolve into particles and orbs of light that had begun to sweep around Lyla.

"Our mind, heart and soul will become one."

Sothis' voice echoed across the halls of the ruined building as the earth around Zanado shook as if reacting to the phenomenon that was happening.

Lyla closed her eyes as she pressed the Sword of the Creator onto her chest as the particles of light that used to be Sothis were absorbed into Lyla's body, the Sword of the Creator then glowed white as it dissolved into particles of light.

Suddenly, a pillar of white light burst from below the dais Lyla was stepping on, it penetrated the skies above as it can be seen from miles away.

The torrents of magical power slowly dissolved Lyla's body as her clothes and belongings all fell on the floor and down the steps leading out of the dais.

---

Lyla opened her eyes to see herself within a void of white, she looked around, confused where she was and why she was alone.

"Sothis?"

There was no response, only the silence of the infinite white.

"Did we fail?" Lyla lamented. "Didn't it work?"

"No."

Lyla gasped at the familiar voice, she turned around to see a sight that invoked her tears to pour out upon seeing them.

Before her stood Byleth and Lysithea, looking as they are in their prime years. Her mother retained her youthful beauty while her father remained remotely the same as he has been except for this teal colored hair, a shade of color that she once possessed as a child.

Reaching out towards her parents, Lyla was shocked to see that her arms were that of a child's, she looked down on her body to find herself what she appeared as a child.

Yet, that didn't matter anymore as Lyla's desire to feel her parents' embrace overwhelmed her, she ran towards them with Byleth and Lysithea both kneeling down to meet her head-on.

Lyla practically jumped as she felt the warm and loving embrace of her parents, all her confused thoughts ceased to be when she felt this warm and nostalgic touch of her parents.

"Mommy… Daddy… I've missed you so…" Lyla sobbed, her arms firmly wrapped around Lysithea's waist.

Lysithea returned the embrace while Byleth stroked his hand to the back of Lyla's head, gently brushing her hair with his fingers.

It was a feeling Lyla had missed so much. Something she had wished to have kept on doing even if she got old.

It doesn't matter now, she's here with them and she was wasting none of it.

"My little sweet." Lysithea warmly cooed.

"Don't let go, please. I don't want to let go."

"I'm afraid we can't do that." Byleth said which prompted Lyla to break off from her embrace, this gave Lysithea the opportunity to wipe off the tears streaming down from her daughter's five year old cheeks.

"Why?" Lyla questioned as her eyes looked at her parents for answers.

"You being here is merely temporary." Byleth said, his smile never faltering. "Sothis sent your consciousness here, she wanted you to experience this before—"

"The Ascension is completed." Lyla completed her father's sentence. The situation was beginning to set in for Lyla now and she suddenly looked down, unable to face her parents.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Lysithea asked, gently cupping Lyla's cheeks to make her look at them once again.

"Do you think what I'm doing is right?" Lyla asked, wanting to hear her parents' advice once again for they always knew what was the right thing to tell her.

Byleth and Lysithea looked at each other before turning to Lyla again.

"You're the only one who can answer that, Lyla. What you're doing now is all for the good of someone you care about. I see nothing wrong with it." Byleth responded.

Lysithea nodded in agreement. "There is nothing to fear or doubt about, my little sweet." Lysithea smiled as he caressed her daughter's cheek.

"As much as we want you to spend your time here with us… I think there are others who want to see you as well." Byleth said and before Lyla could utter a word, she looked behind her parents.

"Auntie Mari." Lyla's eyes widened at the sight of Marianne waving happily at her.

It wasn't only Marianne… Annette, Felix, Claude… everyone who had passed away that she had met and bonded with over the years were all present.

It was enough for Lyla to let out tears once again as her parents placed a comforting hand on each of her shoulders.

Then, someone caught her eye and despite her initial feeling of not wanting to let go of her parents, she found herself running. As she ran, she realized she had grown up to her adult self, her appearance reflecting what she was as the Queen of Fodlan.

She didn't pay much mind to her change as she embraced the one person she wanted to embrace most since he died.

"Glenn." Lyla spoke out his name as she tightly hugged her husband who simply smiled and returned her hug with his own arms.

"I've missed you so much…" Lyla said as she sobbed on to Glenn's chest. "I tried hard to be Felicia's mother ever since you died–"

"I know and I am happy that you took care of her.." The sound of Glenn's voice soothed her. "I'm sorry I had to leave you so abruptly… I really do."

Lyla's body shook as she remembered what she had to go through after Glenn died but Glenn put a stop to such painful memories when he pressed his lips on to her, erasing the bad memories she had almost immediately. She had more to say but she couldn't find the words anymore, she just wanted to stay like this, in this place with everyone else she loved.

Yet she knew she can't stay here for far longer. She could feel it, something was pulling her consciousness away in this white void.

She pulled away from Glenn who gave her a smile, she looked back to see Byleth and Lysithea placing their hands on her shoulders again. They were full of smiles conveying so many things within them: joy and pride being the clearest ones.

"It's time to say goodbye."

"We're proud of you."

"I love you."

Lyla smiled contently from those who spoke those words as she was blinded by a flash of white light once again.

By the time she could see again, she found herself in the same white void but this time, Sothis stood before her.

"It's about time. I trust you spent your time well on the other side?" Sothis asked and Lyla's smile seemed like the answer to her question.

"Yes." Lyla responded. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." Sothis quickly replied. "I should be the one thanking you. I didn't ask for this, to preserve my existence yet you forced yourself to me into making this decision–"

"Are you thanking me or not?" Lyla asked teasingly.

Sothis gave her a soft glare. "I'm getting there!" She coughed, composing herself. "What I'm trying to say is, I appreciate this…Honestly, I was really afraid to just fade out, to disappear without a trace. I've grown so accustomed to inhabiting you and your father's bodies that it feels so normal for me. I used to be the one who always kept you and your father's lives safe with what I could do but this time… you're the one saving me."

Lyla could have sworn seeing a shade of red creep on to Sothis' cheeks.

"So… Thank you, Lyla." Sothis gave her host a heartfelt smile. "To think you used to be such a crybaby child, you became an impudent child who would talk back to me and now, you're the one saving me."

Lyla giggled at Sothis' effort to convey her gratitude towards her but made no further comment, she wasn't disputing the fact that she, unlike her father, talks back against Sothis which leads to their mental arguments.

Sothis scoffed amusingly, extending her right hand for Lyla to reach.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Lyla nodded as she reached out her right hand to hold Sothis' as white light enveloped them.

---

The pillar of light abruptly ceased as the quaking lands of Zanado followed.

On the dais of where the Goddess used to rest stood an unfamiliar figure.

Garbed in a strange dark blue dress, her flowing dark green hair extending until the hems of her dress.

She stayed silent and unmoving for a brief moment as if she slept as she stood.

Then, all of a sudden, her eyes opened to reveal a pair of eyes with differing colors for each: pink and green respectively.

She looked around her before looking up at the skies above, as if knowing where she would go.

Without a word, she soared towards the skies until she disappeared into what is known as the Blue Sea Star, from now on appearing on Fodlan's skies, watching over the land and radiating it with it's brilliance.

"Your will and mine are now as one. At this point forward, we shall journey and live as one. Forever bound until such an event as the end of eternity comes."

---

And this marks the true ending of the Bysithea fics set in the Verdant Wind setting, ironically this entire fic was more focused on their daughter and to their fates in the end as well as addressing the immortality issue Byleth has. There will be no more sequels following this conclusion. I will be full steam ahead on The Last Scion of House Ordelia after this as well as another collab one-shot that I might work on soon with a familiar friend/writer.

To explain a few things: Lyla and Sothis merged into one singular being, their souls and memories melding into one. The merge effectively resurrected the Goddess that Sothis was but with a few changes. There's no dual personality unlike Byleth and Sothis, only one singular being with it's own identity. The Ascension Ritual they have done is almost the same thing Rhea had intended to do to Byleth only that Rhea had a lot of misconception about it, one crucial thing she missed is that a soul cannot be forced into the unwilling which was something Lyla and Sothis did the opposite of.

The Blue Sea Star that was mentioned in the end was mentioned in the narration of the chapter "The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth" in the game, it was stated there that the Blue Sea Star was supposedly the home of the Goddess, I decided to use that tidbit of info for this fic.

If you have anymore questions, I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities in the comments below.

As usual comments are very much appreciated! Thank you!