"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart."
– Mahatma Gandhi
It was the blue mark.
Held in between her hands was a paper, crinkles forming at its sides in her tight grip. But it wasn't the paper, per se, that was the problem—no, rather, it was the blue mark.
The blue mark written at the top right corner of this paper.
98/100
"Kaichou…"
The President of the Student Council flinched at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder.
This was not like her. It was just a simple English test. So why did she feel this way?
Why!?
No. No… she knew why.
Sighing, she placed the paper down, defeated.
As much as she wanted it to be an illusion, hell, even a prank, she couldn't deny the reality written before her. Instead, she tore her gaze from that accursed number—only to meet the eyes of her concerned peerage.
Shock. And Concern. Evident from their eyes. At her notice, they quickly shifted their attention back down to their work. Pretending to have seen nothing.
Sona Sitri, heir to the Sitri family and President of the Student Council, sighed.
The clock ticked away in the backdrop as she shuffled the last of the papers, unmoved from her spot since this evening. The model student pushed herself up, school bag at hand as she moved to lock up for the day. Normally, she would have had others do it for her, but this was a rare occasion. One she didn't mind.
Turning from the door, Sona Sitri began her long gait down the hallway.
Squares of dusk light stretched out before her feet, the echoes of her footsteps falling in the background. It was late, even by her standards, but she was able to get much-needed work done in exchange.
The lack of a presence by her side was unfamiliar to her but she hoped the comfort of solitude would at least calm her spirits.
Though her thoughts settled, she felt the burning questions and concerns of those around her. This would not do. So instead, she dismissed them early for the day. The model student barely looked up from her work as she did so.
Sona softly sighed. She knew perfectly well how ludicrous her standards were for herself.
Even so, it was needed.
A King had to set an example for their peerage, after all.
But perhaps… perhaps she was being a tad too dramatic.
She paused her stride, turning towards the window panel at her left. She smiled softly.
A rich, orange glow extended from the scarlet rays emanating from the setting sun, the city was a world bathed in light. And in the heavens above was a rolling mixture of purples and blues stretching far beyond the eye can see.
The young girl gently laid a palm against the glass, her gaze wistful.
"Madam, are you paying attention?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Apologies, Sir Wilhelm."
"No need, madam, as I need not remind you of the importance of these lessons."
"Of course. Please, continue."
The withered gentlemen took a moment to take in his lone student before continuing his lecture.
"Now, as I was saying," he began, turning towards the chalkboard. "There were many complicated reasons why the Great War even began. Each side had their various motivations, though, many do agree that the central issue concerned humanity as a whole. Why is it that humanity gathered the interests of all three of the factions when collectively, their power as a race fell woefully short?"
The butler turned away from the board as he waited for the young child's answer but when none came, he turned back.
Instead, her attention was directed away. Out to the lone window.
A cloudless, blue sky. Just like the human world. And like the human world, a star that hung in the backdrop, illuminating the study. And so, their world was made that much closer to theirs, with a blue sky and a yellow sun.
Their kind never needed such things, but the occasional whimsy of the Four never made sense to him.
And yet, looking back at her, at those amethyst-colored eyes that twinkled at the light paused the old man's heart. He was not one to grow sentimental over much, as jaded as he was, but after only seven years of knowing the child since her birth, she has, somehow, wormed her way into his heart.
He sighed, laying the wooden pointer gripped in his hand down on the chalk ledge.
"Perhaps we should take a break."
Sona Sitri sat unmoved, hands flat on her lap while her feet dangled from her chair. A perfect representation of a porcelain doll: beautiful, priceless and so, so delicate.
"Your mother... was once taught in this very room."
He moved towards the window, his eyes peering out to the view below. Emerald grass of the Sitri property, an ancient fountain that proudly displayed the stone image of the original Sitri ancestor at its center, but what stood out, beyond the austerity and immaculate brickwork—was a field. A field of flowers.
"She was very unlike you," a rare, yet soft, smile on his face. "She would always find my lesson plans boring, looking for ways to sneak out and play in the gardens.
"A firecracker, that one." He mumbled, his smile turning flat.
Wilhelm was not a sentimental man. Always stalwart, always stoic, he emphasized everything the Sitri's represented.
But there were few things in life he cherished greatly.
Had things been different? Before her time? Even her child-mind could sense the difference of the mansion—the difference between how the servants treated her and others in the family.
The seemingly stoic man turned to her, his silver ponytail gently swaying from the movement.
"I'm sure, madam, that she couldn't be happier with you."
There was a resolution in his weary gaze, but a rare softness as well.
"That is why you must persevere. Become the daughter she can be proud of."
His footsteps were slow and heavy, as he stood in front of that door to leave.
"But most importantly," his tone tender, "was that she loved you above all else, Sona."
He gripped the knob, turning it ever so gently, a stoic gaze pointed forward as he stepped through.
"Don't ever forget it."
.
.
.
Perhaps it was his words. Or the lone window, that she dared to reach out to. Dared to dream. Because when she finally broke through, away from the mansion and the servants and those cold, blue eyes from the top of those stairs.
The sky never looked more real.
A familiar ceiling came into view as her eyes fluttered open.
Pushing the sheets off, she reached for her frames and donned on her house slippers, making a move to her bathroom.
She looked towards the mirror, the faint sounds of droplets dripped against the marble sink.
An unmarred face and almond-shaped eyes stared back behind a set of purple frames. Onyx, colored locks that fell a few centimeters below her ears. Pink lips slightly ajar, as if waiting to speak out.
And... faint streaks of tears.
She blinked.
I look like a mess.
She put her glasses aside and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water on her face, letting the cool liquid drip down.
"Don't ever forget it."
Words from another time echoed in her mind.
Sona twisted the faucet off and patted her face with a fresh towel, but droplets continued to pound the marble sink.
She sighed, hanging the towel back at its rack, and gripped the handle before turning it tighter. But the sounds had yet to cease, forcing Sona to look down in annoyance.
That's when she saw it.
A blue mark, unlike anything she has ever seen before—etched at the back of her hand.
Sona Sitri was once again back in her favorite chair, at the head of the student council table.
All around her were her fellow council members—her peerage.
Sanji with his jokes, while Momo laughed at the majority of them. Meguri, making wild hand gestures and grunts to stave off boredom while Reya calmed her down. All the while, the pen in Tsubasa's hand moved diligently as she continued her work, accustomed to the environment.
Sona smiled softly at the scene.
And through it all, Tsubaki sat by her side, her ever-vigilant Queen. Focused, she worked on her class assignments, finished with her council tasks for the day.
"Become the daughter she can be proud of."
The Sitri heiress mentally shook the thoughts away and instead shifted her attention down to her lap, where her hands lay.
She brought the mark up into view, taking a closer look at it.
Beautiful.
It was unlike any mark she had ever seen. Symmetrical, with graceful curves and intricate patterns. The pattern seems almost like a heart; a golden diamond at its core. Like a gilded keyhole.
The lines shimmered like a sapphire jewel under her gaze, as if to greet her.
"That... is a very interesting pattern, Kaichou."
She turned to her Queen. Her curious brown orbs locked on the emblem on her hand.
"Yes, Tsubaki.
"Yes, it is."
In the following days, research into both supernatural and mundane revealed nothing.
She knew it was magical in origin—she could sense it.
"What are you...?" she whispered, her arm outstretched. The blue mark glowing as if in response. Once more, she admired the craftsmanship and wondered how such a thing attached itself to her.
"Kaichou," approached Meguri with papers in her hand, her ever stalwart Knight. For once, she was actually getting work done ahead of her peers. "I was looking through the club balances but I coul–"
That's when they felt it.
A surge of power interrupted her Knight mid-speech and tripped the alarms of her wards as a burst of blue mana erupted all around them.
It was powerful. Ancient. Familiar.
At an empty area of the room, the Sitri family sigil appeared, confusing those who had recognized it.
Only Sona remained calm and sat unmoved in her chair. After a brief wave of shock, the rest of her peerage moved into a protective tactical position. The King smiled in approval.
As the blue light faded, a lone figure stood at its center. His austere disposition reflected off his silhouette.
"Madam Sitri," he bowed, the glow now gone.
He was an elegant man. Well-aged, and dressed in a perfectly vintage servant's tux.
"Wilhelm," greeted Sona, a faint smile at the edge of her lips. Saji looked back and forth in confusion, "Wilhelm?"
"I have received your message, madam. Now then, tell me more about this mark of yours."
"And you said it just appeared on your hand when you woke up?"
"Yes, and I am fairly sure that I did not have it before that day."
"I see."
He continued his examination, her hand gently atop his white-gloved palm as he stroked his silver mustache in thought.
The rest of her peerage all stood dutifully to the side, briefed with the situation and the man's identity.
Moments ticked away in silence. His eyes continued to scan the mark as anticipation grew amongst the crowd.
Sona merely waited for a response, her face impassive under his scrutiny.
"I have lived for many years, madam," he began with unreadable expression, "seen many things throughout my time."
He let go, standing straight at his full height, his silver ponytail swaying under his movement.
She looked up from her sitting position, his back turned to her as she silently waited for his next choice of words.
"I have fought in two wars, seen great feats of magic, and prowess from the most unexpected mortals to the greatest of Angels... but nothing like this."
This caught her attention.
"Have you been able to sense anything from it…?" he questioned, turning back to face her.
"I have tried, but other than the fact that it's magical, no."
"I see," he muttered.
She sat resolutely under his gaze, having grown used to the intensity of his stares before he spoke out once more.
"Under my examination, I was able to partially sense the nature of that mark. The information was quite interesting.
"The upper layer, the actual mark that you see, is composed of intersecting Spiritual Lines created from a type of energy I have never sensed before. Added along is, curiously enough, your genetic material, or more accurately, your blood. It was your blood that formed the mark in the first place."
That definitely caught her attention, and if not for the audible whispers from some of their audience, then it caught her peerage's attention as well.
"Interesting as that may be, it's what swirls beneath that truly compels some investigation."
He began stroking his mustache once again, eyes directed at her hand.
"Power. The likes of which I have seldom sensed over my long lifespan. Not only that but what lies underneath is a blend of this same type of unknown energy but in far more potent doses. It's also mixed with your own signature mana source and… a significant amount of the holy element."
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"But-but how?" she heard Saji blurt out in bewilderment. She couldn't blame him, as she barely restrained her own confusion as well.
"I have no idea. I was only able to sense it briefly before it escaped me, but from that experience alone, I was able to identify that the amount of energy packed in there would rival the higher ends of an Ultimate-Class Devil.
"Normally, intense holy energy that potent would have meant that as soon as it was stamped on your hand then it should have purified you on the spot, leaving not a trace of your existence."
Standing from her seat, she looked down at the mark incredulously, not knowing how to feel that her life was literally on the line since the day she first found it.
"How…?" she asked.
"Hm?" the butler raised an eyebrow.
She raised her voice, "How was I not able to sense any of this?"
"Well, that is another interesting point. The Spiritual Lines serves as a cover, and if I could guess, a way to hide the vast amounts of power that lay within it, otherwise, you would be a walking beacon to all those who have an inkling of sensing mana.
"I mean, even so, the lines themselves were sewn on so perfectly, I doubt anyone, even a Master Weaver, could replicate such work."
"I–I see…" she whispered, still in disbelief.
His eyes softened at the girl who stared at her hand in intense scrutiny. Ruminating thoughts, he could guess, swirled around in that head of hers.
"Is–is it dangerous…?" he heard the other bespectacled girl, Tsubaki, asked.
He turned his direction towards her, noticing the glint of steel behind her brown orbs.
She's grown quite brave, that one, he thought, impressed.
"For now, no. But we can never tell at this point. There are too many unknown variables to make an accurate statement, but for now, I shall do what I can and… inform the Mistress."
He caught Madam Sitri's subtle flinch at the mention of the Sitri matriarch, her face now pointed down.
"Wilhelm," she whispered, "may I ask that you keep this… mystery, between us? For now, at least."
Sona Sitri fiddled with the hem of her skirt, gaze hidden behind raven-colored bangs.
"Very well," he conceded, after a moment of silence. "But if the situation escalates, I am obligated to inform her of the circumstances."
"I understand."
She let loose a breath she didn't know she held as the tight grip on her skirt weakened.
Before her was a vast meadow.
The sun-kissed grass that surrounded her gently brushed against her fingertips as she ambled forward. Her steps were light, without the burdens of life to bear down on her.
She looked around, the azure skies that protectively hung above her head, gentle winds flowed through the locks of her hair as the golden sun greeted her like an old friend, warmly blessing her with its rays.
The young woman continued walking on, aimlessly, eyes closed as her white dress fluttered softly. There is no danger here.
She did not know why. She did not care, but she kept moving. An endless meadow that stretched beyond the scope of her vision. She simply took in the moment of peace and basked in it.
But it was here where she felt it.
A tree that wasn't there a moment ago before her now opened gaze—tall and golden. It's blue leaves shimmering in the light breeze.
The young woman ambled closer to its base, under its protective shades. And just like that, she was compelled to stretch an arm out and lay a hand at its bark.
A pulse.
And then she felt it. The whole of the tree. Its roots stretched out beyond the confines of the expansive meadows. Beyond this sea of green.
Her mind whirled with foreign knowledge that felt like screams at the back of her head.
She stumbled back, eyes clenched as the palms of her hands grasped her temples in pain.
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And then—
—silence.
As sudden as it came.
Sona Sitri bolted up.
Someone once said dreams were a manifestation of your subconscious, a way for your mind to process the on-goings of your life through cryptic clues and symbols.
She never cared to listen to them.
To her, dreams were an escape. A way to unshackle herself from the troubles of the real world. A place to be free, until they faded away, forgotten, in the waking world.
But now, she couldn't ignore what that was…
...or the influx of knowledge.
She felt her stiff legs move with more effort than usual.
That wasn't just any dream, somehow tasting a copper tang in the air.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead. 11:06, she noticed. The grandfather clock ticked away at the corner, a steady cadence to her heavy breathing.
Sona gripped her sheets—and let go. Purpose and resolve was now the mask she wore.
There's work to be done.
"Kaichoooou, it's midnight. Why are we here at midnight?"
"Meguri, just trust the president on this one," Tsubaki sighed.
Dressed in their school uniform, Sona and her peerage stood at a rearranged student council room, all the furniture neatly pushed to the sides to make space at the center.
Taking out the jug of silver requested from her, the Queen handed it over to her King, curious at such an odd request.
Giving her a nod of thanks, Tsubaki took a few steps back and began to watch her King draw out a perfect circle. Not a word was spoken as they all observed the Sitri Heiress, laser-focused on the task.
A ritual? But don't devils normally use their energy to create sigils? The Queen wondered.
She and the others stood silent, the intentions of their King unknown to them.
Time passed until the whispered questions began.
"Aren't rituals like these performed only by human magicians?" she heard someone ask.
"Normally, yeah. In fact, we don't even need to say any sort of incantation or use materials like them," answered a different voice.
"I don't know, but I think it's related to that mark we've been trying to figure out for a while now."
"Hey, do you see that?" she heard Saji point out.
The bespectacled Queen perked up and looked.
"Kaichou's mark, it looks like it's glowing."
Tsubaki focused on her King's anomaly. Sona's hand moved in careful strokes as she added in the last details to the magic circle.
So focused on the mark, she hadn't realized when she stood back up, finished.
It was different, she noticed, different than any other sigil she has ever seen before.
A silver magical circle, with runic symbols mixed within the straight edges.
It was then when Tsubaki first felt it, breaking her thoughts. She wasn't the only one, however, as the rest of the room perked up as well. A steadily growing shift of energy emanated from the sigil.
Everyone stepped back but it was her King that stood in place. Stalwart. Powerful.
Suddenly, she remembered. The school sat on top of one of the largest and strongest ley lines in the country, and the current time, she noticed, laid in between the peak of a devil's power.
She glanced towards the clock.
12:46
"Everyone," her attention back to her King, "I want to thank you all for your patience.
"I'm sorry for waking you all at such an hour, but please, bear with me a little longer."
She watched in anticipation as Sona took a deep breath, her eyes closed as she prepared herself for whatever was coming next.
"What I am about to perform is a summoning ritual, unlike anything that's ever been attempted."
What?
"For the past few days, I've been trying to understand what this symbol was for."
She brought her hand up, looking at the mark in an almost fond manner.
"It was only just recently that I was able to grasp its meaning. Its purpose."
She broke away from the mark and swept her gaze across each face.
Tsubaki had known her King for years. Behind those proud, violet eyes, behind the status, and the position, behind all that power—was fear. And just like that, her eyes broke away from hers.
"This is why I ask that you bear with me for now."
Tsubaki sighed, the tension leaving her body as she gave Sona a rare smile. "Kaichou, we've been friends for a long time and I know how stubborn you can get when you're resolute in a task, so please, do what you have to do."
"Yeah!" Meguri cheered. "We've got your back, Kaichou!"
The rest of the peerage cheered her on. Their King. Their superior. Their friend.
"Thank you. All of you." Sona whispered, a gentle look on her face.
The moment was broken by the sudden resolve that fell in place as she suddenly turned to her, her Queen.
Tsubaki gave her the slightest of nods.
The leftover doubts and fears, all of them melted away as the regal aura of the Sitri's began to emanate from her disposition.
The Vice-President and Queen of her peerage gave her silent approval.
She's ready.
Nodding back to her Queen, Sona turned her attention to the task at hand.
It was odd suddenly knowing what to do. Knowledge that somehow became so intimate, so complete that she almost couldn't believe how blind to it all she was before that vision. But despite her given insight of the ritual, and how to perform it, she still had no idea what she would be summoning.
Or why.
She thought back to her vision. Though clear the knowledge, not so with the dream.
She sighed and took a deep breath.
I need to calm down. Idly wondering about strange dreams won't help here.
Despite how relaxed she looked on the outside, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
Breathe, Sona, breathe.
Shutting her eyes, she stretched out her right arm, the energy beneath the mark beginning to flow.
She could feel it; the soft, blue glimmer, as if responding to her command, pulled at her spiritual core.
All was quiet as she began to draw out her demonic heritage and mixed it with the strange energy from the mark.
"Let Silver and Steel be the Essence. Let Stone and Spirit be the Foundation."
She felt it, the rushing sense of power…
"As Salvation guides me. Let blue the color I pay tribute to.
"Raise a Wall, against the Falling Wind.
"Close the Four Cardinal Gates from the Crown.
"Come Forth and follow the Forked Road to the Kingdom!" she proclaimed, gaining volume.
Energy began to course through her system as she forced fiercely open her eyes, ignoring the growing buildup of light before her.
"I Hereby Propose—
"Thou shall Serve my Command, and my Fate shall be thy Sword.
"Abiding to the Beckonings of the Father.
"If thou shall submit to this Will and Reason... then Answer my Call!"
The sigil crackled with unrestrained power, her audience watched on with shock and awe as a breeze began from the gathered amount of raw mana.
"Hear my Oath! I shall be all that is Good in the Eternal World.
"I shall Preside over all the Evils of Hell!"
The breeze picked up speed, generating a fierce gale and kicking dust all across the room. The light blazed with intensity, forcing several members of her peerage to take steps back as they shielded their eyes.
"From the Seventh Heaven and in accordance with the Three Great Powers, come forth from the Hall of Heroes, Guardian of the Balance!"
She finally slammed her eyes shut, the blinding flash of blue light engulfing the entire room.
It was said that legends were mostly fictitious by design. Every repeat of the tale would grow more and more grand until they barely resembled what they once originally were.
Yet, there were times when legends would fall woefully short of their descriptions. Certain stories from ages past that would undersell the hero of the story.
But then again, no one alive would be able to tell the difference.
Glory is the essence of those figures from eras long past their vigil—of heroes and monsters alike. So, when those of modern times would gaze upon the tower of light, they could do nothing but stare.
They did not know her. They have never seen her. But it was how she appeared that introduced them all to majesty that the world has long forgotten.
"I ask of you..." she began. The woman sat atop her exalted mare, clad in silver armor as it sparkled against the might of her golden lance.
It was here that the cogs of Fate would begin their turn, that the truth of legends would begin their exalted tale. When the magic settled, when a King arrived when they were needed, the world would pay heed, asking her in regal blue and with emerald eyes shone through the sun—
"...are you my Master?"
Author's Note—
I've decided to bring back an old story, new(ish) and rewritten.
Anyways, thank you for reading, and please—review~