The countdown is here! We're almost at the final hour, at the final test of Aria and her friends' strength. But they still have quite a bit more ways to go…

Previously on ATIS…

Priestess Atete tipped her head. "Tracking spells are very difficult to complete. It requires complete mental focus, as well as a deep understanding of the in question. I only know of one person who has mastered this, and that is the former High Priestess of Rêve. But even she did not have complete control over it. In fact, the last time she ever cast this spell was when she tried to locate Queen Isolde. But the spell was too strong, and she died in the effort."

"Thanks," Aria said rather belatedly, not meeting Angéle's eyes.

"You're welcome," Angéle said. Suddenly, her body let out a spasm and she gasped, falling onto the bed.

"What?" Aria was immediately above Angéle. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," answered Angéle, turning on her back so she could face Aria. "These spasms have been coming often in the past week. I sometimes lose breath, and I feel completely drained."

"Why?" Aria demanded.

"I don't know," Angéle said, but Aria saw a flicker in her eyes. Angéle was lying. She was ill, and knew full well why.

-o-o-o-

"You shouldn't be my friend," Angéle gasped. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Aria's tone was of utter disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Angéle cried. "Please, just go."

Aria glared at her, and then stormed towards the door. She heard her slam it shut and lay down, her head still aching just as much as it had before.

She had no idea whether Aria would ever speak to her again, or why she was hurting so much. All she knew was that she was going just as insane as her mother had before her last breath.

-o-o-o-

Aria pushed the door open. There lay Angéle, her white dress nearly in tatters. Aria stared at her for a moment, shocked at the person she saw.

Her normally gleaming skin was dull and lethargic. Her hair was a mess, completely tangled and limply falling at her shoulders. But it was her eyes that shocked Aria the most. They were dull and pained, completely broken.

Aria drew closer to Angéle, resting her hand on her head. To her complete annoyance, Angéle didn't relax against her touch. Instead, she pulled away even further.

"Stop!" Aria ground her teeth in frustration. "What's the use of being here if you won't take my help?"

"I can't have your help," Angéle said weakly. "I don't… deserve it. Please, Aria. I just want you to leave me alone."

"Not happening." Aria glared down at Angéle, who could only stare feebly back at her.

"Why are you so ill?" she demanded. "What's happening to you?"

When Angéle didn't respond, Aria gnashed her teeth. "Damn it, Angéle, I'm trying to help you! Just tell me what's going on!"

-o-o-o-

"I need help," Angéle said desperately. "The time is almost up."

"Yes, you have eight days and seven nights left to complete the task," Desirée said matter-of-factly. " It has taken you until now to realize the dire circumstances."

"But I can't use my magic anyways," Angéle protested. "How on earth do you expect me to complete the task?"

Desirée flicked her hair back. "How many times to tell you, Angéle? This test does not require magic. Sure, it would be helpful to have magical ability, but you do not need it." She looked at Angéle gravely. "And yet, you do not focus your energy on this task. What can I possibly do to help you, after that?"

"I… don't know," said Angéle, feeling faint.

"You are the only one who can help yourself at this point, Angéle," Desirée said sternly. "I can do no more. Either you pass the task or you don't."

CHAPTER 20: FLIGHT OF THE ANGEL

2 days until…

Angéle was lying in her bed when Aria opened the door, walking across the threshold to her.

"How are you doing?" she asked softly; there was a silence. For a second, she thought Angéle was asleep and hadn't heard her. But then she saw her slowly turn her head, grimacing, as if even that took the greatest effort.

"Fine," she breathed.

Aria sat on the bed next to her; Angéle didn't protest. She began to stroke Angéle's hair, wincing at how tangled it'd become. Angéle had always been effortlessly beautiful, but now, she looked simply dull, with no future ahead of her.

"I wish you would tell me what's going on," she whispered, her voice merely an echo.

There was another silence. Then Angéle murmured, her voice barely audible, "You shouldn't."

"Why not?" Aria demanded. "What if I care about you, more than I've ever cared for anyone else? What if I think you're sweet and generous and loving? What if I" –

She stopped short, her cheeks turning red as she swallowed her words. Angéle didn't inquire; she was either too weak or didn't want to know. Aria felt her pulling away slightly, her breath coming out in sharper gasps.

"Come on." Aria pulled at her friend's arm. "We're going to go."

"I can't," Angéle said, and the way she said it, Aria knew it was final. And that there was nothing she could do to change her friend's mind.

"I'll go, then," she whispered, heading out the door and closing it. She sighed as she entered her own room, her confused mind whirling.

What has happened to you?

The walls were made of ice. Icy stroked the sides, taking pleasure in the iciness of the crevasse walls, the frigid world all around her. For once, she had come to the place where she truly belonged, the place that she loved.

And I shall find my mother here. Heart filled with bitterness, she stared up at the sky.

She knew little about her mother, other than the fact that she'd abandoned her. At least, that was what her father had told her. She'd been raised by him, a direct descendant of the Ancestral Witches, a powerful trio of sorceresses that was part of the powerful Sekuko family in Whisperia.

Icy – or Yuki, as she'd been known as back then – had been born in Year 960, the eldest of three sisters. Or, to put it more accurately, half-sisters. For Stormy, known as Raikou, was the daughter of Hotaru Tanaka, a storm-witch, and Darcy, back then Sunako, was the daughter of Rin Nakamura, a night-witch. All three sisters had been sired by Izō Sekuko, the lord of the Sekuko province in Whisperia and a direct descendant of the Ancestral Witches. Stormy and Darcy's mothers had always been around to look after the girls, until their deaths about twelve years prior.

But not Icy's mother. She'd never even met her, not once in her life. She'd been obscured in mystery, mystery which soon turned to hatred. For why was it that she was the only witch who'd never known the love of a mother? She'd never stopped taunting her sisters about how soft they were, for their parentage had certainly made them softer than her.

Her mother had abandoned her. Icy's father had told her, when she was a little girl, that she would never see her mother. He explained that her mother was mentally ill, and that he'd had to rescue her as a little child and bring her back to Whisperia. Icy, of course, had refused to believe it, saying that her mother couldn't have possibly left her like that. Her father had responded by flying her to the obscure realm of Glacia, where she'd seen the blue ice blocking all entry into the realm, and then she'd wept and wept in her father's arms.

She had never cried – not since then. While Stormy and Darcy had played with their mothers, Icy had developed her skills. Her father had taken her, every day, to learn how to wield her magic and perform attack spells and all the secrets his ancestors had held long ago. Her sisters had later joined her, seeing the value in learning such skills, but her head-start made her the most powerful of the trio. She had powerful magic, fairy and warlock magic in her blood.

For her mother was the Queen of Glacia. The formidable empress of both Glacia and Nunangat, she held an immense power over all spheres of magic. And her father was the descendant of the Ancestral Witches. Although blood didn't guarantee skill, it certainly didn't hurt, and Icy had risen to become one of the most powerful witches in all the realms.

She smiled, feeling the Freezix power within her veins. It emboldened her, making her powerful and strong. For a time, she'd feared that her powers would be gone forever, lost with her dream of conquering the realms. But no more. With this new power, power that only existed in Glacia, she and her sisters would rise above all realms.

And punish Icy's mother for deserting her.

The thought made Icy's mouth water, and she closed her eyes, ready to complete the conquest, one that had been the mission of her life.

Angéle sat up straight, her heart beating. She stared around at the room, panting at the sudden movement. Her mind was going haywire, and she bowed her head, crying silently.

Today was Trimensis 20. The final day. The day she would cause everyone great pain by her mere existence. She could already feel it, the hallucinations coming to destroy her mind.

I can't stay here, she realized. She got up, wildly searching for her coat. Where is it? In frustration, she everything from her closet onto the floor, groping until she finally found it. Thank Mierve.

She climbed down the steps, towards the landing. The castle walls were silent as she made her way down the steps, to the other floors. She turned to the right, finding a hidden exit that only she and a few of the other servants knew about; a tunnel from the second floor that was just wide enough to squeeze through. She made it through the tunnel, blinking as she gazed at the snowy world.

Isolde didn't know about this exit. But even if she did, there was a good chance she would never have installed a guard there, anyways. She didn't expect her servants to escape, mainly because there was nowhere to go. There was no way of escaping the realm; it wasn't even possible to go far from the castle. This was the coldest and snowiest part of the entire realm. Should a blizzard hit at any given moment, the escapee would be dead…

That was what Angéle was hoping. She would be dead, long before Isolde ever found that she was missing. She trusted Aria not to tell Isolde, as she knew Aria wouldn't want her to be punished.

It hit her suddenly, like a sharp icicle. I won't ever see Aria again. She bowed her head, crying silently. She wished more than anything that she could take Aria with her.

But she didn't want Aria to share in her fate. She wanted Aria to live, to someday get out of this place. And that would be impossible if she was dead.

I'm sorry, Aria, she thought, trudging down the snow-laden road to find her final resting place.

It's for your own good…

"Are we ready?" Saraswati asked.

They were in the Temple of the Thirteen Realms. Daewon stood next to Arishtat, Maire and Darius stood together, and Atete stood behind the fire. They all gazed forward at the high priestess as she stood in front of the fire, frowning. "Let me see your items." She nodded to Daewon first.

Nervously, Daewon took out the hairs Cixi had given him, the hairs of betrayal. How many more are there like this? He watched as Saraswati took them in her hands, her eyes narrowed.

"One hundred percent hers," she said. "And under what circumstance did you acquire them, Daewon?"

Daewon swallowed. I don't want to tell them… But he knew he had no choice; Saraswati's steel eyes, piercing straight to his mind, already knew the answer. He sighed. "I got them from the girl Aria cheated with me on."

Saraswati nodded. "What exactly did you talk with her about?"

Daewon took a breath in. I learned so much I would never have learned before. His eyes rested on Darius, the boy who'd also shared Aria's affections. And for once, Darius didn't look away. They stared at each other for a brief moment, almost man-to-man, before Daewon spoke.

"Aria cheated her just as much as she cheated me," he answered. "She dumped everything on her and left her in the mud. And she's been hit pretty badly." More badly than I ever was. "We – we shared a connection, one that we never would've shared before. I really wrote her off before this, but now, after meeting her, I'm glad I did."

"Yes," Saraswati nodded. "And you, Maire?" She turned towards the redheaded girl, who carried a book in her arms.

"This is the Helian Book of Faithfulness," Maire said. "Aria's spirituality. Although she was never all that religious, this was a gift from her father, which she promptly sent back."

"A gift from the heart." Saraswati nodded. "Do you know why she sent it back?"

"It was an insult," Darius answered. "She loathed her parents to the point where she didn't want to keep anything of theirs. And so she gave it back."

Bitterness eats this girl from the core, Daewon realized. However bitter he'd been about Aria, that was nothing compared to what this girl was doing to herself. In that moment, he felt an immense amount of pity towards Aria.

We'll save her, he thought. Save her from herself, so she doesn't have to keep on doing this. We'll manage. A slow stream of hope grew through him.

"In any case, I am happy to see you all back here," Saraswati said. "You all have arrived back from your respective missions, safe and sound, with the item you endured to find."

"I'm not sure I would say 'safe and sound', per say," Darius said jokingly. "I mean, we ended up in a lot of scrapes." He let out a sigh. "Let me be the first to tell you, it's not fun falling down a volcano."

"But you got through it," Saraswati answered. "You braved through everything, and, through all travail, you got what you came for. Maire and Darius, you fought your fears and, instead of settling for lies, found the truth. And Daewon and Arishtat, you learned the importance of forgiveness, the power of letting guilt and resentment go. This trip has been a success in more ways than one – it was successful in the sense that you found the item you were searching for, but you also made tremendous strides in personal growth as well. I can wholeheartedly say that I am proud of all of you."

Wait, did she seriously just say that? Daewon stared at Saraswati. She – the High Priestess of all realms – is proud of us? That seemed too good to be true. She's proud of us – why, three days ago, she was just yelling at us…

But now the inevitable had come. It was time for the invocation; they now had to cast the tracking-spell to find Aria and Isolde. The most difficult leg of their mission thus far had come.

"This is what I want you to do," Saraswati said. "Darius and Arishtat, you will stand behind Maire and Daewon, respectively, and provide encouragement whenever necessary. Daewon, Atete, and Maire, I want you to form a triangle around the fire and levitate each of your respective items in front of you. We will have to harness all the power of these items into the fire, which shall show us her location. It shall come with us on a torch to Glacia, and it shall be used to create a portal. Without that, we will never be able to get past the barrier Isolde put upon her realm." She nodded at the two fairies and the wizard. "Ready?"

"Ready," said the three of them in unison. Daewon held Atete's hand on the left, and Maire's hand on the right. He levitated the hairs in front of them, watching black and gold curl endlessly together, in an infinite loop of betrayal and loss.

Saraswati flew above the fire and hovered there, her bare feet teasing the flames. Her expression was decidedly grave as she watched the three of them.

"This is going to be difficult," she said. "It is one of the most dangerous spells ever cast. It is particularly dangerous for Daewon and Maire, as if you don't get past your emotions for Aria, they will eat you alive. Quite literally." Her brown eyes skewered them. "Are you sure you're ready?"

There's no turning back now, thought Daewon. He had known, from the moment he'd professed his love for Arishtat, that there was no stopping this. It's now or never. He nodded.

"We're ready," Maire declared fiercely.

"Then go!" Saraswati commanded. "Focus all of your energy on each other, and give each other as much power as you can. Above all, never let our target overwhelm your mind!"

Daewon focused his sonar energy on Atete and Maire, hearing music sing above them. An indigo gaze shone over him. He could see and feel Atete's blue aura and subliminal energy, Maire's reddish-orange aura and elemental energy. Saraswati focused her powers.

"Now!" she yelled, and the fire singed her toes. Heat rose in the room as the hairs twisted above Daewon, rising up to Saraswati as she held them high above her head, energy soaring through the room.

"Physical sphere! Do manifest thyself and show us Aria's earthly presence, where she is and how she has become!" She thrust a white flare of energy at Daewon.

Daewon shouted in pain. Something bitter and sharp froze him, and he could feel his entire self exploding with icy-hot agony. This is worse than getting pulled into that whirlpool… Memories of Aria flashed through his mind.

He saw her next to him, charming and seductive. Heard her powerful voice through the air, smelled her jasmine perfume, felt her hand in his. Tasted her lip gloss, intoxicating and sweet and wonderful. Grief tore through him, threatening to pull him apart –

"No!" Saraswati shouted. "You cannot let her pain consume you, Daewon! This is where it'll end! Think of the future! What your plan is to stop her end!"

Daewon couldn't listen. He was too wrapped up in his pain, the fire eating him from the inside. Make this end, make this end… Suddenly, he heard Arishtat's voice.

"Don't let go, Daewon!" he cried. "If you let the pain she inflicted on you destroy you, then you'll never be able to live! We need each other! Please, don't let your rage kill you!"

He's right, Daewon realized. I can't let the pain control me. He focused his energy on pulling himself out of her presence, out of her betrayal, out of her life. You don't control me anymore! Fire sparked through, and then the pain diminished, still extant but manageable.

His senses came back. He could clearly see where he was, feel the energy and the people around him. And then he gazed up at the hairs above. Shining with Saraswati's white powers and his indigo, they began to swirl, falling softly towards Daewon.

Maire's grip on his hand tightened as they stared at the fire. An image had appeared within the flames, one of Aria lying huddled in snow, her skin paler than Daewon had ever seen before. He could feel the coldness of her skin and smell her obvious lack of hygiene. He felt rough skin, the coldness of the wind behind.

What's happened to her? thought Daewon, shocked. She must be in really bad shape if she's not even applying her beauty standards anymore. He squeezed Maire's hand, too, imagining the shock and pain she'd gone through by seeing that.

He fed more energy into the two women on either side of him, preparing for the next test. This is draining my powers very fast... But he had no choice.

We have to keep going on…

Aria stared desperately at the window, looking for an answer. An answer to why Angéle was pushing her away, exactly when she needed her the most. She was so ill and weak, after being in this castle for so long. And yet, when Aria tried to speak to her, she would brush it off and ignore her, even though she clearly was not okay.

Aria was surprised at how much she cared. After all, just a week ago, she wouldn't have noticed anyone other than herself; she would've just sat around, wallowing in self-pity. She wouldn't have even noticed if Angéle had combed her hair a different way or if she was wearing a different dress.

But now Aria felt it. It went beyond any attraction she'd ever felt in her life, beyond any feelings of desire or passion. It was something much fiercer, something she'd never felt in her life. And now, she knew what it was.

I'm in love with her. The words had never rung truer in her mind. I love her more than anyone else in this world. She stared out the window, at the snow falling on the ground.

I have to tell her. Her legs trembled as she thought of telling Angéle; she couldn't bear the thought of being rejected. But I have no choice. She anyways isn't speaking to me. If I tell her how much I care for her, at least there's a chance she'll listen.

She climbed off her bed, sprinting towards the door and into the hall. She paused at Angéle's room.

"Angéle?" she called. No response. Huh, that's weird. She'd have expected a weak cry at the very least. Cautiously, she pushed the door open and turned on the light.

And gasped at what she saw in front of her.

Angéle's room was disarray. Her normally made bed was rumpled, and there were clothes strewn everywhere on the floor. Only the harp remained intact. But worst of all, there was no one there. The person she was looking for was out…

"Angéle!" Aria ran out of the room. She tore down the hall, desperately trying to figure out where Angéle could've gone. Where is she? She stopped at the window, staring blindly out. In the distance, she thought she could see a figure, no more than a dot, out in the cold.

That's her. Gut feeling gave way to instant reaction, and she pelted down the stairs, taking them four at a time. She's gone somewhere outside. Now how was she going to get there?

She reached the second floor, but found there was no way to get down to the first floor. An icy barrier blocked her way down. With a frustrated hiss, she headed towards the entrance to the second floor, staring around. Where could she have gone?

There was no way to break the glass window. It was encased in spells, so that no one would escape. Aria paced around, trying to find a place to leave. Without looking where she was going, she walked into a wall.

The force of it didn't hit her. Rather, she had not walked into the wall, but through it. She blinked as she stared at the tiny room she'd now entered.

There was a small tunnel. It was tiny, and Aria knew she'd have difficulty squeezing through it. It must've been no problem for Angéle, who was so skinny that she could practically span her waist with both of her hands. But there was no way around it. She ducked into the tunnel.

She pushed herself through, willing herself not to get stuck. Come on, come on… She pushed and heaved as quickly as she could.

Suddenly, gravity took over, and she gasped as she zoomed down the slide. It was the scariest, most uncomfortable sensation she'd ever experienced. How does anyone do this? Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of her; within seconds, she was out of the chute and into the snow.

Aria let out a sneeze as she landed on her face. The air was cold; she wished she'd thought to bring a jacket along with her. But it was too late now. Gasping, she picked herself up.

She squinted. From afar she thought she could still make out Angéle, a tiny speck ahead of her. Please let that be her… Running as fast as she could through snow, she ran towards Angéle, her first and only ever love.

"Next!" Saraswati shouted.

Maire watched as Aria's diary soared up from above Atete, twirling over Saraswati's hands. A blue aura covered the book as Saraswati pointed its power down at Atete.

"Mental sphere! Do manifest thyself and show us Aria's subliminal presence, how her mind has been corrupted by crookedness and lies!" She shot a ray of energy back at Atete.

Atete gasped, collapsing to the floor. Maire's grip on her hand nearly faltered as the woman fell.

"Do not break the circle!" Saraswati shouted. "Hold tight! You cannot let her disappear into the depths of mental despair!"

It was the exact same as with Daewon. Atete was sobbing, her head overloading with pain. Maire sent all the energy she could into the woman, controlling the fire around them.

She pushed the fire's heat into Atete, hoping to melt away her mind's collapse. But it was doing nothing. Atete's head was spinning with all of Aria's horrifying thoughts; the suddenness of its weight was too much for her to handle.

What are we going to do? Maire thought, looking helplessly at Daewon. What's going on in her mind? Why is Aria so... ruined?

His eyes seemed to convey it to her. We have to keep on forcing energy onto her, she realized. Which would be the best element to send to her?

She couldn't send fire, as it hadn't worked before; nor could she send wind, which would only reverberate her thoughts even more. Water might cleanse her thoughts, but there were few molecules in the air for her to work with. There's only one choice, then. She focused her energy on the ground.

The earth below them solidified, and Atete gasped. Maire sent all of the grounding she could, forcing Atete to pull herself out of Aria's head. It's not your mind! she thought, sending that into her power and expression. She could hear Daewon's voice singing a soft lullaby, one that eased Atete out of herself and allowed her to concentrate her powers on the diary.

And just like the image that had appeared in the flames, Maire felt something in her head. She could hear Aria's very thoughts, both her conscious and subconscious, echoing through her mind. Waves of resentment, bitterness, sadness, and fear… and something else. Confused, Maire felt it strumming through her own mind, and gasped.

It's love! But how could that be? Aria couldn't possibly be in love – it was simply impossible! Narcissists can't fall in love… She looked at Atete and saw that she shared the same startled expression as well.

"And now," Saraswati called, "for the final one!"

Maire looked up at Saraswati. Her breath was heaving, and she looked magically drained and ill, something she'd never seen before. In that moment, she realized it wasn't going to work. "It's too dangerous to continue!" she shouted.

"We cannot stop here, not when we've come this far!" Saraswati shouted. Maire watched as Saraswati pulled the Book of Faithfulness into the air, focusing her own white light on it. "Send me your energy, Maire!"

I have no choice. Maire sent a wave of red-hot flames into the Book. Saraswati closed her eyes.

"Spiritual sphere! Do manifest thyself and show us the sole unadulterated part of the Trinity, the one that changes not even upon death! Let us recognize Aria in her purest self, one that can never be changed or denied!"

Maire braced herself for the pain Atete and Daewon had gone through. I have to handle it, I know I can… She closed her eyes.

It didn't come. Instead, she gasped in confusion, feeling something warm and light enter her being.

The essence of invigorating air, passionate flame, soothing water, and stoic earth came over her, filling her with spiritual height. My power sources… She felt something release inside of her, something liberating and true to every self.

An indescribable feeling came over her. It was one of pure release and righteousness, of knowingness and unknowingness at the same time. She was not limited to one body, one mind; instead, she was everything and everyone. The entire world was her, and she could not be anything else.

"Maire!" Saraswati shouted. "Your spirit is slipping away!"

But she couldn't feel anything other than joy. She did not think of any of her earthly constraints. She did not remember that she had family, friends, or love. What was all of that, in the face of pure spiritual relief? For this was nirvana, something she had never experienced and would never experience unless she stayed here. There was nothing else.

"Maire!" a familiar voice shouted behind her. She blinked as a deep boy's voice cried out, filled with raw emotion and pain. "I can't lose you! You can't lose yourself to this! Think of our future together! Think of Aria!"

Aria… Immediately, her mind came back, conjuring a girl who was beautiful and powerful, yet fragile on the inside. Is that... she's...

"It's not your time yet!" Darius shouted. "Don't let Moria take you!"

And then she pulled out of it. She opened her eyes, seeing Atete and Daewon and Saraswati all stare at her, their faces deathly pale with horror, her magical energy having ceased to add anything to the fire. I'm back… She sent a burst of heat, air, earth, and water molecules into the Book.

Something rippled with them, a feeling of sunshine and the sound of vocals through the air. These were Aria's power-sources, but this time, they did not overwhelm Maire. The same feeling of joy came over her, but it was not intoxicating, nor did it make her lose herself. After all, it was Aria's spirit, not her own, that she felt so tangibly through her soul.

A frosty chill bit the air. In confusion, Maire stared in front as Aria's emotions compressed through the air again, her spirit entangling them all. What's happening? Are we getting a reading on where she is? What is she –

Suddenly, the fire exploded. Maire screamed as it shot into the sky, pulling back.

"What's happening?" shouted Daewon.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Maire yelled. Flames charred the stone walls, and she watched in horror as a fireball hit Saraswati. The old woman shouted in pain and began to fall, straight towards the fire.

"No!" shouted Atete, and a blue ray of energy emerged from her chest. She grimaced, trying her hardest to hold Saraswati up, but the physical force of her weight tolled her powers. "We – can't – let – her – fall" –

An earsplitting crash nearly made Maire let go of Daewon and Atete; she only held on just in time. We can't break the circle… She watched as an indigo energy enveloped Saraswati too, Daewon helping the Rêvian priestess so she didn't bear the burden alone.

I have to stop this, Maire realized. Pretty soon, this fire is going to be deadly. They couldn't let the fire consume this ancient building; without it, all of their plans were for naught. I have to control the fire!

She was the only one who could do anything. As an elemental-fairy, she had the power to harness the flames, effectively pulling the energy out of their veins. I must do this… She concentrated hard.

The heat burned back at her, blazing with the power of a thousand sins. She felt Aria's agony blast her, her physical and mental and emotional turmoil. Only the spirit stayed undisturbed, as it would throughout all of time.

That's it! Maire realized. The key to stability! She focused on the constancy of the spirit, the pure reservoir that resided in each person, no matter how broken or corrupt.

Something began to change. The heat began to subside, and the fire began to lose its heat, weakening and dying. Mire focused her energy, willing the fire to disappear.

"Don't… get… rid… of… fire!" Atete panted. "We need it!"

She's right, thought Maire, a jolt coming to her mind. All I need to do is contain it. She sent heat back into the fire, enough to stabilize it but not enough to make it go wild again. There, let it stay preserved in that area… She created a protection sphere around the fire, making sure it would not spread past the shield she'd created.

Daewon and Atete's energy reached its limit, and Saraswati crashed to the floor. Maire ran up to the old woman in horror, letting go of the wizard and fairy's hands. "Are you all right?" she shouted.

"Yes," the witch panted. "I am all right." She tried to get up, but Atete stopped her.

"That was some magic!" Darius ran up to Maire, wrapping her from behind. "What were you doing?"

"We felt Aria," Maire answered. "All of her." She saw Arishtat embrace Daewon, and Atete extend her hand towards Saraswati, pulling her off the floor. "But there's one problem." She frowned at Saraswati. "Where is she?"

"I have a location," Saraswati panted. "I will be able to create a portal to her once we enter Glacia. Now that I know where the ancient Glacian fortress is hidden, all will be well. Don't worry, my friends."

Then quite suddenly, she collapsed, hitting the floor with a thud. The five teenagers gasped in horror. Atete ran towards her high priestess, holding her by the shoulders.

"She needs rest," she said. "The spell drained her more than anyone. It'll be a while before her magical energy replenishes."

"We'll take her." Walking towards the priestess, Darius picked her up by the shoulders, Arishtat by the legs. The two men carried her out of the temple.

Maire gazed at the fallen priestess, a sickening feeling in her heart. That was the hardest spell I've ever cast in my life. She stared at her receding figure as it disappeared out the door.

But was it really worth it?

Isolde stood on her balcony, gazing up at the nighttime sky. The absence of auroras was chilling, and she shivered as she stared up at the sky, taking in everything, including the darkness of the night.

Something was not right. From the moment Aria had killed Ujurak, she'd known her plans were going awry. After Aria's suicide attempt, she'd realized how easily she'd lost control over Aria, how easily Aria had lost control over herself. She'd given Aria the Mind-Shifting Potion, in an attempt to clear her mind to make room for new thoughts and emotions.

But even that hadn't gone as planned. Rather than giving Isolde more control over Aria's thoughts, it made her more and more distant. She could still insert as many thoughts as she felt like, but she couldn't read her mind as clearly as before. She could still feel Aria's emotions, her aches and her pains, but she couldn't hear what she was feeling. And that frustrated her.

I don't know what's wrong with me, she realized. I'm feeling… reckless. My moves aren't as calculated as before. I'm getting old, senile. I'm not what I used to be.

She couldn't afford to be sloppy. Not so close to the end. She only had two more days left until the moon reached its fullness. She sighed, closing her eyes and sitting back down.

She had to do this. She had to get her final revenge on Izō, the man who'd abandoned her. The man who'd once been her husband.

Isolde had given birth to Yuki von Glacia in Year 960. She had held her, in her own arms, and doted on her like any mother would. She'd been cold and menacing to all others; to her own pride and joy, however, she showered nothing but love. What a fool I was back then, to ever love. She let out a sigh and winced as she remembered.

Izō had abandoned her, taking her pride and joy away from her. She still remembered the grief, how it'd cut deep into her, never letting go. It had hurt her more than an axe or attack spell could have, and she remembered sobbing profusely, unable to believe she'd lost her own daughter like that.

She'd tried searching for him, all in vain. The Sekuko mansion was so strongly protected, to the point where even she couldn't break in. Not only that, but her people had started causing trouble. There had been riots and protests everywhere, which she had been forced to quell.

Annihilating the Panuk Tribe had been the least of her deeds. She'd ordered all food to be rationed, so severely that Glacians had no chance of uprising. She'd drafted sons and daughters for the military, not caring how badly their parents wept, and had trained them to become fierce warriors. Any person who dared speak out against her was killed. The destruction of the Panuk Tribe had simply been a wave of her hand, a slip of the tongue.

But for the UR, it had been the final straw. They'd sent troops to capture her and bring her to trial in court. She'd been forced to create the Gates of Glacia, which had been completed before they even reached her realm's atmosphere.

And now, no one was going to foil her plans. She had watched Yuki von Glacia – now known as Icy Sekuko – all throughout her years. Like her mother, she'd learned the art of sorcery, and had developed her powers immensely. And what a witch she'd become. Although Isolde herself wasn't a witch, she could appreciate what Icy had gone through to become as powerful as she had.

But I'm going to make it all right. She clenched her teeth. I'm going to use those girls to bring myself peace of mind. And everything will soon be correct in the world.

She walked out of the balcony and into the sixteenth floor, heading down. "Girls!" she called roughly. "Come out here!"

There was no response; Isolde gritted her teeth. They're probably doing their ridiculous princess games on that pathetic harp. She moved in the direction of Angéle's room, forcibly opening the door.

There was no one there.

Isolde stared at the door in shock. How is it that they're not there? She stared blankly, unable to figure out how the girls had just disappeared like that. Where could they have gone?

She searched all of the rooms on the sixteenth floor, banging closets open and throwing blankets aside. Nothing. There was no one there. Where the hell could they have gone to? There was a reason why no one left the castle.

As she fumed, she caught something out of Aria's window. A small speck in the distance – no, two specks. They were faint and unrecognizable, but they were there.

Isolde had no doubt where those two girls had gone to.

A grim smile appeared on her face, and she growled. They're going to learn their place, right now. She transformed, opening the window and flying out into the snow.

They're soon going to realize no one messes with Queen Isolde.

Alright, so the chase is on! What is going to happen now? What troubles are Aria and Angéle going to face?

Next chapter:

- Sharzad and Sedna try to convince the Spring Soldiers to launch an attack.

- Darius, Maire, Daewon, and Arishtat receive surprising information from Kiviuq the narwhal.

- Aria and Angéle are confronted by Isolde.

See you all next time!