Interlude: Guendolen Pretorius

"My brothers…my sisters. Father Vastel gave us an important task to uphold. We pledged an oath to protect and serve the mortals of Reigal and Vastel. I have the utmost faith in each of you to see the dream of a peaceful realm a reality, but do not lose sight of the questions father entrusted to us."

"Why is it that good and evil must exist? Where does good come from? Where does evil originate? Can one be good and evil at the same time? Or is there something beyond those two planes of morality?"

"Tayuna, Yostinar, can someone who's committed sins be brought back to salvation? How far can a mortal go before they reach the point of no return in the darkest abyss and the brightest of stars?"

"Nerulia, Kagera, how brave can one be in the face of the evil lingering within? Does one smile at death because they no longer fear it or have nothing left to lose?"

"Kateus, Satone, what is loyalty when offered to the corrupted heavens? Can faithfulness be called so if one stays true to those who walked the path of sin?"

"Aslan, if you and I were to be enemies one fateful day, if you were to succumb to the darkness you wield, shall I have the strength to strike you down?"

"My fellow Guardians…my precious family…"

"What are we to do…if we become evil? What will the mortals do once they discover…the truth of this world?"

##

~~Two weeks after the Alisen Industries Incident~~

A middle-aged man looked down at the metropolitan city of Oroseia from his private plane. He had a thin pencil mustache on an otherwise clean hairless face and a dark tan enveloping him. The sides of his hair were gray, combed back with a shine accompanying the still-black portion. The developments of middle age wore out his once handsome youth. It was unlike someone of Nero Granada's high status to visit a nation beyond Igarus borders unless under strict business, but his superior, Griffon, asked this of him.

"Mr. Granada, we will be landing at Oroseia Airport momentarily. Please stand by."

Nero pressed the button on his seat. "Understood."

"So this is Oroseia City…" Said a preadolescent-appearing teen with light silver hair glancing at the city below.

"Impressive, isn't it, Guendolen?" Nero asked the girl. "I've been meaning to try out the wonderful café and malls here. Does anything on the brochure catch your attention?"

Guendolen sighed as she placed the Oroseia brochure back into the slot carrying the other leaflets. "Nothing appeals to me, really, Mr. Granada."

Nero let out a chuckle, putting up a genuine smile. "That's a shame, but I'm certain you'll grow accustomed to this place."

Guendolen looked back at the city, her eyes illuminating a light shade of yellow.

Her naturally straight, silky hair extended to her hips, free-flowing, combed down, symmetrical, and with ends parallel to the ground upon her bangs and the remainder of her hair resting on her hips. A hair clip with a red gem attached to it rested on the right hemisphere of her scalp. Her body possessed an air of maturity with nice curves and a balanced bone structure. Her skin tone was reminiscent of porcelain, without any signs of ever getting a tan. She also had thin eyebrows but thicker eyelashes, round ears, a petite nose with a low bridge, and narrow, pink lips. There are no signs of fat in her cheeks, keeping them straight from her jaw to her cheekbone and short chin. Both her hands were small with short nails.

She wore ankle-high boots with short heels and had a matching white and yellow pallet. Under her white polo shirt was a long white trenchcoat that was all buttoned up and carried multiple yellow linings to outline the coat's structure. It also had metallic yellow buttons to close up her jacket. Her trenchcoat reached down to her knees and was buttoned up to her shoulders and collarbone. She wore a loose black skirt that also reached down to the knees. Meanwhile, white gloves and stockings protected her hands, arms, and feet up to her legs.

The two Igarussians felt the private plane land smoothly at the airport, eventually coming to a halt.

"Mr. Granada, we have arrived. Please be careful on your way out."

"Thank you, captain." Nero tipped the man for his service before turning to Guendolen. "Now then, shall we commence the tour, Guendolen?"

"Yes, sir." Guendolen grabbed her white suitcase and followed her father's trusted associate off the plane through the airport exit, where a taxi awaited them. Of course, the two were surrounded by elite security to ensure their safety.

Guendolen silently stared at the many buildings they passed, her simple expression never changing.

"Having second thoughts, Guendolen?" Nero asked.

"Far from the idea. I wonder how sad these people's lives must be without Bezatri's blessing."

Nero let out a soft hum before taking out a book and opening it. He fixed his reading glasses before responding, "These people live as they choose to, Guendolen. It is not our place to judge them."

Guendolen fell silent as her gaze moved from the top of the buildings down to the people they passed by, walking on the sidewalk. The sight made her sigh as she took out her favorite book: 'Augen of Gold'.

##

Augen of Gold is the story of a lonely girl seeking the approval of her people, Augen. Augen is the daughter of the man everyone looks up to for wisdom and guidance, but such reverence can lead to a fractured mind and an overzealous heart. To calm such desires, Augen told stories of the Guardian of Light to young children, eager to learn much about Bezatri, the Guardian with Golden Eyes. Over the years, Augen had learned much about the world she lived in through the bright eyes and warm smiles of the children she spoke to, but in time, the young maiden must say her farewells.

"Aw...so you really are leaving us, Miss Augen?" A brown-haired boy asked, feeling heartbroken.

"I'm sorry, Tatsumi, but I'm afraid this will be my last session with all of you," Augen replied, her heart tearing at the sight of the children's frowns. She gently placed her hands on the heads of two children and gave a warm smile. "Don't feel bad, everyone. I promise I'll return to have more fun with all of you once I finish my business with my people. Again, thank you all for keeping me happy during my short time here."

"We should be thanking you for always telling us your wonderful stories!" Shouted a little girl.

"Speaking of, can you tell that story again?" A little boy asked excitedly.

"That story?" Auden asked, thinking for a moment before realizing what the boy meant. "Oh, are you talking about when I fought against my dark side?"

"Yeah, that's my favorite story!" The boy said as he jumped up and down, thrilled to hear the story again.

"That was my favorite too," The girl joined in as all the children followed the two children excitedly, "Please~! Can you tell us that story again with that song too?"

"Oh wow, I've only been here for three weeks. I didn't think that story, out of all others, would be the one to catch my interest," Auden said in surprise before she smiled, "Kids can be surprising. Okay, I'll tell you the story again." She watched the kids squeal in excitement. "Settle down now."

When the kids calmed down and focused entirely on what Guendolen had to say next, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

Once she reopened her mouth, she sang in the most beautiful voice the kids had ever heard. Her voice left a soothing feeling warming their hearts and the hearts of the people around them.

##

Guendolen read this story countless times as a child, but the next few moments never failed to invoke a fiery emotion inside her. As she read the next passages, she let her imagination run wild, creating a new world. Her preferred world.

Guendolen's Theme:【IRyS】Caesura of Despair with English Lyrics! EN VSinger【Romaji Lyrics/Hololive】

##

Darkness will fade away

Light will guide your way

Hope has descended and you are not alone!

##

~~Guendolen's Heart~~

Guendolen stood alone in utter darkness, unsure where she was or how she got there. One thing she was sure of, however, was the ominous feeling that crept into her heart. Inside the darkness, Guendolen could make out the silhouette of another girl resembling her almost to perfection.

"My darkness…Today I will cast you away from my life forever." Guendolen took a fighting stance, drawing out a white one-handed sword.

The sword was proficiently sharpened with a thin, light blue laser edge and completed with a sun-resembling emblem on the hilt. The sword's material was created with a black tint, contributing to the name "Solar Eclipse".

The dark Guendolen, covered in shadows, looked at the girl with her evil, red eyes, "Are you truly faithful to her? To your family?"

"That won't work on me!" Guendolen shouted as she rushed towards the shadow, determined to put an end to it. She jumped into the air and sped downward, only to hit dead air. Her gaze moved upwards to the shadow, jumping away from her to prepare a counterattack.

Seeing the shadow descend onto her with her own thrust, Guendolen tightened her grip and intercepted the thrust with her own, causing a shockwave to emanate between the two. A sword imbued with light dust against a shadowy blade in a heated clash of steel.

The young Pretorius, the real one, hit the shadow's left leg swiftly. Causing it the fumble as a result. Guendolen took the chance to prepare for her heavy attack.

"Can you truly say that the light you revere is not the monster the stories make the darkness out to be?" Dark Guendolen asked.

Guendolen unleashed a flurry of sword strikes on key areas of the shadow, such as the chest, shoulders, knees, and hips. On strike, Guendolen hit the chest area firmly and sent her opponent flying. With no desire to relent, the young girl rushed toward her enemy to continue her onslaught; however, the shadow stopped mid-air and turned into a transparent mist of darkness.

Guendolen covered her face as she passed through it.

"Ask yourself, me," Dark Guendolen's voice called.

"What?!" Guendolen exclaimed in shock before she turned around and saw Dark Guendolen appear.

"Do you truly care for the world and its people?" Dark Guendolen asked before she instantly kicked Guendolen up into the air.

"Ah!" Guendolen screamed, feeling the pain on her chin.

Dark Guendolen jumped up in the air above Guendolen and hit her other version with a swift kick to the head, sending her crashing down into the floor. When the dark being landed beside the downed girl, she asked, "Does the Guardian of Light hear even one of your prayers? Does your father acknowledge your strength? Or is it all a façade to hide your own weakness?"

Light formed around the real Guendolen's body. "I already told you…" She said as she stood back up with nothing but a flesh wound on the left side of her face, blood dripping down, forcing her to close her left eye. "I've made peace with who I am. I am Guendolen Pretorius, the girl who will bring honor to my proud family's legacy. My father acknowledges those worthy, not those who take advantage of their statures for easy gain. Once I become the strongest huntress in all Vastel….yes…" She tightened her grip. "His words of recognition will dispel any darkness your words formed in my heart!" Guendolen declared as she prepared to end her dark side with one fatal blow. She infused Solar Eclipse with Light dust, causing the blade to sparkle and shine throughout the darkened room, revealing it to be a beautiful field of Gladiolus flowers.

Guendolen unleashed a flurry of sword strikes so fast that she created mirages of herself attacking in conjunction. Afterward, she kicked her dark side into the air, continuing her onslaught with more light-embedded sword strikes. Then, she knocked the shadow with a swift downward kick, sending it crashing into the ground.

"Now...disappear forever."

Guendolen readied Solar Eclipse, empowering the Light dust energy to form into a larger blade.

"Strahlend Licht."

Guendolen slashed through the darkness her shadow produced with a single swing, cracking the shell of her other self. Within those cracks, small light sparks shone as the shadow haunting Guendolen vanished into dust.

As the young Pretorius lowered her weapon, she gazed upon the Gladiolus flowers, beautiful and free of all pretexts and self-doubt.

"…My next step begins. At long last…"

##

"We're here, Guendolen."

Nero's voice snapped Guendolen out of her world of fleeting fantasy. The car stopped a minute ago in front of a massive institution north of the main capital city: Oroseia Academy. The complex is large enough to hold around three thousand students, not to add the faculty and staff from all over Vastel. This academy also served as a small military base for Vastel hunters to conduct important operations and train the upcoming generation for the coming battles against the Grimm.

Guendolen grabbed her long suitcase and exited the car to gaze up at the peak of the academy structure, a tower nearing the altitude of the clouds above. In her mind, she deduced that was where the Director's office was located.

Nero stood beside her, breathing in the air with a smile, "The memories." He whispered as he patted Guendolen on the shoulder, "Take in this wonderful scenery, Guendolen. Here, you will create memories that will last a lifetime and beyond. Are you excited?"

"A Pretorius of my stature has no room to let her emotions run wild, Mr. Granada," Guendolen said, her tone sounding monotonous, "I will do as told of me by my superiors. Nothing more."

"You say that now, but," Nero chuckled for a moment before continuing, "eventually, you'll learn what it means to be a student here. Come. I'll guide you through the building."

"As you wish," Guendolen said, holding onto her book as Nero led her into Oroseia Academy. "Oh, Great Bezatri, your legacy will live on through me. I swear to you, I will not fail. May the light of your warm embrace…"

"…lead me to salvation."

Guendolen Paris Pretorius

Race: Human

Affiliation: Youngest Daughter of the Pretorius Family

Dust Affinity: Light

Weapon Name: Solar Eclipse

Submitted by I'm The Nep


Jurabi: And with that...after likely an entire year, we are DONE with the interlude's! At long last we can get started with the next arc of this story. I apologize for taking this long with these interludes. They took a lot more effort to do than I expected and I have no intention on going back to do it all over again, that's for certain. Anyways, thank you all so much for putting up with seven chapters of no plot advancement, but I hope you enjoyed the new characters we will read about in the future. I dearly appreciate every single one of you. If any of you are excited for the next chapter, please stop by my discord server. I'm always happy to chat with my readers. If you loved these interludes, please leave a review, a follow, and a favorite. I would really appreciate your support of this story. I'll see you all in the next chapter~!

Discord Link: xMYF8ggTjC