I have not forgotten about this story, and yes I am still working on my book, it is a bigger challenge than I thought it would be. As I have said many times, this story deserves to be finished and I plan on doing that. next chapter will be released in a few days. I do not plan to make you all wait long for this to finish. this story is coming to an end. only a few more chapters to go. I will be working on updates as soon as possible.


Hysteria's hair was a tangled mess as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Miria had given up moving the parts that obscured her face. She sat back in her chair and watched the rise and fall of Hysteria's chest, wondering what she was dreaming about.

After a moment she felt thirsty and crossed to the bench where she poured herself a cup of water. She drank it all and placed the cup back on the bench gently. She glanced at the entrance of the tent and thought about visiting Galatea for a while. She gave one last glance Hysteria's way before deciding to do that.

Galatea's tent was pitched only a few tents across. As she approached the front flap, the regulator stationed there moved aside to grant her entry.

Inside the tent, Galatea and Isley were engrossed in conversation around the central table. At the sound of her arrival, they looked up in unison,

"Miria. How is she doing?" Galatea asked.

"You ask me that as if you don't already know," Miria said.

A small, courteous smile played on Galatea's lips. "I am merely extending common courtesy."

"Maddy will soon be done with the cure for the resurrection sickness. I just want her to get better. "

Isley and Galatea exchanged glances as if they were both thinking the same thing. Miria didn't need to be a mind reader to know what that was. She could see it on their faces

"What?" Miria said.

"Why do you care so much about her?" Galatea asked.

Miria reddened, feeling slightly insulted. "Am I not allowed to care about someone?"

"I never said that. It is merely a question. You two are completely different. I've always wondered about that."

"Opposites do tend to attract," Isley said. "We are not supposed to be and yet we are,"

A soft chuckle escaped Galatea. "You are such a hopeless romantic…"

Galatea then turned to Miria. "I do have a bit of positive news, Miria. It appears that the underworld city is prepared to offer us assistance."

"Finally. How many?" Miria said.

"Half a million, the complete fighting force," Isley said. "They should arrive before the dragonkin."

"I'm not sure if having more awakened here is a good idea," Miria said. "How loyal are they to you?"

"Loyal enough to agree to fight a common enemy," Isley said.

Galatea said. "We have Teresa and Clare to equalize the playing field…"

"Assuming they decide to show up at all," Miria said. "…Any updates on them?"

"Nothing new. They are still on that mountain."

"And Odette?"

"She is drawing nearer to them with each passing moment."

"I don't get it, what are they doing?" Miria said. "Why aren't they stopping her?"

"The mountain blocks my sight, I cannot see within it. Whatever Teresa and Clare are doing, it seems we have no choice but to place all our trust in them. I've been praying for their success."

"You pray?" Miria said.

"When I was a nun, I used to pretend every now and then. Lately, I've tried it for real. As powerful as Teresa and Clare are, I'm not so certain they can defeat Arrylys. And there's still the issue of Teresa's other self."

"I'm surprised she hasn't killed us all already…" Miria said.

"Perhaps it is only a matter of time," Isley added.

"…When I spoke with Arrylys earlier, she seemed shaken. I think she was afraid. I think there's a chance this fight might not even happen."

"Fear is the most primal of all emotions," Isley said. "Perhaps it will lead the dragon queen into making a mistake. It is a good thing for us."

"Arrylys is a dragon," Galatea said. "Her motives are beyond our understanding. What we do know is that she has no real allegiance to the dragonkin. The feeders that Teresa released from the master's base will likely wipe out their entire population within a matter of months. From her point of view, it would make sense to use them now while she still can, cause a bit of chaos, and perhaps even capitalize on it."

Galatea shifted her gaze over to the side as if she sensed something.

"What is it?" Miria asked.

"Maddy and Evelina are on their way."


Miria soon saw a group of horse riders approaching. Evelina and Maddy rode at the front with half a dozen pink armored regulators also on horseback following from behind. They halted before her, and Miria looked at Maddy who didn't appear very happy at all. Miria then leered at Evelina and gave her a long and hard look which asked 'What is going on?'

Evelina looked over at Maddy and smirked. "Go on, tell her the good news."

Maddy mumbled something too soft to hear.

"Speak up, dear, we can't hear you…"

"The mixture is complete," Maddy said, raising her voice.

Miria walked up to Maddy's horse, which became spooked, but a gentle touch on its nose calmed it down. Maddy had it in her to stare her down.

"You said it would be done this afternoon. You were very specific about the timeframe. Why are you done so early?"

Maddy flicked at her hair and averted her gaze, her nose held high "I found a faster way to synthesize the elements. Just be happy about it.."

"Where is it?" Miria said.

Evelina reached into a small pocket and pulled out a glass vial and tossed it over to Miria. Miria caught it and peered at the dark liquid inside.

"This will cure the resurrection sickness permanently?" Miria asked.

"It has a high probability of doing so," Maddy said.

"And how do I know this won't kill her instead?"

Maddy casually played with her hair. "Because I want your pillow friend to live even more than you do."

Evelina chucked, holding a hand to her mouth. "How adorable. She still thinks you're going to free her…"


As Miria approached the war camp, something didn't quite feel right. Sounds were being carried by the wind, the faint echoes of screaming and violence. She drew her sword and quickened her pace, expecting the worst. Upon arrival, she was shocked to see a scene of chaos and destruction: Regulators lay dead or dying on the ground, their bodies twisted and broken. Awakened beings roamed about, killing and eating the regulators that were alive. The stench of blood and death permeated the air.

What's going on?

Miria searched around for her friends all she saw was chaos, a sea of regulators and awakened beings in the chaos of battle. Miria charged for the closest awakened being and removed two of the creature's lanky legs in one swift motion, then decapitated it, saving the life of a regulator in the process. She headed for the center of the camp, dodging and cutting through whatever awakened beings were in her way.

A group of three awakened beings came at her from the left side. They were smaller and faster than the others, but not quite on par with her. She leaped over a low sweep from one with razor-sharp claws and sliced open its chest with three swift strikes that caused it to crumble to the ground. The other two surrounded her and went for her at the same time, their long insectile limbs scythes of death. Miria spun around to dodge the attacks and retaliated by removing one of the limbs with a clean cut. The awakened shrieked and went for her with its one remaining limb, but she removed it as well, and then its head. A regulator, a young male, aided her with the other awakened who suffered a brutal, bloody death. Miria nodded in thanks and continued for the general's tent.

A massive awakened in the form of a mutated dog emerged from behind the canvas. The ground shook as it advanced toward her, its great maw of a jaw drooling and frothing. Miria studied its movements; the creature was not all that well-balanced, and when she saw her chance to take it down, she took it. She advanced against the awakened's lower left side, narrowly avoiding its jaws and slicing open its side, causing an eruption of foul purple blood and guts. The dog-like awakened attempted to snap at her, but Miria was too quick and she sliced off one of its front legs, causing a roar of pain as it crumbled under its weight. A spiky tail lashed out and narrowly missed Miria, and she finished off the dog awakened with a deep cut to the neck that left it bleeding a torrent.

More awakened came at her still, and for every one that she took down, another rose in its place. Blood and guts were sprayed everywhere. Horrid sounds of death rang in her ears. Blood and flesh being carved, bone and sinew breaking and ripping. It seemed like it would never end. She conserved most of her strength but her muscles were tiring. Despite the chaos, Miria had not forgotten about the tonic. Every now and then she patted down her pocket to make sure it was still there.

She raced for her tent, dodging and weaving through the army of awakened. Her heart sank when she saw half of it had collapsed and had been destroyed. Panicked, she looked around for Hysteria, but there were no signs of her. She saw her friends, however; Helen, Deneve, Cynthia, Tabitha, and Yuma, all of whom were working together to fight alongside the regulators. Miria saw Isley in his giant centaur form firing arrows with Galatea standing atop his back.

Miria saw a quick-moving figure close by. It was Hysteria, and she was engaged in combat against an awakened being that was almost as quick –– a large, cat-like monstrosity with twin tails that were covered in snapping jaws –– Luciela. Miria felt a sinking feeling as she watched the fight. Luciela's attacks were swift and deadly, and Hysteria was struggling to avoid them.

Miria rushed to help Hysteria, but a wall of fleshy strips stopped her. She turned over and saw Riful's humanoid form atop a throne of fleshy strands, towering high above her.

"Why, Riful?"

"Believe it or not but I didn't want this," Riful said, her voice almost drowned away by the chaos. "Luciela organized a coup against me!"

Riful swung one of her large fleshy strips and Miria was ready to dodge, but she was surprised when it in fact cut in half an awakened being that went for her, splattering its remains all over. A loud shriek from Luciela caught Miria's attention again. Hysteria had managed to slice up the awakened's face in a nasty manner. Hysteria was still as quick as lightning, though she was slowing.

"I don't have time for this," Miria said, before moving off.

Miria ignored everything as she raced for Hysteria. She watched with disdain as the woman struggled to avoid Luciela's deathly claws. Hysteria was exhausted, and unsteady on her feet, movement slow and inelegant. When Hysteria noticed Miria's arrival, relief washed over her face.

Miria pulled out the tonic and handed her the tonic.

"Drink it," Miria said.

Hysteria accepted the tonic, though with reservation. A lot of her face was covered in blood and grime.

"Oh so you're back already," Luciela said, smiling with barred teeth. "I was hoping you'd take a little longer…"

The awakened being went for Miria with one of her massive tails, but Miria narrowly dodged it and avoided the many snapping mouths that gnawed at her. Miria charged forward and almost managed to slice off the awakened's head from her neck, but she wasn't quite quick enough. Luciela pulled back even quicker.

"I don't understand, why do this?" Miria said.

"Why not?" Luciela said, sneering.

"The dragonkin are the real enemy. You're hurting yourself just as much as you are us!"

"See the thing is, I'd much rather let you fight them…" Lucilea said.

Miria had no time to argue as she was in the fight of her life, dodging every rake, smash, and bite. Seconds passed but each one felt much longer. Luciela was monstrous, and Miria knew it was unlikely she could defeat such a powerful opponent, and even if she did, it would be a slow-bleed style of victory, assuming she wouldn't sustain any wounds herself.

Hysteria joined in and together they fought as a well-coordinated duo, swords moving in perfect harmony, their movements complementing each other. But even with the two of them, it was a losing battle. Luciela was too monstrous, and it felt like two house cats trying to take down a far bigger cat.

A wall of fleshy strips interrupted their battle and forced Luciela to back away. Riful came forward, her massive throne of flesh coming between them.

"We never really worked well together, did we?" Riful said, her voice laced with contempt.

Luciela sneered. "It was inevitable that one of us would betray the other, I simply beat you to it."

"True, I underestimated you."

Riful and Luciela's fight created explosions of debris that rocked the battlefield, and most of the death and destruction around had stalled to lay witness. Miria and Hysteria exchanged worried glances. At that moment she noticed the tonic was still in Hysteria's hand, the cork lid still attached, the dark liquid still inside.

"You didn't take it?" Miria said.

Hysteria didn't say anything but her eyes were defiant. Miria was taken aback by the woman's stubbornness. Even amid chaos and death, Hysteria refused to compromise. A loud smash directed their attention over to the battle of the giants. Riful managed to land a devastating blow on Luciela, sending the other awakened crashing into one of the larger officer tents. Wounded and cut up, Luciela lashed her tail into the ground and kicked up a trail of earth that created a large dust cloud. She let out a shriek of pure rage as she charged for Riful.


From atop a cliff, Roxanne watched the battle below.

Well, would you look at that…

It's lucky that I left…

She watched the chaos for a while and felt strange about it. She did not necessarily like to see her kind being slaughtered, yet she felt somewhat indifferent about it also.

It would make no difference if I was there or not…

As she was about to leave, Roxanne felt a chilling presence to the side. She looked over and saw a strange dark shadow beside her coalesce into a humanoid figure that gradually formed the figure of the Dragon Queen. Roxanne remained frozen as she stared into a pair of eyes that glowed faintly blue. Arrylys peered down at the destruction below.

Roxanne didn't hear any words, but somehow she knew what the dragon queen was thinking and what she wanted to ask her.

"They're not my allies," Roxanne said. "They think I'm a menace to them, and they're right. I kind of am."

The Dragon Queen turned over to her, and from her lips came the faintest smirk. "You are anti-warrior,"

"I might be…"

"You know how to defeat Teresa."

"Which one?" Roxanne said.

The Dragon Queen drew closer yet, moving slowly until they stood face to face. Roxanne thought to back away but her legs refused to move, whether from fear or something else she did not know.

"I suppose you need help dealing with them," Roxanne said. "You're desperate, aren't you?"

The dragon queen said nothing and Roxanne swallowed nervously. She felt relieved when the dragon queen stepped back and continued to watch the battle.

"The apparition is not from this world," Arrylys said, her voice laced with anger. "It does not belong,"

"You may be right, but what can we do about it? It is what it is." Roxanne said.

"One soul, two bodies. When one dies, so does the other," Arylys said.

Roxanne stood there, confused. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"If Teresa dies, then so does her awakened self."

A long silence came between them, and Roxanne was beginning to understand what the dragon queen wanted.

"If I help you, what's in it for me? Roxanne said, "One way or another it seems like the world will be coming to an end, either from you or from Teresa, and I don't have any real preference…"

"Kill Teresa, and I shall spare half of your species."

Roxanne tilted her head. "What makes you think I care about humanity?"

The dragon queen threw her a questionable look, blue jewels for eyes sparking brightly now. "You shall rule over what remains of this continent. This is my offer."

"Rule? Are you saying you're going to make me queen, or an empress?" Roxanne said.

"Whatever title you desire," Arrylys said, looking sideways longingly at nothing, ignoring the distant battle. "I will leave this continent and never look back. I have had enough. But it must end."

Roxanne thought about it more, and the idea of being the queen of the world was a strangely enthralling concept. "An interesting offer," Roxanne said, touching her chin in thought. "Seems kind of desperate, though. Only one problem. How can I trust you?"

"I am a dragon. My word is my bond."

"I don't know that many dragons…" Roxanne said. "And I know you wanted to wipe out humanity before, so forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical about you settling for taking out only half and making me their leader."

The dragon queen looked her way again, and Roxanne felt a cold sensation flow through her. "I could kill you now."

"True, you could. When you put it that way, I suppose I have no choice but to help you."

"Take down Teresa, and this continent is yours."

"…Teresa is already suspicious of me," Roxanne said. "She won't let me near her."

Arrylys threw her another icy look, and Roxanne knew not to complain anymore, not if she wanted to live. She stared long and hard at the dragon queen, almost hypnotized by those icy blue eyes. The ancient then dissolved back into shadows and disappeared into nothingness.


Clare awoke to the soft embrace of a new morning. Blinking her eyes awake, she surveyed her surroundings and spotted Teresa seated by the lakeside, her form bathed in the gentle light of dawn. The morning rays cast a celestial glow upon Teresa, turning her into a silhouette that seemed ethereal, almost otherworldly. The sight stirred something within Clare, and she remembered the dream she had earlier.

…Was it even a dream?

Clare stood up from the grassy hillside and walked over to the lake. Upon approach, Teresa turned over and smiled gently at her arrival.

Clare sat down beside her and together they both stared out at the water, watching a school of fish splashing on the surface nearby. They watched the sunrise and its crimson light scatter across the water's surface. The second sun began to peak over the horizon a moment later, its lighter hues softening the crimson.

Clare wondered why Teresa wasn't saying anything. It was not like her to remain so silent.

"…Teresa, how many versions of you are there exactly?" Clare said.

Teresa smiled faintly as she poked at a pebble. "…As far as I know, three. Let's hope there aren't any more."

Clare wasn't sure if that was a joke, but the smile Teresa wore made her think it was. Perhaps Teresa didn't know herself.

Clare looked down at the ground somberly "…The one made of light. I saw her in a dream just now,"

"Did you?"

"Yes, and Teresa… Was it even a dream?"

Teresa's response was measured, as if choosing her words carefully. "No, It wasn't…I assume she was trying to help you somehow,"

"I don't understand. How does knocking me unconscious help me?"

Teresa shrugged. "No idea, but I'd like to try something."

It was then when Clare noticed a curious cut across Teresa's hand. Teresa nudged closer, extended her hand, and out of her palm came a beautiful orb of golden light. Clare felt a surge of hot energy burst through her veins, and she felt an urge to also extend her own hand. To her surprise, a light orb similar to Teresa's manifested above her palm. The orbs merged and an explosion of light enveloped them both. They held each other's hands as they waited until the blinding light gradually faded. When it was gone, Teresa was smiling at her. The soft, playful smile made Clare feel safe and at ease. She noticed the cut across Teresa's hand was no longer there. Teresa had noticed it too.

"I can…heal you…" Clare said, awestruck.

They shared a moment of looking deeply into each other's eyes, something unspoken passing between them. Clare felt the urge to kiss Teresa but hesitated. They had been intimate and closer than ever before but they had not spoken very much about it, not spoken about their feelings for each other.

"We should probably return to the real world now," Clare said.

Teresa made some space between them and held her knees up to her chest."What's the rush? A few more days in this place won't make any difference. I want to spend as much time here with you as I can."

Clare considered it. Teresa was giving her that look of adoration that made her feel like there was a warm fire inside. They had been in this place for a very long time, and Clare had the time of her life. Exploring an endless world forever with Teresa was her ultimate paradise, but the realities of the real world tugged at the back of her mind.

"…I want to stay here with you too, Teresa, but how can you enjoy yourself when you our friends need us?"

"Time is at a standstill here, it makes no difference when we decide to leave."

Clare arched a brow."And you know that for sure?"

"That's what the dragonlord said. Let's go visit that place with the giant mushrooms again. You loved bouncing on them. Then we can go back to that silver river."

Clare hesitated, torn between desires. "I don't know, Teresa…I can't just forget about my friends, our friends, Teresa. They need us."

Teresa tried to hide her scowl and made that face when she was irritated. Clare had gotten to know Teresa better than ever and had come to realize that Teresa did not like being told what to do. "Fine, but I think we should have one last sparring match, so we know for sure which one of us is better."

Clare frowned. "Do we have to?"

"What's the matter? Are you afraid, Clare?"

"It's not about that. You always hold back, Teresa."

"Not always, since we're essentially at the same level now, I can't afford to."

"Why does it matter who's better?"

Teresa winked. "Because life's a competition, Clare. It makes us both stronger…"


Miria fought alongside her friends against an army of monsters. Most of the awakened beings they faced were massive, towering over them like giants. The first to come at them was a hulking crab-like creature, its skin thick as a stone wall. Its massive fists came crashing down, sending a shockwave through the ground upon impact, kicking up sand and rock.

Miria went for the weak points of her target, and after a few strategic cuts, the monster finally fell. She spotted General Karter nearby within a sea of awakened and regulators, and Miata who slaughtered awakened as if they were nothing, constantly surrounded by a shower of blood though barely covered by it.

More awakened beings came at them, each one more fearsome than the last. Regulators died around them, their screams barely heard above the roars of the awakened.

Nearby, Riful and Luciela's fight was disrupted by someone that came between them. It was Rafaela, and Miria was surprised to see the warrior climb the back of her sister's awakened form. Luciela snarled at Riful one last time before turning and fleeing from the battlefield, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake, claws raking up the ground beneath her. Every other awakened suddenly stopped fighting and went the same way as if they were following their leader.

Miria breathed a sigh of relief. Her sword was beginning to feel heavy. Thousands of dead bodies, both that of regulators and awakened lay about. The stench of death and blood hung in the air. The regulators around cheered in their victory, and Miria felt a smile tug at the edge of her lips. Victory. She looked about. Her friends had made it through. Hysteria was covered in blood but she appeared unharmed. But something was wrong. There was a wobble to her arm, and the woman dropped her claymore. She collapsed a moment later only to be caught by Miria well before she hit the ground.

Miria noticed the tonic still in Hysteria's free hand, still unused.

"Why are you so stubborn?" she said,

Miria removed the cork lid and urged her to drink the contents. The woman glared at her momentarily before accepting it and slowly drinking down the contents, making a sour look as she finished it. The others gathered around, curious and concerned. Miria watched, and relief flooded through her as the color returned to Hysteria's face. She found the strength to stand but didn't seem as happy as Miria had expected.

A giant shadow loomed behind them. Miria turned around and saw Riful peering down at her with her red eyes atop her throne of fleshy strips. The regulators raised their swords and began to surround the awakened.

"Stand down, she's friendly," Miria said.

The regulators did so, though hesitantly, suspiciously. They peered over at a nearby Karter who was slow to give a nod of approval.

"Can we be sure of that?" Deneve said. "She could be working for Luciela."

"I'd rather die than work for that whore," Riful said.

Miria was skeptical."…Why are you still here, Riful?"

"I've been thinking a lot about that, and It turns out, I crave for us to be friends again."

"What are you talking about? We were never friends," Deneve said.

"Really? I'd like to think we were. We shared food and everything."

"Deneve's right, We were all kind of terrified of you," Helen said. "And in case you haven't noticed, we were just attacked by your own awakened."

"They weren't mine. They were trying to kill me too!" Riful cried.

Silence came across the group.

"…Where's what's his name, uh, Dauf?" Helen eventually asked.

Riful crossed her arms, visibly upset."Can you believe that idiot left me for her? Luciela doesn't even like him! That idiot knows it but he's such a masochistic loser that he doesn't care!"

"I'm sorry, Riful," Cynthia said.

"Don't be. I never loved him anyway." Riful said. "He was far too old for me."

More silence and awkwardness. Miria's friends all gave her odd looks as if asking 'So, what now?'

"So, then, what's it going to be? Are we friends again or do you plan to kill me?"

"We can't just be friends again, Riful," Miria said. "That is not how this works, not after all that has happened."

"Oh, I understand," Riful said sadly, bowing her head slightly. "I suppose you have no reason to trust me. Oh well. I've lived a long life, and I'm fine for it to come to an end now. I wish I had made different choices though. I truly am sorry for all I've done, I can be selfish at times, I see that now," she lowered her massive lower body so her upper, humanoid half came close to Miria. She lowered her head as if readying for a decapitation. "…I will concentrate all my life force into my neck. If you cut me there I will die."

Miria held tightly the handle of her blood-covered sword. Her friends were all looking at her but she did not know what to do. Riful was truly ready to die, or so it seemed, and Miria was touched by it. There was a spark of humanity in the monster, and it felt wrong to extinguish that spark. She made her choice, and lowered her sword, to the surprise of the regulators, but not her friends.

"Don't make me regret this…" Miria said.

Riful smiled at her, but then their attention went off to the side where the distant sound of hooves resonated through the air. Miria's eyes narrowed as she saw Evelina and her group of regulators approach, dust being kicked up beneath the steady rhythm of their horses' gallop,

Evelina reined in her horse and looked about at all the chaos warily, "It seems I have arrived fashionably late to this rather grim party…"

Maddy dismounted gracefully, and her eyes met Miria's with an unsettling calmness, seemingly not bothered by all the death and destruction around her.


After sparring for many hours, Teresa and Clare spent the rest of the afternoon watching the twin suns set, their wings half-folded across their backs, the white shard feathers gleaming in the golden light.

"We should probably go now," Clare said.

Teresa rose to her feet and did some stretches."…Alright then, how do we summon that dragon lord again?"

It had been so long that Clare had almost forgotten herself, but then it came back to her. With the tip of her foot, she drew a circle in the dirt and then stood within it whilst she thought about him. Almost immediately, the dragonlord materialized out of thin air beside them.

"The light shines brightly within the both of you," Amastus said.

"Just get us out of here, dragon man," Teresa said.

He touched them on their foreheads, and Instantly, Clare was jolted awake in the real world, back within that damp cavern. Clare blinked her eyes open, and for a moment felt a strange sense of the world spinning. It took a moment for her to get used to her real body again. Teresa was beside her, and the two of them stood to their feet.

"…How much time has passed?" Teresa said.

"A little more than half a day." The dragon lord said.

"What? That long? I thought you said time would be at a standstill out here?"

"One day in the real world is two hundred days in the mind world."

"That doesn't sound like being at a standstill to me…"

The dragonlord looked to his side longingly. "Someone approaches. I can sense their presence."

"It's Odette," Teresa said. "Your lover, remember? But you already knew that..."

The dragonlord said nothing, and Teresa didn't seem all that interested in probing him further. She turned around and headed towards the entrance of the cavern. Clare followed, and together they exited the cavern out into a bright day. The sun was high in the sky and shining brightly. After spending so much time in the mind world, Clare thought the sight of just one sun quite strange.

"So, what are we going to do?" Clare said.

Teresa drew forth her wings and took to the air. Clare followed, and they flew to a nearby valley where they found Odette and Marcus atop their horses within a valley riding toward the dragonlord's mountain. Teresa swooped down and yanked Odette off her horse and began to fly her away.

Clare found it amusing how Odette protested, at first, but the high altitude gave her no choice but to calm down and accept the free ride. Clare noticed Marcus giving her a questionable look, but she ignored him and hurried on after Teresa. Together they made it back to the dragonlord's mountain and landed gently atop the soft grass of the oasis. Odette almost stumbled as she hurried forward excitingly, but after only a few steps she stopped when Amastus emerged from the entrance of the cavern ahead.

"Let's hope they don't turn each other into monsters," Clare said.

"You don't think we can take them?" Teresa said.

Clare had no answer for that, and the two of them focused their attention on the two lovers who were eying each other intensely. Clare wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but clearly, Teresa thought otherwise.

Odette and Amastus approached each other with deliberate slowness, steps cautious yet eager, expressions a mixture of disbelief and joy.

"Is that really you, Odette? Or is this a cruel illusion?"

"It is I, my love…We are reunited. We are together."

The ancient lovers fell into each other's embrace, holding each other in sheer bliss. After a moment they pulled back slightly, and stared into each other's eyes. Amastus extended a hand, his fingers tenderly tracing the curve of Odette's cheek, while her touch explored the contours of his chest. They reveled in the familiarity of each other's touch and sunk into a kiss that was at first tender and loving but then grew increasingly intense.

"Well, It seems like there was nothing to worry about…" Teresa said.

Clare had come to the same conclusion. It was a sweet moment to witness the reunion of two long lost lovers. She did, however, look away as the two began to take each other's clothes off. "We should probably go…"

"Don't you want to stay and watch for a while?" Teresa said.

Clare gave her a strange look, and Teresa's cheeks flushed slightly. "I'm not being serious Clare…you're right, let's go."

As they turned around and walked away, Amastus suddenly screamed in anguish, and they turned back to see the dragonlord on his knees whilst clenching his head with his hands.

"My love, what is wrong?" Odette said, horrified.

His screaming intensified, and as Odette tried to comfort him he pushed and thrashed at her as his body began to convulse and grow. His voice turned deeper and very inhuman. Scales grew over skin, large, menacing claws grew out of his fingertips, and draconic wings sprouted from his back. Quickly he transformed into a towering dragon with shimmering, dark green scales. The mountain trembled under the weight of its massive form, giant claws ripping open the soft earth and tail lashing and smashing boulders.

Odette staggered backward, her eyes widening in a mix of disbelief and terror. The colossal dragon fixed its gaze upon her as it flared its nostrils and released a cloud of angry vapor. With a thunderous roar, it launched itself toward her, and Odette remained perfectly still as if frozen by fear.

Clare sought to do something about it, but Teresa reacted first. She instantly snatched Odette up before the dragon's jaws closed in around her. Teresa took Odette all the way down to the base of the mountain, and Clare went with them, thankful that the dragon did not choose to follow.

When she was put down, Odette was unstable on her feet and had a bewildered look as she stared up at the summit of the broken mountain.

"Sometimes, relationships just don't work out," Teresa said.


"Can we still stop the dragonkin with the forces we have left?" Miria asked.

The general went silent, thinking on it, then she peered over with weary eyes. "We are less than half of what we were…Our only hope is to retreat back to the Capitol."

Riful giggled nearby. "It's too bad that's not really an option anymore, is it?"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, awakened," Karter said.

"When I hear someone utter something foolish, I feel obligated to point it out. Are you sure you're a general?"

Karter gave Riful a dirty look, and Miria released a sigh. "I don't understand. How does it benefit Luciela if the dragonkin slaughter us? They will turn their sights on the city next."

"She's hoping we'll soften them up for her," Riful said. "I have to hand it to her, though. She did us dirty. Unfortunately, it seems like we're all just little lambs waiting to be slaughtered now."

"We?" Karter said.

"You need all the help you can get, general. You should be happy I'm willing to give it."

Karter gave Miria a stern look, and Miria knew she had to diffuse the situation.

"Riful Let's take a walk," Miria said.

A smile tugged at the corners of Riful's lips as they strolled away together. As they walked, Miria felt strange to have Riful clad in a regulator's armor set and back amongst their ranks. The silence between them persisted, and Miria honestly didn't quite know what she wanted to say.

"So why didn't you kill me?" Riful said.

"Should I have?" Miria said.

"It would have been the prudent choice. The logical choice."

"Seems to me like we have bigger problems to deal with. Killing you would have been a waste."

Riful smiled. "You have quite the strategic mind. If we survive this, I hope to become friends."

"If we survive this…" Miria emphasized.

"You'll need my help getting Luciela out of the Capitol. Maybe I'll find a way to rally the awakened being me. I just need to figure out how to do that…"

Miria noticed Galatea heading towards them, and just from the look on her face, she already knew what it was about.


Clare was shocked at what she saw. The war camp had been reduced to ruin with bodies of awakened and regulators lying about in their thousands, rubble, and the remains of tents scattered about.

The regulators watched in awe as Clare and Teresa descended amidst the wreckage, near where the general's tent once stood. Now, it was barely recognizable. Miria and the others were waiting there and approached them upon landing. Clare noticed Riful waving at her. There were no other awakened beings.

"I hope your bonding time with Teresa was worth it," Miria said.

"What happened here?" Clare said.

"Luciela. She's rallied the awakened and taken over the Capitol."

Clare and Teresa looked at each other, then over at all the grim faces all around. Mostly everyone was covered in blood.

"I'm sorry, Miria. We should have been here." Clare said.

"What happened to Odette?" Galatea said. "There is a disturbance on that mountain but I cannot make it out."

Clare glanced at Teresa and neither seemed to know what to say, until Teresa finally answered: "Let's just say those two…didn't exactly have a happy ending."

"Is it going to be a problem for us?" Miria asked.

"I hope not," Teresa said.

Galatea and Miria gave each other grim looks.

Clare peered over In the distance. The city's mighty outer wall was barely visible in the haze.

"Raki's in the city," Clare said. "I can sense him…"

"Luciela must have taken him to lure you there," Miria said.

"It wasn't Luciela," Galatea said.

"Let's deal with one problem at a time," Teresa said. "Let's go, Clare."

Clare took to the sky with Teresa and together they flew towards the Capitol with haste. They soon made it over the giant outer wall and down below, the extent of the infestation was made clear. Awakened beings rampaged through the streets, the screams of their victims faint but audible even from so high up. Clare filtered it out for now and focused entirely on searching for Raki's unique energy signature. She registered it coming from the center of the Capitol.

Together they landed at the entrance to the presidential building. All around there were awakened beings herding groups of humans about. Clare noticed that while the atmosphere was gloomy, no human blood was being shed. Violence appeared to be kept at a minimum, which was surprising.

"She's here. I can sense her." Teresa said.

Clare could sense it too. Her stomach became tight, and fear came through her like a thunderbolt. They entered the building together, with awakened beings watching them do so. In the lobby, Rafaela was waiting for them, standing alongside two awakened beings that resembled brutish humans.

"I should have known you'd choose your sister over humanity, typical," Teresa said.

"Just as you would if it were Clare," Rafaela said.

The two warriors engaged in a brief stare-down until Clare broke through it. "Rafaela, where is Raki?"

"He is safe, for now," Rafaela said.

"What do you mean for now?"

"We are all hostages in this situation…follow me."

Rafaela took them down the hall and through a gallery until arriving at a double door with fancy handles. She opened the doors, and inside, was a spacious room that was occupied. Awakened Teresa sat behind the president's desk, one leg over another, a hand running through her black wavy hair in a gesture of boredom. Luciela was standing on her left side with a satisfied smirk. The president of the Capitol sat nervously out front atop one of the guest seats, sweating profusely. Down one end of the room, Raki and Audrey were flanked by two awakened beings in regulator armor who held them by the arms.

Clare analyzed the situation but then became fixated upon the dark version of her friend, and she received the same fixation back. Those eyes were Teresa's eyes if the silver were to fade.

"It's about time you finished with that dragon lord…I was beginning to think you'd never leave that place…." Awakened Teresa said.

Clare wondered if she could get to Raki and Audrey before their awakened captors did anything to them. Despite the risks, he decided to go for it. She reached them in the blink of an eye before the awakened guards even had time to raise their weapons.

"Don't try it," Clare said.

As soon as they grabbed the handle of their weapons, Clare annihilated them both in the blink of an eye. Raki and Audrey were splattered with blood, though she did her best to prevent any of it from smearing them with a varying degrees of success.

"Are you hurt?" Clare asked.

"We're fine, Clare," Raki said as both he and Audrey looked over nervously at the smiling Teresa with black hair. "…But I think we have a really big problem."

Clare sighed and wasn't sure what to do from here. Teresa was staring intensely at her mirror image, who was staring right back with a confident smirk.

"I'm dying to know something," Teresa said.

"Oh yeah, and what is that?" Awakened Teresa said.

"Why choose Luciela over Riful? I'd have gone the other way. Riful is a lot more competent in my opinion."

Luciela scowled at that.

"I didn't choose anything," Awakened Teresa said. "Luciela betrayed Riful all on her own. I'm merely a casual observer in all this..."

Clare stormed up to awakened Teresa and slammed her hand on the surface of the desk, almost breaking it."Get these awakened beings out of this city. Now."

"It's not up to me," Awakened Teresa said, gesturing over at a smirking Luciela. "It's up to her, and I don't think she's going to agree to that after being labeled as incompetent…"

A surge of anger shot through Clare. Awakened Teresa was smirking as if she were proud of herself. This was merely a game to her, a chaotic game, and Clare was determined to put an end to it. Clare thought about doing something drastic, and she went for it. Without warning, she made for Luciela, intending to end it in one strike, but before she even reached Luciela, Awakened Teresa stopped her by rapidly extending one of her long, golden blades out from under her skin.

"I thought you said you were a casual observer?" Clare said.

"And I was," awakened Teresa said, withdrawing her blade and getting out of the chair with a mischievous smile. "But I'd hate for this situation to end so soon…It's far too amusing. What are you going to do now, I wonder?"

Clare became immobilized by fear and uncertainty. She didn't want to attack awakened Teresa out of fear of not knowing the outcome. It just didn't seem worth doing. Teresa, however, had other ideas. She went for the attack but her sword was deflected by the awakened's golden blade with ease.

Awakened Teresa smirked. "You're still far too slow…"

Teresa had no reaction, but Clare had the sense that the attack was merely an attempt to gauge the scope of the challenge. Awakened Teresa and Luciela both retreated to one side of the room and looked at them amusingly.

There was a brief stand off, and Teresa looked like she wanted to fight. Clare wondered if Teresa was afraid, or if she was just being cautious. Sometimes it was hard to tell. But then she peered cautiously at Clare. "We need to leave. Now."

Clare nodded, and she quickly ushered Raki and Audrey away, all whilst peering over at the dark version of her friend that watched on in amusement, and luckily, willing to let them go. For now.