[Chapter 22: Darkness Seeps]

[–]

"Veyle..."

"Veyle..."

"Veyle. Wake up, Little Dove."

"Hhrmmm..." Veyle struggled to open her eyes, she had been fighting and running for so long.

She had been fighting her "other half". Another half of her that she never knew existed. Another half of her that she brutally learned had wounded Miguel, nearly killed Queen Lumera and committed countless atrocities against the people of Elyos. Veyle finally understood what the old woman told her, her curse. A curse cast upon her by her father, a curse that everyone kept quiet about, a curse she would have never found about until it was too late.

Not that she knew, she had locked herself into a mental battle. There, she met her other half. There she met, "Veyle."

"YOU FLITHY DEFECT! NOW BECAUSE OF YOU, EVERYONE KNOWS MY EXISTENCE! YOU KNOW MY EXISTENCE! You need to die! You need to die! I am the real Veyle! Not you, not anyone, I am! I am the father's true daughter! I am the Heir and Future Queen of The Fell Dragons and Gardlon! You are nothing but a burden! I need you to die so I can live! I will not let you take away MY MATE! HE IS MINE!"

From there they fought for a long time. For so, so long...she was so tired...

When the other half was about to deal a finishing blow to her, a bright light exploded. The other half screamed in agony, and Veyle fell asleep. She now she was waking up to hear a kind and motherly voice speaking to her. The warmth, the sound of the voice, it all sounded so familiar.

"Veyle, it's okay. You're safe now." The voice called out, Veyle finally opened her eyes, "There are those beautiful amethyst eyes." Her vision was blurred for a moment but once it cleared, she saw a beautiful woman with gradient teal colored hair and eyes looking at her with a warm and loving smile, "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"...Huh?" Veyle said as she carefully sat up and looked around, "Where...am I?" She looked around and saw a beautiful flower field before her eyes landed on the forest-haired woman again, "Who...are you? You look familiar..." she squinted.

"My name is Arisa. I'm an Emblem." Arisa smiled, Veyle looked at her shocked, "We don't have much time so I'll get straight to the point." Her expression became serious, "Right now, you have no way of winning against Violet." She said.

"Violet...is that my other half's name." Arisa nodded, "I see...Can I...really not win?"

"Not necessarily." Arisa said, "Right now, we are in the very, very, very, back of your mind, temporarily sealed away." Veyle looked at her surprised, "We need Violet to believe she won." She looked at the girl sadly, "We need them to believe you are dead."

"Why?"

"Because it is the only way we can defeat not just The Demon but Sombron as well." Arisa said, "But to also save a friend of ours..." She waved her hand to create a bubble and showed Nanami, fast asleep, curled in a ball.

"Wait that's!" Veyle gasped, gently holding the bubble, "Nanami...I was wondering why we haven't been able to meet for so long. What happened?" She asked, worried seeing the state her friend was in.

"The Devil's Kiss." Arisa said, Veyle gasped, "I fear what happened to Sebastian is about to happen to her." She closed her eyes painfully.

"No!" Veyle cried out, "That can't happen! Not again! I don't want to lose anyone ever again!" she wept, "Please, is there truly no way to save her?! You said there is a way!" She said, "Please, what is it?!"

"Not just her." Arisa said, "But your siblings as well." She paused, "Alear is your brother. One of the two siblings you have been looking for. And the other is Brodia's Court Mage: Martha." She explained, "But Veyle, to save them, to change fate, are willing to pay a price?" She said, her eyes glowing and turning mint green as well as the teal part of her hair.

"Are you willing to pay the price to change the course of fate? Are you prepared for the consequences that are to come?" Arisa's and Sothis's voices spoke as one, "Thorns and blades will cover your path, you will suffer hardship but at the end of the path, is the future you desire. Are willing to go through this pain to save the ones you love?" She said.

"Are you ready to defy fate and challenge destiny?"

Both women stood up, Veyle gritted her teeth and looked up at Arisa firmly as magic swirled around them.

"All I wanted was Papa to look at me..." Veyle said, "All I wanted was for him to not see me as a defect. All I wanted was..." her lip quivered, "was for him to forget about other worlds and just be with me. I'd always think If only I tried harder...But it never mattered! I kept getting crushed over and over..." she wept, "Yet...despite that...back when I was young...there was someone...Someone who protected me. Not just me but my siblings, mother, Step-mother, and big brother as well. Nanami..." Veyle whispered, "It's her...isn't it? The big sister that took care of me and stood beside Uncle and Aunt." She looked at Arisa, her eyes pleading for an answer.

"There are things I am unable to say." Their voices said, "All I can do is guide." She said and raised her hand, "I am The Emblem of Shattered Songs, I am the last First Generation Outworld Emblem. Veyle, now that you know the truth, what is your answer?" She said, her hand extended to the girl.

"My answer..." and Veyle took it, "I want to save them! I want to save not just them but also to atone for what I have done! If I...truly have to defy fate and challenge destiny, then so be it! I'll rewrite the story and end it the way I want!" She yelled, magic burst around them as Arisa's smile became soft.

"I will grant you your wish. Veyle, to save not just yourself but the others you must—"

[—-]

"Veyle's" eyes snapped open and she rose from the bed. Her hands trembling before she burst into a mad cackle.

"Hahaha..Hahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA!" She laughed and laughed, she laughed so much that tears fell from her eyes as her hands turned to claws. Her laughter slowly came to a halt as she turned to look at the mirror with a wicked smirk.

"I won! I won! I HAVE WON!" Violet laughed joyfully, "Now I truly am Ve—ACK!" She held her throat, suddenly it was in agony, "What?! What was that? I am V—COUGH!"

"Oh dear."

"Veyle" turned around and saw River standing at the door, "Congratulations, you now have a body but unfortunately you don't have ownership of the name." She said with a blunt tone.

"What?!" Violet screamed, "I am V—GHAK!" The woman choked and coughed violently before looking at her hands, "Why...? Why can I not say my name?" She growled as River walked up.

"It seems Veyle somehow managed to have the last laugh despite you being the one to win." River went to stand in front of the mirror again and just stared at its reflection. No one could see what she could, an old, old, old, memory of the past, where she danced with her first love.

Where she talked and chatted with her best friend.

"Words have value, they have meaning, but also the purpose. A name is a word, a name is part of your identity, it is part of your soul. As long as you have a name, you are your own individual, identity. Veyle may be gone but she made sure you would not be able to claim her name as your own. As of now, you can say Veyle's name," she turned to her with a frown, a single pink eye with gold pupils could be seen looking at her, "but you can not say it as your own. You are now a nameless individual. You do not have an identity." River said calmly as "Veyle" let out a bloody scream, grabbed the nearest vase, and threw it to the ground.

She huffed and puffed, her chest rising up and down as she trembled with an uncontrollable rage.

"THAT BLOODY DEFECT! THAT FILTHY WHORE OF A DEFECT! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY NAME! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CALLED V—URK!" She coughed violently, her throat in agony, "YOU BLOODY BITCH! HOW DARE YOU?! RAAHHH!" She screamed and went on to obliterate her room to pieces.

"Lady Veyle! What's wrong?!" Zephia came running into the room, along with Marni, Mavier, and Griss, "What happened...?" The dragon gasped, Marni quickly hiding behind Mauvier as "Veyle" turned to them with an expression of pure murder, her crimson-slit eyes shaking.

"GET OUT! EVERYONE GET OUT!" She screamed, her aura exploding all around them.

River just walked past her and stopped at the door, "Once you have calmed down, I will speak to you again." As she closed the door, "Veyle" let out a murderous scream as she attempted to massacre her room.

The silence between the group was suffocating but Zephia let out a growl as stormed over to the woman.

"What did you do?" Zephia hissed, baring her teeth, "I have never seen Lady Veyle so angry. What have you done?" She glared.

"I'm not the one you should be angry at." The woman said, turning to the Four Hounds with a neutral expression, "The Original Veyle, is gone. The one that now resides in that body is the one created from Lord Sombron's spell." It slowly dawned on the four hounds what that meant.

"Noooooo..." Griss gasped before smirking, "So Lady Veyle is victorious!" Mauvier remained frozen in place but, "If this is true, then why is Lady Veyle so angry? Shouldn't she be celebrating?" Marni said, confused.

"That's because the Original Veyle, despite dying, had the last laugh." River said, "After all, Veyle can not claim to be Veyle if she has no ownership of that name." And Zephia's eyes went wide.

"That defect!" Zephia roared, "She managed to snag ownership of that name by force!" She growled.

"Um...Zephia, what does that mean?" Marni squeaked, terrified at how angry the dragon had become.

"It means the one inside the room cannot use the name Veyle to identify herself. Names are linked to one's soul. I'm sure you heard the stories of not saying your real name to a spirit or fairy because it gives them control and power over you?" Mauvier said as Marni gulped but nodded, "Lady Veyle somehow managed to do that. Meaning the one in the room has no power over it nor ownership." He explained as Griss did a "Oh...Yikes." Face.

"WOW." Griss said, "So um...what do we call..." he pointed at the door, "Her then?"

Right when Zephia was about to speak, the door opened, and out walked "Veyle", trembling as her knuckles bled, eyes puffy, and tear-stained cheeks, the rage she trembled with, quickly made Marni, Mauvier, and Griss step back on guard. With the aura that was seeping out, Marni had never felt so scared in her life that she quickly hid behind Mauvier.

"Feeling better?" River said so naturally as Zephia gulped, "My...Lady, I understand you are quite angry at the moment but...Lord Sombrom has summoned you along with Lord Shax." She said as the woman only let a low growl.

"Now, now." River said as she walked behind the girl, and picked up her left hand, "The name Veyle may no longer belong to you but I say to take this opportunity. You have freed yourself from the shackle Veyle had placed on you. And now, you can have your own name. You own name that you have full control of. That no one can take away. Your own identity." She said, healing the woman's hands, and making her eyes no longer puffy.

"But I must ask, why do you say you have a mate? You can not just grow attached to an individual just because they can withstand your fell aura." River said, finishing her job.

"He also hurt her," Zephia said, but the girl just glared.

"It's his scent." Veyle said, "The scent of stars, the primordial waters, and the unknown...that is the scent all Lycinth have." She looked to the ground, "But his scent is also...like pine. Musky, yet sweet to me. There was a time when I made the defect fall asleep and I was in her place. A weak mortal would instantly feel fear but him?" She smiled as she looked up at them, "No. His body not only withstood my presence but absorbed some of my darkness. Only those who have walked the path of revenge can do such a thing. Only someone capable of withstanding the blood of a pure-blood Fell Dragon can do such a thing." Her smile was insane as her cheeks flushed pink.

"What's his name?" River asked as she crossed her arms, "It is interesting to hear someone of my clan be a Fell's mate." She said with a small smile.

"His name is Miguel." "Veyle," said with a blissful smile the one on River slowly dropped, "He is the older brother of that girl named Nanami and the other outworlder named Perla. Interesting, isn't it?" She said with a smile but then flinched feeling a shiver down her spine but continued, "Who would have thought that my mate is an Outworlder? Ahhhhh...and he is perfect." She grinned, "He got revenge on the one who destroyed the life of his past lover. He destroyed their lives. Oh, how beautiful. He would kill for the one he loves."

"Ooohhhh, he sounds interesting." Griss grinned, "I have a feeling he slowly tortured whoever the poor bastard was." He laughed.

"The scent of blood on him is strong. Very strong." The woman said yet River remained silent, "So, mother," she turned to the mage, "I'm going to change the subject now. What did you want to speak about, now that I am in a good mood?" She crooned.

"...I will give you a name." River said, "A name that only belongs to you and you only. Think of it as a gift from me and your father. You are now your own individual, no longer under the shackles and shadow of Veyle." She said as the woman smiled, "Your name is now Violet. What do you think?" She said.

"Violet..." Violet repeated the name, it rolled off her tongue naturally, like honey, "Hmm...I like it." She said, "Violet it is." She smiled.

"Very well," Zephia said and bowed, "Then shall we re-introduce ourselves, Lady Violet?"

As they chatted away, River watched them silently, with her right hand behind her back. Her hand was trembling, balled into a fist, her nails digging into her skin. She gritted her teeth, an anger burning in her chest.

"Miguel...Miguel...Perla...Perla...Miguel is not yours. He is not your mate...I won't allow it. Not Perla...Not Miguel...Not Nanami. No one can have them." The woman thought as she turned her back on them and chewed her nail.

"Ah...Being a corrupted now...My mind is so foggy..."

- Brodia's Border -

"There's so many!" One of the archers yelled out as they saw the army of monsters on Elusia's side of the border, "Is this even going to be possible to fight?" He grumbled.

"Yo. Catch!" Natalie yelled and threw him a potion bottle, "It's holy water. Dip the arrowheads into it, the magic in the holy water will bless the arrow tips. It makes it more effective against enemies with dark and black magic." She said as she turned to look back at the monster army, "Especially good for killing the undead."

"Did you tell the others?" The archer said as he did as she instructed, "Of course." Natalie nodded, "It's not as powerful as a Holy Relic or a legendary Emblem but it's enough to do some pretty bad damage." She said, "How long till King Morion and his army arrive?"

"Six hours. Should be around mid-day." The man said, "Kid...are you looking to die here?" He asked.

"...What choice do I have? I'm dying anyway. Today is supposed to be my last day. I have a couple of hours left before my heart stops. I might as well die in glory...protecting my family." Natalie whispered as she looked up to the sky with a mournful gaze.

"EVERYTHING IS RUINED BECAUSE OF YOU! EVERYTHING! IF ONLY YOU NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE, IF ONLY YOU KEPT QUIET AND OBEDIENT, EVERYTHING I DID TO YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED! YOUR EXISTENCE IS A CURSE!"

"...Hey, can I ask you something?" She said the archer nodded, "Those of the Lycinth clan, they aren't supposed to feel regret and remorse when they get revenge on someone right?" She said, the man blinked.

"How the hell am I supposed to know that? I'm not part of that clan." He said, "But if want to ask, General Jade is your best bet. She's friends with a Lycinth." He said.

Natalie only looked down to the ground with an unreadable gaze as she thought back to a certain time when she was with Ivy and Hortensia.

- Flashback to a month ago -

"I um...I don't know how to read." Nanami said with a nervous chuckle at the emotionless expression Ivy had while Hortensia's jaw dropped, "I mean I know how to read and write but I don't know how to read Elusian." She sighed, "I can read and write a language called English, another called Spanish, and I recently learned how to read Elyos' common language as well as Solms, but I noticed that your nation's books are written differently." She explained as Ivy put down her book.

"Ahhh..." Ivy said, "That's because Elusia uses Elyos' old common language." Nanami blinked, "In the past, there was another language that everyone in Elyos used. It is said to be the same language that the Divine Dragons used to first teach humans." She said and stood up, "It's a lost language now, but our nation chose to keep it. Though now it is a language only the nobles of Elusia as well as those of the Magic Academia." She walked up to the woman, "Is there a certain book you would like to read?"

"Well..." Nanami rubbed the back of her neck as she looked to the side, "I saw that there was a book about The Mage Knight: Ermos. I wanted to read it." She said nervously.

"Oh, I remember him!" Hortensia chimed in, "He was the younger brother of Elusia's past Court Mage: Sebastian." Nanami blinked.

"Elusia...had two court mages?" She asked, Ivy whispered to Sumia and Bernadetta to bring drinks and snacks so they could eat and talk.

The maids went to do just that as the girls went to sit on the pillows and blankets near the fireplace.

"Well...yes and no." Ivy said as she huddled in her blanket, "The Lycinth Clan of Elusia, during the Fell War, there were only two survivors. The Mage Knight Ermos and his older brother Sebastian. The Court Mage of Elusia was Sebastian, who was said to have been blessed with the soul of The Ice Divine Dragon that once ruled Elusia. He at some point in time married Queen Lumera, and their son is The Divine Dragon Alear." The princess explained.

"But here's where things get weird." Hortensia snickered as Nanami came closer, "Mage Knight Ermos was not blessed by The Previous Divine Monarch or The Divine Ice Dragon. During the war, when things were looking really bad, Knight Ermos proposed to seek the help of The Banished Divine Shadow Dragon: Erebus." She said as her friend listened.

"The court back then, despite how ugly the war was and desperate need of aid, still voted against it. But that didn't stop Knight Ermos." Ivy said, "He went behind the court's back and traveled to seek the aid of The Shadow Dragon."

"What?!" Nanami screeched, "Like, straight up disobeyed and went behind the court's back?" They nodded, "Also, how do you know this detailed information?"

"Well, Lord Sebastian was Elusia's court mage during the time of the Great War. He wrote everything that happened in history books that are still studied today. I tell you, the amount of ranting written there was from not just Lord Sebastian's books but also Lord Ermos is...entertaining, to say the least. Lord Ermos never held back when it came to criticizing the court and the nobility of that time. Not even Elusia's King of that time was spared." Ivy sipped her cup of tea while Hortensia did the same but loudly on purpose.

"We brought the snacks." The girls turned and saw Rosado, Goldmarry, Kagetsu, and Zelvok, with the wheeled cart with snacks and drinks.

"Where's Sumia and Bernadetta?" Hortensia asked as the group came in, and Ivy waved them to sit down and join them, "A few of the children woke up." Goldmarry said, "We told them we would bring these here. Now, what's the tear J am hearing?" The brown-haired woman smiled.

"I overheard you talking about knight Ermos. There were many stories of him from the county I used to live in." Zelkova said as Nanami's blinked.

"There are so many stories about him here in Elusia!" Rosado grinned, "There's this one story that supposedly he would strip and swim in the ice-cold waters when it was winter." He said, "One of the other things Elusia is known for is for its winter swimming!" He chuckled.

"I'm learning so much about great-grandpa," Nanami thought, "He and great-grandma never told us about their past. Only that they came from somewhere far away. Sigh...Elyos is what they were talking about..." the woman thought before she spoke up.

"So what happened to Knight Ermos after disobeying the court?" Nanami said, Ivy thought for a moment before she continued.

"Well, " Ivy cleared her throat, "he wrote what happened when he left. He told his wife and brother that he was planning to go behind the court's back and no one could stop him. His brother and wife supported his decision so they helped him sneak out of Lythos. It took a month for him to reach the Dark Seas, where he soon found the island where the Shadow Dragon and his kin were banished." She explained then saw Nanami confused.

"The dark sea?"

"Unexplored waters that are outside the borders of all nations." Kagetsu said, "There are many stories of it. One of the stories told in my village was that the Dark Sea was said to be where those who refused to be under the rulership of the Divine Dragons were. Others say it's waters created to protect Elyos from the unknown." He said, "So many stories but interesting they all are." He grinned.

"Back to the story," Goldmarry said, "from the books, Lord Ermos wrote found the island but it was under attack but the general of the demon. When he landed, he immediately jumped into protecting the people he aiding the clan. Unfortunately, he came when The Divine Shadow Dragon was on his last breath. The Shadow Lord asked him why he helped them, despite knowing why they were banished." She said softly.

"I would let the world burn if it meant my wife and family lived. I would sacrifice, destroy, and kill to ensure my family, friends, and any future children would never suffer ever again. Let the world look at me with hatred and disdain but I would sacrifice the world to save them."

"Whoa..." Nanami gasped as Arisa listened silently, "Great-Grandpa what the fuck?!" The woman internally screamed, "Did he have a grudge against the people of Elyos? So much so that he left this world with Great-grandma and grandpa?" She held her chin in thought, "But this doesn't make sense. The way Rumba and those of Solm asked about Great-Grandmother was that she was a hero. People pretty much praised her and even called her The Desert Guardian of Solm. But Great-Grandfather is...different." She thought.

"Great Grandpa...from these stories alone, you sound like a wild and rebellious person. Even going so far as criticizing the nobility of all nations and even disobeying the Court of Divine Dragons. But going so far as to say you would let Elyos burn if meant your family and friends would never suffer again...just what the hell happened 1,020 years ago to make you say such words? What was your life in Elyos before you came to Earth?" She thought as now Rosado spoke to continue the story.

"The Divine Shadow Dragon was shocked by Lord Ermo's words and chose him to be his successor. The Shadow Lord knew that if he was buried, the Demon would come after his body. So he ordered Lord Ermos to eat his flesh, drink his blood, devour his heart, and absorb the last of his power." Rosado said and shrugged, "Lord Ermos hesitated but did as he was told. This was the Divine Shadow Dragon's first and last blessing, the first human he had ever blessed, and made him his successor. Lord Ermos honored his wish, now being blessed by the shadow lord, and led the Shadow Clan to Elyos. Two weeks passed and they arrived just in time when the battle was about to take a turn for the worst, with his new power, Ermos commanded the shadow dragons and destroyed the army of the demon that attacked Lythos." He said but the color had drained from Nanami's face, her eyes wide void of life as she continued to listen to the story of her Great-Grandfather, the smile still on her face.

"Great-Grandpa didn't eat the Shadow Elder's flesh...right? Right?" Nanami thought but again, Arisa remained silent, "Why aren't you answering?"

"Lord Ermos still got in major trouble after all that." Hortensia threw her arms up, "Seriously! He saved the army and he still gets in trouble and punished for saving their behinds?! Hmph!" The girl huffed, crossing her arms, "If I were him, I would have cut them all off!"

"Things were different back then, Hortensia." Goldmarry said, "Still if people like him didn't exist, the world would have been a much more disastrous place. After all, his famous quote line is, "Rules are meant to be broken." She smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.

"By the way," Hortensia looked at Nanami, "it takes a long time to learn Elyo's old language so you're going to have to study extra hard." She said as Nanami nodded.

"I know how to read it." Arisa finally spoke up in Nanami's mind, "I'll just give you that knowledge. But you still have to study." She said as Nanami and the rest of the group chatted away through the night.

When it was time for bed, Nanami sat in her room with her great-grandfather's journal in hand. It was the one thing her great-grandfather had her inherit after he passed away. Miguel was given his strange gun and Perla her Great-grandmother's bracelet. Nanami opened the book and the flood of knowledge suddenly came in like a wave.

"Ow..." Nanami grumbled as she rubbed her head, "Sorry." Arisa apologized as the girl went back to reading.

Nanami blinked, seeing the letters written before her eyes, now able to read them properly. Her brain was still adjusting to the new rewiring but already she was understanding things. The journal in question was in fact...a grimoire. Her great-grandfather's personal spell book. She saw written formulas that unfortunately were way too advanced for her, research notes, written notes, records of things, and...

"My body doesn't feel the same since I ate The Shadow Lord's flesh," Nanami whispered then froze.

I made up my mind to never tell my brother, Lumera, The Queen, or even my friends what happened but unfortunately, I couldn't hide it away from Maria. She said she felt something was very different about me, and she didn't know how to explain it. In the end, the only ones who now truly know what happened that day are Emblem Arisa, The Shadow Clan, and my wife. I had the shadow clan swear that they would never tell anyone of what happened that day. Only to say I was blessed. Sigh...probably in a few hundred years, the truth of what happened that day will come out, but until then, I'll keep it low.

It's already a taboo to eat dragon flesh to gain power, in my case, I had to. Changes in my body, my taste buds are messed up. Certain foods and even scents make me gag. Alcohol tastes like water or juice, I can't even drop drunk with 12 shots of Brodia's strongest drinks. I spoke with Kane about this, he said it's normal what I am experiencing, it's something that teenage dragons go through, basically puberty.

She turned to the next page.

It's been a month, I started doing some experiments on myself in private to get a better idea of the situation of the changes my body is going through. The Shadow Lord's brand manifests in my eyes like the others when we unleash its power or if I become too emotional. However, in my case, scales appear under the skin of my eyes and cheeks, similar to manaketes, and my eyes can turn to slits. I now wear glasses to hide that because I don't need Oscar to come asking me for thousand questions.

My strength, speed, smell, taste, and stamina have greatly increased, so I have to be careful. My hands can turn into claws and my ability to use dark and black magic has grown unlike anything before. The shadows follow my words, and I can use their power in ways I never thought were humanly possible. I know I won't be able to control this power, I need to do it as fast as possible to avoid suspicion. I'll ask Kane if he could mentor me in a private location.

The next 40-100 pages were about the experiments, recording of the changes Ermos went through over the years, as well spells, experiments on magic, and much more. It was interesting reading but at some point, the tone of the writing changed. It changed from experiments to research about the stars, then to curses, poisons, and antidotes. But the most is that the rest of the pages switched back and forth between the curse of the Lycinth clan and the Outrealms. Nanami huddled closer to the wall behind her so she could have a better sitting position.

This is something I never expected. There's a second part to the curse the Demon placed on my clan. Other than not being able to use magic, which took my clan over 80 years to turn into a genetic defect, the second part of the curse is more concerning. I'm glad now being Elusia's new Court Mage has allowed me to have access to the royal archives of the nations and the remaining records of my clan that were able to be salvaged. The second part of the curse makes the individual who was wronged seek revenge.

It is devoid of any human emotion, their only goal is to destroy the individual or individuals that have wronged them. From destroying their lives to making the revenge slow and painful, to even killing. If the elders of my clan of Elusia were alive, they would have shot me dead for seeking out this information, but it's important. I'm treading on thin ice looking into forbidden knowledge but I don't care. I know I said I'm doing this to help my people but truthfully, I just want my wife and I to be free from this burden. I want us and those of us who remain to be the last to bear this curse.

Page flip.

Not enough information, it's frustrating. The only way I truly will find any information is in Gardlon's library. It's been 10 years since the war started. Ruby and Maria were taken hostage all those years ago, I've been desperately searching for a way to save them but Sombron's barrier is too strong for Francis, Oscar, Alma, Sebastian, Lumera, or even Celestine to make a dent. The Lycinth Clan population has now dropped to only 200 of us left. The war is growing more intense, I'm not sure how much longer we can hold on.

Frustrating...I swear if I ever have any children in the future, I'm going to make sure they don't have to go through a damn war.

Page flip.

I can bypass Sombron's barrier...How is this even possible?! I know for a fact I touched the barrier yet I didn't turn to dust as the Firense soldiers did. Just what the hell is going on?

It's been now two weeks, I did some more experiments, testing the waters. Good news, I was able to finally able to locate Maria and Ruby. I'm so happy they are safe but Ruby went into a panic and quickly used a spell to hide my scent. They had me hide in the closet for a while because one of Sombron's enemy generals came by to check on them. The place I found the two in is the Northern castle of Gardlon. It's one of the few buildings that have remained intact after all these years. As I explored my old home, it has become a desolate place, as if the life was sucked out of it. Now it is a cold and frozen land null of life. I'll have to cut contact with Lythos for a while...This is an opportunity to find a way to save my wife and friend.

A month has gone by since I cut contact with Lythos. Here I am sitting in the snow, writing as I babysit Fell children and help guard the wives of The Fell Dragon Sombron. Sigh, I learned how Maria and Ruby ended up as prisoners...I swear to the heavens above. Still, it's sad seeing what these children go through. Sombron shows no mercy, not even to his own children. The weak are thrown to the corrupted and ripped to pieces. Young as 10 years old they are sent to the battlefield, it's a miracle if they come back alive. The mage dragons that mourn their children go themselves into battle, they never return...

And during these ten years, Ruby had her own child...To think that child is a living breathing Outrealm Key...

There was so much more writing but Namami closed the grimoire, hugging it tightly to her chest as she just stared with wide eyes at the wall.

"What the fuck old man..."

- End of Flashback —-

[ Dream ]

The dream Alear stood in was foggy. It was filled with nothing but a heavy fog. It was difficult to breathe yet something told Alear to power through it. He walked and walked for what felt like an eternity till he saw a figure. There in the fog, on her knees, with her head facing up to the sky, eyes devoid of life, and black tears falling was...

"Nanami!" Alear yelled and ran to her, "Nanami! Nanami!" He yelled but received no reaction.

He finally got closer to her, hesitating he was but he placed his hands on her shoulders, gently shaking her.

"Nanami, Nanami." He called out again, "Nanami please say something." He whispered, "I'm...here! My name...My name is...My name is Alear!" He finally managed to say his name, "My name is Alear! Your brother and sister are safe! They are okay! Please..."

A finger twitched before the life in her eyes somewhat came back.

"Miguel...Perla..." she blinked as she looked up at him, her vision becoming clear and for the first time, she was now seeing clearly who the man in her dreams was, "A...Alear?"

"Yes..." Alear nodded, grinning, "Yes...You...you can finally see me." Natalie blinked shocked before she looked around, "Oh..." Her eyes saddened, "So not even my dream world...is a safe place." She smiled sadly as her tears fell.

"Are my siblings okay? Are Ivy, Hortensia, and the others safe?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper as Alear gently removed his hands from her shoulders.

"Yes." Alear replied, "Tell Ivy and Hortensia they need to evacuate Elusia immediately." She looked up to him, "If they don't, the demon and Sombron will kill them all then turn them into corrupted to create an army. They need to get everyone out." She said, her voice serious.

"Ivy and Hortensia are already on their way to Elusia. We should be seeing Elusian ships come to Lythos soon. Oniyuri also told Ivy to have some of their people evacuate to the lands that Queen Rose once governed before she became Queen." Alear explained to her, the way Natalie's eyes shone with relief and a bit of hope made him happy.

"Oh thank goodness!" Natalie let out a heavy sigh of relief, "Wait...Is Veyle with you?" She asked, Alear's eyes saddened, "Please don't hate Veyle!" The girl suddenly grabbed his shoulders, "Veyle didn't try to kill Queen Lumera on purpose! Sombron and the Mage Dragon Zephia placed a curse on her that causes her to have a second personality that is pure evil! Please, don't let her out of your sight! Try to find a way to make her stay and break the curse! Veyle truly is a kind person! I swear!" She cried out.

"Nanami, it's okay!" Alear said, Holding her shoulders again, "We know. We know about Veyle's situation." He said, "We're going to save her. I promise."

"I'm gl-COUGH!"

Drip...Drip...

Alear froze as he saw on the ground a black liquid drip then slowly looked up to see it coming from Natalie's lips.

"Oh..." Natalie whispered, "So my time is coming..."

"Time? What do you mean?" Alear said and Natalie smiled sadly at him with closed eyes.

"I meant what I said to Miguel. Today will be my last day. The curse placed on me won. I'm going to die in 24 hours." Alear looked at her horrified, "That's why I have to save King Morion." She smiled sadly as she suddenly hugged him, "I wish you and I had more time to get to know each other...But since this is my last day, I want to hug you. And thank you..." she whispered then kissed him on the cheek. Alear was frozen, too stunned to speak till he felt a hand on his chest do a powerful push.

Natalie knew she was going to die soon, so for once in her life she decided to be bold. She always wanted to kiss Alear or hug him when she played through the game, seeing everything she went through. Now..she has fulfilled both of her wishes.

"Thank you...for existing. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. Your story saved me when I was in my darkest times. Goodbye Alear..."

SHATTER!

The dream shattered to pieces as Alear screamed reaching out to her, but she only smiled as she turned to dust...

[Dream End ]

- Present Time -

Alear woke up, his eyes snapping open as tears fell. He stared at the ceiling of his room, not moving an inch. The emotions he felt in that dream were sadness and regret...the boy gulped, sitting up. He was silent, he didn't move. His arms wrapped around himself, there was lingering warmth as if she was there beside him. And now that warmth was becoming cold. He gently touched his cheek, again lingering warmth… The young man took deep breaths as he got up from his bed and walked to his nightstand. There, the dragon stone Veyle threw. He clutched close to his chest, tightly. Gritting his teeth, his eyes flickered between human slits as he looked out the morning sky from his balcony.

His eyes were filled with ferocity but also determination.

"I'll save not just Veyle...but you as well. I promise..."

It's a promise he swore he would make sure to make reality.

[—-]

Miguel had his weapons ready, and all his belongings packed into his magic space closet, the only thing he left behind was the Lythos seal that was given to him. He left it in a drawer. Miguel took deep breaths as he sat in the wagon with Yunaka, Jean, Clanne, Frame, Lapis, and Boucheron. He had his eyes closed as well as his arms crossed. The air was tense, the temperature was dropping as they were close to Elusia's border, and the battle that was to come would be decided if they were going to be victorious or not. With King Haycinth away from the nation, Ivy, Hortensia, and their retainers were quick to leave, they had to evacuate their people.

He could only imagine the mess that was to come. Emblem Lief was purified and lent to King Morion. Miguel opened his eyes when the wagon hit a hard bump on the road.

"Everything alright?" Miguel popped his head out, "Everything is fine!" Alear called out from the front and saw Prince Diamant with a worried expression as the prince kept trying to activate a small crystal ball, "What's wrong?"

"Apologies, Divine One. I'm trying to get in contact with my mother and friend." Diamant said, "Pick up...Pick up..." he whispered repeatedly but the only thing he got was the sound of static, a frustrated sigh he let out.

"Prince Diamant," Alear spoke up, "I apologize if I seem nosy but isn't the Queen of Brodia supposed to be at the castle?" He asked.

"It's alright, Divine One. Also, just Diamant is fine." The prince smiled, "With how things have been becoming intense over the years, mother fell ill and my father feared the worst that she would be targeted, so he had her sent to hiding. Of course, despite being sick, my mother protested and begged to stay but with the way her health was deteriorating rapidly, she didn't have a choice." The prince looked down sadly.

"My aunt...had to put my mother into a Magic Coma, for five years mother slept. It was only till recently that she awakened, thanks to my friend." Diamant smiled softly.

"You mean, Perla, Miguel's sister." Alear said Diamant blinked multiple times, shocked, "Lapis and Alcryst spoke to me and Miguel earlier today. Miguel wanted to confirm that she was here in Brodia. But he's not happy she isn't in the capital." He explained as Dimant gulped.

"She is...with my mother. Martha assigned her to protect and take care of her."

"Divine One, are you alright as well?" Diamant asked, "I...noticed you seemed a bit off." Alear smiled bitterly.

"A friend of mine will be here on the battlefield." Alear said as he looked up to the sky, "Though we are on the same side, we have taken different approaches to this war. I want...to help them." That was all Alear said.

Before Diamant could reply, "WE HAVE ARRIVED! EVERYONE GET READY!" King Morion's voice boomed through the place.

[—-]

Miguel took deep breaths as he held his rifle close to his body. The time had come. The true war was now to start. He needed to find Nanami, Veyle, and Perla. Something told him that he would see them in this battle. He interviewed his hands and began to mutter under his breath a prayer. Miguel was never a fully religious person, yet there were a few times he did pray and believe in the gods. Today, he prayed. He prayed to the heavens above.

"Ángel de la Guarda, dulce compańía, no me desampares ni de noche ni de día..." he whispered as he rested his head on his hands, his friends looked at him worried but Anna who sat next to him understood what he was saying, so she joined him.

Miguel smiled a bit and continued to pray...he truly hoped a miracle would come.

- The North of Brodia -

Perla stood outside with her army. Her hands no longer trembled as she looked out to the barrier that was 200 feet away from the castle. She gulped, watching it crack as more and more monsters made contact.

"Three..."

Crack!

"Two..."

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"One." Perla closed her eyes painfully as shattering glass exploded all around them, "Miguel, Nanami, I'm sorry but I might be a little late." She smiled sadly as she took deep breaths as she heard the monsters come.

She raised her dagger and pointed at the monsters, the soldiers, fairies, spirits, humans, and non-humans alike let out their war cries and charged. They needed to survive for 20 minutes. 20 minutes and they will get out of this place.

"Sophia." Perla said as the woman appeared beside her, "I'm sensing a strong presence. I don't know why but..." she looked up to the high hills, eyes narrowed then pointed, "the blood inside me...it feels like it's reacting to someone familiar." She growled.

Sophia remained silent but it suddenly felt like "a pair of eerily familiar eyes" slowly opened behind her.

Eyes she swore she never wanted to face again…Eyes that smiled with glee at "results".

"No…" Sophia thought as her gaze traveled to Perla's shadow, "No way…It can't be…" Perla's shadow briefly glitched to a figure with clawed hands and spiked wings, "Oh, Maria…she inherited it…"

From the hills, the one on the bull let out a snort before they burst out laughing.

"So that's one of Ermos's and Maria's great-grandchildren." They said with a smile as they removed their hood, revealing their short dark green hair, pale skin, and glasses made with jade. He wore a black Archbishop uniform with gold. But what was most noticeable were his eyes which were green but with red slits, "Oh, and Sophia is with her as well. Knowing Ruby, she probably feels a little betrayed her partner is not with her. Not that it matters," he pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, the gem on the hilt had a strange symbol engraving on it.

"Emblem VS Emblem...would you like to see just how truly monstrous they are?"

- Brodia's watch tower -

Natalie finished checking her new magic cannon, making sure everything was set. She had modified it to fit snuggly on her arm, she made it into an arm cannon. She blinked when she heard the whistles from Jade, signaling that King Morion and his army had arrived. Deep breaths she kept taking but...

"Ulp!" She felt the veins on her neck bulge and suddenly spread.

She quickly grabbed a towel and shoved it in her mouth to muffle the scream that came out of her. She had been doing this for a while now, she still felt pain, but she noticed she was starting to lose feeling, she was becoming numb to it.

"Why...why do I keep being made to suffer?" Natalie thought as the pain continued, "Why does the world keep knocking me down? Even Arisa is starting to feel my pain..." she thought as the tears fell.

"I just want this to be over...I just want to live..."

—- ? —-

"It's almost time..." the demon whispered in the shadows with glee as now all the pieces were in place.

"Yes..." River whispered as her eyes landed solely on Miguel and then Natalie.

"The time for change is near..."