Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far, I think most of you know what's going to be happening VERY soon. With the gravity of the situation, I'm going to do my very best to convey every single emotional arc in a way that does it justice… hopefully.

FYI: I've procrastinated my work project, so this will probably be the last chapter until mid-late this week lol. I would estimate sometime between Wednesday (feb 2) to Friday (feb 4) I'll get back on a normal writing schedule.

Also hit me up on discord! KWG0D#5395

The best Byleth could tell, he was sitting on a fallen log. The corpses that had been surrounding him were gathered around a fire as they mumbled inaudibly to one another. It sounded as if they were speaking with a mouth full of water and Byleth couldn't make heads or tails of what they were talking about.

The purple-haired corpse approached him and stood over him. It used to be Bernie. Only now his student wore a long arrow that protruded from her eye, her skin was decomposing and her cheeks were sunken. Yet, the corpse moved and even tried to speak to him.

She looked down at him and held something in her hand, Byleth slowly lowered his head, weary of taking his eyes off the living corpse. It was a cooked rabbit's thigh.

Byleth swallowed hard. The skin from her hand was a deep purple and moved rigidly. It appeared Bernie was offering him food, but he did not have an appetite.

Dead Bernie sighed and retracted her food offering before returning to the campfire. She gurgled something to the other corpses and many of them craned their necks to peer at him.

Deceased Leonie rose to her feet, her intestines swung from the open gash across her stomach, her eyes were a milky white and chunks of skin had begun to fall from her body. She grumbled something loudly and threw her hands into the air as she lifted a single arm to point at Byleth.

He had been studying the living corpses for a few days now, since he awoke on a horse with his hands bound around Shamir. She was the only one that appeared to have any color to her skin and no obvious fatal wounds, though Byleth still couldn't understand her when she spoke.

To the best of his knowledge, they had gone to Enbarr for some reason or another, and were now returning to Garreg Mach. If his internal clock was still working, they'd arrive at the monastery in just a few hours' time, so he was unsure why this group of corpses decided to make camp now.

Unless they had other plans.

Ferdinand had a long arrow shaft protruding from his back as he spoke to a bloodied Caspar but it was Hubert that unsettled Byleth the most. The large man's body was mostly flat, as if he had been crushed with blood seeping from his eyes as if he had cried them out. His arms and legs bent in a way the body was not meant to but he stood close to Byleth as if he were his overseer.

This time, it was Lysithea that approached him though her face was unrecognizable, it was bloodied and nearly caved in. She tightened her hands into fists and gurgled something at him with a commanding tone.

It was clear all the corpses wanted something from him, but Byleth couldn't bring himself to try and communicate. Each of his students' dead faces reminded him of his failures; each time he wasn't fast enough, or failed to teach them properly.

Perhaps this was his punishment for being a bad professor. Byleth dropped his head and closed his eyes, he wished for nothing more than the corpses to leave him be.

A loud noise caused him to snap his head up. It was Leonie, her brows were lowered as she swung her arm toward Caspar and struck him on the arm. Byleth could see the blood from Caspar's chest splatter toward the fire. He immediately returned her slap and soon the two corpses were engaged in a fast-paced slap fight as they angrily gurgled at one another.

That's when he saw her. Edelgard approached the two and stepped between them with her arms extended in an attempt to create distance. Only her hair was soaked in blood and a large crevasse nearly split her chest in half.

The living Shamir couldn't hide the smile on her face as she approached Leonie's body from behind and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. Shamir lifted her from the ground as Leonie flailed her arms, clearly angry with dead Caspar. She turned her around and took several steps away from Leonie's foe before releasing her to the ground. Shamir lifted her hand and pointed in the opposite direction in what appeared to be an order to move.

Edelgard had done the same for Caspar as her hand was still raised and pointed in the opposite direction as she gurgled something.

"They certainly seem lost without you," a light, female voice called out.

Byleth snapped his head behind him but saw no one.

"I'm over here."

He turned his head and saw a familiar deep green, full head of hair sitting on the log next to him.

"Sothis," Byleth felt his chest tightened as he looked upon the girl's face. She was hunched over as she leaned on her knees, watching the spectacle with the corpses at the campfire. "Are you… really here?"

"I told you when we merged, we would never be apart," Sothis turned her head and offered him a gentle smile.

Byleth struggled to keep his breathing under control as his chest heaved, "I… I've missed you so."

"And I, you," she replied. "It has been strange without our conversations, but I'm still a part of you and I always will be."

"I will find a way," he could feel his eyes swelling with moisture. "I promised I would find a way to restore your own body."

"And your promise rings in my head every day," Sothis chuckled. "I long to feel the ground beneath my feet, to actually have a conversation with you and then leave when it suits me. I've no doubt you will find a way, my dear Byleth."

A brunette corpse approached and knelt before him. It was Dorothea, only her body was mangled and pale. Her chest was also caved in as if she had been flattened. Had the corpse heard his words to Sothis?

Dorothea slowly reached out her arm and Byleth couldn't help but to wince as she placed her hand on his knee. She muttered and growled in what he could only guess was speech, but he was unsure of how to reply.

"You're really messed up in the head, kid. That is really morbid."

Byleth swung his head to his other side and felt a sting in his chest.

His father sat on the other end of the log, he had a long piece of grass hanging from his mouth as he chewed on its end.

"Father?" Byleth struggled to breath.

"He is not 'messed up,'" Sothis scoffed from the other side of Byleth. "He's merely struggling with the power I bestowed upon him."

"He's seeing dead kids walking around, slapping each other and tying him to horses," Jeralt's body heaved as he laughed. "How is that not 'messed up?'"

"My power wasn't meant for a mortal," Sothis returned with a soft chuckle.

"That's the understatement of the year," Jeralt replied.

"You two… can hear each other?" Byleth ignored Dorothea at his feet as he snapped his head from side to side.

"I dunno," Jeralt shrugged. "Maybe we're just in your head, too."

"Don't make the situation any worse," Sothis scoffed. "As I've promised to always be with you, Byleth, there are many others who promised to never leave your side."

"So, you're really here?" Byleth blinked several times in an attempt to fight back the tears swelling behind his eyes. "You're really with me?"

"You really think I'd leave you to face the world alone?" Jeralt turned his head to give Byleth a smile. "You're my kid, my own flesh and blood and the last thing of Sitri that I have. I know I've never been much of a… hands-on father. But with the road ahead…"

"You will need every ounce of strength you are able to muster," Sothis finished for him.

"What lies on the road ahead?" Byleth knew he wouldn't like the answer, but felt compelled to ask.

"Oh boy," Jeralt took a deep breath. "That's not really something we can tell you, kid. What we can say is that you and your girl, you have a lot more in common than you think."

Byleth furrowed his brow, "my girl?"

"The arrogant one," Sothis chuckled. "Though I've grown quite fond of her. Her feigned arrogance has carried her far. She even raised an army to help protect you."

"An army…" Byleth ignored the myriad of dead students gathering at his feet as he recalled his time in what looked like a palace. "Is that what we were doing in Enbarr?"

"She's a smart one, I'll give her that," Jeralt straightened his back as his eyes darted to the deceased students hovering over the log on which the three sat.

"Determined, too," Sothis nodded her head. "They call her the Path Maker, a title that I approve of. Just as she's rejected her predetermined destiny, you've also chosen to help her alter that destiny."

"How can I do anything?" Byleth huffed as he curled his hands into fists. "I can't even make sense of the world around me."

"You've still promised to return me to my body, have you not?" Sothis continued. "Did you not also promise to give the arrogant one and the little one a chance at a normal life, one without crests?"

"You've always been one to keep your word, kid," Jeralt added. "The thing is, none of your promises were supposed to happen. If you believe in destiny at all, that is. But you and her… well, you two are certainly something special. All of those kids are."

"It's true," Sothis nodded. "You've all committed yourselves to rewriting destiny itself. And with the power that dwells within you, you just might."

"I fail to see how I can be of use to anyone," Byleth sighed as he lowered his head into his hands.

"You're stuck in the past, boy," Jeralt shook his head as he exhaled through his nostrils. "I mean, look at these kids. Edelgard's chest is sliced open from the Death Knight, Bernadetta was struck by the arrow the Agarthan fired. Leonie, Ferdinand and Caspar still hold their wounds from their first real fight with Lord Lonato's men…"

"You must focus, Byleth," Sothis agreed. "While my power exposes you to both sides of time, there is only one true timeline you belong in, and it is with these young ones. Just as much as they need you, you need them as well."

"They're your family now, kid," Jeralt rose from the log, though the corpses didn't seem to notice him. All of their attention was on Byleth. Their gurgles and horrific noises made it hard for him to hear either Jeralt or Sothis. "Take care of them, and do a better job than I did, okay?"

"Wait, where are you going?" Byleth heard his own voice crack as Jeralt turned away from him. "Please, don't go."

Jeralt slowly spun his body. Slowly a grin formed across his face, "you know, green or blue, you still have your mother's eyes."

Byleth snapped his head to see Sothis also rise from the log. He couldn't fight back the tears any longer as he felt them stream down his cheeks, "please, don't leave me."

It was a strange feeling. Growing up, Byleth feared he lacked the emotions that made him anything but human. As someone once called him, he was destined to be a beast or demon. Only now, his head swam and his eyes burned with salty tears. His chest heaved rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Don't cry, kid," Jeralt chuckled as he turned away once again and Sothis caught up to him. Together, they started to walk away toward the treeline. "There will be plenty more tears on the road ahead."

Byleth felt helpless as he watched the two disappear into the trees. His eyes watched longingly as he craned his neck to gain a peek of Jeralt or Sothis, but soon there was no trace to be found.

"I don't think he can hear us."

It was neither Jeralt or Sothis's voice. Byleth let his eyes linger on the treeline for a moment longer before turning his head to face his students.

Edelgard knelt by his left knee with her hand on his thigh, and Dorothea on his right. Only, their faces were now flush. There was no blood caked in Edelgard's hair, and Dorothea's body was full and her skin was no longer a pale gray.

They were now very much alive. Byleth let his eyes scan each student that stood before him. Their blood had been washed away and their concerned eyes glistened as they studied him.

Edelgard rose to her feet and leaned her face closer to his. He blinked several times to ensure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. His thoughts were distracted by his father and Sothis.

It was only when he felt something soft against his forehead that he lifted his face to see Edelgard's lips pressed against it. It was a gentle kiss, but Byleth felt an unfamiliar flutter in his stomach. He also felt a drop of something wet fall onto his cheek and it was only when Edelgard pulled away that he saw she also had tears falling from her eyes.

"Come back to us soon, Byleth," Edelgard's voice was soft as she struggled to quell the quiver in her tone.

"I'm…" Byleth's throat felt dry and his words harsh, "I'm here, El."

Edelgard visibly startled backward as her eyes widened.

"Did he- did he just say something?" Bernie took a step closer.

"I believe he did!" Flayn's excitement emanated in her voice.

Edelgard ignored them as she took a step closer and placed the palm of her hand against Byleth's cheek. He took a deep breath as he leaned into her hand.

"You… you can understand me?" Edelgard's brows scrunched in hope, her eyes fixated on his.

Byleth kept his face pressed against her palm as he nodded his head, "I can."

He opened his eyes at the sound of a loud smack. Byleth only caught the tail end of Leonie's arm whacking Caspar in the arm.

"I told you!" Leonie was furious as she scrunched her face.

"Don't make me separate you two again," Shamir crossed her arms in front of her chest, though a sly smile shone through on her face as she turned her gaze to Byleth. "It's good to have you back, but don't ever do that again."

"She was quite frightened for your well-being!" Flayn intertwined her fingers as she smiled.

"I-I was not," Shamir let a rare stutter plague her words.

"So then you did not care if our professor returned to us?" Flayn's face immediately dropped.

Shamir brushed away a few loose strands of hair from her face as she sighed, "of course I was, but he's tough. Let's just drop it."

"Where have you been, my teacher?" Edelgard didn't seem to notice the conversation behind her. Her eyes stared deep into Byleth as she searched for answers.

Byleth gave her a light shrug, "I'm not sure… everything was wrong. I couldn't… see correctly or hear."

"The important thing is you're back," Shamir added with a soft nod. "Not a moment too soon, we were afraid we'd have to return to Garreg Mach with you not in your right mind."

"Is that why we've camped?" Byleth swallowed hard as he swiveled his head to assess his surroundings.

Shamir bobbed her head up and down, "it was a long shot, but we wanted to give it a little bit more time before we had to explain to the Archbishop what happened. But, it's all moot now that you're okay."

"Hey professor!" Leonie stood on the tips of her toes to peer above her classmates. "We conquered an empire!"

Byleth didn't move, he let her words sink into his head as he pondered them.

"'Conquered' is a strong word," Edelgard did not remove her hand from his cheek as she let out a soft chuckle, "I merely succeeded my father."

"Then…. You're…" The words caught in Byleth's throat. He had recalled a blurred time in what appeared to be a palace, but he couldn't make sense of their gurgles and growls at the time. "The emperor?"

Edelgard nodded, "before you… went to sleep, you told me of something coming, something very bad."

Byleth slowly nodded, "I vaguely remember that."

"Though there is unrest in the Adrestian Empire," Shamir added, "their army will prove to be a valuable asset in whatever's coming."

"Does this mean I have to call you Your Majesty?" Byleth grinned as he studied Edelgard's face.

"Yes," Hubert coldly replied as he stood next to the fallen log, as still as ever.

"Hubert," Edelgard sucked her teeth before returning her gaze to Byleth. "I think 'El' will continue to suffice. After all, I do quite like the sound from your lips."

Byleth felt the air leave his lungs. There wasn't anything particular about El's words, but rather the intimate tone in which she spoke them. A new, different strange feeling overtook him. It was as if he was seeing Edelgard for the first time.

But like many new feelings, Byleth had no word to describe it. He only knew that it felt… amazing, and he never wanted to take his eyes off of her again.

Byleth had lost the argument with Shamir on who would hold the reins of their steed. So once again, he sat behind the knight with his hands loosely gripping her waist. He was merely thankful that his students decided against binding his wrists again.

However, the sight of the open gates leading into Garreg Mach unsettled him. In the short distance, he could see the unmistakable figure of a grand headdress that belonged to Lady Rhea. Next to her stood a myriad of knights standing at attention and who appeared to be Seteth, with his arms firmly crossed in front of his chest.

None of the figures standing just within the gate appeared to be happy. Byleth turned his head and exchanged glances with several of his students, all shared the same look of concern.

"Shamir," Byleth began, he kept his voice low, "I'm not sure you should be returning."

He could see the back of her head shake, "I'm not going to leave you to face them alone."

"I can take the blame for this, students have to listen to their teachers, after all" Byleth continued as he swallowed hard. "But they're not going to accept a Knight of Seiros taking orders from a professor."

"If worse comes to worst," Shamir paused for a brief moment, "I'll slip away in the night and we'll find a place to meet."

"Not if they imprison you," Byleth argued.

"I've gotten out of worse situations," Shamir chuckled. "Besides, I know the dungeons better than most."

"Very well," he knew arguing with his counterpart was useless. She was just as stubborn as he, and just as talented and deadly as well. "If it comes to that, meet me by Jeralt's pond."

"My thoughts exactly," she replied.

Byleth couldn't see her face, but he imagined she was as cool and collected as ever.

"How nice of you to return," Rhea spoke loudly, but her voice boomed and dripped with sarcasm. "And without a moment to spare."

Byleth leaned out from behind Shamir to gain a better view. None of the knights readied their weapons, in fact, at Rhea's words, they seemed to relax their bodies. "I was never one for politics, Lady Rhea."

As their horses entered the gates, he could clearly see Rhea's narrowed gaze, her cheeks flushed with anger.

"Might I ask where exactly have you been," the Archbishop grumbled through her clenched teeth.

"I prefer to leave the politics to those with the knack for it, such as you," Byleth gently gave her a nod. "I thought my students would have plenty of time after they graduate to engage in such activities, but battle practice is what they enrolled for."

"Flayn!" Seteth paid no attention to Rhea's rising temper as he galloped toward Flayn's horse. He extended his arms to grip the young girl and dismount her from her steed. "What exactly do you think you were doing?"

"Brother!" Flayn huffed. Her reaction took Byleth by surprise, she was never one to show discontent with her brother. "I am a student of the Black Eagle house, am I not?"

"I had ordered the training exercise, Seteth," Byleth straightened his stance. He would not allow his students to face punishment for merely trying to protect him.

Seteth did not reply, instead he shot a deadly glance toward Byleth.

"Lady Shamir," Lady Rhea's face twitched with every word. "You are to report to the throne room and wait for my arrival."

Shamir dropped her eyes and bowed from her waist.

"The ceremony," Byleth interjected, determined to not let any of them be separated, especially not now. "It is rapidly approaching, is it not?"

"Rapidly approaching?" Lady Rhea scoffed. "It is to start within a few hours, my dear."

"You said that those I hold dear may accompany me during the ceremony. Noble or not, am I correct?" Byleth swallowed hard. He was unsure if his reasoning would hold any weight with the enraged Archbishop, but the least he could do was try.

"You may," Rhea's nostrils flared.

"Then I wish for Shamir to be there," Byleth felt a small surge of satisfaction. "I wish for all my students to accompany me as well."

Rhea took a deep breath before softening the ridges of her face. She even let a gentle smile form from her lips, "very well. The important thing is that you're back, my dear Byleth. And you still hold your duties to receive the Goddess's divine revelation, so I will overlook this mishap. Now come, we must prepare you."

"Prepare me?" Byleth turned his head and his eyes met with Edelgard's. Her eyes were wide as she offered him a small shrug.

The Archbishop spun on her heel and began to make her way up the stairs that led into the great hall. Byleth cautiously followed her as he peered behind them to ensure the Knights of Seiros were not going to move against his students. However, they began to disband, some followed Rhea and others made their way toward the stables.

"It will be close," Rhea spoke as she walked with Byleth a few steps behind her. "But I think you've arrived just in time to cleanse you and arrive at the Holy Tomb on time."

Byleth heard another set of footsteps that didn't belong to Rhea or any of the knights that followed. He craned his neck to see Edelgard jogging to catch up to them.

"Cleanse me?" Byleth felt uncomfortable with those words.

"Yes, we must ensure your body is immaculate for the divine revelation," Rhea almost sounded giddy, which did nothing to ease Byleth's unease.

Edelgard slowed her pace once she reached his side. She did not speak, but instead wore an inquisitive look on her face.

"We must wash the filth from your body that you acquired during your… training exercise," the Archbishop continued.

"So, I am to take a bath?" Byleth scrunched his brow. He always knew Rhea held the traditions of the church close to her heart, but he didn't understand why she couldn't just tell him to bathe instead of resorting to ritualistic words.

"It is much more than a simple bath," Rhea let out a soft chuckle. "Our highest nuns will cleanse your body and purify it with oils meant for the Saints. Then they will dress you in attire appropriate to speak to the Goddess, herself."

Edelgard snapped her head to face Byleth. He met her violet eyes with a shrug though he could see El's jaw clenching.

"I hope you're ready, my dear Byleth," Rhea cooed. "After tonight, all of our lives will change."