Wow! A lot of people that don't usually comment came out of the woods to comment on that last chapter! Thanks so much guys, big shoutouts to: JulianMora96, ArmadaScream, ShadowKing961

Big shoutout to BioMatrix2012, Didaque and willowloves, GreatLight432, Medicine_Gamer0110 also! Here's to you mates!

Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, there's going to be a lot of deviation from here on out! So here we go… *takes deep breath*

Discord: KWG0D#5395

Byleth tried to adjust his arms in his new attire. The beige-gold collar rose higher than his previous uniform and he found it hard to move in such a crisp, formal suit. However, Rhea insisted that his new white and purple clothes were only fitting for such an occasion. He stood next to Edelgard and Hubert with the rest of his class behind him.

To his left stood Claude and Hilda alongside Dimitri and Dedue. To his right, dozens of Knights of Seiros, including Catherine, Shamir and Alois, all of which stood at attention.

They gathered in one of the sections of the hedge garden where a small gazebo stood. Before today, Byleth thought the small rotunda to be mere decoration, but Rhea approached one of the pillars and placed a single hand against its white stone. In the corner of his eye, he saw Seteth readjust his weight and drop his eyes as if he were uncomfortable with Rhea's actions.

The stone underneath Rhea's palm emanated a bright white light, and Byleth could've sworn he saw Rhea whisper something under her breath. As her lips stopped moving, she took a single step backward, and Byleth could feel a slight tremble beneath his feet.

It took only a few moments before the entire gazebo began to lift from the ground, revealing a much darker stone foundation underneath. It moved slowly and made a loud grinding sound as it pulled the grass and dirt from the ground.

Byleth felt a small warmth on his left hand and snapped his head downward to find Edelgard's fingers gently brushing against his.

He lifted his head to see her wide violet eyes staring into his as she leaned closer to his face allowing the sound of the rising rotunda to drown out her whisper, "you don't have to do this, Byleth. We can leave right now, We can make a run for it."

Byleth subtly shook his head, "we'd never make it, El. Nobles from all over Fodlan are scattered throughoutthe monastery, we'd never be able to slip past them. Besides…" he hesitated before he finished, "there might be a chance I could hear her again."

Edelgard tightened her lips as she let her eyes linger within his for a moment longer before giving him a gentle nod and letting her hand drop to her side.

With a loud thud, the ground suddenly ceased its tremors, and Byleth gazed upon a hidden staircase under the gazebo. It was circular just as the dome above it had been and thin, no more than one person could descend the stairs at a time.

Rhea turned to face him and Byleth swore he'd never seen a bigger smile upon her face before, "are you ready, my dear?"

Byleth swallowed hard to suppress the lump that formed in his throat. He was never one to favor tight spaces, they hardly allowed for an easy escape. Though there was no reason to believe he would need an escape, he supposed old habits were hard to break, and a quick peek at Shamir's arms crossing suggested she felt the same.

"This is the Holy Tomb?" Byleth stared at the staircase as he ran scenarios through his head.

Rhea gave him a gentle nod, "it is. It is where Saint Seiros also received her divine revelation, just as you will."

"Very well," Byleth felt an ache from his stomach. As much as he yearned to hear Sothis in his head once again, he felt uneasy about entering the tomb. Earlier in the day, he had been able to see Sothis's face once again, and he'd even heard her voice as well as his father's. But he was unsure if it was truly them or his mind's apparitions of his greatest desires.

If Rhea's words were true, there'd be no doubt it'd really be Sothis in his head. Perhaps then, he might be able to fill the hole he felt in his chest since they merged. Maybe his phantom twin could return to him once again.

Rhea was the first to descend the staircase, Seteth trailing not far behind.

Byleth hesitated, he did not move a muscle as he watched them disappear into the tomb. His breath rapidly increased, but he found himself almost paralyzed.

"After you," Catherine swung her arm toward the gazebo as she gave Byleth a soft smile. "Don't worry your pretty little head, we'll all be with you."

Byleth gave her a quick glance to see her brightened face. It seemed she shared in Rhea's elation.

Without another thought, he forced his feet to move forward. He felt Edelgard following close behind him, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her body on the back of his arm.

They were followed by the myriad of footsteps from the Black Eagles, but none spoke a word and he briefly questioned if they were just as nervous as he was.

Of course they were. After all, Byleth had learned of all the things they accomplished while he was stuck between time, for a lack of a better description. They could have very well left him in his quarters; instead, they secured him to a horse to travel with them. Whether or not the apparition of Sothis in the woods was real, her words were correct: they needed him just as much as he needed them.

Before he could finish his thoughts, he noticed he was already halfway down the staircase, and his eyes instinctively scanned the large, hollow room that had been hidden under the decorative gazebo. Rhea and Seteth had already reached the floor and waited at the bottom for his arrival.

His eyes immediately scanned every nook and cranny of the room as he continued downward. Grand columns kept the ceiling in place, the floor glistened from the marble coating, and torches and candle chandeliers lit the amplespace. Something at the far end of the room caught his attention as he finally reached the floor of the Holy Tomb.

Rhea did not wait for his students to catch up but rather immediately intertwined her arm with Byleth's and began walking to the opposite end of the tomb, pulling him with every step.

"Tell me, do you recognize this place?" Rhea never let the smile fade from her face. It was as if she had a euphoria running through her veins, as if she'd been waiting for this day her entire life.

Byleth turned his head to further study the large tomb. There were rows of sarcophagi that created a path to the far side of the room, "I can't say that I do."

Rhea hummed as she continued walking, gripping Byleth's arm tighter.

"Are these the children of the goddess?" Byleth gazed at each sarcophagus that they passed.

Rhea nodded solemnly, "it was only fitting that this is their resting place. After Nemesis… they deserved to rest with their mother."

"With Sothis?" Byleth queried. He could hear the hurried footsteps of his students behind them, desperate to catch up. For the past several new moons, he noticed the Black Eagles did not particularly care to be too far apart. Perhaps it was the teachings he and Shamir bestowed upon them.

"Yes," Rhea replied. "But now, my dear, you will usher in a new era. One where the children of the Goddess may return to this world."

Byleth craned his neck to peer behind him to see the staircase lined with the Knights of Seiros. Dimitri and Claude and their retainers followed the Black Eagles at a distance as they also lifted their heads in awe of their surroundings.

"How am I meant to usher in a new era?" Byleth furrowed his brows. "I am but a man."

Rhea let out a soft chuckle, "you are so much more than that, my sweet Byleth. Your hair, your eyes, you've been touched by the Goddess. If she's reached her divine touch to you, then she may very well make more children. You are living proof that she's returned in all of her glory."

"You mean to place all of this responsibility on his shoulders alone?" Edelgard broke her silence, her voice dripping with irritation.

Rhea did not reply, and she showed no indication that she even heard Edelgard, despite her clear voice.

Instead, Rhea lifted her free arm to point toward the end of the room, "you may not recognize this tomb, but tell me, do you recognize this?"

Byleth lifted his eyes and felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs. His steady stepsceased, and Rhea stopped with him. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead, his mouth hung agape as he struggled to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.

A short distance from them sat a stone throne atop a few steps. The seat was wide and on the back was a curvature carved in the shape of the number six. It was the same throne that Sothis sat upon as she chastised Byleth many times. It was the same throne that Sothis used to lounge upon as she grew tired.

Until now, he believed Sothis's throne only existed in a plane of his mind. Yet, here it stood only a short walk from where he was standing.

"Should I take your reaction as a 'yes?'" Rhea craned her neck to study Byleth's startled face.

Byleth's mouth hung open as he recalled how Sothis descended the stairs of her throne, her arm extended to touch his as they merged, dissipating her into nothing more than a wet mist.

"My teacher?" Edelgard's soft voice interrupted the memory he replayed in his mind. "Are you alright?"

Byleth lowered his eyes and turned his neck to glance at her. He gave her a gentle nod, "I've seen this throne before-" He stopped abruptly as he pondered his next words, knowing there were many in attendance that weren't privy to the information that the Black Eagles were. "In my dreams."

"Just as I suspected!" Rhea's tone grew more excited. She continued forward, pulling Byleth's arm with her.

Byleth struggled to keep up with the Archbishop, he was unaware she was able to move that fast as she always seemed to be graceful with her footing. As they approached the base of the stairs that led to the throne, Rhea finally released Byleth from her grip.

"Go," Rhea released a heavy sigh of excitement. "Take your throne and receive her voice."

He stopped short as he turned his body to see all eyes were on him. His students stood in a close cluster, some wearing worried looks upon their faces with their brows lowered, others had their eyes closed as if they were afraid to witness what was about to happen.

Edelgard stood at the forefront. Her arms hung loosely at her side, but she balled her hands into fists as she met his eyes. Her chest heaved with rapid breath.

His eyes scanned the other side of the room. Dimitri and Claude looked at him with grins and amazement, their eyes were bright with excitement. Dedue stood beside his lord, as still as ever and it briefly reminded Byleth of Hubert. Hilda seemed to be the only one who was disinterested as she curled her fingers in front of her face to study her nails.

Catherine puffed out her chest and let her smile grow from ear to ear. Alois gave him a small nod but uncharacteristically kept his face emotionless. Shamir stood beside him, keeping her head low as she subtly shook it. She crossed her arms defensively across her chest. The three stood in front of the many Knights of Seiros who stood as still as statues.

"My dear Byleth, do not be afraid," Rhea placed her hand on his arm and gave him a soft push toward the base of the stairs.

He turned his gaze to the throne once more as he took his first step. Byleth let his memories flood his mind as he continued up the stairs. He was not much of a believer in the teachings of Seiros. All of the books he had read in his quest to find the answer to removing crests had only painted crests as a blessing while he had seen first hand with Edelgard and Lysithea that they could be a curse.

In fact, it was more than just those two students. Ingrid was being treated as a commodity because of the crest she bore; Dorothea and Leonie had been looked down upon and cast out simply because they were unfortunate enough to be born without one.

However, even if he didn't believe in the teachings of Seiros, if sitting upon the throne meant he could talk to Sothis once again…

By the time his last thought lingered in his mind, he found himself reaching the last stair. Sothis's throne was now within arms reach. Byleth reached his hand out and placed it on the armrest. Sure enough, the cold stone against his palm proved that it was real.

He turned his head to gaze down the staircase to see Rhea watching eagerly. She bobbed her head up and down as she urged him to continue.

Slowly, Byleth lowered himself onto the throne. It was hard against his back and rear. He wondered how Sothis could sleep upon it all those times she was too fatigued to speak to him.

As he rested his full weight upon the stone throne, he could feel the tension throughout the tomb. It was as if every soul that occupied the space were holding their breath.

Several silent moments passed. Byleth tried to focus on the feeling of the stone beneath him. He closed his eyes and focused on his thoughts.

"Sothis?" He tried to enunciate his thoughts without speaking his words aloud. "Please tell me you can hear me."

There was no answer. He only felt the cold chill of the stone against his body.

"Sothis?" He thought harder as he scrunched his brows so hard that he could feel an ache forming in his forehead. "Answer me. You promised you'd always be with me."

Byleth felt a panic overwhelm him. Though Sothis had made clear when she evaporated into him that they would no longer be able to speak once they became one, he still held onto the childish notion that Rhea's promises would finally reunite them.

She may be a part of him, but he longed… no, that word didn't do his feelings justification; he internally screamed to be able to speak to her once again.

"I… I don't understand," it was Rhea's hesitant voice at the bottom of the staircase.

Byleth focused on his body as he tried to feel every tingle that should be surging through his body but felt nothing, "are you really gone?"

He didn't mean to vocalize his words, but it was low enough that he was sure no one else heard. Byleth clenched his jaw and suddenly felt a fool for believing Sothis would never leave him.

"We did everything right," Rhea's voice grew louder. "We did… everything correctly. What could we have missed?"

Byleth released a heavy sigh as he shut his eyes tightly. He felt deflated. He had made so many promises to so many that he began to question how he could ever fulfill them if he couldn't even talk to Sothis again.

"You've missed everything, Archbishop."

Byleth snapped his head toward the entrance to the Holy Tomb. He saw a large man with skin as pale as a ghost. His hair matched his skin tone and flared from his eyebrows and head, just as the facial hair curled from his chin and cheeks.

Rhea turned her body to face the man who had just finished descending the staircase, followed by many soldiers dressed in black and red armor. Some wore leather armor, leading Byleth to guess these were the agile fighters, while others clanked and rattled as they walked in their heavy metal armor.

Byleth leapt out of the throne and without a second thought began jogging down the stairs. His eyes darted back and forth between the man that began approaching them and Edelgard, who visibly recoiled at the man's presence.

His soldier's movements echoed loudly in the holy tomb, and it almost became deafening with the dozens upon dozens of footsteps that marched down the staircase to join their leader.

Byleth could hear the unsheathing of numerous swords and quickly let his eyes fall upon the Knights of Seiros. They each held their weapon of choice in front of their body as they widened their stance. Shamir had left her place to create distance as she held a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.

Finally, Byleth reached Edelgard, who seemed dazed, her eyes still fixated on the intruder.

"How did you get in here?" Rhea's voice boomed as she straightened her stance and lifted her chin. "You dare desecrate these holy grounds?"

"You opened the door for me, Archbishop," the man chuckled. "This little… ceremony led us right to the crest stones."

Byleth kept his attention on Edelgard, placing a hand on each of her arms while gently shaking her, "El, get the class together!"

He lifted his eyes to see most of his students had already separated into their assigned teams. Dorothea took her place behind Edelgard with her hands raised in the air, ready to rain fire upon the intruders. Hubert also closed the gap between Dorothea and Edelgard, his eyes narrowed and his stance wide.

Petra had gripped Bernie's arm as she pulled her across the room as Lindhardt clumsily followed behind them.

"Petra!" Byleth kept his hands on Edelgard's arms while firmly planting his eyes on the Brigid Princess.

She stopped suddenly to meet his gaze.

"Take Lysithea with you!" Byleth yelled. Shamir was too far away to pair with the young girl, and Byleth had a feeling he wouldn't have much of an opportunity to look after her.

Petra gave him a nod as she waved at Lysithea. Without hesitation, the young white-haired mage ran toward Petra and Bernie.

"What of the occupants of Garreg Mach?" Rhea did not move—she kept her hands within her puffy sleeves as she gazed upon the man.

"My men are taking care of them as we speak," he replied as he took a step forward, almost mockingly as he dug the end of his dagger into his thumb. His soldiers followed suit as they inched forward. "Your white mages certainly made it harder to penetrate the monastery, but I'm not above brute force."

"If it's a fight you seek," Rhea spoke through her clenched teeth, "you might find yourself sorely disappointed."

Byleth's training as a mercenary made it impossible for him to ignore the conversation the intruder was having with Rhea. It also made it impossible for him to block out the movements of every single person that occupied the Holy Tomb.

His eyes scanned the room and saw Ferdinand and Ingrid, each with their lances at the ready with Flayn behind them.

If it weren't for the nagging feeling they were about to face a powerful force, he would've been proud.

Caspar and Leonie were the first to step closer to the encroaching enemies. She held her lance diagonally behind her back while Caspar twirled his axe to settle the haft within his grasp. Annette held her hands in the air as she followed them.

"Disappointed is an understatement," Leonie cocked her neck. "We may look small…"

"But we pack a ton of dynamite," Caspar attempted to finish her sentence.

"That's not what I was going to say!" Leonie furrowed her brows as she shot him a glance, briefly lowering her weapon in frustration.

Caspar shrugged as he turned his gaze to Leonie, "well, how was I supposed to know?"

"'Pack a ton of dynamite?'" Leonie scoffed. "This was our one chance to say something cool, and that's what you came up with? It doesn't even make sense!"

The large man let out a hearty laugh, his belly spasmed as his laughter filled the tomb, "how cute. These are your champions, Archbishop? A bunch of children who make jokes?"

"Hey!" Leonie clearly took offense to his insult.

Rhea did not answer him; instead, she turned her head to face the Knights of Seiros, "do not let them pass."

Immediately, the knights moved in unison as they inched forward.

The man's smile faded from his face, and without turning to face his soldiers, his lips curled into a sinister frown, "take the crest stones and kill all that stand in your way."

Edelgard's body did not want to move. She had seen Thales before, but this was the first time since she had defected. She knew he was a cruel, unreasonable man… if he could even be called a 'man.'

Byleth had let go of her arms as she began jogging toward Thales and his soldiers. He had unsheathed the Sword of the Creator and unchained it.

"Your Majesty," Hubert did not turn to face her, instead he stood firm with his hands at the ready. "You know what he plans to do with those crest stones."

Her eyes scanned the room. She heard the deafening clanging of metal against metal as the Knights of Seiros collided with the Agarthans.

"Edie!" Dorothea stood behind her. "We need to move, now!"

Edelgard vigorously nodded as she reached behind her back to grip the haft of her axe, "we cannot let our teacher fight alone."

"Then let's go!" shouted an exasperated Dorothea. She was the first to move as she passed Hubert and Edelgard.

Edelgard's feet began to sprint on a dime as she struggled to catch up to Dorothea. As they neared the crowded battle, she saw that numerous bodies had already fallen to the floor, never to rise again, "Dorothea, we must be cautious! We cannot let our teacher turn back the hands of time again!"

"Agreed," Hubert calmly stated as he jogged next to her. "His mind and body simply cannot take anymore."

Edelgard heard his words but did not reply as she jumped over a fallen knight. In between the bodies engaged in the dance of battle, she caught a glimpse of Byleth's collar. She saw him grip at his clothes and rip the looser fabrics from his attire.

In front of her, Dorothea came to a dead stop as she waved her arms. Her fingers arched and waved independently of each other as a bright, red flame formed in her palms.

Edelgard did not stop as she passed Dorothea, desperate to reach Byleth. To her side, she saw Catherine parrying with several Agarthans next to a sarcophagus. But she did not stop.

She saw Byleth raise his right arm in front of his chest. He made a fist from his hand and closed his eyes tightly. Edelgard quickened her pace and nearly lunged as she reached out her arm.

A fraction of a second later, she was rewarded by the feel of his arm under her hand. Edelgard pushed his arm down with all of her might, "Byleth, no!"

He snapped his head to face her. For a moment, he gazed into her eyes as if he'd forgotten the battling soldiers that surrounded them, "El, I have to. We can't let them take us by surprise! The knights… so many are already dead!"

"Byleth, you promised to stay with me!" Edelgard had to yell for her voice to reach his ears over the booming of swords clashing, "when your father fell, you chose to stay with me! After what happened the past few days, wherever you went… next time, you may never return!"

Byleth didn't reply, he swiftly swiveled his body and thrust his sword across his body. It sliced through an approaching enemy, and with a gurgle, the man fell to the marble floor.

Another Agarthan ran toward them. Edelgard dropped her axe to the ground as she lunged forward and lifted her arm with all of her strength, forcing her axe through the man's flesh from his groin to his stomach. His entrails bursted from the crevasse she created before he fell backward as he clutched his stomach.

"What has happened… has happened," Edelgard turned away from Byleth but still yelled. Her eyes darted to each body that moved in front of her as she assessed who was an immediate threat, "turning back the hands of time will only take you away from us!"

"You don't know that!" Byleth raised his voice as his feet danced from side to side, his sword still slashing each approaching enemy.

"No, I don't!" Edelgard lifted her axe to prepare to strike another enemy, but instead was blinded by a purple fireball that threw the Agarthan backward. She snapped her head to see Hubert's arm extended a short distance from her. "But there's always a chance, Byleth! I want you to choose to stay with us! Stay with me!"

"El-"

"We will deal with the consequences of whatever happens," Edelgard interrupted him. She caught a glimpse of Shamir releasing an arrow from behind a column. It struck an Agarthan in the chest. "We'll deal with it together, Byleth! But you have to be here to help us through it!"

"The sarcophagi!" She heard a voice scream. Though Byleth and Shamir's training had sunk deeper than Edelgard could've ever imagined, she was still unable to discern one voice from another.

"They have the crest stone!"

"Stop them!" That one sounded like an enraged Rhea.

Edelgard's senses felt overwhelmed. It became harder to differentiate one person from the next, who might be running at her to attack or who might be fleeing a losing battle. Her ears were filled with clanging and screaming and the loud thuds of the sarcophagus covers falling to the ground. Her skin felt numb, of which she could only attribute to an overflow of adrenaline flowing through her veins.

She heard Byleth groan, and she quickly turned to face him. Her eyes scanned his body from head to toe but she saw no wounds.

"Fine," Byleth grinded his teeth. "But I can't lose any of you, so be careful."

Without another word, Byleth took off in a sprint toward the entrance of the Holy Tomb, into the heart of the crowded battle.

Edelgard felt a brief surge of relief that she was able to stop him from potentially falling into the darkness once again by turning back the hands of time. But it was quickly replaced by the frantic dance of the ongoing battle.

She knew she would not be able to keep in step with her teacher. He had a way of running, leaping and lunging from one place to another. Instead, she backtracked to close the distance between her and Dorothea, who sent several fireballs flying into clustered groups of soldiers wearing Agarthan colors.

Edelgard could hear multiple brisk whistles fly past her body. Her eyes found Shamir crouching halfway up the staircase that led to the throne with one leg extended in front of her as she nocked another arrow, "get back!"

Edelgard couldn't help but to appreciate Shamir's concern for her, even in the heat of battle. Without hesitation, she gripped Dorothea's arm and they began to make their way further from the battle and closer to the rest of her peers.

There wasn't an area that was free from Agarthans, but where her classmates had gathered they were more sparse. Edelgard knew if she were to keep Byleth from turning back the hands of time, she must focus her attention to protecting those he cared for the most.

Bernie stood close to Petra as she raised her bow. Edelgard noticed there was no tremble, no hesitation in Bernie's motions. She narrowed her vision and let her arrow fly before swiftly retrieving another arrow from her quiver.

Petra covered her archer from the closer enemies with her sword as she deftly spun her body into the air, allowing her blade to slice any that came close.

"Edelgard!" That sounded like Shamir.

Edelgard quickly turned around to see multiple black and red soldiers rapidly approaching with their weapons above their heads.

She only saw a blur before one of the soldiers swiftly fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his temple. Then another blur and whistle and another Agarthan grunted before tripping and sliding across the floor.

Edelgard raised her axe, though Shamir and Bernie were able to down two of them, another three rushed toward her and Hubert.

Hubert extended his arm and let a purple flame fly from his palm as Edelgard brought her axe down across her body.

However, before she felt her blade make contact, black spikes sprung from the marble floor and were surrounded by a purple mist. Edelgard blinked several times to try and comprehend what she was seeing.

The three remaining soldiers twitched as several of the spikes impaled their bodies and limbs and lifted them from the ground. Blood dripped down the black skewers from each of the wounds they inflicted.

Edelgard spun her head around to see Lysithea's palms glowing with the same purple mist that surrounded the spikes. The young girl gave her a sly smile as she jerked her hands down to her sides.

Edelgard heard the spikes retract back into the ground, and turned to see the three Agarthans fall to the floor. She couldn't help but to let a grin form from her lips. Her peers had certainly grown from the beginning of the year.

"You want more, huh?"

Suddenly, Edelgard's grin faded at Leonie's taunts. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, but she was unable to see her or Caspar or even Annette's orange hair, though she saw flames shoot into the air in the general direction of Leonie's voice.

"No!"

"Stop them!"

Edelgard struggled to discern one voice from the next. She craned her neck and saw Ingrid pulling her lance from an Agarthan's chest. Ferdinand kept his back against hers to ensure no one could sneak up on either. Flayn leaned over an open sarcophagus with her face scrunched in severe concern.

"They took it!" Flayn's tone was louder than usual as she peered into the empty coffin.

Edelgard spun her body around to see nearly all the sarcophagi lids crumbled on the floor, "no…"

Her chest began to tighten as the sight of the desecrated coffins. Though she did not hold much respect in the first place for the children of the goddess, she knew the open coffins meant each was robbed of their crest stones.

But her attention was quickly diverted to a soldier rapidly approaching Flayn. Edelgard's eyes darted to Ingrid and Ferdinand but they had already engaged in their next battle. Her feet began to move before another thought could cross her mind.

"Flayn!" Edelgard tightened her grip on the haft of her axe.

But the young, green-haired girl did not appear to hear her. She still peered into the empty coffin as Edelgard could've sworn she saw a tear fall from her eye.

The Agarthan raised his sword high above his head and Edelgard slid to the ground and her legs fall in front of her. It was something she had watched her teacher do many times before. To her surprise, the slick marble floor carried her much further than she would've guessed and Edelgard lifted her axe as her body collided with the Agarthan's legs.

With an "oof," he stumbled before he could bring his weapon down upon Flayn. Edelgard did not hesitate, she cocked her arm across her body and swung her axe, burying it deep into the back of the soldier's thigh.

Flayn immediately spun her body around and frantically dropped her eyes to see Edelgard crawling on top of the wounded soldier at Flayn's feet.

Though he bled profusely from his leg, he used his arms to try and push Edelgard off of him. He pushed on her cheek as he desperately tried to impair her vision. She fought to turn her head as she choked up on the handle of her axe and pushed it down.

The soldier put his hand over hers as he pushed back and suddenly, they were engaged in a game of reverse tug-of-war.

Edelgard leaned on the back of her axe with her chest as she attempted to put all of her weight onto her blade. Slowly but surely, the blade began to dig into the soldier's chest. However, she couldn't stop now. The soldier let out a loud cough as the axe slowly buried itself deeper and Edelgard felt a warm splatter of blood spray across her face.

Then, he went limp. She kept pushing for several more seconds as she did not want to fall victim to any kind of ploy. Finally, when she was satisfied she sat up, her legs still straddled the dead soldier.

A little hand came into Edelgard's vision. She lifted her head to see Flayn extending her hand to help her stand, "thank you, Edelgard."

Edelgard took her hand and used it to steady her balance before using her free arm to pull her weapon from the soldier's chest.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath her feet. The shaking only grew more violent and Edelgard fell backward and onto her rear. Her axe flew from her grip and slid across the floor.

It felt as if the whole world were quivering so harshly that her surroundings became a blur.

"What's happening?"

"Oof!"

"Ouch!"

As quickly as the tremors came, they stopped. Edelgard tried to catch her breath and make sense of her surroundings as she pushed herself to her feet with her arms. Her chest heaved so hard that she found it hard to breathe.

As soon as she regained her balance, a deafening boom enveloped them. Not just in the Holy Tomb, it sounded as if it were coming from the surface.

Edelgard looked to the ceiling to see cracks beginning to run across the intricate stone. She readjusted her feet and held out her arms desperate to keep her balance as the ground shook, harder than last time.

"You may have skilled sorcerers, Archbishop!" Thales's voice boomed across the room. "But even they're no match for our javelins!"

Another loud blast from the surface, but the sound permeated even the Holy Tomb. Edelgard covered her ears with her palms and pressed hard to try and block out the sound. She frantically turned from side to side to see her classmates doing the same. Some were on the ground with their hands over their ears, others were hunched over.

"You fool!" Rhea's face twitched as she screeched. "You know we will be able to trace the source! We will find you and finally put an end to you!"

Edelgard tried to keep her eyes on the ceiling. After what Byleth told her, she had become very cautious of falling debris.

"Not if there's no one left to trace us!" Thales laughed maniacally. "Even if there is, we'll be long gone, dear Archbishop of Ashes!"

Thales seemed to have no issue keeping his balance during the tremors. He stood as still as ever.

Finally, the quaking ceased, as did the deafening sounds.

"Edelgard!" Thales yelled though he no longer had to in order for his voice to boom across the Holy Tomb.

Edelgard felt her heart drop at the sound of her name. She straightened her stance and removed her hands from her ears to face him. She grinded her teeth as she tried to stand as tall as possible, she even lifted her chin in an attempt to appear unintimidated.

The fighting had ceased as Thales spoke and Edelgard could hear the sound of armor slowly moving and in the corner of her eye, she saw many heads turn to face her.

"I'll give you one last chance, oh great Flame Emperor," Thales cocked his head as his eyes pierced hers.

Edelgard didn't reply, but she could feel her brows lower as the sudden urge to wince and withdrawal overtook her. She knew all eyes were on her and now, her previous association was now public knowledge, not just to those closest to her.

"You can stay here and die," Thales continued as he waved his hand towards his men. Without hesitation, they began marching back to their master. "Or you can come back with us and finally end the reign of the goddess and her forsaken children."

Edelgard shook her head. She knew what Thales was intending to do and only time would tell if it would work. However, for now, she knew she needed to stand by her choice, "never, Thales. I stand by my family."

Thales shook his head, "it's a shame Flame Emperor, you could've ruled all of Fodlan and then some. All bowing at your feet, instead you choose to die a pointless death."

"As long as I fight for what I believe in," Edelgard swallowed hard, "it will never be pointless."

"Very well," Thales snapped his hand into the air as he craned his neck to peer at his men. "The white barrier is gone, we're done here."

Over several brief seconds, dozens upon dozens of white flashes sprung into the ceiling and Thales and his men were gone.

Silence fell over the Holy Tomb. Edelgard dared not move, not even her eyes. All that could be heard was the light crackling of the columns and ceiling. Her hands were still balled into fists but she kept her eyes on the ground. Edelgard didn't know if it was shame, or fear, but she dreaded what was to come next.

"You?" Dimitri's exasperated voice finally broke the silence. "You're responsible for all of this?"

Edelgard lifted her eyes to see Dimitri's once blonde hair streaked with red, as well as red splatters across his face as he took several steps toward her with his lance firmly grasped in his hand. His face was scrunched with fury.

She did not reply.

"I let you into this sacred space," Rhea hissed through her teeth. "And you dare soil Garreg Mach with your filth?"

Edelgard felt a familiar moisture swelling behind her eyes, but she remained motionless. If this was to be her consequence for aligning herself with Those Who Slither in the Dark, then so be it.

"Knights of Seiros! Prince of Faerghus!" Rhea yelled louder than Edelgard's ever heard. "Heir of Leicester! Seize her!"

"Lady Rhea…" Edelgard could hear the hesitation in Claude's voice.

"Such a rebellious heart cannot continue to beat!" Rhea's scream almost sounded fanatical. "Kill her at once!"

Edelgard slumped her shoulders. Somehow, she always knew this day would come, despite the desperate attempt to change her fate. Her hearing became muffled but she heard many voices at once, some in protest, others in a battle cry. Heavy, armored footsteps overlapped one another but she didn't dare lift her eyes.

She retreated into her mind as she let a small smile form. She only had two regrets: one being that she'd never free those oppressed by their crests, such as her classmates… no, her friends, her family. And second, that she never had the chance to tell Byleth what he truly meant to her.