Previously on The Holy Tomb Pt. 2:
"El," Byleth interrupted. He squeezed her arm harder as he clenched his jaw. "I'm in love with you. This is why I cannot have you here, I can't lose you again."
Felix bent over and pulled Dimitri's arm, lifting his body from the ground. With a loud groan, he was able to drape the prince's body over his shoulder as he gave Edelgard a nod, "if anyone asks, I'm telling them you did it."
I hope you guys are enjoying the ride thus far… and now for the conclusion to The Holy Tomb 3-part chapter.
As always, my discord's always open! KWG0D#5395 - I love connecting with readers!
Note: I have something coming up Friday (the 4th) so I may not have another update until early next week, though I shall try.
As always: thanks to BioMatrix2012 for being a good mate and my beta 4 life.
Byleth was either lucky or extremely unfortunate that the Knights of Seiros that Rhea ordered to go after Edelgard were having much more trouble climbing the debris of the staircase than Dimitri did.
It would only be a matter of time before some of them gave up and turned their attention to him, or if they succeeded, that would only add to his students' enemy count. He had watched his class closely during the past two consecutive battles, and felt a swell of pride at how capable they've truly become without him needing to bark out orders.
The large dragon that stood before Byleth screamed and howled as it lifted its giant paw. Whatever Rhea had transformed into, the Immaculate One, as Edelgard called her, was much larger than Miklan or any other beast they faced thus far.
Byleth dove to his side, landing firmly on the marble floor as Rhea brought her giant paw down where he once stood, "Rhea! Stop this madness!"
"Madness?" The dragon's voice was much deeper and raspy than Rhea's human voice. "It is that girl that brought madness into my monastery!"
"She's defected! She only wishes to live, Rhea!" Byleth lifted his sword, though he was hesitant to use it. The few times he sent his chain flying, it only left superficial scars upon Rhea's scaly, leathery skin. Yet, he was confident that he would find a weak spot if he tried.
However, he did not wish to kill Rhea, at least not unless he had to.
Rhea lifted her snout and howled into the air, "no one abandons the Agarthans! She's merely recruited all of you to do her bidding!"
"That isn't true!" Byleth ran to keep his body facing Rhea's face as she spun her massive body. Her tail collided with more columns, sending the stone flying as if they were mere pillows. "Thales wanted to expose her so that you would do his bidding! To dispose of Edelgard for being a traitor!"
"Enough talk!" Rhea shrieked as she stomped closer to Byleth.
"Why?" Byleth let his sword unchain and swung his arm over his shoulder. The chain rapidly wrapped itself around one of Rhea's claws and Byleth pulled with all his might. He knew he didn't have the strength to cease her movements, but he could hope to slow her down. "Are you afraid that Thales has played you for a fool?"
"You dare call the great Seiros a fool?" Rhea snarled as she pulled her leg backward. Byleth slid across the marble floor in an effort to keep hold of his weapon. "The savior of Fodlan and the last of Sothis's children?"
Byleth took in her words, but he did not stop moving. He recalled his whip, lest he be sent flying into the air. He quickly recalled all of the books he read from the library, specifically the teachings of Seiros. As he recalled his sword and it snapped back into place, Byleth quickly scanned the room and saw Seteth attempting to crawl above the debris to reach the collapsed staircase. He was no doubt desperate to be reunited with Flayn.
"Is that who you truly are?" Byleth returned his gaze to Rhea. "Do you merely take on a new name every couple of decades to avoid suspicion?"
Rhea did not hesitate as she curled her lips to bare her razor sharp teeth. She thrusted her head forward and snapped her jaw. Byleth leapt backwards but could feel the snort from her nostrils a mere meter from his skin and could hear the loud clink of her teeth.
"What does that make Seteth and Flayn?" Byleth continued as he ran to his side, hoping to avoid her jaw.
"Flayn has been corrupted by that… that harlot!" Rhea growled as she turned her body, one stomp at a time.
"They are also children of the Goddess, are they not?" Byleth felt he was onto something. He only hoped it'd be enough to calm the enraged Rhea. "The color of their hair and eyes… I bear the same similarities, do I not?"
"You are no child of Sothis!" Rhea's deep growl bellowed through the Holy Tomb.
"Maybe," Byleth nodded as he gazed into the large eye of the dragon, "maybe not. But Sothis still lives, Seiros."
"Liar!" She howled. She swung her head with such speed that Byleth barely had time to lift his sword. Rhea snapped her jaw and Byleth felt an immense pressure on his left shoulder.
He groaned in pain as he turned to see his arm enveloped in Seiros's mouth, blood painted her lips.
"She would never give her power to a child of darkness," Seiros muttered, never fully opening her jaw to release his arm. Instead, she lifted her head high into the air, Byleth having no choice but to go with her.
He struggled to pull his arm free. Byleth used his free hand to thrust the Sword of the Creator into Seiros's lips, hoping to inflict enough pain that she might release him from her teeth.
"It's true!" Byleth grunted as he tried to talk through the pain. "How else do you think I escaped the void Solon tried to entrap me in?"
Seiros swiftly swung her head, finally opening her massive mouth, sending Byleth flying across the tomb.
For what seemed like an eternity, Byleth flailed his limbs as he tried to orient his eyes in the direction he was flying. He tried to stop the spinning body by waving his arms, hoping whatever he hit, his legs would take most of the damage instead of his head.
An intricately engraved wall rapidly grew closer to Byleth's vision, and before he could attempt to turn his body further, he felt a massive pain in his back as he came to a sudden stop. A fraction of a second later, he felt himself falling to the ground.
He landed so hard on the marble flooring that he felt his body bounce as the impact knocked the wind from his chest, and Byleth found himself on his stomach. He let himself lay there for several seconds before he placed his palms on the ground in an attempt to push himself to his feet.
However, the adrenaline began to wear off, his left shoulder burned, and a sharp pain ran through his arm. Byleth turned his head to find two large teeth marks, one penetrated his shoulder and the other on his forearm. Blood seeped to the floor.
"It's true, Seiros!" Byleth struggled to yell from the ground. He could feel the floor tremble beneath him as the dragon took one massive step after another, narrowing the distance between them. "Even before the void, Sothis spoke to me!"
Seiros did not answer; her stomps grew closer. Byleth put most of his weight on his right arm as he stumbled to his feet, suddenly noticing he no longer held the Sword of the Creator. His eyes quickly scanned the room to find his pale sword laying on the marble floor several meters away.
"She spoke to me every day," Byleth continued as he gripped his shoulder with his free hand. "Until the void… then she merged with me so that we may escape. This is why I couldn't hear her when I sat upon the throne. It's because she's within me."
Seiros's protruded brows scowled as she grew closer to Byleth, "you were nothing but a mistake!"
Byleth began jogging toward the dragon, releasing his shoulder to pump his arms as fast as the pain would let them.
"Even if what you say is true," the dragon howled. "Sothis deserves a better vessel than you!"
Byleth threw his legs forward and slid on his hip underneath Seiros's large, four-legged body. He kept his eyes on the Sword of the Creator as it rapidly grew closer.
Without pause, Seiros stomped to her side and began to turn her body, "I will merely cut her heart out and start again!"
Byleth came to a stop and he deftly hopped to his feet and ran the rest of the way; He didn't slow as he bent his body to grip the hilt of his sword. He spun his body to face Seiros, "cut her heart out?"
"Your mother was my twelfth attempt," Byleth swore he heard a deep chuckle escape from the dragon's throat. "She bore Sothis's heart within her."
Byleth's vision felt surreal, but he shook his head in an attempt to clear his vision, "why would you implant her heart within Sitri?"
"To bring her back, of course," Seiros nonchalantly replied. But any words from the large dragon seemed anything but nonchalant. "But then she was with child. I told her to stay away from Captain Jeralt, but the heart wants what it wants."
Byleth took several steps backward, afraid any strike would cause Seiros to stop talking, and he desperately wished to hear more.
"When she gave birth," the dragon's tone seemed to calm slightly. "It… you didn't cry, you didn't move… you would not breathe."
"I…" Byleth's mind was frantic, he desperately tried to focus on his next words, "I was stillborn?"
The dragon snorted through its nostrils as its steps slowed, "Sitri's screams broke my heart, I thought of her as my own. But then she begged me to place Sothis's heart within you, to give you life. So I did as she asked… and suddenly, you took your first breath just as your mother took her last."
"Is that why-why my heart doesn't beat?" Byleth lowered his sword as he stared at the dragon's massive face. He swore he saw the large beast nod its head. But her soothing nature did not last.
"But you are undeserving!" The dragon snarled as her eyes glowed with anger once more. "I will merely have to find a new vessel for my mother!"
She began to thrash, disintegrating several more columns with her colossal tail. Byleth turned his eyes to the ceiling to see it full of fractures and crevasses as dust and debris began to fall to the floor.
"Seiros…"
Byleth craned his neck to see Seteth cautiously approaching behind him.
"You cut into a newborn's chest?" Seteth asked bluntly, seeming genuinely shocked. "Is that what our mother would have wanted?"
"You as well, Cichol?" Seiros huffed as she stomped closer. "Don't you see? It was the only way!"
"Sothis would've never wanted that!" Seteth exclaimed.
"What's done is done!" Seiros shrieked. "All that is left is to cut her heart out of his chest and start anew!"
As he slowly approached Byleth's side, he extended his arm to prevent Seteth from getting any closer to the dragon, "the ceiling will give. You need to find cover."
"Play the hero, my dear Byleth," the dragon hissed. "But you've been led astray by the darkness that is Edelgard."
"And you've been blinded by rage, Seiros!" Byleth quipped. "I've been telling you: you've succeeded in bringing your mother back! Sothis has been with me for quite some time… she looks rather young, but she enjoys chastising my childish ways."
Seiros stopped suddenly at his words. He swore he saw the dragon's brows soften.
"She told me of the beauty Zanado once possessed," he continued, desperately hoping his words were reaching the mourning Seiros. "Before the Nemesis, that is."
Byleth couldn't be sure, but it appeared as if the dragon recoiled as he spoke, almost as if she were growing smaller.
"She was a part of me, my twin," Byleth swallowed hard as he tried to recall the sound of Sothis's voice. "When we merged… it was as if I lost a part of me. I could no longer hear her voice. I don't know how just yet, but Seiros, I made a promise to her that I would restore her original body."
Seiros twitched, her paw spasmed as did her back.
Byleth released the hilt of his sword and it fell to the ground with a thud, "if you wish to take her heart back, I will not stop you. Take it."
He spread his arms to his side, exposing his chest.
"Byleth…" Seteth trailed off. "You can't!"
Byleth slowly nodded his head as he kept his arms extended, "I can. If Seiros has already found a way to bring Sothis back, then who am I to stop her? My only regret would be that I would not be here to share in a conversation with her again."
However, Seiros did not approach him. He growled and groaned as her head lifted into the air, twitching every couple of seconds.
He saw Seiros's inner struggle begin, and without lowering his arms, he continued, "Sothis also told me of the song she wrote for you. You'll have to forgive me as I've often been told I'm tone deaf."
Byleth cleared his throat as he began to hum. Though the notes of his hum were often off-key, he did his best to mimic the song Sothis once sang to him.
"Seiros," Seteth began as Byleth hummed. "If what the boy says is true, then she has indeed returned to us. He's even committed to restoring her own body. We are closer than we've ever been."
Byleth imagined if Leonie was present, she would've made a sarcastic quip about him providing solemn background music to Seteth's words.
For a very, very long moment, Byleth stood motionless. His arms stretched out to the dragon before him. Every fiber of his body screamed that he was making a mistake, that Seiros would soon snap her jaws around him, rip Sothis's heart from his chest and that would be his end.
From above him, the creature glared down at her sibling and her creation; all the while, Byleth swore he saw a growing doubt in Seiros's eyes. Around the trio, the tomb had grown silent, and, in what he attributed to blood loss, Byleth felt that the towering figure before him had begun to shrink.
But as he gazed upon the dragon, he realized he was not imagining things. She was, indeed, growing smaller. Her once gray scales were turning a lighter, pinkish color.
The half-dragon let out a high-pitched whine as she shrank further and further, but Byleth did not stop. Her once giant paws receded and he could make out small fingers. The scales and fins on her back retracted into her body, revealing the protrusions of her spine.
Byleth stopped humming and as he let his gaze fall upon the naked Seiros on her hands and knees, the once high-pitched whine turned into a cry as she wailed in sorrow. Her tears fell one after another upon the marble floor.
Byleth rushed forward as he reached behind his neck to rip his purple cape from his attire. As he approached the inconsolable Seiros, he draped the cape over her nude body. She didn't seem to notice as she continued to sob.
"Why must it be you?" Seiros muttered in between her rapid breaths. "Why could you not have stayed with me? Why must you follow her?"
Byleth did not wish to pour salt on Seiros's wounds by telling her that he agreed with Edelgard's ideals, and more than that, he found his heart belonged to her. Instead, he tried to change the topic, "we will bring Sothis back, I promise. I will find a way to restore her own body so that she may walk free of me."
Seiros leaned back onto her knees as she sat upright. She grabbed the cape Byleth had covered her with and pulled it closed in front of her chest and used her other hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and cheeks.
"She will be quite exhausted," Seteth turned his gaze to Byleth, who sat next to Seiros. "Her transformations drain her strength."
A sudden boom filled the Holy Tomb and the ground began to quake. Several of the remaining columns shook as if they were mere stones loosely standing on top of each other.
Byleth placed his palms on the floor to steady himself, "the Agarthans?"
"They will not rest until we are all buried," Seiros wearily replied, as if she was unsurprised.
A short distance from where they sat a large chunk of stone fell from the ceiling with a loud crash. Dust flew into the air as the Holy Tomb continued to shake.
Byleth pushed himself off of the ground and reached out his hand to Seiros, who slowly lifted her head, "we must leave, now!"
"The entrance has collapsed!" Seteth had to shout to be heard over the loud crackling of the stone splitting.
"We will find a way!" Byleth screamed as he felt Seiros take his hand. He immediately retracted his arm, pulling Seiros to her feet.
He did not hesitate to pull her as he ran toward the entrance. Seteth kept in pace beside him. Byleth scanned the entrance and saw there were fewer knights than before, so some must have been able to reach the staircase and had escaped.
He craned his neck to see Seiros's face solemn, no fear or worry in her features. She held onto Byleth's hand and held the cape that covered her body closed with the other as she ran.
More chunks of stone fell on either side of them as Byleth quickened his pace. He lifted his arm to shield his face with his forearm in case any debris flew at them.
As he peered under his forearm, he saw they grew closer to the shattered remains of the exit. Only a few knights remained, three, including Catherine, and they all seemed to be desperately shoveling debris out from within the collapsed archway.
Byleth released Seiros's hand as he ran underneath a small passage the knights had dug out. Halfway up the stairs, through the dust and the growing darkness, he could see the broken stone where the stairway broke off just upwards two and a half meters or so.
Without hesitation, Byleth intertwined his fingers with his palms facing upward and bent his knees, "let's go!"
Catherine looked at him cautiously, despite the quaking beneath their feet and the debris that fell from the ceiling.
"Go, Lady Catherine," Seiros's weak voice was low.
Catherine took a deep breath as she approached Byleth and placed her foot within his intertwined fingers. Byleth pulled his hands up and lifted Catherine off the ground.
He lifted his head to see her reaching for the bottom step with her left hand. She was able to place her entire palm on the stair but seemed to struggle to pull herself up.
"Come on, Catherine, you can do it!" Byleth tried to encourage her. Around them, the Holy Tomb continued to collapse at a rapid pace as the ground continued to quake.
"It'd be easier if I didn't have an arrow in my hand!" She quipped. But to Byleth's delight, he felt Catherine's weight lift from his hands as she grunted to pull herself up.
He kept his eyes upward as he saw her steady herself on the bottom stair. Catherine finally stood on her feet and looked down at him and extended her hand, "next!"
Byleth snapped his head and rested his eyes on Seiros. Her eyes were planted on the floor as if she had already resigned to falling with the tomb.
"Seiros!" Byleth yelled, trying to get her attention. "Let's go!"
She lifted her eyes and they widened as if she were surprised at Byleth's gesture. He waved his hand toward her to urge her to hurry.
Seiros stepped forward as Byleth once again intertwined his hands and she placed her bare foot within his grip. He lifted her toward the sky and saw Catherine grip her forearm and pull her the rest of the way.
Catherine stayed put as she stepped to the side and let Seiros ascend the staircase to the surface, "please be careful, Lady Rhea!"
"Seteth!" Byleth took his stance and to his surprise, the green-haired man didn't hesitate.
Another crash, this time it was much closer and the cloud of dust enveloped them. But Byleth didn't dare avert his eyes as he lifted Seteth to Catherine's reach. Once Seteth's feet left his hands, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve to clear his vision from the dust.
Byleth scanned the knights in front of him, only two left. He bent his knees and awaited the next foot. A knight hesitantly stepped forward and placed a hand on Byleth's shoulder as he stepped onto his hands.
It was no longer just the floors that violently shook. Byleth could feel the walls beginning to crumble under the weight of the ceiling as threatening cracks filled his ears. He tried to keep his focus as he swiftly lifted the knight. A fraction of a second later, the knight's legs flailed as Catherine lifted him to the staircase.
Another boom made him wince and another cloud of dust blocked his vision.
"Come on!" Byleth quickly took his stance and looked at the last knight, but he could only make out a silhouette. It was only when he felt a weight in his palms and a hand on his shoulder that he knew the knight was ready.
His biceps and thighs ached, but they were nearly done. Byleth had no idea what they'd face on the surface, but surely it'd be better than being buried under the rock of the tomb. He felt the knight push off the ground and fully put his weight onto Byleth's hands, it was then he lifted the last man to the sky.
Byleth tried to peer at Catherine to see if she was able to grab the man, but the gray dust clouded his vision. After a few seconds of holding the knight up, he was rewarded when he felt the man lift from his hands.
He immediately used his hand to visor his eyes as he searched for Catherine's hand.
"Come on, kid!" He heard her commanding voice call, but he could not see any part of her.
Byleth took a deep breath as he bent his knees. He sprang from the floor and jumped as high as he could as he outreached his hand but felt nothing but air, "I can't see you!"
"Just jump! I'll catch you!" Catherine yelled back. He could barely make out the sound of her voice over the crashes behind him. He didn't need to look back to know the ceiling was raining from the sky.
"I did!" He yelled back as he bent his knees once again. With another leap, he flailed his arm as much as he could, hoping he'd feel Catherine's hand, but again, he felt nothing.
As he landed on the ground, he heard a deep crackling sound coming from above him. Though he could not see through the circular exit, he knew the rest of the staircase was about to give.
"Come on, Byleth!" Catherine screamed. "You can do it!"
"The staircase is about to collapse!" Byleth used his hands as a funnel around his mouth, hoping his voice would reach the knight. "You've got to get to the surface!"
"Not without you!" She screamed back. "Now jump, dammit-"
Her words were cut off by several startled screams. Byleth felt small chunks of stone fall on his shoulder and his face. He covered his head with his arms but was hesitant to move.
"Catherine!" Byleth yelled as loud as he could. "You've got to get the others out of there! Get them to the hill overlooking Garreg Mach!"
"The staircase!" the knight screamed. Her voice seemed further away than before as if she had to ascend further up the stairs to avoid falling back into the tomb. "You've gotta get out of there!"
"I'll find my own way out!" Byleth's throat grew sore with his screams, but he was desperate for the knight to hear his words. "Get them out of here! Get somewhere safe!"
Byleth peered up the entrance for several seconds, but he never received a reply. He did not hear screaming, he did not hear footsteps. Any sound they were making on the surface was being drowned out by the crumbling of the stone that surrounded him.
Byleth dropped his head as he lingered for a few more seconds, hoping to hear any sign of the others. He knew it would be futile to jump in hopes of reaching a ledge as he couldn't even reach Catherine before the lowest step collapsed.
Convinced they were too far away to communicate with him any longer, Byleth lifted his head and took several steps away from the entrance. He slowly let his eyes drift across the collapsing Holy Tomb.
The walls bore wide crevasses that only grew wider the longer he observed them. The ceiling was barely present any longer as massive chunks were missing and now rested on the floor.
Byleth continued to walk slowly, weaving in between the blocks of stone that fell from the sky. He let out a deep sigh as he grew closer to the center of the Holy Tomb.
When they first entered, he had instinctually studied the room and found the circular and narrow staircase was the only point of ingress. There were not many shielded areas, and the ones he had found were already buried in rubble. Byleth had never felt more exposed or helpless.
He found himself at the base of the stairs that led to the throne. He took a deep breath as he began to ascend the steps.
With each step he took, he found his mind drifting to Edelgard. He recalled how swiftly her body moved the first time they demonstrated the Dance of Water together, the smile upon her face as their weapons missed.
A grin formed on his own face as he took several more steps and recalled how she had tripped and nearly toppled the table in the hedge garden, and how nervous she had been to ask him to escort her to the ball.
Loud crashes and thuds exploded behind him, but still he moved forward toward the throne.
Byleth thought about the heat from El's cheek as she pressed the side of her head against his chest to hear his lack of a heartbeat, and the smell of elderberry that emanated from her hair. He felt his chest tighten as he recalled how she taught him to dance, though they didn't have much room in his quarters.
Suddenly, he found himself standing in front of Sothis's throne. With another violent quake, Byleth had to readjust his feet to keep from falling. As soon as the tremor subsided, he turned his body and lowered it into the throne. He rested his palms on the armrests and let the cool stone chill his body.
He could now clearly see the ceiling raining chunks of stone and the cracks spreading throughout the walls. The few remaining columns tumbled to the ground, causing slight quakes of their own.
It wouldn't be long now.
Byleth closed his eyes as he smiled. He thought about El in her formal black and red dress at the ball, and their first official dance together and how she lightly touched the nape of his neck. Then his mind drifted to the moment he sat on the fallen log and he saw El's face clearly for the first time since he got stuck in between time.
The familiar feeling of never wanting to take his eyes off of her again overwhelmed him as he heard violent crackling directly above him. But Byleth did not open his eyes.
Suddenly, his mind flashed to each of his students. The way Ingrid parried Dimitri's fatal blow in defense of Edelgard. The dumbfounded look on Leonie's face when she taunted the knights only to have El and Hubert leave without her. Caspar's constant slapping of hands. The way Petra had expressed her gratitude for Byleth being born. Hubert's dagger that he left on Byleth's desk. Flayn's hopefulness in witnessing a brave new world. Annette crashing to the floor after colliding with El in the dining hall. Ferdinand's war cry as he attempted to steal El's red pebbles. Dorothea's face imprint in the mud that had become a legend throughout the monastery. Bernie's improvement with her stutter as she had asked Byleth to call her by her nickname. Lindhardt's feigned boredom though Byleth could tell he was just as engaged as his peers. Lysithea's insistence on escorting Byleth to the dining hall to avoid any ghosts that might appear. Shamir's condescending teachings of bad words to his students and confession of loyalty to be his retainer.
It was as if each memory flashed for a fraction of a second through his mind.
The crackling above him no longer lingered, it was now a full blown rumble. Byleth let the grin on his face grow into a smile as it reached each ear.
A breeze brushed the top of Byleth's head, swaying his hair slightly. He barely had time to comprehend the stone falling above him. Suddenly, his thoughts were no more.
Edelgard ran as fast as she could. She held her bloodied dagger in one hand as her arms pumped to and fro. Her eyes scanned the field that surrounded her and she saw dozens upon dozens of civilians from the monastery and the outer city fleeing in the same direction she was.
In the distance, she could see the top of the hill in which they agreed to meet and saw several figures already atop it.
Edelgard couldn't help but to let a small grin form, hoping Byleth was among one of them, perhaps she might be finally able to feel his lips upon hers.
Dorothea and Hubert ran beside her and she could see Leonie and Caspar carrying an elderly man, one arm over each of their shoulders in front of her. Annette followed behind as if she were ready to catch the elderly man in case he fell backward.
She turned her head slightly to see Claude and Hilda leading a handful of nuns and civilians toward the same hill.
The ground trembled violently, but it was less severe than it was while they were still in the gates of Garreg Mach.
Edelgard knew the Agarthan's true target was the monastery itself. As her eyes drifted along the field, she swore there were hundreds of people, running side by side to safety.
If that were truly the case, then she could finally face Byleth with her head held high knowing she had done what he had asked of her.
She finally reached the incline of the hill and her pace slowed. Shamir held Lysithea by the back of her uniform and she pulled the small girl up the hill, several villagers and Alois followed them.
In the short distance, she saw Ferdinand and Ingrid standing near the top of the hill waving their arms at those who approached.
"Come on!" Ferdinand encouraged them. "You're almost there!"
Ingrid leaned forward and grabbed a woman and the baby she held to help her the rest of the way. Flayn studied each that reached the top, more than likely searching for wounds that she might be able to heal.
It was then she was able to make out Sylvain's bright red hair and Marianne next to him. Edelgard's thighs ached as she struggled to progress up the incline but she let out a sigh of relief that they had followed her recommendation.
A burly man bumped into Edelgard as he passed her. Her shoulder flew forward and her long white hair flung in front of her face but she was able to maintain her balance. The man sped his way up the hill but she couldn't hold it against him. After all, the hundreds that fled were filled with the same terror as he was.
"Hurry, dear!"
Edelgard's eyes scanned the horizon of the hill and she saw Professor Manuela frantically waving her hands in her direction. A few meters away, Professor Hanneman gripped a few villagers by their forearms to help them the rest of the way.
Though she never had an opportunity to get to know the other professors as well as her own teacher, she was relieved nonetheless.
With a few last lunges of her legs, Edelgard reached the top. She immediately hunched over and placed her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. Dorothea and Hubert were quick to follow.
Edelgard immediately assessed the top of the hill, looking for the familiar light-green hair that she yearned to see.
Raphael weaved in between sitting civilians, checking each one. Ashe sat on his knees on the grass as he tore several pieces of fabric into long, square sheets.
The hilltop was full of terrified people, each of their chests heaved even as they hugged one another or cried.
As much as Edelgard wanted to revel in this moment, seeing numerous villagers embracing one another, there was only one thing she searched for.
She swiveled her body as she moved her hands to her hips. She caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired boy laying on the ground. Felix and Mercedes stood above him as they spoke to one another.
Edelgard searched for several more minutes as more people crowded the hilltop, including many of her classmates. She started to become more frantic as she was unable to find what she was looking for. She became so entranced on studying each person that reached the safety of the hill that she didn't notice her peers beginning to surround her.
"We made it Edelgard," Leonie huffed as she hunched over, her hands on the sides of her stomach, more likely to ease the aching of her muscles. "Whoo, I'm gonna feel that tomorrow."
"I'm…" Caspar breathed heavily to catch his breath. "I'm… feeling it now."
Edelgard let her eyes briefly fall upon her friends, each covered with blood. Leonie had grass plastered to her forehead and Annette had dirt smeared across her cheeks. No doubt they faced the same resistance as her, Hubert and Dorothea.
But they were alive. She didn't want to be misunderstood, Edelgard was grateful to lay her eyes on her friends, but there were still some missing, including her teacher.
"Who was first to reach the hill?" Shamir yelled loudly behind her. Edelgard turned on her heel to see the former knight's eyes also frantically darting from person to person.
Sylvain raised his hand, "Myself, Marianne, Raphael and Ashe."
"Have you seen Professor Eisner?" Shamir did not beat around the bush, and Edelgard couldn't help but to appreciate her bluntness.
Edelgard turned her eyes toward Garreg Mach. At the bottom of the incline, she finally saw Petra trailing behind several villagers who were being led by Bernie and Lindhardt.
"N-no," Marianne's meek voice stuttered.
"We assumed he'd be with you," Sylvain added.
"As you can see, he's not," Shamir frustratingly replied. "Has anyone seen Professor Eisner?"
Edelgard scanned the hilltop. There was narily a free space of grass to be seen. Each spot was occupied by a member of the monastery or a villager from the outer city. Her heart dropped as she saw more and more shaking heads.
"Has anyone seen Professor Eisner?" Shamir raised her voice even louder as she repeated her question. Edelgard heard a slight panic begin to form in her tone.
However, she couldn't deny her own overwhelming panic that flowed through her veins. Edelgard turned her attention back to the space between the hilltop and the monastery. Her breathing rapidly increased as she studied each person running in their direction.
Her heart thumped harder with each person that did not bear Byleth's light-green hair.
"The professor's still in the monastery?" Flayn furrowed her brow. "We-we must go get him!"
Ingrid gave her a firm nod, "I will go, it would be best if you stay here to help those in need."
"As will I," Ferdinand puffed out his chest.
"That is a bad idea," Sylvain shook his head. "Really bad. The lights falling from the sky may be growing more sparse, but the buildings of Garreg Mach are collapsing!"
For several moments, none of the academy students spoke. Though the villagers around them sobbed and cried, some even laughed after escaping a certain death, the students dropped their heads.
"Surely, you're not suggesting we leave him there?" Leonie scrunched her face as her nostrils flared. "He's always been there for us. How can we just abandon him?"
Edelgard took several more moments to collect her thoughts. As much as the thought made her jaw clenched, she knew she had to share what Byleth had told her, "he said not to go back for him. He said he'd meet us here."
"You too, Edelgard?" Shamir almost sounded in disbelief. "I'd think you'd be the first to charge back in there."
"I would be!" Edelgard snapped. "But… he promised he'd come back."
Lysithea took a meek step forward, "and he always keeps his promises, right?"
Edelgard flattened her lips and nodded firmly, "right."
The sky brightened at a single javelin of light. Edelgard did see any more follow and hoped it'd be the last. Several people shielded their eyes as the white light grew brighter and brighter. It collided with the top of the chapel and the light created a dome as it exploded.
None of the students spoke as they watched the top of the chapel collapse. Edelgard's eyes went from building to building to see if she could find a single structure not damaged by the Agarthan's attacks, but found none.
"It's… destroyed," Bernie groaned as she took a step forward. "It's.. all gone."
Edelgard shook her head, "it's not gone. The white barrier protected the monastery through most of their javelins. We can rebuild. It's not gone."
She didn't know if she was trying to convince Bernie, or herself. Somewhere deep inside of herself, she felt the pain of seeing their home in shambles.
Several more beats of silence befell them as the light of the javelin finally faded.
"Does this…" Annette mumbled quietly as she let her words trail off. "Does this mean we graduated?"
It was then that Edelgard's eyes stopped on several familiar faces ascending the incline of the hill. It was not the light-green hair that she had hoped to see, but rather a much darker green.
Edelgard felt her heart quicken and her cheeks flush. She immediately took off down the hill, each step more fierce than the next.
The blood pumped through her veins at such a pace she was certain her heart would burst. Her ears pounded with each beat of her heart so much so that she didn't hear the several footsteps of her classmates following her.
"Rhea!" Edelgard screamed so loud that her voice cracked.
Rhea ceased her movement to look up at Edelgard. She tightened the grip of the cloak that once belonged to Byleth. Her arm was draped over Catherine's shoulder and Seteth stood beside them.
"Rhea!" Edelgard repeated her scream, her hands balled into tight, red fists. "Where is he?"
Every fiber of her body screamed. She didn't want to believe what Rhea's presence could mean. The last she saw, Byleth was engaged in battle with her, and if here she stood…. Then that would mean…
"Flayn!" Her thoughts were interrupted by Seteth's relieved voice. He immediately sprinted up the hill, leaving Catherine and Rhea to face Edelgard alone.
"Edelgard," Rhea's weary lips hissed. Through the slits of Byleth's cloak, Edelgard could see her bare skin.
"Where is he?" Edelgard's face became heated as she gripped the dagger in her left hand. "Did you kill him? Is he dead?"
She felt her normal composure dissipate and pure rage take its place.
"I do not know his fate," Rhea turned her head away from her defiantly. She saw a slight twitch in Rhea's enraged face.
Edelgard didn't think. She merely cocked her right arm behind her and swung her arm across her body. Her palm immediately stung as it collided with Rhea's cheek with a loud smack.
Rhea snapped her head back to face Edelgard and covered her cheek with her hand, "how dare you! Have you no respect?"
Edelgard was ready for Catherine to strike to defend her master's honor. But the knight did not move, she only dropped her eyes to the ground.
"She speaks the truth," Catherine spoke quietly as she pulled harder on Rhea's arm. "The last we saw… he was still in the Holy Tomb… I couldn't reach him."
"What do you mean you couldn't reach him?" Shamir took a step forward to stand beside Edelgard. Her own hands were tightly balled into fists.
"He… helped us out of the tomb," Catherine elaborated. "But he was the last one… I tried to reach his hand to pull him out, but then the rest of the staircase began to collapse. He told us—he told us to make our way to the hill and that he'd find his own way out."
"Your Majesty," Hubert quickly interjected. "I know what you are thinking. Please, you must stay where it is safe!"
Edelgard's body began to quiver, she didn't know if it was from anger, fear or panic. Perhaps it was all three. She caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of Shamir sprinting down the hill toward Garreg Mach. Several students followed her, albeit, much slower than the former knight.
She did not turn her head to face Hubert. Instead, she only allowed herself to be blinded by a white light as she felt her body become weightless.
Edelgard's eyes were open, but all she could see was a brilliant white light. Several moments later, shapes began to form. Though, the shapes she could make out didn't make sense. They were merely ruins, forms of stone that didn't belong.
It took another second for her eyes to adjust and she could finally see the Holy Tomb was nothing like what it was when she left. Her feet stood upon chunks of uneven rock. Her eyes scanned the wide, open space but there was barely any marble floor to be seen, though it was hard to tell with the dark that enveloped the once brightly lit room. A few scattered torches laid upon the ground, flickering an uneven orange.
"Byleth!" Edelgard yelled, her voice echoed several times before finally fading. She hopped forward to the next stone slab as she tried to make her way across the room, careful to let her eyes adjust before she took her next step. She kept her eyes on the ground in search of the Sword of the Creator, of a scrap of familiar clothing, of anything that might indicate where he could be.
"Please, Byleth, answer me!" She felt the tears begin to form behind her eyes. Edelgard did not try to fight them as she hopped from stone to stone to cover as much ground as possible.
She knew a little magic, if she could just find him, she could at least mend his wounds somewhat until she could get him to Lindhardt or Professor Manuela.
"Please," the tears began to streak down her cheeks. "Please just tell me you can hear me!"
Her eyes searched every nook and cranny, she looked for blood droplets or strands of his light-green hair, but she found nothing.
"Byleth!" Edelgard screamed through her tears. But she didn't stop, she stepped on the next piece of rubble and held her arms out for balance. Then to the next.
She saw a white light behind her, it casted her shadow on what remained of the opposite wall. She did not need to look to know that Hubert had followed her.
"Your Majesty!" He called after her.
"Leave me be, Hubert!" Edelgard snapped as she sniffled. "Go back to the others!"
"I simply cannot do that," he replied as he made his way across the rubble. "It's… it's all been destroyed."
"Byleth!" Edelgard continued as she stepped down onto the marble floor. Unless Hubert had intended to help her find him, she had no interest in his presence.
"Your Majesty," Hubert tried to reach her. "If he was here… there is no conceivable way-"
"Shut up, Hubert!" Edelgard snapped her head to face him. She saw his body visibly recoil at her harsh words. "I will not hear of it, do you understand me?"
Hubert tightened his lips as he swung his head to assess the damage. Finally, he lifted his head, "Your Majesty, I fear we are still in danger. It seems the structure is not quite finished in its destruction."
"I don't care!" Edelgard's throat was beginning to sting from the shouting. She placed her hands on the ridge of one of the smaller rocks and pushed it from its place. It flipped with a loud thud and only revealed more rubble underneath, "Byleth!"
Hubert let out a loud sigh as he began to step cautiously atop the rocks and debris to follow her.
The tomb began to shake. Dust fell from the ceiling.
Edelgard turned to find the next slate of stone she'd be able to move and saw Hubert motionless with his leg still in the air in anticipation of his next step.
"Your Majesty-"
"Enough!" Edelgard took several hops with her eyes fixated on a particular stone.
A loud creak emanated from above them.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist," Hubert quickened his pace as he hopped from stone to stone, making his way to Edelgard.
"Byleth!" Edelgard ignored his growing concern. "Just give me a sign!"
A block of stone fell from the ceiling on the opposite side of the room, but this hardly concerned Edelgard.
She could hear Hubert groaning as he jumped, but she couldn't be bothered. She gripped the edge of the stone she fixated on and began to lift it from its spot, hoping against all odds she'd be able to find some sign of Byleth.
But before she could fully lift it, she felt Hubert's large hand on her forearm and she dropped the rock to recoil her arm, "take your hands off of me! I know what you're trying to do and I won't leave until I find him!"
"Your Majesty, please-"
A violent tremble rumbled throughout the Holy Tomb and more gray dust rained upon them.
"We have to go, now!" Hubert dropped the formalities.
"Please," Edelgard pleaded as withdrew her body, tears flowed faster down her cheeks, "I have to find him. I need to find him!"
Hubert lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his emperor, "you'll not be able to find anyone if you're dead!"
She struggled and squirmed to free herself from his grasp as she cried, "Byleth! Where are you?"
Before she could anticipate a reply, she was blinded by a familiar white light as she heard slates of stone fall to the ground.