Just before Antfol crumbled to dust, Lumina urged the girl to come near the destroyed jar.
Normally, Atropa was cautious especially with cursed items but with the spirit's relic bidding, she allowed her curiosity to take over.
Upon contact with broken phylactery, bright light flooded the place.
Atrop closed her eyes due to the brightness and when she finally opened them, she once again caught a glimpse of memories of long ago.
"These are memories of Antfol and Lumina." She muttered as she witnessed how the young wizard apprentice met the fada de luz.
"Mere mortal, you shouldn't have strayed into this territory." Lumina's voice was like delicate chimes. Her golden hair cascades down her back.
"I… I apologize. I got lost while collecting my ingredients." The young wizard stuttered as he clenched a fistful of wild herbs. He adjusted his rounded glasses while gulping audibly.
Although this fae had saved him from falling down a cliff, it seemed that Antfol couldn't help but be a bit frightened.
She may be beautiful and for some strange reasons he was drawn to her, but the warning in her tone kept him at bay.
Antfol probably knew that offending a fae and much more a seelie court will only lead him to his untimely death.
"You have to get out from here. Before the others would see you." The fae muttered as she waved. The thick bushes had parted and created a path for the wizard to trudge on.
Trembling, the young wizard bowed. "thank you very much!" then he scampered off.
But after that chance encounter, Antfol kept coming to that area in order to even catch a glimpse of the fada.
Instead of following the fae's fair warning and despite the perils, he had chosen to visit the fae whenever he got the chance.
"Why are you here again?" Lumina asked as she noticed Antfol's presence.
"Can I some of the herbs growing here?" he asked while his face was marred with a faint blush. His blue eyes seemed to be begging the fada.
"Do not stay too long." She sighed as she gave him permission.
Although some of the elder ones had complaint about Antfol's visit, most of the other members of the seelie court did not mind.
As long as the wizard will not harm them and would occasionally help them, he was given access to the herb patch in that part of the forest.
Years passed and Antfol had become friends with the faes. He would drop by and ask for ingredients and in turn he would also help keeping humans away from the fada de luz's territory.
However, when the dark suzerain's greed spread throughout the lands, the fae's had resolve to aid the mortals.
"why does it had to be you?" Antfol's blue eyes almost watered in sorrow and helplessness. "there are others who would be willing to become the relic."
"I am the current head of the fadas. It is my duty to protect my people." Lumina replied.
"But you do not need to sacrifice yourself like this!" Antfol cried out.
Lumina sighed. She always knew that the young mortal loved her but she could never return his love.
She was glad that he never forced any advances on her and had respected her. But as times goes by, his obsession towards her had also grown and she felt suffocated by his affection.
"It is essential for me to become a relic. Normal weapons will never work against that dark suzerain. As the guardian of light, it falls on my shoulder to stop him." She patiently imparted.
"But you do know that as a fae, we could not simply take away life with our hands. Thus, becoming the relic is the only way we could help." She further explained.
"I don't want you to go. I don't want you to die." Antfol cried while clinging to her sleeve.
"Hush now!" she admonished him. "What needs to be done, needs to be done."
She blew on him and tiny sparkling particles had spread. Antfol's grip loosened and his eyes had started to be droopy. Although, he tried to fight the drowsiness, eventually he had fallen asleep.
"Please take him away." She asked the other faes to send Antfol to the edge of the forest.
After which Lumina began the ritual to become the first relic. She stood at the center of the pentagram while the other fadas' sang the commandia.
Lumina's body rose on air in order became the raw ingredient for the sacrificial blade. Taking a dagger, Lumina plunge the weapon into her heart. Rich thick blood oozed out of her chest and dyed her white gown red.
As her life began to be snuffed out, several precious stones and metals surround her and the change took place.
Light engulfed her and her body started to take the form of the sacrificial blade. It was slightly curved and had been embedded with several precious stones.
As the process came to an end, Antfol burst through the chamber and saw how Lumina had become the relic.
In his anguish, Antfol left and had turned to the dark side and studied necromancy. He nurtured the unrequited love and darkness inside him. Until the time that he knew he was going to die, he had refused to give up.
"Finally, the spell is complete." He chuckled as he engraved the incantations in the metal jar. "Wait for me, my Lumina. I will take you back."
Antfol went back to the fada's territory and placed the jar in one of the hidden chambers. Then when he died, he became a lich.
He tried several times to take Lumina but the spell in that sanctuary never allowed him to access to the sacred chamber where Lumina was resting.
For years, his malice and obsession had corrupted a part of the fada's territory. People who strayed into those parts had been caught up into his web of darkness and were turned.
Although the fada's wanted to get rid of him, they could not do anything since they would be corrupted if they would come near his domain.
"Child of Kreuz, thank you!" Lumina's voice filtered through Atropa's ears. "I had always wanted to set his soul free. But as I am, I could not do anything. Thank you very much for purifying my friend."
Just then Atropa felt someone shaking her shoulders. "Atropa! Are you alright?"
The girl snapped out of her reverie and came face to face with a worried Briar.
"I am okay." She whispered.
"You're crying." Briar said while wiping her cheek.
Atropa was a bit taken aback when she felt his hand wiping away her tears.
"What?" she felt her check and said. "I am sorry. I am not really emotional but that vision somehow…" she trailed off and turned around to wipe her tears. "I apologize for showing such an awful face."
Briar pulled her towards him and engulfed her in an embrace.
"Your highness!" she exclaimed.
"Hush… Did Lumina show you something bad?" he asked while trying to calm her down.
"It wasn't so bad. But for some reasons, that memory sent such pains in my chest. Unrequited love is such an awful thing." She muttered.
Since she was being embraced by the prince, she wasn't able to see how his expression had darkened at her words.
"Antfol wasn't such a bad person." Atropa said. "I just hope he would find happiness in his next life."