(Long chapter because I completely forgot yesterday. Forgive this author I've become addicted to Persona 5. Enjoy the read!)
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Morniel charged at Tuilë, a cruel smile on her lips, her hammer raised to strike. Hísië stepped in, positioning himself right in front of Tuilë. His left arm, covered in ice, blocked Morniel's hammer, and the clash between their powers unleashed waves of energy: a blue, icy aura that froze the ground and a golden aura that scorched everything in its path.
Tuilë felt a pang in her heart as she saw her own daughter turned enemy, but she knew she had to fight. She stood beside Hísië, and in a brief exchange of glances, they shared a mixture of sadness and determination. Hísië murmured, "We're in this together."
She then placed her hands on the ground, and powerful vines shot up toward Morniel. Morniel only sneered in disdain. Her cosmic beast leapt forward, slicing through the vines with a swipe of its claws, leaving a trail of stardust and golden flames. The creature then lunged at Tuilë with wild fury.
Tuilë sprang back to dodge, then threw seeds to the ground while murmuring in an ancient language. Instantly, a gigantic golem emerged, made of intertwined stone and vines. The golem positioned itself between Tuilë and the beast, and with a deep roar, grabbed the cosmic creature. The two monsters exchanged blows: the golem's wounds closed up with roots and flowers, while the beast left a shimmering trail of stardust with each strike.
Morniel watched them with a bitter smile. "You hoped to trap me in your perfect world, never letting me reach the stars. I just wanted to be myself, without chains. But you, you chose these weak mortals over me."
Tuilë's expression hardened, but she replied sadly, "We tried to love you, Morniel, but you locked yourself in chains we couldn't break."
Morniel shrugged, and a cosmic light formed a shield of stardust around her, bursting into glowing fragments each time Hísië and Tuilë attacked. The shield protected her but also isolated her, like an invisible barrier.
Morniel's cosmic creature, though wounded, rose to resume the fight, but Tuilë's golem, even cracked and damaged, blocked its attack once more. Tuilë cast one last look at Hísië before bracing herself to face the beast, which was already rising again, ready to rejoin the battle with renewed rage.
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Caladwen was starting to tire; the battle against the evil being was weighing on her more and more. She had already faced other monsters just as powerful, but the curse eating away at her body made her falter. Dark veins appeared under her skin, and her breath grew increasingly short.
Thúrlas, the vampire, stopped, fixing his gaze on Caladwen with a glint of regret. "Caladwen, I regret that it has to end like this."
Caladwen shot him a furious look. "Silence! Thúrlas, you were my big brother, the one I admired the most. You were the one who protected me from our father's anger… and yet, here you are, serving that treacherous goddess! You even performed the dark ritual our mother forbade us. You've betrayed everything she taught us."
Thúrlas shook his head, his voice icy and calm. "Don't worry, sister. Lady Morniel promised us a perfect world, a place without suffering, without violence. She wants to correct the mistakes of those gods who, by giving humans creative thought, only created suffering and greed."
With a cruel smile, Thúrlas sent spheres of dark energy toward Caladwen. She tried to defend herself, raising a shield of light, but each blow weakened her defenses. Finally, her shield gave way, and the dark orbs struck Caladwen. She gritted her teeth, horrified, as each impact intensified her pain.
Thúrlas approached her through the smoke, waving it aside with one hand. He found her on her knees, her blond hair matted with mud, blood, and rainwater. He crouched down, taking his sister's face gently in his hands, and wiped the mud from her cheeks. "Forgive me, sister," he murmured. "I do this for our future, for the chance to see our mother again… to reclaim the happiness that was taken from us."
Suddenly, Thúrlas pulled back, sensing danger. A ray of darkness shot toward Caladwen, but a figure stepped in front of her to protect her: Eldarion. In his rush to save Caladwen, he lost his left arm, yet his gaze remained intense, determined to fight for the one he loved.
"Eldarion, I was wondering when you'd join us," Thúrlas said nonchalantly. He raised his arm to attack but froze, staring at his destroyed limb, unable to regenerate it. His face hardened as he realized the nature of Eldarion's sword.
"So, the Lady of the Lake entrusted you with Aerondight… Once again, that supposed elven goddess meddles in everything," Thúrlas muttered with a scornful grimace.
At that moment, Gaurfain, another ally of Morniel, appeared, tossing Eldarion's severed arm in front of him. "Disappointing, really, for the champion of humans," he added, shaking his head.
Eldarion stayed silent, staring down his opponents, ready to sacrifice himself to protect Caladwen. But before he could signal her to flee, Caladwen grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to kneel beside her. She placed her hand on his cheek, despite the mud and blood, her gaze softening, filled with tenderness.
A distant, gentle memory crossed her mind in that moment: a simple, peaceful memory. She remembered lying beside Eldarion on a quiet night, wrapped in the light of the moon. In the silence of their room, they held each other, her head resting on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart. Eldarion, as silent as always, had wrapped his arms around her, holding her as if to shield her from the world's troubles. No words were needed that night. The warmth of their bodies and the gentle stroke of his hand through her hair spoke louder than anything.
She returned to the present, her gaze meeting Eldarion's, filled with the same love and silent promise to stay together until the end. "Eldarion… did you do what I asked you?" she whispered. He nodded, and she smiled weakly, gently touching his face. "Then it's time for us to say goodbye to this world. Will you join me, as you always have, my love?"
Eldarion kissed her hand, then nodded. Caladwen clasped her hands in prayer, her words speeding up in an incantation, forming a massive circle of light around them.
Thúrlas and Gaurfain, surprised, rushed forward to stop the ritual, but Eldarion stood between them and Caladwen, planting his sword in the ground like an unbreakable shield. Every strike from their claws and spells rebounded off him, wounding him deeply, yet he refused to give in. Thúrlas's dark magic tore at his body, making him bleed and gasp for air, but he stood firm.
Then, he felt two arms wrap around his neck, and Caladwen whispered, "It's time for us to rest, my love… and to trust our daughter, Lara, to protect our people."
Caladwen stood, fixing her enemies with a cold gaze, and murmured in ancient Elvish, "Dagnir aenath." From her fingertip, a small orb of light emerged, dropping gently to the ground and casting the battlefield into a suspended silence.
Then, a blinding explosion, like a bomb of pure light, swept through everything in its path, consuming both monsters and allies in a final act of sacrifice. And so ended the lives of the first elven child and the first human to love an elf, their souls entrusted to the future of their daughter, Lara Dorren, bearer of a new hope for their people.
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Tuilë faced Morniel's beast, an immense, almost divine creature wielding a golden sword as massive as a tree trunk. The weapon glowed with a menacing energy, casting bright reflections all around. With the help of her stone golem, Tuilë was dominating the fight. The giant struck the beast with its rocky fists, pushing it back, and roots rose from the ground at Tuilë's command, wrapping around the creature's legs to hold it in place.
Confident in her impending victory, Tuilë glanced toward the battle between Hísië and Morniel, worried for her husband. But she had only a split second before hearing a sinister rumble. Morniel's beast was now surrounded by a dark and golden aura, as if transformed by some older, more powerful force. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and its silhouette seemed to grow, its strength redoubling.
Tuilë's golem tried to attack again, but with one blow, the beast brandished its golden sword and struck with all its might, shattering the golem in a shower of stones. Pieces of the golem scattered around Tuilë, who realized with dread that this new power was beyond anything she could counter.
Before she could react, the beast charged at her, its golden sword illuminated by the dark aura. Tuilë tried to raise a shield of roots, but the creature shattered her defense in an instant and pierced her with a single strike, right through her abdomen. The pain hit her like lightning; she staggered back, clutching her wound with a trembling hand as a trickle of blood escaped her lips.
In disbelief, Tuilë raised her eyes to Hísië in the distance. An overwhelming sadness filled her—she hadn't been able to save Morniel, and Hísië would be devastated when he found her lifeless body. With a final breath, she whispered, "Forgive me, Hísië…"
As her vision blurred, the beast raised its golden sword, roaring in triumph. A dark, powerful aura emanated from it, as though it were absorbing all the surrounding light, ready to devour everything.
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The battle between Hísië and Morniel dragged on. Though she attacked from all sides with yellow flames and her hammer, Hísië dodged each strike with icy ease, as if anticipating her every move. As the eldest, he was also the most powerful of the four gods, and he remained unshaken, his silhouette surrounded by a frosty aura that repelled every attack.
Morniel redoubled her efforts, striking with a force and precision that would have felled any other opponent, but Hísië blocked her hammer with his ice-covered arm. Finally, she made a mistake: in her momentum, she failed to steady herself, and Hísië, seeing his chance, struck her hammer away with a powerful blow. The force of his strike threw Morniel off balance, and he seized the moment to stab her right in the stomach.
Morniel coughed up blood and collapsed to her knees. She lifted her head, meeting Hísië's gaze—a cold look filled with deep sadness. With a mad grin, Morniel burst into laughter. "This is what I wanted to see! The real Hísië! My father, the god feared by everyone, mortal and divine in this miserable world!"
Hísië stayed calm, but his voice held a muted pain. A cold mist rose around him, as if his despair was taking form. "So this is what you wanted, my daughter? A world of destruction, just to see me become who I once was?"
Morniel's grin widened, her eyes gleaming with madness, and she shook her head. "No, Father. That was just a warm-up."
With a wave of her hand, a sound behind him caught his attention. Hísië froze in horror: his brother Lavas and his sister Nimloth lay on the ground, trampled by Morniel's giant knight, whose armor, once golden, was now saturated with dark energy. But what tore his heart most was the sight of his companion, Tuilë, impaled on the monster's sword. She lay lifeless, still.
Hísië's icy aura shattered around him, the temperature dropping suddenly as he let his sword fall and moved toward Tuilë. Snowflakes began to swirl around him, forming a blizzard that intensified with every step. He murmured to himself, as if trying to believe it wasn't real, but horror colored his voice. His walk turned into a desperate run until he fell to his knees beside her.
He took Tuilë into his arms, his icy hand frantically brushing her cheeks as he pleaded with her, his voice broken. "Wake up, my love… please, wake up."
But there was no response.
"Answer me… my spring."
Only silence remained, and fine snow began to fall, settling on Tuilë's still face. Her eyes stayed closed, and Hísië, devastated, felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. A chilling cold emanated from him, as though life itself was freezing around them, the earth beneath them covered in a deadly frost.
Suddenly, he rested his head on her chest and screamed in anguish—a cry that shattered the ground around them, shards of ice exploding like fragments of his own broken heart.
He lifted his head toward Morniel, his face twisted by rage and despair. "Why, Morniel? Why Tuilë? Why did you do this?" His voice trembled, and his icy aura intensified, the falling snow turning into icy needles that whirled around him, ready to tear everything apart.
Morniel, still on her knees, blood trickling from her armor, slowly stood and approached him with a demented smile. She stopped just inches from him and burst into cruel laughter. "At last! You've finally lost your leash, Father! AHAHAHAH!"
Filled with uncontrollable rage, Hísië lunged at her, a divine speed propelling him straight toward Morniel. In pure fury, he stabbed her violently, driving his sword until Morniel was pinned to her own throne. An oppressive silence fell over them, the air itself freezing under the impact of Hísië's icy power. He staggered back, fists clenched, watching Morniel's lifeless body, ready to end the battle and bury his family.
But a cold laugh suddenly echoed through the hall, and an aura of darkness burst around Morniel. Shocked, Hísië recoiled, his face frozen in disbelief. "Why do you have this energy? How did you find this power?"
Morniel slowly pulled the sword from her stomach, and the wound healed before his eyes in an instant. Before she could react, Hísië summoned countless blades of ice that pierced her once more. The throne became a fortress of ice spikes, the crystals shooting out in all directions. With a final snap of her fingers, Hísië's despair grew as he saw her back on her throne, her gaze filled with contempt.
"Father, you knew I didn't stand a chance against you, or even with my creations. But… what if I could also control what you fear most?"
She rose and, in the blink of an eye, was in front of him, driving a dark sword into his abdomen. Hísië collapsed, kneeling before her, paralyzed by the pain.
"Look at you, the once-feared god… kneeling before me."
She crouched to his level, drawing her face close to his, and murmured in a cruel voice, "You've lost everything, Father. The battle, Mother, your family, even your hopes."
With a wave of her hand, four orbs appeared, rising from the bodies of the fallen gods: one bright like the sun, another with a flower inside, a golden one surrounded by shadow, and another, marked with an autumn leaf. Hísië watched the orbs in horror, reaching toward the one holding the flower as if to feel Tuilë's essence one last time. Then, an orb of ice appeared, joining the other symbols of the seasons.
The orbs began to spin faster and faster, merging into a single sphere, like a miniature earth. Morniel placed her hand on it with a triumphant smile, her eyes shining with satisfaction. "At last, everything I sacrificed has not been in vain."
Filled with despair, Hísië felt his strength drain away. He lowered his gaze and murmured, a faint smile on his lips, "Perhaps… it's better this way. For I'll be with you again, my spring."
Memories flooded his mind, reminding him of Tuilë's laughter, her tears in their darkest moments, and her emotional gaze as she carried their child. He also saw Morniel as a young child, stumbling with her first steps, Tuilë by her side, guiding her. These memories brought a tear to his face.
Then, suddenly, another memory surfaced, unexpected, and Hísië, in a last burst of hope, tried to hold on to that image…
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Hísië stepped into the garden, bathed in the soft light of the afternoon. The air was filled with the delicate scent of flowers, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, lending a nearly magical serenity to the place. Tuilë, his beloved, stood a little farther away, absorbed in her painting, a smile on her lips as she hummed a familiar tune. She spun softly to the rhythm of her melody, her dress swirling around her, her rounded belly showing the life growing within her.
Hísië quietly sat on a nearby bench, a tender smile on his face as he watched her. She was beautiful, radiant, and he couldn't take his eyes off the way the light played in her hair or the peaceful joy illuminating her expression.
After a moment, Tuilë finally noticed him, placing a hand on her heart as she spoke, "You know you gave me a fright, don't you?"
Hísië smiled and approached her. He gently took a strand of her hair and kissed it softly before murmuring, "Forgive me, you looked so beautiful I couldn't help but watch you."
She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. "You and your sweet words," she teased before planting a kiss on his cheek.
Hísië smiled, gazing into her eyes. "You know me… And tell me, how is our Morniel?" he asked, with a tenderness that was palpable.
He knelt down, placing his ear against Tuilë's belly. After a moment, a joyful smile spread across his face. "I felt her move," he announced enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling with happiness.
Tuilë burst into laughter, amused by her husband's almost childlike excitement. "What did you expect? Morniel's inherited your fiery spirit; that much is obvious!"
Hísië grinned mischievously. "And I'm certain she has your joy too. She'll carry your laughter and light within her."
Tuilë's gaze softened as she placed a protective hand over her belly. "Maybe so… No matter where she goes, she'll always have our love to guide her. We'll always be watching over her, Hísië, no matter what."
Hísië held her a little closer, and they stayed there in silence, sharing a moment of calm and togetherness. Their gazes met, a tender smile on their faces, as if they didn't need words to convey the depth of their love and their hopes for their family.
After a moment, Tuilë spoke again, her expression dreamy. "I think of everything we'll do with her. We'll take her to the woods to show her the spring flowers, and she'll learn to listen to the birds singing… We'll show her the stars so she'll never forget the beauty of the world."
Hísië, listening to his wife speak of their plans, couldn't help but smile, shaking his head slightly. This happiness, this peace… he couldn't imagine anything more precious.
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Hísië, his body battered and his spirit heavy with grief, rose slowly, standing with renewed determination. Every movement tore a sharp pain through him, and his gaze darkened with sorrow and despair. But in his eyes burned the strength of his memories with Tuilë, and the promise to protect the future she had dreamed of for their daughter. Despite his suffering, he found within himself the strength to stand tall.
Drawn by this unexpected action, Morniel turned to him, a look of disbelief on her face. She raised her arms in a gesture of victory, then questioned him in a detached tone: "Father, why are you getting up? It's over. My goal has been achieved."
Hísië shook his head, his gaze filled with deep sadness. "Forgive me, my daughter, but I don't believe you're truly the one we loved. Something has changed within you. And for Tuilë, for everything she dreamed of doing with you… I can't let you continue."
Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into his chest and tore out an icy orb from his own heart. Unlike his usual energy, this orb emitted a chilling glow, a cold and ruthless force that resonated like a cry for vengeance. The freezing energy grew stronger, dark veins streaking through the orb, revealing a deadly power ready to destroy everything in its path.
Shocked, Morniel rushed toward him, but her body suddenly froze. Her left arm moved against her will, striking her own face and violently throwing her backward. She straightened, a glimmer of panic in her eyes, and murmured, "Impossible… she should…" Her words trailed off, as if she were hiding a secret no one should ever uncover.
Hísië stood tall, his eyes fixed on Morniel with a newfound intensity, his face set in an icy smile. His daughter's strange reaction, that visible internal struggle that had made her strike herself, finally confirmed his suspicions. Murmuring almost to himself, he breathed, "I knew it…"
Frozen by his words, Morniel felt her blood run cold. She took a step back, realizing the enormity of what he was about to do and understanding that he had uncovered something she'd tried desperately to conceal.
Hísië, his gaze filled with certainty and determination, lifted the icy orb above him, a relentless cold energy radiating from it. His voice echoed across the entire world: "Aen Ithlinnespeath."
A blinding white cold erupted, freezing everything in its path. The wave of ice spread out in a perfect, unwavering circle from mountains to valleys, transforming the world into a frozen wasteland. The glacial surge swept across the land, freezing every trace of life into an eternal silence.
Time seemed to stop, the world plunged into a cold calm, as if the peace Hísië and Tuilë had longed for had been tragically imposed. The world remained frozen beneath an eternal layer of ice, forever preserving the shattered dream of a united family.